Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Tragic Heroes ❯ Infiltration ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Tragic Heroes
a Magic Knight Rayearth/Metal Gear crossover
Chapter 4: Infiltration
4-08-2003
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.

*****

Deep within the base, within the confines of the "Sierra Outpost", as the builders of the base had called it, there was a single room set apart from all the others. And from that room came the voices of the men and women now in charge of the base. And none of them sounded too pleasant.

"Are you sure it's him?" said a low, yet feminine, voice with a thick Portuguese accent. "There could have been some sort of mistake."

"No mistake," came another voice, this one a man's with a heavy Arabic accent. "He had been knocked down, but was still conscious. He heard his comrades refer to his assailant as "Mr. Legend" and "Snake". No doubt about it, it's him."

"Good thing that guard managed to report to us about this," muttered another voice, this one a man's with a German accent. "Guess we shouldn't be too surprised. Wherever there's a Metal Gear, that fool is sure to follow."

"But the question is, how does he know about this one?" asked a fourth voice - a woman's that had a British accent. "No one knows about this base, or has any idea what we're doing here for that matter."

"We'll have to worry about that later. His mere presence endangers everything," said the man with the Arabic accent. "But what concerns me also is this new mysterious girl the Legend seems to have befriended."

"Do you really think she's some sort of pyrokinetic, like the guard said?" asked the woman with the Portuguese accent.

"I have no reason to doubt him. I trained him myself, and I know he wouldn't make up such a tale," the Arabic-accented man replied.

"I have an idea," said the British-accented woman. "I could use one of my little, err, pet projects to test the abilities of this unknown entity. It could let us gauge her power..."

"See to it. But after we assess this woman's power, I want her and Snake confronted, and the threat they pose neutralized." There was a long pause. "My good friends, are you up to the task?"

"You betcha, boss," came a voice with an American accent, which sounded like it belonged to a black man.

"We'd be more than happy to," replied a second voice, this one identical to the first.

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Hikaru felt as if she and Snake had been running along the footpath for hours, although she knew in reality it had only been a few minutes. As they continued running, Hikaru picked up on other telltale signs that she was definitely not in Tokyo anymore. For one thing, it had been sunrise when she had woken up; now the sun was setting, and darkness was covering everything like a thick blanket. Just like the thick grey clouds that loomed overhead; back in Tokyo, it had been a clear and sunny morning. And now, a light drizzle was coming down from the sky, lightly soaking her hair and her jacket.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Snake stopped under a tree to shield them slightly from the rain. Hikaru followed suit, and Snake released the tight grasp he had on her arm. As Hikaru rubbed the area on her arm Snake had been holding, he spoke to her in a low, serious tone. "Okay, I think we're out of danger for now."

"That's good," said Hikaru. "Ummm, Snake wasn't it? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" answered Snake brusquely.

"Umm, exactly what day is it?"

Snake looked surprised, but still answered her. "Well, it's October..."

"No, that's not what I meant," interrupted Hikaru. "What I meant to ask was what YEAR."

This time the feeling of surprise was much more evident on Snake's face. "It's the year 2003," he answered her.

Now Hikaru's eyes were wide open with surprise. "Oh my God, she wasn't kidding," Hikaru muttered under her breath, turning away from Snake. "She really did send me to the future."

"'She'? You mean that old lady called Future," said Snake.

"Yeah, her," replied Hikaru in a shaky voice. "She sent me nine years into the future. She said I had to come and help you destroy this big robot called...."

"Metal Gear," Snake finished for her. "So, you're really travelled in time from nine years ago, huh?" asked Snake. Hikaru simply nodded. "I have to admit, when I first saw you, I couldn't believe a little girl was supposed to be the one fighting alongside me." Hikaru felt a small surge of indignation at being called a 'little girl' in such a manner. But before she could say anything, Snake spoke up again. "But with that power you used back there, well, I guess having someone with pyrokinesis around could be pretty handy."

"Pyrokinesis?" repeated Hikaru, wiping away some of the water on her face that had trickled down through the leaves of the tree. "Oh, you must mean my fire magic."

"Fire magic?" repeated Snake dubiously, obviously not ready to believe that what Hikaru had used to subdue to two guards was actually magic. "You mean you're somekind of sorceress, huh? How'd you get that power?"

"Well, it's a long story," said Hikaru.

"Right now, we're in no rush." Snake shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the tree, folding his arms. "So let's hear it. Hikaru, isn't it? What's your story?"

Hikaru decided to go ahead and satisfy Snake's curiousity, and gave him an abridged version of the events she and her two friends went through in Cephiro. The whole time, Snake stared at her as she told him her story, taking it all in. His face didn't betray any feelings or emotion; that is, until she got to the part about the final fight with Zagato and then Princess Emeraude, and how those killings caused her so much guilt and pain. That seemed to strike a chord in his heart.

"And that's about it," said Hikaru, having finished explaining to Snake how she had become the legendary Magic Knight of Fire. "I've been trying to deal with what I did after that, and now, I get summoned here with you."

"I have one thing to say about this: when Future told me what you went through was a lot like what I've been through, she wasn't kidding," said Snake, a genuinely sorrowful look etched on his face. He may have not been the most emotional man in the world, but he truly felt pity for Hikaru, especially since he indeed knew what she was going through.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hikaru curiously. "Why don't you tell me your story now?"

"THAT'S an even LONGER story, and it's not a good idea for us to stay in one spot for too long. We'd better get moving again." With that, Snake walked out from under the tree and into the rain, gesturing for Hikaru to follow him.

Hikaru did just that. But then, something occured to her. "Snake, are you sure we're heading the right way? I mean, to wherever this Metal Gear thing is?"

"Well, the guards we saw before were coming from opposite the direction we're heading, and since they were alerted by the sounds we made, I figured they were coming from whatever they were guarding," explained Snake. He knew his logic was kind of fuzzy - in reality, he had no idea where the hell he was going - so he decided to change the subject. "Listen up now. I'm going to tell you all about Metal Gear and how I've always been involved with that goddamn machine. It's important that you know exactly what you're up against." And so, as the two continued walking, Snake launched into his long life story, telling Hikaru about how he first faced the Metal Gear TX-55 in Outer Heaven, how he had to deal with the Metal Gear D and Big Boss in Zanzibar Land, and his return trip to Outer Heaven where he fought Black Chamber and the Metal Gear Gander.

Hikaru was even more unsuccessful than Snake when it came to hiding her shock. This had to be, without a doubt, the saddest story she had ever heard. This Solid Snake really was as troubled as her. What's more, the true gravity of what the future would hold for her and friends hit her like a large wooden mallet. Sure, she wasn't totally naive and blind to the world around her. She remembered the Persian Gulf War from a few years back, and there had been some troubles within her own government lately, but they were nothing compared to this. A weapon of terrible power born out of a nuclear arms race and war games run amok? The thought scared her half to death.

"So, that's basically it," said Snake, finishing his story. They had walked a considerably long distance, and now the sun had almost completely set, and darkness surrounded them. Thankfully, it was almost a full moon, so they still had some light. "And now, according to this Future lady, there's another one around her somewhere, and....."

"We're going to destroy it!" interrupted Hikaru, a look of determination on her face. "There's no way I'm going to let a weapon like that be used if I can help it!"

"Quiet," spat Snake vehemently. He didn't mean to be so gruff, so he quickly apologized. "Look kid, I admire your resolve, but you're gonna have to keep it down. We can't just...."

Snake's voice trailed off as he heard the voice of someone else calling out. "Hey! Who's there?!" came a loud shout, followed by the sweep of a flashlight.

"Aw crap. Hide!" muttered Snake under his breath. Grabbing hold of Hikaru, he ran over to an area with extremely tall grass and threw himself onto the ground and Hikaru along with him, letting the tall grass shield them from anyone else's view. "Now keep quiet, and wait for this guy to walk away," Snake ordered Hikaru in a whisper. Hikaru just nodded, afraid to make even the slightest noise. She just laid there and waited like she was told.

Eventually, Snake got up and softly said, "Okay, I think he's gone. Try not to make so much noise from now on, or else we might be discovered." Again, Hikaru just nodded in approval. "Wait here a minute," he told her, and walked out of the patch of tall grass, looking back along the path the guard had approached from. The path led into a densely forested area. Snake got an idea. Walking back over to the grass, he told Hikaru, "Okay, I've got an idea. I think we can tail that guy, and he'll lead us to whatever he's guarding."

"Do you think he'll lead us to Metal Gear?" Hikaru asked, getting up and brushing the bits of dirt and grass off her clothes.

"It's our best chance," replied Snake. "C'mon, let's go. Just follow my lead, and you'll be fine." Snake then took off into the forest, Hikaru following close behind. Snake and Hikaru were careful not to let the guard see them, oftentimes having to duck behind a corner to avoid being spotted when the guard turned around to make sure he wasn't being followed. For Snake, this brought back memories of tailing that guard with the green beret in the jungles of Zanzibar, and for Hikaru, it made her vaguely recall navigating the Forest of Silence.

After what seemed like ages, Snake peeked from behind the tree he was hiding behind to see the guard had finally reaching the exit of the forested area. Not only that, he could also see the dim outline of some sort of building. *At last, a place to possibly find some clues and get better weapons,* Snake thought to himself. Turning to Hikaru, he said, "Okay, there's some sort of building over there. Let's go for it, but try to keep silent."

"All right Snake. Let's do this," replied Hikaru, a devious smile forming on her lips.

*She's really serious about doing this,* thought Snake. Out loud, he said, "Let's move." And then the duo carefully exited the forest and headed towards the structure. Snake could see what looked like an entrance to the building, but something in his peripheral vision got his attention. He turned around to see what it was. "Hikaru, wait," said Snake, holding his arm in front of her and bringing her to a halt.

"What is it?" asked Hikaru, curious about why Snake stopped heading for the building.

"There's a couple trucks parked around here," Snake answered her. "During previous missions there was usually something useful left in them. Let's check them out."

And they did so. Snake climbed into the back of the truck closest to him and began searching for any items that would be of use to him and Hikaru. "Find anything?" asked Hikaru from the outside of the truck, keeping a lookout for any guards patrolling the area.

"Yeah, I sure did," said Snake as he got out of the truck and held up what looked like two small, disk-like metal containers. "Field rations," stated Snake, noticing the confused expression on Hikaru's face. "Here, we'll each take one," he said, putting one of the ration packs in one of his storage pouches and handing the other to Hikaru.

"Let's check out the other truck," said Hikaru as she stuffed her ration pack in her jacket pocket. Snake and Hikaru then silently made their way to the other truck, and Snake climbed into the back, once again looking for items.

Hikaru could hear Snake mutter, "Damn, nothing," from inside the truck. Then a sudden inspiration struck Hikaru. She walked up to the front of the truck and opened up the driver's side, conducting her own search for anything useful. Something caught her eye that seemed out of place; a small, white, plastic card with a big number '1' on it. She snatched it up and started to walk over to the back end of the truck, only to painfully bump into Snake. "Where the hell did you go?" she heard Snake ask her.

"I was looking for stuff to, and I found this," Hikaru quickly replied, holding up the card she had found. Hikaru couldn't be sure because it was so dark, but she thought she saw a faint smile form on Snake's face.

"Good work. That's a key card, and we'll probably need it," said Snake, snatching up the key card. "C'mon let's get inside that building now."

After a bit of searching, Snake found a doorway. But the electronic door refused to open. "Guess I'll need that key card," he said as he took the card out.

"Don't you think it's funny, how there seem to be no guards around here now?" asked Hikaru, who was nervously looking around, as if she was anticipating some sort of attack.

"Yeah, I noticed that too," answered Snake as he slid the key card through the electronic lock. A red light flared on the lock. "Damn!" snapped Snake. "We'll need a higher level card to get in."

"Ummm, Snake, I think we have other things to worry about," said Hikaru in a shaky voice. "We've got company."

"What?" said Snake as he turned around to see what Hikaru was taking about. And immediately saw she was right. Standing twenty or so meters away from them was something looked like the original version of Metal Gear, but there was something funny about it. This one was way too small - only about three meters in height, and some of the heavier armaments Snake remembered seeing on the TX-55 and D were not on this one. But their mystery guest had a vulcan gun and a machine gun, which were aimed right at Hikaru and Snake. Yet, for some reason, the mini-Metal Gear was not attacking, but instead, just stood there, as if it was waiting for something.

"W-What is it?" asked Hikaru, nervous sweat mixing in with the moisture from the rain. "It looks like it's... watching us."

"I've heard of it. I think it's one of the smaller versions of the original Metal Gear; the Gustav, if I remember right. I've never seen one though," answered Snake. "Damn, I don't have any weapons that can stop this thing!" he spat heatedly. "If only I had found some mines and grenades in those trucks, then maybe I could go for the legs and...."

"You won't need that," spoke up Hikaru, filled with a fierce determination. "I've still got my magic. Flame Arrow!" Last time, Snake didn't have a good look at Hikaru's fire spell, but this time, he was able to see exactly what Hikaru's magic could do. The super-hot stream of fire shot forward and struck the Gustav head-on. The machine stumbled backward slightly from the impact, but once the flames died away, there were no signs of external damage. "What? My magic didn't work?!" she stammered.

"It's armor must be too strong. Hikaru, move! It's gonna attack!" Snake shouted, hearing the clicks and clacks that could only mean Gustav was prepping its guns. Snake rolled to the right, while Hikaru dove to the left. They were just in time; Gustav fired both its guns, the bullets noisily striking the door and walls of the building.

"Snake, hide somewhere. I'll handle this," said Hikaru, drawing her sword from her glove jewel. Snake stared for a second, since he hadn't seen Hikaru do that before, but then quickly ran to find some sort of cover. He didn't like the idea of leaving Hikaru to face Gustav alone, but without the necessary weapons, it was useless for him to try and fight.

Hikaru, sword held tightly in both hands, charged toward the mini-Metal Gear. Once she was withing a few meters of it, it opened fire again. But Hikaru anticipated this and deftly rolled to the side, avoiding the deadly barrage of bullets. Before the Gustav could turn and fire on her again, Hikaru leapt forward and swung her sword upwards at the mounted machine gun, the Escudo weapon slicing through the metal like scissors cutting paper. The mutilated weapon fell into a puddle nearby, splattering Hikaru with water and mud.

Hikaru quickly backflipped away, trying to put some distance between her and the Gustav, but it was already advancing again, firing its remaining weapon. Thanks to reflexes honed by years of kendo training, she was able to avoid the barrage, but she knew she couldn't evade the machine forever. *How am I going to beat this thing?* she thought worriedly. Then she heard something: the sound of an engine starting up. A few seconds later she saw one of the trucks ram into the side of the Gustav at full speed. The impact was just enough to cause it to topple over. Snake jumped out from the driver's seat of the car, and it looked like he was unharmed. *Thank God,* thought Hikaru. If she had to finish this mission alone....

"Hikaru! Try hitting it again!" Snake ordered Hikaru. Hikaru obeyed the command without a second thought.

"Ruby Lightning!" Hikaru fired the blast of destructive energy at the downed Gustav. This time, her spell had the intended effect: the deadly machine exploded, sending a large plume of flame up into the air and pieces of metal and machinery in all directions.

"Good thing the keys were in the ignition. Damn, that's some powerful heat you're packing," she heard Snake say. Hikaru turned and saw Snake walking up to her. Now she could defintely see he wasn't the slightest bit injured.

"Oh Snake, you're okay!" exclaimed Hikaru as she ran over to Snake and hugged him tightly. "I was worried that you might have been hurt!"

"Hey, take it easy, kiddo," said Snake as he pried Hikaru off of him. "I'm a lot harder to hurt than that."

"Well, try not to take chances like that again, okay?" demanded Hikaru. "Anyway, now we know there's defintely something funny going on around here. And why there were no guards around. They didn't want to be near here when they set that thing loose," she said bitterly, her sword dematerializing back into her glove.

"Yeah, and they're gonna be back now that you trashed it," stated Snake grimly. "We better head back in the forest and come up with some sort of plan. C'mon let's move." The two ran towards the forest they had recently exited, but halfway there, Hikaru tripped and fell down. "Damn, now's not the time to be a klutz," Snake snapped.

"I don't get how I..." Hikaru started to say, but then she turned to look at her foot and saw what it was that made her trip. "Over here," she called to him.

"What?" he asked as he walked back to her. Then he saw it: her foot had gotten snagged on a sewer grating. A thought came to Snake, and evidently Hikaru had the same idea.

"We might be able to get in this way," she said as she took out her sword again and used it like a lever to pry up the grating. It eventually came off, and she immediately climbed down. "Come on Snake!" she yelled after him.

*One thing's for sure, she's a fast learner,* thought Snake wryly as he followed Hikaru down into the sewer system.

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"They managed to dispose of the mini-Metal Gear," said the British-accented woman. "To be more specific, it was mainly by the girl. I managed to run scans on her the entire time. Her.... "magic".... is extremely powerful, and her combat skill seems to rival that of Snake's."

"Well then, Snake has definitely chosen a worthy ally. But soon, our two good friends will have their way with them...."

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Snake and Hikaru slogged through the dank underground waterways of the base, their boots making a loud sloshing noise with each step they took, the water nearly up to their knees. Snake couldn't help remembering how he had had to trudge through the waterways in Zanzibar and Galuade. Soon his thoughts were interrupted by his companion. "Ugh, first the rain, and now this sewer," mumbled Hikaru.

"So the fire sorceress can't stand water, huh?" said Snake humorously. "But seriously, you're not about to get hypothermia on me or anything, are you?"

"What? Oh no, don't worry about that. These boots are waterproofed," answered Hikaru.

"Yeah, so are mine," said Snake. For a while longer, there was silence, except for the sound of splashing water. But after a while, Snake spoke up. "Hikaru, back up there, when you hugged me..."

"What about it?" asked Hikaru, confused. Snake sounded like he had a problem with it, but she had no problem showing her happiness about him not getting hurt.

"Well, why did you? I mean, you've only known me a couple of hours, but you acted like I was your best friend or something. Why?" asked Snake in a curious tone.

"Remember what I told you? It was the same way with Umi and Fuu back in Cephiro," replied Hikaru. "There I learned that time means nothing to the heart. Besides, if you died on me, I'd have do this by myself, and I don't think I'd have the strength to do this alone. I'll need you with me."

"Well, glad to know I'm of some use," said Snake somewhat sarcasticly. Snake took the time to reflect upon Hikaru's words. He remembered how it had been similar for him on past missions; how he had instantly befriended Holly White and Chris Jenner. But Hikaru was also very different from him in another regard: she was so bubbly and perky, even in the middle of a war zone her spirit couldn't be totally kept down. Snake felt a sudden surge of envy. Despite her emotional pain, Hikaru still managed to experience true happiness. He wasn't sure if he even knew the meaning of the word 'happiness' anymore.

Suddenly, Snake's brooding thoughts were interrupted by a soft cry of pain from Hikaru. She stumbled forward slightly and clutched her head with both hands. "Damn, I thought you weren't going to get sick on me," barked Snake acerbicly as he reached out and grabbed hold of Hikaru's shoulders.

"What? No no, I'm okay," responded Hikaru after a few seconds. "I just got hit with a headache all of a sudden."

"Probably stress from the mission," said Snake. Then the sound of someone's stomach growling filled the waterways. Hikaru stared up at Snake. Even with the dim lighting of the sewer tunnels, he could see the look of embarrassment on Hikaru's face. "Maybe you should eat that ration pack I gave you," he told her in a tone that let Hikaru know it was more of an order than a suggestion.

"Oh, okay," Hikaru said, fishing out the field rations from her jacket pocket. After fumbling with it and trying to get it open, Snake took it and showed her how to open it. Hikaru dug into the contents and ravenously began to stuff her face; *I must be hungrier than I thought,* she figured as she swallowed a mouthful of crackers and chocolate bits.

The two continued onwards through the sewer, but eventually they found an area where they could climb up out of the watery tunnel and into what looked like some sort of hallway. After lifting themselves out of the tunnel and shaking the water off their legs, they walked down it, until it ended at a fork, and the two were faced with a decision to go left or right.

"Which way should we go?" asked Hikaru as she stepped forward. But suddenly Snake grabbed her and pulled her back. "Hey! Why...."

"Just be quiet," Snake whispered in her ear, "I have a suspicion here." Letting go of Hikaru, he reached into one of his pouches.

Curious, Hikaru looked closer to see what it was. It was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Huh?" she muttered dubiously.

"You'll see," said Snake as he took out a single cigarette and lit it. After taking a single drag, he crouched down and held it close to the bottom of the edge of the hallway. As the smoke rose, faint red horizontal rays became visible. As Hikaru stared curiously at it, she heard Snake say, "Infrared beams," answering her unspoken question. "If we touch them, they'll set off alarms and we'll be surrounded before we know it," he explained.

"Then how do we get through?" asked a concerned Hikaru, worried that they may not be able to advance.

"Don't worry, kid," said Snake. "Usually, the beams will deactivate at certain intervals to let guards pass through." Hikaru looked at the cigarette smoke again. Indeed at one point, the beams vanished for a few seconds, then sprang back into existence. "Listen, next time you see the beams go away, pass through. Then I'll go through the next time the beams deactivate," Snake instructed. Hikaru simply nodded, and watched for the next opportunity to run through. Soon it came, and she bolted through the edge of the hallway. Snake followed soon afterwards, stopping to take a long drag from his cigarette after he did so.

"Those things will kill you, you know," said Hikaru in a scolding tone.

"Yeah, I know," replied Snake, crushing the cigarette in his hand. "If it makes you feel any better, the only time I ever really smoke a whole lot is when I'm in a really stressful situation. And I think this counts. C'mon, let's get going."

"Which way?" asked Hikaru, reminding Snake they had two paths to choose from.

After a taking some time to think, Snake pointed and said, "We'll go left," and walked down his chosen path, Hikaru following close behind.

The two arrived in an area with a lot of electronic doors lined against the walls. Unfortunately, most of these evidently had a security level higher than 1, making it impossible for Snake to get in. Well, Hikaru could have easily blasted the doors with her magic, but that would have surely alerted the guards. Eventually however, Snake did find a door his key card could open. The two walked inside, finding a room with several storage lockers and personal items. Apparently, it was a place where the guards could relax and take a break. But Snake immediately found something useful. On a table in the center of the room, there were two goggle-like devices. Snake immediately recognized them to be thermal goggles and night-vision goggles. He gave Hikaru the thermal goggles, explaining to her how to use them, and kept the night-vision goggles for himself. As they were about to leave, they heard a voice of someone approaching. "Hey James, is that you?"

"Hikaru, quick, get in one of those lockers," whispered Snake hurriedly. Hikaru immediately understood, running for an empty locker and quietly shutting herself in. Snake did the same.

They both heard the door open and the footsteps of someone walking inside. Through the ventilation slits on the locker door, Hikaru could vaguely see the curious guard searching the room. Hikaru felt beads of nervous sweat trickle down her brow as she tried to control her breathing, praying that the guard would soon leave.

Eventually, he did. Once they were sure he was far enough away, Hikaru and Snake got out of the lockers. "Whew, that was a close one," Hikaru breathed nervously.

"Yeah, way too close," Snake said. "If he tells anyone else he heard something, the other guards might get suspicious. Hikaru, wait here." Snake then exited the room, leaving Hikaru alone, confused about what it was he planned to do. A minute later, Snake came back, dragging the guard back in by the collar.

"Huh? D-Did you... kill him?" stammered Hikaru.

"What? Nah," replied Snake nonchalantly. "Just knocked him unconscious. By the time he wakes up, we'll be long gone. And with his weapons." Snake then relieved him of his main weapon, a FAMAS assault rifle and the ammo clips, and removed the pouch of fragmenation grenades on the guard's belt and attached it to his own. Once he had finished disarming him, he picked up his body again and stuffed him in a locker. "I doubt anyone will find him before we're gone," said Snake as he shut the locker door. "I also found this on him," he added, holding up a card with a large number '2' on it. "Now we'll have access to more areas. Let's find out exactly what they're keeping here," he said, slinging the rifle over his shoulder (it had a shoulder strap) .

"Okay Snake. But I really don't like this," said Hikaru in a low voice.

"Don't like what?" asked Snake confused. *Frankly, what IS there to like about this?* he added in his thoughts.

"I mean all this sneaking around," answered Hikaru. "I don't know, it makes me feel like a coward, like we're not tackling the problem directly...."

"What would you like us to do then?" Snake retorted sharply. "Go around guns-a-blazin'? If we're discovered, we'll have to fight, and probably kill. Is that what you want?"

Hikaru looked down and shook her head no. "No, absolutely not. I-I didn't think of it that way."

"Besides," continued Snake, "sometimes it takes more courage not to fight. C'mon, let's go. And we shouldn't talk so much. Try to use hand signals from now on when guards are around."

With that, the two exited the room, and Snake used his new level 2 card to try and access more of the doors. It wasn't easy, as they had to evade an occasional guard and a couple surveillance cameras, but they managed. They found a few more useful things, like extra ammo clips for Snake's weapons and two more ration packs, both of which Snake gave to Hikaru. But what interested Snake the most is what he found that he couldn't use: all sorts of machinery and electronic equipment whose functions Snake was unsure of. Hikaru voiced the thought that had come to Snake's mind. "It looks like this is some sort of storage warehouse. That would explain the trucks outside."

"Yeah, but a storage warehouse for what?" asked Snake, knowing he wouldn't receive an answer.

After they had finished searching the rooms they could now access, they left the B1 floor via a stairway they had found. On the ground floor, there were even more guards and surveillance cameras, all of which Snake and Hikaru were able to avoid easily. After a while they came across something interesting.

There were two rooms used for storage here. They were large and wide open, adjacent to one another, and filled with metal and wooden crates, the contents of which Snake wondered about as he walked around with Hikaru in one of those two expansive rooms.

He didn't have that long to think.

Snake heard the slightest noise behind him. Turning around, he saw the vague outline of a man holding up some sort of gun. Without another thought, Snake grabbed Hikaru close to him and rolled to the side with her behind a large metal crate. The action saved both their lives: the sound of rapid machine gun fire resonated in their ears, machine gun fire that was meant for them.

"Well well well, so it's true. The Legend's found himself a little friend," came a mocking voice once the sound of gunfire had died down.

"Why don't you two come out and play with us?" taunted a second voice sardonically, this one identical to the first. "You up for a little round of two-on-two?"

Snake turned to Hikaru. "I don't think we have much of a choice," he said to her as he took out his FAMAS rifle; no point in using the handgun with the suppressor now that they had been discovered. Hikaru nodded in agreement, drawing her sword from her glove, and the two jumped out from behind the metal crate to face their attackers.

******

To be continued in Chapter 5

So long,
Grey Fox