Chapter 4: Time Hazard
Nearly dead, again.
After regaining consciousness again and check his physical status, Sousuke thinks so. Wholly wet and feels painful all over the body, but probably because of the AS pilot suit they just need some simple treatments------except the left arm which seems to be broken for a little. There're sounds of water flow and winds, but it's completely dark around and his NVG is nowhere to be found. At least he still has his torch in his back......and using the lowest level of light needed, what he saw at first is the surface of fallen rocks, broken foam boards and twisted wires. Simply said it's just a mess. He's now in a cave-like space which looks like underground pipelines, and there're water flow here which depth reaches the knees, junks are carried by the water and forms a small hill here. The water flow seems to be determined by seasons, and it seems that he is carried to here after he's fainted just like being flushed in the toilet. How far has he gone, and what time is it? Looking at his watch, he thinks that he just lost conscious for about 15mins, but by the quiet environment he should have been being washed away far from the crash scene. His Carbine is also lost. There're bones pf dead body around, but obviously Tessa isn't here, nor knowing her status and position. The radio can't be used as well, not only being flooded by water, but because of his position is enclosed underground. In the end he has to find his way back......
Running in the opposite way, he sees the brick walls instead of rocks, so it seems taht it's really a pipeline underground where rainwater and underground water gathered. He then finds a broken hole in the ceiling, climbing up by the ruins and reach an upper level: another vault. It's smaller than the first elevator vault, but its height is at least 5 floors. Judging from the debris laying around and the holes above the vault, he thinks that it's teh place he falls......But then he's just injured by a little, probably because of the debris on the walls slowed his falling speed and distance instead of falling a full 5-floor height. But in Tessa's case, things will be more different......Using the torch he searches among the ruins at the vault's base, she's not here but he finds his still-working Carbine (though no gauarantee that it can still fire at the vault's entrance). Is she above there? Probably she's still unconscious there but since he can't see that, maybe he should shout------NO. It's about 30mins since his fall, so enemy reinforcements may arrive anytime soon, as such he can only go up there. He initially thinks ghe's unlucky for falling into here, but afterwards his mind changes: if not falling into the pit they may be squished to bits by the copter, and if they've fallen into here together, how will she become without the impactproof AS pilot suit?
Using the pipes hanging around he climbs up for about 3 floors in height, but he can't go up any further so he better leaves this vault and find another way. Junping into a square hole nearby, he continue to walk deeper within the ruins, searching for ladders that can bring him back to the falling point. Because the carbine may be broken, he better use his own Glock19 for now, and try to fire his carbine when enemy comes along to avoid detection. Advancing in the lack-of-maintainence passages, turning for a few times, checking the actually-bare rooms on the way, and finally reaching a ladder in a passage......
------With Leonard Testarosa standing in front of it.
Wearing a red cape in front of his AS pilot suit, with his old silver hair, carrying his Colt Peacemaker (IIRC the gun that hurt his head in MMD), and though his face is covered by NVG but it's so obvious that it's him.
Without any question nor hesistation Sousuke fires, but it's simply blocked by his red cape (which is an bulletproof cloak), and also the subsequent shots. Leonard comments that his way of greeting people is still unchanged, and fires his pistol. Sousuke barely dodges the shot by hiding in a hole nearby, then unloads his entire clip, which are probably either all missed or blocked. Leo then says that he'll be stunned by his quick temper, but Sousuke thinks he's the one that just good at bluffing since he chose not to ambush him......What can your cloak do against Full Metal Jacket bullets (all army-use bullets are these)? He switches his carbine and fires, but the shot goes off-target at the same time when Leo dodges the shot. He continues to fire when Leo soon fires back. The targetor seems to be off for a little right, but the rest of teh gun seems fine. The situation then become a chasing fight in a big room which stores lots of containers and appliances.
Sousuke then thinks about the situation. Leo's using a NVG, and he's a torch, which will be a huge disadvantage......But no. He can't win him now is because Leonard is tough: Those reacting speed, accruacy, calm actions, seems unconsidered but they're through correct thoughts at different positions, these aren't an ordinary person can achieve, no matter they're gifted or by training. Before this he always think he's a weak guy protected by technology, but now it may be wrong. Leo then tease him about his own ability, saying that he has to work harder since he can't win on an AS. Though not contacted for many times, Sousuke thinks his actions should be softer than these (obviously he doesn't know what changes him or he's acting), so he says Leo seems to become ruder than before. In return Leo says it's necessary for building better relations with him, and fires his gun at his position. ("With your dead body the relation can become better" and Leo praises his words) Start from the gunfight 3+ mins has been passed, if Leo's units arrive it'll be bad for him, so Sousuke has to determine either leaving or continue......But before he can make a decision, the enemy infantry indeed arrives. However, Leo tells them to go back since they come without his order, nevertheless the men starts to fight with Sousuke. They seems trained well by their supporting attacks and aimed for killing, and can still keep calm even one of them dies, but their patterns are boring so they shouldn't have been teamed up for too long. At the predicted position one man jumps out. He's killed, but he throws out a grenade......
BLAM. It's an Incendiary Grenade, which is lethal within a room. Though Sousuke himself is fine, but those spilled liquids suddenly start burning and leads to a serious chain reaction (skipped this part) that shakes the entire floor and room, and Sousuke can't continue to fight but can only dodge around.
Gunshots and explosions shakes the ceiling where Chidori's gang are walking. Tessa guesses it's Sousuke there who met enemy when searching for her------Chidori has heard everything from the crash of copter and their separation, and when she wanders around finding him she met up with Chidori and Lemon. How cna Chidori calm down when she knows Sousuke is that close? She tries to kick away the feeling of "leaving the team and find him by herself" and reasserts herself that she'll be lost if going alone, btu on her emotional side she doesn't want to accept this: She wants to see him at once. She won't be lost either, when she shouts his name repeatedly she'll find him first before she was found by the enemy------such idiotic thoughts will emerge no matter how hard she doesn't want to. Explosions comes just when she's thinking about these, so she immediately suggests the gang to find Sousuke first. But Tessa hesistates, saying that the explosion means enemies are around, and with Lemon's legs are hurt they can't escape in case of being seen by enemy. Chidori insists that they can't leave him alone and wants to see him, and even Tessa starts to argue with her about their safety, she can't cool down and even shouts out she'll go finding him alone......Until Lemon grabs hold of her arms, saying that all will be lost if doing things recklessly. She finally realizes the fact and apologizes, and Tessa says that she also bear responsibility for the mess right now, and understands her actions for him being so close------Chidori suddenly feels guilty for her brainless and selfish words, since that Sousuke-liking Tessa is still enduring all these kind of stuff while she just want to do things for herself, and she stands the position of her she may just scold the opposite one. Lemon tells them to move after cooling down, and try to escape from the enemy, get to the ground level to get contact with friendly forces, leaving Sousuke alone------due to the fact that he'll be lots easier to move without them, and will eventually escape for contacting friendly units, so trying to find him may lead to loss of both sides. No matter how weak he seems to be, Lemon is still an experienced guy so it's better to listen to his advice. In this case, Chidori finally gives up and follows Tessa's lead to the north, which they'll go deep into the facility to teh research complex and escape fom there (they may also have less chance to meet with the enemy). After they start walking from teh crossroad, Lemon suddenly smiles, saying that it'll be awesome for being stick between 2 beautiful female if he's not injured. (......) Chidori then asks if they can leave him here, while Tessa agrees and stated that he can still say his last words. Lemon quickly apologizes and the three gets moving.
Trapped. After escaping from the burning scene and wanders around, Sousuke comes up with this conclusion. There're debris blocking the ways everywhere, for once he wants to use C4 to blow up for a way, but there're some gas flowing around that may cause another explosion if using firearms. With caution he tries to make way back to the previous room, but the way is blocked as well. Fire has been diminishing there, and though they're still oxygen around, he just can't stay here forever. Especially on Tessa's side: With enemies around she may had been caught, and though they may not kill her at once due to her identity as Leonard's sister, he can't leave this matter alone. Should he get out and rally with Kurz? Using Laevatein and with Kurz's backup they may get her back, and it's lots better than using a damaged carbine to face lots of enemies even though he's uncertain about if he can beat Verial. But if she hasn't been caught? Still it's better to rally with Kurz in order to clear this ruin from enemies in order to search within this huge maze with colleagues, though he's also not sure about if it can be done......
Leonard, undamaged and even seems not touching a piece of dirt, emerges from a corner in front of him. Both of them raised their guns at another at the same time, but both resisted from firing. Leonard says he seems also noticed how dangerous the environment can be------those flowing around are alike rotten onions, which can be LPG------and Sousuke replies that it may not explode. He can headshoot Leo at this distance, but it's teh same for him. Leo urges him to try, and while Sosuuke agrees it's attractive to do so, Leo comments that he's trying to move closer to him, knock him down in melee and use a knife to cut his throat......And while it's a fact (and Sousuke feels certain that he can win), Leo adds taht he's also prepared for that, and pointed his knife towards him: a Spetsnaz knife. (designed for Soviet Special Forces, it has a strong catapult that can fire the knife itself to the enemy, at a force that can penetrate a Yellow Pages 10m away) Once Sousuke sees this thing he feels screwed immediately: his AS pilot suit can protect him fron knife attacks but NOT this kind of assault weapons, if hit he'll be dead or heavily injured, won't spark an explosion AND at such distance he can hardly miss. He's thinking about of taking him down if dodging the first shot, but Leo states that he know what he's thinking: Sousuke is a kind of person that will try to kill enemy with every means without thinking about negotiations. He denies the need for doing so, but Leo adds that both of them are trapped here, and in about 2 hours the flowing LPG will suffocate or poison them, so in any way they'll die......
Except for one way. After his wandering he finds a staircase blocked by debris, and by the cooperation of both of them they may escape. Sousuke wonders if it's a ceasefire, and Leo nods that whoever wins may just be heavily injured, and either of them in that state can't do such a job, so they can just help each other for now and escape before having another duel. Leonard isn't lying nor bluffing, stuff about gas or escapign way are also true, and so is the fact that both will die without ceasefire......Sousuke finally agrees about it for the sake of escaping, though he's not going to forgive him. Both of them put down weapons at once, and while Leonard proposes a handshaking Sousuke just dislike that and leave.
Amalgam forces under the command of Solid Snake (Uh, Kalinin) has not suppressed------or just say secured------the town since there're no enemies around. He also lands and checks the leftover of the copter-landing from another faction, then sees that there're 2 people getting into the ruins and later predicts it's Sousuke and Tessa (full name written) going in there. Both of them may just beneath the factory, and Leonard may had also noticed that: he went into the factory alone and loses contact. 4 men sent for scouting also lot contact after reporting there're gunfires, so they probably are killed by Sousuke. A few minutes later his subordinates sent reports that support his view: explosions and fire had occured in places away from crash sites, a survivor has been foudn and said that the French and Chidori Kaname are still alive. Leonard, Sousuke and rest of the guys are nowhere to be found. Something must had happened underground, so he propably need to divert half of his forces to search in there......but because of déjà vu he doesn't want to send his units too close to there. Casper (on Eligor) then says that he can handle anyone that get close on the ground, so Kalinin lead a few men to descend into the ruins.
Elsewhere, probably because of good leading, the three haven't meet a single enemy on their way, though it's so simple that they're just moving away beneath the point where the enemy are. Chidori understands the plan of going deep and escape from there, but she still feels uneasy about this. She asked many times if the way is correct (and partly because of déjà vu), and while Tessa answers it she seems worrying about something else other than the route (since she's still confidient about her planning), and when Chidori asks if she's thinking something else she suddenly stops, saying that she has a place where she'll go on her own and urge them to get away first, and both of them are shocked about this, since going on her own will be very dangerous. Tessa says it's OK, since her coming is for
this issue, and she cna't leave this behind when she finally comes here. Both of them want to follow her, but she doesn't want to because it's an important job that can be finished on her own. Her answer is so vague that as if she knows something but hides them from their faces------or probably just Lemon's since he's a member of DGSE that may leak something to them if he hears about the secret of this ruins. Lemon seems to know about it and asks if those can't be told to him, and Tessa can't reply. He then states that it's him and Wraith who bear the risks of investigating about this secret city without question even they knew nothing about details, all because of her direct request. "Now I've been such a bad shape, and we don't know if Wraith is alive or not. Even so, you still can't tell us the truth. Is it?" When Tessa tries to say anything, Lemon states that his identity shouldn't be a problem since DGSE should have fired him for no communication with them for so long.
Then Tessa continues that her concerns are far more than that: this issue isn't teh Security Protection of a single country can solve, and if being dealt without care all people's lives and fates will be toyed. Lemon thinks she's is overestimating it, but she says that if one knows all about the secret of this ruin, almost no one can resist teh want of using such power: except herself, Chidori and Sousuke, who're all being toyed by the secret within the ruins (so tehy're those who're involved), but she's uncertain about Lemon's will for such resistance. He's still confused but Chidori understand it, still he wonders if it's the concern of consficating this power along by himself, and Tessa agrees taht it's the problem, and that's why she urges them to move on first. Lemon says it's difficult, and pulls out his pistol which scares Chidori to no end......but he hands the pistol to Tessa instead, saying that she can shoot him if anything starts to go wrong, since he wants to die with everything known under such condition that survivability is uncertain. She's now troubling over this issue: Lemon seems to be a honest man up till now, but who can tell if he's just acting and my backstab them at any time? In the end she chooses to trust him due to no other choices, but states that she'll really shoot him, at least she'll try her best to. She then turns to Chidori and says taht she was about to tell her about this, or Leonard may tell her about this since he brings her to here, but when Chidori asks abotu it she stops talking and starts moving.
The odd cooperation continues in teh darkness, but after 15mins they can only make a steel pipe move for a little (after removing those debris aroudn the pipe). Both of them have just speak for necessity, and neither of them becomes careless that they continue the stances of able to pull out knives at will in case either of them may changh their mind------since they're still enemies. Leonard then starts to become bored of a single, boring job, while Sousueke tells him not to halt and so he goes back to work. He has those skills and are strong in physical strength, but in the end it seems strange for such a noble-pretending person to do these harsh works. Maybe because of the boredom, Leo asks about if Sousuke worry about Tessa in case she's here, since he won't come here alone so the one who really have things to do will be her. Since it seems that Amalgam didn't catch her, and there're no reason to tell him about the objective here, Sousuke replies taht he doesn't know and doesn't want to answer, and after throwing a big piece of cement downstairs Leo asks how will he think if he hears taht Chidori Kaname is here, and at once Sousuke's works suddenly stops. He asks him if he brought her to here, but instead Leo teases him not to stop working and laughs. Sousuke has to suppress his anger and continue to work, while Leo says that she's in the copter that fell into the vault, which then exploded and burnt because of attacks from their side. In a short moment his back goes cold, but soon h ethinks he's just lying: he can't be that calm if Chidori's really dead, or at least laughing there. Leo then adds that he's stating the fact from the view of his AS cockpit, and it's unknown how's she after the crash. Sousuke still doubts him, and Leo comments that it's good to ask "how can he talk so calmly if it's true". The two then finally pulls out the steel pipe, and Leonard continues his speech about her: She really was in the copter, he didn't save her, and teh copter blew up. Even so, he really believes that she's still alive (which Sousuke doesn't understand why he tell him these and his belief in her survival), which he really experienced before.
Back to the days before he wrecked havoc in Hong Kong (DBD/TSR), she was assaulted by a killer from Gauron in Tokyo, and he observed the whole thing going somewhere else. Think about it: a killer trained by Gauron, versus a female student whose sport senses are above average, she'll be dead no matter how she struggles, but instead she was saved. Sousuke thinks it's because of luck, but Leo stresses it's some sort of
UNUSUAL luck (hinting something in his words). The killer is using guns from the start, but the first shot missed and jammed the gun, so she could escape at that moment. (As a sidenote, Sousuke seems never knew the whole picture from Chidori, only about the mini-AS Alastor, and chatted with Leo for a little......At least he doesn't know what Leo did to her, meh.) Sousuke then counters that autopistols are tend to malfunctioning, but then Leonard asks him what he'll do when he has to use the pistol to assassinate someone------checking if the gun's working properly and if the bullets are in good state, since killing someone will be lots harder due to resistance if teh first shot missed, so everyone including the killer will prepare for one-shot kill carefully------but the bullet still missed and the gun jammed. Such luck is bodering on the side of impossible, and while Sousuke thinks he's insane for her survival in the crash, Leonard asks him further that how many crises she met that she survived even under the most impossible scenerios. Sousuke can't deny the fact that what he says is true: since they met they lived through many crises together, and some of them even make this "specialist" shurddered. Putting these into account, it's impossible of pure luck------he won't deny teh factor of luck, but in the end it's just an adding factor, so her survival really depends on her hardworking actions and her strong will of never giving up. Excluding the factor of being a Whispered, Chidori Kaname is just stronger than most of the population. Leonard agrees that she has outstanding willpower and physical ability, but he thinks Sousuke can also consider that such capability given to her is also because of her luck. He obviously disagrees, because there're billions of people that have a good environment and enough abilities to live peacefully till their death. Leonard says it's probably a joke, but her survival isn't luck, it's
INEVITABLE.
"'Inevitable'?"
"She is the crossing point of reasons and results. We can say she is here because the world has become abnormal, or we can say the world becomes abnormal because of her presence. After these she------even without my guidence------will meet the Dead Spirits in the deepest part of this 'relic'. There she will merge with the power to put the history to a halt, and becomes the 'waystone' to create a world that without the past, present and the future."
"It's ridiculous. What are you talking about?"
"Stuff about Omni-Sphere and 'Whispers'. The chaos of the world begins from this place."
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE SECOND PART
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...postcount=3351
2008-06-30, 15:39
Adorable and funny nonetheless, had to share it with you all.
