In the dimly lit chamber, tension hung thick as Solid Snake's desperate assault on the colossal Metal Gear REX proved insufficient.
"Did that do it!?" He desperately asked himself, lowering his stinger missle launcher. Unfortunately, his answer was met with REX'S radome moving.
"Damn!" Snake's frustration echoed through the metallic expanse, met by Liquid's cold retort.
"Nice try, Snake! Die!!" Liquid Snake's voice, laced with malice, reverberated as he moved to crush Snake beneath the monstrous REX.
However, an unexpected saviour emerged from the shadows. Grey Fox, with swift agility, leapt to Snake's aid, holding up REX's foot, allowing Snake to evade the impending doom.
"Hurry! Get away!" Fox urged, revealing himself to Snake.
"Grey Fox!!" Snake's recognition mingled with astonishment.
"A name from long ago. It sounds better than Deepthroat," Fox remarked, his voice carrying the weight of history.
"So it is you!?" Snake's realization unfolded, etching a complex narrative between them.
"You look terrible, Snake. You haven't aged well," Fox observed, his tone a mix of concern and acknowledgment.
"I'll send you back to hell!" Liquid's threat shattered the moment.
As Fox leaped away, he unsheathed his High-Frequency Blade. In mid-air, he deftly deflected a volley of bullets from REX, showcasing a mesmerizing display of skill. Landing on the ground, he threw the sword at REX's Radome, burying it deep. Rolling away from gunfire, he pushed himself into the air, firing shots square-on at the Radome before calmly landing beside Snake, who sought refuge behind a storage crate.
"Fox, why!? What do you want from me!?" Snake's inquiry echoed through the chamber.
"I'm a prisoner of Death. Only you can free me..." Fox's cryptic revelation deepened the mystery.
"Fox, stay out of this... What about Naomi? She's hell-bent on taking revenge for you," Snake pleaded.
"Naomi..." Fox sighed, hinting at a troubled past.
"You're the only one who can stop her." Snake implored.
"No... I can't," Fox admitted, unraveling the complexities of his actions.
"Why?" Snake pressed, seeking answers amidst the chaos.
"Because I'm the one who killed her parents. I was young then and couldn't bring myself to kill her too. I felt so bad that I decided to take her with me. I raised her like she was my own blood to soothe my guilty conscience. Even now, she thinks of me as her brother..." Fox's confession laid bare the weight of his past.
"Fox..." Snake's response held a mix of empathy and understanding.
"Outwardly, we may have seemed like contented brother and sister. But every time I looked at her, I trembled with fear. Tell her for me. Tell her that I was the one who did it.." Fox's words hung in the air, a poignant revelation.
Explosions rang out as Liquid spotted them behind the crate, attempting to eliminate the threat.
"There you are!" Liquid declared, shattering the brief respite.
"We're just about out of time. Here's a final present from Deepthroat. I'll stop it from moving!" Fox's determination cut through the chaos, setting the stage for a final act.
"Fox!" Snake's call echoed, a mix of urgency and gratitude.
In a breathtaking display of agility, Fox leapt into the air, landing defiantly in front of Rex. The mechanical behemoth responded with a barrage of machine-gun fire, but Fox, a master of evasion, performed a rapid series of backflips to gracefully sidestep the onslaught.
Bounding off a wall, Fox ran parallel to it, executing yet another flip to navigate between incoming bullets. Facing Rex head-on amid the gunfire, he spun his body in a mesmerising dance, skillfully avoiding each lethal projectile. Returning to the wall, Fox planted himself and spun around, a whirlwind of acrobatics.
With unyielding determination, Fox sprinted towards Rex at full throttle. The colossal machine tracked him relentlessly, unleashing a long burst of gunfire. The bullets sliced off the faceplate of Fox's helmet, revealing his unwavering resolve. In a daring slide on his back, Fox aimed his gun at the vulnerable underside of Rex.
As Fox positioned himself right beneath Rex's head, the colossal machine attempted to crush him with a swift downward motion. Reacting with lightning speed, Fox pushed himself into the air, narrowly escaping the impending disaster. However, the battle took a toll as Rex, recovering quickly, powered up its laser and swung it upwards.
In a brutal twist of fate, Fox's left arm was severed at the shoulder as the laser sliced through. A blood-curdling cry echoed through the chamber as Fox landed on a ledge on the side of the room. Despite the pain, he rose to his feet, emitting a defiant scream just as Rex, relentless in its pursuit, rushed towards him. Before Fox could retaliate, Rex slammed him into the unforgiving wall, marking a moment of brutal confrontation in the heart of the intense battle.
"In the Middle East, we don't hunt foxes, we hunt jackals. Instead of foxhounds, we use royal harriers," Liquid taunted.
"Fox!" Snake's concern for his ally echoed.
"How strong is that exoskeleton of yours? Snake, are you just going to sit by and watch him die?" Liquid questioned, cruelty in his tone.
Fox, clinging to himself, exhibited a fading resolve. His gun, still sparking, began to glow. Fox raised it solemnly to the Radome, firing off his remaining shots.
"A cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal!" Fox roared defiantly.
"He destroyed the radome..." Snake acknowledged. Surely enough, REX's cockpit opened up, forcing Liquid to operate the mech manually, leaving him vulnerable.
"Impressive. You are indeed worthy of the codename "Fox"! But now you're finished!" Liquid declared.
"Uuunnggh!! ...Now! Fire the Stinger!" Fox's desperate plea echoed.
"Fox!" Snake called out, torn by the impending tragedy.
"Can you really shoot? You'll kill him too!" Liquid challenged.
"Now in front of you. I can finally die. After Zanzibar, I was taken from the battle neither truly alive nor truly dead... an undying shadow in the world of lights. But soon... soon. It will finally... end." Fox's resignation permeated the air.
Liquid, with a cruel twist, dragged Fox off his perch, letting him fall to the ground. He attempted to crush Fox once more.
"Die!" Liquid's voice resonated with malice.
Fox, clinging to himself, faced the inevitable. His exoskeleton teetered on the brink of collapse.
"Snake, we're not tools of the government or anyone else! Fighting was the only thing... the only thing I was good at, but... At least I always fought for what I believed in... Snake... farewell." Fox's parting words carried a mix of regret and acceptance.
As Liquid applied all his weight, Fox's exoskeleton gave out, and he was crushed.
"Fooooooox!!!" Snake's anguished cry filled the chamber.
"Foolish man! When death is entreated..." Liquid dragged REX's foot across the floor, smearing what was left of cyborg ninja into a bloody stain on the ground. "...the battle is decided. You see? You can't protect anyone!! Not even yourself! Die!!" Liquid's triumphant declaration resounded.
Snake and Liquid would continue their fight against one another, unaware of the true faith of Frank Jaeger, the man known as Grey Fox. For he would live on; in a different world, in a different time.
Authors note: The version of Frank Jaeger used in this story is based off of The Twin Snakes version.