Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Part Two: Adventure

Legendary Mercenary Final Chapter: Sadism at it's Worse

This is the final (And probably longest) chapter of the Legendary Mercenary section. This chapter will feature the death of The Fear, Big Boss, and an eventual rendezvous at the perfect time to save Dante's sorry ass.

Snake is armed with his SOCOM and Sniper Wolf's customized PSG-1.

Mist is armed with a specialized bow and Sniper Wolf's bowie knife.

After this chapter, Snake and Mist will have completed their missions (They are the first to finish)

Next chapter up will be the Blade Lord chapters. You'll find out how Vergil came to identify Rareware and who he was waiting for.

The Hero of Time chapters will follow Blade Lord. There will be another newcomer during those chapters.

Ike's Greil Mercenary chapters will be the finale before we move on to the Specialized Battles in part 3. Ike has been isolated for some reason.

Quick nature lessons before we begin, because Para-Medic isn't here to lecture you over the radio:

The Brazilian Wandering Spider venom that coats The Fear's poison bolts is the most potent of all spiders' venom.

Honey can be used as a mild pain reliever for sores in the mouth, and can also be used as a less effective burn ointment.

The seeds of the Russian false mango aid in digestion.

Because The Fear used tested his poison bolts on the rabbits in the A.O. (Area of operation) in this chapter, all of them have become immune to the venom. These antibodies and blood can be dilated to make an effective serum (Don't try it at home though)

The fly agaric mushrooms is one of the most powerful of all poison mushrooms. The toxin seems like normal food poisoning at first, but rapidly will destroy your liver and kidneys. The poison, along with your body's regular wastes and poisons, will then work on your entire system and you'll die.

The Fear's stealth camo system is different from Solid Snake's. You'll find out why soon.

I don't know where you are logging in from, but this is where you belong. NOW READ!!!!

…Please

South of Graniny Gorki

Snake and Mist landed outside of Vergil's portal with relative ease. As soon as they landed, Snake's Codec went off. Mist watched him with vague interest before she started wandering around the forest they landed in. Snake ignored her for a second to talk to Otacon. "Solid Snake here. What's up Otacon?" Snake said.

"Okay, listen. I've made contact with Dante. He's in the area you've landed in. Can you identify the area?" Otacon asked.

"Right away? No."

"Damn. Anyway, apparently he and Florina were captured, but they've escaped. Florina is currently ill, but as soon as she is better Dante will be able to complete his mission."

"How did she get ill?"

"Uh… I dunno. Maybe Mist knows. She did use that magic when you accidentally shot yourself. She said that Dante used some weird magic to treat some wounds she received after they had been taken prisoner."

"Tortured?"

"She didn't say, and I'm not about to question Dante. But the both of us had already lied about our condition. Lyn said that she hadn't encountered any serious trouble. That couldn't be farther away from the truth."

"Okay. I'll find out about whatever the hell is going on with Florina first, and then I'll call Dante."

"Thanks Snake. Over and out." Otacon's frequency cut off. Snake went off to find Mist. He spotted her close to some trees; she was examining something between them.

"Mist, what's up?" Snake asked.

"Booby traps. There are a lot of snares and trip wires around." Mist replied.

"We'll watch our step, but right now I need to ask you a few things."

"Okay. What is it?"

"That staff you used to heal my head, what kind of magic was that?"

"Holy magic. Only devote clergy men and women can wield them. Sages can also. Why?"

"Would a demon have similar magic?"

"To demons yes."

"What would happen if any kind of power like that would be used on a human?"

"A few things. The human would be healed. But the problem is that demon magic is a lot more potent with its healing effect on humans. If you used a relic like maybe a healing crystal on a human that was forged from demon magic, extra magic would remain in their body. It would poison them."

"You seem to know a lot."

"Rhys taught me how to use staves; he said that it was common knowledge for staff wielders."

"Is the poison from the demon magic fatal?"

"Only if it was intended to be. If it was for healing, then it will just be something like violent food poisoning."

"Any treatment?"

"Your body will expel it gradually, but that is a slow process. Faster ways are to use magic that can cure poisons such as a Restore staff. But other natural antidotes work as well."

"So, maybe Dante can speed up Florina's recovery."

"Did he poison her?"

"He used his magic to heal her, and if I knew any word to describe the powers he used to fight against me, I'd say they were demonic."

"They are. His were very strong. If he used it on Florina, then she'd be sick for at least four days. And if you tried to move her too much during those four days, you'd contract another illness."

"But if you used an antidote?"

"Your body would convulse and expel the magic all at once. You'd then fall asleep and wake up good as new."

"Okay. So, now I need to find out where we are." Snake looked around the forest. Nothing seemed familiar. Mist looked straight up and pulled out her bow. She readied an arrow and then fired it into a tall tree, knocking loose a fruit. She went over to pick it up, and handed it to Snake.

"You recognize this?" She asked him. Snake took a look at it. It was a yellow fruit, medium sized. He took a bite. He took a bite of it.

"Russian false mango. So… that would put us in…" Snake onto a hill in the forest and looked to the north, he spotted a mountain range. "Tselinoyarsk. Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Mist asked.

"Long story. For now I'll call Dante."

Snake bent down and dialed on his Codec control. He entered Dante's frequency and sent out a signal. After a few seconds the signal connected to another Codec. Snake started talking. "This is Solid Snake. Come in Dante."

"Dante here." Dante replied.

"Good. Otacon was right about your frequency. I heard about what happened to Florina. Tell me, do you have any idea as far as to where you are?"

"None."

"Do you have any idea as far as to what year it is?"

"Yeah. According to two sentries my swords have brainwashed, it's 1964."

"Okay, I've got good news. I know where you are, and I know how you can help Florina."

"Oh really? How?"

"The girl who I'm traveling with is a healer who uses the opposite of your magic. She said that the poison caused by your magic can be treated by natural antidotes."

"I knew that. What's the point?"

"Is there an agent there whose codename is Naked Snake?"

"Naked Snake?! Well… I heard about a Snake, but not a naked one."

"That's my father. He hasn't gone crazy yet. The area you are in is called Tselinoyarsk, it's in Russia. You're in the middle of an operation called Snake Eater. I'm betting your mission in that area is to kill Volgin?"

"Yeah. But how'd you—"

Snake cut Dante off. "Dante, are you in the forest in that area?"

"Yeah. I'm close to a waterfall."

"Find some fallen trees and look on them for a brown mushroom. It's called the Baikal Scaly Tooth. Those mushrooms are a natural antidote for poisons that come from magic or other natural poisons that you ingest or inject. Including that magic you used."

"Sounds like good stuff."

"Not really. It's bitter as hell, but it will be fast working. The girl should be okay."

"Good. Now, do you have any other news?"

"Yes. Some of our objectives are overlapping. As you travel around, you may bump into me, Lyn, Link, or Ike. I'm fairly sure that Ike is traveling with Link's lover, so if you find Ike, tell him to wait there. I'll be contacting you daily; if Ike is close to you he will branch into the conversation through Codec. Link is worried about his friend, and I don't want the little rookie to keep panicking."

"I gotcha. So, find the mushrooms and continue as usual."

"Hold on, before you hang up, I have a question."

"Shoot."
"Just what exactly happened to Florina? Lyn made it sound light, but I know it's more serious then you are letting on."

"She was being tortured. The man Volgin was trying to get me to talk by torturing her. He was shocking her and beating her, her body was covered in cuts and bruises by the time we managed to escape, and she was smoking from electrical burns. I had to use that magic to heal her because I'm not a very good medic." Dante said this with anger. Snake heard it.

"So Link was right. I found him yesterday when our quests overlapped. Those basterds who through this all together definitely have it in for us. It might be identical to the last one Melee."

"If you're telling the truth, I'll smash all their skulls in! They sent me here knowing what would happen?!"

"Calm down. We're not even sure if it's the complete staff of the tournament that is crooked, or just one man who is controlling the portals. Either way, I'd say that for now you find those mushrooms. Feed them to her. She will become very ill for about half an hour, and then her body will be completely purged of the poison when she vomits it. After that, she'll probably pass out and then wake up after ten hours. It sounds bad, but it's a lot better then being unable to even walk for days."

"I understand. Snake, where are you now?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I just left a portal. I'll contact you same time tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yes. Thanks Snake. And please, don't tell Lyn about Florina. I don't want her worrying as much as I have been."

"Don't worry. I'm good at keeping secrets." Snake cut his frequency off. Mist was listening to them.

"You didn't tell him we were here." She commented.

"We're closer to the fortress where he's going to end up then his current location. We'll need to move. We have until Florina wakes up and Dante finds her equipment to catch up with him."

"Then we should grab some food. If we're not going to be resting, then even you will need some food."

Snake sighed. "Fine. Let's look around." Snake turned around to start looking for an animal, but when he did he spotted some movement. He silenced Mist to follow him. He snuck around a bit, Mist followed him. They then spotted someone entering the forest, wearing camouflage fatigues and face paint. He looked exactly like Snake. But Snake knew better. He instinctively drew out his SOCOM and aimed it at the look alike, angrily shouting out the name he knew him by. "BIG BOSS!!" The man turned around with his own gun out, he also drew a knife which he was holding at the same time as the gun, aiming at Snake. They stood their facing each other. But then Big Boss started talking.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"So, you don't know?" Snake asked.

"No. That's why I'm asking!" Big Boss replied.

Snake put his SOCOM into its holster. Big Boss wasn't strong enough to keep his memory. "We're just in the area. There's been some… complications recently. I'm trying to find a friend."

Big Boss slowly lowered his aim. "What's your name?"

Snake knew that Big Boss had the same codename as him, so he used an old alias. "My name is Iroquois Pliskin. I'm a mercenary who was called in to spy on The Cobra's. One of my buddies got captured though."

"So, you're not an enemy?" Big Boss asked.

"No."

Big Boss put his knife into its sheath and his gun into its holster. "Good. That means you may be able to help me. I was ambushed by one of the Cobra's named The End. He--"

Snake didn't let Big Boss finish. He heard something, sensed danger… he grabbed Mist and leapt back, as he did, he heard the sound of a bow gun firing, a bolt speeding and hitting Big Boss in the chest. Big Boss dropped dead, but not just from the bolt wound. Snake and Mist both started running to hide. As they did several more bolts were being fired. Soon they heard laughter. Snake pulled out his SOCOM, started aiming it, following the sounds of someone leaping. After that he aimed into the sky, and someone appeared out of nowhere, shouting "THE FEAR!" He landed. He was as skinny as Mist, tall, and was wearing a wild camouflage pattern. He was carrying two bow guns. He looked at Snake. "I am The Fear." He got up, apparently enjoying his showing off. "The bolt that just killed your friend is coated in the venom of the Brazilian Wandering Spider. I will shoot you with one, and you will die just like all the others. The most exquisite--" Snake then cut him off by shooting at him. Mist got the hint and pulled out her bow. Snake then heard his Codec go off. He touched his temple to activate it.

"Snake!" Otacon shouted. "What happened?!"

"We're in Tselinoyarsk, I'm up against one of the Cobras!"

"Who?!"

"The Fear. "

"Damn! Snake, he's using--"

"The original Stealth Camouflage prototype I know! He's also got a shitload of ammo and poisoned bolts!" Snake dodged a bolt that was fired at him.

"Snake, listen. I found this out only recently, but our own stealth system is working."

"Now you tell me?"

"Listen, there is a trick to beating The Fear. His camouflage drains his body's energy to work. Yours doesn't. You can use your stealth for three days straight, he can use it for thirty seconds before needing to restore his energy. Trick him into poisoning--"

"Use the same method Big Boss used to kill him. Got it."

"Also, watch out for Big Boss himself."

"Too late to tell me that. The Fear killed him. He didn't have my combat instinct and didn't think to dodge."

"Well, at least its one fight you have out of your way." Otacon's frequency cut off.

Snake and Mist hid behind a large tree. The Fear was still leaping around to find them. Snake reached into a pocket in his sneaking suit and pulled out Otacon's stealth system. He gave it to Mist.

"Mist, listen. I need you too--" Snake began, but she cut him off.

"I heard. How do I work this?"

"Press the big yellow button. I'll distract him, you make something that would tempt an idiot."

Mist slipped the Stealth Camo controller into her dress and turned it on. Soon she turned practically invisible. Snake then leapt out. He ran straight to Big Boss's corpse and dug into his backpack, pulling out a stun grenade. The Fear then shot a bolt at him. He dodged, and fired in the direction. He heard the fear moan and saw a trickle of blood. He hit, but he only winged him. Snake focused on that trickle and started shooting. He emptied his clip but The Fear was leaping all around, he couldn't get a decent shot. He started to dodge again as The Fear started firing bolts from his smaller bow gun. As he did, Snake began to see sparks of electricity shoot out from where The Fear was perched. Soon the Stealth Camo the fear was using wore off. "Food! I must feed!" He shouted. He put away his bow gun and leapt over to a dead rabbit. He picked it up and chewed into the raw meat, gulping down half of it in two quick bites. As he did, he spat out a bit of mushroom. "POISON!" He shouted. He started to gag himself and climbed back up the tree. Snake reloaded his handgun. The Fear leapt off a branch and bent down. As he puked, Snake heard the stretching of Mist's bowstring. She let an arrow fire. It hit The Fear in the back. He shouted out in pain. As he shouted, Snake fired his SOCOM. The bullet pierced The Fear's skull. He slumped over dead before he could activate his micro bomb and destroy his corpse. Snake then saw some flickering lights, a bright flash, and then he saw Mist deactivating her Stealth Camouflage.

"That was a nice shot." Snake commented. He walked over to The Fear's corpse. The first thing he did was find The Fear's micro bomb and toss it away. He then pulled off The Fear's equipment. He looked at the two Bow Guns. One was small, but it looked like it would be easy to load with up to three bolts. One was huge. He took a look at it, it would have some big power. He handed it to Mist. "Think you'll be able to work this?" He asked. Mist took a look at it.

"I think so." She said.

"Good. Take this then." Snake pulled the backpack off of The Fear and gave it to Mist. She dug through it a little, loaded a bolt into the bow gun, and then strapped it on. She looked at Snake. He was digging through Big Boss's equipment. He pulled out two strange blocks of food, two grenades, and a cardboard box. He looked at it with amusement. "This should be helpful. But for now, we'd better move." Snake started to head south. He had read the documents of this mission before, he knew the layout of the fortress. Mist followed him.

Mountains

Snake and Mist were climbing on some mountains. They had already eaten the two pieces of food that Snake stole from Big Boss, and now they were evading enemy troops on a mountain. Mist was getting the hang of her bow gun while Snake was taking out enemies with his rifle. When they were close to the summit, they spotted a door into the mountains. Snake stopped at it and tried to open it. It was unlocked. Something wasn't right. Mist followed Snake. They went through the door and into some tunnels that were underneath the mountains. After walking down a couple of staircases they ended up in a dark room. They climbed down a ladder and started to walk into a corridor that was built like a maze. When they did, a flamethrower fired at them. Its stream stopped short, they then spotted someone walking, wearing a space suit. He turned and faced them, talking angrily. "I am The Fury!" He declared. "The flames of my rage will incinerate--" Just like with The Fear, he was cut off. This time it was by Mist who shot The Fear's bow gun at The Fury. He dodged most of it, but it cut a hole into his spacesuit. "MY SUIT!" He shouted. He aimed his flamethrower at Mist. Snake grabbed her and they dodged the stream. Mist turned on her Stealth Camouflage. Snake himself pulled out his SOCOM. They began to sneak around the area. The Fear was shouting. "Sure is dark in here!"

Snake took a few steps around the area. He didn't hear Mist's footsteps, she must've taken another path. Snake spotted The Fury from a distance. He pulled out his PSG-1 and took careful aim. He fired, the bullet slamming through the suit. The Fury shouted out in pain, but then he was hit by a bolt fired from Mist. It was colored strangely, one of The Fear's poison bolts. He started to shout and pointed his flamethrower in Mist's direction. As he did, Snake emptied the clip from his rifle. The bullets pierced several parts of his suit, all marks now had fresh blood pouring from them. The Fury staggered and began muttering. "Boss…. This is the end of The Cobras. You've got to live on…. you and The End are the only ones left… I'm off... to join The Sorrow…" Soon his flamethrower burst, letting out streams of fire. He took of his helmet and muttered. "Behold! The flames of fury! The fires of hell will purge me clean!" The fire was absorbed into the suit. As it was, he stood up and began talking clearly. "I can see it! Come in mission control, do you read me?" He pressed a switch on his suit, streams of fuel began firing from his suit on both sides, on the back which carried the flamethrowers fuel. They ignited and he faced up, using it as a jet pack. "I'm coming home!" He flew straight up towards the ceiling of the area. "I see the Earth!" He declared before smashing through the ceiling. Mist found Snake, her Stealth Camo was off. But as they were walking, two jets of flame came flying at them. They dodged one, it slammed into a wall. A final one flew at them. They ran towards a door in the back of the area. They heard an echo on the wind shouting "THE FURY!!" Before the jet of flame smashed into the wall behind them. The tunnel almost collapsed on the two, but they ended up outside, close to a ladder. Above them was daylight. Snake was about to let out a sigh of relief when his Codec went off. He answered it, Otacon's voice came on.

"Snake, I've got some bad news!" He shouted.

"What's wrong?" Snake asked. He saw that Mist was listening in, she touched the proper part of her neck.

"It's Dante. We've lost contact! I've tried him three times but I've gotten no response. Lyn's got a bad feeling. Could you check it out?"

"Yeah. Hang on, I'm outside of a fortress. Keep your signal running, I'm about to climb up a ladder." Snake walked to the ladder, Mist followed closely.

Grozynj Grad

The two emerged into the middle of an armed fortress. They were surrounded by armored cars, tanks and cement. They started sneaking around, Mist turned on her Stealth Camo. Snake peeked around a corner and spotted Dante and Florina. Both were unconscious, being carried by some sentries. Following closely behind with his eyes on Florina was an old man with several scars on his face. His medals showed that he was a colonel. Snake recognized him. "Damn!" He muttered.

"Snake, what's wrong?" Otacon asked.

"Otacon, where's Lyn?"

"She's asleep. The Codec didn't wake her. What's wrong?"

"They have both been captured. Volgin has them."

"Damn! If those records about him were right, then Florina..."

"He's an old man now. But he's got one hell of a build."

"Snake, you paid more attention to his file then I did. Please at least tell me that he won't kill or rape her!"

"He's too old to rape her, and he enjoys suffering enough to keep her alive. But she'll be going through hell."

"Rescue her then Snake! You've got too--"

Snake cut Otacon off. "There is too many guards! I can't get close enough!"

"The Stealth Camo should work on the both of you if you're maintaining body contact. Find a way in and then rescue them when they are alone."

"They will both get out of this alive, don't worry. Right now I need to hurry." Snake cut his frequency off. "Mist, do you have any of those healing staffs left?"

"Yes, but the one I have is damaged. It will only be able to do one spell."

"It'll have to do. We need to get to them!"

Mist turned off her Stealth Camo. Snake grabbed her arm and she turned it back on. Both of them were coated in its effect and invisible. Snake picked up Mist and began walking. They followed the same entrance as the soldiers and Volgin. When they stepped in and the door closed behind them, Volgin turned to the guard who had Florina. "Give her to me." He said. "I have a bit of catching up to do!"

Soon a man wearing black, another soldier, started speaking. He was a major. "Sir, what about the other one?"

"Lock him up in the hanger's arena. I'll be there with the girl." Volgin carried Florina off. She hadn't woken up. Snake followed Volgin. He was carrying Florina through the fortress. They went past a weapons lab, and then through the outside of a hanger. Finally, they ended up outside of west wing. Two guards spotted Volgin and opened the door up. Snake followed closely. Volgin was too caught up in having Florina to notice what little footprint noise he made. Soon he took Florina into a room, the door closed behind him. Snake couldn't get through. He looked through a window on the door and saw Volgin rip off Florina's clothes. He began laughing as he looked at her body. He pulled a rope out of his jacket and bound her feet. He then tied her hands over her head. Snake tried to open the door but with no luck. Mist watched in horror. Soon Florina began to wake up. Volgin saw. He laughed. "So, my little girl has returned to me for some more fun!" Florina saw him and her eyes went wide. She began to struggle with her bonds, but it didn't work. Volgin grabbed her arms and stood her up. He was grinning. Mist pulled the Stealth Camo controller off of her body and attached it to Snake's back. He knew where she was going. He gave her Big Boss's cardboard box and instructed her to hide under it. She did, in the box she covered her ears. She did her best not to hear Florina's screams. Volgin started punching her. Snake watched, still trying to open the door. Volgin punched her in the gut and then in the face. He then grabbed her and threw her against the wall and beat her. Her screams echoed through the hall. Snake was feeling himself get sick as he continued to fumble with the door. He then saw a glow coming from the room. He looked into the window and saw electricity flowing through Volgin. He continued to beat Florina, the blows were bruising and burning. She collapsed to the ground, covered in cuts and bruises and burns. Volgin then started kicking her. Snake grabbed a grenade from his belt and was about to pull the pin when the door behind him opened. A man with white hair walked through the door. He walked into Volgin's room and looked at Florina. Volgin noticed him. "Ivan, what is it?"

"Colonel, the other prisoner is ready in the hanger. The End said that he'll be awake soon."

Volgin laughed. "Ivan, look at this precious little girl. Listen to how she cries. Isn't it beautiful?" He laughed like a maniac again. Again Snake barely managed to stop himself from shooting Volgin, but he stopped, knowing that Ivan would turn right around and shoot Florina.

Ivan laughed and kicked Florina. She cried out again from the blow. Snake saw her crying, he felt his stomach churn. Volgin picked her up roughly by the hair, almost scalping her. "I'll get her to the hanger myself. She'll make a fine display while dangling from the Shagohod!" He dragged her with him, not noticing Mist's box. Ivan didn't follow though. He sat on the bed in the room Florina was in. As soon as the door closed behind the colonel, Snake pulled out his gun and shot Ivan in the head. He then went over to Mist. He cloaked them both in the Stealth Camo and went to chase Volgin.

Tank Hanger

Snake and Mist were in a sniper position in a tank hanger where a strange looking machine was resting. Snake focused his PSG-1 scope on Volgin's head, but he couldn't make a safe shot. Florina was dangling from the tank. Volgin was still beating her, but she had passed out from the pain. If Snake fired, it would be too likely that the bullet would pierce through Volgin and kill Florina. Dante was also in the hanger, he was unconscious. Florina was hanging by a rusty chain now. Volgin had a mark on his face from Florina's struggling. Snake's finger was starting to get itchy. He wanted to blow Volgin's brains out. Finally, after ten minutes of waiting, Dante woke up. He spotted Florina, Volgin, and then noticed that he wasn't tied up. They weren't shouting and Snake couldn't here what they were saying. As they were talking, Mist started moving. She slipped a pouch into Snake's hand and whispered. "Snake, I don't know how but Boyd found this. You know what it is, and you can use it if Dante fails."

Snake opened it up. It was the tournament's emblem. He closed the pouch back up and noticed a descending platform. Snake and Volgin were now in the middle of some kind of arena. Volgin wasn't in front of Florina either. Snake put the pouch down, shook Mist off his back and got into a crouching position. He was still aiming at Volgin's head, but it was too early to shoot. Dante wanted to kill him. Snake was going to let him. Snake noticed the major throw Dante some equipment, two handguns and an amulet. Snake was getting ready to shoot when he spotted two sentries approaching. They had a vacant look on their faces and were carrying some of Dante's weapons. Snake didn't know what was going on, but he could tell they were hypnotized. They spotted Snake and threw two gauntlets at him. Mist caught them, they were Dante's. Snake then looked back through his scope. The two were fighting. Volgin was emitting too much electricity, he couldn't get in a good shot. Volgin's aura then died down, but that's when Dante got into Snake's line of fire and began to beat up Volgin. After four quick hits, Dante leapt back to avoid an electrical burst. Mist tapped on Snake's shoulders, she was looking through his scope at Florina. "Snake, she's hardly breathing! Hurry up!" Snake didn't wait after that. He aimed straight at Volgin's head. He was emitting more electricity, letting it flow into bullets. As they exploded and flew at Dante, his aura died. When it did, Snake fired. The PSG-1 was loud though, Volgin heard it and blocked the bullet, but it winded him. Dante looked up and spotted Snake. He stood up and took the pouch and the gauntlets. He threw the gauntlets and Dante, he equipped them while Volgin was winded. Snake then pulled out the pouch, pulled out the emblem, and shouted. "Consider this a gift, Dante." He threw the emblem. Dante caught it. It then activated in his hand. Snake watched as Dante's body began glowing. He then saw Dante transform. He was now in the shape of a demon. He dashed up to Dante, his new form was giving him speed. Snake took that time to climb down to where Florina was hanging. He was hurrying while Dante finished off Volgin.

Snake used his gun to shoot Florina loose. He caught her and lowered her gently to the ground. She wasn't awake. He heard Mist approach. He then heard Dante's panicked voice. "Is she okay?!" Snake didn't reply. He checked Florina's pulse. It was weak. He could feel her heartbeat from where he was holding her, it was getting weak.

"She's in bad shape." Snake said. "Mist, we need your help."

Mist pulled out her staff used for healing. She then turned off her camouflage. She looked at Florina and couldn't see her breathing. "Snake, is she still alive?" She asked.

"Yeah, but barely. Hurry up! She won't last another thirty seconds." Snake shouted. Mist touched Florina's head with her staff, it glowed and she started chanting. Most of Florina's wounds were healed. Snake was watching. He could tell her ribs were broken, but they weren't mending from Mist's magic. She then finished her chant and the orb on her staff dissolved. "Shit…" Snake muttered. He pulled out a vulnerary, Mist told him about them while they were crossing the mountains. "Her broken bones didn't heal. You'll have to care for her in your next area before you set off. Here," Snake handed Dante the vulnerary. "When she wakes up, have her drink this, and she should heal up in less then a day." Dante took it. Snake then carefully handed Florina to Dante. She didn't wake up, but he could tell that she would live. A portal then opened. Snake and Mist began walking towards it. But then Dante shouted.

"Snake!" Snake heard him and stopped.

"What is it?" He asked.

"How did you find me?"

Snake thought for a second. "Lyn found someone who has some control over the portals. When she found me yesterday, she sent me here because Mist was the only one with the potions and that staff."

"Who was that man?" Dante asked.

"You'll find out on your own. You have three more areas to clear before you will return to the tournament base. I'm almost done. I'll see you when you get back. Make sure the girl doesn't get hurt like that again."

"I won't. I'll watch her closely."

"Good. I'll see you around, Dante." Snake walked through the portal, Mist went with him. Their journey was complete.

Legendary Mercenary is now complete! The next chapters, Blade Lord, will have a few more interesting points. R&R please.