CHAPTER 7

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And this is the chapter where everything bad happens. It's my favourite.

Really, this is the chapter most of the rated M stuff comes from…well, here on out is pretty intense. So buckle up and REVIEW.

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FIRST EARTH

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I learned a new thing while we were in that damp, nasty smelling sewage pipe.

Snake liked to smoke. And he had to light his cigars with something, right?

At least we had a light to guide us through the miserable darkness, even if he had to strike a new match every thirty seconds. We carefully made our way through the pipe.

Surprisingly, not much water, or whatever was trickling into the lake, was flowing past us. I expected my shoes and socks to be soaked with…I'd rather not think about it. Instead, there was only a tiny stream just enough to coat the bottom of my shoes.

After a while, we began to hear voices above us. We passed a few grates, shedding a bit of light into the hell we were currently crawling through. We were walking at a crawling speed for what I assumed to be an hour or so before Snake pointed to a prick of light ahead of us. "We'll enter Groznyj Grad through there."

"Joy," I whispered.

Press took a deep breath and tried not to choke on the air. "Great," he gasped out.

We approached it just as the millionth match flickered out. No sound came from above, which I assumed was a good thing. Snake snuffed the cigar out and went to work removing the grate above us. Once it was free, he pushed it aside and hauled himself up.

I held my breath as he glanced around. I could see some stars, so we were still outside…and by a gate, if I saw correctly.

"All clear. Come on." He reached down and pulled me up, Press following.

We were in the farthest corner of the place, in some sort of storage area. Metal crates were stacked around us, shielding us from view from any prying eyes. Snake had both his M1911A1 and EZ out and ready as he peered around one of the boxes.

"My guess is that Huey and Sokolov are inside the main building, near the center, where there is maximum protection from the outside." He said. "We need to get in, undetected, at all costs. If they sound the alarm…we're done for."

I nodded. "I hear you."

"If you engage any of the terrorists I have told you about, do not hesitate to fire." Snake continued. "They must be stopped at all costs. They are the masterminds behind this plot."

I nodded again.

"Let's go," Press said.

We began making our way around the crates, watching for any soldiers that may be watching for intruders. None were around our area, but the spotlights could pose a problem. It was rather dark in the lab's exterior, but the spotlights would pick us out in an instant if we made the wrong move.

We carefully skirted around one and headed for a large main gate.

"But…the lab is over there." I pointed to the building opposite us.

"The entrance is not in this quadrant," Snake said. "We are in the southwest. The entrances are in the northwest and northeast. We are currently entering into the northwest."

"Ah," I said.

Snake pushed the door open and we ducked in. Press covered me as I shut the door as silently as I could. Snake scanned the new area and nodded. "Just as I suspected. They didn't realize the enemy could sneak in so easily. We have the element of surprise."

"Look at these tanks…" I pointed. "Are these Metal Gear?"

"Failed models, maybe. Or possibly they're used as the design," Press suggested. "Hollow out the inside and replace it with weapons of mass destruction. Boom, Metal Gear."

"That's pretty scary to think about…" I shuddered. "Shouldn't we sabotage them?"

"We don't have time." Snake hissed gruffly. "Our objective was to rescue Sokolov and Emmerich. Nothing else."

We ran into our first problem at the door of the Groznyj Grad lab. Two guards were sitting on the steps leading up to our objective, partly protected by the steel railing shielding them from a clear shot. Another guard was manning a spotlight in a small tower nearby. All three of them looked bored, but I knew they would snap to attention at a second's notice.

"Aim for the one closest to us," Press said. "I'll get the one next to him. Snake will take out the spotlight guy."

I nodded and raised my EZ, trying to target the guy. The only part of him I assumed I could hit was his arm below the elbow. A railing blocked his chest and shoulder. I fired.

My aim was off and the dart hit the railing with a loud CLING sound. Both guards jumped and stood, weapons at the ready. Snake shot, nailing the guy in the watchtower. He tumbled and fell, landing on the ground with a faint crunch. The two guards ran to him. I shot again, Press doing the same.

We both nailed the first guard and he fell. Snake joined us as we shot again, downing the third guy. My heart was pounding. I thought for sure our rescue attempt was over before it even started.

"Could have been worse," Snake seemed to read my mind. "Let's go. Quickly."

We ran up the walkway and entered the lab.

The inside, unlike the outside, was fairly decent. The dark-blue tiles were waxed and shiny, reflecting my terrified look back at me. A few chairs were set up in the far right corner, and the entire room looked as though it looped around a flight of stairs. Snake motioned for us to follow him as he followed the circle around the walkway. We were greeted by a few doors, but they proved to only be storage rooms, not of our interest. We looped back around to the entrance we came from and headed instead to the stairs.

"Be silent," Snake warned, his EZ aimed in front of him. We slowly and stealthily climbed the stairs, Press watching our backs. I was in the middle, weapon sort of aimed to the side. The last thing I wanted to do was hit Snake.

A man in a lab coat turned the corner of the stairs and started walking down toward us. He stopped and stared at us, mouth open in a silent shout. Snake downed him before he could utter a word and caught him before he would have fallen.

"That was close…" I whispered.

"That man's a scientist." Press muttered. "I suspect Sokolov and Emmerich weren't the only hostages."

We ducked into a storage room at the top of the stairs for a few minutes. Otacon finally contacted us, relaying information from Mother Base.

"We've…got a lead." He said slowly. "An anonymous lead on rescuing Sokolov and Emmerich."

"I thought you never followed those information trails…" Snake hissed. "Why start now? Don't you always double and triple check your sources?"

"I…well…You need a keycard," Otacon said. "And there's only one of these keycards around."

"Who has it?" Press asked.

"General Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov,"

"I have no idea who that is."

"He's the only man in the entire country that is decked out in more medals than Vulgin." Otacon said. "He's the general, after all. You need his pass, and his alone. Then you take it to the second floor and find a door secured only to him and use it there. Sokolov and Emmerich are in there."

"That's great and all, Otacon, but who sent you this information?" Snake demanded.

The line was silent for a few seconds before Otacon heaved a heavy sigh. "I can't say for fear the line is still tapped. Please, Snake…trust me."

Snake pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded, saying, "Fine. Now…where can I find this…Raikov?"

"In the main building. He usually patrols the labs. Get him away from there and take his cardkey. I think it would save you a lot of hassle if you just knock him out for a while…you all still have ammo in your EZs?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Oh, good…Bobby's still alive." Otacon chuckled. "I haven't heard a word out of you so far."

"I didn't know what to say," I sighed.

Otacon chuckled. "Sorry for distracting you all…I'll let you get back to work."

Snake cracked the door open and peered out before motioning to us to follow. We ran across a tiny balcony to a door, which Snake opened. We ducked into the side of a lab. I could hear people milling about, talking and working. Snake motioned for us to stay where we were and crawled around a few tables and workplaces before I heart the first thwhip of the EZ. Many more followed, and I didn't dare move until Snake said, "Ok. We can keep moving."

I tried to ignore the passed out scientists as we walked by. We passed through another door and entered into a kind of recreational room. Lockers lined one wall, a ping-pong table along another. A few potted plants grew along the others.

"I suppose we can wait here." Press said. "There's ample cover from oncoming guards, and we can be comfortable as we do so."

Snake grunted a reply and sank next to one of the rows of lockers. "Fine with me."

I had barely taken a seat on the ground when a door opened. I froze in mid-sitting position as Press leapt silently to his feet and rounded the corner, nailing the newcomer with a dart. He chuckled as whoever it was hit the ground and said, "Well, we've earned ourselves a bit of luck."

I walked over to him and sighed with relief. At least we wouldn't have to do any general hunting. A man that could have only been Raikov was lying, sprawled in the middle of the room, unconscious. He had straight blonde, almost white hair and a fair complexion. His green uniform was adorned with medals and awards that clinked when Snake nudged him with a foot. "Let's get the keycard and go."

Press retrieved the card from Raikov's left breast pocket and held it up. Snake retrieved it and pointed to a different door set in the back of the room. "That must be it."

He inserted the card and the door popped open, leading to a bright white tunnel with a flight of stairs at the end. We entered quickly and shut it.

"Be prepared." Snake warned.

"I plan on it." I grinned nervously.

Press nudged my arm as we walked and I cast him the same nervous smile I gave Snake. I was terrified…almost as scared as I was on the Big Shell. I didn't know what would come next.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and faced a set of double doors with a pane of glass stretched in the middle of them. Though it, I could see two figures. One was a balding, older man with a monocle. He was tall and skinny and wore a very formal looking black suit. He was pacing back and fourth across the room, looking rushed and angry.

The other man was sitting, so I could only see the back of his head. He had slightly curly brown hair that was graying around his ears.

Snake pushed the doors open. "Sorry we didn't come sooner. I hope you're ready to make a break for it."

The skinny older man jumped, stuttering, "S…Snake?"

"Who else, Sokolov?" Snake nodded.

The other man turned to face us. I saw he was working on some kind of report, but he had only succeeded in writing down the first few sentences. He was wearing wire-rimmed glasses and an old pair of navy-blue pants and a button down green shirt. He looked almost identical to Otacon (Well, Otacon in his later years)…It was clear he was his father.

"I thought you'd never come back." The man…Huey Emmerich…said at last.

"Why wouldn't we?" Press grinned. "Now come on and let's get out of this terrible place. Otacon's waiting in the helicopter for us. We'd better get going, unless you plan on finishing that paper, Mr. Emmerich,"

Huey stood and threw the pencil he had in his hand across the room. "Let's go," he growled. "And please…just call me Huey."

"Oh…my wife and children…I hope to see them soon…" Sokolov sighed. "It surely has been a long time."

Snake nodded. "We'll use the time in the helicopter to catch up on what's happened. Right now we need to make a break for it."

I turned to head back to the door. Instead, I was greeted by a scarred face in the windows leering down at me. A shotgun was leveled with my head. I managed a shout of warning before I threw myself to the side, feeling the bullet shatter the glass and narrowly miss my ear. The glass rained down on me, digging into my hands and knees, as I tried to stand again.

"BOBBY! GET DOWN!" Press shouted. He drew his M1911A1 and shot. I pushed myself into the corner as the doors flew open, smacking my knee with a hard thunk. Shots were fired. I heard a shout. I fumbled with my own handgun, but it slipped from my grasp. The door was kicked shut, allowing me to finally see the action going on.

Snake and Press were aiming their guns at Vulgin's head. The other general had Huey in a chokehold, squeezing the air out of his throat. Two others were accompanying Vulgin. Ocelot had both his revolvers aimed on Snake's head and a woman had what appeared to be some sort of submachine gun trained on Press. She had light blonde hair and a stern look. She was wearing some sort of khaki hunting gear and had a knife strapped to her belt. She cast me a look out of the corner of her eye and motioned at me with her head. Ocelot nodded and trained his second revolver on me.

"Well…look who we have here…" Vulgin chuckled. Huey pried at his muscled arm, trying to gasp in a breath. "I'm sure that whoever leaked information to you forgot to mention there was one other cardkey."

"Let him go, Vulgin!" Snake growled. "Or I will put another scar on your face!"

"I'm sure you will." The general sneered. "Ocelot, Boss, disarm them."

Ocelot raised his pistol to Snake's hand and shot, blasting his weapon from his grip. The Boss brought a foot up into Press's stomach, causing him to double over and release his grip on his own gun. She quickly retrieved it and turned to me.

I managed to get my hand around my EZ Gun and I quickly raised it and shot at the oncoming threat. The Boss simply raised her submachine gun and the dart made a harsh cling noise as it deflected harmlessly off it. I made a move to shoot again, but she swiftly brought her foot up and kicked my weapon out of my hands, where it clattered off to the side by Sokolov, who was cowering in the other corner. Much like me.

"Now, I'm going to give you once chance," The Boss said. Her words were directed at Snake and Press, but her eyes were locked on me. "Tell us why you are here and what you hope to accomplish."

They both remained silent, but I figured she already knew who we came for. It was fairly obvious. Was she checking to see if I'd crack under pressure? I tried to hold a brave face and return her piercing stare. My gaze eventually traveled to her right hand, where a Traveler ring was set. How could a fellow Traveler do this? What persuaded her to join the terrorists?

"Time's up," she said. She walked to where my fallen EZ lay and retrieved it, placing her own weapon on the ground. She swiftly shot Press' shoulder, downing him. Another shot at Huey knocked him out for the count. Sokolov didn't even need a dart. He fainted as she turned to face him. Snake and I were left.

Ocelot grinned madly and twirled his revolvers in the air, catching them by the lower part of their barrels and ramming the butt of the weapons into Snake's head. He uttered a slight grunt and collapsed, where Ocelot delivered a hard kick to his side.

The Boss stared at me again. For a second, I thought I saw her eyes soften, but the coldness seeped back into them and the moment was gone. "Tell me…are you the next Traveler of Second Earth?"

I was too scared to answer. I was frozen. I didn't want to die yet.

She simply raised the EZ and shot once more, striking me in my left shoulder with a harsh sting. I don't know what happened after that.

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…

…

"Bobby, whatever you do, do not tell them the location of the Mother Base…It had been moved since The Boss defected. She doesn't know where it now resides. She cannot afford to know, at all costs. Just keep your mouth shut. No matter what!"

…

…

I slowly pulled myself from my sleep, feeling sore all over. How long ago had I dreamed that…? How can they move an entire base to the ocean? Oh well.

I slowly sat up, finding myself in a jail cell of some sort. Alone. A bed was crammed in the far corner, which was what I was lying on. A sink and a toilet were nearby. That was pretty much it. I jumped up and ran to the bars, shouting, "Uncle Press! Snake! Anyone! Can you hear me?"

One of the guards walked up to my cell. "They've been taken in for questioning. Just sit tight for now."

I fell back to the bed and sat heavily. I think I was partly in shock from what had recently happened, because I watched a mouse scramble around under the sink for a good hour. I thought I imagined it, but I heard a scream…

"Hey, kid. Come with me."

The jail guard was back, unlocking my cell. I didn't move. "Where are we going?" I asked. I was suddenly aware that my Codec radio was gone…

"The Boss requested you for…persuasive interrogation."

The way he paused made me shiver. I really didn't want to go now, even if it would possibly mean meeting up with Press and Snake.

The guard walked into my cell and grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet and dragging me out of the cell. We walked (Or in my case, stumbled) along rows and rows of cells, most of which didn't contain any prisoners. I saw one man in a lab coat, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the ground. We turned the corner and faced a thick metal door, which the guard struggled to open.

My legs gave out as I saw the inside. The room itself was about as large as a good-sized bedroom, but nothing comforting was about this place. The room was dimly lit; dark stains covered the walls and floor, even splattered on the ceiling. A rope of chains was welded onto the roof and tied to Snake's wrists. It was the only thing supporting him. His chest was bare, and slashes were carved into his skin, still bleeding. Burns covered his arms and stomach. He managed to lift his head to cast me a hopeless stare. I think that was what scared me the most. Snake…had given up…?!

The Boss retrieved me from the guard and he left without a backward glance. The heavy door slammed behind us. Vulgin grinned nastily and Ocelot sneered, twirling one of his guns around. There was one other man in the room…one I hadn't seen before.

He was wearing black pants and a matching shirt. His sleeves were extremely long, reminding me of a cloak of some kind. He had slicked back white hair and piercing, ice blue eyes. I thought my heart stopped. Saint Dane was here.

"Ah, Bobby…so nice to see you have joined us," he said in a dramatic fashion. "As you probably already know, we need some information. Snake was unwilling to give it to us himself."

"Don't do it…Bobby…No matter what they—" Snake was cut off as Vulgin slammed a massive fist into his stomach. He sputtered and coughed, blood flying from his lips, staining the ground a darker red.

"W…where's Uncle Press?" I stuttered.

"He's in a different… interrogation chamber." Ocelot grinned madly.

"So tell us, Bobby," The Boss said. "Why did you come to Groznyj Grand? What did you hope to accomplish?"

I knew they already knew this…so why were they asking me? Again? It was obvious…we had snuck in to rescue Sokolov and Huey! Speaking of them…I hoped they were all right…

I cast Snake a glance, who was holding me in a pleading stare. "I…that's classified…" I said lamely.

Ocelot burst into laughter. "Classified! Look at the little trooper! Already part of the Mother Base like the rest of those little fighters! Fighting to protect information that we could so easily find out ourselves! We don't need him, Boss!"

The Boss glared and took a step toward him. Ocelot cowered and backed up, guns gripped tightly in his hands. I didn't know he feared The Boss so much…

"If he won't tell us why…we still have another subject to question," Saint Dane turned to Snake, who was back to staring at the ground. "Vulgin, if you'd be so kind as to…persuade him."

Vulgin cracked his knuckles, sparks of electricity flying from them. What the heck was going on with this guy…? Did he have some sort of power? He cast me a glare and said, "This is your last chance."

I didn't respond. I could only stare at the bloodstained ground. I was fighting to keep standing.

Electricity crackled around Vulgin's fist as he slammed it into Snake's chest. The next Traveler of First Earth bit back a scream by biting into his lip, drawing more blood and sending it cascading down his chin. A deep burn was left from Vulgin's punch. I tried shout, "no"…I tried to speak at all. But I couldn't. I was frozen.

"Look at him. Pitiful." Ocelot chuckled.

"Let's change tactics," Saint Dane suggested. "Ocelot, see if you can get Snake to talk." He motioned at me.

My eyes widened and I collapsed onto the ground. "Wh…what?"

Ocelot grinned. "My pleasure."

He had both guns in his hand as he began to twirl them into the air…juggling them. "Out of both of these…only one shot is shared between the two of them. You can spare yourself from injury or possible death by telling us what we need to know. Until then…I will shoot until I reach the one loaded one. Keep in mind these both only have six shots." He caught a gun and aimed it at my head and pulled the trigger. The gun clicked on empty. He continued twirling them.

"No…!" I squeaked. I began backing up until my back hit the wall. Another cylinder clicked on empty.

"Stop…Ocelot…" Snake rasped.

"Will you tell us what we need to know?" Ocelot continued juggling the weapons. "If so, keep going. If not…" he pulled another trigger, resulting in another click. "…I'll just keep doing this until I get what I want to know."

I had pulled my knees up to my chest. I was too scared to move…too scared to cry. I could hear Ocelot mocking me.

"Aww…what happened to all the bravery in the Big Shell? What happened to little Mr. Tough Guy? What happened to you? No big Uncle Press to protect you now, huh?"

Click.

"You're still very lucky, kid. And you still have a chance to tell us everything before I put a bullet in your head."

Click.

"Ocelot…!" Snake wheezed. He choked on his own blood but continued. "Leave him alone…! He's a kid…!"

"A kid who foolishly let himself be caught up in this madness." Ocelot replied. "Vulgin, shut him up unless he wants to tell us everything."

I heard the sickening sound of cracking bones and an anguished-filled scream just as another cylinder clicked on empty. I was running out of shots, and yet I couldn't do anything. I had six left.

"Stop!" I couldn't help it. I stared at Vulgin and screamed again. "Stop it!"

Click.

"We…we came here to…" I trailed off. Snake didn't have enough energy to raise his head to stare at me. "To…"

Ocelot kept juggling. "Go on."

"To…" I stuttered. No…I couldn't do this. But on the other hand, Snake may be killed…

Ocelot pulled another trigger. Still no bullet piercing my skin. "You have four shots left. I can't guarantee that many exactly, though."

I stared back at my shoes. "We…we came to rescue Sokolov and Huey…" I couldn't stop myself. I heard Snake sigh.

"Rescue them? You're doing a hell of a job!" Ocelot roared with laughter.

Saint Dane joined in the laugh. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but Sokolov didn't make it past the…" his eyes shone with glee. "Interrogation."

I felt my heart drop in my chest. He had a family…and now they were left without a father and a husband…

"I believe that's enough for now. We'll resume this in the morning." The Boss said. She hauled me to my feet and opened the door with ease, leading me back to my cell. I could barely stand on my own feet.

I can't tell you how glad I was to see Press sitting on the bed, ripping up his pant legs to make makeshift bandages for the bleeding gashes on his arms and sides. Huey wasn't there, and Press didn't know where they had hauled him off to. He said they damaged his legs.

Snake was brought back a bit later, all three of us jammed in the tiny cell. He was unconscious and bleeding from new wounds I hadn't seen before in the last ten minutes. Press began treating his burns and slashes while I paced, my legs still feeling unstable.

"Press…" I finally said. "I…I told them why we were here…I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Sokolov spilled his guts before they finally put an end to him. We were lucky he hadn't said anything of incredible importance." Press winced as he sat on the dirty ground. "He was mostly blubbering for mercy…I feel sorry for him. He had a family."

"I know." I sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did too… Now they know I'm the weak link and they'll go after me the most next time."

"The trick is to give them just enough information so they give you what you want to know." Press lowered his voice. "For example…I learned that the Peacewalker and Shagohad are being stored here."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm not exactly sure where, but I guess it's hard to hide two Metal Gear of mass destruction. I'm assuming they're in one of the large sheds somewhere."

"So we need to find them and destroy them." I said.

"If we can. If not…we'll make a special trip back just to carpet bomb this place."

I don't know why, but I laughed. I needed it.

XxXxXxXx

Even though the cell was cramped and disgusting, I managed to fall asleep in the corner near the entrance. They hadn't fed us anything, so I was starving when I awoke. Snake was sitting up on the edge of the bed, trying to stand without reopening his wounds.

"Sleep well, Mouse?" he rasped.

"No," I sighed. "Nightmares."

"You're telling me," he muttered.

Press tried to see around the side of the cell door. "I don't see anyone coming…does anyone have anything we can use to pick the lock?"

"No…" I said again.

"Then we're stuck here."

I sighed heavily and leaned my head against the cold stone wall. So this was it…goodbye, life. Goodbye, Territories I will never get to see. Goodbye, Mark…

Someone was walking down the hall…two people, judging by their footsteps. The Boss and Saint Dane walked up to our cell. Press backed away from the door as The Boss unlocked it, motioning with a gun at us. "Snake…Bobby. Come with me."

"You're staying here, Press." Saint Dane grinned.

I drew back to my uncle, the fear I felt earlier crawling back into my system. "No…! I won't go with you!"

"She didn't ask if you wanted to." Saint Dane had grabbed my arm and was pulling me into the hall before I knew what happened. I stumbled and The Boss caught me, much like a mother would for her child…I thought she even gave me an apologetic look.

Snake stood and followed The Boss out of the cell, wincing at the pain in his limbs. Press locked eyes with me and gave me a small smile, as if I were simply going away for a long time…not back to the torture chamber.

We headed out of the hallway, taking a different route this time. I feared what lay ahead. "If you tell us what you know, this can all end," The Boss said at last. "You'll be treated for your injuries. You'll be more comfortable here. Why go on prolonging your misery?"

"How can you speak like that…?" Snake coughed. "You are the Traveler of First Earth! Your role is to protect the Territories! Not side with our enemy!" He was taken by another coughing fit so severe he had to lean against the wall, doubled up. Blood flecked the ground at his feet.

The Boss simply watched, no emotion crossing her stern face. "I have my reasons, Snake. And you have yours. We don't see eye to eye on this matter."

"Hell, we don't."

The Boss let the matter drop and guided us into another room. Waiting there for us were three people. Ocelot, of course, grinned madly as we stepped foot into the chamber. "Back for round two, Mouse?" he sneered.

The next man, a tall guy in a light brown trench coat with black, slicked back hair and a goatee of some sort, had a knife in his hand. He was staring at us as though he couldn't wait to slice us into hamburger. I knew this guy from the photo Snake showed me…Vamp.

The last guy was standing in the far corner. He was an older man, with thinning gray hair. He wore glasses and a dark suit, and he was extremely pale. He was staring at the ground, but when we entered the room, he slowly glanced upwards at us, bright eyes glaring, a terrifying smile growing on his face. I think that was what scared me most of all…his smile.

"Back for round two?" Vamp asked in a slow, deep voice. He raised the knife to his lips and licked the blade. I shuddered.

I began looking around the room. It was bigger than the last, and a lot cleaner. What really surprised me was the pool of water in the middle of it. It looked pretty deep. A chain connected to a rope and pulley system snaked down to a pair of handcuffs suspended over the pool. At the edge of the water lay what I thought was a pair of round sticks.

Snake returned Vamp's glare. "Fuck off."

Ocelot laughed. "Is that all you can come up with?"

The Boss pushed us further into the room. Vamp put the blade in a sheathe on his belt and stuck out his leg, pushing me to the side. I hit the water before I knew what happened and struggled to figure out which way was up. It was freezing…the water felt like ice.

I surfaced, sputtering, shivering and coughing, and crawled out. Ocelot aimed a kick at my side, knocking me over again. My ribs ached.

"So…tell us…" Vamp began. "Where is this…Mother Base located?"

My eyes flicked to the old man in the corner. He was still smiling, as though entertained by what was happening. "I…"

"Let's not go through this again," Ocelot drew his revolvers. "Let me do what I did last time. It made him break down and cry."

The Boss grabbed his wrist and one of the guns clattered to the ground. "No. Let me deal with him."

"Fine, fine…" Ocelot mumbled.

The old man in the corner's gaze flicked to The Boss as she retrieved the two stick things by the pool. A look of sadness cross his face, as though longing to talk to her. He didn't budge from where he was standing…he just watched…

The Boss held the stick things in my line of sight. "These," she said. "Can deliver enough electricity to fry your brain. I suggest you tell us what we want to know. I will raise the voltage every time you hesitate or lie."

The sticks began to glow blue as tiny bolts of electricity ran from one to the other. I suddenly realized why a pool was set in the middle of this chamber.

"I will ask one last time," The Boss continued. "Where is this new Mother Base?"

My mind raced. "How should I know!? I joined only a few months ago! All I know is it's in the middle of nowhere! Completely hidden!"

The Boss' eyes stared daggers into my skull. "True, he wouldn't tell new recruits the location of the Base." She cast Snake a glare. "The area. Be more specific."

"A mountainside," Snake spoke up. "Hidden into a mountainside."

"She didn't ask you," Vamp drew the knife and slashed it across Snake's arm. A red gash appeared in his flesh, blood pouring down his arm. He hissed in pain and tried to staunch the bleeding with his other hand.

"Leave him be," The Boss commanded. "If he's so eager to tell us, why stop him?"

She drew closer to him. I shuffled away from the pool's side and found myself staring back at the old man. He looked defeated now…defeated and hopeless. Why hadn't he spoken up by now? He was part of this too, wasn't he?

"Quit staring at the corner, Mouse. No one's going to burst through the wall to save you." Ocelot grinned.

"But…!" I stuttered, pointing. "There! A…don't you see him?"

"I'm not falling for that." Ocelot growled. "I aught to put a bullet in one of your limbs right now."

"So tell me, Snake," The Boss said. I turned my attention to her now. "Which mountainside? I know you know…You lead the Base now."

"Why do you want to know?" Snake spat. "So you can slaughter us? So you can crush anyone who gets in your way? So you and these filthy terrorists can control entire nations?!"

The Boss had her gun trained on his face in an instant; both stun rods on the other hand. "You don't understand."

"Yeah? Then tell me what you plan to do with us." Snake didn't waver.

The man in the corner…what was he holding…? A sign…? I couldn't read it…

"We plan to bring peace," The Boss said calmly. "Peace to the world. But to do that, we need no resistance. We will bring the nations Metal Gear…machines so advanced nothing can destroy them. The countries will declare war on each other, but they will be unable to win. Not when the Metal Gear are indestructible."

"So you plan to let the people slaughter each other before they realize it is hopeless?" Snake spat.

I had just made out what was on the sign when The Boss' gun went off. I jumped and stared at Snake, who had dropped to the ground, clutching at his right eye. Blood and some sort of clear fluid was running between his fingers, pooling on the ground. He was screaming.

My heart began to beat so fast my ribs hurt. I stared at the man in the corner, pleading with my eyes, for him to do something. The sign he was holding only read, I am The Sorrow.

The Boss turned to me. I pressed my back to the wall, more terrified than I had been before. "Perhaps you understand my plans."

"It's wrong!" I shouted before I could stop myself. "This is wrong! And terrible! How can you think like this? The people will find a way to stop the Metal Gear…and then what? The whole world will be destroyed from the wars…you're planning to turn this Territory into a permanent war zone!"

The gun cracked again. I saw a flash of light before the cold bullet sank into my shoulder, shattering a bone. I screamed and clutched at my injured arm, Falling onto my side. Blood poured over my hand, warming it. Tears streamed down my face and I imagined myself dying there, in the chamber.

"That's why we developed the Peacewalker." The Boss continued as my screams died down to pained groans. "It can destroy any Metal Gear it chooses. It could wipe out half a continent. It is our last resort if the countries get out of control."

"IT'S INSANE!" I screamed through gritted teeth. "INSANE! YOU ARE ALL INSANE!" My wound pulsed with pain with every beat of my heart.

Ocelot had dragged Snake to his feet, pinning his arms behind his back. His right eye was gone, replaced instead with a bloody, empty socket. Dark red gore ran down his face and the side of his neck, but his furious look never wavered.

"Handcuff him." The Boss commanded.

Ocelot dragged Snake over to the side of the pool and grabbed the handcuffs waiting there. He shackled one wrist and was about to secure the other when Snake brought his fist up into his jaw with a loud crack. Ocelot fell backwards, clutching at his face. Vamp drew his knife and held it against Snake's neck so hard he drew blood. He quickly cuffed his other hand and walked to the pulley system, raising the chains so Snake was lifted off the ground and dangling over the pool.

"Maybe this will let you see reason," The Boss muttered. She turned from me to watch Vamp. She nodded, and he plunged Snake into the water.

"No!" I shouted. I struggled to stand, but the pain in my shoulder forced me back to the ground. I never expected a bullet to hurt this much…Nor impair so much of my movement…

The Boss left him under for at least thirty seconds. Blood dyed the water a light pink. She eventually motioned for Vamp to raise the pulley system, and he pulled Snake out of the water, hanging limply over the surface. He coughed and sputtered, water pouring from his mouth and nostrils.

The Boss activated the stun rod things again and pressed them both to Snake's burned and slashed chest. He screamed, limbs jerking wildly and uncontrollably. I couldn't take the sound of his anguished cry for help and the pain from the bullet. My vision began to get darker and I managed to clasp my hands over my ears despite the protests of my shoulder. Snake's scream died down after a few more seconds.

"We will bring peace." The Boss said calmly, almost motherly. "You will see."

My vision cleared again. The man in the corner was watching Snake sadly, eyes flicking to The Boss and back. As I watched, he began to cry, tears streaming silently down his face. His left eye began to darken until blood had replaced his tears, his glasses lens cracking and shattering. His eye vanished, to be replaced by an empty, bloodied space. And he began to fade.

XxXxXxXx

I was faint and couldn't walk on my own by the time The Boss, Vamp and Ocelot decided to return us to the cell. I couldn't remember what Snake and The Boss had discussed while I was fading in and out of consciousness, but I remember screams. How Snake managed to stay alert and alive was a minor miracle in my book.

I remember Uncle Press calling my name, trying to get a response from me. I wanted to answer him…I really did. But I couldn't. I drifted off into a deep sleep. I dreamed of the man in the corner, with his bleeding eye. I watched and re-watched in my dreams as Snake was shot. I dreamed of the soldiers lined up outside the sick bay. I saw Paz as she sat alone in the mess hall, staring out into the ocean. I felt the bullet pierce my shoulder again.

I think that was what finally made me awaken again…the bullet. I slowly began to make out noises in the background. I focused on them and eventually found myself staring up at a white ceiling. I sat up and received a harsh pain in my shoulder for my actions.

"Mouse! Don't move yet…you need to take it easy…"

Para-Medic was by my side, pushing me back onto the bed. I blinked. Was I really back at Mother Base…? Or was this another dream?

"You've been out for about three days." Para-Medic said. "Any longer and you might not have woken up again."

"What…happened?" I asked. My voice felt rough.

"You were rescued by Mother Base's double agent." She said. "She saved you all."

"Who…?"

"She'll return here in the next hour or so. She has this…'thing' for Snake, you see…" Para-Medic pointed across the sick bay, where Snake was lying motionless. Half his face was bandaged along with most of his body and left arm. "I think she likes him. Just hang tight for now, you'll meet her in a while. Oh, speaking of liking someone…I forgot to tell you Paz never left your side while you were sleeping. She was forced out of the sick bay a while ago because Amanda needed her on the Intel team."

"Paz…?" I blinked stupidly. "Can…can she come back?"

"Of course she can. I'll tell EVA to pick her up if she plans to visit Snake again." Para-Medic turned to head back to her office. "Oh, and your uncle…Lone Wolf. He was worried about you even though his wounds were greater than yours."

I turned to look around the rest of the sick bay. Huey was opposite of me, on another bed. His legs were in some sort of cast and he seemed deeply asleep. I was glad he made it out alive.

I didn't have to wait long before the sick bay doors flew open. ¡RATÓN!"

Before I could wonder why someone was calling me a rat, I felt arms wrap around my sides. Paz was crying and laughing and sputtering out things in both English and Spanish. I wrapped my good arm around her and hugged her as best as I could from sitting in a hospital bed with a dud arm.

"They told me terrible stories! They said you had died!" She cried.

"I was close, but I didn't…" I said.

"I'm so glad…!"

Para-Medic chuckled from the doorway of the other room. "Looks like she's got a 'thing' for you too, Mouse."

I rolled my eyes.

The sick bay doors opened again and Press, Raiden and Lobster walked in, all with grins on their faces. They were accompanied by another woman. "Glad to see you're up!" Press laughed.

I thought he looked terrible. His left arm was in a sling, his face was bandaged up, and he was walking with a severe limp. But beside that, he looked incredibly happy. Raiden cast me a grin. "I knew you would make it. That was some rescue mission. I wouldn't have been able to do it myself."

The woman was wearing a zippered jumpsuit. She had blonde, flowing hair that reached the bottoms of her shoulder blades and beautiful, sad eyes. Her lips were red with lipstick. "You're Mouse?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"I'm EVA. The double agent that rescued you from Groznyj Grad."

I shook her hand and Paz finally let me go. "Thank you." I said.

"Don't mention it." She sighed. She walked past me and headed to Snake, where she gently kissed his cheek before sitting silently next to him.

"Is he going to make it…?" I watched her go.

"He'll be fine. He just needs a while to heal." Raiden said.

"What about his eye?"

"It's gone. There was nothing I could do." Para-Medic said. "He's lucky it didn't get infected."

"We all made it." Press said. "Except Sokolov. That poor man."

I cast a glance at Huey, surprised to see that Otacon had taken a seat next to him. His son had buried his face into his hands and was rocking back and fourth, sobbing silently. I was glad Huey had survived, and I was devastated Sokolov hadn't…

And that's where I end this. I'm recovering…but very slowly. As soon as Snake can lift a rocket launcher, we're on our way back to Groznyj Grad to take out the Peacewalker and Shagohad…along with any other Metal Gear that happens to be there.

I hope nothing goes wrong…

XxXxXxXx

You all know what this means…

The final conclusion of this story will be here shortly. I'm planning on this being about twelve chapters long at the most…so get ready.

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Lordoftheghostking28