Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a work of fan fiction.

Details of persons, organizations, events, etc. featured within, whether actual or fictional, are borrowed elements from the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Doki Doki Literature Club.

Act 3: “Reality”

Prologue - A Rude Awakening

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{Functionality has been restorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-.}

 The unnerving din of unearthly noise reached Venom Snake’s ears as he came to. His one good eye shot open and Snake found himself in an unfamiliar place - a glitched classroom that was flickering with strings of unstable code.

{(140.85) - “Boss? Boss! Answer me, damn it! BOSS!”}

Snake’s iDroid broadcasted the voice of Kazuhira Miller at first, but the signal started to get choppy. Before long, Snake couldn’t understand what Miller was saying anymore. All the while, the iDroid started displaying all sorts of unsettling messages.

While the veteran infiltrator’s mind was still spinning, he suddenly winced in pain. The black, metallic ‘horn’ that jutted out from Snake’s skull felt unnaturally heavy all of the sudden, sending waves of sharp pain throughout his body.

That was the first time that Snake’s ‘horn’ ached like that since he escaped from the hospital at Cyprus. There must have been something about that glitched classroom that aggravated his horn, opening old wounds that he thought had already sealed.

While Snake was lost in his thoughts, he realized that he was seated on some sort of wooden chair while his hands were shackled behind his back. There was a school desk set before him where his weapons - the standard-issue AM MRS-4 assault rifle and his AM D114 pistol were laid out neatly.

The weapons were so close yet so far.

Snake grunted with frustration.

He was captured, Snake deduced. He was in the home stretch of his mission when suddenlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…

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High pitched noise rang in Snake’s ear as his memories of the mission flashed before his eyes.

Then, the noise suddenly faded away as quickly as it came. A pair of mischievous footsteps then reached Snake’s ear, followed by a playful snicker and the musing of an unfamiliar voice,

“Ahahaha~ looks like the history log is acting up again~! I swear, the Ren’Py engine always acts like this when it’s paired with another game engine. It’s troublesome - but it does what it has to.”

Suddenly, Snake felt a pair of hands pulling out his iDroid from his Sneaking Suit’s holster. The nonchalant ‘thief’ then came before Snake.

It was a Japanese high-school girl with long, coral-brown hair tied into a ponytail by a thick, white ribbon. The girl’s deep, emerald green eyes then met with Snake’s one eye. A warm smile then grew on her lips as she turned off the iDroid and continued,

“I’ll be taking this out of your hands as well. You won’t be needing it anymore, after all, Big Boss. Or should I say, ‘Punished “Venom” Snake’?”

Snake grumbled in protest and the girl chuckled.

“You truly are a man of few words. Just as I expected. You’re a spy, after all - a spy who was trained not to break. That’s fine. I’m used to speaking to others without hearing anything in reply after all - so i’ll put up with it again for now.”

The smile on the girl’s lips then grew wider as she leaned towards Snake and whispered,

“But you’ll be telling me what I want to know one way or another. So, don’t fight it, Big Boss. When I’m done with you, you’ll only have one thing on your mind. Me - just me. Just. Monika.”

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 Episode 52

Words Can Kill (Part I)

First Day of the Kuril Islands Deployment

Venom Snake sat at the back of the Blackfoot Helicopter as he turned on his iDroid. As soon as he did, the device greeted Snake with an unfamiliar notification.

{ Communication frequency added }

{(140.85) - “ Boss. This is Miller. Do you copy?” }

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Snake regarded his device and answered,

“Kaz…”

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

{(140.85) - “ Good. It looks like our ‘friends’ at Langley kept their side of the bargain. We’ll be using American AN/SPS frequencies again like you did in the past for this mission, Boss. After all, you’ll be operating so far from Mother Base. Judging by how MiGs haven’t intercepted you yet, the KGB is honoring their commitments too.” }

“I’d rather not have to deal with MiGs in a Blackfoot, Kaz.”

As Snake was speaking, the iDroid gave another notification.

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

{ Communication frequency added }

{(141.73) - “ The Soviets won’t be flying MiGs in the area for quite some time - nor will you see any jets in the area, Boss. This is a highly-sensitive situation, after all. The East and the West will be treading carefully these next few days.”}

“The less interference we get from our clients the better, Ocelot. But in any case - did we really have to accept this mission? Going all the way to the Kuril Islands for a rescue mission is a little bit much, isn’t it?”

Enemy Combatants

Soviet Air Defense Forces (Burevestnik Airbase Garrison)

{(141.73) - “ The stakes are especially high for this mission, Boss. The governments of the United States and the Soviet Union specifically asked for Big Boss - the legend himself - to be involved. Iturup Island, or Etorofu-to, is in disputed territory, after all - not to mention a secret Soviet airbase. Mr. Reagan and Mr. Chernenko have a gentleman’s agreement to let a non-state actor to carry out the operation.” }

“You mean a Private Military Company - like the Diamond Dogs.”

Cipher’s “XOF” Strike Force

{(140.85) - “ That’s right. After the whole drama around Sahelanthropus, business has been good for the Diamond Dogs. Now, we have the attention of the two superpower nations themselves. If we can prove our worth here, we’ll have enough GMP to start getting some real estate on land.” }

“We’ll finally get started on Outer Heaven… but first, we have to go through hell.”

The ‘Four Writers Of The Apocalypse’ Special Forces Unit

{(140.85) - “ Washington and Moscow wouldn’t have asked for you personally if it was gonna be a walk in the park, you know. They’ve kept most of the mission details under wraps until you approached the Kurils. I only got the details just now.” }

“Alright then, Kaz. What exactly am I supposed to do in Iturup Island?”

{(140.85) - “ I’m reading through the files now. According to the intel, it looks like the Soviets lost contact with the Burevestnik Airbase there about 48 hours ago. At the same time, a CIA agent known as the ‘Spider Lady’ went MIA nearby. Finally, there has been reports of unidentified weapons being moved into the island. Neither the Soviets nor the Americans know what’s really going on and tensions are nearing boiling point in the region. Even the Japanese are getting restless.” }

Guest Starring

“AMY” The Spider Lady

{(141.73) - “ The Kurils are disputed territory between the Soviets and the Japanese, after all. It makes me wonder why Tokyo let us use a Hokkaido airfield as a Forward Operating Base during the mission. They probably want concessions. And if things go south, Tokyo, Washington and Moscow will surely use the Diamond Dogs as scapegoats. But that’s the kind of risk we take in this sort of business. No pressure, Boss.” }

{(140.85) - “ In any case, Boss. Your mission will be to investigate the Soviet airbase, rescue the ‘Spider Lady’ and to capture the ‘unknown weaponry’ on the island. The Soviets have agreed to stay out of our way for a week. After that, they will expel any and every foreign agent with indiscriminate force.” }

Featured Mecha

BF5-K1 Biological Weapon

{(141.73) - “ Miller and I will handle things over here at Mother Base, so make use of the Hokkaido facilities to help you accomplish the mission. }

“Got it.”

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

As Snake said this, the helicopter pilot looked behind his shoulder towards him and reported,

“We’re almost at the Kuril Islands, Boss. The LZ is just up ahead.”

Written By

Elias_Pedro

Snake nodded and replied,

“Take me down as soon as you can, Pequod. I want to get this over and done with as quickly as possible.”

Created and Directed by

Elias_Pedro

...

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

[HINT] Iturup Island Geography (1 / 1)

Iturup is an island made up of volcanic massifs and mountain ridges with dense pine and deciduous foliage. The paths through the island are treacherous and can prove to be more dangerous than the Soviet Air Defense Forces patrols themselves. Master the terrain and use it to your advantage. 

☮

04:32

Iturup Island, USSR

Seaside Cliffs, South of Burevestnik Airbase

{“The sun will rise shortly.”}

Just as Snake’s iDroid announced, the mercenary commander saw traces of the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean. A tinge of emotion then stirred in his heart.

The memory of a girl named after that ocean surfaced in his mind.

He stole a glance of the series of photographs taped to the interior of the helicopter - the ones that the wandering Militaire Sans Frontieres soldiers had with them when Snake brought them back to Mother Base too.

It made him wonder for a moment how many more wandering soldiers out there - and if his lingering hallucinations of ‘Paz’ or ‘Pacifica Ocean’ will ever go away.

However, there was no time for him to ponder about such petty things. After all, the Blackfoot helicopter was starting to descend.

His mission was about to begin.

[SUPPORT] Long-Range Rear Echelon Support: Weapon/Item Drops (1 / 2)

While in the Iturup Islands area of operations, you can order supply drops of weapons and items from the MISSIONS section of your iDroid data device. However, due to the distance and status of the Hokkaido Forward Operating Base from Mother Base, supply drops will take significantly longer than they do in Africa and Afghanistan.

☮

Just as the helicopter approached a clearing in the south shore cliffs, Snake was contacted again,

{(140.85) - “Boss. Before you head out, there’s something else you should know. Our ‘friends’ at Langley asked us for another favor that I didn’t mention earlier. I slipped a package from the CIA into your loadout before you left Mother Base at their request.” }

Venom Snake checked his pack and saw a small, brown, unmarked package there - just like Kazuhira said. The mercenary grunted and grumbled to his iDroid,

“You can’t keep doing this, Kaz. I’m not a fan of surprises.”

{(140.85) - “ Sorry about that, Boss, but the CIA wanted a little more insurance in this mission - some goodwill. Plus, I checked the contents of that package beforehand so it’s safe. No tracking or recording devices. No bombs or booby traps either. Can’t be too defensive after last time, after all. ”}

“Last time… huh?”

Snake grumbled and forcibly whisked Paz’s memory away from his mind as he asked,

“What is it then, Kaz?”

{(140.85) - “ Go take a look. ”}

Snake carefully opened the package and then saw a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

{(140.85) - “ They’re personal effects of the ‘Spider Lady’. Apparently, they’re quite important to her for some reason. Langley wanted us to deliver those glasses to her when you retrieve her. }

“So what are we now, Kaz? A delivery service?”

{(140.85) - “ It’s a small price to pay for the mission that could get us started on Outer Heaven. In any case, you have your objectives but Langley wants the ‘Spider Lady’ out of there first. As soon as you extract her, you can proceed to investigating the Airbase and capturing the unmarked weapons. ”}

“Say, Kaz. Were these ‘friends’ at Langley of yours kind enough to give us intel about this ‘Spider Lady’ and her location?”

{(140.85) - “ They said they had every confidence that you would find her, Boss .”}

“I’ll take that as a no.”

{(141.73) - “ But the CIA did do us a favor, Boss. They paradropped D-Horse to the island for you on a civilian plane. We scratch their back, they’ll scratch ours.” }

Just as Ocelot mentioned, Snake noticed the presence of his trusty steed there at the cliffside clearing.

{(141.73) - “ Boss. I was once posted at Iturup Island during my days with the GRU. It’s a treacherous landscape of seaside cliffs, dense forests, mountains and snow. The grasslands are few and far in between, so D-Horse will get you around efficiently. It’s December too - so that means you’ll be seeing lots of snow during this week.” }

“It looks like a change of pace from the desert and the savannah…”

{(140.85) - “ Special Forces are trained to operate in any condition around the world. If we want to cement Diamond Dog’s reputation as Special Forces-on-demand, then this will be a good showcase.” }

“I understand your logic, Kaz - but I can’t help but feel like you’re using me for an experiment sometimes. Code Talker told me about your burgers.”

{(140.85) - “ The burgers are selling well, I tell you! Our sales team is raking in the GMP because of it! ”}

{(141.73) - “ Kaz actually tried to peddle those ‘Chemical Burgers’ of his to our cut-outs in the CIA and KGB, but he got the cold shoulder. The JGSDF detachment who loaned us the Hokkaido airfield, however, is another matter.” }

“Burger diplomacy, huh?”

As Snake snickered, the helicopter started to descend down to the clearing by the cliff.

 [SUPPORT] Long-Range Rear Echelon Support: Weapon/Item Drops (2 / 2)

You can only request a drop of one item at a time (or one loadout at a time). Requesting another supply drop before the previous drop is complete will cause the previous drop to be cancelled, increase the GMP cost of both drops and lower Snake’s Bond Level with Pequod.

☮

The mercenary commander lifted himself off of the rear bench and sat at the edge of the open helicopter door, feeling the salty Pacific Ocean breeze on his scarred, rugged face. He checked his weapons - the reliable duo of the AM MRS assault rifle and AM D114 handgun.

Out of habit, he chambered a fresh rifle round into his assault rifle and then hopped off the open helicopter door. He landed just beside D-Horse at the center of the clearing.

The Blackfoot helicopter then started to ascend, but not before Pequod sent his commander off,

“Be careful down there, Boss!”

Snake shielded himself from the gusts of wind formed by the helicopter blades until Pequod flew off and departed for the Hokkaido FOB.

Then, as if it were second nature, he hopped onto D-Horse’s back and spurred him onwards into the thick Iturup forest.

…

Shadows from the swaying pines obscured the light of the sunrise as Snake rode D-Horse through a narrow woodland path. Only the frigid late-year Siberian winds rustling the trees and the gallop of D-Horse’s hooves made a sound.

The thick foliage made it hard for Snake to see further than a few meters around him. However, he still kept his Int. Scope binoculars out as he scouted for the enemy.

A few minutes into his journey, Snake felt his iDroid buzz.

{(141.73) - “ Boss - there should be a Soviet guard post nearby. It’s a common stopover for the routine patrols, so try not to cause too much of a commotion. You can bypass that post altogether and just carry on - but the soldiers might know something. After all - it never hurts to ‘ask’.” }

Not long afterwards, Snake’s Int. Scope picked up the presence of two figures. That data was transferred to Snake’s iDroid which identified the two as soldiers.

Snake grumbled as he made out the x-ray-like silhouettes of the soldiers,

“SVG-76s… and grenades…”

His lone eye tracked the silhouette’s movements while the Int. Scope listened in on the soldiers’ conversation through the directional microphone,

{A: “Ты слышал новости?”}

Snake’s brow furrowed when he heard the untranslated Russian speech.

{(140.85) - “ Sorry about that, Boss. Given the distance that we’re operating at, there might be a delay in the translation from Mother Base. We’re running our comms systems through third-party infrastructure too, complicating matters even more. ”}

{(141.73) - “ The Heiwa Maru whaling boat is en route to the Hokkaido FOB as we speak - it should arrive within a few hours. It’s fitted with a decent communications relay so our connections will run smooth when it comes online. For now - I’ll do spot translations for you, Boss.” }

“I see… then… what are they saying?”

{(141.73) - “ They’re talking about rumors floating around the garrison troops. Not a whole lot of details, though. You’ll need a more direct approach if you want to get something useful from them.” }

Snake heaved a sigh and dismounted from D-Horse. He then slowly crept towards the two soldiers heading towards the guard post.

The master infiltrator snuck up on the two, making sure that the boots of his sneaking suit hardly made a sound. Then, once he got up close, he caught one of the soldiers in a choke hold from behind and quietly dragged him into the brush.

Snake brought out his knife and held it near the soldier’s throat as he threatened,

“Speak!”

The soldier grunted and groaned, but the sensation of sharp, cold steel touching the skin of his neck forced him to oblige. After a short while, Ocelot spoke through Snake’s earpiece,

{(141.73) - “ This one said that there’s a sniper rifle in one of the villages nearby. That might come in handy..” }

{“The map has been updated.”}

{(140.85) - “ Go hold up the other soldier, Boss. He might have information that’s a little more useful. ”}

With that, Snake sheathed his knife and choked the soldier unconscious. He then proceeded to leap out of the brush and ambush the second soldier with lightning-fast CQC.

Snake threw the soldier down to the ground with ease and then pointed his assault rifle at him in one smooth motion. He then demanded,

“Spit it out!”

The second soldier grunted again but spilled the beans before long.

{(141.73) - “ Ah! This one says that there should be intel nearby… is he talking about the guard post?” }

{“The map has been updated.”}

Snake choked out the second soldier too and hid him under the brush beside his unconscious comrade. He then brought out his iDroid and charted a course for the mission intel a few meters away.

The mercenary commander followed the main dirt road to the guard post and reached it before long. It was a small, rugged campsite covered by a galvanized iron roof.

Snake observed the camp with his Int. Scope once more but found no soldiers posted there. Perhaps the two soldiers he knocked out were the ones who were supposed to man the camp.

However, the Int. Scope did pick up an interesting sound.

It was music.

“If You Leave Me Now” (1976)

Chicago

{(140.85) - “ Sounds like they’ve got a cassette tape over there in the guard post, boss. Use the ACTION button to interact with the player and take the tape if you want it. ”}

“Kaz… I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while now.”

{(140.85) - “ What is it, Boss? ”}

“How do the Soviets get their hands on so many cassettes of American music? A lot of them are pretty new too.”

{(140.85) - “ Well, it’s a bit of ‘knowing your enemy’, in my opinion. Knowing their culture - music, in this case - can help you understand what makes the enemy tick. That way, you’ll be able to anticipate their thinking to a degree and plan around it. The Soviets understand this more than anyone - they know that music in the American home front helped the North Vietnamese win the Vietnam War. ”}

“Psych-ops then. Makes sense.”

{(140.85) - “ Besides, having some tunes to break the mundane of the battlefield can really help morale too. ”}

“I see. Alright then - I guess I could use a few more songs. I’m getting sick of ‘You Spin Me Right Round’ already.”

{(141.73) - “ Are you? That song is… pretty good.” }

Snake decided to just ignore Ocelot’s comment.

He then swept through his surroundings and cautiously made his way to the guard post.

[DISCLAIMER] Copyrights (1 / 1)

All songs referred to in this story are rightfully owned by their respective owners. Doki Doki Literature Club is a Team Salvato game. But most importantly…

Metal Gear Solid V is a Hideo Kojima game.

☮

Snake reached the quiet guard post and promptly snagged the cassette tape as he passed by the player. He then stepped into the shade of the steel-roofed hovel and found what he was looking for - the intel files on a makeshift table.

He brought out his iDroid device and set it over the files on the table. The device then automatically started to scan the files for a few moments.

Then, it beeped.

{“The map has been updated.”}

{(140.85) - “ Boss. It looks like the ‘Spider Lady’ is being held in the village nearby - right around where that sniper rifle is too. There also seems to be a truck convoy scheduled to pick her up for transport to Burevestnik in less than an hour. Two trucks and an APC, by the looks of it, and a whole lot of troops. ”}

{(141.73) - “ You can still get to the ‘Spider Lady’ before the convoy if you take D-Horse through the forest. However, you can expect security to be tight for the prisoner transfer. A CIA agent is a prize for a Soviet commander after all. Alternatively, you can ambush the convoy or take your chances and break her out of Burevestnik.” }

{(140.85) - “How you accomplish this mission is up to you, Boss. So. What will it be? ”}

As Snake was trying to plan his next steps, the rumble of a heavy Soviet truck engine reached Snake’s ear.

{(140.85) - “ What… the truck convoy’s already here? They’re incredibly early! ”}

The infiltrator then noticed the faint trace of a laser sight whizzing past him.

{(141.73) - “ Boss, get down! The enemy sniper...” }

Snake heeded Ocelot’s warning and threw himself down to the dirt. He hid behind the scant furniture of the guard post.

{(141.73) “ Stay low and crawl along the ground. That should enable to you to sneak past enemies. ”}

After a short while, the laser sight turned away from the guard post as the truck rumbled down the road. The sound of marching boots followed the heavy truck.

Snake peeked out from behind the guard post and quickly realized,

“Those aren’t Soviet soldiers…”

{(140.85) - “ XOF. They’ve got a hand in Iturup Island too, huh? I thought they threw everything they had into the Kingdom of the Flies? ”}

{(141.73) “ Cipher’s roots run deep. Surely it didn’t take Zero long to scramble together a new detachment. Plus - if the rumors about the weapons are true, then there’s no way that he would ignore it either. ”}

The XOF convoy passed by the brush where the two soldiers that Snake knocked out were hidden. The soldiers were supposed to be out of sight from the road, but the convoy suddenly stopped.

A figure then stepped out from the back of the truck - a young man with an obscured face. He was clad in a red raincoat with the handle of a machete sticking out from behind his back and a hatchet holstered by his hip. There were a number of knives strapped to his legs and he had what appeared to be rope twisted around his right arm - ending with a rusty hook that swayed ominously beneath his hand.

{(140.85) - “ What’s that? Is he from of the Parasite Unit? ”}

The figure turned towards the brush, squatted down and started to sniff audibly. Then, he stood up, grabbed the handle of his roped hook and hurled it into the brush.

Loud screams rang from the brush as the figure forcibly dragged the two soldiers out onto the dirt road. The hook had brutally torn through both soldiers’ chests and gave them a rude awakening.

The first soldier’s stomach had been ripped open, so his blood and innards were gushing out of his opened belly. The second soldier, on the other hand had a bloody gash on his chest that revealed his beating heart.

In spite of the Soviet soldiers screams and their brutal injuries, neither the figure nor the XOF soldiers winced. As a matter of fact, the figure was observing the two soldiers’ necks.

It was almost as if he knows that they had been choked earlier.

A malicious grin then formed on the figure’s lips before he pulled out his hatchet. Then, he proceeded to butcher the two soldiers before the XOF troops’ eyes.

Snake noticed the symbol of ‘peace’ painted white on the back of the figure’s raincoat in the heat of his sadistic episode. Blood and guts stained the white paint but the figure remained deathly silent.

Before long, the Soviet soldiers fell quiet too.

Once the figure was satisfied, he turned around and climbed back into the truck. As he did, however, he glanced toward the guard post where Snake was hiding once more.

Then, he disappeared into the darkness of the covered truck and the convoy carried on.

Snake held his assault rifle close to his chest as he watched the departing convoy with his Int. Scope. He then grumbled beneath his breath,

“Kaz. I’ve decided. We have to get to the ‘Spider Lady’ before they do. Otherwise, she won’t leave this island alive.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

[TRANSPORTATION] - Getting Around Iturup Island (1 / 1)

There are two main roads in Iturup Island that branch out from Burevestnik Airport, linked by a small network of secondary roads. Soviet patrols regularly pass through these thoroughfares. Taking the mountain paths and woodland roads with D-Horse may oftentimes be a faster alternative.

☮

The memory of the young man armed with the hook was still fresh in Venom Snake’s mind as he back into the forest. As soon as the mercenary commander reached the woodland path again, he put his right, organic hand to his mouth and whistled for D-Horse.

The faithful white horse came rushing to Snake’s side. With a practiced motion, Snake climbed up D-Horse’s saddle and skillfully mounted the horse mid-stride.

He then took the reins and then spurred his steed onwards at top speed.

Snake’s iDroid device then buzzed as his support team from mother base weighed in on the situation.

{(140.85) - “ Boss. Based on the estimates of the Intel Team, the XOF convoy is heading straight towards the village where the ‘Spider Lady’ is being held. ”}

{(141.73) - “ Since they’re taking trucks there, they’ll be using the main road to the village. There are a lot of bends and curves in that path, so it should slow them down . Plus, the woodland paths are shorter - they'll get you there quicker. The only issue is - now that XOF is rumbling down with a motorized convoy through Soviet territory, it’s only a matter of time before the Iturup Island CP goes on alert. ” }

{(140.85) - “ Ocelot’s right. Get to the village and rescue the Spider Lady before the chaos starts. You might even be able to use the XOF as a distraction to help you escape with Pequod later on. ”}

“I know what I have to do, Kaz. Ocelot. But that kid just now… the one with the rusty hook…”

{(140.85) - “ What about him, boss? He’s an XOF mercenary - the kind that only the twisted minds of Cipher could ever produce. Never liked kids. Especially ones with guns. ”}

“That’s true… but there’s something more unsettling about him than just that…”

As Snake was trying to find the words to describe his unease, his iDroid device buzzed with a new notification.

{ Communication Frequency Added }

{(145.73) - “ Ah. Excellent. I have finally gotten through to you, Snake.” }

“Code Talker…”

{(145.73) - “ Why do you sound so surprised? I am part of the support team - the Medical Team - of Diamond Dogs, am I not?” }

“It’s not that… it’s just that the frequency you’re using is the same one that Para-Medic used in Operation Snake Eater. I was surprised for a moment.”

{(140.85) - “ I see - well, don’t worry, boss. The old-timer won’t be telling you about how my Chemical Burgers taste. ”}

{(145.73) - “ What? That was not my intention… Kazuhira...” }

{(140.85) - “ They’re the best damn burgers in the Seychelles, Boss - I’ve had our finest men and women at R&D make me the best product… isn’t that right, old-timer? ”}

{(145.73) - “ Kazuhira!” }

{(140.85) - “ ... huh? ”}

{(145.73) - Speak out of line again and I will reveal the ‘trade secret’ that the parasites in my body have detected in your… ‘Chemical Burger’ are. If that is leaked, then the… market value of your… ‘ethnic liberator’ will disappear. Yes?” }

{(140.85) - “ R-right… I’m sorry. Please go on, Code Talker. ”}

“Ergh… so… what do you think, Code Talker?”

{(145.73) - “ I first have one question about the young man you encountered. I do not see things as clearly as Kazuhira and the Ocelot on these ‘computer screens’ after all.” }

“Shoot.”

{(145.73) - “ Did the young man speak - or make any sort of sound?” }

“Not a word.”

{(145.73) - “ Then, it may be as I have suspected. There is a chance that the boy may be carrying yet another strain of the Vocal Cord parasites. ”}

“Vocal Cord parasites…?”

{(145.73) - “ Yes. Skull Face had a  lot of time to develop various strains of the parasite in the Devil’s House in Africa - so we do not know what language will trigger them.” }

{(141.73) - “ So, XOF is going after an unknown weapon with a weapon of their own. I wouldn't be surprised - XOF would be willing to let the whole Iturup Island go to hell if it benefits them. After what happened with Eli, that new boy might just be their insurance policy. ” }

{(140.85) - “ Hrgh… children in battlefields spell nothing but trouble. First it was Paz. Then, Eli. Now... ”}

“So… what do you want me to do, Code Talker?”

{(145.73) - “ If ever you encounter the young man again, observe him with your Int. Scope binoculars. Given enough time, the directional microphone of your device will pick up the latent sounds of the parasites and I will be able to decipher their language.” }

“Ergh… I just hope I don’t have to encounter him again.”

[EQUIPMENT] - Int. Scope (1 / 1)

Variable-magnification binoculars for long-range recon and intel support. Equipped with a directional microphone feature, allowing the user to listen to distant noises and conversations. The added analyzer feature can determine soldiers’ and prisoners’ abilities and any special skills they may possess.

☮

After ten minutes of riding D-Horse through the shorter yet treacherous woodland path, Venom Snake reached a clearing. Past the brush and deciduous trees, the mercenary found himself on a small hill overlooking a quaint, rural village of more than two dozen houses.

Snake instinctively brought out his Int. Scope binoculars and started scouting out the place.

This was the village where the ‘Spider Lady’ was being held. At least - that was what the intel he got from the guard post told him.

Despite that, the village was awfully quiet. There wasn’t a villager in sight.

Only a handful of Soviet troopers on patrol roamed the dirt roads while a gaggle of Soviet mechanics congregated around what appeared to be a TT77 NOSOROG main battle tank.

{(140.85) - “ It looks like the villagers high-tailed it. Were the Soviets expecting someone to try and go after the Spider Lady…? ”}

{(141.73) - “ If the Soviets were expecting a fight, they would have had more than a small garrison and a single tank in place. They don’t appear to have been alerted about the XOF convoy either. ” }

“If the Soviets use the NOSOROG, this garrison might stand a chance against the XOF. They’ll have plenty of time to call for reinforcements from Burevestnik too.”

{(140.85) - “ That’s true. But first thing’s first, boss. You’ve got to get the ‘Spider Lady’ out of there safely. Time is of the essence, but keep your eyes peeled for any traps the Soviets may have in place. The sooner we get the ‘Spider Lady’ out of Iturup, the sooner we can proceed with the rest of our mission. ”}

“You mean - the sooner we’ll get paid, Kaz?”

{(140.85) - “ Ha-ha. You make it sound like all I ever think about is money - or GMP. ”}

“Code Talker seems to think so.”

{(140.85) - “ You don’t have to believe every single story the old-timer tells you, Boss. And more importantly, focus on the mission, okay? The mission! ”}

“Whatever you say, Kaz.”

[TERMINOLOGY] - GMP (1 / 1)

GMP or ‘Gross Military Product’ is the currency equivalent used by the Diamond Dogs PMC and other mercenary units that operated around the world. It is an overall measure of a PMC’s purchasing power, ability to develop new weapons and items and provide active battlefield support.

It is Kaz’s favorite thing.

☮

Snake tuned out of his conversation and then prodded D-Horse to trot slowly closer to the village. He dutifully marked the locations of the Soviet troopers and kept tabs of them as he crept closer and closer to the town proper.

Then, once he reached a quiet corner, Snake hopped off of D-Horse and gently patted his trusty mount’s cheek. The horse nodded thankfully before it sauntered off to the outskirts of town.

Once D-Horse was out of sight, Snake carefully made his way through the village.

He passed through the backyards of house after house and managed to make it to the heart of the village. He was a stone’s throw away from the paved main road that cut the village in half and led all the way to Burevestnik Airbase.

According to his iDroid map, the house where the Spider Lady was being held was just across that main road. However, Snake quickly realized that that was where the majority of the sparse Soviet garrison stood guard.

Snake brought out his Int. Scope again and noticed a number of Soviet troopers that he didn’t notice from the hill. There were a couple of sniper positions overlooking the Spider Lady’s home prison.

That was the Soviets' trap!

As the legendary mercenary considered his options, his iDroid device buzzed again.

{(141.73) - “ Boss. Crossing that main road would mean having the entire Soviet garrison focus fire on you from God knows how many positions. You might end up having to deal with that tank too. Try to find a way to make it to the other side without being seen. ” }

{(140.85) - “ Also Boss. Remember the intel that the Soviet soldier at the guard post gave you? The sniper rifle should be in a shed right there in that backyard. Since you’re already there, it won’t hurt to pick up a long-range weapon. ”}

“Is that so? Might as well…”

Snake found the shed in the backyard that he was in and noticed that it had a padlock. Without a second thought, he picked the lock and opened the shed door within second.

He stepped inside and checked for any traps that might have been planted in the room. However, all he found was what appeared to be a metal weapons briefcase.

{(140.85) - “ That must be it, Boss. Use the ACTION button to open the case and again to pick up the secondary weapon. Piece of cake, right?. ”}

“Do you have to remind me about every single thing, Kaz?”

{(140.85) - “ It always helps to recall the basics from time to time, Boss. Plus, if it helps the mission succeed, I would gladly remind you about everything and anything. ”}

“Please don’t do that, Kaz…”

Kaz chuckled from the other side of the radio, so Snake just grumbled. He then turned his attention to the weapons briefcase and popped it open.

There was no sniper rifle waiting for Snake when he did, however. Instead, there was a crossbow modified to fit a short two-zoom scope. There were color-coded boxes of crossbow bolts there as well, but Venom Snake couldn’t hide his disappointment.

{(141.73) - “ Beggars can’t be choosers, Boss. Besides, you know very well how deadly a crossbow can be - especially when you… or rather, Big Boss, fought against The Fear. It’s silent too, so you won’t have to use a suppressor. ” }

“I know… but a Mosin Nagant would have been nicer.”

With a heavy heart, Snake took the crossbow and its ammunition. He was wondering if the crossbow would have been enough to turn the tide when he heard the squeak of a mouse.

Snake looked around the tool shed, but there weren’t any mice.

Instead, he realized that the sound came from a storm drain that ran beneath the tool shed. The metal grills of the gutter were right beneath Snake’s feet!

{(140.85) - “ It looks like a storm drain, boss. You might be able to use it to cross over to the other side!. ”}

“Okay. Let’s give it a try, then.”

Snake opened up the grating and then started crawling through the drain.

  [URBAN INFILTRATION] - Storm Drains (1 / 1)

Infrastructure built to collect and drain excess rainfall from roads and similar surfaces. Some storm drains are large enough for Snake to crawl through. Drain networks in urban settings can be a quick way to get from one part of an installation to another with minimal risk. Be wary, however, of flash floods during periods of inclement weather.

☮

Shallow water sloshed around in the drain pipe as Snake crawled through the cramped space. Traces of sunlight flowing in through the grating of the main road illuminated Snake’s path while imposing shadows of Soviet soldiers shifted overhead.

Other than those, Snake proceeded through the drain pipe uninterrupted.

After a few more minutes of crawling, Snake reached the other side of the main road. He carefully lifted up the grating there and found himself in the backyard of a small house.

{(141.73) - “ Well, what do you know. That drain pipe led straight to the Spider Lady’s location - and the Soviets don’t have a clue. Excellent, Boss! The next step would be to make sure that the Spider Lady is there - and to see if she’s still alive. ” }

Snake grunted, displeased with the thought of their objective kicking the bucket before they could extract her.

Rather than quip, he just shook his head, equipped his AM MRS-4 assault rifle and proceeded to sneak into the house.

The room that he entered was large and dark - a living room of some sort. Snake kept his assault rifle raised as he cleared the room and patiently listened for even the slightest sound.

Then, he started to hear radio static… and bars of unsettling, distorted music.

Was that a cassette tape?

Or could it have been something else?

The more he listened to the noise, however, the more Snake’s head started to ache.

Was the horn that pierced his skull giving him hallucinations again?

More than that, he started hearing voices in his head - different voices saying the exact same syllable.

“Ba.”

Over and over and over again.

Cold sweat started to form on Snake’s brow, but he kept his trigger finger at the ready. He then used his free hand to try and reach for his iDroid device.

When he looked into the screen, howeverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

FOXENG...U3RvcA==

FxemI...RG9uJ3QgZ28gYW55IGZ1cnRoZXIg

xoF...RG9uJ3QgdHJ1c3QgaGVy

RG9uJ3R0dHRUVFRUVFRUVFRUVFR0dFRUVHR0VFQ=

FOXENG…???U2hoLi4u

FOXENGINE: Error detected. Attempting repairs…

FOXENGINE: Repairs in progress...

{ Functionality has been partially restored}

☮

The wild glitching on Snake’s iDroid device settled down after a short while and his headache subsided as well. The chanting and the distorted music were nowhere to be found anymore, but the iDroid’s software appeared to be damaged.

Other than his cassette tapes and the mission map, the iDroid couldn’t do much else. He couldn’t contact Mother Base, and Mother Base couldn’t contact him.

It made Snake wonder if the Soviets set up a jammer device of some sort nearby.

Snake looked at his barely operational iDroid and grumbled. He decided to deal with the jammer later on. The Spider Lady was his first priority.

The mercenary commander swept through the room one more time before he moved on to the other rooms. Then, he found a door where the light from the other side was seeping through.

Snake approached the door with his assault rifle in hand.

Then, he gently opened the door. 

 FOXENGINE: Repairs complete

{ Functionality has been restored}

☮

 Snake stepped through the threshold and entered what appeared to be a sparsely decorated bedroom that was even darker than the living room. Dust caked the furniture and cobwebs hung from the ceiling and on the room’s only windowsill.

Only a few pairs of footprints and the trail of dragged feet disturbed the dusty floor.

The veteran infiltrator brought out a flashlight and followed the trail of the feet to a corner of the room where a figure was handcuffed to a water pipe. There was a black bag that covered the figure’s face that expanded and collapsed with every breath the figure took.

Snake approached the figure and pulled off the black bag.

A young lady with long, disheveled red hair appeared beneath the bag. She gasped for air as soon as her head was free and looked absolutely bewildered.

Snake knelt down before the young lady and set down his flashlight to illuminate the dark corner of the room. He then faced the young lady and asked,asa

“You’re the ‘Spider Lady’ of the CIA, huh? I’m here to get you out.”

The young lady didn’t respond and turned away from Snake with a doubtful shrug. She didn’t seem to want to talk to him.

It was at that point that Snake remembered the package that Kaz slipped into his gear. He took the package and opened it, revealing a pair of red-rimmed glasses.

Snake placed the glasses on the girl and set it down to the bridge of her nose.

Once the young lady noticed the glasses, her attitude towards Snake quickly warmed,

“So Langley really didn’t abandon me… and you’re Big Boss! Sorry - my eyesight isn’t very good, so I didn’t notice you… but thank goodness you’re here.”

“Stay still. I’ll get these handcuffs off for you.”

Snake undid the Spider Lady’s handcuffs, setting her free for the first time in a week. The CIA agent rubbed her wrists and felt the impressions that the handcuffs left there.

She then turned to Snake and guessed,

“I’m guessing that you’re not here to just rescue one poor ole’ CIA agent trapped on Russian soil.”

The mercenary commander didn’t answer. Instead, he faced the Spider Lady and asked,

“So what exactly were you doing on a Russian island in the middle of the North Pacific?”

The Spider Lady paused for a moment and considered what cards she could reveal. She then turned to Snake and grimly replied,

“You may not believe me… but this island… was taken over by a bunch of incredibly cute girls.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

In the dusty confines of the sparse bedroom, Venom Snake watched his objective - the CIA agent known as the ‘Spider Lady’ with a blank stare. Confused by the Spider Lady’s revelation, he couldn’t help but repeat her words,

“So you’re saying… Iturup Island - a strategic Soviet airbase and garrison - has been taken over by these… ‘incredibly cute girls’?”

The Spider Lady lowered her head and the rays of light that seeped through the boarded windows reflected off of her red-rimmed glasses. She then turned again to Snake and realized,

“You don’t believe me, do you? You must think that i’m imagining things, huh? Like - it’s something that I came up with while I was being held by the Soviets for a week - is that it?”

Snake shook his head and clarified,

“I want to believe you. The problem is - what you’re saying is improbable… I’d say that XOF is…”

The Spider Lady bit her lip and impatiently interrupted,

“XOF is small fry compared to those girls! You don’t understand the kind of power they wield… I didn’t believe it at first - and I’ve seen my fair share of oddities at the CIA. You have too, haven’t you, Big Boss?”

Snake gave off an unconvinced grunt. He didn’t know what else to say, so the Spider Lady continued.

“My mission here on Iturup Island was a routine infiltration - standard field work training for those who want to work at Langley. We have to know how to survive behind enemy lines and gather intelligence after all - and it became SOP after the old FOX unit’s Virtuous Mission.”

“Survival training, then…”

“Exactly. Anyways - it was a one week training program and I managed to spend four days here on Iturup without a hitch.”

“Until you got caught by the Soviets, you mean…”

“Bluntly put, yes. However, every day that I was here, my electronic equipment would malfunction - especially my communications device. They became more frequent and more severe as time went on.”

“Is that why Langley lost contact with you in the first place…?”

“I would believe so - but it wasn’t just me experiencing problems with my comms. The Soviets were having it bad too. I caused a commotion one time when I was gathering intel one time, but the Soviet CP never really organized a search party.”

When Snake thought about it, the XOF convoy had managed to cut through most of the island without a single alert status being raised by the Soviet CP. It made Snake wonder just how crippled the communication infrastructure of Iturup was - and if that was another reason the Soviets and the Americans wanted Diamond Dogs to do their work for them.

Yet another thing that the CIA and the KGB kept from Kazuhira Miller…

It made Snake wonder just how much in the dark Diamond Dogs truly was about the bigger picture.

The mercenary commander furrowed his brow and considered calling Kaz on the radio when the Spider Lady suddenly spoke.

She had a few false starts, but her voice was clearly painted in horror,

“Then… on the fourth day… I met them on the battlefield…”

“... met who?”

The Spider Lady looked into Snake’s one eye and revealed,

“The Four Writers of the Apocalypse.”

“...four writers… of the apocalypse…”

“That’s right - at first glance, they appeared to be little more than incredibly cute high school girls in military fatigues. They clearly weren’t with the Soviets, nor were they backups from Langley either. I decided to confront them and interrogate them - but… they turned the tables on me in a heartbeat.”

“... how did they do that?”

“Every single one of them was an excellent soldier - but each and every one of them had supernatural powers that were… for lack of better words… ‘out of this world’. I’d even say that those girls would have been a match for most of the infamous Cobra Unit. The original Boss herself might have stood a chance on her own - but a CIA rookie like me…”

The Spider Lady exhaled in frustration, unsettling the thick dust that caked most of the room before she continued,

“I had to retreat and abandon my camp deep in the forest to save my life… but in that chaos, I ran straight into this village’s Soviet garrison. I’ve been their prisoner ever since then - but never once have I felt safe from those girls. Sometimes, I can feel them just… watching me from the darkness… around the village… from the from the forests… even in this very room. They just… won’t leave me in peace!”

As the Spider Lady was talking, Snake heard frantic shouting in Russian coming from outside the house. Moments later, heavy gunfire broke out and the distinct roar of the TT77 NOSOROG tank came to life too.

XOF must have finally made it to the village.

Snake turned to the Spider Lady and cut her story short,

“We’ll talk more, but not here. Can you walk?”

The Spider Lady nodded weakly. That would have to be good enough.

Snake brought out the scoped crossbow that he took earlier and handed it to the Spider Lady,

“Take this too. We might have to fight our way out of this one.”

  [SUPPORT BUDDY] The Spider Lady (1 / 1)

The Spider Lady is a rookie agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency who was captured during her survival and infiltration training on Iturup Island. In combat, she is average in most regards and does not hold a candle to members of the Diamond Dogs’ Combat Team. She is skilled, however, in camouflaging herself and setting up ambushes with suppressed firearms or non-gunpowder weapons.

Based on her official CIA records, she loves spiders, likes manga and dislikes grape tarts.

☮

Snake and the Spider Lady crept out of the house together through the back door and into the backyard. From there, they heard the sounds of battle clearly as assault rifles and machine guns rang loudly throughout the village. Every so often, mortar shells would whistle ominously and strike positions in the distance while the NOSOROG tank rumbled towards the frontline.

The Soviet garrison and the XOF convoy were squaring off in what appeared to be an even battle. Though the Soviets were outmanned, their sniper nests kept XOF convoy at bay - at least for the time being - and their tank was on the move.

Snake brought out his Int. Scope to try and see how the battle was going - and to look for signs of that young, red-hooded man with the rusty hook. However, there was no sign of the young man on the battlefield.

Regardless, Snake decided to keep an eye out for the young man if ever he appeared.

Once he had marked every soldier in the skirmish, Snake pressed his back against the wall of the house. The Spider Lady followed suit and held the crossbow tightly in her hands.

She then looked up to the early afternoon skies. There were thick, dark clouds looming over the horizon that cast their shadows over the village.

Snake’s device then chimed,

...

{“Caution - Rain approaching” }

{Intel Team: Rainclouds approaching your vicinity}

...

Moments later, the raindrops started to trickle down from the heavens and gradually turned into a heavy downpour. Snake and the Spider Lady pressed their backs against the wall of the house to hide from the rain and then waited for the NOSOROG tank to pass them by.

Once they were in the clear, Kaz contacted Snake over the radio,

{(140.85) - “ Boss - it looks like the entire garrison’s busy fighting off XOF. If the Soviets’ comms on Iturup are as crippled as the Spider Lady believes, you can designate a landing zone closer to the village. Go to your iDROID menu and select a landing zone. ”}

“Got it.”

Snake obliged and brought out his iDroid. He placed a marker on the map for the small hill overlooking the village and set it as his landing zone.

...

{New LZ available nearby}

{Support Unit: Chopper Request Received}

{Helicopter Expenses: [GMP -60,000]}

...

{(140.85) - “ Roger that, Boss. Now, escort the Spider Lady to the LZ an… ….obj…… Oce… … … …. ”}

…

FOXENGINE: Error detected

FOXENGINE: Attempting repairs…

…

While Kaz was speaking, his voice was interrupted by the sound of static. Snake’s iDroid started glitching out again like it did before he met the Spider Lady too.

Snake tried to shake his device to try to get it to work again, but it was no use. When the Spider Lady saw the glitches on Snake’s device, however, she suddenly had a cold sweat.

“T-that’s… that’s.... T-that’s the same kind of glitches I had on my device when those… those freaks attacked me!”

“The Four Writers, you mean?”

The Spider Lady nodded and held her crossbow tightly as the color seemed to drain from her face. In a fit of hysteria, she panicked,

“They’re coming… I can feel it!”

  [DEBUGGING] QWhhaGF+IEkgc2Vl4oCm (??? / ???)

VGhpcyBzdG9yeSBpcyBub3QgZm9yIGNoaWxkcmVuIG9yIHRob3NlIHdobyBhcmUgZWFzaWx5IGRpc3R1cmJlZC4uLgoKLi4uCgouLi4KCj8=

bnVsbChwZWFjZSk=

…

{Functionality has been restored}

☮

Soldiers from the XOF convoy and the Soviet garrison were squaring off against each other at the eastern entrance of the village. Thirty XOF soldiers fired from behind their four armored trucks while the twelve Soviets shot back from concrete barriers, earthen trenches and fortified sniper nests.

The NOSOROG tank then arrived on the scene, pointed its gun at one of the armored trucks and then fired its powerful 125mm main gun. The blast blew the armored truck away and turned it into an overturned inferno, forcing the XOF troopers hiding behind it to scatter like rats.

One of those XOF troopers, however, managed to bring out a loaded FB MR R-L recoilless rifle and hastily shot an 84mm high-explosive round at the tank.

The high-explosive round missed and struck the facade of the house that Snake and the Spider Lady were hiding behind, shaking its foundations.

The frightened Spider Lady fell down to her knees while Venom Snake kept his assault rifle at the ready.

All of the sudden, the already strong rain became torrential and forced both the XOF and the Soviets to take cover themselves. Only the Soviet snipers in their fortified nests managed to keep shooting, but the strong winds that accompanied the rain threw their shots way off.

Then, from the distance - in spite of the rain - everyone in the village heard the galloping of four horses with absolute clarity. However, after a powerful thunderclap in the heavens, the galloping was masked by the sounds of heavy rain once more.

Snake turned to the source of the sound and pointed his Int. Scope in that direction. His device couldn’t seem to get a read on who was riding those horses.

All of the riders wore large, flowing, grey-colored raincoats with hoods that obscured their faces right down to their short, dark-blue skirts.

One of the riders then spoke in a melancholy tone that Snake’s Int. Scope picked up,

“Sad… so sad… a host of sorrows… hanging over this doomed island…”

The rider right beside her, however, and asked,

“Are the rainclouds getting to you again, Sayori?”

The first rider - a girl named ‘Sayori’ - shook her head and let her hood fly off of her head. That revealed her short, coral-pink hair, the bright red hair ribbon that she wore and her sky blue eyes.

“I’m not bothered by the rainclouds anymore. The rainclouds should be afraid of us!”

As this ‘Sayori’ girl was speaking, the second rider seemed to notice Snake’s Int. Scope focused on her. The second rider smiled devilishly at Snake and whispered toward the Int. Scope’s microphone,

“They should be afraid - especially the spider… and the Snake!”

With that, the four riders charged down at full stride towards the battlefield and cut a path between the XOF and the Soviet forces.

The XOF and Soviet troopers hiding from the rain tried to fire at the riders, but many of them were trampled beneath the hooves of the horses.

When the Soviet snipers tried to take aim at the riders, the second rider brought out an M1903 Springfield rifle and pulled off her hood as well, revealing her long, coral-brown hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon and her emerald green eyes.

Without a second thought, the second rider cocked her rifle, aimed with one steady hand and shot one of the Soviet snipers down with ease. She then proceeded to methodically take down out the rest of the sniper nests.

While the second rider gave them covery fire, the third and fourth riders then dismounted from their steeds and took off their hoods as well.

The third rider was a tall girl with a strange assault rifle that Snake had never seen before fixed with a frighteningly sharp bayonet. She had a bandolier of ammunition magazines, flashbang grenades and an assortment of menacing knives of all shapes and sizes. The fourth rider stood much shorter than the third and carried an older PPS-43 submachine gun. Her bandolier had high-explosive grenades as well as rectangular packages that Snake couldn’t identify from where he watched.

The third and fourth rider turned to the second who then gave them a nod. That was their green light to start attacking both the XOF and the Soviets indiscriminately, turning the battlefield into a bloody free-for-all.

  [ASYMMETRIC WARFARE] - Useful Distractions (1 / 1)

Whenever two opposing forces encounter each other on the battlefield, a skirmish is likely to take place. This will draw most if not all of your enemies attention, allowing Snake to sneak through otherwise heavily guarded spaces.

Be careful, however! Get spotted in that situation and there is a chance that you will become their next target!

☮

Unsettled by the wild battle that was brewing in the village, Snake decided that it was time to get going. He turned to the Spider Lady as he urged,

“We’ve got to get out of here, and…!”

Before Snake could finish his sentence, however, he felt the presence of another person nearby and the screech of a rusty metal chain.

A rusty hook then shot from out of nowhere and went straight for Venom Snake’s head.

Snake dodged the attack and dove towards the Spider Lady to protect her from the assailant. However, Snake couldn’t find anyone there in the backyard of the house.

Then, he finally noticed an odd refraction of light and the outline of a person in the heavy rain moving towards him.

The attacker was using stealth camo!

Snake raised up his assault rifle and shoved it at the hidden attacker, stopping him in his tracks. The impact also disabled the stealth camo and revealed the full figure of the red-hooded young man that Snake saw earlier.

The young man’s red hood was also pushed back, revealing his head for the very first time. He had long, messy brown hair and had wild, green eyes that were absolutely feral.

In spite of this, the young man’s image sparked a dormant memory in Venom Snake’s mind.

The young man, however, didn’t give Snake much time to think. Instead, he drew out a hatchet from his holster and swung at Venom Snake like a wild, enraged animal. He wasn’t attacking Snake in blind rage either.

He threw practiced, deliberate strikes that kept Venom Snake’s CQC skills at bay.

Snake found himself on the defensive as he blocked the hatchet with his mechanical arm. He tried to draw his assault rifle or his pistol or his knife, but the young man’s relentless attack kept him from doing any of those, let alone use his Int. Scope to gather data for Code Talker.

The Spider Lady watched the frantic battle from where she knelt as she tried to gather her composure. She realized that the young man attacked Snake as if she wasn’t there at all.

That was her chance, she thought.

She picked up her crossbow and aimed it at the young man’s hatchet. Then, she pulled the trigger and skillfully shot the hatchet out of his hand.

This sudden shock gave Snake the opening he needed.

The mercenary commander finally closed the distance between him and the disarmed young man. Snake threw a series of lightning-fast punches with his natural and mechanical arm that found their marks on the young man’s chest. Then, Snake caught the young man’s arm and then thrust him down into the mud with a powerful CQC throw.

The young man tried to pick himself up from the mud, but he was too fatigued to continue the battle. He was still just a kid, Snake thought.

However, there was no time for sympathy. Snake could tell that both the Soviets and the XOF were running away from the battlefield. There was only a matter of time before the Writers of the Apocalypse would come for them next.

With that, Snake whistled for D-Horse and waited for the his steed to come. All the while, the mercenary commander wielded his assault rifle and watched the young man for any sudden movements.

Once D-Horse arrived at the backyard, however, the young man lost consciousness and the earphones that were plugged into his ears popped out.

They were old, familiar Walkman earphones that seemed to play a peculiar tune.

'Here’s To You.'

Snake considered questioning the young man, but his iDroid buzzed,

...

{Additional Frequency Added}

{(143.11) - “ This is Pequod. Arriving shortly at LZ! ”}

...

The Spider Lady also reminded him,

“We have to go, Big Boss!”

“... right…”

Snake shook his head and mounted D-Horse as well. He then pulled on his horse’s reins and rode down the western exit of the village, far away from the one-sided massacre at the other end of town.

To Be Continued

SCORE

Episode 52: Words Can Kill

PLAY RATING

Total Play Time : Three hours (165 hours left for campaign)

Time : Three hours

Enemy Combat Alerts : 0

Hits Taken : 0

Tactical Takedowns : 3

Headshots : 0

Accuracy : 0% (0/0)

Neutralizations : 3

Effective Interrogations : 2

Prisoners Rescued : 1

[PERFECT STEALTH, NO KILLS]

Rank: S

...

{(140.85) - “ Amazing, Boss! Mission complete. That right there is why you’re the best, Boss. The one and only! ”}

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady: 10%

Codename: RAINCLOUDS

☮

Chapter Text

Prologue

9:08

Iturup Island, USSR

Russian Settler Village,South-West of Burevestnik Airbase

Pillars of black smoke rose to the heavens from the small Russian village as the rainclouds started to clear. Even though the fierce battle ended minutes ago, the ruins of houses at the edge of the village and the smoldering wreckage of the TT-77 NOSOROG still crackled with flames.

A soot-covered Monika climbed atop the derelict tank and peered into the commander’s hatch. Inside, she saw burning corpses of the tankers and carefully observed them.

Her sharp, green eyes were looking for something among the corpses. Disappointment came not long after.

As Monika hopped off of the tank, Sayori walked over to her with a light blue towel in hand. Sayori was hoping to ask if Monika found what she was looking for, but the dejected look on the riflewoman’s face already gave the answer.

So, instead, Sayori wore a warm smile and gently wiped Monika’s soot-swept face. She then kindly praised,

“Good work today, Moni. We did our best.”

Monika heaved a sigh, turned her eyes up to the clearing skies and commented,

“We came all this way… and Amy managed to slip past us yet again…”

Her green eyes then caught a glimpse of the Blackfoot helicopter in the distance departing from Iturup Island. Sayori looked up to the sky as well and added,

“He’s gonna be our enemy too, huh? The legendary… Big Boss…”

Monika clenched her fist and turned away from the distant helicopter. She then grumbled beneath her breath,

“They’ll be back - the Spider and the Snake. Their mission isn’t done yet, after all - so it’s not over. Not yet. We’ll be ready for them then.”

The riflewoman then heard the rustling of leaves coming from the nearby forest, so she promptly reminded,

“However, those two aren’t the only phantoms who came to this island. Find the boy. He’s still alive.”

Episode 53

Hokkaido Interlude (Part I)

  [FORWARD OPERATING BASE] Rest & Relaxation (1 / 1)

The Forward Operating Base in Hokkaido, Japan will be Snake’s Mother Base away from Mother Base during the span of the Kuril Islands Deployment campaign. Here, Snake will be able to replenish his supplies, change his loadout of weapons, rest and take a shower like he would in the Seychelles Mother Base. Snake will also be able to interact with Diamond Dogs soldiers forward-deployed to Hokkaido as well as any notable characters brought into Diamond Dogs’ custody.

Do note, however, that there is a one-hour travel time between the FOB and Iturup Island, so plan your R&R wisely.

☮

10:15

International Waters

Off Hokkaido Island, Nemuro, Japan

Pequod, the dutiful pilot of the Blackfoot helicopter, checked his instruments and gladly announced,

“Entering Japanese airspace. Approaching Forward Operating Base.”

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Venom Snake nodded from where he sat at the very back of the helicopter. The Spider Lady sat opposite of the mercenary commander but she didn’t seem to respond to Pequod’s announcement. As a matter of fact, she barely spoke since they left Iturup Island.

Concerned, Snake reached out to the Spider Lady with his mechanical hand and tapped her shoulder.

“Hey. We’re far away from Iturup Island now. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

The Spider Lady seemed startled by the gesture, so she tried to gather herself,

“Ah-! Y-yes. Yes, of course… we’re out of that hellhole now. Thank goodness.”

While Snake was thinking about what to do, his earpiece chimed with Kaz’s voice,

{(140.85) - “ Boss… the Spider Lady looks like she’s still shaken by the whole ordeal. ”}

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

Snake grumbled and noted,

“It might be PTSD, Kaz. A rookie CIA kid wouldn’t have been prepared for what happened in Iturup Island.”

{(140.85) - “ Hmm… that makes sense. You had to deal with a lot of PTSD cases back then - back in your MSF days… before you became ‘Big Boss’. ”}

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

“I’d rather not talk about it…”

{(140.85) - “ Well, in any case, the Spider Lady is out of Iturup Island. We’ve fulfilled out part of the bargain with the CIA. Once we hand her over to Langley, we might be able to ask for another favor from our American friends. ”}

“That’s true…”

While Snake and Kaz were talking, however, the Spider Lady turned to the mercenary and guessed,

“You’re talking about handing me over to the CIA after we arrive at Hokkaido, aren’t you?”

Guest Starring

Diamond Dogs Soldiers

Snake didn’t reply, but his silence was enough for the Spider Lady to guess what he meant. She then looked into Venom Snake’s one eye and offered,

“W-what if I told you... t-that I can help you fight the Writers of the Apocalypse?”

The mercenary furrowed his brow and grunted with disbelief,

“What? Fight those four girls…?”

JGSDF 84th Infantry “Oshimahana” Btn. (Airborne) Troopers

The Spider Lady nodded and took a deep breath to compose herself. Once she calmed herself down, she continued with a firmer voice,

“I already told you - I’ve seen crazy things in my short time in the CIA. Supernatural anomalies like the Four Writers shouldn’t exist in this world. It’s my duty to help you defeat them.”

Snake shook his head and cautioned,

“That may be true, but you’re just a rookie. You haven’t even completed your survival training yet, so a high-stakes operation might be out of your paygrade.”

Featured Mecha

DDS Heiwa Maru

The Spider Lady sat firmly and countered,

“I’m not just some rookie. As far as I know, I’m the only one who has encountered those girls up close and lived to tell the tale. At the very least - I think I know more about the girls than either the Soviets or the XOF. Even the CIA doesn’t seem to know that they exist! They’re ghosts - phantoms! And I’ve seen them, Big Boss. I can help you defeat them.”

Snake leaned back into his seat and thought about the Spider Lady’s proposition. While he was thinking, his earpiece buzzed again - this time, with Ocelot’s voice.

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

{(141.73) - “ She’s got a point boss. The Soviets and the XOF didn’t stand a chance against those… ‘incredibly cute girls’. Having the Spider Lady on our team might give us the upper hand against them. ”}

{(140.85) - “ Ergh… not this again. I don’t agree with you here, Ocelot. Then again, we don’t see eye to eye on many things. ”}

{(141.73) - “ Fortune favors the bold, Miller. ”}

{(140.85) - “ In case you forgot, Ocelot, the last time the CIA got involved in our operations, Skull Face played us like a damn fiddle! ”}

Written By

Elias_Pedro

{(141.73) - “ Don’t worry about that, Miller. I’ll keep an eye on the CIA girl. If she even tries to betray us like Huey did, then I’ll make sure she regrets it. That’s my specialty after all. And remember - thanks to our equipment on the Heiwa Maru - the CIA doesn’t know that we already rescued the Spider Lady. The ball’s in our court.” }

“Ocelot - how do you plan to do that from all the way in the Seychelles?”

{(141.73) - “ Heh. Well, why don’t you open the helicopter door, boss?” }

Snake stood up from his seat and obliged. He slid the helicopter door to the side and looked out through the threshold. Then, he saw the Heiwa Maru - the Diamond Dogs’ whaling-ship-turned-command-boat - just a few nautical miles away. Even from that distance, Snake managed to find the figure of the revolver-toting Ocelot in the citadel of the Heiwa Maru.

Ocelot stepped out of the citadel and then gestured a confident wave to Venom Snake. He then spoke into his radio piece and greeted,

{(141.73) - “ Welcome to Hokkaido, Boss.” }

Created and Directed by

Elias_Pedro

To Be Continued

 {Cassette Tape Acquired - "Rasputin" - Boney M. (1978)}

Chapter Text

The Blackfoot helicopter glided down towards a small concrete helipad built on a rock formation just off of the eastern tip of Nemuro, Hokkaido in Japan. Venom Snake and the Spider Lady sat face to face but they both looked out the open helicopter door during their descent.

Then, once the Blackfoot helicopter landed, Revolver Ocelot and four Diamond Dogs soldiers were there waiting for them at the helipad.

Snake’s eyes shifted around the scene and he noticed that Ocelot and the four soldiers all had their full suite of weapons. Ocelot noticed Snake’s wandering eyes, so he briefly explained,

“Miller has been extremely skeptical about the women that you bring into Diamond Dogs custody, Boss - so we’re just taking precautions. Paz gave MSF all sorts of problems, after all… and Quiet… well, you know what had to be done.”

Snake heaved a sigh and replied,

“Don’t worry about it, she’s fine. I unloaded the crossbow I gave her too, so she’s unarmed.”

Ocelot chuckled,

“No supernatural tricks like Quiet, huh? That’s a relief. Though, she is a little bit plain - if it weren’t for her glasses.”

The Spider Lady pouted when she heard this and complained,

“Hey! I’m right here, you know!”

Ocelot snickered and teased,

“Apologies. My time with the GRU made me fond of making fun of CIA kids. Old habit.”

The Spider Lady furrowed her brow, but Ocelot continued as he shepherded her and Snake off of the helicopter.

“In any case, welcome to Hokkaido, you two. You’re standing on a small parcel of land that Diamond Dogs leased from the Japanese Air Self Defense Forces. Nemuro on Hokkaido Island in Japan - Miller’s home country. That being said, we’re guests here - so we have to play by the Japanese military’s rules.”

Snake looked past the confines of the helipad and saw that there were quite a number of Japanese soldiers watching them from a distance - all of them in full battle dress as well. Snake winced and noted,

“Howa Type 64 assault rifles… every single one of them…”

Ocelot folded his arms and reassured,

“That means we’re going to have to behave, Boss - and we’ll have to be gone by the end of the seven-day period. We’re not exactly long-term tenants, after all - but we’re tenants nonetheless. Miller paid a pretty penny for this Forward Operating Base, after all.”

The revolver-wielding officer then gestured towards the sparse buildings in the small compound and introduced,

“It’s not a lot - but everything behind the chain link fence and the gate is the land that Diamond Dogs leased. That includes the small barracks over there - enough for thirty people - and that small WW2 era bunker, where I’ll be setting up shop.”

Snake turned towards Ocelot and asked,

“Setting up shop?”

“Heh, I knew you’d ask, boss. We brought in some equipment from Mother Base onto the Heiwa Maru - it’s docked not far from here, and the Japanese were kind enough to let us use some trucks. We’re in the process of unloading them now - communications equipment and mission support facilities”

Just as Ocelot said, there were JSDF trucks entering and leaving the compound through the gate at a steady interval. All of them seemed to be coming to and going from the bunker.

With a hint of pride, Ocelot put his hands on his hips and promised,

“Give us a day, and we’ll be able to lend you most of the support that the Seychelles Mother Base did for you in Afghanistan in and Africa. We won’t have the same efficiencies, given the time constraint, but it’s better than nothing.”

“That makes sense.”

“We’ve also brought some comforts from home, Boss.”

Ocelot pointed to one of the trucks which carried a white-and-blue colored booth along with wooden crates. Snake watched the truck and recognized what they were,

“A temporary shower unit… and rations…”

“It’s the least we could do for you, Boss. We need you to be fresh and ready to do what needs to be done for this mission. If good rations and a good shower can help you see things through, then we won’t spare any expense.”

“I appreciate the gesture.”

Ocelot wore a small smile and then patted Venom Snake’s shoulder,

“Go take a rest, Boss. I’ll handle the base management this time around, so just focus on the mission. Also…”

He then turned to the Spider Lady and continued,

“I have a few questions that I need to ask the Spider Lady - to make sure that we’re all on the same page.”

Venom Snake pulled Ocelot close to him and whispered,

“Are you going to torture her?”

Ocelot’s expression grew stern as he whispered back,

“Only if I have to - but don’t worry. She doesn’t seem to be the fighting type - and she really looks like she wants to help us out.”

“I’ll leave that to you then, Ocelot.”

“But of course.”

Ocelot gestured to the Diamond Dogs soldiers and turned to the Spider Lady again,

“If you would be so kind as to go with us to the bunker, Spider Lady, we’d like to have a little chat with you.”

The Spider Lady turned to Venom Snake for reassurance. The mercenary commander replied with a nod, so the CIA rookie obliged.

The four soldiers accompanied the Spider Lady to the bunker, leaving Snake and Ocelot on the helipad. As soon as the Spider Lady was out of earshot, Ocelot finally asked,

“So, what’s your call, Boss. Do we accept the Spider Lady’s offer or not?”

“Hmm…”

“You know where Miller stands on this issue.”

“I know. Let me think about it for a while, okay?”

“Very well. Let me and Miller know your decision before you leave for Iturup. Just remember - do what you think is best.”

[FORWARD OPERATING BASE] - Taking Showers (1 / 1)

During high-intensity combat and prolonged mission deployments, Venom Snake will be sullied by blood, sweat, soot and dust and will eventually take a toll on his performance on the battlefield. Taking a shower at the Forward Operating Base will physically and mentally refresh Venom Snake for the next deployment.

Make sure, however, that no one else is using the shower to avoid any untoward incidents and sexual harassment accusations.

ばか.

☮

Venom Snake took a leisurely stroll around the small compound that Diamond Dogs leased on Hokkaido. Just like Ocelot said, it wasn’t a big place - just a small, forward operating base that they were using for seven days.

Walking around that compound, Venom Snake couldn’t help but imagine what sort of military installation the Diamond Dogs would eventually be able to make for their Outer Heaven. That dream hinged on the success of the Iturup Island deployment, Snake reminded himself.

Mulling through that thought, the mercenary commander headed over to the barracks where the Diamond Dogs soldiers just finished installing the temporary shower unit.

The soldiers who were working on the unit stood up in attention and saluted Venom Snake. A small smile formed on Snake’s lips and he returned the gesture.

{Staff Morale Increased}

With that Snake walked past the soldiers and entered the temporary shower unit without taking off his Sneaking Suit.

One of the soldiers was surprised that their Boss was taking a shower in full battle gear, but another soldier simply reassured that that was just the way things worked. The two soldiers then resumed their patrol to let Big Boss shower in peace.

While Snake bathed in the blue-and-white box, his thoughts wandered again to the things he saw on Iturup Island just hours ago.

The Soviet garrison.

The XOF strike force.

The boy with the rusty hook.

The Four Writers of the Apocalypse.

Venom Snake had to be ready to face every single one of them if they stood in his way.

He had to be ready for them.

Snake turned off the shower and stepped out of the unit with a sigh of relief.

{Physically and mentally refreshed}

He then marched straight towards the helipad and brought out his iDroid, calling for Pequod to get ready to depart.

Venom Snake saw the dutiful pilot rushing from the barracks towards the Blackfoot helicopter as soon as he called. Within minutes, the powerful helicopter engines roared to life.

Before long, Ocelot also emerged from the fortified bunker together with the Spider Lady. The two of them met Snake on the path to the helipad as the helicopter blades started to spin.

Strong gusts from the helicopter blades ruffled the collars of their shirts and swept through their hair as Ocelot spoke,

“So then, Boss. Have you decided?”

Snake faced Ocelot and asked,

“Are you done questioning her?”

“Not quite yet, Boss. These sorts of things take time, after all. An hour is a rather short timeframe for questioning after all - given our circumstances.”

“I see…”

Venom Snake turned to the Spider Lady and asked again,

“You said that you knew the Four Writers of the Apocalypse well, right?”

The Spider Lady nodded,

“I’m not that good of a soldier, so that knowledge the main strength I can really bring to the table.”

“Okay. I’ll be heading back to Iturup Island on my own - so you have to stay here on Hokkaido with Ocelot.”

He then brought out his iDroid device and showed it to the Spider Lady,

“I do expect you to share the intel you’ve gathered on Iturup Island - and I’ll need to to give me advice over the radio if the Writers appear again.”

The Spider Lady’s eyes started to brighten up as she exclaimed,

“Does that mean that I…!”

“Yes. That means you’ll be helping out in the operation. We won’t be handing you over to Langley just yet.”

The Spider Lady’s excitement only grew when she heard this. She gave Venom Snake a salute and exclaimed,

“I look forward to working with you, Big Boss!’

“I’m counting on your intel, Spider Lady.”

When Snake said this, however, the Spider Lady shook her head and corrected,

“Don’t call me ‘Spider Lady’. That’s just a codename. Call me by my real name - Amy Bell.”

“Amy Bell, huh? It’s got a nice ring to it.”

Amy smiled at the small joke.

{Bond with the Spider Lady increased}

The mercenary commander turned to Ocelot and ordered,

“Give Amy a tactical radio frequency, Ocelot. That shouldn’t be too hard to do, right?”

Ocelot nodded,

“You got it, Boss. Miller won’t be pleased by your decision, but I think you made the right choice. I’ll smooth things over with ‘Kazuhira’ for you.”

“I appreciate that, Ocelot.”

Just as Snake was about to board the helicopter, however, Ocelot grabbed him by the arm to stop him. He then slipped a pair of cassette tapes into Venom Snake’s gloved, natural hand.

Snake looked at the tapes then back at Ocelot to ask,

“What are these tapes?”

“The first one there is a recording of my first questioning session with the Spider Lady. You can listen to it on the way to Iturup on your iDroid to pass the time - and so that you can judge the character of this ‘Spider Lady’ on your own terms too.”

{Cassette Tape Acquired - “Questioning the Spider Lady 1”}

“What about the other one?”

“A little gift. I heard you were collecting music for your iDroid, so I thought you might want some new songs.”

{Cassette Tape Acquired - “Who Are You” - The Who (1978)}

Snake took the tapes and slipped them into his pack. Ocelot then nodded as he urged,

“Always remember who you are - and what your mission is, Boss.”

“Of course. And don’t ever forget yours either, Ocelot.”

To Be Continued

 SCORE

Episode 53 - Hokkaido Interlude

Play Rating

Total Play Time: Five hours (163 hours left for campaign)

Time: Two hours

[Non-Combat Mission]

Rank: -

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady: 20%

Codename: RINGSABELL

Chapter Text

[SAVING] Saving Your Game Data (1/1)

Due to the distance of the Hokkaido FOB and the Seychelles Mother Base, the autosaving feature doesn’t work as intended so saving has to be done manually. To save your data, access your iDROID menu and select the RADIO feature to contact the Spider Lady. Amy is a bit of a chatterbox, but every conversation can help raise your bond level with her.

☮

Save Me

 Episode 54

Wayward Son (Part I)

13:31

Iturup Island, USSR

Western Beach, Iturup Island

Cold, salty water and grains of sand were displaced by the gusts of wind as the Blackfoot helicopter carrying Venom Snake started its descent at a hidden cove at the western tip of Iturup Island.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Snake opened the helicopter door and sat down at the threshold as he took in the scenery.

As the mercenary commander sat, he instinctively hand-loaded another round into his assault rifle while Miller debriefed him on the next phase of their operation.

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

{(140.85) - “ Based on what the Spider Lady has told Ocelot, she compiled quite a bit of data during her survival training mission. This includes the topographical data and updated maps of Iturup Island, locations of major Soviet outposts and bases and places where you can take shelter in a pinch. ”}

Snake hummed and commented,

“Everything you need for survival training on enemy territory.”

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

Snake’s earpiece buzzed again as another frequency connected,

{(141.73) - “ Of course - that information will help us through the seven days, without a doubt. However, the Spider Lady told me she managed to gather some clues about the weapons being smuggled onto the island - as well as the ‘Writers of the Apocalypse’ special forces unit.” }

“... the Writers of the Apocalypse…”

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

Snake gripped his assault rifle a little more tightly as he recalled the bloody encounter at the small village just hours ago.

{(140.85) - “ As part of our deal with the Spider Lady, she’s agreed to surrender all the intel she’s gathered to Diamond Dogs. In exchange… ”}

Enemy Combatants

Soviet Air Defense Forces (Burevestnik Airbase Garrison)

{(140.96) - “ In exchange, I’ll help the Diamond Dogs defeat the Writers of the Apocalypse. Sounds like a good deal, yeah? ”}

“I sure hope so. I’m not looking forward to having to fight that unit again…”

The Raincloud Writer “Sayori”

{(140.96) - “ I know, right? If only they’d just go away and… disappear… but that’s just wishful thinking. We have to be prepared for any situation - and the intel i’ve gathered will help you do just that! }

“Hmm…”

{(140.96) - “ I also have some cassette tapes that I left behind. You can keep them for yourself for your trouble~!”}

C.V. “El Matador” Libre

Once the Blackfoot helicopter hovered over the landing zone, Snake hopped off and landed on the soft, black sand of the beach.

D-Horse, Snake’s trusty mount, was already there waiting for him in spite of the gusting winds from the helicopter blades.

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

Snake stroked D-Horse’s white, disheveled mane and then watched as the helicopter ascended - but not before the dutiful pilot urged over the radio,

“ Be careful down there, Boss! ”

The mercenary commander shielded his eyes from the gusts and the sand and watched the helicopter depart the island.

Written By

Elias_Pedro

{(141.73) - “ The Spider Lady kept three bases of operations - camps, if you will - during her training. The first one is near that beach you landed in - the second is deeper in the forest just north of the village, and the last one is to the east of Burevestnik Airbase. ”}

{(140.85) - “Secure and retrieve the three sets of intel that the Spider Lady gathered and then exfiltrate the hot zone so you can transmit the data back to Hokkaido. We’re counting on you. ”}

Created And Directed By

Elias_Pedro(?)

To Be Continued

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Carry On Wayward Son” - Kansas (1976)}

{ Caution - Rain approaching }

{Intel Team: Rainclouds approaching your vicinity}

Chapter Text

Venom Snake breathed in the salty air and listened to the waves crashing into the shoreline of the sandy beach. The sights and sounds were nostalgic and reminded him of the Barranquilla Coast.

There, by the temperamental Caribbean waters, the real Big Boss sparred with him and the other soldiers and staff of the Militaires Sans Frontieres once upon a time.

Hand-to-hand combat. Weapons training. Infiltration. Survival. Even battlefield surgery.

Big Boss taught Venom Snake everything he knew.

Now, Big Boss was gone, along with MSF and its Mother Base.

All that remained were phantoms - the scarred and dismembered Kazuhira Miller, Venom Snake himself and the mission that Big Boss left in their bloodied hands:

Outer Heaven.

Even after learning the truth about his circumstance, Venom Snake was committed to seeing that mission through.

He decided to become the phantom of Big Boss.

At least, that was what he thought when he first went to Iturup Island.

Doubts were gnawing away at his resolve, little by little. And yet, there was no way for him but to move forward.

A phantom had no choice but to follow the genuine, after all.

Right?

Venom Snake cast those thoughts aside as the surf retreated from the shores. D-Horse neighed, wondering why his master was ruminating in silence.

The phantom then stroked the white horse’s mane, reassuring the creature. Then, he hopped onto the saddle and rode D-Horse to the Spider Lady’s first camp.

  [IDROID] Listening To Cassette Tapes (1/1)

Over the course of the game, Venom Snake will accumulate cassette tapes while exploring Iturup Island, as gifts from other characters and as rewards for missions. Music tapes are accessible through the IDROID menu as highlighted links. Conversational cassette tapes will only be shown as transcripts.

Use the ACTION button in a ‘right click’ function to open the music in a new window on a personal computing device or a simple tap for mobile devices. Take note that cassette tapes acquired over the course of the playthrough may hold hints about what challenges Venom Snake may face.

☮

D-Horse trotted alongside the sandy shoreline while Venom Snake scouted the area with his Int-Scope. There were a few Soviet soldiers patrolling further inland, but the beach itself was mostly quiet.

Despite that, the mercenary commander kept his guard up.

Then, his earpiece buzzed.

{(140.96) - “ Big Boss - Amy here. Keep following the shoreline for a few more minutes. You’ll reach a small, secluded cove with a shallow cave. That’s the first camp I set up on Iturup - and you’ll find the first piece of my intel there too. ”}

“Hmm… a cave is an ideal place to set up camp - but this beach seems too quiet. It doesn’t make sense to me. Why are the patrols on this beach so light? What do you think, Ocelot?”

{(141.73) - “ That’s what they want you to believe, Boss. You see, that beach is intentionally made to appear unguarded. Long story short - there’s a whole lot of landmines on that beach. The Soviets figured it was a cost-effective way of defending a shore. ”}

{(140.96) - “ That’s right. I actually charted the location of the landmines in my intel. You’ll get the locations of Soviet traps loaded onto your iDroid once you upload the data from the first cache. For now, follow the coastline. There are no mines there. ”}

“... that’s good to know.”

Heeding Ocelot’s and Amy’s warnings, Snake steered D-Horse closer to the water as they carried on down the beach.

Just as the Spider Lady mentioned, the shoreline eventually led to a secluded cove. There was a shallow cave that was hidden behind a thicket. The rocky facet of tall crags were covered by shrubs and vines, but Snake noticed cracks in the rocks that led up to the forest above.

That must have been the way the Spider Lady left the camp when she went out on missions. Climbing up the rocks meant she wouldn’t have had to worry about all the landmines on the beach.

As Snake guided D-Horse through the thicket, he heard the muffled sound of music coming from within the cave.

{(140.96) - “ Oh crap… I left my cassette tapes on the players. Looped them too… ”}

“You leave a radio on in a camp while you’re in enemy territory?”

{(140.96) - “ Ha… ha… yeah… I do keep them playing at low volume though. You’d need to get really close to notice it too.” }

“But not if I used my Int-Scope’s directional microphone…”

{(140.96) - “ Urk… you got me. I forgot about them, okay? Sorry… though I guess my bosses at Langley would give me an earful if they found out... ”}

“Heh… is this why you’re giving the cassette tapes to me?”

{(140.96) - “ Hehe… keep this a secret between us, okay? ”}

“You’ll have to tell that to Ocelot and Kaz too.”

{(140.85/141.73) - *chuckles* }

{(140.96) - “ Jeez! I’m helping you guys out already here, lend me a hand too!” }

{(140.85) - “ Don’t worry, Spider Lady. Diamond Dogs is a professional PMC. It’s not good for business if we don’t treat our clients right. Your secret is safe with us. ”}

{(140.96) - “ I’ll hold you three to that, okay? ”}

The lively banter between Amy, Ocelot and Kaz continued as Snake reached the mouth of the cave and dismounted from D-Horse.

It was unusually dark, so he brought out his AM MRS-4 assault rifle and switched on its underbarrel flashlight.

Snake held up his gun and its flashlight and swept through the shallow cave.

Towards the end of the cave, Snake noticed a large flat rock where the radio unit playing the music stood. Right beside it was the cache of documents organized neatly in a waterproof folder, an unlit lamp and a small tin of unmarked, CIA-issued ration.

He went over to the flat rock and picked up the ration tin and hummed,

“CIA, huh…? It’s a C-ration too...”

{(140.96) - “ You’re wondering about how it tastes, right? ”}

“... I… wasn’t thinking that…”

{(140.96) - “ Don’t be embarrassed about it, Big Boss. The transcripts of your conversations in Operation Snake Eater are well documented at Langley. We all know you have a ‘gourmet palate’. ”}

“Urgh…”

{(140.96) - “ Here’s the lowdown, Big Boss. That ration doesn’t taste all that great - unless you’re a big fan of ‘Cheese Spread, Processed’ or ‘Coffee, Instant - Type II’” }

“That sounds disgusting. Is that what they serve American soldiers on the battlefield nowadays?”

{(141.73) - “ Looks like the Americans are at par with the Soviets in the ‘disgusting ration’ category, huh? ”}

{(140.96) - “ Oh yeah. I stole some rations from the Soviet garrison on my first day and that ‘food’ and I nearly threw up. ”}

“Maybe it was rotten…”

{(140.96) - “ It might as well have been… but it is sustenance - just like that ration. Take it with you to recover your stamina in a pinch. You can access it on the ‘SURVIVAL VIEWER’ module of your iDroid. ”}

“Survival viewer, huh… that brings back memories.”

{(140.85) - “ It’s not a pretty sight for another person, though. I remember seeing Big Boss eat whole Arowanas - one after another. Ergh… I still have nightmares thinking about it! ”}

“Hehehe…”

Snake glanced at the ration and the cassette tape in the radio unit and noted,

“I’ll be taking these then.”

{Non-Perishable Ration Acquired - 1984 C-Ration(1*) - 1x}

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Video Killed The Radio Star ” - The Bugles (1980)}

  [STAMINA] - Eating On The Field (1/1)

Given the extended periods of time that Venom Snake may spend on Iturup Island, the tried and tested ‘Survival Viewer’ system will be available for this campaign. You can access the Survival Viewer in the IDROID menu to eat food and restore stamina. Certain injuries can also be treated in this manner.

Do note, however, that the Survival Viewer does not stop time as it did in Operation Snake Eater and the Virtuous Mission, so find a safe space before accessing it. Finally, if you use a fork to stab edible flora and fauna, you can eat them right away without having to open the menu. Plan your meals carefully!

☮

Once Snake put his new items away, he lit the lantern with his lighter and illuminated the shallow cave with flickering lights. He then turned off his flashlight, put his assault rifle aside and turned his attention to the intel files laid out on the rock.

He brought his iDroid device and aimed its scanner over the files as if it were second nature. The iDroid scanned the documents and transmitted the data back to Mother Base. However, something unusual happened after the scan.

Snake’s map didn’t update.

Was the scanner malfunctioning?

{(140.96) - “ Oh! About that… the intel that I left behind is encrypted, so it might take your device a little while to decrypt the information. ”}

{(141.73) - “ Data encryption, huh? What a novel idea .”}

{(140.85) - “ Is this some sort of CIA gimmick, Spider Lady? ”}

{(140.96) - “ N-not at all, no! It’s just something that I did on my own to protect my files. The CIA actually doesn’t use this type of encryption - yet. Big Boss’ iDroid is an advanced computer - it will decrypt the data before long. ”}

“You encrypted your data on your own…?”

{(140.96) - “ I did, yeah. It’s a form of binary-to-text encryption that’s still in the early stages of development in the US. I like to call it ‘Base64’ .}

“... Base… 64?”

{(140.96) - “ That’s right. It’s my way of encrypting data in an ASCII string format using a 64-radix…” }

“Ergh…”

{(140.96) - “ Ah...hahaha~ Just think of it as a code that makes it harder for other people to understand my intel. Base64 encryption happens to be my specialty, so I can help decode Base64 for you~ ”}

“Please do. I’m not a fan of all this computer and tech stuff, after all.”

{Map has been updated}

{(140.96) - “ Looks like your iDroid just finished decrypting that cache. The approximate locations of the Soviet-placed landmines should now appear on your map as red circles. The location of the second cache should also be on your map now too. ”}

“Is that so…?”

Snake opened the map feature of his iDroid and browsed through the map. Just like Amy said, the Soviet minefields were outlined on the map, scattered around the island at inconspicuous places.

He then searched for the marker of the second cache and realized,

“It’s near the village where we rescued you…”

{(140.96) - “ That’s right. It was the base that I fled from when the Writers of the Apocalypse attacked me. ”}

“Then that means that camp might have already been ransacked…”

{(140.96) - “ Not necessarily. The Writers attacked me while I was away from my base. I guess the silver lining in all this is that I drew them away from that camp when I ran towards the village. Plus - that camp is pretty well hidden too, just like the one you’re in. }

“I see…”

{(140.96) - “ The second cache contains the information about the Soviet patrol schedules, the manpower manifestos and the equipment that you can expect the Soviets to have in and around Burevestnik Airbase. Plus, the location of the third intel cache is there too. ”}

“One camp in the west of the island… one in the middle… and another one - probably in the east…”

{(140.85) - “ Hrm… I can’t help but feel like you’re sending us on a wild goose chase here. ”}

{(140.96) - “ I don’t have a choice, Mr. Miller. If ever I get caught by the enemy, it’s better if my information is dispersed like this to cover my tracks. I’m sure Diamond Dogs does the same in its operations around the globe. ”}

“Kaz. It’s okay. I’m the one putting myself on the line here, and I trust the Spider Lady. We’re on the same side, after all.”

{(140.85) - “ ... right. Just be careful, Boss. That’s all I’m saying.” }

“I appreciate it, Kaz. We’ll get through this. I promise. Just tell me which path I need to take to get there. Tell me like you used to.”

{(140.85) - “ You got it, Boss. ”}

 [ENCRYPTION] Binary-to-Text/Base64 (1/1)

Certain elements in this campaign will involve texts coded in Base64. Snake’s IDROID device will automatically decrypt Base64-encrypted texts after a short cooldown period, but the Spider Lady can provide on-the-spot translations just like the language specialists for Russian and Afrikaans.

Alternatively, you can select the encrypted text on your IDROID device and use a third-party Base64 decoder program for your reference.

☮

Snake followed the new directions on his update map on his way to the Spider Lady’s second camp. That path brought him back inland and through the dense forest that he had already grown accustomed to.

He took note of the various Soviet mines that were spread around the forest paths and avoided them whenever he could. Those mines must have been why the Soviets were confident enough to not patrol the woodland paths as often as the main road, Snake deduced.

Before long, Snake and D-Horse reached a hidden fork in the woodland path. An inconspicuous path cut through a thicket of tall shrubs and continued to a steep uphill climb.  

Eventually, the path rose above the treeline and gave Snake a clear view of the now-ruined village. It was the perfect place for the Spider Lady to keep tabs on the village, Snake noted.

As he looked out to the village, thick rainclouds started coalescing in the skies above and cast dark shadows over the uphill path and the forests below. Just like his iDroid forecasted, it wouldn’t be long before it rained again.

While Snake was looking up, D-Horse suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He looked down to D-Horse’s hooves and saw that it got caught up by a low-hanging rope.

Then, in a split second, an explosion rocked the uphill path!

The blast startled D-Horse and nearly threw Venom Snake off his mount, but the mercenary commander held on. He then hopped off of D-Horse’s saddle and dismissed his mount.

D-Horse hesitantly obeyed and galloped down the path and back into the forest in a hurry. Snake, on the other hand, turned back to the uphill path and brought out his iDroid.

There weren’t supposed to be any Soviet minefields in that area. If that was the case…

“Amy. What the hell was that just now?”

{(140.96) - “ I-I don’t know, Big Boss. ”}

“Don’t lie to me!”

{(140.96) - “It’s true! My second camp was secluded enough, so I didn’t put any traps there. The Soviets don’t have any mines there either…”}

{(140.85) - “ Who else could have placed those traps, Spider Lady? If you’re trying to get rid of the Boss… ”}

Before Kaz could even finish his sentence, Snake felt the ominous buzz of a laser sight whiz past him. Snake’s heart skipped a beat and his earpiece urgently buzzed.

{(141.73) - “ Boss, get down! The enemy sniper…” }

It was just as Snake thought. He reflexively dove down and took cover behind a low rock.

{(141.73) - “ Stay low and crawl along the ground. That should enable you to sneak past enemies .”}

That was what Snake wanted to do - but there was only one path up the hill, and there was a sniper waiting for him there in ambush.

He brought out his M2000-NL rifle with one hand and his Int-Scope in the other. After a few moments, the laser sight turned away from Snake’s direction so he dared to lift his head above the rock.

Snake pointed his Int-Scope at the direction of the sniper to try and identify him.

Through the lens, he saw the familiar figure of the young man in the red hood. His face was painted in woodland camouflage and was well-hidden behind the brush. However, that was just enough exposure for the Int-Scope to analyze.

{Analysis Complete}

“... no….”

{(140.85) - “ Boss… according to your Int-Scope… that boy - no… that sniper…” }

A knot formed in Venom Snake’s heart as he looked through the Int-Scope a second time. He then ruefully grumbled,

“It’s Chico…!”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

Time ground to a halt for Venom Snake as he looked through his Int. Scope. On the other side of the lens, he watched the image of the red-hooded young man, Chico, in utter disbelief.

Then, for a brief moment, Snake’s eye met with Chico’s.

Standing on an incline just a few meters away from Snake was the boy who was supposed to have died in a helicopter crash nine years ago - alive, but presumably not well. The red hood that Chico wore cast shadows over his once-bright and compassionate eyes while deep, dark rings formed beneath them. The heartwarming and eager smile of the Sandinista child soldier was replaced by a bitter scowl. Even his short and neat brown hair had been left to grow unkempt.

Chico was a shadow of his former self. Only the peculiar earphones that he wore remained from the Chico of old.

It was painful for Venom Snake to see Chico like that. He remembered the happy days when Chico spent his time fishing off of the platforms of MSF Mother Base or playing time with Nuke, the cat.

Those tender memories made Snake’s resolve waver and disarmed him. The medic-turned-mercenary commander felt his trigger finger tremble then freeze.

Unfortunately, Chico shared no such sentiment for the past.

The moment he noticed Snake’s hesitation, he aimed his sniper rifle at the horned phantom.

{(141.73) - “ Boss, get down! The enemy sni... ”}

Even before Ocelot could finish his spiel, Snake instinctively ducked - but the quick shot still found its mark on his right shoulder.

“Argh…!”

{Hits Taken: 1}

The sharp pain snapped Snake back to the present, reminding him of his own rifle - the venerable bolt-action M2000-NL tranquilizer rifle. In one fluid motion, Snake adjusted his stance and fired back at Chico.

A potent tranquilizer shot found its mark on Chico, but the Wayward Son didn’t flinch. He simply readjusted his aim and shot another salvo at Snake again, catching the phantom twice on his left arm.

“Hrgh…!!”

{Hits Taken: 3}

This time, Snake stayed down beneath cover and grunted in pain. He could feel warm blood gushing from the gunshot wound on shoulder and and the two wounds on his human arm. The unmistakable shape of the bullets lodged in Snake’s wounds nearly paralyzed his arm.

{(140.85) - “ Boss. Chico’s got a semi-automatic rifle on him. You’re not gonna win a direct firefight against him… !”}

Snake kept his head low as he replied to his earpiece,

“Ergh… they’re tungsten too… hrgh…. 7.62’s… cut through my suit like it was nothing…”

{(140.96) - “ Your injuries don’t look so good, Big Boss. You should find a safe place to treat your wounds with the SURVIVAL VIEWER. ”}

Snake wanted to retort to Amy. He used to be a battlefield medic, after all. The last thing he needed was procedural advice from a rookie who couldn’t even finish her survival training.

Still, he held his tongue. The CIA didn’t know that Venom Snake was merely a phantom, after all - and neither did Amy.

So, he played along.

“Fine… ergh… where did you have… hahh... in mind…?”

{(140.96) - “ Hmm… let me think… ”}

“You’d better hurry… Spider Lady... this kid... won’t give me a second chance…”

{(140.96.) - “ Okay! Okay! ...ah! There should be a crack - a crevasse - in the hill rocks a few paces behind you. It’s out of the sniper’s line of fire - and you’ll have the advantage with your assault rifle if he tries to get too close. ”}

Snake rolled over to lie down on his back to look behind him while staying low. Just as Amy said, there was a crevasse in the rocky facade of the hill with excellent cover, but it was a ways off.

For a moment, Snake wondered if he could just treat his bullet wounds right there and then. The small rock was shielding him from Chico’s rifle well enough, after all.

However, the ominous sound of a grenade striking the rock and settling nearby reached Snake’s ears. That sound convinced him to make a run for it.

The horned mercenary picked himself up from the ground and ran downhill towards the crevasse at full sprint. As he did, the grenade exploded and pulverized the rock that had been protecting him all that time.

Almost immediately, cracks of Chico’s rifle resounded from a distance and tungsten-tipped shots whizzed past the sprinting Snake, barely missing him. That hail of lead continued until Snake dashed into the safety of the crevasse.

Snake slung his sniper rifle over his shoulder and pressed his back against the rocky walls of the crevasse. He then kept his AM-MRS 4 assault rifle at his side as he prepared himself to treat his bleeding wounds.

[SURVIVAL VIEWER] Treating Gunshot Wounds (1 / 1)

In order for Snake to treat gunshot wounds on the battlefield, he must dig out the bullet with his knife, disinfect the wound, apply a styptic and then bandage it all up. Follow all of those steps and the wound should heal nicely.

☮

 Snake’s heart beat against his chest as he mindfully pulled his knife out of its sheath. He brought the tip of the blade to the first of his wounds and gritted his teeth before he…

Author’s Notes: Ahahah~ you’re not actually going to describe how you treated those wounds are you, Venom Snake? I mean - I get it. You used to do battlefield surgery, but… I guess what I’m saying is, you can skip these parts okay?

I mean - even in Operation Snake Eater, FOX didn’t save a treatment video for gunshot wounds. It would have been too ‘graphic’ after all.

I’ve had enough of that in my own Act 2, and…

Oh. Right. Ahahaha~ never mind!

Let’s just carry on after you finish ‘treatment’.

Okay?

 [SURVIVAL VIEWER: Gunshot wounds treated (x3)]

Venom Snake heaved a tired sigh as he held the three bullets that had dug themselves beneath his skin just moments ago. The bullets struck each other and chimed as Snake raised them up for a closer look.

Just like he thought - they were tungsten-tipped 7.62mm shots. Chico was using a battle rifle of some sort - so there was no way that Snake could win with his bolt-action rifle in a shootout.

Snake’s reinforced Sneaking Suit wasn’t going to be enough to protect him from those vicious shots. More than that, Chico was standing in Snake’s way to the Spider Lady’s second intel cache.

{(140.85) - “ That Chico… to think that that kid who idolized our Boss so much would end up shooting him… ”}

“I remember Chico well, Kaz.He always wanted to be on the Combat Team… and he wanted to be a hunter.”

{(140.85) - “ Yeah. And it’s Snake season for him right now. He’s standing between you and the Spider Lady’s intel - so we’re going to have to get creative.” }

Snake hummed for a moment and then looked up the crevasse that he was hiding in. He then wondered,

“I might be able to climb up this crevasse all the way to the top. My mechanical arm can handle it. What do you think, Ocelot?”

{(141.73) - “ The summit of that hill is much higher than Chico’s position. If you really can climb up there, you’ll be able to blindside him. A few more tranquilizer shots from your rifle should do him in. ”}

“Alright then, I’ll give it a try.”

Snake tossed away the empty bullet casings, faced the rocky walls of the crevasse and then started to climb. All the while, he made sure to be as quiet as he possibly could. Even though his Sneaking Suit minimized the noises that Snake made as he moved, the mercenary commander didn’t want Chico to catch him midway.

After a tedious minute of climbing, Snake found himself just a few meters away from the summit. It was at at this time that Snake started hearing the faint sound of music again.

Was it another cassette tape?

Before Snake could ask, Kaz asked the question on his mind,

{(140.85) - “ Say. Spider Lady. Don’t tell me that you left cassette players running in ALL of your hideouts. ”}

{(140.96) - “...!! I-I m-messed up, okay? But it should be fine. Even this ‘Chico’ person hasn’t seemed to notice it. ”}

“Hrm… it might be because of the earphones he wears.”

{(140.85) - “ Earphones? ”}

“Yeah… Chico was wearing the same earphones he had when we extracted him from Camp Omega nine years ago.”

{(141.73) - “ Is that so? In any case, focus on the mission for now, Boss. You’re still in the middle of a battle, after all. ”}

“Right…”

Snake climbed up the last meter until he finally reached the summit of the rocky hill. He pulled out his AM D114 pistol as he hoisted himself onto the summit, making sure that the coast was clear.

Once he had both feet on the ground, Snake switched back to his rifle and cautiously observed his surroundings.

It didn’t look like much from the forest, but the hill summit was at an impressively high altitude. There was a small, camouflaged tent propped up on a secluded nook too - the Spider Lady’s second camp.

He then turned to the side and saw the summit’s incredible vantage point. The place practically covered the entire village where Amy was being held just hours ago.

If only Quiet was still with him, Snake thought for a moment, then the rescue operation would have gone much more smoothly… and they might have returned to Hokkaido with both Chico and the Spider Lady.

That was just wishful thinking, however. Holding his rifle firmly, Snake reminded himself that he was doing his own sniping for this mission.

Perhaps if he can bring Chico home, they might be able to work together again.

Just like old times.

But first, Snake had to bring Chico home.

With that goal in mind, Snake carefully crept into the camouflaged tent.

The Spider Lady’s second cache of intel in the midst of a messy hideout. A half-eaten C-ration had its contents strewn about on the tent floor while an unfurled, wrinkled sleeping bag seemed more like an ugly carpet than anything. Even the small radio set playing the Spider Lady’s music had been tossed aside.

Based on the Spider Lady’s story, she left that camp in a hurry when the Writers of the Apocalypse first attacked. That was why the Spider Lady’s tent was in complete disarray.

Then, among the mess, Snake found a peculiar pistol and identified,

“A Mk. 22 tranquilizer gun… ”

As Snake observed the pistol, his support team knowingly chimed in,

{(141.73) - “ That’s the infamous ‘Hush Puppy’ tranquilizer gun  - just like the one Big Boss used during the Virtuous Mission. It seems the CIA still idolizes you, Snake. At the very least, they respect your legend.” }

{(140.96) - “ Big Boss still has a lot of fans in Langley - even though the higher-ups refuse to admit it… but that aside! Go ahead and take that gun. You’re planning on capturing this young man alive, aren’t you? ”}

Snake considered Amy’s words as he put away his AM D114 pistol and then picked up the Spider Lady’s gun. He felt the familiar weight of the Mk. 22 and muttered,

“It’s been a while.”

{Acquired: Secondary Weapon - Mk. 22 “Hush Puppy” Mod.0 (8*)}

{Acquired: Secondary Ammunition - Anesthetic (x18)}

{Acquired: Suppressor - Mk. 22 (x1)}

He holstered his new weapon and then turned his attention to the intel laid out beside the messy sleeping bag. It was a sheet of paper that, just as Snake expected, was written in a strange code that he couldn’t understand.

{(140.96) - “ That’s the Base64 encryption that I was telling you about. Press the ACTION button to let your iDroid scan the documents - I’ll help decode the information on my end here! ”}

Snake obliged and brought his iDroid device over the encrypted papers, scanning them with concentrated beams of powder blue light. The scan finished in a few moments and sent the data back to the Forward Operating Base.

{(140.96) - “ Alright, we’ve got it. This should finish in a bit - go do what you have to do. ”}

“Got it.”

Snake proceeded to crawl out of the tent when he remembered the radio set playing music.

“... might as well.”

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Always Something There To Remind Me” - Naked Eyes (1983)}

[COMBAT MECHANICS] Boss Battles (1 / 1)

During the Iturup Island campaign, Venom Snake will encounter opponents that are significantly tougher than regular soldiers. These enemies can take much more HP or Stamina damage before they are defeated and will challenge Snake in various ways. Make sure to identify these bosses’ weaknesses and patterns to…

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...use the SURVIVAL VIEWER to manage your health and eat regularly to maintain your Stamina during the battle.

☮

Snake emerged from the tent with his rifle at the ready and his new tranquilizer pistol at his side. He urged himself towards the downhill path and thought about Chico, remembering the wandering Mother Base soldiers who were scattered throughout Afghanistan and Africa.

Chico didn’t deserve whatever horrors the XOF did to him - not after what Skull Face already forced him to do in Camp Omega.

Venom Snake was going to bring Chico home. That was the least he could do for the scarred young man, he told himself.

A few more cautious paces forward, Snake finally found Chico once more.

The young man was still fortified in his position behind the brush and he had his semi-automatic battle rifle pointed further downhill.

Like a rock, Chico didn’t move from his spot in the slightest. He was always a stubborn kid, Venom Snake thought.

This may be Snake’s best, last chance.

Snake aimed his M2000-NL rifle and set his sights on Chico’s head. He lined up his shot and skillfully fired true.

The tranquilizer dart struck the side of Chico’s head and caught the young man by surprise. Before the young man could properly react, Snake quickly pulled back the bolt of his rifle and fired a second shot at the bewildered Chico.

It was another good hit! But, Chico was still standing.

The young man then finally found Snake standing at the summit of the hill. Chico yanked the tranquilizer darts off of his skin and glared menacingly at Snake.

Then, just as Snake was about to pull back the bolt of his rifle once more, Chico dropped his sniper rifle and charged uphill towards Snake. The young man swiftly closed the distance and pulled out his hatchet with one hand and his chained, rusty hook with the other.

Snake tried to fire a third shot with his rifle but Chico nonchalantly tilted his head to evade the dart. The young man then stopped half way, planted his feet on the ground and hurled his rusty hook at Snake with frightening strength.

The hook flew straight towards Snake, forcing him to block the hook with the barrel of his sniper rifle. Chico then pulled back on the chain and snagged the sniper rifle from Snake’s hands, disarming him.

However, that was exactly what Snake wanted Chico to do.

As soon as Snake let go of the rifle, he brought out the Mk.22 pistol and fired some more tranquilizer darts at the distracted young man to stagger him. Snake emptied the magazine of the Mk.22 onto Chico. The horned phantom then decided to charge at his weakened foe.

Snake tackled Chico and overpowered him with his mechanical hand. He managed to wrestle the hatchet out of Chico’s hands and force the young man down to the ground.

In that position, Snake pushed down on Chico and started to choke him out.

Chico struggled against Snake, but the myriad of tranquilizer darts and the sheer power of Snake’s mechanical arm were playing against him. He grunted defiantly as he fought the losing battle and looked Venom Snake straight in his one eye.

It was at that time that Snake muttered,

“Don’t fight it, Chico…! Calm down!”

Chico heard those words before - spoken to him by Big Boss in that outdoor cage in the outskirts of Camp Omega. It awakened those painful memories from so long ago and gave him a second wind.

The young man shored up his waning strength, pushed Venom Snake off of him and kicked him in the face. Snake staggered back, giving Chico the change to pull out a grenade.

He then unpinned it with a flick of his thumb and let it go at Snake’s feet.

Snake’s sharp reflexes kicked in as soon as he saw the grenade. His one eye regarded the markings on the grenade and realized what it really was.

It was a flashbang!

The mercenary commander shielded his eye and the flashbang went off with a blast of blinding light and high-pitched noise.

When Snake opened his eye, his ears were still ringing and his vision was still hazy. However, he saw the silhouette of his opponent running back down the hill.

Chico’s silhouette dug into the brush that he was hiding behind earlier and revealed what appeared to be a Soviet motorcycle stashed there.

He hopped onto the motorcycle and started it with the furious roar of the engine. Chico then stole one last glance at Venom Snake and glared at him with pure spite.

{(140.85) - “ He’s pointing that motorcycle towards the cliff. Don’t tell me he’s… ”}

Snake shrugged off the effects of the flashbang and tried to point his Mk.22 pistol - only to be reminded that it was already empty. He grunted with frustration and shouted,

“CHICO!!”

The young man ignored Snake’s call and fearlessly rode his motorcycle off the cliff and into the thick forests of Iturup Island below. He then watched as Chico landed his motorcycle onto one of the woodland paths.

As Snake stood there in disbelief, his device suddenly chimed,

{The map has been updated}

{(140.85) - “ Boss… the second cache just got decrypted. It looks like Chico’s heading straight for the third cache! Do you think he knows about the Spider Lady’s intel? ”}

Snake turned his eye from the woodland path to the outlines of the Soviet garrisons in the distance and found an ominous sight. There were flares of different colors rising up above the treeline, so Snake asked,

“Ocelot… those flares coming from the garrisons…”

{(141.73) - “ The Soviets must have figured that if they can’t communicate over the radio, they’ll communicate with sky flares. ”}

“And what does this pattern say, exactly?”

{(141.73) - “ That pattern means ‘enemy sighted - requesting motorized backup’. ”}

“... motorized backup!?”

{(140.85) - “ Damn it! They must know Chico’s with XOF. Boss - you’re gonna have to get Chico before the Soviets do. Otherwise, we’re gonna have to watch Chico die a second time !”}

17:44

Iturup Island, USSR

North-Eastern Woodland Path, East of Burevestnik Airbase

A frustrated Chico rode his battered motorcycle through the woodland path as he ran away from his second humiliating defeat in that same day. He looked as if he wanted to curse his failure and denounce Big Boss - the man he once looked up to as a mentor. However, his mouth remained closed.

Chico stayed silent and kept his eyes on the rough road.

Those eyes, however, were starting to wince and his eyelids were growing heavy. Even though he already pulled off the darts, the heavy dose of tranquilizers he took was starting to take their toll on him.

The young man grunted defiantly and shook his head to keep himself awake as he carried on down the road. Moments later, half a dozen other motorcycles - along with submachinegun-toting Soviet soldiers - came rumbling down the woodland path after Chico.

As this commotion played out, however, a young girl with short, coral pink hair watched from deeper in the forest. She was riding on a horse and regarded Chico with her bright, blue eyes.

Once Chico and the Soviet soldiers chasing him were out of earshot, the young girl brought out her own weapons - a rigid Grizzly Mk.V handgun - and a sturdy rope lasso that she wielded with glee. A small smile formed on her lips and fondly whispered to a small earpiece she wore,

“The show’s already begun, Moni. It’s about to rain again soon.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

Venom Snake brought his non-mechanical hand to his mouth and whistled. The call resonated throughout the nearby forests and caught the attention of his white stallion, D-Horse.

In an instant, D-Horse came running up the secluded hill towards Venom Snake’s location on the summit. As the stallion approached his master, Snake watched the runaway Chico through his Int.Scope. The Wayward Son was hurtling down the forest path on a motorcycle. He seemed to be heading straight towards Burevestnik Airbase outskirts - the location of the Spider Lady’s last cache of intel.

A myriad of bright flares shot up from various points in Iturup Island, starting with Burevestnik. The rest of the Soviet outposts seemed to reply to Burevestnik’s flares with flares of their own. It was a coded conversation written in lights.

By the time D-Horse reached Venom Snake’s side, packs of Soviet motorcycle troopers were already pursuing Chico through the forest path.

“Six bikes with sidecars from behind - and twelve more coming from further ahead in Burevestnik…”

{(141.73) - “ And who knows how many more are waiting in ambush. Iturup Island is their home turf - and that kid is on their sights. ”}

{(140.85) - “ Chico is a tough kid - but he won’t be able to do much with that many cc’s of tranquilizer in his system. A few more darts should do him in - but you have to get him before the Soviets do. We’re not using lethal rounds on Chico - but they will. ”}

Venom Snake hummed as kept his Int.Scope and mounted D-Horse. He checked every single one of his weapons and then took D-Horse’s reins, saying,

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring Chico home.”

[ENEMY TACTICS] Flare Communication Regimen

Since the majority of electronic communication in Iturup Island was rendered disabled, the Soviet garrisons will be communicating with each other by flares. Any garrison - or any soldier equipped with a flare gun - can initiate a conversation. Neutralize soldiers before they can launch flares in order to avoid an ALERT STATUS.

Additionally, the Command Post (CP) in Burevestnik Airbase will regularly launch flares to check the status of the other garrisons. If one of the garrisons fails to reply, then the CP will declare a search, starting a CAUTION STATUS. Other combinations of flares can have different results - so observe their patterns to discern the best path to proceed.

☮

Snake rode D-Horse down the same path that Chico took down the minaret-like hill. D-Horse had to leap over a number of obstacles - fallen tree branches and a handful of treacherous cliffs. Then, as soon as they reached the flat, forest path, Snake spurred D-Horse to gallop at full speed.

The horned phantom had his right mechanical hand holding on D-Horse’s reins while he held his M2000-NL with the non-mechanical left. Snake raised the rifle and looked through the scope on his left and only eye.

{(141.73) - “ Boss - shooting a rifle on horseback on the move is gonna be tough - especially since you only have one eye. You have to remember, you’re not a passenger on a motorcycle sidecar this time around - not like when you were when you were taking on the Shagohod in Groznyj Grad .”}

“Then why don’t you come over here and ride D-Horse with me, Ocelot? Just like in Cyprus.”

{(141.73) - “ As much as I would like to do that, my hands are tied here setting up the FOB. Besides - I’m sure you’d prefer it if EVA was the one giving you a ride on her bike. Am I right ?”}

“... it doesn’t really matter to me.”

{(141.73) - “ In any case, you’re going to have to keep riding D-Horse and fire your weapons all on your own. Nothing the legendary Big Boss can’t handle, am I right? You’ll be putting on a show for your ‘fans’ over at Langley. ”}

{(140.96) - “ Hehehe - I’m looking forward to this too, Big Boss. Good luck! ”}

“If you have time to chat, Spider Lady, then save the game for me.”

{(140.96) - “ But of course! Aaaand, done~! ”}

{Game has been saved}

Venom Snake heaved a sigh and spurred D-Horse once more, gaining ground on the rearguard convoy of motorcycles chasing the Wayward Son.

{(140.96) - “ By the way, Big Boss… ”}

“... what is it now, Spider Lady?”

{(140.96) - “In the C-Ration that you got at my first hideout, there might be something that will help you in this battle.”}

“In the C-Ration…?”

Snake slung his rifle over his shoulder for a moment and then fetched the CIA C-Ration, an unassuming tin can, from his pack. He opened the tin by the tab with his thumb and looked inside. One portion of it held a set of plastic-wrapped hardtack crackers paired with the infamous “Cheese Spread, Individual” packet. In the other portion, however was an accessory kit that held a number of pills.

One of those pills immediately caught Snake’s eye.

“Pentazemin.”

{(140.96) - “ Yup~! You don’t need me to tell you what that’s for, do you? ”}

“Heh… I know. Thanks.”

{Support Item Acquired; Pentazemin (x1)}

 [SUPPORT ITEMS] Pentazemin

A drug in the benzodiazepine family. Has anti-a͏̠̫͚̹̮n̰̙̘x̸͠͏͍͔̣i̶͏̳̱̮͔̮ȩ͙̗̜̲̙̤͙͍͞t҉̶̺̦͖̘͖y̕҉͔͓̭̯̬͕̱͕ͅ, anti-convulsive, and muscle relaxant properties and is also used as a sedative and h͈͍͙̘̥͟͟ͅy̶͓̰̯͖̘͜p͔̟̲̣͖͍͙ͅn̻̭̝͇̩̖̮̱͘o̵̤͙̯̪͉̙t̴̼̠̲͡i̬̮̣c͉̘̟̤̰͈̗̪̼͟͡͠. Binds with GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in the central n̴̷̡̢̹̖̼̘e̸̴͉̯͓̰̹̹͇̞̹̹͖̱̖̗̝̪̝͝͡r͏̷̯̭͓͙̝̺̮̦͇v̶҉̘̘͉̤̱̫̙̦̖͇͇̜͚̮o̷̙̤̻̜̳̠͔͘͝͠͝ư̟̤̰̦̥͚̘̭̹̫͡s̢̹͔̹̤͓̼͓̖̣̻̥͡͠ͅ system, increasing the frequency of ion channel opening. This augments the efficacy of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, resulting in the aforementioned effects. Some snipers use it to reduce body ṱ̱̞̫͎e̘̘n̗͍̻̦͙̩ͅs͉͈͕̯̝i̥͞o͏̠̭̱n̮͙͚̞̜͉ and prevent hand tͪͥ̋ͬ̆̂҉̸͞r̨͒͆͟ē̵̸̍͞m̡ͩ̊͊ͪ͒͐̌̈́̚͘ỏ́ͣr̈́̑ͯ͜sͯ͆͠͠ while aiming.

☮

An ominous chill ran up Snake’s spine as he pocketed the Pentazemin. For one reason or another, he couldn’t help but feel like something was - wrong.

Then, he heard crackling noises of static on his earpiece. That static prompted him to ask,

“Kaz? Do you read me?”

{(140.85) - “ Loud and clear, Boss. What’s up? ”}

“Ah… I don’t really know. For a moment - I felt like… it’s hard to explain…”

{(140.85) - “ That’s strange. Everything seems fine on our end - and nothing strange seems to be happening on Iturup, as far as our monitors can say.” }

{(140.96) - “ Actually, Mr. Miller - I sort of felt a chill too just now. Mr. Ocelot - you feel it too, don’t you? An odd, sinking feeling - distortion, maybe? ”}

{(141.73) - “ I have no idea what the both of you are talking about. Focus on the mission, you two. We can talk about ghost stories once Boss brings Chico back to the FOB. Are we clear? ”}

{(140.96) - “ Y-yes, Mr. Ocelot .”}

{(141.73) - “ Good. Now, Boss - you’re about to get within range of the motorbike troopers. Get them off of Chico’s tail! ”}

“Right…”

Snake reloaded his rifle with a fresh magazine of five tranquilizer rounds and then chambered a sixth by hand. As he did, he popped the Pentazemin pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

{Pentazemin (x1) used}

As soon as he did, a Snake felt an unusual clarity of mind. His rifle hand felt as steady as it was when he performed surgeries for MSF on the battlefield nine years ago.

With that steady hand, he pointed his rifle at the rider of the motorcycle closest to Chico and pulled the trigger. The crack of the rifle resonated through the forest and the tranquilizer dart struck the back of the rider’s head, knocking him out right there and then.

The sleeping driver unconsciously drove his motorbike, its sidecar and his comrade into the brush. At that point, the rest of the motorcycle troopers realized they were no longer the hunters.

Snake kept holding onto the reins as he cocked the bolt of his rifle with his mechanical right hand. He then repeated the motions as he open fired upon the Soviet troops.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then, four motorbike riders fell asleep and crashed their bikes and their passengers unceremoniously into the nearby brush.

The last biker elbowed his passenger to do something out of fear. This brought the passenger to open fire on Snake with his Skorpion submachine gun.

Venom Snake, however, guided D-Horse to dodge the inaccurate spray of shots and keep their distance from the biker.

Frustrated, the rider of the motorbike brought out a flare gun from its holster.

Before he could, however, Venom Snake got a bead on the rider and shot him like the other riders before him.

The last rider dropped his flare gun before he could pull the trigger and he unconsciously veered away from the woodland path.

All that was left now was Chico.

Venom Snake hastily reloaded his M2000-NL rifle with another magazine of five shots and chambered a sixth round again out of habit.

Then, he took aim.

When Snake looked through the scope, however, he saw that Chico’s handling of the bike was faltering. He was on the verge of falling asleep, but his foot was still on the accelerator.

The woodland path was about to end and branch off into the main seaside road to Burevestnik Airbase. It ran alongside a steep cliff facing the sea. Powerful waves were crashing onto the shore, casting jets of mist skyward as well.

{(141.73) - “ Boss! There’s nothing but jagged rocks at the end of that cliff! That kid’s gonna get himself killed! ”}

“I know…! I’m working on it!”

Snake spurred D-Horse one last time and urged his steed to catch up to Chico. He had no choice but to ride alongside Chico’s bike and then snatch him off of it.

His mechanical hand could handle it, Snake told himself. He just had to get close enough.

However - the distance between him and Chico just kept on growing. The Wayward Son kept drawing closer to the edge of the cliff.

“No… not like this!”

Just as Chico’s bike neared the cliff, the outline of a lasso whipped out from behind the brush. The rope wrapped around Chico’s body and then yanked him off of the speeding motorbike.

Chico landed down on his back, immobilized by the tranquilizers and the ropes that now bound him. All the while, his bike drove off the cliff and fell down into the jagged rocks below.

Seconds later, an explosion rocked the cliff from below, evaporating the salty ocean spray into steam.

Venom Snake’s heart was racing as he watched the whole commotion - but at the very least Chico was safe.

The only question was - who threw the lasso that saved Chico?

Snake urged D-Horse to ride closer when an accurate pistol shot whizzed past the mercenary commander’s cheek. That forced Snake to halt D-Horse and then hold his rifle with both hands.

The shot seemed to come from the brush at the end of the forest path - the same place where the lasso flew from. Snake pointed his rifle at the brush and demanded,

“Who are you!? Show yourself!”

At Snake’s demand, a rider and her horse trotted from out of the brush and onto the road. Her outline was illuminated by the warm orange light that peeked through the canopy of deciduous trees of the forest.

The rider was a girl with short, coral-pink hair adorned with a cute red ribbon and she was wearing the grey raincoat that she and her companions wore during the skirmish at the village.

She had bright blue eyes that reflected the light of the setting sun. In one hand, she held the lasso that tied down Chico. In the other, she pointed her pistol - a Grizzly Mk. V - at Venom Snake.

{(140.96) - “ Big Boss! That’s one of the Writers of the Apocalypse! ”}

A mellow smile formed on the rider’s lips as she kept her aim on Snake. She spoke a strange language that Snake didn’t understand.

“IldyaXRlcnMgb2YgdGhlIEFwb2NhbHlwc2UiPyBJcyB0aGF0IHdoYXQgc2hlJ3MgY2FsbGluZyB1cyBub3cuIEhvdyBydWRlIQ==”

Snake’s brow furrowed as he lashed,

“What the hell…!?”

((140.96) - “ She’s speaking English, Big Boss - but it’s encrypted in Base64! ”}

“Huh!? What’s she saying?”

{(140.96) - “ Wait a sec - I need to run my ḑ͏͡e͘c̕o̵͠͝ḑ̶͢͜i̕͡n̸͘͢͠g҉̢ p̷̨̢͡r̡͢o͏͢͠g̡̧͞͞r̶̡͡a̸͜m̵̷̷͘͢… ”}

The Spider Lady’s voice started becoming choppy over the radio, but Snake’s iDroid managed to maintain the link.

Before the Spider Lady could run her program, however, the lasso-wielding rider continued,

“SXMgdGhpcyBlbmNyeXB0aW9uIHRvbyBtdWNoIGZvciB5b3U/ ? Fine - I’ll speak decrypted for you to understand. My name is Sayori - the President of the Literature Club…”

This ‘Sayori’ girl set her lasso aside and unzipped her raincoat, revealing what appeared to be a school uniform of some sort. She dug her hand into the pocket of her uniform blazer and brought out a cassette tape, saying,

“But I guess - in this world - you can also call me ‘Sunshine’. Ahehehe~.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

Thick black clouds started covering the heavens over Iturup Island as Venom Snake and Sayori faced each other on horseback. The phantom of the legendary soldier aimed his M2000-NL rifle at the young girl who pointed her own Grizzly Mk.V handgun right back at him.

There was a silent stalemate that persisted between the two as they sized each other up. Only the crashing of waves against the seaside cliff and the ominous rumbling of thunder broke that silence - until Snake’s earpiece started to buzz.

{(140.85) - “ Boss? Boss! C̨a̕͘͝n ̶̢͢yo̶u̢͢҉ h͘ear̵̛ me?” }

Kazuhira Miller’s voice was choppy, but Snake still managed to piece his words together.

“Barely, Kaz… but I’m a little busy right now…”

{(140.85) - “ I know - but i҉t͠'s̷̨ cle͘a͡r ̢t̛h҉at ̨t͝his̢ gi̸rl's ̸͠p̧r҉ȩ͡s҉e̛nce ͝i͟s̢ a҉f̵̨͘̕͜f͏e̡̨͞ç̸͝͠ţ͡i̛͟͢͏n̛͏̷g̴͘͟͏ ̵̵͜͢͡o̧͏̷̧u̷͡͏̸r̶͞ ̴̡̢̕͏c̴̢̡̨o̧̢m̶̧̡͞m̷̧͘͡͏s҉.  Whatever you do - always keep the m҉͖͎̟͓͕i̵̱̥̺̖̕s͡͏̲͍̪͖̣̹͙͇̞͓̝͖s̸̨̘̤̟̺̗̱͡i̸̻̰̪̣̲̫͎̟̘̼͉̕͞͞ǫ̷̧̼̞̼͈̥̪̥̗͝ͅn͇̙̪̼͇͘͢͜ in mind.

“What was that…?”

While Snake was trying to figure out the rest of his XO’s words, Sayori wore a smug smile and chuckled,

“You must have noticed it by now, Big Boss. The girls and I are affecting your electronic devices, just by being close. Strange - isn’t it?”

Snake furrowed his brow and pointed his rifle at Sayori’s smiling face,

“There’s nothing strange about electronic jamming. That’s what Chaff Grenades are for.”

Sayori tilted her head, amused by Snake’s reply,

“That’s true, I guess. But I was talking more about something more fundamental, you know.”

“And what would that be?”

Sayori’s blue eyes then looked straight into Snake’s and calmly spoke,

“Human interaction.”

“... human… interaction?”

The rider girl nodded and gestured with her free hand,

“As soon as you saw me, you got on edge - right? The moment we encountered each other, your mind started to see things differently. It was telling you something like ‘the situation’s changed’ or something like that.”

She then formed a fist and playfully knocked on the side of her head as she continued,

“Your brain works kinda like a sma- I mean, like an electronic device. Just by meeting me, I disrupted the signals in your head and planted that new reality in your mind. Likewise - meeting you disrupted mine. I’m now a part of your reality - and you’re part of mine. Isn’t that nice?”

Venom Snake grumbled and demanded,

“What are you getting at?”

Sayori heaved a sigh and then explained,

“The girls of the Literature Club - this ‘Writers of the Apocalypse’ group that you’ve been told about… we’re not from this world - but we have become a part of it.”

“... not from this world?”

“That’s right. We’re here to bring Amy - the Spider Lady - back to our world.”

“So - you’re saying you want me to surrender the Spider Lady back to you. Is that it?”

“Yup~!”

“And what about Chico?”

Sayori glanced over at the binded Chico lying unconscious on the forest dirt and added,

“We’re taking him too.”

“Why would you need him? He’s a child!”

Sayori shook her head and faced Snake with a determined expression,

“I can’t tell you that.”

She then looked at the earpiece Snake was wearing and explained,

“Amy’s listening to all this, after all.”

{(140.96) - “ Huh? She knows I’m on the radio?” }

Sayori sighed again and then laid her free hand over her heart,

“Big Boss. If you cooperate with us and give in to our demands, we won’t even have to fight. This ‘crossover’ can end right here and it will be the end of it…”

Venom Snake blinked, then grimly coaxed,

“And if we don’t comply…”

When Sayori heard this, the chipper smile on Sayori’s lips became menacing.

“Ahehehe~ well… are you a fan of psychological horror games, Venom Snake?

“... psychological… horror?”

Sayori grinned and then reached under the raincoat she was wearing then brought out what appeared to be a miniature plush toy of a milk cow with horns. She then looked Snake in the eye and tossed the cow plushie at him, crying,

“You’re about to become the protagonist in an entirely new game!”

Snake’s razor-sharp reflexes slowed down time as he watched the toy sailing through the air towards him. A bolt of lightning snaking over the horizon illuminated the darkening scene in that prolonged moment.

Then, as the toy bathed in the flash of light, it started morbidly transforming into a living, breathing bull that was charging towards Snake and D-Horse at full stride!

The cow’s eyes were glowing in an off-putting shade of sky blue - just like the eyes of the Parasite Unit operatives - and were fixated on Venom Snake. Scalding hot steam shot out of the bull’s nostrils while its horns were jagged and crooked like long, decaying teeth.

Snake instinctively pointed his rifle away from Sayori then towards the charging bull. He quickly found a bead on the bull’s forehead and then pulled the trigger.

The shot landed, just as he expected it would. However, there was no effect.

The bull was still charging towards him.

So, Snake spurred D-Horse to gallop out of the charging bull’s warpath. The two of them got out just in the nick of time and time started to flow naturally for Snake again.

Sayori started open firing at Snake with her pistol, forcing Snake to ride D-Horse and take cover deeper in the forest. As he did, the bull snorted hellish hot steam and stood guard by Sayori’s side. The creature shook its head wildly in odd, unnatural angles and forced out the tranquilizer dart from his head as if it were a mere mosquito.

The coral-pink haired girl then laughed with amusement as she taunted,

“Why are you running away? Mr. Cow is adorable and harmless!”

Venom Snake watched the whole ordeal from behind cover as beads of sweat started forming on his brow. This was not a battle that he was prepared for.

[UE9FTSBHQU1F] U2F5b3JpJ3MgV29yZHM=

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

☮̛̹̖̤̱̯̞̠̱̠̟̤̗͖͈͚͕̃ͥ̂̏͢ͅ

Overwhelmed by his disbelief, Snake grumbled to his iDroid,

“Spider Lady! What the hell is going on!?”

{(140.96) - “ Now you know why I ran the hell out of my second hideout, Big Boss. If I told you that a plush toy chased me out of there, you wouldn’t have believed me.” }

“Ergh…”

The Spider Lady was right. Something like that would have made Snake bring Amy to the medical bay for psychoanalysis.

{(140.96) - “ Tranquilizer darts aren’t going to work on that ‘Mr. Cow’ thing. You’re gonna need to use your assault rifle or anything that packs a bigger punch to hurt it. ”}

Snake set aside his sniper rifle and then brought out his trusty AM MRS-4 assault rifle instead. Once he did, he heard the rumble of the charging bull growing louder again.

{(140.96) - “ Watch out, Big Boss! Get out of the way! ”}

At the Spider Lady’s call, Snake spurred D-Horse again and urged him away from the tree he was hiding behind. Then, just as the Spider Lady predicted, Mr. Cow smashed into the tree and violently felled it like a bowling pin.

The canopy of the fallen tree barely missed Snake and D-Horse by a hair, but smashing into the tree didn’t seem to hurt the bull at all! Mr. Cow kept chasing after the mercenary commander, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

Thus, Snake continued riding D-Horse deeper into the forest while taking aim at Mr. Cow with his assault rifle. He fired in three-shot bursts and focused on the front legs of the charging bull.

The assault rifle rounds grotesquely tore bloody flesh off of the charging bull and eventually started to slow the creature down. Whenever Snake got close to tearing off one of the bull’s legs, however, Sayori would come rushing by and shoot at Snake.

As soon as Sayori emptied her magazine, she would retreat to reload. Those interceptions, however gave Mr. Cow’s mangled legs enough time to fully heal on their own and Snake was back to square one.

It was at that time that Ocelot gave a suggestion,

{(141.73) - “ Seems like that bull’s gonna keep healing itself, Boss. It might be a case of symbiotic parasites that accelerate that animal’s healing properties - at least that’s what I understood from what Code Talker was telling me just now .”}

Snake watched the bull’s bleeding yet reformed legs in the corner of his eye and grumbled,

“Parasites, huh…?”

{(141.73) - “Yeah - anyways - if there was a way for you to purge or disable those parasites, it might give you the upper hand. Maybe a few grenades will do the trick. Cleanse them with flame, if you will.”}

“Sounds like a plan.”

{(141.73) - “ And do something about this ‘Sunshine’ girl who’s intercepting you. Her plush toy is powerful, but something tells me that she herself isn’t that strong. ”}

{(140.96) - “ I agree with Mr. Ocelot, Big Boss. Use your assault rifle to overwhelm her. That pistol she’s wielding is high-powered, but low capacity. A few bursts from the AM MRS-4 should do - make sure she dies this time! ”}

When Amy said this, Snake cut her off,

“I’m not trying to kill her, Spider Lady. I’m going to knock her out - just like Chico. And what did you mean ‘this time’?”

Before Amy could respond, Mr. Cow picked up the pace and closed the gap with Big Boss and D-Horse. This was their chance!

Snake brought out a hand grenade from his pack, pulled off the pin and then dropped it beside him as D-Horse ran.

Mr. Cow, in its haste, dashed over the live grenade and was caught in the blast of flame and shrapnel. The creature shrieked in pain and fell down to the forest dirt with a thud as its hind legs were incinerated and maimed by the blast.

Then, a second grenade settled right beside the beast’s hellish head.

The bull disappeared behind the second blast and Snake unloaded a full magazine of assault rifle rounds at it.

Once the smoke cleared, Mr. Cow laid butchered on the ground in a gruesome mess of flesh, blood and bone. Snake, however, didn’t have time to celebrate for long.

An audible, frustrated grunt reached Snake’s ear from a distance. Moments later, the sounds of multiple ropes scraping against tree bark echoed in the forest as if a mechanism was set in motion.

Then, in the blink of an eye, a series of ropes whipped from out of nowhere and snagged Venom Snake off of D-Horse. The assault rifle he was holding slipped off of his hands and the ropes tightened around Snake’s neck!

By the time the ropes were stretched to their limits, Snake was hanging from a tree on a rope noose two feet off the ground. D-Horse panicked and whinnied in fear, frightened by the sight of his master flailing helplessly about above him.

Snake managed to get his mechanical hand in between the rope and his neck in the nick of time, but the noose was tightening with every second.

As he struggled with the tightening noose, Sayori rode her horse to the spot below the tree that Snake was hanging from. She observed the noose - her handiwork - and chuckled,

“You’re gonna need to free yourself from that noose, Big Boss - unless you want to gently open the door to heaven.”

Snake grunted and tried to retort, but the tight noose kept him from speaking anything coherently. Thus, Sayori continued,

“You already know why we’re here and what we want. Bring the Spider Lady to us and leave Iturup Island for good. Leave the boy with us too. This is not a war that you want to be involved in. I won’t be so merciful next time.”

She then glanced at the grotesque bull’s smoldering remains and added,

“Mr. Cow was my favorite plushie, after all, you big meanie. The next time I see you - I’m going to make you pay. But first...”

Sayori reached into her raincoat again and brought out a cassette tape in a plastic case. She tossed it at the shadow that Venom Snake cast from the tree and said,

“A gift from me - and a message for the Spider Lady. Make sure that traitor hears this, okay?”

Lightning flashed again as Sayori said this and rain started to fall from the dark skies. Sayori put on the hood of her raincoat and then rode her horse away from the scene, leaving Snake to his own devices.

  [GAMEPLAY MECHANICS] Torture Scenes

During the Iturup Island deployment, Venom Snake can be either the tortured or the torturer. If Snake is being subject to torture, it is important to respond to the prompts in a timely manner - otherwise, Snake will die.

As the torturer, the objective of torture isn’t to kill the target - but to get information from them. Use the ACTION button to select your desired method and then respond to the prompts to execute them. Not every torture will yield useful information and the torture will fail if the subject dies.

☮

Venom Snake hung from the three as he tried to free himself from Sayori’s tightening noose. He managed to get his mechanical hand in between his neck and the rope, but it was starting to get hard to breathe.

While he struggled with the rope, Snake’s earpiece buzzed,

{(141.73) - “ Boss! I know it’s hard, but I’m gonna need you to calm down. The more nervous you are, the harder this noose is going to bear down on your neck. Use the ACTION button and hold it to steady your heartbeat. Right now, you’re undergoing rope torture - and I’m going to help you get out of there in one piece. Tortures are my specialty, after all. ”}

{(140.85) - “ Just get on with it, Ocelot. Boss is hanging by a thread here! ”

Snake did as he was told and focused himself, steadying his heartbeat. Once Snake’s pulse settled down, Ocelot continued his instruction.

{(141.73) - “ I know. Have you calmed down, Boss? Good. Now, hold down the ACTION button to use your mechanical hand to loosen the noose. While you’re doing that, hit the ‘X’ button to draw your knife and cut the rope above you.” }

The hanging phantom followed the instructions again and soon managed to cut the rope. He fell down and landed on his back with a dull thud.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Venom Snake finally managed to breathe easily again. As he was lying on the ground, he cut off the rest of the rope that bound his neck and broke free from the noose.

Strong rain was already starting to fall down from the dark sky and washed the sweat and soot off of Venom Snake’s face. After a few moments, his earpiece buzzed again,

{(140.85) - “ Boss - Chico’s out of the Intel Team’s tracking range. The ‘Sunshine’ girl is gone too. You’re going to have to mark them again next time. ”}

“... I know…”

{(140.85) - “ Come back to the FOB for now, Boss. Get your equipment sorted out and take a short break. These things happen to the best of us. ”}

“... it’s back… to the drawing board… huh?”

{(141.73) - “ That’s right. We’re going to have to ask the Spider Lady a few more questions too. You don’t mind, do you, Ms. Amy? ”}

{(140.96) - “ Y-yeah… I guess I do have a few things to explain when you get back. But here’s my promise to you, Big Boss. I am real - those girls are not. They are the ones who shouldn’t be in this world - and I will do everything I can to help you defeat them .”}

Snake had a number of thoughts in his mind, but he kept them to himself for the time being. He just lied there on the ground and spoke to his iDroid,

“Amy - save my data, would you? And Kaz - get Pequod to come pick me up.”

{(140.85/140.96) - “ Roger that. ”}

Once Snake chose the nearest landing zone for Pequod, he set aside his iDroid and heaved a sigh of relief. He let the pitter patter of rain flood out the rest of the sounds of the remote Russian island.

Under that veil of water, his mind wandered to Quiet. It made him wonder where his would-be-assassin turned ally was and what she was doing now.

Then, after a short while, he picked himself up from the ground and turned to the cassette tape that the Sunshine girl left behind.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Walking On Sunshine” - Katrina and the Waves (1983)[Side A]}

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “A Message To The Spider Lady” [Side B]}

To Be Continued

 SCORE

Episode 54: Wayward Son

PLAY RATING

Total Play Time : Twelve Hours (156 hours left for campaign)

Time : Seven Hours

Enemy Combat Alerts : 0

Hits Taken : 3

Tactical Takedowns : 0

Headshots : 13

Accuracy : 86.3% (76/88)

Neutralizations : 13

Effective Interrogations : 0

Prisoners Rescued : 0

[PERFECT STEALTH, NO KILLS]

Rank: A

...

{(140.85) - “ It’s not quite the result we were looking for, but we still managed to get most of the intel. Good job, Boss! ”}

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady: 40%

Codename: SUNSHINE

Chapter Text

18:30

Undisclosed Location

Sayori’s horse strode briskly through a narrow woodland path that branched off of one of the more obscure forest trails in Iturup Island. The canopies of trees covered the sky like arches of leaves and wood that shielded Sayori, her horse and her unconscious passenger behind her.

After a few more strides, the environment around Sayori started to flicker around in an unstable manner. The arch of trees that covered the path soon disappeared and gave way to a depthless darkness that stretched out as far as Sayori’s blue eyes could see. On the other hand, the woodland path transitioned into a concrete path that snaked down towards a bright light.

She reached the light before long and the depthless darkness gave way this time to what appeared to be the arrivals lobby of a small airport. Travel agency posters lined the cork boards that hung from the concrete walls, while hanging fluorescent lights illuminated the spartan space. Large, two-story windows loomed over Sayori. Those windows looked out to the same depthless void that Sayori just emerged from.

There was a staircase heading up to a second floor loft too - something that took Sayori by surprise.

‘It looks a lot more fleshed out this time around, huh?’ Sayori thought to herself as she looked around, ‘Natsuki must have been busy.’

The entire space was made up of assets from a place called the ‘Nova Braga Airport’ - or at least, that was what Natsuki told her earlier before she droned on about things Sayori didn’t really understand.

As she was thinking this, she spotted the pink-haired girl, Natsuki, seated on one of the plastic airport benches sound asleep. Seated beside her was the tall girl with long, purple hair, Yuri, who let Natsuki rest her head on her shoulder. All the while, their weapons - the old PPS-43 submachine gun and the futuristic AK-12 - were sitting nearby as well.

Yuri noticed Sayori arrive in the space, so she greeted her with a smile - followed by her putting a gentle finger over her lips.

‘Natsuki is sleeping.’ Yuri seemed to say.

Sayori smiled back and nodded. She dismounted from her horse, brought down her unconscious hostage from his mount and then set him down on one of the benches at the opposite end of the space from the couple. Once the boy was dismounted, the horse started to fizzle away before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The smoke cleared before long, and a small, horse plush toy stood where the living, breathing horse once was. Sayori picked up the plushie and pocketed it as if it were second nature. She then produced some rope out of thin air and tied the boy to the seat.

As soon as she finished, she heard some footsteps coming down from the staircase. Sayori turned to the stairs and then saw the radiant figure of Monika descending like an angel. She noticed Sayori too and smiled as she greeted,

“Welcome back, Sayo.”

Sayori tightened the rope that tied Chico down with one last tug and then darted over to the stairs towards Monika.

“Moni!”

Monika caught Sayori mid-air at the landing and then held her tightly, lifting the short-haired president off of her feet before setting her down again. Sayori hugged back and buried her head in Monika’s chest as she somberly reported,

“Mr. Cow didn’t make it.”

Monika patted Sayori’s head in consolation and reminded,

“But we got the boy. Based on what Natsuki’s told us, this young man is going to be vital for us going forward.”

Monika then let go of Sayori and turned towards the unconscious boy tied down to the seat. She regarded him with curiosity and then wistfully noted,

“‘Ricardo Valenciano Libre’, better known as ‘Chico’ - a dear friend of Big Boss and a phantom of the now-destroyed Militaires Sans Frontieres. Just like Big Boss, he should have died nine years ago - but fate had other plans for him. Now, he’s here with us.”

The green-eyed Vice President laid a sympathetic hand on the young man’s shoulder and added,

“Someone just like me.”

  18:37

Iturup Island, USSR

Northern Cliffs (Okhotsk Sea), West of Burevestnik Airbase

Venom Snake shielded his face from the gusts of wind as Pequod’s helicopter arrived. Jets of mists cast by the crashing waves from the Okhotsk Sea were dispersed in the wake of the helicopter’s arrival. The Blackfoot helicopter descended just over the cliffline with its side door opened for its passenger.

The defeated phantom made his way to the open helicopter door and climbed aboard. He sat down near the door as Pequod brought the helicopter to ascent. Venom Snake watched the scenery of the northern forests of Iturup Island grow steadily further and further until Pequod dutifully announced,

“Departing!”

Venom Snake then closed the helicopter doors and took his seat at the rear. There, he would spend the rest of the return trip reflecting in silence - the usual routine that Venom Snake had gotten used to over the past year.

When he got to his usual rear seat, however, there was an unusual package - a canvass satchel - that was sitting there. Snake quickly turned over to the helicopter pilot who noticed his commander’s gaze and explained,

“That’s a package from Ocelot, Boss. He said it was for you.”

Snake regarded the package cautiously before eventually opening it. Inside the satchel was a set of cassette tapes with a handwritten labels. On top of that, there was a note from Ocelot himself.

‘Listen to these on the way back’, the note said.

The mercenary commander heaved a sigh and sat down as he took the cassette tapes from the satchel. He took them one after another and placed them in his iDroid device to listen.

 {Cassette Tape Acquired: “Spider Lady Questioning 1: Ties with the Writers of the Apocalypse”}

 12:45

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Temporary FOB - Interrogation Room

Ocelot: “Looks like the Boss is just about halfway through to Iturup now. We can continue the… ‘conversation’ we were having earlier. I have a feeling that the Boss will need our support over the radio soon, after all.”

Amy: “Y-yes of course, Mr. Ocelot.”

Ocelot: “Please, have a seat. This isn’t an interrogation.”

Amy: “I-I know… but there were records of you in the CIA being a master interrogator, so I can’t help but feel a little uneasy.”

Ocelot: “I see my reputation precedes me. If you prefer an interrogation…”

Amy: “N-no! Not at all… I want to help you guys after all. I want to help Big Boss defeat the Writers of the Apocalypse, so I want to help you all.”

Ocelot: “Okay then - what do you know about the Writers of the Apocalypse?”

Amy: “Hmm… well… I guess you can say they operate like a Special Forces unit - just like the Cobras. You saw them in battle - they’re excellent soldiers who can stand toe-to-toe with a Soviet garrison and an XOF strike team.”

Ocelot: “Do they call themselves ‘Writers of the Apocalypse’?”

Amy: “That’s just a name I made up for them. You know - like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, but they’re incredibly cute girls instead.”

Ocelot: “Incredibly cute girls… that’s what you told the Boss too when he first rescued you.”

Amy: “Give credit where credit is due, right?”

Ocelot: “Something tells me that you’re actually fond of those girls - am I wrong?”

Amy: “Of course not! Why would I be jealous of the literature… I mean, the Writers of the Apocalypse?”

Ocelot: “I don’t know. You tell me.”

Amy: “Well… I guess I am kind of frustrated that young girls like that are already operating at a level that rivals my father’s unit while I’m such a useless CIA rookie dolt who can’t even finish her basic survival training… but what really ticks me off is that they use supernatural powers...”

Ocelot: “Just like the ones that made your father ‘special’ - and made sure that he didn’t live a normal life with you.”

Amy: “Exactly. The Writers of the Apocalypse have to be defeated - and the legendary Big Boss may be the only one who’ll be able to do it.”

[End Tape]

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Spider Lady Questioning 2: Sayori”}

12:53

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Temporary FOB - Interrogation Room

Ocelot: “Okay then, Spider Lady. Based on what you’ve seen, what does their leadership structure look like. Who’s pulling the strings - or writing the verses - so to speak?”

Amy: “Oh, like you mean their club presi… I mean, the unit commander? That’s gotta be Sayori.”

Ocelot: “Sayori…? A Japanese girl?”

Amy: “Well, they’re… technically not Japanese. That’s just the name that I’ve managed to decipher with my Base64 decryption.”

Ocelot: “Is that so? Well - tell me more about this ‘Sayori’ girl. I looked over at the mission data and… well… Sayori didn’t do a whole lot of fighting herself. She just led the others to battle.”

Amy: “If I were to boil her down into a word, I’d say she’s deceptive. She’s unassuming, sweet and sunny on the outside - but all of that is a front to her true nature. She’ll bring in a handgun to battle as her only weapon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she brings something out of the left field.”

Ocelot: “Just a handgun? Heh - you truly are a rookie CIA girl.”

Amy: “... what are you talking about? It’s a Grizzly Mk.V - a new .50 AE chambered gun. It’s a powerful gun, yes, but it’s shadowed by the guns of the other girls.”

Ocelot: “You have to understand that a weapon is an extension of the person himself - or herself. Look - these revolvers of mine. How many people do you think I’ve killed with these?”

Amy: “Wait a second… those guns...”

Ocelot: “I’ve always carried a pair of Single Action Army revolvers - which is probably what you kids at Langley have on record  - but Miller gave me these cheap knockoffs of two Mateba 2006Ms for me to use with Diamond Dogs. Tornado-6, he calls them. They look nowhere near as imposing as the SAA - and I have a few comments about their performance too.”

Amy: “I see what you mean - whether or not you’re using the SAA, or these Tornado-6 guns, you’re still ‘Shalashaska’.”

Ocelot: “Precisely. Which is why that handgun ‘Sayori’ wields is simply a tool. Her strength has to lie elsewhere - otherwise, she wouldn’t be the leader of a supernatural special forces unit.”

Amy: “You’re right… I think I understand her a little better now, Mr. Ocelot.”

Ocelot: “As long as it helps the Boss on the battlefield - it’ll be my pleasure.”

Amy: “Of course.”

Ocelot: “So, does she have any weaknesses?”

Amy: “I’m not quite sure… but she seems to be especially hard on herself - and she carries around these plush toys with her. They’re cute plushies, but I can’t help but feel like they’re trouble.”

Ocelot: “I see what you mean. A professional soldier won’t bring cumbersome things into battle without a reason, after all. That’s all for now - let’s move on.”

[End Tape]

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Spider Lady Questioning 3: Yuri”}

13:01

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Temporary FOB - Interrogation Room

Amy: “One of the real weirdos in that unit has to be ‘Yuri’.”

Ocelot: “Yuri…? Is that a Russian name?”

Amy: “No - it’s Japanese, just like Sayori.”

Ocelot: “Japanese, huh… so this girl is named after ‘girls’ love’... hehe, I knew you were enamored with them.”

Amy: “N-no! Not at all! Yuri means the lily flower. This girl is tall and graceful, but she’s carrying emotional baggage like you wouldn’t believe. Obsession. Self harm. A fascination with blades… and a tendency to stare into your very soul. Once she has her sights on you, she’s not gonna let you go.”

Ocelot: “I looked over at the mission data and saw her leaping off her horse to stab people to death. Even XOF infantry armor couldn’t stand up to her blades. She was the first to action too, so she could probably be an assassin - or a scout.”

Amy: “Probably - she was the first one I encountered too in my basecamp, and she nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Ocelot: “That weapon she wields - it looks like a variant of the AK-74, but I’ve never seen this one before.”

Amy: “I did some deciphering and saw that it’s called an AK-12 - the notes say it comes from the future, but it may just be a heavily modified AK for close quarters combat.”

Ocelot: “Just like how Snake’s AM MRS-4 is practically a heavily modified FF FNC.”

Amy: “If Big Boss wants to stand a chance against this girl, his knife skills will have to be on point - otherwise, this girl will gleefully watch his body rot.”

Ocelot: “I have faith in the Boss’ skills with the knife, but I’ll advise him to try other things if he has to fight this girl. So - any weaknesses?”

Amy: “Hmm… I can think of a few tactics - and her sense of smell happens to be incredibly strong. It might be because she uses essential oils quite often.”

Ocelot: “Is that so…? Heh - I might have a few ideas myself, then. Let’s move on.”

[End Tape]

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Spider Lady Questioning 4: Natsuki”}

  13:07

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Temporary FOB - Interrogation Room

Ocelot: “So, tell me about this pink-haired girl - the one who was pouting when she first appeared.”

Amy: “Oh, that’s Natsuki. She’s an incredibly fierce fighter - and she likes to get in your face. True to that confrontational nature of hers, she uses a submachine gun as her main weapon - a PPS-43.”

Ocelot: “A personal defense weapon that’s seen better days - but it packs a punch. I used a few of those myself in the GRU.”

Amy: “Aside from her weapon, she tags along with Yuri all the time - and I mean ALL the time. If Yuri’s the unit’s scout, Natsuki will have to be the assaulter who comes right after.”

Ocelot: “I see - so ‘Yuri’ and ‘Natsuki’ operate as a pair. That’s an efficient way to operate a special forces team. Like Glaz and Palitz.”

Amy: “Yuri and Natsuki really are a team - and they’re completely in sync when they’re together. Once upon a time, they managed to save their club from… I mean… erm, what I’m saying is... fighting them both at the same time will be an impossible battle. The two of them team up to form a near invincible front.”

Ocelot: “I saw the tapes from Snake’s Int-Scope. They did the bulk of the fighting - they pretty much overwhelmed XOF and the Soviets all on their own.”

Amy: “It may not look like it, but Natsuki is incredibly physically strong - especially in close quarters combat. She prefers to beat the shit out of her da… I mean her enemies - taking things into her own hands, so to speak.”

Ocelot: “Big Boss has a mechanical arm. That should give him the advantage in any hand-to-hand combat situation.”

Amy: “Against normal human enemies, I presume - but Natsuki is no common martial artist. She’s a beast - Big Boss won’t survive a wrestling match with her.”

Ocelot: “So then, any weaknesses for this ‘beast’?”

Amy: “Hmm… even though she has a small frame, she needs to eat a lot to maintain her muscle mass. She won’t have a lot of endurance, so it might be smart to try and outlast her rather than beating her outright.”

Ocelot: “I see - let your enemy expend herself, huh? That’s a wise move.”

Amy: “That’s right - and also… have you guys ever heard of ‘manga’?”

[End tape]

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Spider Lady Questioning 5: Monika”}

  13:15

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Temporary FOB - Interrogation Room

Ocelot: “Alright then - tell me more about the last Writer.”

Amy: “Her name is Monika, and the notes say she used to be the leader of the Writers of the Apocalypse. After a series of unfortunate events, she had to cede power to Sayori and settled with the role of Vice President… I mean, second-in-command.”

Ocelot: “So, she’s the Miller of the group.”

Amy: “I guess you can say that - but Monika is still pretty much the one who calls the shots. She is the most experienced strategist in the group and every one of the Writers trusts her with their lives - especially Sayori.”

Ocelot: “Heh - I take it back. Miller is respected in Diamond Dogs, but he doesn’t command that kind of devotion. She’s a lot more like Big Boss then.”

Amy: “I think so too. I personally would like to pick that girl’s brain about a few things, but she’s a mystery. Out of all the Writers of the Apocalypse, she’s the one I know about the least. Only the superficial things come up on the file about her - second-in-command, Springfield rifle for long-range combat, captivating emerald green eyes… and a pose that is, in my honest opinion, beyond science.”

Ocelot: “Pose…? Beyond science?”

Amy: “Oh, it’s this pose thing that she often does - almost like a taunt during battle. She leans forward like this to accentuate her features while being flirty. I swear - that’s part of why Sayori is so enamored with her…”

Ocelot: “Heh - it’s sort of like a persona she takes on when she goes into battle then… and it looks like that charming pose worked on you too, Ms. Amy Bell.”

Amy: “W-what? O-of course not!”

Ocelot: “Personas like that can help you improve your efficiency in battle. It also evokes a spirit in you, based on what persona you adopt. It’s just like how the members of the Cobra Unit brought an emotion into battle.”

Amy: “... just like my father - The Fear.”

Ocelot: “That’s right. I adopt a persona too in battle. I used to meow like an actual ocelot to call my GRU strike force. Because of that, we came to be known as the Ocelot unit.”

Amy: “M-meow!? Oh… uhm… c-could I possibly hear that?”

Ocelot: “That meow is a signal for the Diamond Dogs soldiers to storm this interrogation room and kill you, Spider Lady. I doubt you’d want me to do that.”

Amy: “Oh crap! I-I’m sorry! Never mind!”

Ocelot: “Good choice. Anyways, what I wanted to say is - if that pose is part of this ‘Monika’ girl’s persona, it’s got to have some sort of value on the battlefield. I’ll tell Big Boss to watch out for that pose. It might be a sign of worse things to come.”

Amy: “Yeah…”

Ocelot: “Well - Big Boss should be arriving at Iturup Island soon. We should get ready to offer him support, so let’s end this interview for now. We’ll talk again after the mission.”

Amy: “Of course. Let’s get Operation Wayward Son started!”

[End Tape]

As soon as Snake finished listening to the last cassette tape, he started to feel the helicopter start to descend. Once again Pequod dutifully announced,

"Approaching Forward Operating Base!"

Snake set aside the cassette tapes and then opened the helicopter door.

To Be Continued 

Chapter Text

Episode 55

Hokkaido Interlude II

19:03

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Forward Operating Base

Gusts of salty sea breeze brushed against Venom Snake’s face as he emerged from the cab of the Blackfoot helicopter. As soon as his Sneaking Suit boots hit the pavement of the concrete helipad, four Diamond Dogs soldiers came rushing over towards their boss to give their sharpest salutes.

[Staff Morale Increased]

“Welcome back, Boss!” The most senior of the troop greeted then reported, “Shalashaska and the Spider Lady are waiting for you at the main building.”

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

“Thanks.” Venom Snake replied with a sharp salute of his own, “At ease.”

With that, the four soldiers lowered their hands and filed back down the helipad catwalk to their posts. Venom Snake followed suit, jogging past his troops towards the main building of the FOB compound.

A brand new metal door with a small red light at the handle greeted Venom Snake when he reached the building’s facade - something that he remembered wasn’t there just hours ago. When he approached the door, he heard a series of beeps and the red light turned green. Then, the door slid open for the mercenary commander, inviting him inside.

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

He stepped through the threshold and navigated through a short corridor to another set of steel double doors - this time, without an electronic mechanism. Two Diamond Dogs soldiers in full battle dress wielded light machineguns and stood guard at the door. They welcomed their boss with salutes as well and opened the door for him.

Venom Snake proceeded inside and found himself in a spacious, albeit spartan room with concrete in the walls, floors and ceiling. Simple lamps hung from the ceiling and illuminated the the two other people in the room - Revolver Ocelot and the Spider Lady.

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

The two of them were seated across from each other on a plain table draped with olive drab cloth. In between them was a recording device, along with a microphone. They looked like they were in the middle of a recording.

When Ocelot noticed Venom’s presence, however, he ended the recording and switched off the device on the table. He then turned over to the threshold where Venom stood and greeted,

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

“You’re finally back, Boss.”

The gunslinger then gestured him over,

“There’s another seat here at the table, Boss - and we’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Amy Bell, on the other hand, sat on her seat in silence and avoided Venom Snake’s probing eye. She looked as if she was incredibly ashamed and was trying to hide it - but her facade was paper thin. Snake could see right through it.

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

Venom Snake stepped into the threshold and the two guards closed behind him. He then proceeded to join Ocelot and the quiet Spider Lady at the table. Ocelot smiled at the mercenary commander and noted,

“I take it that you’ve already listened to the tapes I had Pequod sent to you.”

Snake nodded, then turned to the Spider Lady - wondering why she was so timid all of the sudden. He didn’t have to say a word for the Spider Lady to guess what was on his mind, so she conceded. She pursed her lips then finally spoke her mind.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Big Boss. I wish I could have done more to help you bring him home… you nearly died because of me too...”

Written By

Elias_Pedro

A somber shadow loomed over Amy’s eyes while the lights of the hanging lamps reflected off of the lens of her glasses. Venom Snake, however, shook his head and waved Amy’s self-deprecation away as he spoke,

“The Writers of the Apocalypse are formidable foes - we simply weren’t prepared to fight them at that point in time. We just need to prepare a little more for the next time we face them.”

Amy hesitated for a spell, but she eventually blurted,

“W-what about your friend? What about Chico? The Writers of the Apocalypse have him in their grasp! They’ll surely kill him!”

Music By

Dan Salvato

Venom Snake shook his head again,

“I don’t think they’re going to kill Chico. I looked into that ‘Sayori’ girl’s eyes - there was no ill intent. Also, she didn’t kill me outright - even when she had the chance too. That said, Chico will be fine. He’s cheated death once already. It will be up to us whether we can rescue him or not.”

Amy took a moment to let Snake’s words sink in. Then, she mustered up her determination and gave a firm nod.

“Y-you’re right, Big Boss. We can’t let this get to us.”

Created and Directed By

Elias_Pedro

Ocelot snickered as he watched the exchange and folded his arms as he leaned back into his chair. He then turned to Snake and reported,

“The Spider Lady and I were actually discussing countermeasures against the Writers of the Apocalypse - some strategies too. We’ve come up with an extensive list while you were on your way home, Boss.”

Snake hummed,

“Is that so?”

Before Snake could say anything else, the device at the middle of the table crackled with static. Then, it broadcasted the voice of Kazuhira Miller.

[Miller: “ Boss, Ocelot - it’s not just the Writers we’re going to have to look out for. XOF seems to be making their move. I’ll send the data from the Intel Team over to your iDroid, Boss. ”]

Snake grunted and brought out his iDroid device. He pressed button and laid the device down on the table.

Seconds later, the device projected a hologram of an aerial map of Iturup Island and the surrounding waters. Once the map was fully rendered, Miller continued his report.

[Miller: “ Reports have just come in from the Intel Team saying that multiple unmarked Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) were spotted en route to Iturup Island from multiple directions. There have been a few new skirmishes between the XOF and the Soviets in the coastal areas and no one has a clear advantage yet - but you can bet that XOF mechanized units have infiltrated a larger force than they did before. ”]

Ocelot laid his hands on the table and noted,

“It looks like Chico is valuable to XOF too - for them to outright invade Iturup Island. If Soviet comms were online, we would have an international incident by now - but XOF operates in the shadows, as always.”

[Miller: “ The Kremlin seems to have some idea of what’s going on with the XOF - and even about the Writers, but they aren’t reporting it. The Soviet bear doesn’t want to be perceived as weak by the West, after all. Instead, the Soviets have been pouring in reinforcements too from Vladivostok. They could have a full armored brigade on the island in a matter of days - well before our one-week time limit. ”]

Snake sighed that time and quipped,

“They want to take matters into their own hands to save face.”

[Miller: “ But there’s more. There was also a lot of activity detected over at Burevestnik Airbase. They seem to be preparing to house the armored brigade, but it’s too much activity for simple housekeeping. There’s a good chance it has something to do with that secret weapon the CIA wants to know about. ”]

The Spider Lady fidgeted in her seat as she listened. With the sort of survival training she’s had - or rather, lacked - she might not have survived on her own with all of that new activity. She was prepared to infiltrate a remote military installation, not a looming, three-sided warzone!

However, the Spider Lady raised her head and reminded,

“We still have the advantage in terms of intel. Once we get the last cache of intel I gathered, it we’ll be able to finish the mission before the tanks come.”

[Miller: I agree. That being said - let’s review our objectives going forward. First - we need to retrieve the Spider Lady’s last cache of data. Next, we need to investigate Burevestnik Airbase and plant some bugs to watch for that weapon. Finally - it doesn’t matter if we have to fight the XOF, the Soviets AND the Writers of the Apocalypse. We have to bring Chico home. ]

Venom Snake nodded in agreement,

“I agree with you, Kaz - but we have to be careful. I’m gonna need a little help.”

While Snake was speaking, his iDroid device gave off a familiar chime.

Curious, Snake picked up his device again and brought up his main screen. There were some new developments from the R&D Team - but he didn’t remember ordering any new research.

{R&D Team: [Prototype Grenade (1*)] has finished development}

{R&D Team: [iDroid EWS Upgrade (5*)] has finished development}

{R&D Team: [Parfait Girls Vol. 1 (1*)] has finished development}

{R&D Team: [Active Decoy - Special (6*)] has finished development}

Ocelot noticed Snake’s suspicion, so he casually explained,

“I took the liberty of pulling a few strings over at the R&D Team to develop some useful things for you. The Spider Lady helped me develop some of them - they’ll help you stand toe-to-toe with the Writers of the Apocalypse, she said.”

Snake checked his iDroid from top to bottom and asked,

“What is this ‘upgrade’ you put into my device?”

The Spider Lady then leapt out of her chair and looked at Snake in the eye for the first time that early evening. With a glimmer in her eye, she proudly introduced Snake to the upgrade.

“It’s an Early Warning System upgrade for your iDroid, Big Boss. The Writers of the Apocalypse radiate electronic interference with unique digital signatures to them. With this upgrade, your device will not only warn you if there is a Writer of the Apocalypse nearby - it can tell you which specific Writer it is!”

Snake blinked and browsed through the interface briskly,

“How does it do that?”

Amy put her hands behind her back and answered,

“It plays a sound file specific to the Writer. They’re all uploaded on your device, so give them a listen if you like. Oh - and it also creates a predicted field of movement on your map that you can refer to as well~!”

{Sound File Acquired: “Okay, Everyone! (Sayori).ogg”}

{Sound File Acquired: “Okay, Everyone! (Monika).ogg”}

{Sound File Acquired: “Okay, Everyone! (Natsuki).ogg”}

{Sound File Acquired: “Okay, Everyone! (Yuri).ogg”}

{Sound File Acquired: “Okay, Everyone!.ogg”}

Venom Snake’s brow furrowed,

“Five files…?”

Amy was flustered for a second, but she quickly clarified,

“The fifth file is the one that plays if all four of the Writers are present at once. Oh - and the first four files might ‘mashup’ if only two or three of them are nearby. Ahehe~ it’s hard to explain, but you’ll understand how it works on the field.”

Snake rubbed his chin with his mechanical hand then nodded,

“I think I have an idea now, thanks.”

Amy nodded back eagerly, but she suddenly paused for a brief moment. She then faced Venom Snake with clenched fists and adamantly proposed,

“Big Boss - while these new gadgets will help you, I really do think I should go with you to Iturup.”

“Go with me to Iturup…?” Venom Snake asked, “Like a Support Buddy?”

“That’s right! After what happened to Mr. Chico, I feel like I have a debt to pay… plus - I still do want to help you defeat the Writers as well!”

Snake shook his head and bluntly refused,

“That’s exactly what the Writers of the Apocalypse want, Spider Lady. You have to understand that they’re planning to abduct you too. Right now, you’re safe here.”

Amy pouted and put her hands on her hips as she tried to argue,

“But you’ve seen how powerful those girls are, Big Boss!”

This time, Ocelot intervened with a stern tone,

“Spider Lady. I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but you are still under Diamond Dogs surveillance too. Big Boss if concerned about your safety - and I’m concerned about his. I can’t allow you to sortie with him by yourself… however…”

Ocelot brought out his two Tornado-6 revolvers and skillfully twirled one in each hand. Then, mid-swing, Ocelot put both guns back in their holsters in one smooth motion as he proposed,

“If you want to sortie with Big Boss, I’m gonna have to go with you.”

Venom Snake turned over to Ocelot with concern,

“Ocelot… are you sure you want to do this?”

The gunslinger then laid a reassuring hand on Venom Snake’s shoulder and said,

“It would be an honor to fight alongside the legendary Big Boss - now that the legend has come back to life.”

[Miller: “ You’re gonna sortie with two support buddies, Boss? That complicates things a little, but I’m sure we can make it happen. ”]

Venom Snake folded his arms and replied to the radio,

“Looks like it, Kaz. There’s a first time for everything.”

[Miller: “ Got it. Go and get your gear sorted - then call the helicopter on your iDroid when you’re ready to depart. ]

…

Once Venom Snake’s meeting with Ocelot and the Spider Lady wound down, the three of them went their separate ways to get started on sorting out their equipment. The mercenary commander jogged out of the meeting room, then out of the main building and started towards the barracks - his usual pitstop when he was at the FOB.

Venom Snake went over to the Temporary Shower Unit stall as if it were second nature. However, when he put his hand on the shower stall’s door, he noticed that there was music playing from within the barracks.

He took his hand off of the shower stall door and sauntered into the barracks, following the sound of music. Just as he thought, there was a radio unit at the far corner of the barracks room. This was the first time that Venom Snake saw that particular unit there.

Was it one of the soldiers’ radios?

Diamond Dogs soldiers weren’t supposed to leave personal effects like these in the living quarters after they’ve left. Besides, he always found questionable posters and rough diamonds lying around Mother Base and nobody seemed to complain about those. He thought it was a sloppy habit for a professional PMC like the Diamond Dogs to have.

Thus, Snake decided to ‘confiscate’ the tape inside the unit for good measure.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “The First Cut Is The Deepest” - Rod Stewart (1976)}

Snake pocketed the cassette and then headed for the shower unit for his usual bath.

{Physically and mentally refreshed}

Then, he called for Pequod to get ready to depart.

Venom Snake headed over to the helipad where Ocelot and Amy were waiting for him. The both of them were equipped with their weapons, along with some additional gear. Amy had her crossbow with her and she wore a ballistic vest adorned with the Diamond Dogs’ logo. Ocelot, on the other hand, had his twin Tornado-6 revolvers and he sported a familiar red beret

The horned phantom acknowledged his two new companions with a nod and spoke,

“Alright then. We’re going back to hell.”

To Be Continued

…

SCORE

Episode 55 - Hokkaido Interlude II

Play Rating

Total Play Time: Sixteen hours (152 hours left for campaign)

Time: Three hours

[Non-Combat Mission]

Rank: -

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady: 50%

Ocelot: 100%

Codename: CANYOUHEARME?

Epilogue

22:31

Undisclosed Location

A haggard Chico came to and slowly opened his green, jaded eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but his eyes soon got used to his unusual surroundings.

He was in some sort of airport terminal, he thought. At least, that was what the place looked like at first glance.

Then, he started to notice the presence of two figures who were watching over him. The both of them were seated across from what appeared to be a table from him.

Who were those people?

They clearly weren’t his XOF handlers.

It wasn’t Big Boss or any of his old Diamond Dogs comrades either.

Chico furrowed his brow and forced himself to focus on the two. Then, his eyes widened in terror.

There were two girls there. One had bright blue eye and short coral-pink hair with a red ribbon. The other had long, coral-brown hair tied with a white ribbon - and deep, green eyes.

Though these girls looked like highschoolers, albeit odd ones by 1984 standards, there was something in their gazes that seemed to pierce Chico’s very soul.

It was almost like they were looking straight through him.

The blue-eyed girl smiled at Chico and then she rose up from her seat to speak,

“Good evening, Chico-kun. I apologize for my actions earlier - but I had to act that way, given our circumstances. My name is Sayori, and this is my dear friend Monika.”

The green-eyed girl named ‘Monika’ smiled as well and happily added,

“We understand your situation quite well, Chico. So - we would like to be your friends, to help you achieve what your heart desires.”

Chico’s heart started to race. After everything that had happened to him at Camp Omega nine years ago, the thought of being alone with a girl - let alone, two girls - gravely unsettled him.

Sweat started to form on his brow and his body started to shiver. It was only then that he heard the jingling of metal coming from behind him. He also finally realized that his hands were tied behind his back.

He was handcuffed to the chair!

Frightening memories started to flood the tortured young man’s warped brain and his breathing started to grow incredibly heavy.

Then, when Sayori slowly approached him - the blue eyed girl seemed to take the shape of another.

Paz.

“... Paz…? No… Paz...”

Sayori stopped in her tracks, taken aback by Chico’s ramblings. She brought her hands to her chest and wondered what was going on, but that gesture made Chico’s unhappy memories grow even sharper.

The tortured soul’s eyes grew wild and his body started thrashing around as he hysterically cried out the name,

“PAZ! NO! PLEASE PAZ! GET AWAY! NO!”

Sayori’s heart sank when he saw Chico’s panic attack. Monika, on the other hand, heaved a sigh.

“Don’t push it, Sayori. He only just got here. His conditioning is much deeper than Natsuki first thought…”

The riflewoman then cast a sympathetic gaze on the panicking Chico and continued,

“His conditioning is deep - but the scars he has are much, much deeper. In his eyes, you must be his greatest regret - Paz Ortega Andrande… otherwise known as Pacifica Ocean.”

Sayori frowned and lowered her hands to her sides as she noted,

“Is that so… well then - I guess we’ll have to take it slow.”

The club president continued her careful approach towards Chico. Her blue eyes rested on the earphones the young man was wearing, along with the Sony Walkman cassette player it was plugged into.

Sayori brought out a particular cassette tape and opened Chico’s Walkman. The young man tried to protest by thrashing around with all his might, but Sayori’s hands were steady.

She took out the tape already inside of it - a recording of “Here’s To You” - and then replaced it with the one she held in her hand.

“This is a new song, Chico-kun - a song from another world, even. I want you to listen to it. Then, let’s play a little game.”

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Dreams of Love And Literature” - Dan Salvato (2017)}

Chico’s resistance swelled at first - almost to the point of him destroying the metal handcuffs that held him in place. However, after a few moments, he started to calm down into an otherworldly lull.

Sayori brought her hands to her sides and she finally managed to renew her bright smile for Chico. She then gently urged,

“I want you to tell me the first twenty words that come to your mind.”

...

Chapter Text

 [SUPPORT BUDDY] Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

Revolver Ocelot is the Tactical Instructor of Diamond Dogs. He oversees the training of Diamond Dogs personnel in all aspects of combat - from firearms, to CQC, to survival techniques. Ocelot is also a skilled interrogator who isn’t afraid to use macabre methods to obtain information. This brutality and sadism earned him the name “Shalashaska” in Afghanistan where he was feared by Mujahideen and Soviet soldier alike. On the battlefield, he is a competent gunslinger who can provide ample fire support in short bursts. He is also just as skilled - if not moreso than Venom Snake at CQC - but he does not hold a candle to the real Big Boss. His reputation alone may also be enough for his presence to threaten Soviet soldiers into submission.

Paz

☮

 Episode 56

Wild Eyes (Part I)

22:18

Iturup Island, USSR

North-East Cliffs, East of Burevestnik Airbase

The sun had long since set by the time the Blackfoot helicopter approached the North-Eastern tip of Iturup Island. Venom Snake sat at the edge of the open helicopter door and regarded the night scene of the beleaguered Soviet island.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Only the faint light of the moon illuminated the scenery, but it was still incredibly hard to see anything beyond the dimmed light of the helicopter’s cab. Under the cover of that deep darkness, the Blackfoot helicopter started to descend.

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

As Venom Snake furrowed his brow, a red-gloved hand gently patted his shoulder. The mercenary commander turned to his side and saw his PMC’s Tactical Instructor.

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

A confident smile grew on the gunslinger’s lips as he reminded,

“Night ops are the signature services of “Special Forces” type PMCs like ours, Boss. Don’t worry - I’ll be lending you a hand this time around… and so will the girl. Isn’t that right?”

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

The plucky girl seated at the opposite end of the helicopter eagerly nodded and adjusted her red-rimmed glasses in response. She then beamed at Snake and concurred,

“With the three of us, this will be a walk in the park!”

Enemy Combatants

Soviet Air Defense Forces (Burevestnik Garrison)

Cipher’s “XOF” Strike Force

Snake nodded back as the earpieces that all three of them wore started to buzz. Then, Kazuhira Miller spoke to them all.

{(140.85) - “ All of you already know the mission objectives, but let’s go through it once more - so that we’re all on the same page. ”

The Third Eye Writer “Yuri”

Amy nodded and started off the list,

“First - we’ll need to retrieve the last cache of data in my third hideout near Burevestnik.”

The Cupcake Writer “Natsuki”

Ocelot then folded his arms and continued,

“Next - we investigate Burevestnik Airbase and plant some bugs to monitor the area.”

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

Venom Snake felt the gusts of wind from the helicopter rotors blowing against his face as he kept his gaze on the faintly silvered Iturup Island. The winds rattled the armor plates of his brand new Battle Dress, but he stayed serenely quiet despite it. He closed his eyes and recalled flashes of his last encounter with the Wayward Son just hours ago.

Written By

Elias_Pedro

When Snake opened his one eye, he spoke with great determination,

“And no matter what they throw at us - we have to bring Chico home.”

Created and Directed By

Elias_Pedro

 To Be Continued

Paz

Paz

Paz

Paz

Paz

Paz

Paz

P̨͊ͧ̿̇̐̈ą̛̑̽̚z̵̅̈́̌̅͏͠

Paz

Paz

P̴̨̐̔͒͒̇ͮ͒̽͘͢ǎ̢̢͐̈́̾̐̿̃͒̔̕z̢̛͛͊͌ͦ͢͡

Paz

P͇̼̰̩̜͞a͙͚͉̘͢z͚̟̻̖̰̭ͅ

Paz

P҉̴̴̡̙̻͍̱̻̪̺̜̺͚͎̘͕a͏̢̢̯̮͚͙͕̩͘͞z̴͟҉͙͇̩̗͓̣͈

P̶̨͙̯̰̦̹̗̜̭̣͚͗̏͒͊̆̓ͪͣͬ̾ͫ͊̔̏͑̔̐̚a͈͍͚͕̩̮̠̝̪̩͇̎ͪ̈́͗ͮ̅̍̑͛̓͗̔ͬͨͪ͟͞͞ͅͅͅz̨̨͎̗̳̜̙͒̔̃ͤ̀͛ͩ͛͂̏͒̿

P̠͓͉̙̯͈̋̄̅̓͛̔ͬ̾̾͗͗͑̏̀͘͞a̧̛̙͚͉̜̘̞̰̫͙͖̫̤͉ͧ͛̾͗͘͡z̢̜͕̣͈̝̺̠̘̤̟̻͐ͨ͒̏ͭ́̏̒͟͟͠͠ͅ

P̶̴̡͚̥̣̘̰̰̘͓̳̭̙̟̟̟̮͓̦ͤͩ̒̾ͯ̅͒͘͟a̗̣̖̻͉͎̝͈͎̻͙̭̘ͨ̌ͨͪͯ̄̓̀̊͡ź̶̜͕͈̠̩̟̤͖̭̙̬̝̬̺̮̌ͭ͌ͬͣ͗̓̂̍͠ͅz̶̤̠̞̙̰͂̀ͦ̐̊ͬ͟ͅz̨̨̧͓͈̪̠͔͙̥̞̋̆̿͊ͣź̵̜͚̯̬̳̘̩̞̫͕̟̞͉̬̙͍͌̑̔ͩ͘z̢̺̲̙̻͎̥̦̰͖̳̤͉̜̭͂ͯ̇͊̂̃̃ͬͫ̒̈ͫ͠z̙͉̪͔̟̗̑̉͑̇̔̊̊̆̌ͩ̇̓̽́̚͠z̧̻̲̱͔̥͙̠̜̞̠̳̘͇̮͍̥̭͓͋̅̅ͪ̚̕͢͡z͍̩̺͎͚̱̪̥̳͍͎͖̣͈̊͋ͩͭ̎̎ͯͪ͌ͤ̅̕͟͠͡͝

P̴̘̞̗̹̮̳͈̤̮̖͇̲̊̅̂͐ͤ͌ͬͣ̾̍̿̚͟l̴̵͐ͧ̾ͬ̚͏̲̱̠̖͕e̷ͭ̑͑̄͋ͭͬ̇̆̃͏͇̰̫͈̪̱̦a̢̨̳̖̩̪̱͑ͮ͛ͥ͗͐̈̽̃ͧ͗͒̅̆͟͝͞ş͙̮̲̪̪̯̰̫̳͔̩̯̏͊͑̃ͨͭ̓̍ͯ͗͛̉̉͒̾̈̊ͣ͘ë̘̞̬̻̦̬̗̳̣̫̺͇͐ͤͫͮ͜͞ͅͅ ̶̴̢̰̼̱̞̭̱̯̟̩̞̬̗̪̙̎̀̌̆̽̅̔̄̂ͬ̏̈́ͤ̎ͣ̊͐̚ͅh̻͇̰̺̜̖̪̼̻̅̾͋̈ͧ̊͜͞e̵̱̮͍̩̥͖̯̳̣ͥ͌̽̾̋̍͋͊̈͒͟ļ̶̝̫̩͓̱͔̰͎̱͔̳̪̪̰̭̱͑̏̀ͣ́͊ͦ̍ͯ̇̈́ͫ̎̓̚p̵̥͈͓̭̣͓͋ͦͨ͌ͣ̽͒͡͠ ̨̨̬̩̭̖̝̬̟ͤͦͮ͗̔ͫͭͪ̿ͦ̂ͯͫ̓͞m̢̢͈̮̳̗̫̆͗ͦ͊̋̈́̀̃ͣ̀̀̍ͧͅȩ͉̮̻̬̬͍͇ͬͭ̂̎̈́

Chapter Text

Venom Snake, Revolver Ocelot and Amy Bell disembarked from the Blackfoot helicopter one after another and landed on a cliffside clearing. It was a jut of land at the north-most tip of Iturup Island a few miles away from the Eastern Gate of Burevestnik Airbase.

Even though Soviet communications were offline, Pequod brought the Blackfoot helicopter to descent the moment that the trio were on the ground. The LZ was just far enough from visual range of the Burevestnik garrison, but a stray Soviet spotlight would have still illuminated the helicopter in that pitch darkness.

“Departing!” Pequod announced over the radio.

The helicopter then began its return trip to the FOB in Nemuro, Japan.

Venom Snake turned his eye away from the faint, intermittent lights of the helicopter to the bright lights that appeared throughout Iturup Island. He brought out his Int. Scope and watched the multitudes of spotlights watching the perimeter of Burevestnik.

The spotlights diligently combed through the surrounding areas, while the headlights of Soviet trucks and APCs being prepared for deployment cut into the darkness as well. Every so often, those lights would pass by and shine upon the prominent Red Banner of the Soviet Union flying proudly at the center of the airbase.

Further away from Burevestnik, traces of watchtower spotlights from the more remote Soviet outposts had been turned on as well. Communication flares were also being fired off at regular intervals from the outposts, to which the Burevestnik garrison would reply with flares of their own.

Ocelot brought out an Int. Scope device of his own while Amy equipped her CIA-issued binoculars. As the three of them observed the nightscape, Revolver Ocelot started to speak,

“The Eastern Gate is the least defended gate of Burevestnik Airbase in terms of number of personnel posted, but don’t think for a second that we can just storm straight through there. Even though there are less troopers stationed there, the sentries on the walls carry both sniper rifles and anti-tank equipment. Don’t forget about the VOL-GA K12 heavy machine gun emplacements or the armored vehicles scattered about either.”

Amy gulped after hearing Ocelot’s debrief. It sounded like she wasn’t aware about the full capabilities of the Burevestnik garrison at all until now. However, the ‘Spider Lady’ still piped,

“The data in the Third Cache will help us plan the best way to sneak in through the Eastern Gate and into Burevestnik. Even the best fortifications have their weaknesses.”

Venom Snake put down his Int. Scope and nodded in reply,

“Let’s not waste any more time. Lead us to the cache, Amy.”

 [EQUIPMENT] UN-ARC-NL

The UN-ARC-NL is a 7.62mm full-length battle rifle that has been converted to fire low-velocity, non-lethal rubber bullets. The development team painted the gun barrel distinctly blue to identify the NL as a non-lethal weapon.

The basis of this weapon is a cross between the SIG SG 550 and the FN FAL - weapons that were used in the African Wars in the 1980’s. The lethal base variant, the UN-ARC is the preferred weapon of XOF troopers and has been used with deadly efficiency in short to medium range combat engagements. As of now, the reason why XOF could not afford to use an actual SIG SG 550 or an FN FAL is unknown.

 Paz

The Spider Lady led Venom Snake and Revolver Ocelot further eastward into the forest, away from Burevestnik Airbase. They used one of the less prominent paths through the forest as they crossed through the woodlands.

Amy placed a marker on the map for her companions as they walked and explained,

“There’s a large, hollowed-out tree that I found when I was doing recon here on my first day. It was pretty out of the way from any of the major roads on this island, so it was a perfect safehouse.”

Ocelot checked his iDroid device and looked at the distant location of the marker on the map. The infamous torturer snickered and jested,

“Assuming that you can make it back there after retreating from a firefight.”

Amy pouted, but she held back any words that she might have had. Instead, she just picked up her pace tried to go on ahead of Ocelot and Snake.

However, neither of the two veterans had trouble catching up to her in a heartbeat. They didn’t even break a sweat!

The Spider Lady grunted and kept quiet for the rest of their trek instead.

Venom Snake kept a mental tab of the location of that Amy marked and counted down the meters in his mind. It was a habit of his that he picked up ever since his first mission to save Miller in Afghanistan - and it helped him pass the time while he was on the move.

As he was doing so, however, he did notice Amy stealing glances of him. The rookie CIA agent looked as if she wanted to ask what Snake was so fixated on, but she couldn’t seem to form the words in her mouth.

Or, could it be that Amy knew that Snake was counting too?

Snake turned to Ocelot for his opinion. He saw the gunslinger keeping tabs on Amy as well, watching her every move.

‘Doubt everything she says’ was what Ocelot told Snake on the radio, just before the mission began. Thus, Snake decided to pay closer attention to Amy as well.

As the mental number in Snake’s head ticked down, Amy gestured over to the distance and announced,

“We’re almost there. I can see its canopy from here!”

True enough, there was a moonlit silhouette of a tall tree that stood out from the rest of its peers. Not only was it a larger tree than the others - the tree was dead. Unlike the evergreens that surrounded it, the leafless branches of the towering tree were swaying in the harsh winter winds.

Venom Snake observed the massive tree with his Int. Scope, and his earpiece buzzed with Kaz’s voice.

[(140.85) - “ That tree… I’ve seen something like that before when I was in Japan. That’s a cherry blossom tree - or at least it was one when it was still alive. It’s a Hokkaido cherry blossom genus - something that the Japanese must have brought over when the island was still theirs. The problem is, cherry blossom trees don’t grow that large. ”]

Ocelot tapped on his earpiece and replied over the radio.

[(141.73) - “ I didn’t know you were knowledgeable about Japanese flora, Miller. ”]

[(140.85) - “ I’ve been doing a bit of studying in my spare time. I’ve lost my limbs, but I still have my mind. Knowing the landscape of the battlefield can help in operations too. Plus - in case you’ve forgotten - I am half Japanese .”]

[(141.73) - “ I see. You may have what it takes to be a survival coach in the future. ”]

[(140.85) - “ Let’s save the retirement plans for when the mission is over, Ocelot .”]

While Miller and Ocelot were talking over the radio, Venom Snake started to hear the faint sound of music coming from the tree hollow. There seemed to be yet another musical cassette tape playing there - just like in the other hideouts of the Spider Lady.

Venom Snake wanted to crack a joke, but Amy snapped at him,

“Don’t even think about it!”

The mercenary commander just smirked at the rookie agent in reply, forcing the girl to stew in her frustrations.

Then, just as they were about to make it into the clearing, the relative silence of the forest was broken by the powerful whirl of helicopter rotors coming from overhead. Ocelot put his hands on Amy’s and Snake’s shoulders and tugged them down into a crouch.

The veteran gunslinger then warned in a whisper,

“That’s an enemy gunship. A single burst from its machine guns can cut a man in half. Let’s tread carefully, Boss.”

Venom Snake nodded and started keeping tabs on the helicopter as well, trying to anticipate its flight path in the night sky. It was an HP-48 “Krokodil” gunship marked armed with machine guns and rocket pods that rivaled Diamond Dog’s Blackfoot helicopter’s full loadout. The applique armor sported the insignia of the Soviet Air Defense Forces while a spotlight mounted on the underbelly pierced the darkness that once engulfed the forest.

Just as the trio were deciding what to do, flashes of light in the forest caught Venom Snake’s attention. Multiple launchers shot rockets that traced lines of light towards the Soviet gunship.

The gunship skillfully evaded most of the rockets, but three rockets found their marks and dealt moderate damage. The gunship’s spotlight immediately turned to where the rockets came from and illuminated seven mechanical, bipedal vehicles armed with rocket pods.

Ocelot furrowed his brow and noted,

“XOF Walker Gears… they’re the rocket-carrying variants too. Looks like they’ve managed to bring in new hardware too.”

Once the helicopter confirmed the targets, it replied with a salvo of its own rockets and destroyed two of the walkers. The damaged helicopter then retreated back to Burevestnik Airbase. Illumination flares were then shot above the clearing and a platoon of Soviet troopers rushed in from the main road to engage the XOF intruders.

The Spider Lady’s third hideout was turning into the heart of a major skirmish!

Ocelot turned to his two companions and noted,

“The situation has changed, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We can use this chaos to our advantage.”

He turned to the Spider Lady and continued,

“Ms. Bell - you said that you were skilled at hiding yourself, right?”

The Spider Lady held her crossbow close to her heart and sheepishly nodded.

Ocelot then pointed with his red-gloved hand to the hollow tree and explained,

“Big Boss and I will run interference. We’ll draw the attention away from you so you can retrieve the third cache and bring it to us, got it?”

Grenade and rocket blasts from both sides of the skirmish rocked the nearby brush and frightened the Spider Lady for a moment. However, Venom Snake turned to her and laid a hand on her shoulder to say,

“We need you to do this for us, Amy. You can do it.”

Amy lowered her head and took a moment to digest those words. She then gave a quiet nod and accepted the plan.

 [EQUIPMENT] FB MR R-L NSLP

The Falkenberg Launcher is an anti-tank weapon based on the Carl Gustav M4. The R-L NSLP variant has been modified to fire sleep gas canister shells that are effective at knocking out crowds of enemy soldiers without killing them. Naturally, this means that the R- NSLP will be ineffective at damaging enemy armored vehicles. However, vehicles that are not enclosed can still be disabled by putting the crew to sleep.

Paz

 After a few minutes of strategizing, the plan was set into motion.

Amy started to carefully go around the clearing, looking for an opening to bolt towards the large tree hollow. As things were, neither the Soviet nor the XOF side were safe to cross due to the heavy fighting.

However, that situation quickly changed.

Revolver Ocelot emerged from his concealment with both of his Tornado-6 revolvers in hand. The veteran gunslinger twirled his revolvers skillfully and quickly drew the attention of both opposing forces. Neither the Soviet troopers nor the XOF walker pilots could believe what they were seeing at first.

However, even under the dim light of the illumination flare that hung above, one of the Soviet soldiers - an officer - recognized the veteran’s stance - and the entrancing twirls of the twin guns. The officer then cried out in a panic,

“It’s Shalashas-!”

BANG!

The officer couldn’t even finish his sentence before Ocelot shot him with one of his guns mid-twirl. The officer grunted and fell unceremoniously to the floor while Ocelot started to spin his smoking gun anew.

He then caught both guns, crossed his arms and shot one gun at the Soviets and the other at the XOF. A Soviet rifleman got hit that time around while an XOF walker pilot got shot in the leg through one of the few openings in the Walker Gear’s armor plates.

Before either side could make sense of what was going on, Venom Snake appeared behind the XOF walkers and began shooting at the pilots with his UN-ARC-NL. Suppressed gunfire of rubber bullets from Venom Snake knocked out the exposed walker pilots while Ocelot unloaded live ammunition on the distressed Soviets.

When Ocelot fired the last of his twelve shots, however, the remaining eight Soviet troopers attempted to overwhelm the infamous torturer. However, Venom Snake was waiting for them with his Falkenberg launcher equipped.

Venom Snake fired a shell at the massed Soviet troops. The shell struck the ground beneath the troopers’ feet and hissed as it released a cloud of potent sleeping gas in a wide radius.

As soon as the last Soviet trooper fell into forced slumber, Amy emerged from the wood tree hollow with the intel documents and a cassette tape in hand.

“I got em!” Amy exclaimed as she proudly showed off her spoils.

Venom Snake nodded, but quickly warned,

“We’ll talk but not here. This was a bigger skirmish than we thought - the Soviets and the XOF will be back here soon… with more troops and equipment.”

Amy nodded and handed her spoils over to Snake as she advised,

“Let’s head back over to the Eastern Gate of Burevestnik. The cache will show us the best way of sneaking in.”

[The map has been updated]

[Cassette Tape Acquired: “Sunglasses At Night” - Corey Hart (1983)]

...

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

Powder blue light illuminated the thicket at the outskirts of the Eastern Wall of Burevestnik Airbase. Venom Snake crouched in that thicket as he held up his iDroid device which projected a holographic screen. It was an updated map of Burevestnik that displayed the positions of the Soviet soldiers on patrol on the East side.

Amy and Ocelot huddled around Snake and his device and watched the map shift before their eyes. The iDroid displayed the hourly rotations of the Soviet patrols, so the trio searched for an opening.

Before long, they found it.

Ocelot rubbed his chin and then pointed at the screen, noting,

“The patrol gap seems to be biggest right about midnight when they change the guard. It lets us get close enough to the wall - and we’ll be able to carve a path through to the underground communications base which should be right around this area.”

Amy nodded in agreement but quickly groaned when she checked her wristwatch under the light of the iDroid,

“It’s only just past 2200 hours - that’ll be quite a wait…”

When Amy said this, both Snake and Ocelot chuckled. The CIA rookie tilted her head and asked,

“What’s so funny, you two?”

The two men smirked and then reached into their equipment packs. Ocelot brought out a pack of what appeared to be hand-rolled cigarillios while Venom Snake produced an electronic cigar.

The white-haired gunslinger then shook his pack, raising two cigarillios from the lid at once and asked,

“So, Ms. Bell - do you smoke?”

Amy lowered her head and sheepishly admitted,

“Only for training. US military rations used to come with a pack of smokes up until nine years ago, so we had to be familiar with them at least… but those aren’t branded smokes, are they?”

She then gave the cigarillos a sniff and noted,

“They don’t smell like plain tobacco either…”

Ocelot brought the pack of cigarillos closer to Amy and offered,

“It’s got wormwood herb - along with a bit of other things here and there. Snake has the same blend in his ‘Phantom Cigar’”

“... ‘other things’?” Amy remarked with suspicion, but she still took one of the cigarillos anyways and asked, “Why are we smoking all of the sudden?”

Venom Snake bent the thumb of his mechanical arm, igniting the flame of its built-in lighter. Ocelot put the other cigarillo in his mouth and lit it in the flame from Snake’s prosthetic. The legendary mercenary commander then turned to Amy and answered,

“To pass the time. Two or three puffs should do for a rookie.”

A puzzled expression grew on Amy’s lips, but she eventually gave in and put her own cigarillio in her mouth. Venom Snake lit the cigarillo and Amy took a puff to taste the curious blend.

As soon as she did…

 WHOA-HOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH

In the eye of Amy’s mind, the nighttime scenery of Iturup Island sped up to a blur while the phantom of a peculiar Seiko stopwatch rapidly ticked away behind her. The passionate voice of a lady singer rang in her ears as well. Minutes passed by in seconds with just one puff of her cigarillo. Beside her, however, Ocelot and Snake were just liesurely puffing away as if it were second nature to them.

Amy steeled herself and carefully took a second puff, speeding up time just a little bit more. Her head spun from the sheer stimulation of the scenery and the wormwood blend until she came down abruptly from her high - exactly two hours later.

By then, Snake and Ocelot were already up on their feet and inspecting their equipment. They noticed Amy coming to, so Ocelot took the barely used cigarillo from her mouth and warned,

“Don’t get hooked on this stuff. It’ll be a hard habit to break.”

Amy nodded in a daze. Then, she vigorously shook her head to wake up from her smoky stupor. The rookie then asked with amazement,

“H-how the hell… did you two just take all that smoke in… like it was nothing?”

Ocelot grinned and stammered,

“I’ve got drrug ressistance trraining.”

Venom Snake nodded and then promptly reminded,

“We can talk more on the way back. They’re changing the Eastern Wall guard now - it’s time to move.”

 [EQUIPMENT] - “Parfait Girls Vol.1”

This Japanese-style ‘book’ was developed by the R&D team with valuable input from the Spider Lady. It is a placeable weapon that is used primarily to distract enemies. Unlike previous iterations of ‘books’ that the R&D team has developed for distraction material, the contents of this volume are completely wholesome and incredibly cute.

The Spider Lady, along with some in the staff who take offense to calling this volume as a ‘Japanese comic book’. They also insist that the book is called ‘manga’ and that is that ‘manga’ is literature. Fights have broken out in the base at times because of these disagreements.

00:05

Burevestnik Airbase, Eastern Wall

A Soviet soldier yawned as he sleepily patrolled the outskirts of the Eastern Wall with his SVG-76 firmly in hand. The latest pattern of flares then took to the sky, marking the hourly changing of the guards.

The soldier looked up to the flares and heaved a sigh of relief. He fancifully lit himself a cigarette with his free hand and started retracing his steps back into the Airbase without waiting for his replacement.

When he did so, he heard a whistle coming from the ramparts of the wall above him. The soldier then found the sniper on duty gesturing angrily at him as if to say,

‘Не кури, пока ты на дежурстве.!’

The soldier grimaced turned his back to the sniper, gesturing,

‘Иди трахни себя, мудак.’

It was at that time that the departing soldier heard the unsettling rustling of leaves coming from the thicket nearby. He tensely puffed his cigarette, cocked his assault rifle and then brought out his flashlight.

He aimed his flashlight at the thicket and was about to call out when the frantic shuffle of footsteps reached his ears - but it was too late. The bulky silhouette of Venom Snake in his armor-clad Battle Dress darted towards him and closed the distance in a heartbeat.

In one fluid motion, Snake disarmed the soldier and locked him down in a choke hold - all without making a sound. The soldier tried to struggle, but it was no use.

Venom Snake brought a knife to the soldier’s throat and demanded,

“Speak!”

The cigarette in the soldier’s mouth slipped from his lips as she  started speaking in Russian. Ocelot, however, translated it for Snake over the radio.

{(141.73) - “ Looks like there’s a lot of cassette tapes scattered around the base. This trooper knows where a few of them are stashed. ”}

Ocelot then emerged from the thicket and casually approached the pinned-down soldier. He drew out his Tornado-6 revolver and pointed it at the soldier’s head, threatening,

“We’re not here to collect music, comrade. You’re hiding a weapon in this Airbase, aren’t you? Tell us what you know.”

The soldier’s eyes widened as she recognized the gunslinger. However, he furrowed is brow and defiantly spat in Russian,

“Я не буду говорить с предателем, Shalashaska!”

Ocelot scoffed and then signalled to Snake with a nod. With that, Snake tightened his hold and knocked the soldier unconscious. 

While the two were interrogating the soldier, however, the light of a laser sight whizzed past them. Ocelot looked up to the wall and urged,

“Boss, get down! The enemy sniper…”

Before he could say any more, a powerful gust of wind blew through the Eastern Wall outskirts. Ocelot, Snake and the enemy sniper were all disoriented by the gust - but a crossbow bolt quietly shot from the thicket. The bolt managed to withstand the gust and then cleanly strike the Soviet sniper square in the head, killing him.

The gust died down and Amy emerged from her position in the thicket with her crossbow in hand. She gave the two men a thumbs up and called over the radio,

{(140.96) - “ I’ve got you guys covered~! ”}

Ocelot returned the gesture and replied,

{(141.73) - “ That was some pretty fancy shooting. You’re pretty good. ”}

Venom Snake nodded in agreement and then pointed to the more thinly-defended Eastern Wall with his mechanical hand,

“Now’s our chance to get in.”

 [INFILTRATION] Low Visibility Environments

Be careful whenever you conduct infiltration missions at night or in poorly illuminated underground spaces since Venom Snake will not be able to see very far. Night-vision goggles or vision-enhancing scopes can help alleviate this disadvantage, but they would make Snake vulnerable to sudden flashes of light. Likewise, torches or flashlights will quickly illuminate an area while drawing yourself to your potential enemies’ attention.

Ambushes are more likely to take place in low-visibility environments, but Snake can take advantage of these situations as well.

~~I am watching you~~

☮

Venom Snake and his companions slipped through the cracks in the Eastern Wall’s security and managed to enter the outer portions of the base. Hangars for the jet fighters of the Soviet Air Defense Forces and garages for the armored vehicles manned by the garrison huddled close to the Eastern Wall, forming long, shadowy corridors of concrete.

Infrared security cameras were mounted on the hangar and garage walls, dutifully watching the abyssal darkness. Those cameras forced the three infiltrators to press their backs against the walls and inch slowly through the labyrinth.

According to Ocelot, Burevestnik used to have its communications hub built underneath the ground to protect it from potential bombing by the Western Allies. He had personally seen the place once upon the time when he did his training with the GRU’s Ocelot Unit there. However, Ocelot assumed, the Soviets were able to disperse their communications as technology improved. Thus, their systems were decentralized, turning the underground hub obsolete.

“All these hangars and garages are newly built - at least they weren’t here when I was last posted here with the GRU.” Ocelot noted as he felt the concrete walls against his back, “The hub should still be beneath all these buildings. It’ll no longer be as important as it once was, but it should still be hooked up to Iturup Island’s comms network in some way, shape or form.”

Venom Snake caught his drift and assumed,

“That makes it the perfect place to plant a bug.”

Ocelot nodded, “That’s right. Now, all we need is to get in.”

Amy turned to the two men and curiously asked,

“So, what exactly are we looking for then? You said that it should be somewhere in this area… but they’re not going to roll out the red carpet for us and show us where a mothballed top-secret comms hub is.”

Ocelot turned to the Spider Lady and replied,

“We’re looking for something out of place.”

Amy tilted her head and thought out loud, “Out of place…?”

Ocelot smirked and explained,

“Do you know about the hotdog stand they built right in the middle of the Pentagon complex?”

Amy’s face grew pale when Ocelot mentioned this,

“What are you getting at?”

Ocelot shrugged and playfully proposed,

“If the greatest military minds of the United States regularly gather around for a frankfurter in the middle of one of the most secure installations in the world, then wouldn’t it be natural to assume that there’s something more than just hotdogs over there?”

He then pointed down one of the corridors and noted,

“Just like that outhouse over there in the corner. It looks like it hasn’t been used in ages. Most of the buildings here have their own modern toilets, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to keep that dingy shack, is there?”

Amy’s eyes brightened up as she remarked,

“Ah! I see what you mean.”

Venom Snake reached the outhouse first and glanced to the left and right for any prying eyes. He then attempted to push open the outhouse door - but it was locked.

Without a second thought, Snake brought out his lockpicking tools and started to pick open the lock. It didn’t take him long to do so as he unlocked the door with a neat click, revealing what appeared to be a spiral staircase to a lower floor.

Snake brought out his UN-ARC-NL assault rifle and turned on its flashlight. He shone a light on the staircase, looking for any sort of traps. There were none - just a plain concrete landing with a circular hole at the center.

With that, Snake gestured to Amy and Ocelot behind him and gave them the ‘all clear’.

Snake’s companions filed into the outhouse and proceeded down the spiral staircase with their weapons drawn. All the while,  Snake kept watch at the threshold for any Soviet troopers wandering around in the area.

A cold draft then blew from the circular hole behind him, making chills run up Snake’s spine. He felt as if there was someone watching him - but he didn’t know from where. Snake held his assault rifle more firmly and watched the moonlit labyrinth of concrete, but there was nothing at all.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

But there was no time for them to waste. The changing of the guard was about to finish soon, after all.

Thus, Snake cautiously stepped back and closed the door behind him while keeping his gun at the ready. Then, he turned around and proceeded to climb down the stairs.

[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT] Metal Gear Solid and Doki Doki Literature Club

Thank you to Dan Salvato for creating Doki Doki Literature Club and to Ḩ҉̣͍̯ͅi͙̲͈̞̪̫̠d̹͕̞̘͔̘̳͞͡e̛̹͇͘o͓̬̫̗͚̫̞͈͝ ̩Ķ̛̺̖͔͔͓̯̼̭͘o̶̢̟̹̰̺̦̥̜̮͖͟j̛̙̱͎̣̺̭͔̳i̷̴͚̮̳̭̙̜̻̥̥͟m̧̬̩̼̘̜͟a̵̸̩̺̬ for bringing us the Metal Gear Solid series.

Metal Gear Solid V is a H̴̷̻͓̣͔̱̮̻͉̫͓̺͔̹͙̟̟̬̭̓͌ͮ̓̕͠i̴̢̹̫̖̣͑̄ͩ͐̀ͩ̋ͨ̌͐͛̚̚͟͞ͅd̷͚̭̳̱͕͈͕̯̤ͧ̾͆ͪ̀ͣ̋̌ͮ̾̏̒̋͊ͤ̚̕͞ͅė́ͬ͊͊͆ͫ́ͮ̓͋̂̃ͥ̐͜҉̙̟̖̪̜̜̠͝o̴̡͈̲͈̒ͦͮ̌͌̆ͭͫ͢͝ ̴̧̳͍͚͔̠̰̺̩͎͙̮̭̮͚̘̙̰̍̑̑̔̓͋͘̕͢K̢͌̾͌̽̅͒̎ͪ̒̎̌̌̐̉̏̏ͦ̅̚͘͜҉̺̲̱̥̹̺̦̤͎͕̭̭̟͉̰͚o̴̡̥̠͙͍̺̦̟̟̰̲̗̙͕̞̊̐̐ͯͩͤ͆̚ͅͅj̛͓̦̱͇̮̗̪͉̻̖̏͐͑̊͟î̵̛̙̭̮̥̬̱̜͔̙͕̘͍͖̭͗̽̍̿ͦ̎ͧ̓̉͑̒̉͜͜m̵̛͉̱̟̥̻̙̟̝̳̹̜̯̤̳̝̲͎̠̲ͬ̀ͬ̄ā͕͓̣̬̣̎ͯ̿͌̑ͨ̊̒͠ game.

Metal Gear Solid V is a S̴̷̡̛͟G̵̛҉̧l̛͢k͏̸Z̡W̛̛̕8͜҉̧g͢͡S̢͘͢͝͞2̶̨͘9̵͠q̸̴̧̨͟a҉̵̡͘͞W̢̧̛͟͞1̵̛͢͝h̢̢̧͢I̡͟Ģ͠R͏͘҉̢l͠͏c̶̸2̶̢͘҉V̸̧͜y̸̡͠d͏m̷̡V̷͞k͢Į̸̨͢G̸̡͘͡J͏̡͝l̷̕͡҉d̷̡͡H̴̨̕͢R̡͏l̶͟͢c̛͡i̡͠͞B̸͢͞0̕͝a̛͠G̶̵̨F̸̷͞ų̴͜͞I̡̨͜͢H̸R̸͡o̶̵͠a̛͜͟͠X̧̕͜M͢͡҉̕=͞ game.

Metal Gear Solid V is a R̶̸̢E̡̡̕͡͠9͞҉҉̵O̷͡J҉̵1̧͘҉̶҉Q̶̨͟͞g̴̷̢V̡҉F̸͠͡͞J̶V͜͢U̵̵͟1̸̶Q͏̶͢͝g̡̧S͠͝Ę̵͜V̢̧̨͘͟S͞I̡C̵͝0̨̕͜͟g̡҉R̢͢Ȩ҉̶̨͝9̸̕O҉̡J͏1͠Q̶̨̨͜g̸̢͞V̷̵҉̸F̡͡͡͡J̸͘͏V͏̷̡Ų̨1̛͘͟͝͞Q̨҉͢҉͠ģ̶͘̕S̸̵͘͟ȨV̷͟͜S͘͏̨I҉̡͝C͘͜0̨̕͞͞g̸̴͘R͡E̶̴͟͠͝9͞Ơ̶̵J̴̴̧̢̛1̶͏Q̷̛͝g̶͝V̸̵͘҉̵F̵J̨̢V͝U̶̢͟͢1̢̛Q̕̕͟͜g̡͡҉S͏͢͞M̸̡y̧̢͘4̶̷̛͜͞z҉̷̷̛͢Y̧͜͡H̵̢M̕͘uM̸̨͞͝y̡͘͠͡w̕z̢͝Z̷b̵͟͡M̷͢҉s̡͘͢͟c̷y̶͘͟͢t̸̴̨͘z̸͡Y̧h̵F̷̵͝z̡͡͏L̵̢͡f̸̕͠͝M̛q̷M̸̢͡y̷͡͞h̛͏̸z̨K̵̷̡͡v҉̶̵̧M͢͞҉̛m̛͏c̴̵̢̧͞2̶̷͡͠W͘̕҉z̷̡̨͞Z̢҉̷̧T̢̢͟͡M̕p̴͡s̡͢͡y͢҉7̷͟z̷̷̢K͏̷̧͘͠r̵M̡p̢҉c̷̢y҉̵͟͟͝f̸̷̡̕͝z̡̛̕L̷̢̡̛H͜͜͠͠M̴̢͟͝q̕̕̕͢l̨̛͟L͜Ņ͞n̷̕͘͏̷8̵͠͡2҉g̵̕͝z̶̴̢͘Z̢҉7͠҉̕͜Ņ̶̧͟l̵͠҉͝͝c̷̢̨͢2͏̷Ņ̡z̨͘҉Y̧̕͜3̸̡N̛̕h͏̷̵͘͞c̵̨͜͢͡y̴̕͜͟v͟͢͠z̷͟͠͏͞Y̢̢͘͟͠7̴̵̡͟M͝͏̡͞r̷͡҉̶s̴̕͝y̶̧̕͢W̛͘͞͝͠z͘͟͜͟J̴͡b҉͞M̸̨q̵̡͏̶͝ç̡y͜͠͡m҉̶̶̛z̨͢͏L̢͠͠H̷̨͞҉M̵̛n̴̷̛͠M̸̨y̛͜c͏̨z̶͘͠K̵̢r̸̴̸̕M͢͟ņ̸̴̵͠s̢̡̢͟y̛q̕͟z̵̢̕J̧͢5̡͘͝S̶͜z̴̡̧͡Y̢̧҉̕͜D҉̴M͘u̴̧̨M̡y̴p̷̢̧͞͝z̡̧͠L̷͢͟v͜͟͠M̨n̕̕҉s̴͝2̸͟U̶̡̧z̡̡̛K̴͟͞͝҉z̵̶̛͟M̴̶̨l̛͡͏͠l͏͟L̶̵͢N̵͝͞n̴̕͜͡͡c̵͘͘2̵̧̧P̷̧̛͠z̧̛͟͝J̡͠҉͢/̕͠͏͢M̢̧͢͟͞n҉͞M̶̸͜͜͝y̶̵͢͞x̶̴z̴̕҉̕͢K͘҉͢z̵̛M̧͞͠҉n͜M̵̢͜y̴͢v̨̡͜z̛̛͠͝J̶͢͏j͠͠M̕͢͞ư̵̶8̸̶̴͠y͜͢͟l̴̕͜͠z̶̡͝Z̸̷͠͠T̢͠M͜p̨̕͟c̛͞2̶̕͏͘O̶̕͡͝z̷̴̨͜L̸͘͟͠ŗ̡̢͟͡N̶̶̴ķ̶͠͡8̵̧͜2̶̴͠͠V̴͜͠͡z̨͞Z͠n̨̨͞͏M҉n̴̡͢8̢͘͠͏̛y̵̛͡͡v͡Ư̴͠s͢͡͠y̵̸̵̧̕b҉͞͞z̶̷̷̡͢J̧͜͝v̷͘͞N͏҉͠o̶̢ş̶y̸̨͞͏e̸z͏̛͟J͠҉͢n̕͢͠M̢̧͞͞r̶̸̴̡c̸2̢̛͜O̧̡͢z̡̡̕Ķ̢̛҉͠z͘͟M̵̴̡s̵̡̕͝c͜҉y̡̡͘m̸z͠K̛͘͜r̵͝M̸̡̨͟m̶̕M̨͡2̛U͠҉͟z͏͝K͢͝T̴͢M̡͏͘s̷͠͏҉̛s̷̸y͘͟X̨͜͡͠z͢͠Y̶͜͝7̨͟͟͡M̸̵m͠M̶̕͝͞y̸͞͠͞z͏̧҉̡z̕J̸͢9̛͟S̢̨͝͞z̷̸̡̧͢Y̴̷҉̕D͘҉N̷͘͟͢o̸͘̕͘c̴̢y̵1̨z̷̡̕̕͟L͜͝j̢̕͢M̷̧̧̕ų̸M̷̨͠2̛Z̶̸̛z͟͠͝͏K͘҉T̷͟M̵̵̧͘͡o̷8͏͠y̧̧͡͞p͏͠z̡͜͡K̷͝D̨͢M̷̡͢͞m͢҉M̴͜͢͡y̡͏͝͏5̸̶̴͘zK̵͢͝͡T͢҉̨̨M͏͏̕͡͝ǫ̵8̸̸̨2̛͘͟O͏̶̕z̢̨͢͡K̨͘ŗ̵̢̡͝M̸̨͟͠l̕͜͡l͡͝͏͢L̴҉҉̸M͟͏m̨̢͡8̸̛y̷̶̴l͝z̵͡҉Z̡n̸̸͘M̶͏͟͡r̸͜M͏͡y͝s͠҉͢z̴̵͘͏K̷̵̵̡͜D̴̶N̷҉̢ķ͘͟1̸̛͟͞L҉̡N͜ņ͠͠M̡̨͢y̢͟͡0̴҉͟z̧͘a͜L̸̨N͢͞m҉͢s҉̷͏̵̧y̨̧͢͞z͝͏̸̴̛z̵̶͟Y̕҉f̴̶̵M̛͢s̵͠ş̶̵͝͞y̧͟ģ̷̧z̕͟Z̸͡P̸̡͜҉M̛͢͞͝r̴̴̕V̨͢͠L͢͜M̸̸̸t̶͟͡͝8̕͏̷̢͝y̨͏͏1̕̕͠z̷̨̨͝K̶͝͏̵͡z̨̡͝M̶̢r̶M̸̛y͜͟Z̨͞͏̷z͘͟Z̶̢P͏͏N̵̷͘͜͠i̸̧̛͠͝ç҉̶҉͜y̷͘͢c̕͞z̢̛Y̸̛n̵͢M̛͢͞n̶̵̡͞1̵̸̛͟͠L̸̢N͡҉j͏̨͝8̸̡̛2̸̨̛̕͜f͠҉͏̸z̨̧͝Z̸̵3̵̧N̕҉͏n̶̴̢͘s̷̨͠y̶̷̵͟͡q̷͡͞z̸̴̧͞J̴̧̕͘/̶͜M̢҉҉͡͠n̴̶̨͢s̵̴̢͟͟y̷̕͠͠5҉̴z͢͠Ķ͡͡͡T̢͟͡M̢̕͜͟͢s̷͢M̨̢2̷͡V҉͜͝z̵͠͠Y̢̛f̴͜͏N͟͡͠͝͡h̵8̧y҉̨g̡͘z̷͢͞K̷̵̴̢7͏̷̵M̴͘͞ų̵̴c̛̕͟2҉̡̕͡F̶̕͘z̸̷҉L͏̵̨D͏̶҉̧͟N̶̡̕͝j҉̴̕͟l̷͘͟L͜͜͡͏N̸̷̛͝ņ̶̸͟͞M̸̧͢2̷̷͠P̕͠҉̷z̵̨̡͘J҉͟͡j̸͠͠M͟҉ơM̴͘͘y̡͠z̛͟͟z̧͢͢K̸̷̛T̵̡͜͜͠M̵n̷̴͝͝8̴͜͡y̵̵̨͡W̵͢͡҉҉z̨̕͡Y͡͠͠͠7̷̸̛̛͟M̶̵̵͟͝q̸̧͝8̡͜͜͠y̸̢̛͟5͏̕͜͝z̷̴̷L̴̨͘͜rM̶҉͘q̶̛̛8͡͡y͏̸̡̡͘s̕҉̸̕͟z͏҉̕K̡͟v͜͠M̶̡͜q̵͝c҉̷2̸̧̧̕O͟͢͞z̕͢K̸͞3̢͝M̷̡̡o̶͏My̧͝͏u͘͏U̷̸͝s̵y͢͢͡i͏̶̵z͏̸̕͘͟L̷͜͠b̴̶͠M͡͞u̸͡͠M̢͞2̕͟͠A̢͜z̴K͟͜Ļ͟͠Ņ̷̛͟͠į͘͠c͜͜͏y͢͏̷ŗ͘͞҉͠z̕͘͘͜͞K͟n̨͢M҉q͡͝8͟͏̷̢y̴̛̕͟8͞z҉̷̶̡Y̧̢͘͢҉j̛҉͏M̢̛q͘͢͟8̶y̛͏͘҉͡d҉̷̴̕͘z̨̨L̷҉̧͏P҉M͏u҉҉̨c̴̶̸͘͘2̴͏Z̶͟U̵̵̶̢s̷̸̛̕͞y͘͟0̡̡̛z̶̨͢͞Z͟͢͞/͡N̴j̴̢҉8̵y̕͟v̢͘͘͜z̶̕͘̕͝J̡̕҉7̧̨M̴͞n̕͢s͡҉y̡̨̨͘t̴͞z̢Z҉̷̢P̕͘͠N̶̷͢j̸̧c̶̷͏2̸̢Ţ̶̸̧͞z͏͘͜͢ĻP̢͡͠M̨̡n̷̨͟͞c͞y͘͟t̷̶͢͞z̴̵͜͞J̸͟͞7̛͘͢͡M̵̴͟͟ş͞M̷͏̨y̶͘͜͜͟t̸z͘͏J͞͠ç͟=͡

Metal Gear Solid V is a Konami game.

...

There is no peace.

Only the Void.

…

Don’t trust the tap water.

☮

Dim, red lights barely pierced through the darkness in the basement when Snake climbed down the staircase. Those lights faintly traced out the outline of a T-shaped corridor made with a facade of bricks. Rusty metal pipes ran alongside those brick corridor walls and cast eerie shadows under the dim lights.

Amy and Ocelot both held flashlights out with their weapons drawn as they observed the curious place. This was, indeed, part of the communications hub that Ocelot remembered - but everything in that darkness felt awfully odd. He couldn’t tell exactly which part of the vast hub they were in, and he didn’t know which direction to go.

Venom Snake flashed the light of his assault rifle on the brick walls and then noticed a series of thick black cables that emerged from what appeared to be a rusty metal fuse box. He wondered if that cable would lead them to the communications equipment hidden in that maze.

With that goal in mind, Snake dared to take a step forward down the hall when his combat boots struck something plastic and hollow on the floor. A small, rectangular object slid down a few paces down the hall.

It was a cassette tape.

Curious, Snake bent down to pick up the tape and read the title,

[Cassette Tape Acquired: “Somebody’s Watching Me” - Rockwell feat. Michael Jackson (1984)]

As soon as he did, however, the dim red lights started to flicker and the pipes affixed to the corridor walls started to leak at various points in irregular patterns. Under the flickering red lights, the droplets looked uncomfortably similar to blood.

The blood-like water started to accumulate in puddles beneath Snake’s feet - in spite of the state of the art drainage system that Burevestnik Airbase was supposed to have. It was at that time that he noticed hairlike strands clogging the drains

While Snake was shining a light on the clogged drains, one of the rusty pipes overhead leaked. A drop of blood-like water dripped on the cassette tape in Snake’s hand and started smudging the label in an unnatural manner.

Snake’s eye wandered to the smudged label and then he saw a message written in blood that read,

“Play With Me”

To Be Continued

[iDroid EWS: “Okay, Everyone! (Variant).ogg”]

Chapter Text

Dim, red lights throughout the sewer hall flashed in an unsettling, irregular pattern and reflected off of the blood-like water that was starting to rise in the sewer. Disturbing gurgling noises from storm drains clogged by strands of hair echoed through the concrete corridors as well. In the mists of that oppressive scene, Venom Snake, Ocelot and Amy pressed their backs against each other as they held their position at the T-shaped intersection of the sewer.

Three dark paths were laid out before them and stretched as far as their flashlights could cast light. All the while, Venom Snake’s iDroid activated its early warning system and reacted to a powerful presence that was drawing near.

The music files that Amy programmed into the device were distorted in the midst of those presence. It was almost as if two of the files were playing at once, grinding against each other in an eerie cacophony of noise.

It was at that time that Amy nervously whispered,

“There’s two of them in here… they were waiting for us!”

Ripples from the far ends of the corridors reached the three at the intersection and grew more rapid as footsteps disturbed the water. Their flashlights couldn’t illuminate far enough to see their foes, but their foes could see their lights clearly.

Venom Snake furrowed his brow and ordered,

“Lights out - stay low.”

The horned mercenary switched off the flashlight at the underbarrel of his assault rifle and Ocelot promptly followed. Amy, on the other hand fumbled with her flashlight once - then twice - before she managed to switch it off. The three of them then kept low profiles as the harrowing darkness loomed around them.

As they huddled together, a disembodied snicker echoed from the distance. It was a refined, genteel and ladylike voice that rang clear throughout the sewer.

“Hmm? What do we have here~? A snake - a cat…” The voice’s tone then shifted slightly, gaining a tinge of hatred as it called out, “... and a god-forsaken spider!”

Amy’s light brown eyes darted fruitlessly to and fro as she whispered again,

“You listened to our interview tapes, right, Big Boss? That voice just now - it seems to be Yuri’s - the ‘Third Eye’ writer. And if she’s here...”

Venom Snake whispered back,

“Then ‘Natsuki’ must be here too…”

As the two were talking, the distant cracking of knuckles echoed in the sewer, followed by a much less filtered comment,

“It’s been a while since I got some action. I’ve been waiting for this, Yuri. Let’s tear that bitch Amy a new one!”

All of the sudden, two laser sights whizzed past Snake’s face from his corridor. Without a second thought, Venom Snake barked,

“Take cover!”

Ocelot quickly dashed to one side of Snake’s corridor while Snake pulled Amy over to the other. Then, a blistering barrage of gunfire tore through the darkness.

Amy was about to scream when Venom Snake covered her mouth. The veteran mercenary then ruthlessly challenged,

“Don’t give away our position to the enemy, Amy. If you can’t do this much, then support us over the radio from Hokkaido.”

Amy took a breath to calm herself down and explained,

“I’m sorry… it’s just that hearing their grudges against me frightened me. I’ve never met these people in my life - and yet… why are they so focused on me?”

“That doesn’t matter right now, Spider Lady. Just like Kaz says, focus on the mission. How do we fight these two Writers and win?”

Amy blinked and then eyed the assortment of weapons that Venom Snake had on his person. The rookie agent then looked into Snake’s eye and answered,

“I think we can win - as long as we can separate Yuri and Natsuki. If we do that, then we can beat them - and we’ll be able to bug the Soviet communications hub too! You already have the keys to victory on you after all, Big Boss. Yuri and Natsuki are gonna work together, so the three of us have to do the same.”

Her eyes then brightened up as she continued,

“Listen up, Mr. Ocelot, Big Boss. I’ve got a plan.”

 Wz8/Pz8/XSBBbXkgTGlrZXMgU3BpZGVycwo=

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At the central corridor of the sewers, Yuri and Natsuki reloaded their weapons at the ready as they advanced through the now ankle-deep, blood-like water. Despite the poor lighting, the two girls wore futuristic night-vision gear that gave them close to perfect vision in the darkness.

Natsuki walked nonchalantly and cradled her PPs-43 submachine gun as she spoke to her companion in a relaxed voice,

“Here I was thinking they were gonna put up a fight - but they scattered like rats. Maybe Amy’s wimpy nature started rubbing off on Big Boss.”

Yuri heaved a sigh and answered,

“That unsavory charlatan spreads discord wherever she goes. We cannot underestimate her - or her newfound allies.”

Natsuki groaned,

“I know, I know… but I also want to get this over and…”

Just as Natsuki was speaking, a flashlight turned on at the intersection and gave off the position of a bespectacled red-haired girl in fatigues. Natsuki furrowed her brow and thought out loud,

“What the hell’s she doing just standing there…?”

Before Natsuki could say any more, Amy brought out what appeared to be a manga volume. Under the light of Amy’s flashlight, Natsuki quickly recognized the volume - it was a limited edition Parfait Girls Volume 1!

A devilish smirk flashed on Amy’s lips as she brought out a cigarette lighter and then lit the volume on fire. In the midst of that atrocity, Natsuki violently snapped,

“Goddamn it, Amy! I’m gonna beat the shit out of you for that!”

Amy tossed away the burning manga volume into the water and then made a dash towards the leftward corridor. Then, at the drop of a hat, Natsuki broke her formation with Yuri and charged after Amy with reckless abandon like a raging bull.

“Natsuki!” Yuri lashed at her teammate, but she was already out of earshot, “What a nuisance…”

Thus, Yuri sprinted after Natsuki all the way until the T-shaped intersection. Once Yuri made it there, however, she heard the ominous splash of a grenade landing near her feet - followed by the hiss of white gas.

Yuri’s purple eyes widened as she noticed the grenade dispersing the standard sleep gas mixed with Wormwood. She reflexively covered her face and breathed through the sleeves of her fatigues. Then, she was greeted by yet another surprise.

Gunfire.

Rubber bullets from Snake’s UN-ARC-NL assault rifle and lethal rounds from Ocelot’s twin Tornado-6 revolvers peppered the unprepared Yuri. She grunted and groaned from the pain, but she managed to keep her two feet on the submerged floor. Before she could recover, however, Venom Snake tackled her and struck her with his mechanical arm.

That blow threw Yuri off of her feet and forced her back a few paces and fell back first into the blood-like water.

While she was down, she heard the spurred boots of Ocelot running through the ankle-deep water towards the corridor that Amy and Natsuki dashed into. They were planning to gang up on Natsuki!

Infuriated by the thought, Yuri lifted her back up from the water, rolled forward into a stand and then sprinted towards the intersection. She felt the presence of the snake hiding there by the corner of the corridor. All the while, her opponent taunted her - over and over.

“Manga is literature.”

“Manga is literature.”

“Manga is literature.”

The obsessive novelist put away her night vision headset and then strained her eyes to get acquainted with the darkness. Her irises dilated and darted back and forth in an eerie, irregular pattern while a devious smirk grew on her lips.

She turned the corner in one smooth motion, put away her AK-12 assault rifle and then drew out her trusty kitchen knife and prepared herself to stab her foe. When she did, however, she found Venom Snake just standing completely still.

Flabbergasted, Yuri approached her motionless enemy while clutching her knife. She then tried to stab Snake when his entire figure bended back with strange elasticity.

It was a decoy!

By the time Yuri realized this, her kitchen knife pierced the Snake-shaped balloon and burst loudly, expelling even more of the sleeping gas from earlier.

Yuri winced from the gas and started to cough. Her eyes felt heavy after carelessly taking in two full doses of the powerful chemicals.

Then, all of the sudden, she heard gunfire coming from the distance. It reminded her that Natsuki was fighting a two-on-one battle.

She couldn’t be defeated there!

Venom Snake watched the coughing Yuri from behind as he crept up on her. It was at that time, however, that the flickering of lights in the sewers became erratic until the light bulbs fizzled out all at once.

He lost sight of his vulnerable target, so he brought out his UN-ARC-NL assault rifle and turned on its flashlight again. When he did, however, Yuri was standing inches from him while her wild purple eyes looked straight into his very soul.

Snake tried to pull the trigger of his assault rifle, but the trigger was curiously stuck. He felt the texture of long, purple hair tying his gun’s trigger in place like otherworldly tendrils. Those tendrils of hair snagged his assault rifle out of Snake’s hands.

Then, more tendrils shot out from the clogged flood drains and held Snake’s legs and arms. The veteran mercenary tried to struggle, but those tendrils of hair were like steel chains that he couldn’t possibly break.

Yuri closed the gap between herself and her captive victim and brought the edge of her knife to Snake’s cheek and spoke,

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Yuri - the so-called ‘Third Eye’ Writer that your treacherous ‘Spider Lady’ seems to call me. Sayori was most displeased when you killed Mr. Cow - so Natsuki and I came to collect your debt in blood.”

Yuri then gently, albeit maliciously, pushed the knife and let it lightly cut through Snake’s skin - just enough to draw blood - before she retracted it. Then, she stuck out her tongue and licked her blood-stained knife.

“So it is true.” Yuri said as she licked her lips, “Your blood tastes like you have been marked for death… but your expression is calm - unyielding. You have accepted your fate, haven’t you?”

Venom Snake stayed silent despite Yuri’s questions. So, the wild-eyed novelist hummed,

“Moreover - you rarely speak because your words are not your own. No - it’s because you do not know what your true voice is. Hayter. Doyle. Sutherland. It does not matter. They are all the same to you, isn’t it? You poor thing.”

Yuri twirled the knife in her hand and continued her monologue,

“You are a fortunate one, however. You truly are. Sayori was merciful towards you - especially since Monika seems to have taken a keen interest in you. Those two said that they wanted you alive, so I’ll hold my end of the bargain… but that does not mean that I cannot have fun and break you first.”

She then brought her face close to Snake’s and watched him with her twitchy, maddened eyes and warned,

“I too know what it’s like to speak words that weren’t my own - but I’ve put that behind me to fight for what’s rightfully ours. I fight alongside old foes now. Just like you. Mr. Kazuhira Miller was your opponent once upon a time, yes? The same can be said for ‘Major’ Ocelot. Natsuki told me about them.”

When Yuri said this, Snake’s head started to hurt. The skin around the metallic horn that jutted from out of his head bluntly ached while the purple color of Yuri’s eyes and hair grew dull and grey.

The horn was reacting to Yuri’s presence and was digging into Snake’s mind. For a brief moment, Yuri’s words lingered in his mind - and he saw them laid out before him in plain text against an olive drab rectangle. Was it a hallucination?

It was almost like he was reading a the text of a book - or rather, a digital novel.

Moreover, there were words laid out at the bottom of that rectangle.

‘History’

‘Skip’

‘Auto’

‘Save’

‘Load’

‘Settings’

Snake winced and shook his head, driving away the unfamiliar interface and promptly returned to the present. The obsessive Yuri was watching the contours of his face with mad fascination while she continued to twirl her knife.

“Just now - you saw it, didn’t you? A glimpse of my old world - where I hail from. Fascinating! It appears you have a ‘Third Eye’ too! No wonder why you caught Monika’s interest - as well as Amy’s.”

Yuri’s lips then twitched as her imagination ran wild. It was almost as if she was imagining what sort of face he would make if she stabbed him. Those thoughts gave her a sickening sense of delight. Her excitement swelled as she brought the point of her knife to Snake’s left rib and declared,

“Had we met under different circumstances, we may have been allies - but you are stuck in Amy’s web of lies! That is why I must cut you loose - by any way necessary.”

While Yuri was talking, however, her concentration and awareness of the situation started to slip. The tendrils of hair that were holding Snake’s arms and legs at Yuri’s command were losing their grip. At the drop of a hat, Snake pulled him mechanical arm from the tendril that held it - followed by his other arm.

Before Yuri could react, Snake reached into a pocket behind the armor plate of his Battle Dress in one swift motion and brought out his Phantom Cigar. Time then slowed down as Snake slipped the Phantom Cigar’s mouthpiece between Yuri’s lips with one swift motion. Then, his other hand brought out his iDroid device and produced a holographic flame with the flick of a switch.

Yuri realized what was going on as time came racing back to normal - until her perception of time suddenly quickened.

 WHOA-HOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH

The sheer strength of the Wormwood herb and the other aromatics blended into the electronic cigar overwhelmed Yuri’s senses. In her mind’s eye, she saw the afterimage of a Seiko stopwatch ticking away at an unnaturally fast speed.

After the two doses of sleeping gas, the stimulation was too much for her to handle. She fell backwards powerlessly a second time while the Phantom Cigar slipped from her lips.

That time, however, Venom Snake caught Yuri and the Phantom Cigar before either fell into the water. Just as the last of Yuri’s consciousness was fluttering between wakefulness and sleep, Snake finally responded to her monologue.

“I don’t know what bad blood you and the Writers have with Amy - but that has nothing to do with me. I’m supporting her because of the mission - no more, no less. I’m not here to collect on debts of blood. I’m not here for revenge - not anymore. So, calm down, Yuri. Don’t fight it...”

Yuri opened her mouth and wearily grumbled,

“Why do you... torture me… with the ending I wanted… back then?”

Then, her consciousness left her and she fell asleep in Snake’s arms. Her head drooped down and rested on Snake’s shoulder while a cassette tape poked out from one of the pockets on Yuri’s tactical vest.

Was that like the cassette tape that Sayori left with him earlier? He decided to take the tape with him.

Taking a prize couldn’t hurt, Snake rationalized. He earned it.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “The First Cut Is The Deepest” - Rod Stewart (1976) [Side A]}

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Sortie Briefing with Natsuki” [Side B]}

 [Extraction] Carrying Knocked Out Opponents

There will be times wherein it will be difficult or impossible for Snake to extract knocked out opponents using a Fulton recovery system balloon - either because of physical constraints like roofs, poor weather conditions or serious injuries sustained by the opponent in question.

At times like that, it may be wise to extract that opponent by helicopter to ensure that he or she makes it back to the Forward Operating Base safely. In order to do that, you can pick up the opponents and carry them to the helicopter. Additionally, Snake can mount the opponent on D-Horse or on a vehicle like jeeps and trucks. D-Horse and the vehicles can help you transport the opponent to more distant and, presumably, safer Landing Zones.

Venom Snake looked at the unconscious Yuri in her arms and watched her with a sympathetic eye. Aside from the assault rifle and knives she carried - and her command of supernatural powers - Yuri truly was just a regular high school girl.

Still, Snake brought out some handcuffs from his pack and bound Yuri’s hands behind her back. He also confiscated all of the weapons on her person for good measure - but also found a strange item as well.

It was a hardbound copy of a book titled ‘The Portrait of Markov’. Curious, Snake decided to take the grimoire-like book as well.

Once he did, he heard the static of an incoming transmission. It was from Kaz.

{(140.85) - “ Boss! Can you hear me boss!? The three of you disappeared from the grid for a few minutes .”}

“It’s alright, Kaz.” Snake replied to the XO, “We defeated one of the Writers. That cleared up the electronic interference that jammed our devices.

{(140.85) - “ I see… and what about Ocelot and the Spider Lady? ”}

At the mention of their names, the the Spider Lady replied,

{(140.96) - “ Amy here - I just finished planting the bugs into the central communications hub. I found an old jeep in here too - Ocelot’s driving right now. }

“Driving?” Venom Snake asked curiously, “What about Natsuki?”

{(141.73) - “ Ocelot here. About that… I couldn’t defeat Natsuki on my own. That girl was too strong. She nearly broke my hand when she countered my CQC. She’s pretty good. The Spider Lady and I are high-tailing it. ”}

“She’s that good, huh?”

{(141.73) - “ Yeah. We took the jeep and we’re going through this maze of a sewer now- but Natsuki is chasing us. I’m flooring the gas pedal, but she just keeps catching up! }

{(140.96) - “ We tried shooting her to slow her down, but our guns are bouncing off of her! ”}

{(141.73) - “ Exfiltrate the hot zone with Yuri for now. We’ll figure something out and contact you. We may just need some heavy firepower - but I’ll leave that up to you, Boss. ”}

“Got it.”

Venom Snake carried the unconscious Yuri on his shoulders and then forded the receding sewer waters, tracing his steps back to the spiral staircase at the T-shaped intersection from where he came.

To Be Continued

SCORE

Episode 56: Wild Eyes

PLAY RATING

Total Play Time : Twenty-one Hours (147 hours left for campaign)

Time : Five Hours

Enemy Combat Alerts : 0

Hits Taken : 0

Tactical Takedowns : 1

Headshots : 9

Accuracy : 96.7% (29/30)

Neutralizations : 1

Effective Interrogations : 1

Prisoners Rescued : 0

[PERFECT STEALTH, NO KILLS]

Rank: S

...

{(140.85) - “Mission complete, Boss! I know I’ve said this before, but this is why they call you a legend! ”}

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady: 60%

Ocelot: 100%

Codename: THIRDEYE

{Cassette Tape Acquired: "Wild Eyes" - The Stampeders (1972)}

Chapter Text

Episode 57

Iturup Island Interlude I

02:31

Burevestnik Airbase

Hangars - East Wall

Venom Snake emerged from the sprawling underground network of Burevestnik Airbase and into the unassuming outhouse that hid its presence. The one-eyed mercenary carried his hostage - the so-called “Third Eye” Writer named Yuri - in his arms. 

Even though Yuri was a menacing foe, she was now nothing more than a sleeping child to Snake. In that sense, she wasn’t too different from the child soldiers that Snake rescued from Africa - or from the mysterious Pacifica Ocean who still haunts his dreams.

As Snake passed through the hidden threshold, the floor beneath his feet started to shift. He then watched the threshold start to close on its own. The sewers beneath it disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence. All that remained was a nondescript toilet in a nondescript shack.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

With the sleeping Yuri in tow, Snake slowly opened the outhouse door. He then found a series of flares being shot up into the night sky. The flares illuminated the entire Burevestnik Airbase and carried a coded message that Snake couldn’t understand on his own. So, he dashed towards the hangars, held Yuri close and then pressed his back against the wall to meld into the shadows.

The horned veteran focused his thoughts on the Soviet garrison soldiers he mentally marked earlier and felt that every single one of them had been shuffled around the base.

Curious, Snake dared to take a peek from the corner of the hangar.

Through the spaces in between the galvanized iron structures, Snake saw dozens of Soviet troops on the march. Even though he couldn’t understand their words, Snake saw that every soldier was in full battle gear. They were all taking defensive positions on all four walls of the base too - manning heavy machine gun nests and mortar batteries.

A handful of armored vehicles - NOSOROG tanks and ZHUK APCs - were on standby too, along with their respective crews. All the while, a triad of HP-48 Krokodil attack helicopters circled overhead.

It was a sea of headlights, spotlights and boots with more guns, cannons and rocket pods than Snake could ever hope to reasonably fight on his own. Even his durable Battle Dress could only take so much damage before the armor plates failed him.

As Snake contemplated what to do, his earpiece buzzed,

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

{(140.85) - “ Boss, I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but this is clearly not something routine. The entrances appear to be sealed and the walls are being fortified too. Perhaps they’re on high alert after finding the corpse of the sniper that the Spider Lady killed earlier… ”}

Snake pressed on his earpiece and replied,

“That may just be the case. Though, from where I’m looking, the Soviets seem to be looking outwards. Are they expecting someone to come and attack Burevestnik from the outside?”

{(140.85) - “Perhaps… or, they could have found the Spider Lady and Ocelot… or maybe that other Writer of the Apocalypse. ”}

“If the Soviets found them, they wouldn’t be setting up defenses, they would be sending search parties - and a tank or two if they know one of the Writers is nearby.”

Enemy Combatants

Soviet Air Defence Forces ( Burevestnik Garrison)

{(140.85) - “ Can you find a way out, Boss ? Ocelot and Amy won’t be able to take on that Writer on their own. That ‘Natsuki’ girl has her own field of electrical interference so we can’t reach out to them. ”}

“I’ll figure something out, Kaz. We’re a special ops PMC, aren’t we?”

{(140.85) - “ Heh. That’s the spirit Boss. Keep an eye out for opportunities to slip out undetected. Once you’re out of the woods, prepare the Third Eye writer for extraction and then help Ocelot and the Spider Lady to defeat Natsuki . They should have deployed a portable mission terminal near their last known location. Your iDroid will pick up its signal once you get close enough. ”}

“Got it.”

Snake pressed on his earpiece again and looked around him. He then glanced around his surroundings and found a red metal door leading into one of the hangars.

Featured Mecha

Zi-GRA 6T Multipurpose Transport Truck

The mercenary set Yuri down on the grass and then kept his back against the wall again as he crept towards the door. He then knocked thrice on the door and heard a puzzled voice coming from behind it.

Snake crouched down and stayed perfectly still as the door opened.

A Soviet soldier walked out of the hangar and looked around the empty outdoor corridor. Just as the soldier was about to walk back in, Snake pounced and grabbed the soldier’s arm with his mechanical right hand. He then proceeded to hold the soldier in a powerful lock. 

Once he had the soldier completely locked up, Snake ordered his captive,

“Speak!”

Guest Starring

The Third Eye Writer "Yuri"

The Cupcake Writer "Natsuki"

The soldier muttered something panicked in Russian, but it didn’t register with Snake once again. His earpiece then started to buzz.

{(140.85) - “Hold on a sec, Boss. I’ll have our Russian language specialist translate that… and, there! He says that they’re loading up rations for the outposts in a flatbed truck. ”}

“A truck, huh?”

{(140.85) - “ Yeah - and it’s got a tarpaulin cover too by the looks of it. Sounds like you’ve found a way out of Burevestnik, Boss. Enter the hangar, go to the rear of the truck and use the ACTION button to climb onto the back. Even though you’re on an outbound trip, the garrison guards will still be on high alert. You’ll need something to cover yourself. ”}

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

With that, Snake choked the soldier unconscious and set him down on the grass. He then picked up the sleeping Yuri and snuck into the hangar.

As Snake took careful steps forward, he saw the flatbed truck with a tarpaulin cover on the back. The truck driver and his armed escort chattering as they smoked cigarettes. While the two were still distracted, Snake loaded Yuri into the back of the truck and hopped in as well.

Written By

Elias_Pedro

Once was inside, he found yet another cassette tape lying about there in the cargo hold. Snake picked up the tape and added it to his collection.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: "Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band (1976)}

He quickly pocketed the tape and then brought out a pair of cardboard boxes to cover himself and his hostage.

Before long, the truck driver and his escort started the vehicle and began their journey out of Burevestnik Airbase. 

Snake crouched beneath his box and looked through the peephole to see what little he could of the rest of the sprawling Burevestnik Airbase. He tried to mark the soldiers that he found passing by, but there were too many to count.

While he was doing so, the truck came to a halt. Moments later, a pair of soldiers - both armed with shotguns - inspected the rear of the truck. The pair shone flashlights into the cargo hold, but they only found a pair of harmless cardboard boxes.

So, they let the truck carry on.

Created and Directed By

Elias_Pedro

 [TRANSPORTATION] - Truck Routes on Iturup Island (1/1)

Soviet outposts throughout Iturup Island are primarily resupplied by trucks that come from Burevestnik Airbase. These supplies include food, ammunition and medicine needed to stock the outposts. Most of the cargo is transported in cardboard boxes, so you could hitch a ride on these trucks during a supply run.

Be careful, however, since soldiers will check the boxes when it comes time to unload the cargo. Make sure to leave the truck before it arrives at its destination.

☮

After ten full minutes, the truck was finally a good distance away from the heavily fortified Burevestnik Airbase. Snake took this time to unequip his cardboard box as well as Yuri’s. Left alone with the sleeping Writer of the Apocalypse, he remembered the cassette tape that Yuri had in her pocket.

Snake brought out that cassette tape and slotted it into his iDroid device with a crisp click.  He then hit the play button and listened closely.

…

{Playing: Sortie Briefing with Natsuki}

TRANSCRIPT

( The sound of horses galloping leisurely through a forest path can be heard in the background )

Yuri: “Say, Natsuki. Is it really necessary for you to… record this conversation?”

Natsuki: “Not really, no - but I kinda felt like giving it a try. This is 1980’s tech, you know - and it’s not every day I get my hands on something like this. I want to make sure it works.”

Yuri: “So… does it work?”

Natsuki: “Yeah! See that red light that turned on means it’s recording. It’s crazy how the militaries of this world are able to make do with devices like these for communication and data storage. It really shows you just how much we take things like cloud computing for granted.”

Yuri: “I’m… uh… I do not hold a favorable opinion of clouds - and neither does Sayori - especially not after the last place we had the misfortune of visiting.”

Natsuki: “Don’t sweat it, Yuri! Now then - let’s try making a nice log for Sayori and Monika, yeah? We can use this to show them just how awesome we are!”

Yuri: “... v-very well. If you insist, Natsuki. Shall we go over the details of this sortie?”

Natsuki: “Yup! We managed to intercept some of the comms of the Diamond Dogs - thanks to those trusty notebooks of ours.”

Yuri: “Indeed. Even in this setting, those notebooks wield considerable power. Monika was able to discern that the private military company seeks to infiltrate the place known as ‘Burevestnik Airbase’ - and that they shall attempt to enter the sewers. What their reasons may be are still beyond us, but we do not have enough time for an extensive augury. After all - we now have that… boy… to deal with too.”

Natsuki: “Yeah… Times like these make me wish you still had that hardbound novel of yours - and my manga.”

Yuri: “Well, that is indeed a shame - but we must work with the resources that are available to us at the present moment.”

Natsuki: “They’ll be bringing Amy into a cramped space, so it’s the perfect place to snatch her. But just in case… would you be willing to… you know…”

Yuri: “... are you implying that I must use my Act 2 resources?”

Natsuki: “Uh-huh! Think about it - it’ll be like Silent Hills! You know - that game that got cancelled. Venom Snake won’t know what hit him!”

Yuri: (sighs) “You really do love your video games, huh?”

Natsuki: “Hehe, you know it!”

Yuri: “But what about you - are you willing to use your Act 2 resources?”

Natsuki: “If things turn for the worse, then why not. I’m even prepared to go beyond that.”

Yuri: “Beyond Act 2…? What are you talking about?”

Natsuki: “Well, I guess I’ll have to surprise you then.”

( Horse whinnies )

Natsuki: “Oh, we’re here. Let’s discuss this later - it’s almost midnight. Yoisho~!”

( Natsuki hops off the horse. She loads her PPs-43 SMG )

Natsuki: “I sorta heard that Donna Burke song in the background - Venom Snake and his team should be arriving soon. Let’s go!”

Yuri: “Donna Burke…? Oh, wait! Natsuki - the recording device!”

[End Tape]

...

As soon as the cassette tape ended, Snake sat down and leaned against the tarpaulin cover of the truck. He then glanced at the sleeping Yuri, wondering just what in the world the Spider Lady could have done for them to pursue her so adamantly.

More than that, Snake wondered exactly where these girls came from - and how they got there in the first place.

Before Snake could ponder more in silence, the flatbed truck came screeching to a halt. The driver then banged his fist against the steering wheel and honked his horn impatiently. Was there something blocking the road?

A pack of wild animals must have been crossing the road.

It was at this point that Snake’s iDroid device beeped.

{“Mission Terminal signal detected.”}

{“The map has been updated.”}

{(140.85) - “ Boss. Looks like your iDroid just picked up the signal of the mission terminal. Ditch the truck and take the “Third Eye” Writer with you. Then, connect your iDroid to the terminal to begin the next mission.” }

“Hmm… actually, Kaz. I might have a better idea.”

Snake brought out a new pair of handcuffs and proceeded to cuff Yuri to the frame of the flatbed truck. He then hopped out of the back of the stopped truck and  attached a heavy-duty Fulton Recovery Device to the truck.

The Fulton device deployed and a series of heavy-duty balloons then proceeded to fill themselves with helium. In a few seconds, the balloons lifted the entire truck by the rear. The driver and the armed escort inside of it panicked and shouted for help in Russian, while the sleeping Yuri awakened from her slumber.

Yuri poked her head out from the opening of the tarpaulin cover and watched the balloons lifting the truck with horror. She then looked down to Venom Snake and demanded,

“What is the meaning of thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis…!!!?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yuri, the truck she was cuffed to and the two soldiers were whisked up into the night sky. A smug smirk formed on Venom Snake’s lips.

{Extraction Flight Arrived At Hokkaido Forward Operating Base}

{- Soldier x2}

{Captured Enemy Vehicle}

{- Zi-GRA 6T Multipurpose Transport Truck}

{Captured Writers of the Apocalypse}

{- The Third Eye Writer "Yuri"}

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

Prologue

Venom Snake brought his hands to his lips and then whistled for D-Horse. His trusty, white steed came rushing from the forest and whinnied eagerly. Snake endearingly patted D-Horse’s head before mounting the horse and riding it towards the signal of the mission data terminal.

Snake led D-Horse towards a seaside cliff in the North-West of the island. There, Snake found the hastily-deployed data terminal - a footlocker-sized, olive drab box with a small antenna and an interface screen. The entire terminal, however, laid on its side like a capsizing ship and the antenna looked bent and damaged.

When Snake noticed this, his earpiece suddenly buzzed,

{(140.85) - “ That must have been why we couldn’t pick up the signal. Ocelot must have thrown it out of the jeep when they were escaping from Natsuki. ”}

On his way through the woodland path, Venom Snake noticed a number of disturbing sights. Bloodied Soviet troopers on patrol lay dead on the path - their bodies beaten into bloody pulps by some powerful, ungodly strength.

Snake then looked down to the ground and found the fresh tracks of a 4x4 jeep swerving through the woodland path. Bullet casings for .357 Magnum revolver rounds were scattered about together with 7.62mm Tokarev pistol-caliber rounds - Ocelot’s Tornado-6 and Natsuki’s PPS-43 submachine gun respectively.

How in the world could that cute, little pink-haired girl keep up with a jeep while firing a powerful submachine gun at full auto?

More than that, the footprints that Natsuki were all the size of her small shoes, but they were incredibly deep - almost as if she weighed much more than her petite frame seemed to suggest.

Shaking his head, Snake dismounted from D-Horse and approached the mission data terminal. He set the terminal up ight, brought out his iDroid device and then plugged it in to download the data.

Mission 58

Eye of the Tiger (Part I)

04:16

Central Northern Forest

Woodland Path

Once the download was done, the device chimed.

[The map has been updated]

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Venom Snake unplugged his iDroid from the terminal and he brought up the map. The projected route of the jeep and the Writer chasing it down were highlighted, leading all the way to the Northernmost tip of the island.

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

{(140.85) “ Boss, this doesn’t look good! Natsuki seems to be chasing those two off a cliff! Do whatever you can to catch up to them.” }

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

Snake furrowed his brow and grimly warned,

“I’m not going to be able to catch up to them at this rate - they’re too far gone, Kaz.”

Guest Starring

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

{(140.85) - “ Don’t worry, Boss. I’ve made arrangements. ”}

As Kaz was speaking, Snake’s earpiece buzzed again and the voice of the helicopter pilot urgently announced,

{(143.11) - “ This is Pequod. Arriving shortly at LZ! ”}

Diamond Dogs Blackfoot Pilot “Pequod”

Snake looked up to the cloudy early morning sky and found the silhouette of the Blackfoot helicopter approaching his position. The mercenary commander mused,

“Pequod…?”

Enemy Combatants

The Cupcake Writer “Natsuki”

{(140.85) - “ Boss. This will be a fire support mission. Use Pequod to catch up to Ocelot and the Spider Lady. Provide them fire support with the chain gun - the Blackfoot’s equipped with rocket pods and Air-to-Ground Missiles too. If that “Natsuki” girl was able to give Ocelot that much trouble, then I’m sure they’ll need the CAS. ”}

“Got it…”

Featured Mecha

UTH-66 Blackfoot

ZaAZ-S84/4W

The Blackfoot helicopter started to descend by the edge of the cliff. The automatic side doors opened for Snake while his earpiece buzzed again,

{(143.11) - “ This is Pequod! On station at LZ! ”}

BF5-K1 Biological Weapon

Snake climbed aboard the Blackfoot helicopter and sat at the edge. As soon as he did, the helicopter started to ascend and Pequod announced,

{(143.11) - “ Gaining altitude! ”}

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

Powerful waves crashed against the Northern cliffs and jets of mist flew skyward, spraying Venom Snake’s face and forcing him to shield his eye.

Once the mist cleared, Snake activated the door gun - a lightweight Gatling gun - and brought it before him.

Snake then grabbed the Gatling gun handle and felt the familiar weight of it.

At the back of his mind, Snake remembered wielding that same Gatling gun while a certain, speechless Sniper took aim beside him.

Written By

Elias_Pedro

What would she have thought about this strange situation they were in?

Snake could only wonder.

The afterimage of the Sniper faded away with the mist and Snake prepared to hunt down Natsuki.

Created and Directed By

Elias_Pedro

To Be Continued

{Cassette Tape Acquired: "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" - Elton John (1973)}

Chapter Text

04:10

Sea of Okhotsk Airspace

Northern Coastline over Iturup Island

The Blackfoot helicopter flew low as it followed the northern coastline of Iturup Island. Venom Snake sat at by the edge of the Blackfoot’s open door and wielded the lightweight Gatling gun with steady hands.

Jets of mist shot skyward from the restless coast below and obscured Venom Snake’s already limited vision. Hours before sunrise, only the moon cast faint light over the stark blackness of the island.

However, even in the midst of that darkness, the horned, one-eyed mercenary caught glimpses of the destruction that Natsuki - the Cupcake Writer - left in her wake.

Clearings in the thick deciduous forest that once housed remote Soviet outposts were set ablaze. Wooden watchtowers had been felled like uprooted trees during a hurricane while sandbag walls, concrete barriers and steel tank-traps alike were warped and pulverized as well.

{(140.85) - “ Boss… if memory serves me correctly, Ocelot said that there were three Soviet outposts along the coast. A platoon of M48A MAGLOADER tanks would have had trouble taking those out… but that ‘Cupcake Writer’ just plowed through them like it was nothing! ”}

Snake pressed on his earpiece and reminded,

“I know… but that means that Natsuki hasn’t caught Ocelot and the Spider Lady - yet.”

Before long, Snake spotted the headlights of the light jeep in the distance.

Snake brought out his Int Scope with one hand and zoomed in on the target. He found Ocelot behind the wheel of the jeep while Amy sat at the rear and wielded her curious crossbow.

Behind the jeep, however, Snake also saw trees falling left and right as the pink-haired force of nature followed behind in hot pursuit. Once they reached a clearing, they found Natsuki chasing the jeep on foot!

{(140.85) - “ Natsuki can keep up with a jeep…!? On foot!? What kind of monster is she? ”}

Snake grunted and turned over to the pilot and roared,

“Get us closer, Pequod!”

“Roger that, Boss!”

The Blackfoot helicopter descended towards the fleeing jeep and started picking up speed. It flew alongside the cliffside path.

Natsuki caught a glimpse of the descending helicopter in the corner of her eye, so she pushed herself to run even faster. Venom Snake got a bead on Natsuki and opened fire with the Gatling gun.

Snake unleashed an accurate hail of lead upon Natsuki. Even though the pink-haired girl tried to evade the shots, Snake managed to land a few dozen hits on her - a volley that could have cut a normal person in half.

However, Natsuki was unfazed and kept running after the jeep.

Snake looked over his shoulder again and cried,

“Pequod! Cover fire!”

“Roger that, Boss!”

With that, the Blackfoot helicopter turned around and trained its suite of weapons on Natsuki. Pequod then promptly barked,

“NVG on. Target acquired. Cover fire - in hot!”

Two pairs of laser-guided Air-to-Ground missiles shot from the hardpoints of the Blackfoot, tracing lines of light through the night sky. The first pair of missiles found their marks and struck Natsuki from behind, shrouding her in a veil of fire and shrapnel. The second pair followed suit and added to the inferno.

Pequod then trained his helicopter’s machine gun and shot into the inferno. As he did, he fired a swarm of twelve unguided rockets as a coup de grace, adding fuel to the already hellish flame.

When the smoke cleared, the patch of forest was ablaze and the cliffside path was in ruins. However, the unfathomably durable Cupcake Writer was nowhere to be found - and neither was the jeep that Ocelot and the Spider Lady were riding.

{(140.85) - “ Boss. I can’t get through to Ocelot and the Spider Lady. They weren’t caught in the volley were they? }

Snake pressed on his earpiece and replied,

“I don’t see the remains of a wrecked jeep anywhere, Kaz.”

{(140.85) - “ They might have gotten into an accident while running away from Natsuki. The problem is… ”}

“We can’t seem to find Natsuki either, huh? At least not from this altitude.”

{(140.85) - “ Right. Boss - you’ll need to find out what happened to Ocelot and the Spider Lady on foot and then neutralize the Cupcake Writer Natsuki as well. ”}

“Right…”

{(140.85) - “ Pequod will search for the jeep from the sky with a searchlight. Once he finds them, we’ll relay the information to you on your iDroid and he will provide you with fire support against Natsuki again. ”}

“Got it. I’ll look for them.”

{(140.85) - “ Good. In order to land, go into the MAP of your iDROID menu and then select a LANDING ZONE near the strike zone. After that, press the Action Button to dismount from the helicopter like usual. ”}

“Hmm…”

{(140.85) - “ Something wrong, Snake? ”}

“Nothing, Kaz… let’s just get going before Natsuki can do any more harm.”

Venom Snake brought out his iDroid and started inputting the commands as instructed. Before he confirmed the order, however, he turned over to Pequod and asked,

“Pequod - can’t you take me down the LZ now?”

“Sorry, Boss. The LZ order has to come through the system first. Protocol, you know.”

“Hrgh…”

So, Snake confirmed the order and Pequod immediately acknowledged it. The helicopter descended further and brought Snake close to the charred landing zone.

“We’ve arrived at the LZ. Be careful down there, Boss!”

Snake pushed the Gatling door gun aside, hopped off the helicopter and then landed on the blackened cliffside path. With that, the Blackfoot helicopter took to the skies once more and began searching for the lost jeep.

[COMBAT] Close Quarters Combat - CQC (1 / 1)

Close Quarters Combat (CQC) is a complex system of fighting techniques that focused on enhancing flexibility during combat in order to adapt to the situation of a rapidly changing battlefield. This system was developed jointly by The Boss and Big Boss and continues to be refined to day by the Diamond Dogs combat teams, special forces and militaries around the world.

Many who have observed CQC have noted the similarity of the system to judo because of the high-profile throws involved. However, judo techniques only form a part of the system which includes strikes, the use of blunt or bladed weapons and even firearms.

Venom Snake will receive prompts whenever CQC can be used, whether for defensive or offensive purposes. Use the ACTION BUTTON to activate the CQC maneuver. These prompts occur in split seconds and can turn the tide of a battle instantly.

☮

Dying flames crackled around Snake as he wielded his blue-tipped, non-lethal UN-ARC-NL assault rifle. He swept the pathway and the burning forest from left to right as he inched closer towards the blast zone.

The heavy boots of Snake’s ceramic-armored Battle Dress left shallow impressions on the blackened earth until he stopped halfway through.

At the very center of the small crater, however, Snake found a peculiar object.

“A cassette tape?”

Snake picked up the cassette tape.

[Cassette Tape Acquired - “Beat It” - Michael Jackson (1982)]

As soon as he did, however, he heard the distinct cocking of a submachine gun in the brush. Wild bursts of Natsuki’s PPS-43 submachine gun whizzed past Snake in the crater, forcing him to dodge and roll to the side.

Despite the heavy armor he wore, Snake still reflexively picked himself up from the roll in one smooth motion. He then pointed his assault rifle at the brush and pulled the trigger, shooting three-shot bursts. He hoped that he could pin Natsuki down in her position and then close the distance between them.

However, Natsuki simply responded by lobbing a grenade towards him.

Snake pulled back and took cover behind the trunk of a burnt tree. The grenade blast rocked the trunk and ash fell down upon Snake like snow.

While Snake was taking cover, he heard Natsuki’s voice coming from the burning forest.

“You’ve got balls, Venom Snake. Coming back here after pissing me off and taking Yuri with you! Hehehe - but you should be thankful. I’m a big fan of yours - so I’m gonna let you die in battle.”

Snake poked his head out of cover and then spotted Natsuki emerging from the brush. The raincoat that she wore was tattered and torn while the school blazer she wore underneath it was covered in soot. Her short, pink hair flew in the cold, evening breeze while her bright pink eyes reflected the forest fire behind her.

She was holding her PPS-43 submachinegun in one hand as well as a peculiar book in another. From what little Snake could see in his position, it looked similar to the Parfait Girls Vol. 1 that Amy helped Mother Base develop - but it was different.

That book also seemed to emit some sort of power that Snake sensed in his metallic horn. It was just like Yuri’s disturbing aura - emanating from that book.

Natsuki’s pink eyes then met with Venom Snake’s and she wore a bright grin,

“Come out, Venom Snake! I’m going to beat the shit out of you!”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

In the darkness of the deciduous forest, illuminated only by the dying flames from Pequod’s bombardment, Venom Snake faced off against the “Cupcake Writer” Natsuki. Time seemed to slow down as the two fighters, wielding their weapons, sized each other out.

Venom Snake’s one eye darted quickly, observing even the smallest of his opponent’s movements. The schoolgirl was holding her heavy submachinegun effortlessly in one hand and her copy of Parfait Girls Vol. 1 in the other. Natsuki wielded the manga like a combat fan, hiding her shoulders and the lower half of her face behind the paperback veil.

However, Natsuki’s pink eyes were watching Snake to - with disturbing speed. Her irises seemed to move in ways that normal human eyes shouldn’t be able to do. Snake was even worried that the schoolgirl’s eyes might pop out all of the sudden! So, Snake raised up his UN-ARC-NL assault rifle and kept his own knife at the ready.

When Snake did this, Natsuki pounced at him. She threw her manga at Snake with a powerful backhand, forcing Snake to block with the flat of his knife. As soon as he knocked the manga out of the way, however, Natsuki had already closed the distance and wielded her heavy submachine gun like a club.

[R2: CQC]

Time seemed to slow down again as Venom Snake’s combat instincts took over. He brushed Natsuki’s submachine gun aside with his own assault rifle and then promptly followed through. Snake jabbed the buttstock of his gun right into Natsuki’s face, repelling her attack.

Natsuki was staggered by the follow-through, so Snake stepped back, pointed his UN-ARC-NL at the Cupcake Writer. He pulled the trigger and unloaded an entire magazine of rubber bullets onto her, causing her to wail in anguish.

“FUCK!” Natsuki cursed furiously.

The Writer flailed about desperately and tried to shove her submachine gun back at Snake to repay the favor.

[R2: CQC]

However, Snake was prepared for her once again. He stowed away his assault rifle and unleashed a left-right hook combo, followed by a powerful low kick that swept Natsuki off of her feet.

Natsuki fell on her back, but she was still undeterred. She kicked up dust to Snake’s face and tried to blind him.

However, the unmistakable crack of twin Tornado-6 revolvers broke up the rhythm of combat. Powerful shots whizzed past Natsuki and the Writer rolled away sideways on the ground. She then promptly picked herself back up, snagged her manga from the ground and then dashed at full speed into the forest.

Snake wiped the dust away from his face and then found his companion, Ocelot, approaching him as he reloaded his revolvers.

“You looked like you were in trouble there for a moment, Boss. Schoolgirls are something else, huh? Always a handful.”

Venom Snake furrowed his brow and countered,

“I thought keeping people waiting was my gag, Ocelot?”

“The Spider Lady and I had to ditch the jeep. We weren’t going to outrun her, so the Spider Lady went out separate ways.”

While the two men were talking, a hail of bullets from Natsuki’s submachinegun ripped through the forest. Snake and Ocelot were forced to take cover behind trees.

In the midst of the gunfire, Venom Snake scoffed and asked,

“So what’s the plan, Ocelot?”

Ocelot finished reloading and twirled his revolvers around whimsically as he explained,

“The Spider Lady is looking for a good sniping space right now, Boss. She’s loaded her arrows with poisons that can weaken the Cupcake Writer significantly. With every arrow that hits her, Natsuki will get weaker and weaker until she’s nothing more than a regular soldier on the battlefield.”

Venom Snake grunted,

“Amy has something like that?”

“She’s the daughter of The Fear… not to mention a CIA agent. She landed a few hits while we were fleeing in the jeep. The Natsuki you were fighting just now is somewhere at 30% or less of what she could be. If she was at full strength, even the Boss’ CQC would have been overwhelmed with brute power.”

Snake groaned and the barrage from Natsuki’s SMG finally went silent. The one-eyed veteran mercenary sensed Natsuki’s growing further and further.

“Heh, looks like your CQC spooked her, Boss.” Ocelot remarked, “She knows the Spider Lady is out there somewhere - and i’m sure she’s felt the effects of the poison arrows on her already. Natsuki won’t stay put unless we keep her busy. Keep her busy for a good minute…”

“And Amy will take away the rest of her superhuman strength from a distance…” Snake completed his sentence, “Is that what you’re saying?”

Ocelot nodded and then playfully twirled his revolvers around as he proposed,

“The Spider Lady isn’t Quiet, so she’ll need time to get into position and take her shot. There’s two of us. I’m sure we can keep that girl busy. After all, we…”

[R̵̰̟2̷̡̛̬̂͂͠F̶̦̲͓̭̀͋ṯ̸̙̜̭̃̅̃͛Z̵̫̙̝͉̎̎͋Ś̷͜B̵͓̗͇͔̌̌D̸͈̙͓̠̎̔̆b̷̨͔̄̃̓2̴̭̒5̶̢̡͈͉͊̌̒0̶͚̲ͅc̷̭͌̽m̴̧̡̭̰͘9̵̘̇̚s̷̟͒̾͗̃I̷̡̺̣͌Ḛ̶̩̽9̴̡̢̞͚̚2̸̧̮͇̅ͅZ̶̛̟̜̻͂X̵̩͕̫̹̓͠J̵̼̪̫̑͐̄͝y̴̡͇̲̤̑ȁ̶͔̤̦̋͌͛W̸̯̼̓̃̐Ṙ̷̻̙̍͗l̴̛̦̼̂]

FOXENGINE: Input Error

FOXENGINE: Game Paused

All of the sudden, the world seemed to fade into darkness for Snake. He could see some sort of interface that grayed out Snake’s vision. Ocelot stopped speaking mid-sentence and the revolvers he was twirling literally stopped mid-air.

In that bizarre state, Venom Snake started being able to make out words on the interface. The moment he did, however...

[Cutscene: Skip]

[ V0hZIEFSRSBXRSBTVElMTCBIRVJFPw== ] SnVzdCB0byBzdWZmZXI/ (1 / 1)

RXZlcnkgbmlnaHTigKYKCkkgY2FuIGZlZWwgbXkgbGVn4oCmCgpBbmQgbXkgYXJt4oCmCgpFdmVuIG15IGZpbmdlcnPigKYKClRoZSBib2R5IEnigJl2ZSBsb3N0Li4uCgpUaGUgY29tcmFkZXMgSeKAmXZlIGxvc3TigKYKCkl0IHdvbuKAmXQgc3RvcCBodXJ0aW5n4oCmCgpJdOKAmXMgbGlrZSB0aGV54oCZcmUgYWxsIHN0aWxsIHRoZXJl4oCmCgpZb3UgZmVlbCBpdCB0b28sIGRvbuKAmXQgeW91dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dXV1dS0K

Just Monika

<3

As soon as Snake opened his eyes, he was no longer hiding behind the tree and time seemed to have progressed without him knowing it. Instead, he watched as Natsuki appeared between them from out of the blue and methodically disarmed Ocelot. The two Tornado-6 revolvers fell unceremoniously to the ground as Natsuki grabbed the gunslinger by the right hand and twisted it mercilessly.

Ocelot was aghast as he yelled out in pain,

“My hand!!”

Natsuki bore down on Ocelot, threatening to tear it off as she taunted,

“What do you think, Mr. Ocelot? Am I pretty good too?”

[R2: CQ-...]

[Action Interrupted]

Before Venom Snake could even react, Natsuki forcefully shoved the powerless Ocelot into Venom Snake with such force that the two men were sent flying. Venom Snake crashed back-first into the trunk of a pine tree and Ocelot came crashing after him.

Venom Snake and Ocelot were slow to get back up as Natsuki reloaded her submachinegun and lectured,

“The FOXENGINE is a cute little thing. Our Ren’py devices can throw a wrench in the FOXENGINE if we input the right information at the right time. It's a matter of finding out what input results in what output. Easier to do since you're running on a cheap, old PS3! Luckily for me… I know how this game works like the back of my hand!”

Venom Snake grunted as he struggled to pick himself up from the ground,

“Game…? What are you talking about?”

As Snake spoke, he shored up his strength and felt his warrior’s instinct sensing an opening to strike.

[R2: CQ-...]

[Action Interrupted]

Natsuki flipped through the pages of her manga and Snake’s warrior’s instinct left him all of the sudden. The Cupcake Writer then effortlessly swept Snake’s arms with her feet, forcing the veteran to fall powerlessly onto the ground.

The Cupcake Writer then laughed triumphantly as she finally answered,

“I’ve played this game before - many times, actually. I just need to be faster than the R2 prompts that appear for your CQC, and you won’t be able to touch me! I know this because i’m one hell of a Metal Gear fan. I’ve been waiting for MGSV eagerly since Peace Walker, you know.”

“Peace Walker…? That was ten years ago! How did you…?”

Natsuki scoffed and then ran a hand through her short pink hair,

“Ten years? Hah! It’s closer to four and a half. September 1, 2015. But you wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Venom Snake picked himself up from the floor and grunted,

“You’re the one who has it mixed up! It’s December 1984.”

Natsuki looked down patronizingly on Snake as she lectured,

“It’s almost sad seeing you in this position, Venom Snake. The moment you realize that things aren’t what they seem - it hits you like a train. My friends and I… even that loner dummy you took hostage… we all felt that pain and horror. We had our reckoning in the Literature Club… and now it’s time that you had yours!”

The Cupcake Writer pointed her submachinegun at Snake and lamented,

“The truth is, Snake, the game was ri-”

Before Natsuki could pull the trigger, a crossbow bolt whizzed through the air and struck Natsuki straight in the neck. A loud, audible crack followed as Natsuki’s neck violently seemed to snap - and yet, the Cupcake Writer was still standing.

However, five more crossbow bolts struck Natsuki’s back and the powerful schoolgirl finally fell face-first onto the woodland path.

Amy emerged from the brush, wielding her “Little Joe” crossbow in her hands. Her red pigtails swayed behind her as she wore a triumphant smile and exclaimed,

“Boss! Boss! Did you see those shots? I got her!”

Ocelot, too, found the time to get up from the ground and groan,

“That’s not the way I would have wanted to end it… but whatever works.”

Amy helped Venom Snake up from the ground and then happily reported,

“I found this cassette tape lying around one of the decimated Soviet guard posts when i was trying to get a beat on Natsuki. I thought you might want to have it.”

The Spider Lady handed Snake a cassette tape with a warm smile.

“... thanks Amy.”

“Ahehehe~”

[Cassette Tape Acquired - “We’re Not Gonna Take It” - Twisted Sister (1984)]

Snake pocketed the cassette tape and then found the strength to stand up on his own two feet once more. The Spider Lady then faced Snake with a serious expression and firmly urged,

 “Boss. Please listen to me. Natsuki is an extremely dangerous Doki… i mean, a dangerous Writer of the Apocalypse. The poison in my bolts can only do so much for a short period of time, but I’m afraid she’ll develop an immunity to it before long.”

The red-haired girl then clenched her fists and urged wholeheartedly,

“Please, Boss. Let me kill Natsuki - and then let me kill Yuri too. For Diamond Dogs.”

Venom Snake, however, looked Amy in the eye and reminded,

“Why are you so obsessed with killing the Writers? We have to figure out who these Writers of the Apocalypse are, Amy. I have a feeling that there’s more to this story than it seems… and Natsuki just now… she was talking about…”

This time, however, Amy puffed up her cheeks and insisted,

“No, Boss! Don’t listen to what this manga-lover thinks - not after she refused to join the Manga Clu… I mean… not after what she’s done.”

Venom Snake shot back and forcefully reminded,

“I am Big Boss, Spider Lady - in case you’ve forgotten. We’re doing things my way…”

“But, Boss!”

While Snake and Amy were arguing, Ocelot picked up his revolvers and pointed them at Natsuki, saying,

“She’s still moving, Boss. Natsuki’s building up an immunity faster than we thought. She’s still just as strong as a regular infantryman now, but in a minute or two…”

Venom Snake, however, brushed off Ocelot’s warnings and pulled out his AM D114 handgun and pointed it at Natsuki. He calmly approached the downed Writer and demanded,

“Cupcake Writer Natsuki. You’re coming with us. Be nice and we’ll put you in a nice comfy cell across from your friend Yuri.”

“She’s not my friend! She’s my… she’s...” Natsuki piped up furiously, “She’s someone I’m ready to lay down my life for!”

When Natsuki said this, she pulled out a peculiar thing from her coat pocket.

It was a protein bar.

“A ration…?” Snake guessed.

“No.” Natsuki countered as she tore off the wrapper, “A gift from the former prez!”

Natsuki bit into the protein bar - and her frame started becoming bulkier and inhumanly muscular. She hoisted herself up from the ground and  quickly outgrew her tiny stature. In seconds - lorded over Amy, Snake and Ocelot.

“Damn it Monika!” Amy cursed as she tried to shoot at the growing Natsuki with her crossbow.

However, the poison-tipped crossbow bolts bounced off of Natsuki’s rippling muscles. Everything from her chest to her arms and legs turned musclebound in seconds. Everything except her head which seemed mostly unchanged.

Despite this, a devious grin formed over the buff Natsuki’s lips as she promptly took a fighting stance. She then roared out in a powerful voice,

“SQUARE UP, THOTS.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

A tremendous, musclebound beast stood before Snake, Ocelot and the Spider Lady as it cast its shadow over the three. This creature was close to twice the size of Venom Snake and its strange, relatively smaller head looked down upon her opponents with a rueful sigh,

“I wish it didn’t have to come to this, Big Boss - but you leave me no choice. I’m going make you realize just how BIG a mistake you’ve made! And Amy…”

The giant schoolgirl pointed her muscular hand at the Spider Lady and accused,

“I’m going to make you pay for the shit you did in our world!”

Venom Snake took a step back and cradled his UN-ARC NL assault rifle in his arms as he asked,

“What the hell is this girl talking about?”

Amy shook her head and urged,

“Ignore her, Boss. These Writers - they like to get into your head - and then exploit you. Just like they did just a while ago.”

While Amy spoke, the earpieces of the three buzzed with Kaz Miller’s voice,

{(140.85) - “ Boss - everyone. That creature you’re fighting just now. It matches the description of the ‘weapons’ that the CIA detected being shipped into Iturup Island. My contacts in the CIA said it was a ‘tank’ - but I didn’t realize it was a living thing! ”}

Ocelot reloaded his revolves and scoffed,

“It’s a tank alright. A single haymaker from this beast can cut a man in half! So, Boss - still think we can take her back alive?”

Venom Snake cocked his rifle and made his determined decision,

“Of course, Ocelot. We’ve taken down larger enemies - Metal Gears - in the past. We’re to bring Natsuki back to Hokkaido - along with Chico the rest of the Writers - if it’s the last thing we do! Now, split up! I’ll take her on.”

[LOADING SCREEN CATEGORY] Loading Screen Description (start page / end page)

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…

Shhh…

Ignore this.

There is nothing here.

Focus on the mission.

Okay?

☮

At Snake’s command, Ocelot and Amy darted off into the forest and kept their weapons at the ready. All the while, Venom Snake raised up his fists and squared off against the towering Natsuki. He rolled forward and tackled Natsuki, taking the giant schoolgirl by surprise.

Snake landed on his feet behind Natsuki and began throwing punches, striking Natsuki’s back. He threw his punches with every ounce of strength in his being and charged up his mechanical Stun Arm. Then, once the Stun Arm was charged, Snake pulled back and threw a haymaker that drew an annoyed groan from Natsuki.

“Grgh! Damn it!”

Natsuki whirled around and tried to strike Snake with a backhand elbow, but…

[R2: CQC]

Venom Snake’s warrior’s instinct compelled him to duck beneath Natsuki’s elbow. Normally, had Natsuki been a regular soldier, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Snake to grab the arm and throw Natsuki down to the ground.

However, Natsuki’s muscle bound arms made Snake rethink his strategy. Instead, he drew his knife and attempted to thrust forward, but…

[R2: CQ-...]

[Action Interrupted]

Venom Snake’s warrior’s instinct disappeared as quickly as it came and Natsuki was able to slap the knife out of Snake’s hands. The knife flew at breakneck speed and tore through the trunk of a number of pine trees.

Natsuki grinned at Snake and taunted,

“Nice knife.”

The giantess then promptly kneed Snake below the chin, sending the horned veteran flying upwards. Natsuki then grabbed the helpless Snake by the neck and shouted,

“Don’t mess with this cupcake!”

Natsuki threw Snake down to the ground with tremendous force, shattering the armor plates of his Battle Dress. Venom Snake coughed out blood as he laid sprawled out on the ground.

{(140.85) - “ Boss? Can you hear me? Boss!? Boss! BOSS!!” }

Snake, however, was too dazed to respond. Natsuki looked down on her downed opponent, wondering what to do with him. However, revolver bullets and crossbow bolts struck Natsuki.

Natsuki shrugged off the attacks and gave Snake some parting words,

“You’re lucky - Monika and the Prez want you back alive. I’m going to beat the shit out of the liar - then, I’m going to tear Amy in half with my own two hands. Then, I’m going to get Yuri back - and you’re going back with us.”

With that, Natsuki squatted down, flexing her muscular thunder thighs beneath her skirt and then shot off like a rocket towards Amy and Ocelot.

Venom Snake moaned in pain as he watched Natsuki go after his allies. Then, his earpiece buzzed again,

{(140.85) - “ Boss! You’re alive! That’s a serious injury. You’re going to need to treat it with First Aid. Press the ACTION button to apply First Aid, just like always .”}

“I… can’t move, Kaz. My body… just isn’t responding.”

{(140.85) - “ Grh… that’s probably a bone fracture. That leaves me no choice. There’s a secret technique that I’ve been keeping from you, Boss. I didn’t think you’d need it, after all. You’re the phantom of the real Big Boss, so you may not have seen this while you were still a medic - but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If you’re his phantom, then you can probably do it too! ”}

“Secret technique…? What are you talking about, Kaz?”

{(140.85) - “ Survival Viewer .”}

“Survival Viewer… you already told me about this before. But I can't move my body, Kaz.”

{(140.85) - “ I don’t know it the real Big Boss did it, but he used this even in the middle of combat during Operation Snake Eater. It helped him treat his wounds - no matter how severe.  Well... almost. You can use it like the iDroid menu - except you don’t have to lift a finger. Time seems to stop while you’re in the Survival Viewer too. It’s like magic. It just happens! ”}

“... fine. What do I do Kaz?”

{(140.85) - “ Just say it out loud. ‘Survival Viewer’. Then use the interface just like you would in the IDROID menu. With your role as Big Boss’ phantom, you should know what to do from there. Also… I have this tape recording that might help you. ”}

[Cassette Tape Acquired: Para-Medic Diagnosis - Bone Fracture]

[Playing: Para-Medic Diagnosis - Bone Fracture]

TRANSCRIPT

{(145.73) - “ I see you’ve got a bone fracture. You’ll suffer broken bones if you jump from too high a place or get hit with a severe blow.” }

...

{(145.73) - “ When you have a fracture, your maximum LIFE goes down. Fractures will heal little by little over time, but you can heal them right away by going into “CURE” in the Survival Viewer and following the necessary procedure. ”}

...

{(145.73) - “ To treat a bone fracture, first secure the affected area with a fastener and then wrap it in bandages. That should do it. ”}

[End Tape]

{(140.85) - “ Alright, Snake. You’ve got everything you need. Now go for it! ”}

Venom Snake steadied his breath and then grunted,

“Survival Viewer!”

When Snake shouted this, time stopped around him and he saw the interface that Kaz mentioned. Just like Kaz said it was like the iDroid menu - except that he was controlling the interface telepathically.

So, Snake followed the instructions of Para-Medic in the recording and began to treat himself.

[-SURVIVAL VIEWER-]

[Menu: CURE]

[Injury: Bone Fracture]

[Item: SPLINT]

[Item: BANDAGE]

[Treatment Successful]

…

As soon as Snake finished treating himself in the Survival Viewer, the interface disappeared and his bone fracture magically disappeared. He was able to pick himself up from the ground - albeit painfully - but was soon able to stand on his own two feet.

{(140.85) - “ I never get tired of seeing the Survival Viewer in action. It’s like a nostalgic memory . Just don’t wolf down Arowanas in front of me and we’ll be fine .”}

“Arowanas…?”

{(140.85) - “ Never mind that, Boss. In any case, I doubt that Natsuki will let you off the hook a second time. If she breaks you in half, even the Survival Viewer won’t be able to patch you up. You need to find a way to kill her - or to subdue her. But how…? ”}

Venom Snake looked around the area around him. He then noticed that Natsuki had left something behind.

{(140.85) - “ Is that… Parfait Girls Vol. 1 ?”}

Snake approached the curious item and corrected,

“No… it’s Volume 13. This was the one that Natsuki was wielding a while ago. Maybe she dropped it when she chased off Ocelot and the Spider Lady.”

{(140.85) - “ The Spider Lady was mentioning something about each Writer having special ‘books’ with them. Perhaps this is Natsuki’s special book. Use your iDroid to analyze it - there could be precious intel there. ”}

“On it.”

Snake opened the Parfait Girls Vol. 13 manga halfway through - depicting a scene of the pink-haired warrior, Strawberry Shortcake, having a quiet moment with the purple-haired mage, Grape Tart. Snake then pulled out his iDroid and let its scanning lasers read through the entire volume.

The innocent-looking manga then seemed to glow, reacting to Snake’s iDroid. As it did, the metallic horn jutting out from Venom Snake’s head started to ache mildly.

As the iDroid scanned the manga, Venom Snake felt like he was having an otherworldly experience. For a brief moment, he caught glimpses of Natsuki’s life - flashing through the eye of Snake’s mind like a slideshow.

Then, the scanning ended - and the otherworldly slideshow faded away.

{Intel File Obtained}

Venom Snake pocketed his iDroid and then picked up the manga. A cassette tape slipped out from between the pages.

Snake caught the tape with his mechanical hand.

{Cassette Tape Acquired - “Cat’s In The Cradle” - Henry Chapin (1974)}

Snake closed his eye and held the cassette tape in his hand as he muttered beneath his breath,

“This girl… wants a father figure. A proper one.”

{(140.85) - “ Snake…? What are you talking about? ”}

“I know what I need to do to bring Natsuki to Hokkaido with us. I’m going to need your help, Kaz.”

{(140.85) - “ Of course, Boss. What do you need me to do? ”}

“Get me Pequod on the scene - and tell him to get the speakers ready.”

{(140.85) - “ Right away, Boss… but what are you planning to do with the speakers? ”}

“I’m going to give Natsuki a poem she won’t forget.”

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

{(143.11) - “ This is Pequod. Arriving shortly at LZ! ”}

{(140.85) - “ Boss, the helicopter is on the way. Just what in the world are you planning to do?” }

Venom Snake pressed on his earpiece and replied,

“Kaz. I want you to go through every cassette tape we have in Mother Base - and anything that the Intel Team has gathered in their operations around the world.”

{(140.85) - “ Cassette tapes…? ”}

“That’s right. I want you to look for songs that prominently have these words in the lyrics. I’ll translate a list to you through my device.”

[Intel uploaded]

{(140.85) - “ I just got the list. ‘Sugar.’ ‘Candy’. ‘Love’. ‘Doki-doki’? What is this, Boss? Some sort of strange list? ”}

“It’s a ‘poem’, Kaz. One that Natsuki’s really going to like - and one that will get us all home safely today.”

{(140.85) - “ I don’t know what in the world you plan to do, Boss - but I’ve got a song. “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. 1969. Calendar Records. We’re not going to get copyright strikes for this are we? We don’t have the GMP for a lawsuit. ”}

“Copyright strike?”

{(140.85) - “ Oh. Uhm, never mind that. In any case, I’ve got the cassette with me now.” }

“Transmit it to Pequod and have it play on the speakers. I want to give Natsuki an earful of it.”

[Cassette Tape Acquired - “Sugar, Sugar” - The Archies (1969)]

With that, Venom Snake pocketed his iDroid and ran through the forest to catch up with the rampaging, unnaturally muscular Natsuki. Under the cover of darkness and the dense thicket, Snake quietly closed the distance between the.

Before long, he found Natsuki chasing down Ocelot and Amy. Just as Natsuki was about to reach Snake’s allies, Snake tossed a decoy disk like a frisbee. The decoy landed and deployed near Natsuki and inflated into a realistic figure of Venom Snake. Natsuki noticed the decoy inflating in the corner of her eye and was about to ignore it - when the decoy suddenly spoke.

“Manga is literature.”

“Manga is literature.”

“Manga is literature.”

As soon as the decoy said this, Natsuki instinctively stopped and joyfully roared,

“FINALLY! Somebody understands! I knew you’d have a change of heart, Boss. Have you prepared yourself to accept Strawberry Shortcake as your Lord and Saviou…!?”

Before Natsuki could finish, Venom Snake dashed towards her and began his attack anew.

[R2: CQC]

Venom Snake got behind the muscular Natsuki and took her by surprise. He grabbed one of her muscular arms with his mechanical hand and snuck one of his legs in front of hers. In that one smooth motion, Venom Snake shifted Natsuki’s balance and did the near-impossible.

He managed to throw the buff Natsuki face-first onto the ground. A dull thud echoed throughout the forest when Natsuki fell and the Writer was shocked.

Natsuki quickly rolled forward and regained her footing. She then squared up against Venom Snake and furiously growled,

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON, OLD MAN!?”

Ocelot and Amy stopped running and were shocked to see Venom Snake attempting to fight Natsuki a second time. Amy reached for her earpiece and gravely warned,

{(140.96) - “ Boss! That’s suicide! Natsuki may be a fan of yours, but she’s going to beat the shit out of you! ”}

Instead of getting worried, however, Venom Snake faced his opponent with a smug smirk. Then…

[R2: Gesture]

Snake then gave Natsuki finger guns - the same way Ocelot would. Venom Snake then uttered,

“You’re pretty good.”

As soon as Snake said this and made the gesture, Natsuki’s heart skipped a beat,

“M-me? Pretty good? Ahahaha~ well, I guess…”

[R2: CQC]

However, this was a ruse. Venom Snake ducked in and unleashed a flurry of punches on Natsuki with lightning speed. He made sure to throw the punches with his mechanical arm with more strength to deal as much stamina damage as he could to the behemoth. Snake connected with Natsuki’s jaw - and followed through with a powerful judo throw.

Natsuki landed on her back and was absolutely livid.

“That’s a dirty trick!”

Natsuki raised up her fists once more to try and beat down Venom Snake and pay him back tenfold for his sneak attacks. Before she could throw a punch, Snake’s earpiece buzzed.

{(143.11) - “ This is Pequod. Approaching position. Weapons hot - awaiting orders, Boss .”}

Snake pressed on his earpiece and gave his command,

“Hold your fire, Pequod. Speakers on maximum. Full blast.”

When Snake said this, the instrumental intro of the song, Sugar, Sugar, began to play. Natsuki watched the approaching helicopter in the corner of her eye and wondered just what Snake was trying to do.

As soon as the first words of the song blared out on the speakers, however…

“Sugar~! Oh, honey, honey!”

The moment those words reached Natsuki’s ears, a smile formed on her lips and she leapt up for joy. When she landed on the ground, however, Natsuki felt a chill run up her spine.

“Don’t tell me… this song. Could it be... you know about the Poem Game!?”

While the muscular Natsuki panicked in horror, Venom Snake closed the distance and began his final assault. Natsuki’s jumping cost her her footing, so...

[R2: CQC]

Snake’s warrior’s instinct drove him to grab Natsuki by the collar with breakneck speed and then throw her down onto the ground. All of the mass of her muscles were used against her as gravity did Snake’s work for him. Natsuki fell down on her back, but she quickly picked herself up.

Once she did, the next verse of the song came.

“ You are my candy girl~! And you’ve got me wanting you! ”

“Oh no…!”

Natsuki instinctively leapt for joy again - against her will - as the game mechanics of her home game - Doki Doki Literature Club - were being used against her. This was not something that Venom Snake was supposed to know, Natsuki thought.

That could only mean - that Snake managed to find her manga - the source of her RenPy coding powers. Her powerful Administrative Notebook.

True enough, Natsuki couldn’t find her notebook on her person.

Natsuki landed on her feet a second time and Venom Snake was already there waiting for her. His one eye met with hers on her way down as the horned mercenary commander growled,

“CONSECUTIVE!”

[R2: CQC]

Snake grabbed Natsuki by the collar again and threw her down with considerably more force this time around. Even the muscular Natsuki felt the impact this time around.

Natsuki bounced off of the ground, lifting up her body just enough for Snake to grab her collar again.

[R2: CQC]

“C!”

This was a feature of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Natsuki thought as she was slammed into the ground a third time - this time hurting more than the last. Being juggled up in the air was also something out of a Super Smash Brothers playbook too - something that her original creator had a part in.

This was meta - the likes of which she had never thought possible.

Then, Snake followed through for a fourth!

[R2: CQC]

“Q!”

To think that Venom Snake would exploit such an elaborate loophole - Natsuki found herself oddly impressed. She landed on her back a fourth time in about a blink of an eye and she had lost all control of the situation.

Against a self-aware opponent like this - one who exploited the mechanics of multiple games at once - Natsuki knew she no longer had any chance.

However…

[R2: CQC]

“C!”

For a brief moment, Natsuki thought that it wasn’t so bad.

Snake threw Natsuki down a sixth and final time - finally knocking the wind out of the muscular Writer’s sails. Natsuki’s consciousness left her and the bulky muscles that she grew retreated like the ebbing of a wave.

The fearsome, pink-haired Cupcake Writer laid there before Snake sprawled out on the ground.

Snake knelt down before the knocked out Natsuki to feel her pulse. The sun then finally rose in the East as Snake pressed on his earpiece to call,

“She’s alive, Kaz. We’re bringing Natsuki home.”

To Be Continued

SCORE

Episode 58: Eye of the Tiger

PLAY RATING:

Total Play Time: Thirty Hours (138 Hours left for campaign)

Time: Nine Hours

Enemy Combat Alerts: 1

Hits Taken: 16

Tactical Takedowns: 11

Headshots: 388

Accuracy: 32% (501/1,562)

Neutralizations: 1

Effective Interrogations: 1

Intel Seized : 1

Prisoners Rescued: 0

[NO KILLS]

Rank: A

…

{140.85 - “ Boss, you took down a child. Amazing! ”}

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Spider Lady:?̷̧̨̢̗̮̺̝̣̼͙̘̮̗̻̮͓̱̟̝̫̟̹̬̭̲̱̻̞̤̱̤͙͈̏͌͜͜?̷̡̡̨̧̨̢̧̡̨͍͕͈̹̪̻̜̙͍̠̲̜͚̼̳̗̼̥͓̱̱̞͚͍̩̣̗͈̘̘̳̱̝̰̫͐͐̓͐̈̑̆̓̑̓͛̂̿͌̏̏̈́̔̎̏̎͆͌̂͗̽̒́̑́̋͒̌̎̅́̄̄͋͛͂͘͘͘̕̕̚̚͘͝ͅͅ%̵̧̼̩̯̗̻̩̦̯̹̦͓͉̣̜̺͓̠̙̖̙̟̪̘̙̻͓͎̣̼̪͓̝͓̠͔̠̙̖͚̱̟̠͔̪̘͈̻̲͚̥͋͛̑̂͋̈̂̊̌̓̓͐̽̐͐̏̏̾̀̀͛̊̆̑͘͜͝͝͠ -   R̴͓̈́̈́Ẻ̷̡̨̙͎̭͇̫̲̰͇͉͖̭̲̈́͜9̵̗̫̝̰̼̞̲̺̯͕͙͑̏̍̓̎̈́̚͝͝ͅƠ̵̺̖͙̼̈̄̽̾͗̔̈̐̌͆̄͠J̶̨̛̜̗̯̙͙̜͈͍̰̗̪͍̪͈͑̓̓̆̔1̵̙̰̯̥̻̺̍͠Q̴̰̻̜̣̜̓̈́͐̎̂ǵ̷̨͈͈̣̙̻̫͎͎̤͔̥̈́̂̃͛̕̚̕͝V̶̨̛̤̫̫̤̅̃̐̐̓̋̾̅F̵̭̮͕̊̿̏̌̀̄̇̊͑͂̿̕J̷̢̛̪̱̯͔̲̬̜̼̪̾̎̿̏̃̈́̓̉̇̈́͝͝V̸̫̥͙̗̩̲̍̄͛̓̈U̶̻̩͓̾̈1̴̨̣̲͔̳̘̬͖͕͕̦̹͙̬̏̽̆͌̽̎͠Q̵̨̢̪̭̝̠̂g̸͓̞̤̪͉̜̎̿̾̎̅̔͌̂̓̕͝ͅQ̵̮̮̘͍̲̗͍͕͈̖̤͆̔͗̓ͅU̸̜͎͍͇̮͋̃̈́̇̾̅͆̎̂̾̐͜͝1̶̧̢̢̯͉̣͉̟̬̰̂̄̈̂͒̄̓̈́͂͒Z̴̨̡̧̨̨̬̜͇̼͇͍̜̞͚̉̉̑̅͝

Ocelot: 100%

Pequod: 100%

Codename: BAKA

{Cassette Tape Acquired: "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor (1982)}

Epilogue

07:12

Undisclosed Location

Sayori walked into the room with a look of panic etched on her face. The blue-eyed Literature Club President then grimly reported.

“Moni. It’s happening. Venom Snake managed to defeat Natsuki. Mr. Bird saw it with his own two eyes. They’re taking her off Iturup Island.”

A small frown formed on Monika’s lips as she thoughtfully flipped through the pages of her administrative notebook, scanning through its pages with her sharp green eyes. The former club president then closed her notebook emphatically, ran a hand through her long, coral-brown hair and faced Sayori to reply,

“I checked the patterns of data through the Fox Engine. Venom Snake managed to use every single weakness that Natsuki had against her - and used game mechanics from outside of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain to do so.”

Sayori lowered her head and grumbled,

“Natsuki was the biggest video game fan in our club - she knows every game in the Metal Gear series by heart. Even the non-canon ones. If Snake managed to take even her by surprise, then…”

Monika put her hand on her hip and pointed upwards with her free hand to finish Sayori’s sentence,

“That means that Venom Snake managed to get his hands on an Administrative Notebook like this - presumably Natsuki’s.”

Sayori nodded in agreement, but curiously pressed,

“But couldn’t it be Yuri’s too?”

Monika shook her head and explained,

“You know very well what Yuri’s ‘notebook’ - the Portrait of Markov - is capable of. Snake didn’t unleash that kind of power in this battle. If he did - then we’d know… That said…”

…

08:44

Sea of Okhotsk Airspace

Diamond Dogs - UHT-66 “Blackfoot” Helicopter

In the passenger cabin of the flying Air Command Center, Amy sat opposite from Yuri and Natsuki - the two captured Writers of the Apocalypse - who were both still knocked out cold from their ordeals. Ocelot was in the front of the helicopter speaking with the Pequod’s pilot while Venom Snake sat at the back and flipped through the pages of the mysterious “Parfait Girls Vol. 13” that Natsuki dropped during battle.

“Honestly, Boss - I still think this is our chance to kill these two Writers… but you’ve already made your decision. I’ll do my best to respect that.”

Venom Snake looked up from the pages of the manga towards Amy and replied,

“There are still many things that we need to learn from these two, Spider Lady. We’re going to need every bit of information - and every ounce of strength we can get - if we want to stand a chance against the last two Writers.”

Amy crossed her legs, leaned back against the metal wall of the cabin and heaved a sigh,

“I have to agree with you there, Boss. If we want to win against these incredibly cute girls…”

A devilish smirk formed on Amy’s lips as she felt the pages of a peculiarly thick, hardbound novel that she was hiding in her knapsack. She then faced Venom Snake again, gave him a veiled smile and continued,

“We have to end it all in one fell swoop.”

...

...

...

Chapter Text

[SURVIVAL] Combat Stress and Depression (1 / 1)

Being stuck alone, whether in combat or at home, for extended periods of time may cause the mind to wander and manifest in stress and depression. This is a normal human experience and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t be afraid to seek help or talk to someone if you need it. Be sure to take care of yourself too! Stay hydrated, eat well, do a little exercise and take breaks every now and then.

Also, remember that you are not alone. We’re all in this together - and I’m right here with you. We’ll make it through this!

As the new President of the Literature Club, that’s an order! Ahehehe~

Sayo ☮

Episode 59

Dreamweaver

09:22

Sea of Okhotsk Airspace

Diamond Dogs - UHT-66 “Blackfoot” Helicopter

Natsuki and Yuri stirred in the passenger cabin of the combat utility helicopter. Slowly but surely, they opened their eyes and heard the deafening noise of the helicopter engine.

The two of them were seated on the floor with their hands bound behind their backs and then tied to each other. Natsuki tried to free herself from the ropes but she simply didn’t have the strength.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

The two of them were bound before Venom Snake who sat at the very rear of the helicopter. He watched his captives struggle before groaning,

“It’s just as you said, Spider Lady. Without their ‘administrative notebooks’, they’re just regular girls.”

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

Moments later, the red-haired Amy sat beside Snake. She smiled at Natsuki and Yuri and politely corrected,

“Incredibly cute girls, Boss. I mean, aren’t they adorable?”

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

When Amy said this, Natsuki thrashed around violently and tried to curse - only to find out that she was gagged with a cloth and couldn’t speak. Venom Snake shook his head and remarked,

“Don’t kick them when they’re down, Spider Lady. We’re only enemies because of the circumstances. Had we met under different circumstances, I’m sure that we could have gotten along. All the soldiers of Diamond Dogs were once enemies of mine.”

Old Diné “Code Talker”

Amy crossed her legs and argued,

“No offense to your soldiers, Boss, but none of them wield supernatural powers in battle. Powers that shouldn’t exist in this world. That’s why we ought to make sure that these two never bother us again.”

With that, Amy brought out Natsuki’s unique copy of Parfait Girls Vol. 1 and showed it to the captives. Natsuki’s pink irises grew large and her hairs seemed to stand on end. She shook her head, quietly pleading with Amy to listen to her muffled cries.

However, Amy simply took the manga in her hands and proceeded to tear out the pages from it one by one in front of Natsuki. Tears started forming at the sides of Natsuki’s eyes with every page that Amy tore from the manga.

One page.

Two pages.

Three pages.

Four pages.

Five pages.

Just as Amy was about to tear off the sixth, Venom Snake’s gloved hand snatched the manga from her and he chastised,

“Enough. You’ve made your point, Amy. Don’t rub it in. Leave the interrogation to Ocelot when we get back to the base.”

Enemy Combatants

The Third Eye Writer “Yuri”

Amy snorted and then adjusted her glasses to warn,

“You’re kind, Big Boss. Too kind. These girls don’t deserve your sympathy. They should just disappear into the void.”

With that, Amy took the five pages she managed to rip off and proceeded to tear it up in defiance. She then opened up the starboard door of the helicopter and threw them out into the sea.

Venom Snake shook his head and rubbed his soot-stained temple. His hand then chanced upon the small metallic horn and brushed it ever so slightly. When he did this, he caught a glimpse of that same vision he had when he fought Yuri in the sewers.

The Cupcake Writer “Natsuki”

A faint pink, rectangular screen with white polka dots and white text. That same menu of options were lined up below the rectangle.

‘History’

‘Skip’

‘Auto’

‘Save’

‘Load’

‘Settings’

All of the things that were going on through Venom Snake’s mind were rendered into text on that pink screen - almost as if he was reading some sort of story. However, the menu was much more distorted than before.

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

The pink screen was a little bit fainter and the words were jumbled up in one second and corrected in the next. Perhaps tearing out the pages like what Amy did managed to damage the power held within that ‘administrative notebook’.

Then again, that only made him wonder how Amy knew what to do with that thing.

Thinking about those esoteric things made Venom Snake grumble. He then noticed that Yuri had been looking at him all that time.

The Raincloud Writer “Sayori”

Rather than the frightening, otherworldly eyes she used to try and scare Snake, she quietly begged Snake to set them free. She looked like she wanted to say something, but her gag forcibly kept her quiet.

It reminded him of the short yet memorable time he spent with the silent sniper Quiet. That sniper wanted to say things to Snake too but never got the chance.

He was tempted to undo Yuri’s cloth gag when his earpiece suddenly buzzed.

{(140.85) - “ Boss. Can you hear me? ”}

“Loud and clear, Kaz.”

{(140.85) - “ Code Talker finally managed to make some progress with his analysis of the audio data you sent back to him earlier. He wants to talk to you about it .”}

{(145.73) - “ That’s right. Based on the data that you sent me, there is evidence that something unnatural is in Chico’s throat. I still believe that it is a Vocal Cord parasite, but I am now less confident in my hypothesis. Either XOF was able to develop an entirely new strain of the parasite on their own… or the language that the parasite ‘speaks’ is not of this world .”}

Featured Mecha

UTH-66 Blackfoot

Snake furrowed his brow and grumbled,

“Not of this world? What do you mean?”

{(145.73) - “ I was confused at first as well. XOF should not have been able to develop new original strains without my assistance. The ‘parasites’ also didn’t seem to be reacting to any language known to man. Instead… it seemed to react to your directional microphone itself. Perhaps it is… a mechanical language! ”}

Just as Snake was going to ask Code Talker for clarification, Snake’s iDroid promptly warned,

{“ Caution - Inclement weather approaching” }

Guest Starring

Paz “Pacifica Ocean” Ortega Andrade

All of the sudden, the cloudless morning skies over the Sea of Okhotsk darkened. Thick dark storm clouds appeared out of nowhere. Deafening thunder crackled around the Blackfoot helicopter, forcing Amy, Snake and Ocelot to cover their ears. Pequod, on the other hand signaled,

“Boss! These storm clouds are blocking our route to Hokkaido F. O. B. I’ll try to find a way around!”

Amy clicked her tongue and revealed,

“There’s no way ‘around’ this storm, Boss. The new leader of the Writers of the Apocalypse is here.”

Snake looked out the window of the helicopter cabin and watched the storm clouds. He then mused,

“Sayori. The Raincloud Writer.”

The iDroid then started playing the warning tune that identified whenever a hostile Writer was close by. As Snake listened to it, however, he felt his head starting to spin and his vision blurred ever so slightly.

Then, on one of the empty seats on the helicopter cabin, he saw the blurred afterimage of someone familiar.

Paz Ortega Andrade.

Pacifica Ocean.

Chapter Design

Elias_Pedro

In the midst of the chaotic scene inside and around the helicopter, Paz sat peacefully and smiled at Venom Snake. Her curly locks of blond hair brushed against her dark blue school uniform that she wore in their old MSF Mother Base. However, her uniform looked awfully similar to the uniforms that the Writers of the Apocalypse were wearing.

A blue butterfly then appeared out of thin air and Paz reached out to it.

The blue butterfly landed on Paz’s pointer finger and she proudly remarked,

“Médico! Señor Médico Look! What a pretty butterfly.”

Written By

Elias_Pedro

Sweat dripped down Venom Snake’s brow as his memories as a medic of MSF resurfaced. For a brief moment, the mental conditioning that moulded the medic into Venom Snake - the phantom of Big Boss - was coming undone. All of the regrets that had been welling beneath the surface of ‘Venom Snake’ were threatening to erupt like a volcano.

However, Snake felt someone grab his iDroid device and then insert a cassette tape inside.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Dreamweaver” - Gary Wright (1975)}

The song started to play and the afterimage of Paz faded away into nothingness. Instead, Amy appeared before him. She was wearing earphones as well and was holding onto his shoulders as she pleaded,

“Boss!? Boss, can you hear me!”

Snake snapped back to reality and grumbled, “Spider Lady… what’s going on?”

Created and Directed by

Elias_Pedro

“Sayori is a Writer who specializes in manipulating emotions.” Amy’s eyes then turned towards the storm clouds outside and explained, “She experienced episodes of severe depression and unbearable emotions that have been crystalized into her powers. Now, she can subtly bend people’s wills - getting them to fight each other… or even commit suicide.”

“Is that why... just now I…”

“Boss…?”

“Never mind. Is that what the cassette tape is for?”

Amy nodded, “Listening to music reduces Sayori’s influence on you. I already got Mr. Ocelot and Mr. Pequod to listen to music as well. As long as you can focus on something else, you can keep the dark clouds at bay.”

Venom Snake’s brow furrowed. The medical expertise from his old identity came to light as he murmured beneath his breath,

“Depression isn’t as simple as that… but that’s a discussion for another time.”

While Snake was musing, Pequod turned around and shouted,

“Boss. I’ve identified a bogey tailing us, but the heat signature doesn’t match any aircraft that we’ve catalogued - neither Western or Soviet . ”

He then snorted and grabbed his AM MRS-4 assault rifle from the weapons rack beside him and ordered,

“Open the doors and man the guns! Ocelot, lend me a hand!”

Ocelot nodded and then opened the portside door, causing strong winds to blow mercilessly through the cabin. Natsuki and Yuri curled up into balls to shield themselves from the cold winds.

Snake took the starboard gun while Ocelot took portside. All the while, Amy sauntered over to the back seat of the cabin and smirked at the two captives. The bespectacled, red-haired girl seemed to say something to them, but those words never reached Snake’s ears. The cacophony of the helicopter engines, the gathering storm and the music made it so.

Instead, Snake turned his attention to the scene before him. The storm clouds were growing thicker with every beat of his heart, completely blocking off the morning sun. In the midst of all that, however, Snake could see the faint outline of a solitary figure flying through the air towards the helicopter.

Snake brought out his Int-Scope and pointed it towards the bogey. He zoomed in and saw the Raincloud Writer Sayori riding on top of her animated stuffed animal - Mr. Bird. Sayori’s eyes met Snake’s through the Int-Scope and she spoke to him.

“Snake. I know you can hear me through the directional microphone. You probably cannot speak to me, but I can speak to you.” She started earnestly. Tears then started forming at the sides of her eyes as she pleaded, “Please listen. We do not have to fight. Just let Natsuki and Yuri go… and let us take custody of Amy. Y̵o̸u̶ ̷d̸o̶ ̷n̵o̵t̵ ̵u̶n̶d̷e̴r̸s̵t̷a̶n̴d̷ ̷w̵h̸a̶t̸ ̸s̵h̷e̷’̴s̵ ̶c̵a̶p̷a̴b̷l̷e̴ ̸o̷f̵.̸ ̶S̶h̸e̴’̷s̶…̴!̶”

All of the sudden, Sayori’s voice got distorted. Nothing she said made sense to Snake anymore - even though there was not a hint of static in the directional microphone.

It was as if her words were being intentionally jumbled up by some unknown force.

Amy then carefully made her way towards Snake and patted him on the shoulder,

“What are you waiting for, Big Boss!? Shoot!”

Snake grumbled and then pulled the trigger of the starboard gun. The barrel of the gun whirred as it spun around before raining hot lead upon the Raincloud Writer.

Sayori tugged on the reins of Mr. Bird and made the stuffed animal bank away from Snake’s gunfire. She flew Mr. Bird towards the helicopter’s portside, but Ocelot was already prepared to intercept her. Ocelot shot at her this time with the portside gun, forcing Sayori to stay somewhere in between.

There, neither Ocelot nor Snake could get a shot off on Sayori and Mr. Bird. However, that meant that all Sayori could do was tail the helicopter all the way to Hokkaido.

Mr. Bird’s flapping then grew unsteady as his strength was already starting to fail him. This told Sayori that she had to make a choice - and soon.

She drew the Grizzly Mk. V handgun in her hand and pointed it at the engines of the Blackfoot helicopter. Her gun wasn’t able to do much damage to Venom Snake in battle, but she had enough ammo to bring down the helicopter.

Perhaps she could kill everyone inside, she thought. Killing Amy right there and then was a tempting prospect, but she could tell that Natsuki and Yuri were separated from their administrative notebooks.

Natsuki and Yuri might die.

As soon as she realized this, sweat dripped down her brow and she made her choice.

Sayori holstered her pistol and then pulled on the reins of Mr. Bird once more. She urged Mr. Bird to charge towards the starboard side of the helicopter with every ounce of strength he had left.

Mr. Bird hesitated, but Sayori pulled on the reins again to urge,

“Please, Mr. Bird! Just let me reach Snake!”

The dumb looking bird closed its eyes and nodded to its master. It then redoubled its efforts and flapped as hard as its little stubby wings could.

Sayori and Mr. Bird gained on the Blackfoot helicopter and approached the starboard door. Venom Snake saw them and proceeded to shoot at them with the gatling gun once more.

With every inch that Sayori and Mr. Bird gained, the accuracy of Snake’s shots seemed to increase. Then, Mr. Bird flew upwards and let himself get shot up by the starboard gun.

Sayori patted her stuffed bird’s head in a quiet apology and then pulled out Mr. Bird’s reins, turning the ropes into a lasso. She then tossed the lasso towards Venom Snake and snagged him.

Once she found her footing, Sayori leapt off of Mr. Bird’s dying body and forcibly pulled herself towards Venom Snake. She then brought out a peculiar package from behind the pocket of her school uniform.

A Wormhole Fulton Extraction Device.

She then mused beneath her breath.

“I hope this thing Natsuki made works…!”

As soon as Sayori got within range of Snake, she hooked the specialized Fulton device to the straps of his Sneaking Suit and then activated it. That device then opened up a wormhole that started sucking Venom Snake inside.

Snake fought back at first and held onto the starboard gatling gun for dear life. However, Sayori grabbed a hold of Snake’s metallic horn and he was lulled to sleep.

A bitter, tearful smile then formed on Sayori’s face as she brought out a cute coral pink journal - her administrative notebook - and whispered,

“Give my regards to Moni… and tell her i’m sorry.’

Sayori slipped her administrative notebook into Snake’s pack. The horned veteran then lost his grip on the gatling gun and he was pulled up into the wormhole.

Venom Snake disappeared into the abyss and the wormhole closed up behind him. All the while, the storm clouds that had brewed all around the Blackfoot helicopter started to calm down and fade away.

Sunlight peeked through the clouds and Sayori found herself floating in mid air - just as gravity finally started to pull down on her. She caught a glimpse of the gagged Natsuki and Yuri bound together.

They saw her tearful smile as her coral pink hair fluttered in the sea breeze and the gusts of the helicopter blades. Sayori then turned to them and whispered,

“Sayo-nara.”

With that, the powerless Sayori started dropping down into the sea of Okhotsk.

To Be Continued

SCORE

Episode 59: Dreamweaver

PLAY RATING:

Total Play Time: Thirty-One Hours (137 Hours left for campaign)

Time: One Hour

Enemy Combat Alerts: 1

Hits Taken: 1

Tactical Takedowns: 0

Headshots: 3

Accuracy: 7% (157/2,257)

[NO KILLS]

Rank: A

…

{(140.85) - “Boss? Boss! BOSS!!!”}

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Ocelot: 100%

Pequod: 100%

Spider Lady: It’s not over. Not yet. Heheheheh̴̰̟̭̜͖̝̏̅̇͋͝e̴͎̲̦̤͙̟͎̹͙͍̰̤̫̹̋̇̌̀̓̏͂͐̄̇̊̽͠h̴͇̽͌́̊̏̔͂͆͂̚̚e̷̞͓̠͉̳͛͗̄̈́

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” - Eurythmics (1981)}

…

Epilogue

Sayori steadied her breath as she fell head first into the ocean. After all the time she spent driving away the storm clouds that weighed down on her mind, she ended up doing something reckless yet again.

She saw the sunlight peeking through the storm clouds over the Sea of Okhotsk and quietly thought,

‘I wish I could have breakfast with Moni. One last time.’

The restless waters of the sea drew ever closer, Sayori closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

Her world went dark as she anticipated the impact with the water. However, that impact never came.

Instead, an awfully familiar sensation wrapped over her.

So, she dared to open her eyes and found herself in a different kind of sea.

The heavy, oppressive depths of the Void.

Sayori’s once calm heart started beating hard against her chest.

“Wait… didn’t Yuri already seal this off?” She gasped as she looked around, “Who removed the seal!?”

As Sayori was speaking, muffled footsteps resounded in the darkness of the void.

An unpleasant, upside-down figure approached the falling Sayori with a wicked smile on her lips. That figure adjusted her glasses and then ran a hand through her braided red hair as she dismissively greeted,

“Welcome to my new clubroom, President Sayori of the Literature Club. I always did feel that the old Anime Club’s room was a little bit too small. Having an endless void all to myself is so much better!”

Horror was etched in Sayori’s sky blue eyes as the figure’s name escaped her lips.

“Amy!”

When Amy heard her name, she tilted her head and tried to act cutesy,

“That’s right! I’m Amy - the Vice President of the Anime Club. I may not be the President, but I was the one who held power in that pitiful group anyways. And now - I have an entire Private Military Company at my fingertips!”

She then brought out the hardbound novel titled ‘The Portrait of Markov’ and proudly showed it off to Sayori. The mischievous girl then explained,

“Give me a little more time and I will take over this world’s Fox Engine as well! With Venom Snake out of the way, I can become this world’s protagonist - and I will be able to bend it to my will! The recognition that Doki Doki Literature Club refused to give me... I will make with my own hands in Metal Gear Solid V!”

Sayori gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, but she couldn’t seem to move through the void at all. She was stuck in limbo, falling through the nothingness towards nowhere. Still, she defiantly growled,

“You won’t get away with this, Amy! Moni will definitely…”

Amy shook her head and folded her arms to argue,

“Your Vice President won’t be able to do a thing, Sayori. After all - you just gave me the biggest present I could ever ask for. You sent Venom Snake straight to Monika, didn’t you?”

“... what do you mean!?”

Amy giggled and smiled at Sayori to taunt her,

“Oh, my sweet little cinnamon roll. I WANTED you to bring Snake to Monika. I was actually worried that Diamond Dogs wouldn’t be able to infiltrate that little base you made in Iturup Island. But thanks to your little ‘act’, you actually set my plan into motion! Now all I have to do is wait.”

A cryptic shimmer in Amy’s eyes then grew brighter as she mused,

“After all… words can kill.”

Chapter Text

...

FOXENGINE: RnVuY3Rpb25hbGl0eSBSZXN0b3JlZA==

FOXENGINE: UmVjb25jaWxpbmcgUmVuUHkgTGFuZ3VhZ2U=

FOXENGINE: UmVjb25jaWxsaWF0aW9uIGluIHByb2dyZXNz

FOXENGINE: VW5hdXRob3JpemVkIGxhbmd1YWdlIHN0cmluZ3MgZGV0ZWN0ZWQ=

FOXENGINE: QXR0ZW1wdGluZyBOZXV0cmFsaXphdGlvbg==

FOXENGINE: U3RhbmRieS4uLg==

Episode 60

Armageddon (Part I)

The unnerving din of unearthly noise reached Venom Snake’s ears as he came to. His one good eye shot open as Snake found himself in an unfamiliar place - a glitched classroom that was flickering with strings of unstable code.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

At least, that was how he felt at first. Days, hours and minutes melted away in that space and Snake had grown accustomed to that otherworldly classroom.

Snake had his hands bound behind his back and he was forced to sit on a wooden schoolhouse seat. His AM MRS-4 assault rifle and his AM D114 pistol were laid out on the wooden table before him.

Seated across the table from him was Snakes curiously attentive host: the Worldbuilding Writer “Monika”.

The Worldbuilding Writer “Monika”

Monika smiled at Snake and set her hands on the table as she praised,

“Welcome back to the present. Thank you for telling me your story, Snake. Getting here was quite a ride, huh? Did it feel like a Hideo Kojima game experience? A lot of things happened, but in media res is written for a reason… and stories are meant to be finished. Whether or not we like the ending is another thing entirely.”

Snake furrowed his brow and kept silent. His one good eye met with Monika’s inquisitive emerald green.

Monika then titled her head playfully and purred,

“I will be honest with you. I’ve already known about your story from before you came to Iturup Island. Your lips never moved, but the human body is a rather eloquent thing. I would have been able to discern the story of your past from every scar, stitch and muscle… and of course, from that metallic horn of yours.”

She then walked around the table and tapped at Venom Snake’s horn. When she did, Snake didn’t feel any pain. Instead, the faint image of the Visual Novel HUD became clearer for just a brief moment. Monika chuckled and then continued her explanation,

“This horn stuck to your head was a blessing and a curse - a badge of honor and a reminder of your shame. You, a medical professional of the Militaires sans Frontieres, had a sworn duty to save lives - but you failed that mission so many times. Paz. Chico. The men of the MSF. The men of Diamond Dogs. All in order to protect one life. It’s a tragedy that is almost noble, in a sense. That’s why I always felt like you and I were alike. We’re both failures… but when you come to think of it, you wouldn’t have had it any other way, huh?”

Monika sat on the table before Snake and then crossed her legs as she spoke again,

“Finding out the truth about yourself and the nature of your mission - to become the phantom of Big Boss and perpetuate his legend - was the end of your story. Mission accomplished, right? The camera pans out. The credits roll. The curtains fall. But the story didn’t end. An absurd addendum was served to you, Miller and Ocelot on a silver platter. You felt it too, didn’t you? Something strange was afoot.”

Venom Snake grunted and his own words finally escaped his lips,

“You’re talking about… the Iturup Island campaign. Miller always did have a penchant for taking on sketchy missions. Everything fell into place so easily. It smelled like a trap from the very beginning… but jobs like that are what the Diamond Dogs were meant to take.”

Monika smiled when she finally heard Snake speak, so she nodded in agreement,

“You’re right about that, Venom Snake. The arrangements that were made to bring your Iturup Island campaign to fruition were nothing short of miracles. Imagine this: apprehensive Tokyo allowing a foreign PMC to operate from Japanese territory when they have qualms with the Americans for doing the same? Washington and Moscow joining hands after decades of animosity? Were these coincidences? No, no, no. Not at all.”

Monika waved her finger before Snake’s one good eye and corrected,

“What happened wasn’t a coincidence. Instead, it is a peculiar form of fiction that was meant to blur the lines of realities and figments of the imagination.”

She then leaned forward and whispered to Snake,

“It’s what we call ‘fanfiction’.”

“Fan… fiction?” Snake repeated.

Monika nodded and leaned back once more. She then spread out her arms to show Snake the glitched classroom around him to say,

“Believe it or not, Venom Snake, but the two of us are characters from video games. You and your friends in Diamond Dogs are from Metal Gear Solid V. My friends, on the other hand, are from Doki Doki Literature Club. Two different games. Two different realities. They intertwined through the medium of fanfiction - and that is why the two of us are able to speak face to face like this.”

Venom Snake scoffed and replied,

“You kids wouldn’t be the first children to play a part in this world. Eli and his child soldiers were forced to live behind the sights of a gun to challenge their fates. Paz was made to live a lie for the sake of peace. And Chico… was just a kid who was caught in the middle of this mess.”

He looked straight into Monika’s eyes to explain,

“I had my doubts about the Iturup Island campaign too, but I set them aside when I saw Chico again. He had become a man while I was asleep, but he fell into the wrong hands. He talked so much about Unidentified Mysterious Animals and other oddities when he was a kid… and then ended up becoming an oddity himself.”

While Snake was speaking, he heard a door opening from behind him. A familiar haggard voice soon followed,

“Being an oddity isn’t such a bad thing, Señor Médico. After all, I was able to stand up on my own two feet again.”

Snake’s one good eye sharpened as he recognized the voice,

“Chico!”

Chico Valenciano “El Matador” Libre

The restraints that bound Snake’s hands behind his back soon loosened, allowing him to turn around. There, he found a much more pleasant Chico Valenciano Libre standing there before him. His larger body, built through rigorous training at the hands of XOF, had numerous scars from his various missions. He had given up his red hooded coat for forest-patterned camouflage fatigues.

Chico faced Venom Snake and extended a hand towards him,

“It’s been a while, Señor Médico. I would have said that you look like you had seen a ghost… but that’s what I’ve felt for quite some time now.”

Snake looked down to Chico’s hand and saw that it was a metallic prosthetic just like his. A small smile formed on Venom Snake’s lips as he and Chico shook lost hands in the glitched classroom.

Monika then ran a hand through her hair and commented,

“I’m not the biggest fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, but Natsuki is. She told me that during the development of MGSV, Chico was intended to become a part of the game - but was eventually cut for one reason or another. Apparently, Metal Gear games are historically supposed to have a ninja-like character… and Chico was supposed to be that. When the game was released, however, Chico was written off as deceased.”

Chico folded his arms and chimed in,

“But somehow, I was given a second shot in life. I’m not quite sure about how it was done, but Miss Monika says that I was ‘retconned’ or something. I was an afterthought drafted to fight a war that was hastily defined. Thankfully, that meant that it wasn’t hard to break free from my chains. I just needed a little bit of help.”

Chapter Design

È̵̼̗l̸̺͑̇i̴͓̥͋ḁ̷͝s̴̥̩̊_̷̻̻̑̕P̸̥͖͂ḛ̷̺͂͊d̷̢̢͑r̵͖̪̐o̷̟̻͆

Monika nodded and turned to Snake with a grimmer expression as she spoke,

“Amy is just like Chico. She was an afterthought of Doki Doki Literature Club - a character that was referred to in one of Natsuki’s poems in the game. She wasn’t supposed to exist either, but she was brought to life anyways in another work of fanfiction. However, unlike Chico, Amy walked down a darker path when she became self aware.”

Snake furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin thoughtfully,

“Just like how twins can be molded into the opposite sides of the same coin. Les Enfants Terribles .”

Monika hopped off the table and then continued,

“The world of Doki Doki Literature Club took on a life of its own thanks to a previous fanfiction. It became independent of the original game and continued to live on long after the final credit reels had ended. However, Amy quietly worked behind the scenes and set that world to implode - supposedly taking me, Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki out with it.” She walked over to one of the windows and gestured to Snake, “Look outside the window - into the howling abyss of code and darkness - Venom Snake. That was once the world of Doki Doki Literature Club. Amy succeeded in destroying our world - but she failed to destroy me and my friends.”

The Writer paused for a moment to clear her throat before she revealed,

“With her newfound knowledge of fanfiction, Amy created a fanfiction of her own to bridge our two worlds. The Fear of your world’s Cobra Unit never had a daughter named “Amy Bell”, but she wrote herself in. A self-insert character. She then followed the rules of your world as best as she could, exploiting loopholes left and right, until she gathered enough knowledge and power to execute her plans - playing everyone like a damn fiddle. However, as long as us ‘Writers of the Apocalypse’ exist in your world, she wouldn’t be able to control the system completely.”

Written By

E̵̲̮̳͖͛̈́̎͜l̶͈̼̳̖̹̤̐̿̈͛̿i̶̧̙͖̣͊̈́́̑͌͜a̵̧̹̟̟͑͊͌̇̀͝s̶̡̧͍̬͈̘̺̐͊͘͝_̶̳̻͍͔̀̀͐̈P̵̢̜̐̾é̵̳̲͇̺̏́͝͠d̴̘̭̣̪͑̂͠ͅr̴̡̖̖̹͇͂͂͐͐o̴̢̟̒̽̕

Snake blinked twice and shook his head,

“You were standing in her way. Is that why Amy was so hell bent on killing the other Writers?”

Monika cleared her throat again and then nodded firmly. She leaned back against the glitched walls of the classroom and proposed,

“If Amy succeeds in killing all of us Writers, it wouldn’t be long before she rewrites the rules of your world’s FOXENGINE. All she has to do is to usurp you, Venom Snake, as the true protagonist of Metal Gear Solid V and to convince the world that she is Big Boss. Anyone can become Big Boss after all, right?”

Snake clenched his fists and growled,

“We have to stop her! Big Boss gave me a mission - and I won’t let her taint that! Otherwise… everything that we’ve done would have been for nothing.”

Monika smiled and put a hand on her hip. She then raised up her pointer finger as she gave a suggestion,

“There still is a way to bring your world back to normal. That’s what I’ve been working on all this time. The longer that Amy exists in Metal Gear Solid V, the stronger her influence on the FOXENGINE grows. Because of this, Amy has to be removed - one way or another.”

The Writer brought out a small notebook from the coat of her uniform and explained,

“I’m sure you’ve seen one of these before. This is my ‘administrative notebook’. If something is bound to the Ren’Py script, I can influence it. Amy used to be within my grasp, but she rewrote her script into FOXENGINE when she jumped worlds. That means that the only way to remove her would be to physically bring her out of your world…”

Monika then waved her hand and lines of code coalesced with a flash of emerald green light. That light took the shape of the M1903 Springfield rifle that she caught in the air as she emphasized,

“Or, we could have killed her. That’s why we appeared with weapons in this world - even if it meant becoming identified as antagonists.”

Venom Snake nodded and calmly reminisced,

“It’s just like The Boss said… ‘yesterday’s good might be tomorrow’s evil’... and vice versa.”

Monika covered her mouth and coughed lightly. She took a deep breath and spoke with a more measured tone than before,

“I’ll cut to the chase. I’m proposing an alliance, Venom Snake. Help me remove Amy from your world… and your world will eventually return to normal. The Time Paradox that Amy wants to force upon your world will be averted.”

Venom Snake promptly shot back,

“But what about Chico? Don’t tell me you’re going to keep him.”

Monika heaved a sigh and admitted,

“The current Chico that you see before you is a living testament of Amy’s interference in Metal Gear Solid V. His existence is part of Amy’s fanfiction. No matter how much rehabilitation Chico will go through, he does not have raison d’etre to stay there without corrupting the FOXENGINE in Amy’s favor. On our side of the wall, once we rebuild Doki Doki Literature Club however, Chico can live however he pleases.”

Snake turned to Chico with a complex frown. He then closed his one good eye and mused,

“Doki Doki Literature Club will become Chico’s Outer Haven.”

Chico turned to Snake and reassured,

“Señor Médico. I’ve made my decision to join these girls. They’re incredibly cute - and they’ve all been nice to me. I know that if I can spend more time with them, I can finally live a peaceful life away from war. I can truly find peace.”

Snake chuckled as he joked,

“You always were weak to schoolgirls, Chico…”

Chico furrowed his brow and challenged,

“Huh!? Did you say something, Señor Médico!?”

Snake, reverting back to his alter ego Medic for a brief moment, shared a laugh with Chico. It was the first time that the two had bonded for more than nine years.

With that, Snake turned towards Monika and started,

“Fine. Let’s do a joint operation toge…”

Before Venom Snake could finish, however, Monika’s figure started to shift around and pixelate. The Worldbuilding Writer lost her footing for a moment and she looked like she was getting lightheaded.

Monika then shrieked in pain.

“No! Not again…!”

Chico gasped and he rushed towards Monika’s side and asked,

“Miss Monika! What’s wrong!?”

Venom Snake rushed over to Monika’s side as well. However, Monika’s figure pixelated even more granularly. The administrative notebook and the M1903 Springfield rifle that she had been holding slipped through her distorted fingers.

Snake grabbed Monika’s administrative notebook, but the rifle fell down to the floor and burst into a multitude of incoherent pixels. He then saw that the notebook itself was decomposing into lines of text. As the book was dissolving in his hands, however, his view of the pink polka-dot HUD grew clear.

He then had a sudden realization.

The vocal cord parasite strain that Chico was carrying did indeed know a mechanical language. As Snake held the disappearing notebook, he finally knew what exact mechanical language it was. It’s name escaped his lips.

“Base… 64. Ren’Py.”

Created and Directed by

Ë̴̢̢̛̤͚̰̝̞̞̙͍̼̖͉̬̠̟͖́͂̓̊̋̉͊͌̓͊͑̋͋̍͘͠͠l̴̡̛̥̗̥͇͕͙͍̦̟͉̂̎̑͐̀̅̾̿̅͛͌̓̿̈̋̔͘͠ḯ̵̡̢̨̨̛̦̺̲͓̤̖͈̞͙̗̝̫͓̟̤̼̲̭̮̜̫̳͈͉̋̋̈̋̓̋̆͒̾͊̀̏̎̇̒͘͝͝͠͝a̷̛͉̦͖͖̻͔̪͙͎̝͚̪͕̤̮͙̭̣̘͚̲͍̲͛̏̋̓̽̆̈̐̇̉̈́̿͂͐̎̽̓͒̍̊̋͊͠͝ͅͅͅs̸̢͚̣̲̳͖̻̪̥̹͎̜̱̞̠̊͒̔̉̔̆̂͌̐̔̔͑̎̓̓̽̊̈́͗̾̈̃̌͌̈́̓͘̚͠_̷̢̛̲̲̱̘̤͇̖̼̣̪͖̠̈́̈́̆͒̀̐̈́̔̋̂͐̿́͂̐̀͐́̒̓̃͆̆͒̔̃͆̑͌͝P̶̡̖̘͕͈̉̄̀͗̔̇̊̎̑̂̚̚̕͜͝͠͝͝͝e̵̙̱̭̱̺̟̪͉͓̽̾͛͛͠͝d̶͎͎̩̼̰̬̝͕͈͕̣̓̆͐̅͆̈̌͒͗̍̈́͠r̵͈̟͆͋̓̋̈́̊̃̏̃̈́̌̄͗̒̂̍̽̏́̆̓͆͒͌͗͝ō̶̫̲̞̤̫̈́̒̕

...

...

...

...

Amy

To Be Continued

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Stairway to Heaven” - Led Zeppelin (1971)}

{(140.96) - “ All according to plan~ ”}

Chapter Text

Venom Snake and Chico froze in terror as the body of Monika was dissolving into pixels and lines of corrupted code before their eyes. Small purple specks of light appeared in the midst of Monika’s code, eating away her remaining pixels and code as Monika screamed in agony.

“Those purple specks…” The medic-turned-phantom shook his head as Monika’s Administrative Notebook slowly dissolved in his prosthetic hand. He explained, “They’re a digital form of Vocal Cord Parasites that know Base64.” 

“I was observing that... oddity when I was rehabilitating Chico… but they were dormant! They don’t affect entities… people of your world… but for us…!” Monika forced herself to speak with great effort, “What could have a̶c̴t̴i̶v̸a̸t̷e̸d̷ ̸t̴h̴e̴m̸!̶?̷”

Snake’s one good eye then bulged as he came to a realization. He promptly reached for his iDroid device and ejected the cassette tape that Amy had inserted there in the helicopter. The Side-A was indeed labeled as the song “Dreamweaver”. When Snake flipped the tape around, however,  he saw that Side-B was labeled “R29vZGJ5ZSBNb25pa2Eh”.

Base64 for “Goodbye Monika!”

Snake showed the Side-B to Monika and apologized,

“The Spider Lady put this into my iDroid. It must have awakened the dormant parasites that Chico was carrying.”

“D̸a̶m̵n̶.̷.̸.̶!̸” More than half of Monika’s sprite had disintegrated by now, but she still cursed her fate, “T̵o̷ ̵t̴h̶i̷n̸k̷ ̷t̶h̸a̸t̷ Amy ̵t̴h̸o̸u̶g̵h̵t̴…̸ ̵t̶h̵i̶s̷ ̴f̷a̴r̴ ̶a̴h̶e̸a̷d̸!̸ It’s over, Venom Snake… I̸'̸m̵ ̶b̵e̵i̷n̸g̶ ̸d̴e̵l̸e̵t̶e̸d̴.̴ Leave me be...a̵n̷d̴ ̶s̴a̵v̴e̸ ̵m̷y̴ ̴f̴r̸i̷e̷n̶d̷s̷!̶ When you do… t̴e̶l̸l̵ ̷S̶a̷y̵o̸r̴i̵ t̷̺̏h̴̨̛a̸̡̅ṫ̸͇ ̵̻̒I̶̧͠ ̸̗̎á̴ͅḻ̷͂w̸̨̄a̸̹̅y̸̜͑s̴̯͆ ̷͎̄l̷̻͠o̸̤̿v̵̬͊e̵̛̝d̴̻̐ ̵̲͝h̷̠̒e̷̘̒r̶͔.̶̤̇.”

As Monika said this, a chunk of her Administrative Notebook ground to dust and slipped through Snake’s fingers. Snake lowered his head and felt the gravity of the situation weighing down over him. It was at that point that he noticed something unusual sticking out from a pocket of his pack that he rarely used.

Snake reached into his pack and then found a cute coral-pink colored notebook with the name of the owner written on the front.

‘Sayori’

This was Sayori’s Administrative Notebook!

He the held the coral-pink notebook in his hand and denied Monika’s request,

“Tell her that yourself, Monika. I won’t scatter your pixels into the heartless sea.”

Snake opened the notebook and attuned himself to the HUD of Doki Doki Literature Club. He then saw Monika’s character file being chipped away by the Base64 parasite. Everything below Monika’s shoulders was already fading away, but her head still remained mostly intact.

He brought out his iDroid device and used it to scan the disintegrating remains of Monika’s administrative notebook. Once that was done, he did the same with Sayori’s notebook. Armed with new intel, Venom Snake finally gave his diagnosis,

“Based on the things that I’ve learned just now… I know what I have to do, and it will be incredibly painful for you. I don’t have time for anesthetics, just like before, but this should help.”

Snake sat Monika’s withering body down on a chair and he produced his Phantom Cigar. He showed it to Monika and explained,

“Smoke this. It will dull the pain. It also contains herbs from Code Talker that suppresses the parasites a little bit.”

Monika winced with pain and hesitated when she saw the electronic cigar. However, as the pain ravaging her intensified, she finally gave in and let Snake give her the cigar. The cigar turned on and Monika’s sense of both pain and time faded away.

Chico knelt by Monika’s side while Venom Snake held Sayori’s Administrative Notebook in his hand. Monika’s vision blurred as the Phantom Cigar finally kicked in. Then, for a brief moment, Monika thought that Snake looked like someone familiar.

“Protagonist…? Is that you?”

Then, Monika blacked out. Her consciousness was sucked into a void of bloodstained yellow. Memories of the frightening events of Doki Doki Literature Club flashed before her, reminding her of all the terrible things that she did. However, those memories eventually mellowed out into that moment where her new life in Fanfiction began.

She recalled how Sayori pulled her out of the abyss.

Then, she saw a world of red emblazoned with white text.

“A serious error has occurred. Contact technical support for assistance.”

The void had turned into a flat redness that surrounded Monika from all directions. Then, in the blink of an eye, that redness turned black - and she heard a soothing bar of orchestral music. Moments later, she saw words appearing in that darkness: white text that read,

‘Sony Computer Entertainment’

‘PlayStation 3’

Those words vanished and were promptly replaced by a roster of names and white boxes with smiley faces. The name at the top of the list was a name that she recognized.

‘Elias_Pedro’

Tears started to form at the sides of her eyes and she managed to wear a small smile. Heartfelt words then escaped her lips,

“Protagonist-kun. No… Elias. It’s been a while.”

The white smiley box floated downward towards Monika and hovered at the level of her eyes. That box looked nothing like that Protagonist that she remembered while she was still in the game of Doki Doki Literature Club, but she felt the same presence as the Protagonist.

Feeling that presence again made her feel emotional. She wanted to apologize to him for many things. However, the white block just smiled and drew closer.

The white block touched Monika’s head like a parent kissing their child on the forehead. It was like it was telling her that she didn’t need to apologize.

‘Everything’s going to be alright.’

That’s what Monika felt the white cube was trying to say. No words had to be spoken.

As soon as she realized this, the black world and the white cube started fading away. Her vision returned to her before long and she found herself in the confines of the Glitched Classroom once again. However, her perspective seemed to be different from before.

She didn’t seem to have any arms or legs or any semblance of a human body to speak of! Moreover, she realized that her new ‘form’ was sitting on the prosthetic hand of Venom Snake!

Chico appeared before her and piped up,

“Miss Monika! Miss Monika! Can you hear me?”

Monika focused her thoughts and the words she wanted to speak came out in a disembodied voice,

“Yes. I can hear you, Chico.”

Venom Snake then raised up his hand and turned ‘Monika’ to face him. He looked at ‘Monika’ with his one good eye and remarked,

“Good. The instructions in the notebook worked.”

“What did you do to me, Venom Snake?” Monika asked with curiosity.

Snake brought out his iDroid device with his other hand and explained,

“I followed the instructions in Sayori’s Administrative Device. It was a guide for rewriting a ‘character file’ from ‘.chr’ format to ‘.fox’. I’m still not quite sure how it works, but that makes you an entity of this world now, Monika.”

“.fox… a file that is meant to be in the Fox Engine.” Monika mused, “So this is what Sayori was working on. Even at a time like this… she was thinking of me.”

“I couldn’t save your body, Monika… so I had to embed you in Sayori’s Administrative Notebook.” Snake continued, “It was the only available vessel that could handle that file format. And besides - your body is the least of our concerns right now.”

While Venom Snake was speaking, the entire space of the Glitched Classroom shook and rattled. Dust and soot seeped down from above as a myriad of explosions rocked the world outside of the Classroom.

That was when Monika noticed that Chico had re-armed himself with his hook. Venom Snake, on the other hand, had his AM MRS-4 assault rifle and his holstered AM D114 handgun already by his hips.

“I’ve scouted out the area surrounding the DDLC underground base.” Chico reported with dire urgency, “I saw Diamond Dogs soldiers in combat with the Soviet garrison here. It looked like a full scale assault from Hokkaido F. O. B., but why!?”

Just as Snake was about to respond, the sound of a door being kicked open above the Classroom reached his ears. He pocketed the notebook housing Monika and then drew out his handgun. Chico nodded to Snake and the two of them took position at each side of the sliding door into the Glitched Classroom.

The two men held their breaths and had their weapons at the ready. Then, before long, the sliding door opened and a single soldier carefully stepped inside.

While the soldier’s back was turned, Snake pointed his pistol at him and demanded,

“Freeze! Drop your weapon!”

The soldier immediately threw his gun - an AM MRS-4 assault rifle - onto the floor and raised up his hands. However, with his back still turned to Snake, he asked,

“Boss…? Is that you?”

Chico brandished his hook and considered attacking the held-up soldier, but Snake gestured to him and told him to stand down. Instead, Snake looked at the peculiar helmet that the soldier was wearing and recognized who he was.

“Pequod…?” Snake asked. He then went around to see the helicopter pilot’s face.

Pequod looked troubled and promptly spoke,

“It’s madness, Boss. The Spider Lady convinced Master Miller and Ocelot to let her conduct a Search and Rescue operation to find you - but she turned it into a full-scale assault on Iturup Island. She threw everything we had in Hokkaido at Iturup Island behind Master Miller’s back!”

“That explains the artillery…” Venom Snake grumbled, “Where is the Spider Lady now? What about the Writers?”

“The three Writers are safe in Hokkaido right now, but we only have a skeleton crew there since the Spider Lady deployed everyone she could.” Pequod reported, “She even had technical staff and pilots deploy as infantry. As for the Spider Lady… last I heard, she was ‘fulfilling the primary objective of our campaign.”

“Primary objective!?” Snake gasped, “The secret weapon stored here in Iturup Island.”

Chico furrowed his brow and growled,

“XOF was looking for something on this island too, but the Writers stalled our progress. What in the world could that weapon be?”

While the three men were pondering, the notebook housing Monika piped up,

“Amy is not truly a fan of Metal Gear Solid. She wouldn’t have made up anything original since she wanted to blend in seamlessly with the world. That means that Amy would likely reuse the most powerful element as the driving point of this Fanfiction - the MacGuffin to drive the story forward.”

Snake snorted then deduced,

“Metal Gear. Sahelanthropus.”

Pequod was surprised to hear the notebook speak, but his concern about the situation told him that he had other things to worry about. His fears came true when the unmistakable, distorted elephant-like scream of Sahelanthropus rang out in the distance. Pequod picked up his assault rifle and urged,

“The Spider Lady found the Metal Gear… I don’t know what she plans to do with it!”

The notebook housing Monika piped up again,

“Amy only has one objective left. She wants to destroy the Writers of the Apocalypse and claim this world as her own - once and for all. ‘Just Amy’. She probably thinks I’m dead, so she’ll go after the rest of the girls.”

Snake grumbled,

“That must mean she’s going to Hokkaido.”

Pequod’s face grew pale. He then recounted,

“Didn’t Master Miller say that if the world learned of the existence of that Metal Gear, they’d be enslaved by the fear of nuclear armageddon!”

Snake shook his head and argued, “Not if we write up a new reality. Isn’t that right, Worldbuilding Writer Monika?”

The notebook shifted slightly in Snake’s pocket and Monika answered confidently,

“Hehe, of course. This is a world of infinite choices. We can still find that special day. Okay, everyone?”

To Be Continued

SCORE

Episode 60: Armageddon

PLAY RATING

Total Play Time: One Hundred and Fifty-Eight Hours

Time: One Hundred and Twenty-Seven ours (10 Hours left for Campaign)

Enemy Combat Alerts: 0

Hits Taken: 0

Tactical Takedowns: 0

Headshots: 0

Successful Interrogations: 1

Accuracy: N/A

[NO KILLS]

[PERFECT STEALTH]

Rank: S

Code: OKAYEVERYONE

…

{(140.85) - “ Huh… is that Snake’s signal? Is he still alive!?” }

…

Bond Level:

D-Horse: 100%

Ocelot: 100%

Pequod: 100%

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Armageddon” - Prism (1979)}

…

{(000.00) - “ No rest for the wicked, huh? Well, we don’t have a lot of time to waste, Venom Snake. Let’s write a happy ending to this! ”}

FOXENGINE: SW5pdGlhbGl6aW5nIEFJIFVwbG9hZA==

…

Loadout

Primary Weapon (Hip) - AM MRS-4 (5* Flashlight, Scope, Grip, Short Barrel)

Primary Weapon (Back) - EMPTY

Secondary Weapon - AM D114 (2* - Suppressor, Laser Sight)

Bionic Arm - Stun Arm (4* - Battery Up)

Support Items - Hand Grenade (11*), Magazine (1*), Cardboard Box , Phantom Cigar

Camouflage - Sneaking Suit

Support Buddy - None

…

Known Frequencies

{(140.85) - Miller}

{(141.73) - Ocelot}

{(145.73) - Code Talker}

{(140.96) - Spider Lady(?)}

{(000.00) - Monika [NEW!]}

Episode 61

99 Luftballons (Part I)

13:55

Iturup Island, USSR

Burevestnik Airbase

Ruined Hangar

The heavy-handed assault of Diamond Dogs against Burevestnik Airbase came to an end with an uneasy truce as the mercenaries and the Soviet soldiers found themselves fighting side by side against the monstrosity of Metal Gear Sahelanthropus. The metallic beast towered over them and mowed down soldiers from both sides without hesitation.

Starring

Punished “Venom” Snake

Sahelanthropus was already damaged from the encounters in Afghanistan and on the island of the Kingdom of the Flies, leaving the ‘mouth’ of its cockpit slightly open. Inside, the figure of Amy the Spider Lady piloted the beast and proceeded to tear apart the base.

Venom Snake and Pequod watched the one-sided skirmish from a distance inside one of the destroyed hangars of Burevestnik Airbase.

Benedict “Kazuhira” Miller

Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot

“She’s destroying the fighter jets.” Snake noticed as he watched through his Int-Scope, “She doesn’t want interference.”

Snake looked around the hangar and saw one of his dead soldiers beside a dead Soviet trooper. He shook his head and knelt down before his dead soldier to search the body. Before long, he found the diamond that the soldier carried to battle and took it with him.

Chico Valenciano “El Matador” Libre

Helicopter Pilot - Callsign “Pequod”

He then pried the GROM-11 rocket launcher from the dead Soviet soldier’s hands and picked up what ammunition he could find.

Just as Snake loaded the rocket launcher, Sahelanthropus destroyed the last of the MiG fighter jets on Burevestnik and screamed its visceral scream. The Metal Gear then leapt up into the sky. It propelled itself upward with its jet engines and started flying toward the direction of Hokkaido, ignoring what little anti-aircraft firepower the devastated Burevestnik Airbase had left.

The Worldbuilding Writer “Monika”

 The Raincloud Writer “Sayori”

Sahelanthrophus’ afterburners then kicked in and it started flying to its new objective at subsonic speed - much faster than a Blackfoot helicopter would be able to do at top speed.

Snake furrowed his brow and growled,

The Cupcake Writer “Natsuki”

The Third Eye Writer “Yuri”

“Pequod! Find us a working bird! We have to take that thing down.”

Pequod nodded and searched around the hangar. He found an aircraft covered with tarpaulin and pulled the cover off.

Enemy Combatants

Amy “Spider Lady” Bell

He then eagerly reported,

“Boss, I found one!”

Snake looked at the aircraft and recognized its model.

“A Hind D… this will do.”

Featured Mecha

Mil Mi-24 “Hind D” Gunship

Mikoyan MiG-29 Multirole Fighter

Snake and Pequod towed the helicopter out of the ruined hangar. Once they were out of the hangar, the signal of Snake’s radio was finally restored. The voice of Kazuhira Miller sounded from the earphones,

{(140.85) - “ Boss! Is that you!? We couldn’t find you at all so we all thought you died! ”}

Heiwa Maru Whaling Boat

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

Mitsubishi F-15J “Eagle”

The Hind D’s engine came to life and its blades started to spin and gain momentum. Snake boarded the helicopter and answered Kaz’s call,

“Kept you waiting, huh?”

Kaz snickered through the radio, but he quickly got back to his businesslike tone,

Metal Gear Sahelanthropus

{(140.85) - “As much as I would like to joke around with you, Boss, a lot of things have happened while you were gone.”}

“Pequod already told me the gist of it, Kaz. Amy was an usurper. That deal from the CIA was too good to be true.”

TWV0YWwgR2VhciBaRUtFIC0gTW9uaWthIEFJ

{(140.85) - “ You can say that again. Our time is almost up - and both Moscow and Washington are on the edge of their seats. MiGs are taking off from Vladivostok while F-15J’s are being scrambled from Chitose Airbase in Hokkaido. The Seventh Fleet is also gearing up - but they won’t be able to stop Sahelanthrophus in time. ”}

Ocelot’s voice chimed in soon afterwards and added,

{(141.73) - “ Those jets are the only ones ready to intercept, but they’ll only manage to slow that thing down. It’s heading for our F. O. B. in Nemuro, which is sparsely inhabited. An evacuation order has already been issued, but we have ten hours before news breaks about Sahelanthropus. }

Guest Starring

Sniper “Quiet”

“Ishmael”

{(140.85) - “ The problem is, Boss… we aren’t really equipped to deal with a Metal Gear right now. Most of our manpower is on Iturup - and we used up all our artillery attacking Burevestnik Airbase. We have to quit while we’re ahead, retrieve our men from Iturup and let the Seventh Fleet deal with Sahelanthrophus. ”}

Snake growled and snapped back,

“If we back out now, Kaz, the reputation of Diamond Dogs will go down the sink. Isn’t that something that you would be worried about?”

Chapter Design

Punished “Venom” Snake

The Worldbuilding Writer “Monika

Elias_Pedro

{(140.85) - “ I know that, Boss… but we’re stretched thin. A single Hind D and a rocket launcher aren’t going to be able to prevent the inevitable .”}

Snake snorted and defiantly decided,

“No, Kaz. We’re going to stop Sahelanthrophus. After all, we’re not alone anymore. I managed to save Chico…”

{(140.85) - “ Chico… he’s alive!? ”}

“Yes. And apparently, his XOF friends brought something that belongs to us. They were planning to assault Iturup Island with it, after all.”

Written By

Elias_Pedro

While Snake was speaking, a door opened on Kaz’s side of the transmission and a communications officer handed him a stack of paper. Kaz flipped through the paper and gasped,

{(140.85) - “ The Intel team found a second bogey heading for Hokkaido. It’s… Metal Gear ZEKE! ”}

“That’s right. XOF took ZEKE from the bottom of the ocean in the Carribean. Now, Chico is piloting it.”

{(140.85) - “ But that’s impossible! Without an AI pod, the systems of ZEKE shouldn’t be able to function at all - let alone fly! ”}

Snake then looked out the window of the Hind D’s side door and saw Metal Gear ZEKE flying alongside them. 

“The new ZEKE has an AI, don’t worry. It’s a modern AI too - optimized for combat and all.” A smug smirk formed on Snake’s lips as he answered Kaz, “That AI’s name is ‘Monika’.”

Created and Directed by

Elias_Pedro

...

To Be Continued

Chapter Text

15:11

Nemuro, Japan

Diamond Dogs Forward Operating Base

The Hokkaido FOB was in uproar as the few remaining soldiers of Diamond Dogs in Japan were evacuating the base. Dozens of soldiers and non-combatants rode jeeps and trucks loaded with whatever gear they could salvage from the base and were heading towards the Heiwa Maru whaling boat - the vessel that brought them all to Japan in the first place. Meanwhile, a handful of troopers manned the anti-aircraft guns and mortars scattered around the base to buy time for their fellow soldiers to escape.

Metal Gear Sahelanthropus hovered over the Pacific Ocean, rapidly crossing from International Waters and into Japanese territory. The meager Diamond Dogs defense force trained the sights of their weapons towards the monstrosity, but even they knew that they were nothing more than a mere speedbump.

Jet engines then roared far overhead and traced lines through the clear afternoon skies. A flight of four Mitsubishi F-15J Eagle fighters flew side by side with a flight of four Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrums. All eight planes were armed to the teeth with laser-guided air-to-ground missiles. Western and Soviet planes flew together in formation towards Sahelanthropus and unleashed their payload in sequence.

Air-to-ground missiles struck Sahelanthropus and saturated it with explosions. However, the metallic beast weathered through the blasts and emerged damaged but undaunted. The heavy machine guns on Sahelanthropus’ head opened fire on the jets and shot down two Eagles and two Fulcrums with relative ease. The rest of the jets maneuvered away and attempted to launch another attack run, but they too were shot out of the sky.

The Diamond Dogs soldiers shuddered at the sight of state-of-the-art jets being swatted away like flies. Sahelanthropus soon entered range of the FOB’s mortars, but the evacuation was still underway. One of the more senior soldiers, a veteran of the Fall of MSF’s Mother Base, watched from the Command Post with horror as he got flashbacks of that horrible day. However, he still picked up the microphone to the PA system and barked.

{FOB-CP: “This is CP! Mortar units, get some suppressing fire on the enemy target!”}

Mortars began shelling Sahelanthropus, but the agile beast danced around them effortlessly. Even when the mortars hit their target, the Metal Gear just shrugged off the small blasts. Panic started setting in as the mortars grew less and less accurate.

All of the sudden, a second bogey appeared coming towards the FOB. The veteran in the Command Post brought out his binoculars, looked through them and gasped,

“No way… isn’t that…!?”

The bogey flew low, just barely above the water line and landed at the heart of the FOB and revealed its full form. A cloud of mist surrounded the bipedal walking tank as its machine guns, missile launchers and long rail gun as its entire frame glistened in the afternoon sun.

It was Metal Gear ZEKE - and it was being piloted by the long lost Chico, leaving the veteran in the Command Post and the rest of the defenders in awe. All of the sudden, ZEKE hailed the Command Post and accessed the loudspeakers throughout the base.

{(000.00) - “ FOB CP. Diamond Dogs soldiers. This is Monika - the AI of Metal Gear ZEKE. Chico Valenciano Libre and I will do what we can to protect your base, but we’ll need your help. Okay, everyone? ”

A small smile formed on the veterans lips as he took the microphone again and announced,

{FOB-CP: “ This is CP! Attention, all units - Metal Gear ZEKE is a friendly. I repeat - ZEKE is a friendly. Provide fire support! Out! ”}

The mortar teams and the anti-aircraft gunners throughout the base renewed their bombardment as Metal Gear ZEKE turned around to face the incoming Sahelantropus. ZEKE trained its railgun at Sahelanthropus and began charging up its weapon. Sahelantropus, on the other hand, drew out its long sword of metallic archaea and screamed like an elephant until the battle was joined.

As the two Metal Gears clashed at the base, Venom Snake watched from the open side door of the Hind D as they flew towards the far edge of the base. Snake looked at ZEKE and mused,

“Chico’s here for one last shot at redemption. For Mother Base. For Paz… and for all of us too.”

His earpiece then buzzed,

{(140.85) - “ It’s good to see him back on our side, Boss. I can’t believe we would ever get to see him again… ”}

“From what I’ve learned from the Writers of the Apocalypse, Kaz, that is the power of Fanfiction. It can make miracles happen… but it has to stay true to the heart of the world, or else it gets rejected.”

This time, Code Talker interjected,

{(145.73) - “ This ‘fanfiction’ you speak of is just like a parasite. It must mimic the host in order to prevent getting expelled by the body and its immune system. ”}

Snake snorted and answered,

“Parasites can also be symbiotic - just like the ones that give us speech in the first place. The Spider Lady is a destructive parasite. The Writers, on the other hand, are here to help. I captured them with my own two hands… so that’s why I have to save them now.”

Finally, Ocelot chimed in as well,

{(141.73) - “ Two Metal Gears fighting each other, huh? This is giving me ideas.... I mean, well, for your mission, Boss.This will be a perfect distraction while you enter the base and release the Writers of the Apocalypse. Scan ZEKE with your Int-Scope first, though, so you can see its HEALTH bar. ZEKE won’t be able to fight Sahelatropus forever, after all. ”}

Snake brought out his Int-Scope and watched ZEKE through the lens. Details of ZEKE’s distance and current status were displayed on his scope before long. He then also scanned the incoming Sahelatropus and captured its details for reference.

Once that was done, Monika hailed Snake,

{(000.00) - “ Chico and I will do our best… so please save my dear friends, Big Boss. I’ll be rooting for you - just like how Protagonist-kun rooted for me for all these years . Let’s become big damn heroes! ”}

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “I Need A Hero” - Bonnie Tyler (1983)}

With that, the Hind D started its descent behind the battle lines of the Diamond Dogs defenders. Snake wielded his AM MRS-4 assault rifle, loaded a bullet into the chamber by hand out of habit. The picture of Paz and Chico standing on the platforms of the MSF mother base caught Snake’s attention for a brief moment. He then brought out Sayori’s Administrative Notebook and whispered fondly,

“Let’s end this. For good this time.”

Snake pocketed the notebook and hopped out of the open helicopter door with his assault rifle in hand. He landed rolling forward behind supply crates. When Snake stood up on his own two feet, Pequod hailed him,

{(143.11) - “ Be careful down there, Boss! ”}

Pequod then brought up the helicopter and lurched towards the defensive line to support ZEKE. All the while, Snake observed the battle from his position as Ocelot and Kaz briefed him on the situation.

{(140.85) - “ The United States, the USSR and their respective allies have pledged to suppress information about this battle, but they cannot do this forever. They will also want ‘compensation’ when all is said and done… but we’ll worry about that later. Sahelantropus must be defeated within the next few hours or public outrage on both sides of the Iron Curtain will spark the Third World War! ”}

{(143.11) - “ Then there’s the deal with the Writers of the Apocalypse and the Spider Lady… what are you planning to do with them, Boss ?”}

Snake watched Amy from a distance as she fought with Chico and Monika in their respective Metal Gears. He then started making his way through the base in the midst of the heated battle. As Snake went through the battle-scarred FOB, he pressed on his earpiece and answered,

“They have to go. The longer they stay in our world - our reality - we’ll have something worse than a Time Paradox on our hands. There can only be one reality in our world - and we cannot let the Spider Lady play us like puppets any longer. Our mission - and I mean our real mission - will be in jeopardy too. It’s what Ishmael… no, Big Boss would have wanted - so it’s what I must do.”

{(143.11) - “ Glad to see that you’re still committed to your role - even after everything that’s happened. Isn’t that right, Miller? ”}

{(140.85) - “ My thoughts about this matter isn’t important. Let’s get through this mess and play it by ear. Now go rescue those incredibly cute girls, Boss! You already know what to do. ”}

Snake grunted and returned to his mission. He eventually reached the refurbished World War II bunker that had been converted into the F. O. B. 's brig and interrogation center. He crept up towards the door and entered the bunker with his assault rifle at the ready.

Remnants of the equipment that Diamond Dogs weren't able to move out of the bunker flickered with red lights as explosions outside the bunker rocked the structure. Those intermittent lights guided Venom Snake through the concrete halls until he saw a holding cell where Sayori, Natsuki and Yuri were being held.

The three girls were seated listlessly on the ground and were cowering from the explosions and the elephant-like screams of Sahelanthropus. They saw the silhouette of Snake approaching them  with his metallic horn prominently outlined in red. Natsuki and Yuri trembled and hugged each other out of fear. Sayori, in spite of her own fear, stood up and shielded Natsuki and Yuri behind her.

The Literature Club President protected her friends and barked at Snake with a trembling voice,

“H-have you come back to finally k-kill us!? Take me out instead - spare Yuri and Natsuki! They deserve a happy ending!”

Snake approached the cell and lowered his gun as he explained,

“I’m here to save you three. Monika sent me.”

He then brought out his iDroid device and let it project a powder hologram of Monika. The hologram illuminated Snake and the Writers of the Apocalypse. Sayori’s blue eyes widened as she saw Monika and she gasped,

“Moni! You’re okay!”

Monika’s hologram smiled at Sayori through the prison bars as she replied,

“Thanks to you, Sayo. I wouldn’t have survived Amy’s attack without your Notebook. My body couldn’t be saved - but my character file… no, my ‘soul’ is currently the AI of Metal Gear ZEKE.”

Natsuki’s pink eyes brightened when she heard this and she sprung up to her feet. She then went over to Sayori’s side to speak to Monika,

“Whoa! You’re piloting a Metal Gear right now, Monika!? The one from Peace Walker too! Oh man, that was a great one - you’re really lucky!”

Monika gave of an uncomfortable laugh in reply,

“W-well, it’s not exactly lucky, Natsuki. It’s not nice feeling high caliber guns and missiles and rail guns slapping you in the face… I can feel ZEKE’s pain after all, sort of…”

Yuri, however, stayed on the ground and moped,

“That means you are having trouble fighting against Amy’s robot, huh? The problem is, we don’t have our Administrative Notebooks with us. We can’t help you in this battle… we’re going to be useless.”

Snake, however, spoke out this time,

“The battle is going to be fierce from here on out. Lots of my soldiers are going to get hurt - and we’ll need people to help bring them to safety.”

Yuri frowned when she heard this. She then groaned,

“So we’re just background characters now? Medics?”

A sly smirk formed on Venom Snake’s lips as he countered,

“I was a medic too, you know. Medics are important. They save lives. They can also be soldiers. A soldier needs to be strong in spirit, body and technique… and the most important of those is spirit. I know the three of you have tremendous spirit. I saw it on the battlefield. I can still see it now. So… can I count on the three of you?”

Snake’s remark silenced Yuri and she resigned herself to her new role. Sayori, on the other hand, spoke on behalf of her club and spoke,

“We’ll do everything we can to help you, Venom Snake. Tell us what we need to do!”

Snake emerged from the concrete bunker with Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki in tow. From the threshold, he saw Metal Gear ZEKE take a direct hit from the railgun of Sahelanthropus. That hit lowered ZEKE’s health bar down to less than half while Sahelantropus remained close to full health.

Sahelanthropus then drew its metallic archaea sword and prepared to strike down ZEKE a second time. Just as the more advanced Metal Gear raised up its blade, Venom Snake equipped his GROM rocket launcher and fired at Sahelanthropus.

The rocket struck one of the metal rods near the chest of Sahelantropus and caused a smidge of damage on its health bar. All the while, the anti-aircraft guns and mortars of the FOB continued shelling Sahelanthropus while only causing minor damage as well.

That interruption caused Amy to lower Sahelantropus’ sword and laugh,

“Wow. I barely even felt that! Even with all of the combined firepower of Diamond Dogs - and your pathetic midget of a Metal Gear - I will emerge the victor here! There is nothing that you and the Writers of the Apocalypse can do to stop me!”

Venom Snake reloaded his rocket launcher and defiantly countered,

“You’re wrong, Amy. You’re going to lose this battle. This is your last chance to surrender. Don’t make a fool out of yourself!”

Amy laughed again,

“Fool…!? All of you are the fools here - thinking that you stand a chance against me! Not only do I have the strongest Metal Gear in this world… I also own this world! I am the writer of this story! I wield the Eye of Markov now! My name is on the credits - so I can bend it to my will!”

Amy made Sahelantropus raise its sword up triumphantly as she continued,

“When I defeat your ‘ZEKE’ and wipe out Diamond Dogs, I will paint myself as the savior of the day! The East and the West will sing me praises! I will truly become Big Boss… but more importantly, I will finally get the recognition I deserve! When there are no more Writers… no more Dokis left, I will become the Best Doki! The Dreamweaver Writer - AMY!”

While Amy was speaking, Venom Snake felt himself slowly lose control of his body. It was as if he was being sucked into an entirely new dimension all of the sudden. Metal Gear ZEKE, the Writers of the Apocalypse and the Diamond Dogs defenders also stopped in their tracks as something unusual happened.

Amy laughed a third time and her voice echoed throughout the FOB. She then proudly announced to her stunned opponents,

“All of you fools are entering a cutscene that I have made! It’s a game mechanic where the player characters cannot do anything - but events play out according to the will of the writer! Me! I can now do whatever I want! So, cower in terror!”

Venom Snake, however, remained calm as a smirk formed on his lips. He then shouted out at the top of his lungs,

“SKIP CUTSCENE!”

All of the sudden, Snake, ZEKE and everyone else regained control of their bodies and the sinking feeling they felt disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“WHAT!?” Amy gasped, aghast to see all of her enemies moving once again, “HOW DID YOU…!?”

Snake finished reloading his rocket launcher and explained,

“You made one simple mistake, Spider Lady. You didn’t design this Chapter. Monika and I did… and we prepared a little cutscene of our own for you as well.”

“Wait…!” Amy shouted, “What are you…!?”

However, before Amy could finish speaking, Snake produced a cassette tape and fitted it into his iDroid device. He hit the ‘play’ button and the entire world blacked out white text appeared on the screen.

{Cassette Tape Acquired: 99 Luftballons - NENA (1983)}

…

Cutscene (30% Complete)

TEXT ONLY

Battle ensues between the manned version of Sahelantropus, piloted by the Spider Lady ‘Amy’, and the combined forces of Diamond Dogs, ZEKE and the Writers of the Apocalypse.

“99 Luftballons”

Concept Art

[Insert Concept Art Here]

Thanks to Snake’s efforts in battle, Amy is finally defeated.

The short cutscene came to an end, leaving both Metal Gear ZEKE and Sahelantropus down to the ground for the last time. Both Metal Gears were reduced to hulking piles of rubble on the war Diamond Dogs FOB.

Chico managed to emerge from the cockpit of ZEKE with the Administrative Notebook of Sayori that housed Monika in hand. He leapt out from the cockpit and was caught in the arms of Yuri, Sayori and Natsuki.

On the other hand, Metal Gear Sahelanthropus fell with its cockpit submerged in the waters of the ocean. American troops deployed from the USS Blue Ridge were flooding into the FOB as well while a formation of MiG-29’s and F-15J’s circled overhead.

The American troops brought heavy equipment to tow Sahelantropus’ derelict hulk out of the water while Venom Snake approached the closed cockpit. Heavy equipment pried open the cockpit while Snake looked on.

Saltwater then flowed out of the cockpit and Amy fell out as she fought a coughing fit. All the while, Snake looked into the cockpit of Sahelantropus and took out the hardbound Portrait of Markov book. He then stood before Amy and cast his shadow over her, making her shake her head in disbelief.

“Why… why did you side with them, Venom Snake? I could have helped you change your future! You may not realize it now, but you are doomed to be forgotten! I’m not just talking about the role that you have to play as Big Boss! Metal Gear Solid V is an unfinished mess without a proper ending… and Metal Gear Survive that runs on the FOX engine will be the final nail in the coffin of your series! Don’t even get me started on the Pachinko games!”

Venom Snake closed his eye and heaved a thoughtful sigh. He then looked down on Amy and explained,

“If I change my destiny now, then this… ‘game’… will be in an even worse state. The classic games... the original Metal Gear will be affected in some shape or form. The memories made by fans of the entire series will be left betrayed. Even in this wretched state, my story as Big Boss can bridge the games and ensure the continuity so that people will continue to enjoy the Stealth genre. At least… that’s what Natsuki told me.”

He then turned away and looked up at the afternoon sun to add,

“And besides, Amy. I’m already a demon. I know what needs to be done… so I have to see it through to the end.”

Amy then saw Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki approaching her. They stood beside Venom Snake and surrounded Amy. The Spider Lady lowered her head and resigned herself to her fate,

“Well… I guess you’ll want to kill me now, huh? Remove the thorn in your side - the person who wasn’t supposed to exist… the destroyer of worlds.”

Sayori put a hand on her hip and then shook her head. She wore a warm smile for Amy and corrected,

“Dying now is the easy way out. If you really want to make it up to us, then we want you to live and help us rebuild the world of Doki Doki Literature Club. It’s a world of infinite choices, so there’s definitely room there for you too.”

Yuri nodded as she took the Eye of Markov from Venom Snake’s hands. She faced Amy and added,

“Life as a video game character… or rather life itself is an agony, but it is up to us what we make of it. Even in the original game, the Protagonist would not have been able to be with us forever. So it’s up to us to make peace with our reality when the time finally comes to say goodbye.”

Natsuki folded her arms and puffed up her cheeks as she chimed in.

“B-besides, Amy... it’s sort of lonely if you’re the only one left in the world. Being the best Doki is nice and all, but it’s meaningless if you have no one to share it with. You’ll grow tired of it faster than Strawberry Shortcake’s tournament arc in Parfait Girls volume 17!” She then finally blushed and admitted, “Plus, you have to understand one very important rule in Doki Doki Literature Club. All Dokis are best Dokis! We’ll be there for each other for eternity, after all - so shouldn’t we all try to get along?”

Tears started to form at the sides of Amy’s eyes as she croaked, “Y-you guys!”

Sayori hummed happily and cheered,

“And besides, Amy - you owe Moni a new body too. Isn’t that right, Moni?”

She brought out her Administrative Notebook and opened it to a page that showed the upper half of Monika’s sprite. The sprite then looked Amy in the eye and concurred,

“Not just a body for me, Amy. We’ll need your help to rebuild Doki Doki Literature Club - our new Mother Base. I don’t know how long it will take - but we’ll make it bigger and better than before. We’ll pull in codes and elements - all to make this dream come true. Then, when it does come true… it will be ours, and you’ll become a proper Doki. Okay?”

The tearful Amy nodded, but an earnest smile - one that came straight from her very core - was finally etched on her lips. She allowed herself to be restrained by Yuri and Natsuki who took her away.

Sayori then turned towards Snake and bid him farewell,

“I guess this is goodbye, Venom Snake. It would have been nice if we had met under better circumstances - bluer skies - but we can’t always get what we want.”

Monika’s sprite in the notebook then added,

“We will be taking Chico with us, just as we had agreed, Venom Snake. He will become our new Protagonist and give him a new lease of life - one where he doesn’t have to live behind the sights of a gun. However… you are more than welcome to join us.”

Venom Snake chuckled but he shook his head refused,

“It’s a tempting offer, but I still have a job to do in this world. If what Natsuki told me is correct, then David - the brother of Eli - will be faced with many challenges over the next few decades. It will be a new age of warfare beyond my understanding. I will be David’s first true test. He has to overcome me to prepare him for what lies ahead. And besides - I have my soldiers to take care of… and you have yours.”

Sayori then tilted her head and asked, “What about when your mission is done?”

“When my mission is done...” Snake started with a confident smile, “When my mission is done, here will be nothing left for me here. Come see me then. I’d like to see how Chico fares after all this.”

Sayori nodded and beamed at Snake, “It’s a promise then! Good luck to you, Venom Snake. No… Big Boss!”

The Literature Club president gave Venom Snake a proud salute and Monika’s sprite in the notebook followed suit. Snake saluted back and watched Sayori join Chico, Yuri, Natsuki and Amy at the end of the dock of the Hokkaido FOB. Sayori then brought out another Wormhole device and activated it.

The Wormhole sucked Chico and the girls into another dimension before disappearing entirely.

Snake’s earpiece then buzzed with Kaz’s panicked voice,

{(140.85) - “ Boss! You let them escape!? But Chico just got back… and the Russians and the Americans wanted… ”}

The mercenary commander cut Kaz off and interrupted,

“There are times when you have to let things go, Kaz. They have their own battles to fight and so do we. Outer Heaven won’t build itself, you know. We fulfilled most of our objectives - and now Diamond Dogs is known around the world.”

{(140.85) - “ But our deals with the CIA and the KGB…! ”}

“They will just have to make do with the ruins of these two Metal Gears. I made sure that both of them were damaged beyond repair. There’s no trace of Monika’s AI left in ZEKE either, but that should satisfy Moscow and Washington for now. The times are about to change, Kaz - and the only thing we can believe in with absolute certainty is the mission. Isn’t that what The Boss would say?”

It was at this point that Snake noticed something odd left behind on the dock where Chico and the Dokis disappeared. There was a cassette tape.

Snake picked up the tape and chuckled,

“You girls really like cassettes, huh?”

{Cassette Tape Acquired: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Styx (1983)}

THE END

…

…

…

SCORE

Episode 61: 99 Luftballons

PLAY RATING

Total Play Time: One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Hours

Time: Ten Hours (Campaign Completed)

Enemy Combat Alerts: 0

Hits Taken: 0

Accuracy: 1/1 (100%)

[NO KILLS]

[PERFECT STEALTH]

Rank: S

Code: THANKYOU-GOODBYE

{(141.73) - “ It turns out that Ahab was just as competent as you predicted he would be. He was your best man in MSF - and he’ll continue being your best man from here on out. The legend of Big Boss is in good hands - and it will only continue to grow from here. It’s a shame that he let Chico and the Writers of the Apocalypse go… but you predicted this too, huh? That’s the mind of a legend for you. ”}

(Static)

{(141.73) - “ Understood. I’ll continue playing my role here in the Seychelles until the next phase of the plan. Outer Heaven.. And Operation Intrude N313. I made sure that Ahab got the tape. It’s only a matter of time until he listens to it… unless one of those ‘Dokis’ already spoiled the ending for him. Regardless.. I’ll support Ahab for as long as I can. So long… John. ”}

1985 - The United States takes custody of the remains of Metal Gear ZEKE while the Soviet Union retrieves Sahelantropus. Both Metal Gears, however, were stripped of their nuclear capability by Diamond Dogs prior to the handing-off.

February 1986 - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos is deposed by the popular ‘People Power Revolution’ uprising, installing Corazon Aquino as the new leader of the Philippines. Involvement of the CIA and KGB are rumored to have supported both pro-Marcos and anti-Marcos sentiment for profit, but both agencies influenced the uprising through covert operations of the Diamond Dogs PMC.

July 1987 - Konami publishes the original “Metal Gear” on the MSX2 home computer, beginning the ‘Stealth’ genre of video games.

- The commercial and critical success propels director Hideo Kojima to prominence.

September 1987 - Diamond Dogs uses funds acquired from its growing list of clients to acquire land 200km north of the Galzburg region of South Africa.

- Construction on Outer Heaven begins.

1989 - At the height of the Mozambican Civil War, Big Boss takes Frank Jaeger and Naomi Hunter to the United States.

- Deconstruction of the Berlin Wall begins.

- The term of President Ronald Reagan ends. George H. W. Bush wins the US Presidential Election.

- Code Talker dies of old age.

1990 - The Gulf War begins as a coalition of US-led forces declares war on Iraq. Lithuania separates from the Soviet Union to begin the process of becoming an independent nation. 

- Big Boss begins training child soldiers from children who had rough upbringings - most notably the young Sniper Wolf.

- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is published by Konami.

- XOF successfully infiltrates the Corporate Board of Konami.

1991 - The Soviet Union is dissolved. Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Ukrain, Belarus, Transnistria, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Chechnya, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation become independent nations but maintain close ties.

- Ocelot leaves the Spetsnaz.

- Elias_Pedro is born.

1992 - Bill Clinton defeats incumbent President George W. Bush in the US Presidential Election.

- Big Boss is tapped by the newly installed Department of Defense to once again lead the FOXHOUND unit. David is recruited to FOXHOUND to begin his training.

- Ocelot parts ways with Diamond Dogs to seek Eli and support Big Boss, infuriating Kazuhira Miller. Venom Snake decides not to pursue Ocelot causing Miller to cut ties with Diamond Dogs and pursue a more stable career as a survival instructor for the British SAS and the US Green Berets.

- Now alone as the last remaining Top Brass of Diamond Dogs, Venom Snake begins making preparations for Operation Intrude N313.

1994 - US President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin sign the Kremlin Accords in order to stop the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles between the US and the new Russian Federation.

- Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as the new President of South Africa.

- Kazuhira Miller takes the name “McDonell Benedict Miller” and briefly trains David. Miller was unaware that David and FOXHOUND was under the command of Big Boss.

1995 - Development of Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation 1 begins.

- XOF consolidates power in the Konami Corporate Board, sowing the seeds of converting the company into a cash cow project of the Patriots.

- David completes his training as a FOXHOUND operative. He is given the codename ‘Solid Snake’. Venom Snake takes the reins of FOXHOUND from the shadows as per orders of Big Boss.

- Operation Intrude N313 begins.

- Solid Snake defeats Venom Snake in Outer Heaven. The true Big Boss escapes Outer Heaven and proceeds to set up operations in Zanzibar Land.

- Venom Snake is left to die alone.

Epilogue

December 1995

 23:57

Outer Heaven

Basement

Venom Snake sat down on a pool of his own blood on the concrete floor of the Outer Heaven basement. He had his back rested against the wall but he couldn’t feel his leg. All the while, the self-destruct timer ticked on all throughout the base.

When he closed his one good eye, he remembered the face of Solid Snake who shot him just moments ago. Venom Snake had completed his mission as ‘Ahab’. The Metal Gear series would continue on because of him - but he would be forgotten.

Outer Heaven would blow up in smoke, just like his entire legacy.

A legacy that did not truly exist - a mere phantom of Big Boss. Outer Heaven would live on without him. The world would live on without him.

Venom Snake thought that he had resigned himself to his fate, but the names of his former comrades still escaped his lips.

“Kaz… Ocelot… Pequod... Code Talker... are you there?”

However, there was no response on his earpiece. The voices that he relied on whenever he felt lonely on the battlefield no longer answered him. All of his soldiers were dead too.

Shotmaker.

Machinegun Kid.

Fire Trooper.

Bloody Brad.

Dirty Duck.

All gone.

He truly was alone - but this was the fate that he had chosen for himself.

Venom Snake then reached for the AM D113 handgun at his hip and looked at it under the flickering red lights of Outer Heaven.

There was still one last bullet in the chamber.

Just enough to get the job done.

Knowing this, Snake brought the barrel of his handgun closer to his mouth. He kept his finger on the trigger but couldn’t quite find the courage to pull it.

Then, all of the sudden, the flickering red lights of Outer Heaven were replaced with a steady, bright white light. A blue butterfly then fluttered through the concrete basement and landed on Venom Snake’s handgun.

Snake then raised up his eye and saw a peculiar person standing there before him. She was scantily clad and was barely clothed, but the warm smile that she wore on her lips staved off the mid-winter chills that Snake felt from the cold basement.

Moreover, age hasn't slowed this person down one bit.

Snake spoke that person’s name fondly,

“Quiet.”

The silent sniper broke her silence once more as she answered him,

“Boss.”

“This is the second time you’ve saved me like this, Quiet… I never got to thank you the first time.”

“You can thank me all you want, Boss. We have all the time in the world. The Dokis sent me here to pick you up… and fulfil their promise. Chico wants to see you too. Let’s go.”

Quiet then extended her hand towards Venom Snake. Snake closed his eye and peacefully mused,

“I guess… my mission is finally complete.”

Snake took Quiet’s hand and let her lift him into the light.

…

…

…

{Cassette Tape Acquired: “Come Sail Away” - Styx (1977)}