Fan Fiction ❯ MGS: DOA ❯ Chapter 1

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CHAPTER 1

 

Brushing her hair out of her face, she frowned as she looked out the window… the barred window. “Must be another drill.” Walking to the corner of the room as she spoke to herself, she sat in the shadowed chair. “They'll need all the practice they can get when I get out of here.” As her eyelids fell she lapsed into the dream again, always the same dream. The concert hall was filled to the brim with the audience. She was singing loud and clear, she wanted so much to impress her mother. Her mother… She could feel it coming, she knew it was coming, but she couldn't stop it. She heard the first shot, felt it fly centimeters from her head. And then it happened, again. She was knocked aside, falling to the floor, and she looked up to hear the second shot… and to see the life leave her mother's eyes.

Helena awoke with a start, sitting upright in the shadows, calming herself the way she always did. The dream had become so familiar now. But something was different. She held her breath as she heard the grating of metal. Looking across the room, her eyes narrowed as a dark figure dropped from the vent in the ceiling. “What the…” came a deep confused voice. The man glanced down at a small holo-display, then at the bed, then back at his display. He chuckled and whispered to himself, “If these are prisoner quarters, maybe I should just get caught…” Leaping from her chair, Helena muttered, “Happy to oblige.” as she lunged at the intruder. “What the…” was all Snake managed as a slippered foot came into contact with his jaw. Suddenly realizing he was under attack, Snake instinctively rolled aside and sprang to his feet. Before he had the chance to counter-attack, he found himself blocking as fast as he could. Desperately trying to think, he led his assailant away from the corner and used a chair as partial cover. Finally managing to sidestep an arm, he grabbed hold and spun Helena into a chokehold. About to snap her neck, he hesitated getting his first good look. “Calm down.” He hissed, holding her arm behind her back with his other hand around her neck.

When she stopped struggling, he released her and pushed her away, drawing his pistol and pointing it straight at her head. “You scream and you die.” They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. Helena relaxed a bit. “I suppose I was mistaken. You could have killed me. You are an assassin, aren't you?” Snake warily lowered his weapon. “Sometimes, right now I'd rather not be.” There was a loud knocking at the door. Both of them shot a look at the door, then Snake moved toward the window. “You won't get out through there,” Helena whispered, “believe me, I've tried. Get under the bed.” “Excuse me?” He couldn't believe he was hearing this. “Just do it, or we're both in serious trouble.” “I don't believe this.” Snake cursed… as he rolled under the bed. There was a beep and the door opened, revealing a woman with white hair in a silver suit and several guards. Her eyes were about as warm as the air ducts, and twice as hard. “There's an intruder.” Stated the woman, obviously in charge. “I was concerned that it might have been you.” Helena returned the steady gaze. “I suppose now that you've barged in here your satisfied that it's not?” Snake could just see the doorway from his hiding place. As the lady guard smiled, he suppressed a shiver. “What happened in here?” Not missing a beat, Helena looked at the overturned chair, “Not that it's any of your business, but I was… dreaming again.” “Oh, yes.” Was the cold response, “Reminiscing about your mother, are we.” Snake didn't know what was going on, but he knew rage when he saw it, and he thought Helena was doing a very good job of suppressing it. As she turned to leave, the silvery woman almost laughed, “Goodnight dear Helena… pleasant dreams.” The door shut and the lock clicked. Snake couldn't believe his luck.

“They probably posted a guard outside the door, but they've given up trying to bug the room so it's safe to come out.” As he crawled out from under the bed, he was no longer surprised that this woman had caught him off guard. While getting to his feet, he glanced at the door; “I've got some damn good questions right about now.” “Ah, ah,” she waved her finger, “me first. Who are you and why are you here.” Snaked tensed up, “I don't appreciate interrogations.” Helena simply smirked, “Well, seeing as how you're the intruder here and I just saved your skin, I at least want those questions answered.” “OK, fine, you can call me Snake” - “that's obvious” - he continued on, ignoring the interruption “and let's just say I'm on reconnaissance.” “And I suppose your some kind of expert. Well, judging from the fact that they know you're here you've done a wonderful job so far.” “Look,” Snake scowled, “thanks for the help, I'm getting the hell out of here.” He rose to look for an exit. “Not without me, you're not.” Spat Helena as he passed her. “Excuse me!?” Snake said for the second time. “There's no way,” he began, “that-” “your going to get out of here without my help.” she finished. “And there's no way I'm going to pass up this opportunity.” After a short silence, Snake decided he'd better hear her out. “I swear, before the night is over I'm probably gonna kill someone.” “You're probably right.” She said as she stood up. “Now, if you don't mind turning around, I'm not about to make my escape in my nightgown…”

 

Meanwhile, the woman in silver and her guards finished making their rounds. She beckoned to one of the guards and took the radio from him. “This is, *ahem*, Viper reporting in.” Upon releasing the button she added, “stupid codenames” under her breath. “Yes, go ahead.” Came a slightly garbled voice. “We checked her room, he was there. She either was still asleep or isn't turning him in.” “You saw signs of his entry, then?” “No.” was her curt reply. For a moment there was nothing. “Well?” came back the now perturbed voice. “We didn't actually see any sign of him, but Helena was being more, well, restrained than usual. I didn't get so much as a return insult. My guess is she either knew he'd been there but didn't care to help, or she was actively hiding something.” The reply was quick this time, “Then why the hell didn't you search the room more thoroughly?” “Will you relax?” she almost laughed, “I posted a guard in the hall, the windows are barred and we just electrified the vents. If he's still here, which I doubt, he's not going anywhere.” For a moment, she wondered if she'd been hung up on. Then, “I don't know what your up to Christie, but this is no time for playing games. Just find him.” “Yes, sir.” She handed back the receiver. “You're right about one thing,” she muttered, “you have no idea what's going on.”

 

Now Snake was ticked, “What do you mean they probably electrified the vents? Do you have any idea how much power that would take?” Helena finished tying a bow in her hair. Snake called it a waste of time, but the last thing she'd need in a fight was her hair in her face. “I'm not an electrician, so no, I don't. But I'm guessing they've got plenty.” “And what,” he said sarcastically, “makes you say that?” She looked at him for a moment, sizing him up. “I thought you said you were recon. Don't people like you know everything about a place before you get there?” she smiled. “Very funny.” He wasn't smiling back at her. “Well, then. For your information you're sitting on top of a power plant, nuclear I think.” Snake's jaw dropped for just a split second. “I take back what I said before, now I'm definitely gonna kill someone… when I get back.”

 

Standing outside the door, he didn't have a badge, no nametag either, just a gun. Leaning against the wall, he was flipping the safety on and off. Whenever a guard on rounds passed by, he would snap upright, but for now, he could care less about the regulations. When a knock came from within the door, he ignored it for a moment, hoping she'd give up. She knocked again. “This'll be rich.” he muttered. He cupped his hand and mouth to the door, “Back across the room!” he half shouted. Removing the card from his pocket, he slid it through the lock and stepped back, raising his weapon. The last guy who let her escape only got a moderate beating from her, but no one had seen him since. As the door slid open, he saw that Helena was, indeed, across the room. “What is it?” Helena motioned to the vent in the ceiling, “I think I found a sign of the intruder.” The guards eyes narrowed, “Don't move.” As he entered the room, he kept his eyes on Helena. It had just clicked that she was fully dressed, but he never had a chance to react. Two hands reached out and cleanly snapped his neck. As Snake dragged the man into the bathroom, Helena stared at him. “You didn't have to kill him.” “Easy for you to say,” as he dumped the body, “anyone but a complete professional would point a gun at a beauty like you and hesitate. I don't have that luxury. Now if you're coming than let's go.”

 

As they moved through the hallway, Snake periodically checked his motion sensor to make sure there were no unexpected surprises. He was impressed at how quickly Helena picked up on the simpler points of stealth. Granted, she wore a black suit, that much was easy, but she also followed his lead in ducking cameras, sticking close to the walls, and moving quietly. Only once did she break the silence, “You know, all this sneaking around stuff isn't really my style.” Snake shouldn't have responded, but, “Yeah, well, Kung Fu isn't my thing either.” “It's not Kung Fu, it's Pi Qua Quan.” She said indignantly. “Shhh, later.” Snake was quickly remembering why he worked alone. Helena, on the other hand, was enjoying herself immensely. In all her plans to escape, she never imagined it could go so smoothly. The guard's keycard came in handy several times over, and the halls were nearly deserted. As they exited the building, though, it was obvious where all the guards went. The compound outside was fairly large, and it was crawling with guards. Snake gravitated toward a hiding spot, and instinctively started counting. “Let's see, four guards per tower, two lights each, automated. Dogs in the center compound, and, wow, there's gotta be a guard every five feet around the perimeter.” Helena didn't look so happy now, “How are we supposed to get past that.” Snake was the one smiling now. “Murphy's Laws of Combat Ops #27: Fortify your front and you'll get your rear shot off. See that over there,” he motioned to a bunker looking building with a forklift outside, “that'll be a weapons depot.” “How do you know th-” “Because the sign on the side says so.” Helena hadn't even seen him pull out the small binoculars. “We're gonna use the oldest trick in the book, a diversion. Stay here, when the coast is clear I want you to run over to those crates near the fence, I'll meet you there.”

Without waiting for an argument, he set off along the building's edge. Helena couldn't believe she was seeing this. He'd get caught for sure if he could even get to the depot. She watched him move, stop, move again, but she lost sight of him as he went behind some tires. “This is crazy,” she muttered, “I feel like I'm in one of Tina's stupid movies.” After a moment, she caught sight of him again, but, “I knew he wouldn't make it.” She thought. He was moving away from the bunker now. She saw him stop and remove a small device from his vest. He caught site of her, and pointed at the crates where he'd told her to run, and depressed a small switch. The compound was suddenly lit up like dawn had come racing in. Helena was stunned by the site as she watched the large building explode again and again. Guards were running everywhere when someone grabbed her arm, “Damn it I told you to run, now RUN!” She suddenly realized that all the guards by the fence were charging to the other end of the compound to deal with the blaze. Snake charged toward the fence, still holding her arm. As they reached it, Snake ducked behind the crates, whipped out bolt-cutters and began making a hole in the fence. Helena was nervously glancing around when a shot rang out. “I think they saw us, hurry up!” “Done!” he shouted, pushing her through the hole. More shots rang out as they charged into the pine trees. Snake put a hand to his ear, “Otacon, where the hell is that evac? Otacon? Hey! Anybody there.” Otacon's familiar voice came in load and clear. “I hear you buddy, evac en route, you know the place.” “Good, we're on our way.” “Wait a minute, Snake, what do you mean we?” He turned off the codec. “Sorry buddy,” he muttered, “I'll explain later.”

Meanwhile, the sound of the motorcycle pierced through the woods. Christie pulled up to a tree behind the clearing dismounted, readying a sniper rifle. “Just in time.” She thought as a chopper began descending into the clearing. As it landed, Snake and Helena came running out of the tree line opposite from her. “Gotcha.” She raised the rifle and drew a bead on Snake. As he stopped to heft Helena up into the chopper, she targeted his head, “Say goodnight handsome.” A shot rang out and Helena screamed. Snake looked into the clearing, then jumped into the chopper. “Thanks.” He said curtly to the man in the craft. Christie cursed, rubbing her hands; she looked at her gun, which was mangled by the bullet that hit it. Furious, she stood and watched the chopper lift into the night sky, but caught a look at a familiar smirk under a red beret, “That's the second time you've gotten in my way.” She was seething as she retrieved the gun, mounted her cycle, and headed back to base.