"Rosalina?"
"Yes Snake?"
"What was the last thing Robin was doing before she was put into this pod?"
"She was fighting numerous guards to avoid capture."
Snake then stopped Rosalina before she unfroze Robin.
"What's wrong?"
"I've got a better idea. You're friends with her, right?"
"Yes."
"Ok, so I'm going to go in the other room. Because I don't think the first person she sees when we she gets out of being a human Popsicle is a complete stranger. She might lash out of me. So why don't you sit her down and explain everything, then send her to come speak to me."
"Hmm. That does sound like a better idea. Ok, I'll talk to her." Rosalina agreed.
Snake waited in an empty room, sitting near a table for several minutes for female Robin to enter. After Rosalina filled her in on what happened, she was ready to talk with the man and entered the room. She took a seat across the table from Snake.
"Hello there." She greeted.
"Uh…hey." He awkwardly responded.
"Rosalina filled me in on what she knows about your adventure. I must say I'm surprised. I heard you were strong, but what you've done is quite incredible."
"So you knew about me before today?"
"I was in charge of collecting information while I was in the Committee. Unlike the other members, I had no problem with your vigilante activities. I supported them as a matter of fact. We couldn't be everywhere at once, so having good people like you helping people in different areas of the Wasteland is beneficial to everyone." She explained.
"Glad you see things that way." Snake answered. Robin noticed the look on his face. He looked uncomfortable. She could tell that something was bothering him.
"Is there something wrong Snake?"
Snake let out a deep breath. "Yeah I'll admit it. I'm still wrapping my head around just what you are."
"You mean being Robin but a female counterpart?"
"Yeah. It feels like I'm looking at the sister of a man I've killed. I know that's not the case but…"
"It's alright. I understand what you mean. Rest assured, I have no quarrels with you for killing him. Same for Roy and Shulk. Before I was forced into that pod, I had deduced that the others had completely gone off the deep end. They had to be killed."
"So you had already been planning on assassinating them?"
"Yes but I failed completely. I was already under suspicion by the rest of the group, as my ideas did not follow theirs. So they stormed into my room, just when I was trying to leak information on the mutant strain." She remembered.
"What were you hoping to accomplish with leaking that information?"
"Well awareness of course! The people needed to know the horrible things the organization was conducting." She said. "Anyway that's enough about me. I'd more interested in talking about you. You've succeeded where I've failed. Tell me, aside from the assassination of three of the four Committee members, what else have you and your group managed to accomplish?"
"I prevented Robin from spreading the mutagen to an entire Pokemon village, we destroyed Shulk's lab, and we took the Mushroom Kingdom back. I think that's something."
"Goodness! I agree that is something! Especially the lab!"
"What about the lab?"
"Snake! With the destruction of lab, you've destroyed a critical part of the Committee. The lab is where most of the Committee's resources would come from. Weapons, Equipment, and other things a combat unit needs. Not to mention the destruction of the mutagen."
"So that really was the only place where that kind of research and development took place? Why?"
"The others didn't think a second facility was necessary. The believed that because of how well hidden the place was, it would be safe from those who would want to destroy. And they were sure that if anyone possible came across it, they could easily be dealt with. I don't think that they were expecting a visit from you."
"I'll give them credit, it was a clever hiding spot."
"In any case Snake, you've brought this group to its knees. Marth is all that's left. It's no secret that he stationed himself in New Smashville. Once he's eliminated, this organization will be gone from the Wasteland." Robin reminded him.
"I'm aware of that, but I don't think it's going to be as simple as just charging in to fight him. Roy said that Marth withdrew the elite guards from here to go back to protect Marth. That tells me the place will be on high alert. Not to mention, unlike the others, I would be going into a city to fight him. That means there'll be civilians around, and that means a high chance of innocent casualties. Throughout this whole journey, not once have I had to put innocent lives on the line to get things done, and I'm not about to start." Snake declared.
"Really? Forgive me for saying this but you strike me as an "ends justify the means" type of person."
"Your "friends" had that line of thinking. Look how it turned out for them."
Robin glared fiercely at him for saying that. "Hey! Look I swear they started out with good intentions-"
"Just save it, I've heard it all before." He cut her off. "In any case, you're right. I am usually an "ends justify the means" thinker. Being a soldier required that mindset. But that type of approach should only be used if there really is no other safe solution to a problem. I don't see shooting our way through a city as the only way to eliminate Marth. There are others ways we can do this without putting any civilian lives at risk. We just have to think some more."
Robin took a deep breath to calm herself down. "You're right, I'm sorry. Given what you've done, Marth isn't really in a good spot right now. His allies are dead, the development lab for his resources has been destroyed, so I guess there's no rush. I'll start thinking of some alternate methods." She said.
"Alright, thanks."
"And Snake?"
"What?"
"Thank you for all you've done. I'll follow you to the end." She expressed her loyalty and extended her hand to him. Snake shook her hand respectfully.
"Don't feel like you have to take orders from me. We're a team, a team with the same goal in mind. It's good to have you on board."
After finishing his conversation with Robin, Snake called Link over the radio.
"What's up Snake?"
"We did it. We took the Mushroom Kingdom back, and it's in great shape."
"That's great news. What do you plan on doing with it?"
"I'm returning it to its owner."
"Peach?"
"That's right. I want you and your men to escort her over here. If anyone should lead a civilization here it's her."
"Alright. Consider it done."
"Thanks Link."
"What about Marth? You going after him now?"
"No, not yet. But until then can you send some scouts to check on New Smashville? Have them report anything of interest."
"I can do that too."
"Again, thanks."
Ending the call he went back to the lobby of the castle, where Ryu, Rosalina and Ike were waiting.
"I let the Toads know that it's safe for them to come into the city. They're all settling in now." Ryu reported.
"Good. I called Link, and he's bringing Peach here. She can get this place thriving again."
"Oh it'll be so nice to see her again." Rosalina smiled. Snake then walked over to Ike, who was being silent in a corner of the room.
"So you're still here?" Snake asked.
"Of course I am."
"You want to join the fight?"
"That's right. I want to help."
"What about your family? Aren't you suppose to take care of them?"
"This had been on my mind since you beat me. They gave me the go ahead." The swordsman answered.
"If you say so. But if you were looking for action, you picked a bad time to join up."
"Is that so?"
"Until we can find a way to attack Marth without putting civilians in danger, we're not going into battle."
"Got any ideas?"
"No, but I'm working on it."
"Fine by me. I'll wait for your command."
"Okay. And thanks for saving my ass there." Snake said and patted Ike on the shoulder. "Hey Rosalina?"
"Yes Snake?"
"Where's Luigi?"
"Oh he's in the sleeping quarters downstairs with Daisy."
"Daisy?!"
Snake immediately went to the sleeping quarters. He found Daisy resting on one of the beds, with Luigi sitting on a chair at the bedside.
"I remember the first night we set up camp together…" Luigi began as he looked to Snake. Snake pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "And you mentioned her. You asked me if she was still alive, and I said I didn't know. But I thought the worst had happened. I thought that if I haven't seen a sign of her for seven years then she must be dead. But you believed she could still be alive. You convinced me to believe that she might still be alive…and you were right." He said as his eyes started to water.
"Looks like I was. Did we make a bet about that? Cause if we did, you owe me some coins." Snake joked, Luigi chuckling in response. "Did she say where she was all those years?"
"Traveling and surviving, just like us. She may not look it, but she's got a lot of fight in her. She can handle herself against bandits."
"I don't doubt it."
"She actually got captured and brought here only a week ago. Why they decided to capture her, she doesn't know."
"I don't think it matters now that she's safe."
"True. That's really what matters."
There was about a minute of silence between them. Snake eventually spoke up.
"Listen Luigi. With three of the four members dead, this fight is almost finished. Marth's up against the wall, his days are numbered. I couldn't have gotten this far without your help, so I want to thank you for that. But now, I think you should sit this out."
"What? Why?" Luigi asked in concern.
"Well the reason is right in front of you sleeping on a bed. You two had been separated for so long, and now you're finally together again. So go ahead and spend some time with her. You've earned it."
After thinking about it for a moment, Luigi came to a decision.
"All right, I will! You don't really need help taking that punk down anyway. It'd be overkill if I was with you." The man in green smiled.
It was late the next day when Link arrived, bring Peach and Zelda as well over to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Toads rejoiced at the sight of their long lost princess. At around midnight, Snake sat with the three of them out in the castle courtyard, looking up at the stars.
"Hard to believe this is almost over." Link said. The others felt the same way. The three had been involved with Snake since the beginning of this journey.
"I feel like it is all over. I mean look at how good things are going right now! I have the Mushroom Kingdom and my people back!" Peach shared her opinion.
"I know Peach, but we can't take this for granted. It will only truly be over when Marth is dead." Zelda reminded her.
"That's right. I don't want to take any chances of him rebuilding. Still, even when the Committee is gone, we're not exactly going to get paradise. Not all of the world's problems are because of them." Snake said.
"True. There are still mutants roaming around. The cause of their creation may be destroyed, but we need to wipe out the stragglers." Link noted.
"Not to mention the political work we'll have to do if we want to unify the other settlements." Zelda said not excited in the slightest.
"Zelda, I think we should tell Snake about our negotiations with Koopa Keep." Link suggested.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Snake almost started to worry.
"Oh no not at all! We've spoken with Sheriff Murphy and he's a very polite man. He's not at all opposed to the idea of making a unified settlement. Neither do his people, and that's good because Murphy has made it clear that he will only make decisions if his people want them. However there is one condition that the people require to be met before the give Murphy their blessing." Zelda explained.
"And what's that?"
"They want you to be a government official."
"Me? Why?"
"Well the Koopas are a little hesitant of being associated with a monarch like myself. I can understand why they feel that way, seeing as how their last king was the tyrant Bowser."
"I understand that too. But again, how does me being a government official help that?"
"Because the people idolize you. They look at you as a symbol of good, as a hero. You make them feel safe. The feel that with you in office, you can make sure none of the rulers step out of line."
"So I'd be in charge of checks and balances, is that the idea?"
"That's correct."
Snake's tone of voice expressed a clear lack of interest in the idea.
"Snake please!" Peach kindly requested. "I know you really don't like politics, but this is for a good cause. Having several species living together, it sounds like harmony."
"Okay. As long as I'm not in a role where I'm giving orders, I'll do it." He agreed and the other three rejoiced. Then Snake thought of something and couldn't help but laugh a little.
"What is it Snake?" Peach asked.
"It's kind of funny how much things changed during the course of this journey." He mused. "I remember this started off so simple. This used to be about getting bounty hunters off my back. Then it turned into something so much bigger. Once again I found myself in a battle against a shadowy organization. Then bioweapons come into play. I reunite with some old friends and make new ones, while at the same time I have to face new and old faces as enemies. This really has been one hell of a trip. It's had its ups and downs but overall, I'd say it was worth it. What do you all think?" Snake rambled.
"If it brought so many of us back together, then I'd say it was definitely worth it." Link said, and the two ladies nodded in agreement.
"Well I'm glad you all feel that way. I'm going to go get some rest. Good night." Snake said and went back into the castle.
By morning, Peach had been officially settled into her castle, and Link and Zelda were on their way back to Hyrule. Snake, Ike and Ryu were helping the Toad citizens clean up the city. The Toads were happy to do so this time, as they were doing it willingly instead of against their will.
"Geez! When Toads are motivated, they work pretty damn fast!" Ike noted the fast rate of progress.
"I know. It seems like they don't even need our help. We can barely keep up with them." Ryu said.
Then a familiar ring began to go off in Snake's ear.
"I'll be right back. I'm getting a call." He told the other two and answered the codec.
"This is Snake."
"Snake!"
"What is it Link?"
"I sent scouts to watch over New Smashville like you asked, and they reported something back."
"What?"
"They saw Marth leaving the city…alone!"
"What?!"
"Snake!" Robin called out and ran towards Snake.
"Hang on a second Link." He said and hung up on Link. "What is it Robin?"
"Take a look at this!" She demanded and handed him a paper. "It's a letter from Marth himself. He says he wants you to meet him at Ground Zero…alone."
"What?!" Ryu and Ike joined in and expressed their shock.
"He must want to finish this as much as I do." Snake thought.
"Looks like we won't have to wait as long as we thought." said Robin.
"I don't know. This could be a trap!" Ike feared.
"Maybe, but I'll take my chances."
Returning back to the castle, Snake gathered up all of his gear. His suit, his weapons, his equipment. All of it for what could possibly be the final battle. Before the word could get around to the others, Snake had already left unceremoniously.
Next…the Final Chapter.