The sun rose as morning came. Snake had finished telling Lucario his story.
"Thanks for not falling asleep on me." Snake said. The two then heard the small sounds of a young man laughing and cheering inside the cave.
Lucario smiled. "Looks like the boy is awake."
Soon afterwards Ness walked out of the cave with Peach, Bayonetta and Alex. They all finished their greetings while in the cave, but Ness had yet to see or talk to Snake. Upon seeing the man, Ness' face lit up with a bright smile.
"Mr. Snake!" Ness cheered and ran up to Snake. Snake smiled looking at Ness. Just hearing his voice alone showed how much he had grown. His voice was deeper in pitch. He was taller, stronger. But there were things that didn't change with his age. Like his bright, cheerful personality.
"Mr. Snake it really is you!"
"Hey Ness. It's great to see you again." He said and shook the boy's hand.
"I talked with the others in the cave. So you're gonna help us find Lucas?"
"Yes. We're going to do everything we can to get him back. But first we have to return to HQ. I want to know what they found out from the assassin they captured, and then make a plan from there." Snake assured him. "Is everyone ready to get going?"
"Yes!" They confirmed in unison.
Back at headquarters…
"Dammit!" Lucina cursed and banged her fist on to a table in frustration. "Multiple bases! Why does this guy have to be so difficult to find?!"
"Look on the bright side. He was able to tell us where one of them is located." Fox said.
"Yeah. Mute City." Link nodded. "Makes sense. If you wanted to make a base hard to spot, that would be a place to do it."
"Why is that?" Zelda asked. Robin stepped in and answered for him.
"It's because no one ever goes there anymore. The place is just littered with rubble, debris and destroyed buildings. There's nothing to take, nothing to gain from there. That's why no one goes there." She explained.
"Well, looks like we'll be paying the place a visit. We don't have much else to go on, so I say we go there." Lucina suggested.
"We will. But first we have to wait for Snake and his group to get back. We need to fill them in on all of this." Zelda said.
"Can't we just tell him over the radio" Fox asked.
"I'd rather them hear it once they're back and have freshened up. They must be exhausted."
"Alright then." Fox nodded and walked out. Zelda then looked at Link and asked "Ike. Did he…"
"Yes. He set out last night. We should be hearing from him soon."
Three days. Three days had passed, and Palutena had not fulfilled her part of the agreement. Whether this was due to lack of trying or just incompetence, Ike didn't care. He was heading straight for her temple, and he was going into Skyworld and get answers from Hades. They would not stop him from going in. And if they tried, he wasn't afraid to take their lives.
Ike was taken out of his thoughts when he noticed something heading towards him at a very high speed. It wasn't running, it looked like it was flying. Ike grabbed the handle of his sword, preparing for the worst. But once it got closer, Ike could see that it was none other than Pit. The angel's flight came to a halt once he got within speaking distance to Ike.
"Ike! Boy, am I glad I caught up with you!"
"Your time has run out, so unless you have something useful to tell me, get out of my way so I can go find Hades."
"No, no, no! That's the thing! We caught Hades! That's why I was heading towards your headquarters." Pit excitedly explained.
"Really? Did you get him to talk?" Ike questioned.
"Well that's the weird thing. We didn't really need to do anything to get him to talk. He was pretty forward with explaining everything. He sounded like he didn't care, and I think he really doesn't care."
"But why? Isn't he involved with what is going on?"
"Hades involvement pretty much goes as far as 'I gave a guy some of my soldiers for kicks'. And that guy is named Deathborn."
"I figured." Ike sighed. "So, that's really all his motivations are? Just to watch another world burn."
"I'm afraid so." Pit answered.
"Dammit! That gets us nowhere!" Ike fumed.
"Well he did give us one bit of information that's pretty useful." Pit objected.
"And what's that?"
"To look for Deathborn in Mute City…"
At long last, Snake and his friends made it back to headquarters. But before they could get any rest, they had to be filled in on what they learned from the man named Fourteen. Ike radioed in the information given to him by Pit. With all the information gathered, it was time to form a plan.
"So essentially, we're searching Mute City." Link summarized.
"All signs seem to point there." Snake said.
"Alright, well I guess now we figure out who's going." Zelda said.
"Me." Snake immediately answered.
"Now hang on a minute Snake." Zelda cut in. "You've been going on mission after mission with no stopping in between. We want you to sit this one out."
"But-"
"Snake. We insist that you do take a break. All of this will take a toll on your body." Rosalina highly suggested.
"You won't be good to anyone if you break down in the middle of a mission." Wolf chuckled.
Snake wanted to argue. He had been following this trail for too long for him to just stop at the point where they might encounter the man behind it all. But he looked at the other members and could tell they weren't going to budge about this. He sighed in defeat.
"Alright, fine!" He conceded.
"Thank you, Snake." Zelda smiled.
"I'll be going. I've been standing on the sidelines for too long. I think it's time for me to step in." Link announced.
"I'll go with you." Fox spoke up.
"If there is a possibility we can save Lucas, I must go." Lucario stated.
"I'm going too." Lucina said.
"Then I guess it's settled." Zelda said.
When the meeting was over, Snake picked up some dinner from a one of the food vendors in the Capital. He still had trouble getting over the fact that he was essentially forced to sit out this next mission. He was not angry with his friends in any way. They were just doing what friends do and watching out for his well-being. He just didn't believe that their concerns were valid.
He knows his body. If it was going to give out any time soon, he would know it. They didn't seem to understand that he wandered the wasteland for seven years. He was used to traveling everyday with little amounts of rest. Hell! At times, he would go to sleep after treating a bullet wound or several other injuries. He was good to go for this mission, but there was just no convincing the others.
"Hello Snake." Robin greeted as she approached his table. "Mind if I sit here?"
"It's yours." He replied. She sat down at the other side of the table, facing him. While she ate, she noticed Snake just sitting at his seat looking troubled.
"Hey!"
"Huh?! What?" Snake asked, startled out of his thoughts.
"What's the matter with you? You don't look right." Robin said. Snake sighed. There was no use hiding it.
"Of course, I'm not. There's a big mission about to happen and I've been told to sit it out!" He expressed his frustration.
"Snake it's just for your own health."
"I know that! But that doesn't make me feel any less useless!"
"You're not useless! I'm sure there are things you can help us with at the base." Robin tried to assure him.
"You're wrong!" Snake protested. "If I am not out there on the field, I am worthless!" He said and tightened his fists.
"What are you talking about?"
"Fighting! It's what I'm good at! The only thing I've ever been good at! And there's a reason for that! It was why I was created!" He snapped.
Robin realized what he was referring to. The Les Enfants Terribles project; French for "The Terrible Children". A project orchestrated by the Patriots, a secret organization in Snake's universe. The purpose was to produce clones of the legendary soldier Big Boss, resulting in Snake and his twin brother, Liquid Snake. Snake had told her and the others the story before.
It sickened her just thinking about it. They heavily modified Snake's genes to make him excel at combat, and nothing else. They didn't allow him to be anything other than a fighter. He was made for the sole purpose of being a weapon.
"Snake…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She apologized.
Snake took a moment to relax before speaking again. "Don't worry about it. Sorry for blowing a gasket there."
"It's fine. Now listen. Tell me something. Are you worried about the other four going to Mute City?"
"Yes."
"Why? You don't think they can beat Deathborn if they run into him?" She questioned.
"It's not that I don't think they can win, it's that I don't know if they can win!" Snake replied, causing Robin to have a puzzled look on her face. "Think about it! We know who we're up against; but we don't know what we're up against. We know his name, but we don't know the full extent of his strength."
"I see. That is quite a problem." She agreed. "But based on what you've heard, how powerful do you think he might be?"
"I know he's not unbeatable. He's been killed three times in the past, but he's always been revived by someone. They would swap out his original body parts with mechanical ones. After dying three times, I'm curious as to how much of his original body is left. And I wonder if he's become stronger with each death."
"I think that's a no-brainer. Whoever his mysterious benefactor is that keeps putting him back together, they must put some augmentations in him with each death. Of course he'll be stronger." She replied. "Now I guess we'll need to look into the people that put him back together."
"There's no need for that. Not right now at least."
"Why?"
"Because we don't have time to be looking for shadows. And there is a way to put this guy down for good. We've got to obliterate him. Completely." said Snake.
"You're right! If there's not a scrap of him left, then there's no way to reconstructe him."
Several minutes passed by and Robin and Snake finished their meals and headed back home.
"Please Snake, try to get some rest. I promise we'll update you on anything that happens." Robin pleaded.
"I know, I know! I'll get some rest." He said with a heavy sigh. "By the way, have you had any progress in looking for Crazy Hand's writings?"
"I'm afraid not. Our soldiers haven't had any luck in finding more journal entries."
"That's too bad. Hopefully it pops up sooner or later." Snake said and headed back home.
It was late in the night. Snake managed to get a few hours of sleep in but eventually woke up in the middle of the night. He couldn't take it. He couldn't relax knowing that Deathborn could be at Mute City. His lone wolf tendencies began to resurface. And he decided that in his opinion, it would be best if he handled this issue alone. So, in the middle of the night, he snuck into the armory and retrieved his equipment. He left his radio behind however. If his was to go Lone Wolf, then he had to go all the way. No radio support. Besides, he wasn't willing to listen to them screaming at him over the radio once they realized he was gone. Telling him how this is not a good idea. That would have to wait for when he got back. Once he was suited up, he made his quiet escape out of headquarters and headed for Mute City. Before he left, he turned to look back at the Capital and frowned.
I'm sorry about this, everyone. I know you'll think this is a bad idea, and you might be right. But this is something I've got to do.
By the evening of the next day, Link, Fox, Lucina and Lucario were very close to Mute City. They were notified over the radio about Snake's disappearance and how he went off the grid.
"What the hell is he thinking?" Fox wondered.
"I wish I could say; but I never could read that guy." Link responded.
"It is confusing, but know this. Whatever he's doing, I'm sure he has a good reason for it." Lucario said.
"We can talk about this later. Because we're finally here." Lucina said as they made it to the entrance of the city.
Suddenly, Lucario's eyes widened and he let out a loud gasp.
"What's wrong?!" Link asked.
"I'm sensing a very powerful energy coming right towards us!" Lucario alerted them. He was detecting somebody's aura, and it was frightening.
An incredibly tall man appeared before them. Wearing a menacing-looking mask, a long coat and a sinister black cape, the man looked very intimidating. An evil chuckle could be heard as he approached them.
"It's…it's HIM!" Lucario said
"That's Deathborn?!" Lucina asked.
"The one and only." Deathborn replied. "Word from the grapevine told me that Fourteen was captured during his mission, and was questioned. I had a feeling he'd tell you about my operations here, so I decided to set up a welcoming committee for you."
Shortly after he said this, his troops came out of hiding and aimed at the four.
"Weapons down for now!" Deathborn ordered the soldiers. "No need to kill them just yet."
While this was occurring, Snake had arrived at Mute City; using a hijacked vehicle to get there faster.
"Oh shit!" Snake muttered as he saw his friends were already engaged with Deathborn. He snuck behind some cover, listening to their conversation and waiting for an opportunity to either strike, or slip past them.
"So. Where is he?" Deathborn asked the group.
"Who are you talking about?" Lucina shouted.
"The Nomad. Solid Snake. The man who once represented how one should act in my ideal world."
"He's not with us." Link simply replied.
Deathborn let out a wicked laugh. "Oh how boring! The U.R. finally finds my location and they send in the B-Team to deal with me!" He cackled, his comment earning growls from the four.
"You won't be talking shit once we take out all of your men! Once they're gone, you won't stand a chance." Fox threatened him.
"Oh! You mean the soldiers? They're not here as back up, they're just here for show! But since you mention them, I suppose they have worn out their welcome, so…"
He aimed his arms at his soldiers and shot charged energy blasts from his hands, annihilating all of his own soldier himself. Behind his mask, he had a sinister smile after doing this.
"Why the hell did you do that?" Lucina asked.
"To illustrate a point. I don't need other people to fight my battles for me." The villain stated.
Snake smirked after seeing Deathborn kill his own men. "What a fool! Doesn't he realize he just drastically decreased the security of his base. Now we'll be able to get in there with little resistance." Snake thought. Though he realized there was one problem; Deathborn himself. No way in hell was he going to let them inside. He had to be dealt with, something easier said then done. He decided to remain hidden and let the others attempt to take Deathborn out. If things get out of hand however, he would have to step in.
"So, you really plan on fighting me? That's equivalent to suicide. But if you want to take the cowards way out, I'd be more than happy to oblige you!" Deathborn taunted.
"You know, you talk a lot of shit for somebody who's been hiding in the shadows for several years!" Fox retorted.
"Maybe so, but the thing about me is that I can actually back up my claims."
Lucario used Extreme Speed to get in front of Deathborn faster than the eye can see and punched the villain in the gut. "We'll see about that." He growled. He went for a kick but Deathborn managed to block it. Deathborn grabbed him by the leg, spun around and tossed Lucario away. Though Lucario's landing on the ground was quite painful, he quickly got up.
"Where's Lucas?!" Lucario demanded in the middle of the fight.
"Nowhere safe, I can tell you that much." Deathborn said. "Don't worry, he's still alive…for now."
Link drew his bow and aimed an arrow right at Deathborn. Releasing the arrow, it flew right for the villain. But something unexpected happened. Deathborn caught the arrow with his hand. He looked a Link with an armor-piercing glare and crushed the arrow in to two pieces.
"Really? Link, I always thought you were a man of honor. Bravely facing any opposition that came your way. And now the holder of the Triforce of Courage tries to snipe me while I'm in the middle of a fight."
Deathborn seemingly teleported right in front of Link and punched the Hero in the gut. Grabbing Link by the throat, he lifted him up and then slammed him to the ground.
"This is your first and only warning! If you four are to fight me, we will do it my way. One-on-One. And since I'm feeling generous today, I will allow you to tag team this. If you need to catch your breath, you can let someone take your place." Deathborn explained. "Those are the rules. Are we clear?"
"Crystal." Lucina growled.
The four fighters couldn't believe this. Here they are, coming to raid his base and kill him, and he's acting like this is all a game. They felt somewhat insulted.
"So, who's fir-" Deathborn got cut off as Fox landed a dive kick to his head. Deathborn fell to the ground, but calmly stood back up and dusted of his cape. Deathborn lashed out with a lariat, but Fox rolled under it. Fox drew out his blaster and aimed for Deathborn. He pulled the trigger multiple times, but it didn't effect Deathborn in the slightest.
"Oh, that's adorable!" Deathborn laughed. He snatched the blaster from Fox's hands and kicked him away. He then crushed the blaster with his hand. Fox's eyes widened as the pieces of his blaster fell to the ground and he looked at his towering opposition.
"What IS HE?! A man, a machine, a monster? All of the above?!" He thought.
While Snake was in the background, he was assessing the battle to figure out that very question.
"There's no doubt that most of what he's doing is beyond human limitations. But he's not supernatural either. It's all augmentations. He can't teleport as his movement seems to suggest, it's a heavy-duty leg augmentation. It lets him move faster than the eye can see. He caught Link's arrow, so I can only guess he must have heightened reflexes. They have their limits though, he can't predict every attack coming his way, especially in close quarters. Him shrugging off Fox's shots? No brainier. Of course he would have some armor plating that's resistant to small arms fire. You'd need something like a .50 caliber bullet or most ammo used in sniper rifles to do anything to faze him. At the very least, you'd need a .44." Snake noted all of this to himself.
Deathborn started getting the upper hand over Fox. The pilot looked like he had reached his limit. He knocked Fox down with a vicious right hook. Link tightened his fists as he watched the brutal beating. That was far enough! He would not just stand there and let his friend get pounded into a pulp.
"TAG IN!" He shouted and stepped into the fighting area. Deathborn turned his focus to the Hyrule Hero.
"Aw! And I was just about to finish him off!" Deathborn mockingly whined. "Oh well! I made the rules and I will follow them." He said and kicked Fox out of the 'ring'. Lucina and Lucario quickly rushed to Fox's aid.
"Are you alright?!" Lucina asked.
"No, but I'll live." Fox replied and groaned in pain.
Back in the ring, Link charged at Deathborn with his sword and shield in hand. He swiped at Deathborn who blocked the Master Sword with his steel gauntlets.
"Of course he'd have a way to block a sword." Link thought.
Deathborn lashed out, but Link back-flipped to avoid his attack. He caught up though and went to punch Link. The attack was block by Link's shield, but the sheer force of the attack knocked Link back slightly. Link was startled by this amount of strength. Deathborn went for a roundhouse kick that Link ducked under. Link capitalized off this and sweeped Deathborn's legs, knocking him down. He jumped and was ready to plunge the Master Sword right into the villain's heart, but Deathborn rolled out of the way just in time.
"Dammit!" Link muttered. Suddenly, Deathborn leaped towards Link like an animal and struck him with a painful diving headbutt to the chest. As Link landed on his back, he swore the he heard something in his body crack. Hopefully it wasn't too important. As Link struggled to get up, Deathborn stood before him with his arms crossed, looking really smug.
"Surely that can't be all you've got." He taunted.
Link remained silent. He pulled out a bomb and lit the fuse.
"A bomb? You really think you can hit me with that? Go ahead and try!" he challenged.
Link tossed the bomb forward. Not at Deathborn, but at the ground in front of him. The explosion created a smoke cloud that Deathborn couldn't see past.
"What?!" Deathborn shouted, confused as to what was going on. Through the smoke came a boomerang that smacked him right in the face. As he reeled back, Link came through the smoke and struck Deathborn with an aerial kick.
"That clever dick!" Deathborn thought. As Link jumped up in an attempt to land his down thrust attack, Deathborn shot him with an energy blast, causing him to drop his weapon and crash to the ground.
Lucina growled. "That son of a bitch! He didn't say anything about using blasts!"
"Well he never said it wasn't allowed, but I agree with what you're saying. That was a very dishonorable move." Lucario snarled.
Lucina stepped forward. "My turn!" she announced.
Deathborn growled in frustration. He was beginning to regret allowing them the option to tag out.
"Alright, but before I let him go…"
Deathborn stomped on Link's left arm, breaking it. The swordsman cried out in agony, the others looking horrified.
"He's not going to be fighting anytime soon." Deathborn chuckled. Lucina glared at him with a look that could pierce armor.
"YOU…"
"If you fight me, you will lose! You and I both know that!" Deathborn stated. "You've all gotten too soft! If you had been living in the wasteland like a true survivor and honing your combat skills, then you'd all be capable of defeating me! But you didn't. You all eventually found some settlement to relax at. And look where it's got you all."
Lucina could only growl in frustration. She wanted to charge and fight him, but she saw Fox and Link, both equal to her in terms of combat, get decimated by this monster. Did she stand a chance?
"Now unless you have a substantial opponent to challenge me, then I think I'll just kill you all right now." Deathborn grinned and aimed his energy cannon at them.
"How about me."
Deathborn turned around, and to his surprise, it was Snake that stepped out of the shadows.