CHAPTER 9
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Ok, I'm back again with another chapter. Only three more after this one, so get ready for the finale for this first FanFic in this series.
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FIRST EARTH
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Raiden hissed curses and raised the AK he had. "We'll see about that."
Press forced the muzzle of his weapon back at the ground. "Don't, Raiden!"
Saint Dane grinned. "I have time. Discuss your means of escape. Oh, and don't forget about that prisoner trapped in the Peacewalker."
"What do we do?" I asked Press. I was beginning to feel panicked, like at any second more gunmen would show up.
"We wait for our backup," my uncle said calmly.
I became aware of a faint growling outside of the warehouse. It began to grow in volume, and I realized it was a motor…one of a motorcycle. With a deafening crash, the door behind us exploded inward and the 'cycle screeched to a stop.
"Need some help?" Snake grinned, cigar between his teeth. EVA was sitting on the seat behind him, arms wrapped around his middle. She pointed to a sidecar barely big enough to fit two people. It would have to fit three.
We crammed ourselves in, Press halfway in-between the sidecar and the regular cycle. Saint Dane's eyes widened…he hadn't planned on this. He raised his hand; the one with the detonation button. I saw his finger press it as the motorcycle turned and sped out of the entrance it had made.
A deafening bang almost blew me out of the sidecar. I was genuinely surprised Press had managed to hold on. I could feel the heat from the explosives as they went off, destroying one wall and the roof. I saw a large, black bird fly off. A Peacewalker-shaped mound of rubble was all that remained. And that mound began to move. A band of glowing red shone from the ash.
"Did you take care of the Shagohad?" Raiden shouted over the roar of the wind and engine.
"Take care of it? Hell no." Snake grunted back. He turned a sharp right, nearly throwing me again. If we had continued straight, we would have run into the path of a giant tank. This one was a bit different, though. It was fast. It nearly ran us over before Snake changed direction sharply.
It was painted different shades of tan and green. It had two long, arm-like extensions from its front, spinning drills whining under a protective covering. What looked like a giant rocket launcher stuck up from its back, semi-raised into the air. It changed direction after us, although not as fast. I began shooting at it.
Raiden grabbed my arm, throwing off my aim. "Don't bother with it! We don't have a direct line of fire on it! We can't damage it like this!"
"There's a bridge up ahead!" EVA announced. "We can send it plummeting…maybe its own weight will be enough to put it out of commission!"
Movement beyond the Shagohad caught my attention. The Peacewalker was running at us like some sort of mechanical cat…the red band around its head glowing evilly. I think I screamed.
"Incoming soldiers!" Snake took a hard left, but I was prepared this time. I held onto the sidecar's side with an iron grip. I reached for my EZ and shot wildly at the group of soldiers waiting for us. I thought I downed one, but there was no time for celebration. Not when two weapons of mass destruction were right on your ass.
We made more turns and I began to realize what Snake was doing. He was purposefully guiding the Shagohad through more storage sheds, destroying whatever was inside them. There was only one flaw…the Peacewalker was catching up.
"The bridge is straight ahead!" EVA announced just as I began making out the camouflage design on the machine running to catch us.
We made another sharp turn, but the Peacewalker was more maneuverable. It skidded to a stop and continued bounding after us. Snake gunned the engine and we shot in a tight circle, shooting back toward the way EVA had indicated.
"Don't tell me…" Otacon said over the Codec. "You've managed to get both Metal Gear after you."
"Yeah…" I squeaked. Just as I said that, the Peacewalker slowed to a halt while the Shagohad kept perusing us. Something dislodged from its side.
"Uh…guys? Is that important?" I pointed to the little hovering thing floating into the sky. Raiden followed my gaze, squinting.
"Uh oh." He finally muttered.
"What are those?" I began to panic.
"S Mines…! Snake, make a sharp turn! Now!"
I kept my gaze on the little white cylinder that was currently helicoptering itself a few feet forward into the air. I blinked, and it exploded, sending projectiles at us with the speed of a bullet.
This time, I know I screamed.
Snake tried to make the turn at the last second, but misjudged. The missiles struck the ground slightly ahead of us, the force of the explosion throwing us off the motorcycle. The sidecar dislocated from the main vehicle and nearly crushed my head. I rolled into Press, who forced my head down as dirt was kicked up from a second volley of mines…or missiles…or whatever was shot at us. I had lost my AK in the explosion.
"Hurry!" Raiden was shouting. "If we make it to the bridge, the Shagohad will have to slow itself to cross! We'll make it to the other side before it does!"
I stumbled up and hurriedly followed, nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste. I could see the bridge's beginning…but it would be a minute's ride on the motorcycle, at least. I cast a glance at the burning vehicle. We wouldn't be riding in that anymore.
"Hurry!" EVA pushed me on and drew the heart shaped C3 mound out of her pack. She began carefully ripping off small chunks, throwing the pieces behind us into the line of the Shagohad. If anything, it would buy us a few moments.
The Peacewalker, meanwhile, hadn't moved from where it first launched the S Mines. It was beginning to seriously scare me.
I don't think I realized I was exhausted until we reached the bridge. Behind me, I could hear the Shagohad hitting the small C3 explosives. I could feel bits of sand and grit strike the back of my neck from the blasts. Snake, who was way ahead of the rest of us, turned to judge the distance of the Metal Gear plummeting our way. He seemed to see what he was looking for, because he knelt near one side of the bridge and began plastering something to the beams. EVA followed his example on the other side.
Raiden caught up with EVA and handed her something. I was close enough to see a timed explosive and some of his C3…
I glanced over the side of the bridge. A river flowed below us, some one-fourth of a mile down. A concreted stretch of land was on the other side of the bridge, a forest beyond that. A few more storage sheds lined the asphalt, a few guard rails on the end of the paved area, separating the higher ground from the cliff and river at the bottom.
"Bobby! Do you have any to spare?" Snake shouted, cutting my sightseeing short.
I ran to him with the last of my strength and handed him everything I had. "Take it all! I don't know how to use it anyway!"
Now that I think about it, it's a miracle the C3 hadn't gone off earlier in our packs (I later learned this C3 we were using was modified to only go off under extreme pressure or a nearby explosion. Our packs kept it safe while we were being fired upon by the Peacewalker's S Mines and other things like that).
Press and Raiden hurried to help EVA plant the explosives while Snake and I nervously glanced from Shagohad to C3…Shagohad to C3…
"Move!" Press shouted. "Off the bridge! We've nearly got it where we want it!"
The Shagohad had begun its journey across the bridge. I could feel the support beams groaning and shaking…how much did that thing weigh?
I followed the others off the bridge and back a short distance. Snake took aim with his AK-47 and waited.
"Hit it just as it crosses the midway point…" EVA said.
I watched the giant war machine make its way slowly across the bridge. I hoped this would end one of the Metal Gear…leaving us with the other to deal with a bit later. The Shagohad was nearly at the middle…
Snake fired wildly. I could see some of the bullets creating sparks against some of the metal rails. He continued firing until one bullet struck its mark.
There was a deafening explosion. We were all thrown back. I landed hard on my arm at least ten feet back. The bridge was completely destroyed.
"Did…did we do it?" Raiden asked nervously.
There was a strained, metallic sound. Like an engine trying to push itself past its ability to speed up. Or in this case, climb up.
Press walked nervously to the side of the bridge, glancing down into the abyss below. One look was enough for him, because he turned and ran back to us. "It's trying to climb up the sides!"
"Shit." Snake muttered. "Is there any C3 left?"
"We planted it all…" EVA gasped. "And it was for a wasted cause."
I saw the front of the Shagohad as it struggled to get over the side of the gorge, the guardrails set in place breaking like twigs. The front of its treads were straining with a horrible whining sound.
That was before an enormous shadow fell over us all. I didn't have a chance to glance up before something colossal crashed down on the Shagohad's struggling form, using it as a stepping stone, making it lose its grip on the cliff's wall. We took a few steps back to stare up at the other Metal Gear. The Peacewalker jumped again, this time throwing the Shagohad down into the river below. It landed behind us, much like a cat. I heard an echoing explosion. I hoped the tank-like weapon was completely destroyed in the river below…
"Sacrifices must be made to protect what is really important." A voice echoed from the Peacewalker. "In this case…the lesser Metal Gear."
The Peacewalker crouched, as though preparing to jump. "I must congratulate you, though. That plan was almost a success."
"Who are you?" Raiden shouted.
"My dear boy. You know who I am." The speaker chuckled. "I am Hot Coldman, one of the many creators of this beautiful piece of machinery. I am also the only man who knows the abort code…the code to stop the Peacewalker."
"What do you want?" EVA cried.
"I want you to stop interfering with our plans. I will make you a deal…if you surrender now, I will cancel the Peacewalker. We will learn the location of your precious Mother Base and bring you back, safe and sound. Oh, but there's a catch. We will kill you in front of your men; to make an example of you. I believe this will exterminate the problem we have with you meddlesome FOXHOUND agents."
Press cast Snake a glance. "This guy can't be serious…"
"You have thirty seconds to decide." Coldman said gleefully.
Snake laughed gruffly. "What makes you think we will surrender so easily? We have endured hardships much greater than this."
"Twenty-five seconds."
"Where is the Peacewalker's weak spot?" Raiden muttered, glaring at the metal contraption in front of us. "If I just knew that…this would be so much easier."
"That glowing band looks promising." Press shrugged.
"Fifteen seconds."
"We've got time to make the first move." EVA whispered.
Snake nodded. He quickly pulled a grenade from a pocket and pulled the pin, throwing it as far into the air as he could. The explosive eventually began its way down, coming almost level with the Peacewalker's glowing band before exploding. The machine didn't even recoil from the blast. It just remained in its crouching position, indifferent.
"How much damage did you think that'd do?" Coldman laughed. "Your stupidity truly amazes me. Time's up, by the way. What is your final answer?"
"Take a wild guess." Press shouted.
"No? It is a shame. I really hoped we had reached an agreement." Coldman heaved a sigh. "Well, I'm not going to waste the Peacewalker's potential on you. I have a few comrades who are itching for a good battle, though."
A sound behind me made me turn. I gasped, unsure of how so many people managed to get behind us without a sound.
The Boss was leading a group…most of which I already knew. Vulgin was beside her, Ocelot next to him. Fortune, Vamp, Liquid Snake, and a fat man on skates were behind him. There were others, too…but no Saint Dane. There was a figure wearing what I assumed to be an astronaut's suit and a man in an orange jacket and black pants. His face was hidden with a hood, but I could see his swollen eyes. Huge wasps circled him, but the others didn't seem to notice. That guy really freaked me out. Another man pushed his way to the front of the crowd; the old, ugly man I had first met while rescuing Raiden and Snake. He was holding something in his hand.
"It is truly a shame," he said. His voice echoed from the Peacewalker's speakers. So this was Hot Coldman. If the situation wasn't so dire, I would have laughed. This guy was far from 'hot' by anyone's standards.
"Any last words?" The Boss asked, emotionless.
"Hold on, guys! Backup is on the way!" Otacon shouted into my ear. I cringed slightly. I saw Snake do the same.
Backup…?
The terrorist group turned as a soft thwhip-thwhip-thwhip sounded in the distance. The sound began to grow until I fully recognized it. It was the sound of a helicopter.
I grinned as I spotted it, flying low over the trees. I saw figures begin jumping out of the still-hovering craft, using ropes to guide them to the ground.
"¡VIVA LA RESTANCE!" came a war cry.
I spotted Amanda, a large gun in her arms. A group of about ten or eleven Mother Base troops swarmed toward us. I took advantage of the moment and drew my M1911A1—the only gun I had that could do damage—and shot.
I missed my target, The Boss, and instead captured Ocelot's attention. The group began to spread out and engage the fighters in battle. I was completely on my own now. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins.
"Still like to play with guns, huh? After all that has happened?" Ocelot sneered. He twirled his revolvers. I could hear gunshots and shouts behind me. I refused to look.
"You are a very risky boy." He continued. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to play with dangerous items?"
We circled each other. I was looking for an opportunity…something. Anything. I just needed a clean shot to end him.
Ocelot relaxed, as though we were casually talking about the weather. He began juggling his two revolvers. I almost shot him…but I knew he could grab a gun and pull the trigger before my bullet would leave the barrel. He was trying to trick me.
Over Ocelot's shoulder, I saw Raiden. He made eye contact with me and headed in my direction. Ocelot grinned and spun an arm around, weapon directly between Raiden's eyes while he kept his grin aimed at me. Raiden stopped. I saw he had an odd combination of an AK clutched in his left hand and a samurai sword in the other.
"Oh, perfect! Two birds with one stone." Ocelot laughed.
I saw my chance and I took it. As he turned to glare at the Acolyte of First Earth, I ducked under his gun. Ocelot must have realized what I was doing, because he turned to face me again, both guns aiming my direction. I shot, I missed.
"You little weasel!" He shouted. He was seconds away from shooting the hell out of me.
Raiden brought the sword around the side of his neck. As Ocelot turned, the blade caught him, ripping a long, bloody gash into his neck. He dropped his pistols and clutched at his throat, screaming.
"T…thanks for the save!" I stuttered.
"No problem. Just be more careful." Raiden raised the AK and let out a barrage of bullets. "I'm going after The Fury next. That bastard took out two of us so far."
"Who's that?" I asked.
Raiden motioned to the guy in the astronaut suit. He was standing a little ways from the battle, as though bored. "What's so bad about him?"
"He's got powerful flamethrowers." Raiden said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. But whatever you do, Bobby…" he cast a look around the battle. "Don't go after and fight Saint Dane alone. That is suicide."
"All right…" I sighed. "We'll save the best for last, then…right?"
Raiden grinned slightly. "Right."
I watched as he ran to engage his foe. I made my way to the edges of the battle, trying to locate someone my own size. There wasn't a lot of options. And…where was Snake? The Boss?
I saw movement in some of the nearby trees. I hurried toward them, trying not to make a sound. I was indeed following someone…I caught sight of a tan uniform. EVA…?
I had to struggle to keep up with the figure. I my legs ached from the run from the Shagohad and I was trembling terribly from fright and fatigue. The sounds of fighting were fading behind me. I heard voices up ahead.
I nearly ran into a clearing. I skidded to a stop. It was covered in tiny white flowers, butterflies flitting around the petals. A old, spindly tree was growing near the center. I saw Snake and EVA, scouting around the other side of the clearing. It looked as though they had been here for a while…so who had I followed?
"Look at you. The Traveler from Second Earth…you've seen so much here, haven't you?"
I jumped and spun around, my M1911A1 shaking violently in my hands. The Boss was standing behind me. She was holding a large, machine-gun looking thing, but it wasn't aimed at me. She had a sad, dull look in her eyes…as though she was about to give up. Her eyes made her look so much older.
"What do you want?" I sputtered.
"I want to see if you've had enough of First Earth," she said calmly. "I want to see if you can shoot me."
I hesitated. "What…?"
"You heard me." She said. "Can you shoot someone who has surrendered?"
"Bobby!" Snake caught sight of me. He and EVA were running toward me, weapons at the ready. "Bobby! Get away from her!"
I hurriedly stepped back, a bit startled by the harsh note in Snake's voice. The Boss chuckled. "Well, Snake. Took you long enough to locate me. I thought I trained you better."
Snake didn't waver. "Put the gun down, Boss."
She didn't reply. She instead stared at the ground, arms relaxing as though she was going to drop the weapon. I sighed slightly. Maybe this would be easier than I thought. Maybe—
I didn't get much more time to think. The Boss, instead of dropping the gun, raised it and shot a barrage of bullets. Snake ducked and rolled, coming up with a gash over his good eye.
EVA wasn't so lucky.
Three red flowers blossomed on her chest, growing bigger and dripping down her uniform. She stumbled and fell, the flowers in the field seeming to swallow her. The Boss's expression hadn't changed.
"EVA!" Snake cried. He dropped next to her and pulled her into his arms, her head resting against his chest. She was dead…there was no question about it. "EVA…EVA…!"
I could feel my heart pounding so hard against my ribs it hurt. My shoulder throbbed where The Boss had put a bullet in my own flesh many months ago. I felt rage boiling up in my stomach.
Snake was rocking back and fourth, EVA still clutched protectively in his arms. Her eyes were open, staring out at something just over my head. Snake was muttering something…something that sounded like an apology.
"I taught you to never get attached to anyone," The Boss barked harshly. "If I had wanted to, I could have easily shot you dead where you sit."
Snake wasn't paying her any attention. He had dropped his head closer to EVA's, still whispering and apologizing.
"You can't let yourself be overcome with sorrow." The Boss continued. "You can't hold onto someone forever."
Snake raised EVA's chin upward and he kissed her one last time. I simply stood and watched, unsure of what to do…unsure of anything. I found myself staring back at The Boss, who had turned her attention to me.
"This is a lesson to you, too." She stated emotionlessly. "Do not rely on your Uncle Press all the time. One day he will not be there for you."
"Leave Press out of this." I said more forcefully than I intended. I actually startled myself with the amount of fury in my voice.
The Boss' lips twitched into a smile.
"Leave him alone," Snake hissed. He gently lay EVA's body on the flowers and stood, AK aimed at his former mentor's head. "Leave him alone, or I'll fucking put a bullet in your head. Leave him the fuck alone."
The Boss' smile was still unwavering. "Above all, Bobby, never let your emotions get the best of you."
That was too much for Snake. He fired on The Boss, missing and nearly hitting me instead. I leapt backwards, accidentally firing. My shot struck a tree, sending wood splintering down on my head. The Boss easily dodged the bullets, running up to Snake and stealing his weapon from his hand. She broke the barrel over her knee and threw the two pieces of the weapon in opposite directions.
I blinked, and she was gone. I ran to Snake, shaking so badly I thought I would pass out. "Wh…where did she go?!"
"She's taking cover." Snake growled. "She's using the flowers to her advantage."
I stared out over the clearing, seeing nothing but tall grass and the tiny white flowers as they swayed in the breeze. "What do we do?"
"You can leave. I'll take care of this. She is my personal enemy. Not yours."
"I'm staying." I said firmly. "We can take her down together."
Snake gripped me by the front of my uniform and pulled me close. "Do not kill her. She is my kill. Do you understand me?"
I nodded. "Yeah! I understand!" I squeaked.
He let me go and drew his M1911A1. We began to slowly walk around the field, searching for any sign of movement. I was crouched low, almost to the flowers. I saw movement behind a rock.
I shot twice. A bird took flight. Snake rushed to my side and pushed me into the plants as a barrage of bullets punched through the air above us. A voice chimed, "I know where you are now. Both of you."
I held my breath. I didn't hear anything else. "Is she…?"
Snake slapped a hand over my mouth. He slowly left my side and crawled through the flowers and grass, gun at the ready. He vanished from sight for a few minutes before I heard more gunfire.
I heard a very audible cry of pain from The Boss. Snake had stood and ran back to me. "Get to cover!"
I ducked behind the rock I shot at earlier, clutching my weapon. I glanced out behind my hiding place to see a single red flower growing in the patch of white. I squinted and realized that wasn't a red flower. It was a white one painted with blood.
"You have injured me enough to reveal my cover no matter where I am now. I congratulate you." The Boss spoke somewhere to my right.
I didn't move, my weapon gripped tightly. I eventually plucked up enough courage to stand and face the field, giving me a perfect view to spot out anyone hiding. It also left me wide open.
I saw movement and I fired, ducking down instantly again. I heard another stifled groan of pain. Success…
"All right, Boss. This ends here."
A short, gurgling laugh followed Snake's words. "Ends…? It's only the beginning."
I peered out behind my rock to see Snake standing in the middle of the field, gun aimed at the ground in front of him. I stood and headed over to him, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my legs.
The Boss lay at his feet, gun a few inches from her hand. Blood was blossoming on her stomach and shoulder. She coughed, sending specks of red staining the white flowers.
"Did you truly believe I defected to the terrorists, Snake?" She rasped.
He hesitated. "I can't believe you would do that."
"So you believe I never did…of my own free will?"
He didn't respond.
"I had to relay information to you somehow…information both on the Metal Gear and Saint Dane," she inhaled a raspy breath. "I succeeded…"
Snake still didn't respond.
"They based the Peacewalker's Mammal Pod off my voice and actions…my history. It is a replication of me. They believed I was the perfect fighter…the perfect warrior. They were wrong."
I saw a tiny tear form in Snake's eye.
"It can be stopped. It can be…no matter how hard it is to do so."
"Why did you have to fool us into thinking you were the enemy?!" Snake roared. "Why?! We believed you…you were one of the best leaders! We had to move the Mother Base because of you!"
"How else was I to gain the terrorists' trust?" The Boss spat blood. "I was Saint Dane's second in command! I learned more about him than you or Press ever will! I planted the blueprints in the Big Shell after we evacuated!"
Snake was silent again.
"He is more powerful than I expected." The Boss turned to stare at me. "He has more than the potential to wipe out this entire Territory. What I don't understand is…why didn't he?"
"…He plays with us." I responded. "He wants to create a challenge for himself. He wants to win all of Halla, but he wants to fell like he earned it."
The tear that was forming in Snake's eye slipped out and landed on a bloodied flower petal, wiping away the red and replacing it with a light pink.
"Ah," The Boss coughed again. "I have learned where he plans to strike next."
"Where?" Snake grunted.
"Alth."
I saw the FOXHOUND leader stiffen. "They…have just recovered from war…haven't they?"
"An easy target." The Boss nodded. "I want you to be ready if the worst happens."
She struggled to raise her arms. She gripped her Traveler's ring and pulled it off her finger, holding it up to Snake. "The Traveler of First Earth is now you, Snake. I have trained you well, after all."
Snake didn't move. His gun was still aimed at The Boss' head.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" She choked on her own blood, her hand wavering in the air. "Shoot me. Saint Dane will have no reason to doubt me for being loyal. And you will be rid of me, the traitor. We all win in the end."
Another tear fell from Snake's eye, washing the tiny flower clean of the red. "I…I can't…"
"That is an order. As your mentor, I command you to shoot me." Her hand wavered as she struggled to keep it raised. The Traveler ring glinted in the sun.
Snake slowly accepted the ring and stood again. He re-aimed the gun, this time at her heart.
"Do it," The Boss pleaded. "Please…"
The gunshot took me by surprise.
I saw The Sorrow, blood pouring from his eye like tears.
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And once again, my favourite character is DEAD. Oh, and EVA. Poor EVA. I took a few of you by surprise, didn't I? She doesn't die in the game, she just vanishes. I decided to tie up lose ends, and this was my only option at the time. She was a pretty cool character, though…
Ah, anyway…
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Hasta la Vista, Readers!
Lordoftheghostking28