Fan Fiction ❯ Metal Gear Solid: Sovereignty ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 15 )

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

Chapter 15: Reunion

Snake stepped out onto the threshold of a long tunnel, not at all what he expected. A dim light
came through the ceiling of the skinny tunnel. Small beads of water fell from above Snake's
head, causing a constant drip sound, likely caused from the snow and shoddy construction. A
stale, moldy taste filled Snake's senses. Not knowing what lie in front of him, Snake reached for
his Browning and sauntered into the darkness.

He walked for what seemed forever. The only sound that comforted him was the plodding of his
insulated boots. The terrible lighting didn't help with his advancement either, often finding
himself completely surrounded in darkness.

At first it was barely noticeable, but with every step the light grew until Snake found himself
face-to-face with a way out. The light was atop a pair of doors, a number five painted right in the
center. Snake withdrew the card key given to him by Peacemaker, and entered it into the slot
beside the doors. The slot dinged green and the barriers split apart. Snake stepped through the
doorway.

Dozens of eyes and rifle barrels snapped to the opening door. Sentries, adorned in either urban or
snow BDUs, each armed with their respective assault rifle.

With a quick glance, Snake would estimate nearly forty sentries, each had their eyes glued on the
legend. When Snake passed through the doors, some sentries raised their rifles, others just
chuckled, knowing the intruder was finally captured. The Russians shouted out obscenities and
spat at the operative as he was ushered through the crowd. Snake was forced to hand his
Browning over to the ushering Russian, not that it would be useful against a force this large.

Snake assumed it was a trap set up by Peacemaker.

The sentry prodding Snake down the line, stopped when Gangstein emerged from the crowd.

The German gloated, "So my plan worked."

But Snake paid no attention to Gangstein, his eyes were focused on the entity standing just
beyond the line of guards to Snake's right.

Metal Gear SAM stood majestically in the center of the warehouse. It was white in color, and
nearly forty feet in height. Two M134 miniguns on either side of it's head, likely used for
shooting down aircrafts, living up to it's name, SAM. Right now it was motionless, but Snake
knew the destructive power that could have been unleashed with the flicking of a few switches.

Snake's eyes moved back to Gangstein who continued reveling in his conquest, "The legendary
Solid Snake, trapped with no place to go. Today is the day. The day you pay for your father's
exploits."

"What do you mean?" Snake asked, trying to stall for as long as possible, trying to think of any
way out this predicament.

"Your father killed my parents. He ruined my life along with countless others. Your father was a
ruthless tyrant who deserved to burn in the fires of hell."

Snake couldn't totally disagree, it was he who ended his father's life.

"Ever since the day I was strong enough to do so, I vowed vengeance against Big Boss, but then I
learned he perished, so I sought after next best thing. You. This is almost too good, Snake. When
you fight for something, strive for a purpose, yearn to accomplish, there's no greater feeling than
reaching that goal." A broad smile stretched across the German's face. "Cherish the last minutes
you have on this world. Because they'll be gone before you know it." The German clenched his
fists. He'd been waiting for this moment for a decade.

"Gangstein!"

Snake turned as did everyone else in the room, to see Peacemaker coming through the double
doors Snake had entered through, his chest still bandaged. John locked eyes with Snake, and gave
him a subtle nod. Snake took it to mean Peacemaker was telling the truth about his true identity.

"Where have you been?" the New Dominus commander questioned his subordinate.

"Gangstein..." John's voice was somber, "Helena's dead."

The news struck Gangstein hard, Snake could see the pain in his face. The pain of a man who lost
someone he loved. Whatever delight he's been feeling with Snake's capture, immediately slipped
away.

The commander's eye reared back to Snake. He spoke in a more solemn tone, "you did this, you
killed her."

Gangstein turned away from the operative, presumably overcome with emotion. The buildup of
the pain, not only from his lost love, but from his murdered parents. All the pain that
accumulated inside Gangstein came to a head and he planned to unleash it on Solid Snake.

The New Dominus mercenary turned around to face Snake, and began sauntering toward him.
The German's fists were clenched, his teeth grinding. "SNAKE!" Gangstein stormed after Snake.

Snake knew he stood close to no chance, but that wouldn't stop him from trying. He raised his
fists and whispered a short prayer, Snake wasn't at all religious, but could have used any help he
could get.

If there was any doubt that the New Dominus mercenary didn't have the advantage over the
heavily injured agent, it was squashed when the two men clashed.

Gangstein threw a heavy right hook, Snake just barely raised his left forearm in time to block the
strike. But the punch still did considerable damage to Snake's arm, leaving him no time to
counter the German's next move. Gangstein came back with a devastating blow to Snake's
abdomen, followed up with another punch to Snake's jaw, knocking him straight off his feet.

The sentries around the fight jeered and laughed at the hated American's pain and misery.
Peacemaker, who wanted to help, couldn't, with all the sentries watching, but he couldn't let
Snake die either.

Snake wiped the blood away from his lip, but that didn't rid him of his pain. His abdomen
screamed out in agony. Snake could feel the area Gangstein had punched throbbing. Every
drained him of energy.

The German grabbed Snake by his neck, and lifted him to his feet. The legend stared into the
mercenary's eyes. "This is it, Snake. The lineage of Big Boss ends right here, right now."
Gangstein cocked back his right fist, the hand that would deliver the death blow.

"Hold on," a British-accented voice erupted from one of the walkways above everyone's head.
Six shots exploded out of the man's gun as a frag grenade also fell down into the crowd of
sentries. The grenade exploded taking several Russian lives along with it.

Gangstein let go of Snake, who, unable to keep himself up, fell to one knee. The New Dominus
leader focused on the walkway and the man halfway up facility wall, still unable to see who it
was. Another six shots erupted from the walkway, followed by another grenade. Wounded
sentries rolled around the floor in pain, the remaining Russians fired their assault rifles at the
area, but they all seemed to swerve away in odd directions when they reached the walkway.

As the grenade exploded, killing more sentries, the man leapt over the railing of the walkway and
landed on the a cargo box, a couple yards away from Gangstein. He landed kneeling, and slowly
rose, the long fall seemed to temporarily daze the aged man. Bullets sped toward the intruder and
then away from him in all directions, some of the slugs hit the remaining sentries in the hold. The
man fired off more shots from both of his revolvers, quieting the rest of the sentries. Then he
carefully placed each SAA back into it's holster.

The British-accented man spoke in a calm manner despite the chaos around him, "If anyone is
going to kill Solid Snake, it's going to be me."

Snake was on the floor, still in tremendous pain, he needed every moment to try to collect
himself. He didn't realize what was going on around him. He heard the gunshots, the explosions,
and the cries of pain, but the thing that stuck out in his mind was the all-too familiar voice of the
newcomer. A voice he recognized to be Liquid Snake.

"Who the hell are you?" Gangstein's anger was still at it's pinnacle.

"Names aren't important to a dead man," the man remarked.

Gangstein moved forward, but stopped when the newcomer flashed his SAA revolver.

The German called out to Peacemaker, "Peacemaker, shoot this intruder!"

Peacemaker thought for a moment, but quickly decided it was time to drop the charade. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I don't work for you anymore Gangstein." John unsheathed his revolver, and raised it at his
former employer.

Gangstein was more disgusted than surprised, "Peacemaker, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm not ‘Peacemaker', I'm John Carlson, FBI."

The German almost choked upon learning the truth. "All this time, I trusted you, and now you
stab me in the back!"

Gangstein stepped toward John, but stopped when the cowboy pulled back the hammer on the
revolver.

Snake managed to rise to his feet, but was still in all kinds of pain. But his most urgent thought
was the voice. Was it Liquid? Or was he just hearing things after the beating he's just received.
Snake looked around for him, before he spotted him standing atop a cargo box. It wasn't what he
expected, but he wasn't surprised either. The body of Revolver Ocelot, but judging from even
they way he stood, that man was Liquid Snake.

Gangstein then realized something. He looked around all of his comrades lie on the ground dead
or close to it. Peacemaker had betrayed him and all the other members of New Dominus were
dead. Gangstein turned his head to see Snake, barely able to stand, but staring him down
nonetheless.

He was trapped.

The German whispered to himself, he began to panic, he needed to do something fast. Liquid had
lowered his revolver, and had his attention on Snake, so the German thought it the perfect time to
strike.

Showing amazing strength, Gangstein propelled himself into the air and toward Liquid standing
on the cargo box. Suddenly three shots exploded inside the hold, and Gangstein's body fell onto
the ledge of the container. Three bullet wounds in Gangstein's back oozed blood. Gangstein
desperately clawed at the top of the large box trying to stay on, but the bullet wounds weakened
even him. Liquid pointed his revolver between the eyes of the German, and pressed the trigger.

Gangstein's head violently snapped back and his body fell to the floor.

"Snake!" Peacemaker shouted as he sheathed his smoking revolver and ran to Snake's aid..

Ignoring his pain, he still had the focus to notice Liquid making his escape. "Liquid!"

"What?" John asked.

"Liquid, he's getting away!"

Peacemaker turned his head to notice Liquid was no longer there, "Don't you mean Ocelot?"

"Forget about me, stop him!"

John thought about it for a moment, but left Snake's side and ran after Liquid.

Peacemaker ran past the cargo box and find Liquid walking nonchalantly toward the other side of
the facility.

"Stop right there!" The FBI agent shouted, raising his SAA.

Liquid turned around, with the same maniacal smirk he always wore. "Are you supposed to stop
me? A faux Ocelot?"

"Come with me, you're under arrest. "

"Please, don't waste my time."

"Liquid!" Snake shouted from behind John.

"Brother! It's been so long. Last time we met you were chasing me into the Atlantic Ocean."

Brother? John though to himself, already confused as it was. Snake was Ocelot's brother, but
Ocelot wasn't really Ocelot, but was really Liquid Snake?

Snake limped closer to his loathed sibling. "So all this time it was you, you've been following me
this entire time."

"You could say that."

"But why? Why help me?"

Liquid chuckled. "Help you? If anything I was using you. Your mission is my mission, brother.
The old man was cracking under the pressure and I needed to silence him. If I was ‘helping' you
then it was only to my advantage."

"You're not making any sense," Snake declared. "Why are you here?"

"Age has diminished your intelligence, brother. Let me fill you in on something. I started this
entire crusade."

"What?!"

"I was the one who gave Colonel Dzhugashvili the information on Metal Gear SAM. I was the
one who opened that opened the path for Gangstein and his little friends to steal SAM. I was the
one who obtained the pass codes to launch the nuke. I was the one behind it all."

"How?" Snake questioned.

"It wasn't easy, that's for sure. But RAY did come in handy."

The hate he felt for his brother eclipsed the pain he was in. Liquid was behind it all, millions of
lives, all because of his brother's sick plans.

"But why?" Snake asked.

"The Patriots." For the first time Liquid's smirk left his face and turned into a scowl. "This was
the only way to attack the Patriots. Internationally, anything done withing the US, would be too
hard. The island Sam was stationed on was in foreign waters. If I don't know where they are,
then I'll just destroy America until they have no place left to hide."

"How does killing millions of innocent people solve anything?"

"I will tear down the Patriots and if that means a few people dying, then so be it.

"A few people?" Snake was disgusted by his own brother's words.

"Sovereignty, Snake... sovereignty." Liquid raised a clenched fist, then, adding emphasis to his
statement, threw it in a sweeping motion in front of him. "This is the only way to stop the
Patriots and free the world of their evil grasp."

"Evil?" John spoke out, "you're talking about evil?"

"No, you're killing the very people who you're saying you're trying to protect,' Snake added.

"If you see it that way, then that's your problem."

"Liquid, you–" Snake was abruptly cut off by a booming voice across the hold.

"SNAKE!"

All three men turned around to see where the voice had come from. Gangstein was standing on
Metal Gear. Somehow he'd survived.

"How.." John gasped, shocked at what stood before a man shot in the head right in front of him,
alive. He's not from this planet.

The German jumped into the cockpit inside the head of the behemoth. John and Snake looked on
in terror as the mechanical beast began stirring to life.

Gangstein's voice boomed through the Metal Gear's loudspeaker, "Snake! It's time to die!"

SAM's eyes suddenly came to life in a blood red flash. It lowered it's head, cocked back it's
neck, and let out an ear-piercing scream that shook the facility's very foundation.

Metal Gear SAM was alive.