Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Tragic Heroes ❯ Swordplay ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Grey Fox 
To rescue Snake, Hikaru must defeat another one of New Way's top leiutenants: Wolframite.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.14.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 306 | Status: Completed
To rescue Snake, Hikaru must defeat another one of New Way's top leiutenants: Wolframite.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.14.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 306 | Status: Completed
Tragic Heroes
a Magic Knight Rayearth/Metal Gear crossover
Chapter 14: Swordplay
3-14-2004
by Grey Fox
Disclaimer: Solid Snake and Metal Gear are the creation of the gaming genius Hideo Kojima and the property of Konami. Hikaru Shidou and Magic Knight Rayearth are the creation and property of the talented ladies of CLAMP studios.
*****
Snake had no idea how much time had passed while he was trapped in the darkness. An hour, maybe two, who knew? All he really knew was that he was hopelessly trapped in this damn metal harness, and one of New Way's top lieutenants was here making sure it stayed that way. He still couldn't see this 'Wolframite', however, as he seemed unwilling to even come close to Snake. *Coward,* he thought accusingly.
Snake's only hope for escape lay in Hikaru's hands. But Hikaru probably didn't have any idea where to start looking for him. And she was still too new to the art of tactical espionage. Perhaps she had already been found out and....
*NO! Don't dwell on thoughts like that,* Snake mentally chided himself. *Besides, Hikaru's already proven herself to be a capable little girl. I'm sure she's fine.* But still, Snake didn't like being in the dark about where Hikaru was or how she was doing....
A sudden noise quickly snapped Snake to attention. It was a voice. Was it Wolframite's? No, it sounded so.... staticy. It had to me an incoming radio call. Snake listened again: "This is the Wayfarer. Repeat, this is the Wayfarer. Wolframite, come in. Wolframite!!" the staticy voice rang.
A small beep let Snake know Wolframite had responded to the Wayfarer's call. He still couldn't see him, for Wolframite still shrouded himself in the darkness, but he could easily hear everything he and his boss were saying. "Wolframite here," he said calmly. "What's wrong?"
"We don't know how, but this Hikaru girl managed to infiltrate the underground portion of our base. She's killed three of our men, incapacitated over a dozen others, and...." Wayfarer paused, as if he couldn't believe what he had been about to say.
"Go on," said Wolframite, his voice still as calm as ever. "Hikaru has what?"
"She's found our makeshift TX-55 factory," finished the Wayfarer. After hearing this, Snake felt like he was going to have a heart attack. They were making MORE OF THE OLD METAL GEARS?!!
"Not only that," continued the Wayfarer, "but she's completely leveled it and destroyed all the Metal Gears we manufactured there. She's unleashed a level of power we didn't even know she had. Eyewitnesses say she fell into the blast furnaces and sucked all the energy out of it, then used that power to raze the factory to the ground."
*She WHAT?!!* Snake couldn't believe what he was hearing. How had Hikaru managed to harness all that energy?! *At least she destroyed the Metal Gears. One less thing to worry about.*
"Wolframite, we've underestimated her for too long. She must be stopped," the Wayfarer went on, sounding more than a littled worried. "She was last seen somewhere near Snake's cell; no doubt she's trying to free her partner. She'll be coming for you, so you must confront her and stop her for good."
"Not to worry," said Wolframite sternly. "I have a trick up my sleeve. Her magic will do her no good in this room. I'll beat her at her own game."
"See to it, my friend. Wayfarer out," he replied, then the radio went dead.
Snake just listened and, perhaps for the first time in his life, felt completely helpless. Hikaru was indeed coming for him, but this Wolframite had some sort of trap ready for her, and there was nothing he could do to help her. Snake briefly wondered if this is what Hikaru felt when she had been the Geneticist's prisoner, knowing her friend was coming but also knew a trap had been set. And now, through a twist of fate, their roles had been reversed. It would have almost been funny if the situation was not so dire. *This is just wonderful. I'm trapped in this harness and freezing my ass off, Hikaru's charging right into God knows what and I can't do a damned thing to help her, and on top of all that, my nose itches.*
********
Without warning, three guards, armed with M-16 and hungry for blood, stormed into the wreck room that was at the next-to-lowest level of the base. They were frantically searching for an intruder who had been sighted in the area - and that intruder was one Hikaru Shidou. Unfortunately for them, she was nowhere in sight.
"Damnit, she had to have come in here!" spat one of the guards in a furious rage. "There's nowhere else for her to hide!"
"Chill the hell out, man," said a second guard. "We've got guards sweeping this whole level. We'll find the brat sooner or later."
"Hopefully sooner," the last guard cut in, this one a Latino woman. "That little girl is a walking pile of napalm."
The trio of New Way soldiers turned to leave, but the one who had openly voiced his frustration suddenly turned around and faced the oppostie side of the room. A long row of lockers was located there. Some of them were not being used by anyone, making them a perfect hiding place for....
Without warning, he opened fire with his rifle and wildly sprayed bullets into all the lockers and didn't stop until the entire clip was emptied. For a moment he just stood there, watching the lockers for any signs of life from within. His two comrades just stared stared at him. "Ummm, Danny, people here actually use those lockers, you know," the Latino woman chided.
He just continued to stare at the lockers, but there was still no hint of anyone hiding in them. "But.... I just thought...." he stuttered, but eventually threw his arms up in solemn defeat. "Ah hell with it. She ain't here, let's go."
And so the three guards left to continue their search for Hikaru, convinced that she wasn't hiding in their wreck room. Too bad they hadn't thought of looking ABOVE them....
Hikaru looked down from her hiding spot and watched them leave, her arms and legs outstrected against the metal support beams, propping her up against the ceiling. *Good thing I decided NOT to use the lockers this time,* she thought darkly as she dropped down from her perch on the ceiling. She went over to the exit and after carefully listening for any signs of troops sweeping the hallways, took out the level 6 security card she swiped moments before, slid it through the lock and quickly ran out.
*I've got to be getting closer,* she thought to herself. She had overheard a lot of the guards saying Snake was being held around here somewhere, guarded by someone called Wolframite. *Wolframite? Sounds like a Sailor Moon villain. Well, I'll find him and beat him!* But then she remembered her unfortunate encounter with the Geneticist, and how she had accidently caused her death. She was fearful about the possibility of causing yet another needless death, but she pressed on anyway. Snake had put his life on the line to rescue her, and now it was time to return the favor.
Relieved that she didn't hear the heavy footfalls of guards anywhere around her, she quickly ran ahead, looking for any more doors she had overlooked earlier. Hikaru could somehow sense she was getting closer to her goal. Then she saw it; a big metal door with a number 6 on it, and she knew she hadn't been in this room get because she had only gotten her level 6 card a few minutes ago, right before the guards found her out and started pursuing her. She hastily took out the card and slid it through the lock. The door slowly slid open, and Hikaru waited a few seconds before entering. Satisfied that there wasn't a small army ready to ambush her, she ran through the doorway.
Judging from the echoes of her footsteps, the room she had just entered fairly large and wide open. It was also almost completely pitch black, so she couldn't really tell. But all of a sudden, some overhead lights came on, illuminating the room a bit. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see that it was one big square room, and at the far left corner was....
"SNAKE-CHAN!!" Hikaru cried out upon finally seeing her friend. There he was at the far side of the room, unconscious, locked up in some sort of metal harness that bound his arms and legs. "Snake-chan!" she cried again. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!" But before she could even get halfway toward him....
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," came a voice with a strange accent from behind her. She whirled around and saw a man standing beside a wall. Hikaru looked closer, and was able to make out just what he looked like. He was quite tall and was wearing a camouflage uniform similar to those worn by the rest of the soldiers on the base. He had wavy, frizzled grey-white hair, a grey moustache and beard, and an eyepatch covering his left eye. Lastly, she saw something was strapped to his back, but in the dim lighting, she couldn't tell what it was. "I've been waiting for you," he said to her.
"And who are you?" demanded Hikaru, even though she already had a good idea what his answer would be.
"My name is Wolframite," he calmly replied. "I must say, you've surprised all of us. Without Solid Snake to aid you, none of us expected you to be able to infiltrate our underground hideout. And your power.... the power you used to level our factory, that far surprassed what Trudy estimated you were capable of. But I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to go any further."
"How do you plan to stop me?!" Hikaru shot back threateningly. "I could incinerate you before than you can say 'Metal Gear'!" Of course, she didn't really WANT to incinerate anyone, but she hoped that she could scare this Wolframite into backing down.
Wolframite, however, saw through her spiel and shook his head, saying "You don't fool me. I can see it in your eyes; you want to avoid killing if you can. But even if that weren't so, you wouldn't be able to anyway." Then he turned to some sort of small control terminal on the wall and flipped a switch. A mechanical clanking sound and electronic humming from above made Hikaru look up. Several air vents on the ceiling began spewing transparent pink gas into the room. This was the same gas that Trudy Nolan had flooded her cell with to keep her from escaping. "You can easily dispose of me, true, but now, as you can see, you'd take yourself and Solid Snake in the process."
Hikaru's spirits sank; her one major advantage had now been taken away. But she wasn't about to give up. "Magic or no magic, I'll still beat you and free Snake!!" she shouted defiantly.
"I had no doubt you would try. That is why I was chosen to confront you," Wolframite replied. Then he reached behind him with his right hand, and Hikaru heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. "We will settle this the way both of our ancestors did in our homelands: blade to blade," he said, pointing his long broadsword at her, as if challenging her to take him on. Hikaru just stare at the sword for a moment. It glistened in the low lighting of the room with a silvery-white splendor. But what really caught her attention was what she 'sensed' from the metal in the sword. It was the exact same feeling as when she 'sensed'....
"That's the same stuff Piranha's suit was made of!" she blurted out in astonishment. Now this man was wielding a sword with the same super-strong metal?
"Indeed it is," replied Wolframite with a smirk. "It is a special alloy of my own making, comprised primarily of tungsten. It is my most spectacular invention and like my signature - which is why I call myself 'Wolframite'. Before I joined New Way, I was a renowned metallurgist, and as you can see, my skills with metal has been a great asset to my comrades." He then made several broad slashing movements through the air, each swipe impossibly fluid and graceful, each move blending seamlessly into the next. "And I was also a champion of fencing and swordplay," he continued. "No one in Germany could ever defeat me. And neither will you."
"We'll see about that!" Hikaru spat angrily, drawing her own sword from her glove ornament. She assumed the traditional kendo stance and mentally readied herself for the intense battle ahead. "But listen up: this sword was made only for me. If you touch it, it'll burst into flames, and you'll end up killing us all," she informed him.
"Very well. Seeing everything you've been capable of already, I have no reason to doubt you," said Wolframite, looking not at all surprised by the bizarreness of her statement. "And now, we battle!" he then shouted, and suddenly dashed toward Hikaru and reared back his arm, preparing to bring his sword down onto Hikaru.
But Hikaru was not one to be taken so easily unawares. She brought up her sword to block his blow. At first, she feared that their swords clashing against each other would create a spark that would set off the gas, but apparently the contact of Escudo and Wolframite's alloy did not create one.
Seeing that the gas wouldn't be set off by their dueling, she pushed forward with her sword and shoved Wolframite back slightly. Then she sprinted forward and came at him with an upward swing of her sword. But Wolframite proved to be as speedy and vigilant as she was, and quickly moved his sword to deflect the blow. Hikaru then did a 360 spin and attempted to attack Wolframite's other side. But again, Wolframite proved to be just as fast as her, and once again blocked her attack.
"Extraordinary!" exclaimed Wolframite gleefully as their swords were locked together. "Never before have I faced a foe that displayed such skill and vigilance! This will be most interesting!"
Now Wolframite shoved Hikaru backward and immediately came at her again. With both hands gripping his broadsword, he swung it horizontally with a wide arc as he closed in one her. Hikaru pushed off from the ground and dashed to the side, successfully avoiding Wolframite's swordswipe. She turned back to face him, hoping to catch him in a vulnerable position after his failed attack, but again, he was just too fast. By the time Hikaru had turned to face him, he had already recovered and was advancing on her again. He began to repeatedly attack her with an air of maniacal viciousness, but Hikaru managed to parry every swipe, thrust and swing. However, the sheer savageness of Wolframite's assault prevented Hikaru from striking back at him. *He's putting me on the defensive! I've got to find a way to get at him!* she thought panickingly.
"Come now!" he taunted her as he continued his relentless assault. "You displayed such potential moments before! Don't disappoint me now!" His taunting helped to snap Hikaru out of her worried state and find a way to strike back at him. Just as he was about to try one of his downward slices, Hikaru charged into him as his sword was raised upwards. She struck him with enough to knock him down. Seeing the opportunity to end the fight right then and there, Hikaru raised her sword over her head to bring it crashing down onto Wolframite, but he managed to roll out of the way in time. "Now THAT'S more like it!" he gleefully jeered.
Now he was beginning to get on Hikaru's nerves. He came at her again with a downward slice, but Hikaru parried and then tried to come at him from the side, but he avoided her blow as well. Hikaru realized that Wolframite was correct; he was indeed her equal at swordsmanship in every way. He was just as tough as Lafarga! No, this battle was even worse. Unlike that battle, her enemy wasn't under a mind-control spell and free to think for himself. Even worse, this time she didn't even have THE OPTION of using her magic! *But I can't give up,* she thought resolutely. *I WON'T GIVE UP!*
Deciding that she needed to go on the offensive, she charged forward and swung her sword as hard as she could. This time, Wolframite barely managed to block her attack. The deafening clang from their swords colliding echoed throughout the room that served as their arena, and for a moment, their swords were locked together. Despite the choking mist and oppressive darkness, Hikaru was able to get a good look at his face and saw the bloodlust, the wicked gleam in his only eye. She realized then that the only way Wolframite would stop was if either she was felled, or if he was. And either way, she would end up not liking it.
While the two of them were still locked in that stance, Wolframite reared his leg back and brought his knee right up into Hikaru's midsection, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her back. Wolframite saw his opportunity, and swung his sword at the staggered Hikaru. Hikaru was able to bring up her sword to block it, but the force of his blow knocked it out of her hand and sent it flying halfway across the room.
"It appears that our duel will end a bit prematurely," Wolframite said to the now-disarmed Hikaru. "Truly a shame, but I have been charged with stopping you for good, so...." With that, he bolted twoard Hikaru, preparing for another broad slash. But Hikaru wasn't about to roll over and die. Kendo was not just about physical prowess, but also about mental and spiritual valorousness. She refused to give in to despair, to overwhelming odds. Especially now, since she had a goal to strive for: rescuing Solid Snake!
She backflipped out of the way before Wolframite could reach her. Upon landing, she pushed off from the ground and rushed forward with everything she had. She charged forward shoulder-first, and before Wolframite had any idea what what going on, Hikaru rammed into him with enough force to momentarily knock him silly. Now that Wolframite was down for the moment, she quickly ran to recover her sword. It didn't take long for Wolframite to recover. But once he had, he was greeted with the unsettling sight of Hikaru bolting toward him at top speed, sword at the ready, and with a face that would give even Big Boss pause.
*He's too dangerous an enemy to take lightly,* she thought to herself as she advanced on Wolframite. *I can't afford to hold back. I've got to come at him with everything I've got!*
And that's exactly what she did. Using Newton's third law of physics to the fullest, she pushed off from the ground and came right at Wolframite and thrust her sword. Wolframite parried her thrust, but then she repeated her tactic of pushing off from the ground and attacked him again, this time with another downward slice. Wolframite parried this blow too, but Hikaru was far from finished. She repeatedly attacked in this manner again and again, putting Wolframite on the defensive and continuously forcing him back. What's more, she attacked with such speed and ferocity, Wolframite wasn't even able to think quick enough to keep up with her, and started to panic. And Hikaru saw it; his movements were no longer fluid and harmonious like before, and it was obvious he was losing his focus.
Eventually, Hikaru came at Wolframite with a upward attack so fierce that when he blocked it, the force of her blow knocked him backward, flailing. For only a split-second, he was wide open to attack. But that split-second was all she needed. Acting purely on instinct, she thrust her sword forward and it ran right through Wolframite's abdomen and came out the other side.
Blood spewed out everywhere. Blood gushed out from Wolframite's mortal wound and got all over Hikaru's hand and arm, and spattered all over her armor plate. Not to mention, blood was splattered on the wall directly behind Wolframite. Hikaru pulled her sword out of Wolframite, spilling even more blood onto the floor. She looked at her sword - completely stained red with smeared blood. She immediately recalled it, as if to banish the dreadful sight from her mind. But there was still the blood on her hand....
She continued to stare at her hand stupidly, horrified by what she had done. All her previous kills, both in Cephiro and at the Sierra Outpost, had been relatively bloodless affairs. And until her arrival at the Sierra Outpost, she had never truly had to come face-to-face with the consequences of her lethal acts. She looked up from her blood-stained hand and at the dying Wolframite. He had staggered backward and now slumped up against the wall, blood still oozing out of his gaping wound. She continued to stare at the dying man, unable to cope with the gravity of what she had just done.
Words began to form on her lips. "W-Why....?" she asked in a meek voice. "W-why did you have to fight? Why did you join New Way?" Silently she added, *Why did you have to fight me and force me to kill you?* Wolframite opened his mouth to speak, but violently coughed up blood instead.
After a few moments, he finally said something. "You.... you are too young.... You couldn't understand." Hikaru just stood there, unable to think of anything to say. But Wolframite broke the silence and spoke up again. "The shame.... the guilt I felt.... ever since that day forty years ago," he said weakly through choked gasps. Hikaru had no idea what he was talking about, but then he continued. "Forty years ago, my father was arrested. It was then I discovered he had been a Nazi, part of Hitler's inner circle.... was a wanted war criminal. I was only five years old when they came for my father. I've lived with the shame of knowing I was the son of a such a scoundrel ever since. And others.... they always reminded me. My eye was put out by an embittered Jew who had suffered at the hands of my father...."
"That's why the Wayfarer sought me out two years ago, offered me a chance to be in his revolution. He knew I wished to stop atrocities like the ones done at the hands of the Nazis and my father from ever happening again.... he knew I looked upon the state of the world today with nothing but disgust. I willingly joined him and took up his cause...."
Hikaru just listened, heartbroken after hearing about Wolframite's sorrowful life - a life she had been forced to end. "Do not weep for me," he told her, seeing the tears well up in her eyes. "This is the path I chose for myself. I feel as if I can rest peacefully, knowing I died in the service of others who shared my vision." After saying that last bit, his good eye closed for the last time, and he didn't speak again.
Hikaru continued to stare at his lifeless body, the mortal wound she had inflicted still clearly visible. She looked at her hand again; by now, the blood had almost completely dried. She clenched her fist and called upon her heat powers, burning away the blood on her hand. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't burn the memory of her blood-stained hand out of her mind....
Slowly and timorously, she turned away from Wolframite's dead body and walked over to the control panel. She flipped the switch, and the volatile pink gas was sucked out of the room. Then she walked over to the harness holding Snake prisoner. He was completely unconscious, but was still breathing, and... Geez, was he naked? She reached out and touched Snake's face, patting it lightly. "Snake-chan, Snake-chan," she said over and over, trying to wake him up.
Eventually, Snake opened his eyes. As his eyes came into focus, he saw Hikaru standing there in front of her. "H-Hikaru...." he muttered. "You... made it."
"Of course I did!" replied Hikaru, actually managing a smile. "Like you said, I'd do the same for you. Hold on, I'll get you out of there." Hikaru concentrated, using her power to probe inside of the harness and find the locking mechanisms. Just as she had done with the Geneticist's holding cell, she triggered the locks to release, freeing Snake from the harness.
Snake unceremoniously slumped to the floor, worn out from having been confined in the harness for so long. Still weary and dazed, he stood up and saw Hikaru staring at him with an incredulous look. At first, he had no idea why she was staring at him like that. Then he looked down. Obviously, when the terrorists had stripped him of everything, they had stripped him of EVERYTHING, even....
"GAAHH!!" Snake yelled indignantly, covering himself up. "Damnit, find my stuff!" Snake's embarrassed outburst snapped Hikaru out of her momentary stupor, and desperately looked around for Snake's clothes.
"Ummm, here they are," she said, quickly snatching them up and handing them to Snake, trying not to look.... down below. Snake hastily dressed himself and checked all his weapons; all his spare ammunition was still there, and his guns were in perfect working order.
"Thanks," said Snake, giving Hikaru a quick pat on the back. "By the way, I was being guarded by some guy called Wolframite. Where is he?" Hikaru's spirits, which had risen a bit after freeing her friend, immediately sank at the mention of Wolframite. She didn't reply, only pointed over to the lifeless body that was sprawled out across the room. "Oh no, you.... you didn't...." Snake stammered. It was one thing for him to always have to assume the role of the warrior and take the lives of others, but for Hikaru, who was still so young and naive....
Again, Hikaru didn't say anything. She just threw herself at Snake and threw her arms around him. Her head pressed into his armored chest plate and she finally let the tears flow. She continued to sob uncontrollably as she held onto Snake, and Snake wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her.
*****
And once again, I lag behind in getting out a new chapter. Well, hopefully my female readers won't be as angry since I stuck in that little bit of fanservice near the end.
So long,
Grey Fox
a Magic Knight Rayearth/Metal Gear crossover
Chapter 14: Swordplay
3-14-2004
by Grey Fox
Disclaimer: Solid Snake and Metal Gear are the creation of the gaming genius Hideo Kojima and the property of Konami. Hikaru Shidou and Magic Knight Rayearth are the creation and property of the talented ladies of CLAMP studios.
*****
Snake had no idea how much time had passed while he was trapped in the darkness. An hour, maybe two, who knew? All he really knew was that he was hopelessly trapped in this damn metal harness, and one of New Way's top lieutenants was here making sure it stayed that way. He still couldn't see this 'Wolframite', however, as he seemed unwilling to even come close to Snake. *Coward,* he thought accusingly.
Snake's only hope for escape lay in Hikaru's hands. But Hikaru probably didn't have any idea where to start looking for him. And she was still too new to the art of tactical espionage. Perhaps she had already been found out and....
*NO! Don't dwell on thoughts like that,* Snake mentally chided himself. *Besides, Hikaru's already proven herself to be a capable little girl. I'm sure she's fine.* But still, Snake didn't like being in the dark about where Hikaru was or how she was doing....
A sudden noise quickly snapped Snake to attention. It was a voice. Was it Wolframite's? No, it sounded so.... staticy. It had to me an incoming radio call. Snake listened again: "This is the Wayfarer. Repeat, this is the Wayfarer. Wolframite, come in. Wolframite!!" the staticy voice rang.
A small beep let Snake know Wolframite had responded to the Wayfarer's call. He still couldn't see him, for Wolframite still shrouded himself in the darkness, but he could easily hear everything he and his boss were saying. "Wolframite here," he said calmly. "What's wrong?"
"We don't know how, but this Hikaru girl managed to infiltrate the underground portion of our base. She's killed three of our men, incapacitated over a dozen others, and...." Wayfarer paused, as if he couldn't believe what he had been about to say.
"Go on," said Wolframite, his voice still as calm as ever. "Hikaru has what?"
"She's found our makeshift TX-55 factory," finished the Wayfarer. After hearing this, Snake felt like he was going to have a heart attack. They were making MORE OF THE OLD METAL GEARS?!!
"Not only that," continued the Wayfarer, "but she's completely leveled it and destroyed all the Metal Gears we manufactured there. She's unleashed a level of power we didn't even know she had. Eyewitnesses say she fell into the blast furnaces and sucked all the energy out of it, then used that power to raze the factory to the ground."
*She WHAT?!!* Snake couldn't believe what he was hearing. How had Hikaru managed to harness all that energy?! *At least she destroyed the Metal Gears. One less thing to worry about.*
"Wolframite, we've underestimated her for too long. She must be stopped," the Wayfarer went on, sounding more than a littled worried. "She was last seen somewhere near Snake's cell; no doubt she's trying to free her partner. She'll be coming for you, so you must confront her and stop her for good."
"Not to worry," said Wolframite sternly. "I have a trick up my sleeve. Her magic will do her no good in this room. I'll beat her at her own game."
"See to it, my friend. Wayfarer out," he replied, then the radio went dead.
Snake just listened and, perhaps for the first time in his life, felt completely helpless. Hikaru was indeed coming for him, but this Wolframite had some sort of trap ready for her, and there was nothing he could do to help her. Snake briefly wondered if this is what Hikaru felt when she had been the Geneticist's prisoner, knowing her friend was coming but also knew a trap had been set. And now, through a twist of fate, their roles had been reversed. It would have almost been funny if the situation was not so dire. *This is just wonderful. I'm trapped in this harness and freezing my ass off, Hikaru's charging right into God knows what and I can't do a damned thing to help her, and on top of all that, my nose itches.*
********
Without warning, three guards, armed with M-16 and hungry for blood, stormed into the wreck room that was at the next-to-lowest level of the base. They were frantically searching for an intruder who had been sighted in the area - and that intruder was one Hikaru Shidou. Unfortunately for them, she was nowhere in sight.
"Damnit, she had to have come in here!" spat one of the guards in a furious rage. "There's nowhere else for her to hide!"
"Chill the hell out, man," said a second guard. "We've got guards sweeping this whole level. We'll find the brat sooner or later."
"Hopefully sooner," the last guard cut in, this one a Latino woman. "That little girl is a walking pile of napalm."
The trio of New Way soldiers turned to leave, but the one who had openly voiced his frustration suddenly turned around and faced the oppostie side of the room. A long row of lockers was located there. Some of them were not being used by anyone, making them a perfect hiding place for....
Without warning, he opened fire with his rifle and wildly sprayed bullets into all the lockers and didn't stop until the entire clip was emptied. For a moment he just stood there, watching the lockers for any signs of life from within. His two comrades just stared stared at him. "Ummm, Danny, people here actually use those lockers, you know," the Latino woman chided.
He just continued to stare at the lockers, but there was still no hint of anyone hiding in them. "But.... I just thought...." he stuttered, but eventually threw his arms up in solemn defeat. "Ah hell with it. She ain't here, let's go."
And so the three guards left to continue their search for Hikaru, convinced that she wasn't hiding in their wreck room. Too bad they hadn't thought of looking ABOVE them....
Hikaru looked down from her hiding spot and watched them leave, her arms and legs outstrected against the metal support beams, propping her up against the ceiling. *Good thing I decided NOT to use the lockers this time,* she thought darkly as she dropped down from her perch on the ceiling. She went over to the exit and after carefully listening for any signs of troops sweeping the hallways, took out the level 6 security card she swiped moments before, slid it through the lock and quickly ran out.
*I've got to be getting closer,* she thought to herself. She had overheard a lot of the guards saying Snake was being held around here somewhere, guarded by someone called Wolframite. *Wolframite? Sounds like a Sailor Moon villain. Well, I'll find him and beat him!* But then she remembered her unfortunate encounter with the Geneticist, and how she had accidently caused her death. She was fearful about the possibility of causing yet another needless death, but she pressed on anyway. Snake had put his life on the line to rescue her, and now it was time to return the favor.
Relieved that she didn't hear the heavy footfalls of guards anywhere around her, she quickly ran ahead, looking for any more doors she had overlooked earlier. Hikaru could somehow sense she was getting closer to her goal. Then she saw it; a big metal door with a number 6 on it, and she knew she hadn't been in this room get because she had only gotten her level 6 card a few minutes ago, right before the guards found her out and started pursuing her. She hastily took out the card and slid it through the lock. The door slowly slid open, and Hikaru waited a few seconds before entering. Satisfied that there wasn't a small army ready to ambush her, she ran through the doorway.
Judging from the echoes of her footsteps, the room she had just entered fairly large and wide open. It was also almost completely pitch black, so she couldn't really tell. But all of a sudden, some overhead lights came on, illuminating the room a bit. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see that it was one big square room, and at the far left corner was....
"SNAKE-CHAN!!" Hikaru cried out upon finally seeing her friend. There he was at the far side of the room, unconscious, locked up in some sort of metal harness that bound his arms and legs. "Snake-chan!" she cried again. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!" But before she could even get halfway toward him....
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that," came a voice with a strange accent from behind her. She whirled around and saw a man standing beside a wall. Hikaru looked closer, and was able to make out just what he looked like. He was quite tall and was wearing a camouflage uniform similar to those worn by the rest of the soldiers on the base. He had wavy, frizzled grey-white hair, a grey moustache and beard, and an eyepatch covering his left eye. Lastly, she saw something was strapped to his back, but in the dim lighting, she couldn't tell what it was. "I've been waiting for you," he said to her.
"And who are you?" demanded Hikaru, even though she already had a good idea what his answer would be.
"My name is Wolframite," he calmly replied. "I must say, you've surprised all of us. Without Solid Snake to aid you, none of us expected you to be able to infiltrate our underground hideout. And your power.... the power you used to level our factory, that far surprassed what Trudy estimated you were capable of. But I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to go any further."
"How do you plan to stop me?!" Hikaru shot back threateningly. "I could incinerate you before than you can say 'Metal Gear'!" Of course, she didn't really WANT to incinerate anyone, but she hoped that she could scare this Wolframite into backing down.
Wolframite, however, saw through her spiel and shook his head, saying "You don't fool me. I can see it in your eyes; you want to avoid killing if you can. But even if that weren't so, you wouldn't be able to anyway." Then he turned to some sort of small control terminal on the wall and flipped a switch. A mechanical clanking sound and electronic humming from above made Hikaru look up. Several air vents on the ceiling began spewing transparent pink gas into the room. This was the same gas that Trudy Nolan had flooded her cell with to keep her from escaping. "You can easily dispose of me, true, but now, as you can see, you'd take yourself and Solid Snake in the process."
Hikaru's spirits sank; her one major advantage had now been taken away. But she wasn't about to give up. "Magic or no magic, I'll still beat you and free Snake!!" she shouted defiantly.
"I had no doubt you would try. That is why I was chosen to confront you," Wolframite replied. Then he reached behind him with his right hand, and Hikaru heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. "We will settle this the way both of our ancestors did in our homelands: blade to blade," he said, pointing his long broadsword at her, as if challenging her to take him on. Hikaru just stare at the sword for a moment. It glistened in the low lighting of the room with a silvery-white splendor. But what really caught her attention was what she 'sensed' from the metal in the sword. It was the exact same feeling as when she 'sensed'....
"That's the same stuff Piranha's suit was made of!" she blurted out in astonishment. Now this man was wielding a sword with the same super-strong metal?
"Indeed it is," replied Wolframite with a smirk. "It is a special alloy of my own making, comprised primarily of tungsten. It is my most spectacular invention and like my signature - which is why I call myself 'Wolframite'. Before I joined New Way, I was a renowned metallurgist, and as you can see, my skills with metal has been a great asset to my comrades." He then made several broad slashing movements through the air, each swipe impossibly fluid and graceful, each move blending seamlessly into the next. "And I was also a champion of fencing and swordplay," he continued. "No one in Germany could ever defeat me. And neither will you."
"We'll see about that!" Hikaru spat angrily, drawing her own sword from her glove ornament. She assumed the traditional kendo stance and mentally readied herself for the intense battle ahead. "But listen up: this sword was made only for me. If you touch it, it'll burst into flames, and you'll end up killing us all," she informed him.
"Very well. Seeing everything you've been capable of already, I have no reason to doubt you," said Wolframite, looking not at all surprised by the bizarreness of her statement. "And now, we battle!" he then shouted, and suddenly dashed toward Hikaru and reared back his arm, preparing to bring his sword down onto Hikaru.
But Hikaru was not one to be taken so easily unawares. She brought up her sword to block his blow. At first, she feared that their swords clashing against each other would create a spark that would set off the gas, but apparently the contact of Escudo and Wolframite's alloy did not create one.
Seeing that the gas wouldn't be set off by their dueling, she pushed forward with her sword and shoved Wolframite back slightly. Then she sprinted forward and came at him with an upward swing of her sword. But Wolframite proved to be as speedy and vigilant as she was, and quickly moved his sword to deflect the blow. Hikaru then did a 360 spin and attempted to attack Wolframite's other side. But again, Wolframite proved to be just as fast as her, and once again blocked her attack.
"Extraordinary!" exclaimed Wolframite gleefully as their swords were locked together. "Never before have I faced a foe that displayed such skill and vigilance! This will be most interesting!"
Now Wolframite shoved Hikaru backward and immediately came at her again. With both hands gripping his broadsword, he swung it horizontally with a wide arc as he closed in one her. Hikaru pushed off from the ground and dashed to the side, successfully avoiding Wolframite's swordswipe. She turned back to face him, hoping to catch him in a vulnerable position after his failed attack, but again, he was just too fast. By the time Hikaru had turned to face him, he had already recovered and was advancing on her again. He began to repeatedly attack her with an air of maniacal viciousness, but Hikaru managed to parry every swipe, thrust and swing. However, the sheer savageness of Wolframite's assault prevented Hikaru from striking back at him. *He's putting me on the defensive! I've got to find a way to get at him!* she thought panickingly.
"Come now!" he taunted her as he continued his relentless assault. "You displayed such potential moments before! Don't disappoint me now!" His taunting helped to snap Hikaru out of her worried state and find a way to strike back at him. Just as he was about to try one of his downward slices, Hikaru charged into him as his sword was raised upwards. She struck him with enough to knock him down. Seeing the opportunity to end the fight right then and there, Hikaru raised her sword over her head to bring it crashing down onto Wolframite, but he managed to roll out of the way in time. "Now THAT'S more like it!" he gleefully jeered.
Now he was beginning to get on Hikaru's nerves. He came at her again with a downward slice, but Hikaru parried and then tried to come at him from the side, but he avoided her blow as well. Hikaru realized that Wolframite was correct; he was indeed her equal at swordsmanship in every way. He was just as tough as Lafarga! No, this battle was even worse. Unlike that battle, her enemy wasn't under a mind-control spell and free to think for himself. Even worse, this time she didn't even have THE OPTION of using her magic! *But I can't give up,* she thought resolutely. *I WON'T GIVE UP!*
Deciding that she needed to go on the offensive, she charged forward and swung her sword as hard as she could. This time, Wolframite barely managed to block her attack. The deafening clang from their swords colliding echoed throughout the room that served as their arena, and for a moment, their swords were locked together. Despite the choking mist and oppressive darkness, Hikaru was able to get a good look at his face and saw the bloodlust, the wicked gleam in his only eye. She realized then that the only way Wolframite would stop was if either she was felled, or if he was. And either way, she would end up not liking it.
While the two of them were still locked in that stance, Wolframite reared his leg back and brought his knee right up into Hikaru's midsection, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her back. Wolframite saw his opportunity, and swung his sword at the staggered Hikaru. Hikaru was able to bring up her sword to block it, but the force of his blow knocked it out of her hand and sent it flying halfway across the room.
"It appears that our duel will end a bit prematurely," Wolframite said to the now-disarmed Hikaru. "Truly a shame, but I have been charged with stopping you for good, so...." With that, he bolted twoard Hikaru, preparing for another broad slash. But Hikaru wasn't about to roll over and die. Kendo was not just about physical prowess, but also about mental and spiritual valorousness. She refused to give in to despair, to overwhelming odds. Especially now, since she had a goal to strive for: rescuing Solid Snake!
She backflipped out of the way before Wolframite could reach her. Upon landing, she pushed off from the ground and rushed forward with everything she had. She charged forward shoulder-first, and before Wolframite had any idea what what going on, Hikaru rammed into him with enough force to momentarily knock him silly. Now that Wolframite was down for the moment, she quickly ran to recover her sword. It didn't take long for Wolframite to recover. But once he had, he was greeted with the unsettling sight of Hikaru bolting toward him at top speed, sword at the ready, and with a face that would give even Big Boss pause.
*He's too dangerous an enemy to take lightly,* she thought to herself as she advanced on Wolframite. *I can't afford to hold back. I've got to come at him with everything I've got!*
And that's exactly what she did. Using Newton's third law of physics to the fullest, she pushed off from the ground and came right at Wolframite and thrust her sword. Wolframite parried her thrust, but then she repeated her tactic of pushing off from the ground and attacked him again, this time with another downward slice. Wolframite parried this blow too, but Hikaru was far from finished. She repeatedly attacked in this manner again and again, putting Wolframite on the defensive and continuously forcing him back. What's more, she attacked with such speed and ferocity, Wolframite wasn't even able to think quick enough to keep up with her, and started to panic. And Hikaru saw it; his movements were no longer fluid and harmonious like before, and it was obvious he was losing his focus.
Eventually, Hikaru came at Wolframite with a upward attack so fierce that when he blocked it, the force of her blow knocked him backward, flailing. For only a split-second, he was wide open to attack. But that split-second was all she needed. Acting purely on instinct, she thrust her sword forward and it ran right through Wolframite's abdomen and came out the other side.
Blood spewed out everywhere. Blood gushed out from Wolframite's mortal wound and got all over Hikaru's hand and arm, and spattered all over her armor plate. Not to mention, blood was splattered on the wall directly behind Wolframite. Hikaru pulled her sword out of Wolframite, spilling even more blood onto the floor. She looked at her sword - completely stained red with smeared blood. She immediately recalled it, as if to banish the dreadful sight from her mind. But there was still the blood on her hand....
She continued to stare at her hand stupidly, horrified by what she had done. All her previous kills, both in Cephiro and at the Sierra Outpost, had been relatively bloodless affairs. And until her arrival at the Sierra Outpost, she had never truly had to come face-to-face with the consequences of her lethal acts. She looked up from her blood-stained hand and at the dying Wolframite. He had staggered backward and now slumped up against the wall, blood still oozing out of his gaping wound. She continued to stare at the dying man, unable to cope with the gravity of what she had just done.
Words began to form on her lips. "W-Why....?" she asked in a meek voice. "W-why did you have to fight? Why did you join New Way?" Silently she added, *Why did you have to fight me and force me to kill you?* Wolframite opened his mouth to speak, but violently coughed up blood instead.
After a few moments, he finally said something. "You.... you are too young.... You couldn't understand." Hikaru just stood there, unable to think of anything to say. But Wolframite broke the silence and spoke up again. "The shame.... the guilt I felt.... ever since that day forty years ago," he said weakly through choked gasps. Hikaru had no idea what he was talking about, but then he continued. "Forty years ago, my father was arrested. It was then I discovered he had been a Nazi, part of Hitler's inner circle.... was a wanted war criminal. I was only five years old when they came for my father. I've lived with the shame of knowing I was the son of a such a scoundrel ever since. And others.... they always reminded me. My eye was put out by an embittered Jew who had suffered at the hands of my father...."
"That's why the Wayfarer sought me out two years ago, offered me a chance to be in his revolution. He knew I wished to stop atrocities like the ones done at the hands of the Nazis and my father from ever happening again.... he knew I looked upon the state of the world today with nothing but disgust. I willingly joined him and took up his cause...."
Hikaru just listened, heartbroken after hearing about Wolframite's sorrowful life - a life she had been forced to end. "Do not weep for me," he told her, seeing the tears well up in her eyes. "This is the path I chose for myself. I feel as if I can rest peacefully, knowing I died in the service of others who shared my vision." After saying that last bit, his good eye closed for the last time, and he didn't speak again.
Hikaru continued to stare at his lifeless body, the mortal wound she had inflicted still clearly visible. She looked at her hand again; by now, the blood had almost completely dried. She clenched her fist and called upon her heat powers, burning away the blood on her hand. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't burn the memory of her blood-stained hand out of her mind....
Slowly and timorously, she turned away from Wolframite's dead body and walked over to the control panel. She flipped the switch, and the volatile pink gas was sucked out of the room. Then she walked over to the harness holding Snake prisoner. He was completely unconscious, but was still breathing, and... Geez, was he naked? She reached out and touched Snake's face, patting it lightly. "Snake-chan, Snake-chan," she said over and over, trying to wake him up.
Eventually, Snake opened his eyes. As his eyes came into focus, he saw Hikaru standing there in front of her. "H-Hikaru...." he muttered. "You... made it."
"Of course I did!" replied Hikaru, actually managing a smile. "Like you said, I'd do the same for you. Hold on, I'll get you out of there." Hikaru concentrated, using her power to probe inside of the harness and find the locking mechanisms. Just as she had done with the Geneticist's holding cell, she triggered the locks to release, freeing Snake from the harness.
Snake unceremoniously slumped to the floor, worn out from having been confined in the harness for so long. Still weary and dazed, he stood up and saw Hikaru staring at him with an incredulous look. At first, he had no idea why she was staring at him like that. Then he looked down. Obviously, when the terrorists had stripped him of everything, they had stripped him of EVERYTHING, even....
"GAAHH!!" Snake yelled indignantly, covering himself up. "Damnit, find my stuff!" Snake's embarrassed outburst snapped Hikaru out of her momentary stupor, and desperately looked around for Snake's clothes.
"Ummm, here they are," she said, quickly snatching them up and handing them to Snake, trying not to look.... down below. Snake hastily dressed himself and checked all his weapons; all his spare ammunition was still there, and his guns were in perfect working order.
"Thanks," said Snake, giving Hikaru a quick pat on the back. "By the way, I was being guarded by some guy called Wolframite. Where is he?" Hikaru's spirits, which had risen a bit after freeing her friend, immediately sank at the mention of Wolframite. She didn't reply, only pointed over to the lifeless body that was sprawled out across the room. "Oh no, you.... you didn't...." Snake stammered. It was one thing for him to always have to assume the role of the warrior and take the lives of others, but for Hikaru, who was still so young and naive....
Again, Hikaru didn't say anything. She just threw herself at Snake and threw her arms around him. Her head pressed into his armored chest plate and she finally let the tears flow. She continued to sob uncontrollably as she held onto Snake, and Snake wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her.
*****
And once again, I lag behind in getting out a new chapter. Well, hopefully my female readers won't be as angry since I stuck in that little bit of fanservice near the end.
So long,
Grey Fox