DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Metal Gear is created by Hideo Kojima and owned by Konami. Genshin Impact is owned by miHoYo.
METAL GEAR SHOGUN
Episode 19
DEEP PURPLE
She stood in the midst of a battle which had recently ended.
"Very impressive." The voice behind her congratulated her. She didn't turn to face it.
"I don't want this…" She whimpered.
"But this is what you are, Ripper." The voice spoke. "You're becoming everything I'd hoped you would be."
"When will it end…?" She asked.
"End…?" The voice questioned. "Oh, Jacqueline… It is only just beginning."
/-\ FOXHOUND Headquarters, March 22nd, 2007 /-\
Ei woke from yet another nightmare. Even joining FOXHOUND didn't fully erase them. How much longer, she wondered. How much longer would these nightmares continue? They were beginning to affect her performance in the VR simulations. Ei lit a cigarette and began to inhale the tobacco smoke. She worried that she might become dependent on them. But she would worry about that later.
The start of Ei's day was mostly the same. Her exercise regimen featured different exercises that would change from day to day. This time, it was sprinting and maneuverability training. During a mission, she would have to perform actions that may draw some attention to herself. The purpose of this set of exercises was to minimize the amount of noise she would produce while operating, as well as to teach her some new maneuvers.
One of which was what Ei could only describe as a jumping cartwheel flip. This technique required an incredibly precise amount of balance, dexterity, and agility to pull off successfully. She remembered certain kinds of fighters from Inazuma known as ninja. With their immaculate control over their movements and balance, she was certain that they would be able to perform this technique without issue.
Though, ninja also existed on Earth as well – more notably, cyborg ninjas. One such cyborg ninja was Gray Fox – real name Frank Jaegar. Ei learned about Gray Fox from "In the Darkness of Shadow Moses," much like she had with Solid Snake and Colonel Campbell. Gray Fox was a former FOXHOUND agent whose body was modified with an experimental exoskeleton. He had done combat with Snake in both Zanzibar Land and Shadow Moses. However, Ei thought – if Gray Fox deserted FOXHOUND in order to fight against Snake, what did that mean? Was loyalty something that meant nothing to some people here? Or were they loyal to a completely different objective? She could not think of an answer.
Ei managed to complete the training after a while, but she would still need to continue on that one maneuver in the future. She reported back to the VR training facility, where Doc Wilson was waiting for her with LTC Quinn.
"Hello, Snake." Quinn addressed her. Ei saluted quickly. "Today we will be deviating a bit from the standard schedule. You will be put through a special VR simulation today."
"What does it entail, sir?" Ei questioned.
"I'll answer that." Doc chimed in. "It's supposed to be a representation of a possible mission you may undertake in the future. As you know, agents of FOXHOUND are deployed to regions all over the world."
That was true. As a matter of fact, it was almost definitely the case. Many of the missions run by FOXHOUND operatives were carried out in political hot spots – places which were too delicate for the US to officially intervene. It was probable that Ei would be deployed to somewhere in South America or Asia, but it was just as likely that she would be sent to a politically unstable location in Africa or the Middle East.
"And what kind of mission is represented here?" Ei asked.
"This simulation will be a search and rescue operation." Doc explained. "A North Korean informant has been captured and is being detained within a military outpost. You will be their extraction. If you have need of any assistance, I will be able to provide it as a support contact. Do you have any more questions?"
"No, sir." Ei responded. "Unless there are any other details I should be made aware of."
"Very well." LTC Quinn spoke. "I will be monitoring your progress and will grade your performance upon completion. If you are caught by the enemy, the exercise will be considered a failure. Now please enter the position."
Ei nodded and sat down in the simulation chair. After donning the haptic suit, the headset covered her vision as usual. The cyan light beamed into her eyes as she entered the simulation.
/-\ Virtual Reality /-\
Ei appeared in what looked like a forest. It wasn't completely realistic, as she was able to see the edges that the polygons formed in the environment. But still, it was very impressive how lifelike it looked. All of a sudden, she heard Doc's voice in her ear.
[Snake, this is Doc. Can you read me?] It spoke to her.
"Loud and clear." Ei responded.
[Excellent.] Doc replied. [Make your way to the facility and rescue the informant. If you need my help, just place your fingers against the base of your ear, and I will respond.]
"Understood." Ei spoke. "Proceeding with main mission objectives."
With that, Doc's voice disappeared, and Ei made her way through the foliage. Eventually, she came across what appeared to be a military outpost. Simulated Korean soldiers carrying AK rifles were patrolling the outpost, checking for unusual activity. She kept herself concealed, stealthily moving around the perimeter, looking for a way inside.
After strafing the outpost for a few minutes, Ei found a small hole in the surrounding fence. She looked around to see if the coast was clear before moving to the hole. She slipped through as slowly and carefully as she could, so the fence wouldn't make any noise. Finally coming out of the hole, she hid against the back of a building, out of sight. Moving to one corner, she peeked out from behind, seeing a group of soldiers exiting a concrete "fence" that surrounded a large building. She placed her fingers to her ear, in hopes that she could learn some information about it.
"Doc, can you hear me…?" She whispered.
[Yes, Snake.] Doc answered. [Do you need something?]
"Are you able to see the building I'm looking at?" She asked quietly. "I would like to know if you can give me any information about it."
[I am able to see the building, Snake.] Doc spoke. [However, I cannot give you any intelligence on it. You must learn the details on your own. If you think that building is a good place to begin looking, then you may enter.]
"I understand." Ei spoke. With that, she hung up the communications. It seemed she would have to manually check which building was where her target was. However, Ei did learn some Korean during her language classes, and was able to read and speak it at an acceptable level. She had also learned some Chinese and Japanese, as well as small parts of other various languages, but that wasn't relevant to her mission here.
Ei waited for the soldiers to turn away from her position. Eventually, her opportunity to move came, and she ran over to the side of another building, close to the one she saw the soldiers leaving. Looking around to make sure she was undetected, she hid in the shadows. Peeking out to the front of the building, she saw some text on its wall. Moving closer, she saw that it read "구금시설," or "detention center." That must be where the informant was kept.
BGM:
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance – VR Remixed Sneaking Mission
By Norihiko Hibino
Ei checked around once more to see if she was safe to proceed. After a minute of waiting, she ran over to an alley between two buildings, silently passing through the gap. She emerged into an open area with various crates placed about. Using the crates as cover, she snuck through the area and walked through a door in an area that housed the detention center. Now within the concrete "fence," she heard the voice of a guard who was patrolling the area.
"거기누구있어요?" The guard called out.
Ei hid behind the corner, which was the darkest place she could find. Hearing footsteps coming closer, she stayed concealed, waiting for the guard to come closer. The guard approached the door she entered through, then taking a look around. Eventually, the guard turned away, returning back to his post. Ei trailed behind him, making sure not to make too much noise. She then grabbed the soldier in a headlock, quickly snapping his neck. She dragged his body over behind the corner, out of sight from anyone coming in or leaving the enclosed area. Ei took the man's rifle as well, keeping it just in case of emergency.
Ei then entered the detention center, coming into a short corridor that split into two paths at the end. She didn't move, as there would be at least one guard present within the building. After a few seconds, another guard passed by the exit of the corridor, unaware of the intruder a few meters to his left. Ei silently approached the guard from behind, eventually reaching him. She aimed at the back of his head and spoke.
"손들어." Ei ordered.
The guard complied, setting his weapon on the ground and raising his hands. She then bashed her rifle's stock into the back of the guard's head, knocking him unconscious. She patted his body down for anything useful, relieving him of his radio in the process. She found a keyring on his belt, taking that off his unconscious body as well. She then dragged the guard to a small closet, stuffing his body inside and closing the door. He wasn't going to start any problems soon.
Moving out from a corner, Ei came to three holding cells. Two of them were empty and unlocked, while one of them had a man behind the bars. He looked over to the woman in front of him, somewhat anxious.
"조용히 해." Ei whispered to the man. He reluctantly calmed down, letting her do what she needed. Ei then called Doc once again. "Doc, is this our informant?" She asked.
[Yes, Snake.] Doc responded. [You are to safely escort them out of the hot zone. If either of you are spotted, then you will fail the mission.]
"I understand." Ei replied. "I will make sure he is kept safe. Over and out." With that, Doc cut the communications. Ei turned back to the informant. "침착하세요." She spoke again. "나는당신을구하러여기에있습니다."
The informant seemed almost ecstatic to hear that he would be rescued. A smile grew on his face. "감사합니다." He spoke. "매우감사합니다."
Ei nodded at the man's gratitude. "나를따라와조용히있어라." She instructed him. The man nodded as Ei used one of the keys on the keyring to unlock his cell.
The informant followed Ei out of the detention center, staying close to her. Ei checked around the corners of the door with her rifle, seeing that the coast was clear. She motioned for the informant to follow her, walking over to the door that led outside the concrete fence. Silently pushing the door open, she checked around once more for enemy guards. So far, the only guards present were far away.
Ei looked over to the left, seeing a stack of conveniently placed crates which formed stairs they could use to escape. They would have to travel quite a long way to reach there, however. Ei guided the informant over to the area with the crates, once she was sure the coast was clear. Another guard approached the general area, something which made the informant whimper a little. His whimpers were not unnoticed, as the guard slowly approached their position.
Ei placed her finger to her mouth in a shushing gesture, before turning her attention to the approaching guard. As soon as he passed by the crate she hid behind, Ei bashed his head with her rifle stock before grabbing his neck and snapping it quickly. She grabbed the soldier's body and lifted it into the back of a cargo truck, then motioning for the informant to hurry.
Ei and the informant silently rushed over to the wall with the nearby crates, with very little time to lose. "벽너머로올라갑니다. 서두르다." Ei told him. She aimed her rifle while the informant climbed on top of the crates, eventually hoisting himself over the concrete wall. Ei followed him up the crates and over the wall after him. Helping him up, she escorted the informant away from the outpost quickly. The two kept running deeper into the forest, until Ei heard Doc's voice once again.
[Mission complete, Snake.] Doc informed her. [Deactivating the simulation now.] With that, the forest, the informant, and Ei's body split apart into polygons and dissipated.
BGM end
"Very impressive, Snake." LTC Quinn spoke as Ei exited the VR simulation. "I must say, your skills are quite commendable. You must be proud of yourself."
"Thank you, sir." Ei replied. "This is all because of your training."
"In any case, Snake, I can certainly see why Campbell was so interested in you." Quinn continued. "Though there are some pointers I have to give you."
"Did I do something wrong, sir?" Ei asked.
"Not quite, Snake." Quinn responded. "But handling bodies can be somewhat cumbersome in delicate operations such as this. In the future, I would suggest refraining from needless killing. The best course of action is always to leave zero trace of your presence."
"I see." Ei spoke. "It was just… on instinct, sir. Besides, they were the enemy. They should be dealt with accordingly."
"Very well." Quinn spoke. "But remember, FOXHOUND cannot afford to be discovered. We must always use maximum discretion when it comes to operations. Always remember that, Snake."
Ei saluted and went off to continue the rest of her schedule. It wasn't particularly different, save for a few minor details. She thought back on what LTC Quinn told her later that day and wondered – what did it really mean to be part of FOXHOUND? Ei knew that being an agent of FOXHOUND was a very heavy burden, but she was able to bear the weight of other burdens similar in magnitude. She would overcome this challenge, ensuring her pursuit of Eternity would reach its conclusion soon.
There we go, another chapter done! I kind of had a little trouble deciding how this chapter would play out, but eventually I settled on this. However, I do know how the next chapter will play out, as do some of you. I'll get right to writing, so stay tuned until then!
-Azzy Asbourne
Music: watch?v=ccWGZa9JGS4