Outer Haven (Multicross)

[Historian]

Liquid I​

Every good day began with a fist in the face. Especially one Liquid didn't expect to receive. "Well, well - welcome back to the land of the living." The voice was southern, a drawl that infuriated Snake. He bent down - his hair blonde and face covered in pinpricks of robotic augmentation. This was not his Kansas - and wherever he'd been, he was no longer in Alaska. The room was too warm - neither of them dressed-down from an arctic outfit. Somewhere else, then.

"Where am I?" Liquid said. The man bent down, his brow raised.

"Do you think playing dumb will get you anywhere?" The blonde said, his eyes locking with Liquids', robotic systems whirling about as they focused on him. "I am no fool, sir, and I will have every ounce of information from you. Let me introduce you to Lieutenant Commander Keitner. She'll be your special friend for the days to come." He turned to the woman next to him - one arm robotic, the other normal. She smiled an angry smile. "Feel free to welcome him, Lieutenant." He said, leaving the room at pace.

The woman stepped forward, grinning, and slugged Liquid hard in the face three times with her robotic arm. It was brutal - but nothing compared to fighting his brother in single combat, or in any other situation. She was nothing - and needed robotics to have even a fighting chance against men like him. "Were those supposed to phase me?" Liquid said, smiling. "Because I'm reasonably certain the Iraqis did far worse last time they had me captured."

"Iraq?" She said. "Interesting. We couldn't find you in any military databases, and we were -quite- thorough with those searches."

"Sorry to disappoint." Liquid replied, smiling. Keitner stepped forward, placing her hands over Liquid's manacles.

"You're headed for one of the most advanced detention and interrogation facilities in the entire world - a completely black site with no means of escape we don't control with a dozen armed men, and the best torturers in the business. Not interrogators. Torturers. Do you think you're going to have fun there?" Liquid looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"You truly don't know me at all." Liquid replied. She threw her hands up. "Who do you work for, anyway?"

Keitner turned around from heading to the door, looking at him. "You blew up our port and don't even know our name?"

"I did what now?" Liquid said. Keitner raised her robotic hand.

"Fucking lying piece of shit." She said, slamming the metal door behind her. Liquid took a breath, waiting until she shut a watertight door in the adjoining room, and looked down at his restraints. Rather standard - he'd have a hard time breaking out of them, but it was manageable. Better to wait until he was in transit - lots of ways to escape in a ship corridor.

The question remained - where the fuck was he? His eyes darted about - the woman and man had white and black bull patches that said 'Belltower' - perhaps they worked for a company? A PMC? It was certainly an interesting thought - though why they were transporting him to the facility was something of interest.

A bombing? Him?

Liquid certainly didn't remember that, but then again he didn't remember much of anything - except his brother and Meryl disappearing into the snow together as he lay dying - Foxdie annihilating his innards.

He looked down with some trepidation. His body was intact - his trenchcoat missing, however. He had only fatigue pants on. It was then that his manacles cracked open with a sudden snap, leaving him free to move about the cabin. He quickly snapped up, shoving himself up against the wall as the watertight door opened. Slow footsteps traced their way to the metal door, and a gloved hand with yellow fingertips eased the door open. Liquid edged close, and watched as a black woman entered - her simple fatigue uniform and holstered pistol no match for Liquid's closed fist. She was unconscious before she even impacted the wall.

Snapping to, Liquid bent down, slowly removing parts of her outfit. Not like that - just the tactical vest she had on, alongside her leg holster and hat. He strapped everything together, and glanced into the next room. Blinds covered windows to the corridor, and two men were speaking with muffled voices. Something about the 'Package' in the next room.

Probably him.

Liquid was less the infiltrator than his brother. He still remembered how Solid had managed to break through his defenses, vents and all - and his eyes turned to a slightly ajar crate. He slid it aside, noting an empty ventshaft. He quickly disappeared into it, crawling slowly as he passed directly underneath the pair. Neither noticed him - something Liquid attributed to pure luck.

A loud automated voice resounded in all compartments, "Commencing final approach to Rifleman Bank Station." It said. Rifleman Bank Station. It was clear from the pitching of the hull that he was on a ship, so that meant an offshore platform of some kind. It reminded him of the short-lived Militares Sans Frontieres - his father's outfit quickly established and disestablished in the mid 1970s.

He exited the vents, quickly sliding into place against a wall. A single man paced by the watertight door, and Liquid silently slid it open - grabbing the man. Shutting the door and holding his pistol to the man's head, he smiled - "Hello there." He said, his voice jovial. "You're going to make this very easy for me, aren't you?" The man paused a moment, and Liquid pushed the pistol harder into his skull. A furious nodding ensued. "Good."

Liquid stepped away, the man standing where he was. "Take out your weapon and drop it on the floor. Deviate and die." He smiled.

"O-Okay." The man said, removing his gun and dropping it.

"There's a good lad." Liquid said, stepping forward. "Turn around." The man did so, and Snake calmly began patting his uniform down, removing four 10mm magazines and a pair of flashbang grenades. "Quite an arsenal. Are you expecting this much trouble today?"

The man paused. He was asian - Chinese if Liquid had to guess. "I-I not know!" He said. "Keitner say defend corridor, we defend corridor!"

"And where is she now?" Liquid asked. He needed to clamp down on this bombing nonsense and get answers.

"On helicopter, going to Rifleman Bank. You not find her soon." The soldier said.

"Alright then." Liquid said. "You work for whom, exactly?"

"...You do not know?" The Soldier said. "Belltower Associates! PMC! Very big, owns China police contracts in Hengsha and Hong Kong - also fighting in Australian Civil War." Australia? In a civil war?

"What is the present year?" Liquid asked after a moment's hesitation.

"2027. November is month." The soldier said. "You not know this?" Liquid shook his head, reaching down and taking the man's pistol. He held both pointing at the man.

"Unfortunately not. I last remembered dying on an Aleutian Island, and then awakening here." Liquid replied, flipping some of his hair out of his face. "Any tips on posing as a Belltower Soldier?"

The Soldier paused, looking him over. "Need full uniform. Many new faces on ship, may get passed over if you from other compartments. Code to lasers is 4761. Might want to find other door codes - or get hack computer." Liquid smiled.

"My, but you are useful." He said. "I appreciate your assistance."

"Y-you let me go?" The Soldier replied. Liquid nodded, dropping the pistols and stepping forward. Right arm left shoulder left arm between legs - flip and throw simultaneously. A loud crack echoed in the air as the man collided bodily with the wall. He dropped, blood dripping from his cracked nose, and was already unconscious. Snake quickly dropped to a knee, stripping his uniform and putting it on. He dropped the man into the vent, closing it and putting a crate on top for good measure.

Strapping on the uniform and firmly putting on his hat, he slowly stepped outside - pistol holstered and ammunion stocked on his tactical vest. He immediately turned to the right, calmly walking the hallway. "Liftoff Confirmed. Transferred to Rifleman Bank Station Control."

Liquid quickly made progress down a corridor - though completely lost, in truth - he was clueless as to his initial location as much as he was to the ship's overall layout. After ascending another level, he encountered a man standing directly in front of the ladder - the man turned to him and smiled, speaking in the most Swedish accent he'd heard in some time. "Ja, my friend! How may I help you?" He said.

Liquid smiled. "I appreciate your helpfulness." He said, patting the man on the shoulder as he looked down the corridor. "I'm looking for the CIC?"

"Really?" The Soldier said, glancing over at the laser grids. "You're gonna have to desecure that door past the two walkways to your right, then make your way up to the top deck and into the bridge itself. It's quite the mess down here." He stepped over to one of the control panels, typing in 4761 as well. "Anyways. Want me to radio up for that door to be open?"

"Please." Liquid said, smiling. The Soldier quickly spoke a few words into his radio, nodding to Liquid. "Thank you."

Liquid passed the lasers, which snapped on as he turned right down the corridor. A single patrolling guard was stopped to chat with a heavily armored guard in the middle of the hall, and Liquid calmly walked through without much of a hassle. He walked with military bearing, and a face that said he shouldn't be messed with. There was one major rule to disguises: "C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui" - "It is by doing whatever, that one becomes whatever."

Liquid knew soldiering. Therefore, he was a soldier. He'd need to nix his hair to fit in better, though. As he exited the corridor, he turned to see a door slowly open - motors whirring in its hull - and looked to see nobody within. Curiosity killed the cat, but Liquid would not be daunted by the display. He quickly entered, shutting the door behind him. A single computer was within, and it slowly expanded to reveal a single blue face - digitized. "Hello, Bratan." It said. "You are the first of several friends I plan to make today." The voice was distorted, but a distinctly russianesque accent was underlaid. Bratan was russian slang for 'Dude', after all.

"Indeed?" Liquid said. "And you don't even know me."

"Anyone smart enough to sneak out with a body count of two unconscious is good enough. Nobody will be the wiser until well after you dock - and they'll probably chalk it up to number two - the robotic man belowdecks. He has a different objective than you, I'm afraid."

"And how would you know what my objective is?" Liquid asked, frowning. A robotic chuckle growled through the speakers.

"You are a clever man, bratan. A leader, not a follower like number two. You need a way off this station, and you don't exist in the world computer networks - because you're not of this world. One of a half-dozen Burke has chained up in some small part of his complex." The hacker paused. "I haven't had the means to rescue them until now. Now I have two."

"And why should I help you?"

"Because of what will happen if you do not, bratan." The man said. Liquid scoffed. He then proceeded to chuckle - breaking out into a fully maniacal laugh.

"You think this is difficult for me?" Liquid said. "I could kill every person on this ship and sail it anywhere I wanted. I could crash into that little station and burn it to its struts. Do not presume to utilize me as a tool, 'Bratan', 'lest you provoke severe irritation. We are partners, if I require your aid."

"And I assure you you shall, Bratan." The man said, a hint of irritation in his robotic inflection. "I would suggest you check that hubris. It serves you no purpose here - not against the enemies in this world."

"What do you propose I do, then?" Liquid said.

There was a short pause on the line. "I have a contact aboard the station. Two, actually. Garvin Quinn, mechanic on lower level. You have to find an elevator to reach him. Other is Netanya Keitener. Woman you've met already. She is searching for evidence of severe wrongdoing at Rifleman Bank by Belltower higher ups."

A video of a lab popped up, people drilling into the spine of a young girl whom screamed the whole time, a horrific metal assemblage being transplanted into it. Liquid watched impassively. "It goes much further."

"Why are they doing it?" Liquid asked.

The video snapped off, the hacker's image replacing it. "I wish I knew, Bratan. I have no access to the labs - not any I wouldn't get spotted to attain. You, however... Keitner can get your biometrics encoded, you need only meet her. And if you see a man with mechanical arms and sunglass mounts on his temples, tell him the hacker sent you. He should know about you via infolink."

Liquid frowned. "Is he like me? From another place?"

"No." The hacker said. "He's from Detroit. Sarif Industries - opposed to Belltower for purely corporate and personal reasons. Not because of things they've done to him."

"Right." Liquid said. "Is there a way to get in contact with you?" He asked.

"Do you have any augments or tech capable of interfacing with the computer?" The Hacker asked. Liquid paused a moment, and removed a small knife from his tactical vest. He slit a finger, dabbing blood on a connecting port.

"Black magic?" The Hacker said. "Didn't think you were the type, Bra- Hm. Now that -is- interesting. Stand by." A small ringing hit Liquid's ears, and he saw the face of a modified man staring back at him.

"Hello Bratan. I will not have my identity concealed, as it seems cat is out of bag. I am Garvin Quinn."

"Liquid Snake." Liquid replied. Garvin's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Codename. It's the only one I use anymore, though."

"Fair enough. We are all liars in this buisiness." Quinn replied. "Advanced architecture, here - I may need to send it to some associates if you'll give me a blood sample."

"We'll see what happens once I take over Rifleman Bank." Liquid said. "What's my next move?"

"CIC." Quinn said. "We're on a timetable, Jensen's going to be there- I'll call you back." Liquid's codec cut off, the computer shutting. Liquid held the knife in his left hand, slowly removing his 10mm and holding the two together in a wrist-brace.

'Try to remember the basics of CQC...' A voice echoed in his head. Colonel Cambell - teaching it to him in FOXHOUND training. Liquid smiled. He holstered the pistol, stepping outside - apparently the doors were excellent at soundproofing.

There was a pile of at least four Belltower soldiers on the floor, all of them totally unconscious. Liquid cocked an eyebrow - "Not bad." He said, flipping his knife. "Not bad at all." He tapped his ear, walking forwards and through the security door - now opened.

"Yes, Bratan?" Quinn's voice called in his head.

"The Robot Man is a bit more brutal than myself, it seems." Liquid said. "Where to now?" He walked forward, into the ruins of a cargo bay - where a massive hole was opened in the floor.

"Do you want to follow Number Two, or would you like a different objective?" Quinn asked. Liquid pondered a moment - watching as a half-dozen dockmen attempted to slowly maneuver one of the crates out of the hole.

"What does it entail?" Liquid asked.

"Jensen will take no more than a half hour to eliminate Burke and solve the mission for Keitner. In the mean time, I intend for you to rescue several in-stasis passengers, then utilize them to take over the ship." The voice said. "Can you do that for me, bratan?"

Liquid calmly began folding the sleeves on his uniform, holstering his knife for a moment. After a moment, Quinn cleared his throat: "Bratan?" He said.

Liquid smiled, flipping the knife in his hand. "Right down in this hole?" Liquid said.

"Yes."

Liquid pulled out his pistol, glanced at the six below, and pulled the trigger six times. "Yes... I think I can handle that. Once we've taken the ship, we'll help out number two. Do you have a name?"

"Adam Jensen. Sarif Industries Security Chief."

Liquid scoffed, "A glorified bodyguard?" He said. There was that robotic laughter again.

"With nearly three million in high-spec military augmentations, prototypes, and surgeries - all paid for by contract with one of the best and last American biomechanical companies. He's a walking tank - though he prefers the stealthy approach."

"I could tell by the group nap going on upstairs." Liquid snarked. "Liquid out." He said, snapping off the codec worldessly. He dropped down - grunting as his knees and feet took a dozen-foot drop without too much trouble. He'd faced far worse in his time. He stepped forward, the dozen Belltower crewmen writhing in pain on the deck. He slowly removed his hat, flipping his hair, and turned to the one in charge.

"I'm going to make this easy." He said, turning his nose up. "You all serve a corrupt organization that experiments on kidnapped girls and unlawfully detains people with lame excuses as justification. How many of you are willing to die for this cause?" Liquid slowly turned, jabbing his pistol at people at random intervals. He let out a maniacal laugh.

"Oh but you are all so fearful!" He said. "Come, now! Don't you want to change your life? Fight for someone who wants to save the world, not kidnap innocent people? Who do you think is down there, in stasis? Shall we take a look?" Liquid said. One of them finished tying off his foot, having used part of his uniform as a bandage.

"Fuck man, you just shot us all." The soldier said. Liquid looked at him, hunkering down and staring straight in the floored man's face. A few beads of sweat dripped off the man's chin as the red drained away from his face. Liquid's smile turned into a devilish grimace, and he let out a few chuckles.

"Oh, but you are rich." Liquid said, snapping up suddenly, clapping his hands together. He threw his knife blade-up at the man, its handle hitting the man's rib cage and bouncing harmlessly, the man shouting suddenly in fear. "Come on, then!" He said, holstering his pistol. "Gentleman's gambit! If you think I'm your enemy, get up and fight-" His head snapped sideways, and his fist connected squarely with a handgun slowly rising from another soldier's holster. Its slide popped off, the remainder of the gun intact, and the soldier pulled the trigger in futility.

Liquid smiled, reaching down and pulling the man's leg out from beneath him. He was lights-out from a rush of blood before he even hit the deck. The other soldier struggled to his feet, favoring his good foot, and held up the knife. He gritted his teeth. "No knife for you?" He said.

Liquid smiled, dropping into a fighting stance with ease. "It'd just make it unfair, my friend." He quipped. "Now then, let's see what you're made of. I've always had a thing for fresh meat." There was an awkward pause.

"Dude." One of the soldiers said, lying on the ground holding his bleeding gut. "So gay."

"What now?" Liquid said.

"Gay?" One of the others said. "You don't know what gay is?"

"I mean, I know it's men liking men - but I meant. Oh." Liquid said. "Oh, goodness." He stopped, dropping out of his fighting stance and holding a hand to his temple. He looked up at the soldier in fighting stance. "I truly apologize, let's just get this over with. You're not even that attractive."

The soldier's brow furrowed, and he brought the knife to a rather poor fighting stance. "Whatever, asshole." he said, lunging forward. Forward stab - not tough, dodge left to throw off expectation, right hand under, left hand over - a sudden crack echoed as Liquid's hands audibly dislocated the man's shoulder, the knife hitting the ground.

"Now, then." Liquid said, watching the man drop to the floor in pain. "I am here to make all of you an offer. Fight on the side of good, be my comrades in arms, and free those people downstairs, or you all die." He stepped towards the hole, retrieving his knife and the remaining five pistols, leaving the wounded men to join him or fester on their own.

A few moments later, he and gut-shot were lighting their Belltower patches on fire, the first of many a casket being opened - its occupant coughing hard as she exited - and soon, one after another, a dozen women of various ages and capabilities were piling up on one side of the room. Liquid finished bandaging the soldiers to the best of his ability, and finally stood atop a stasis pod as the last woman exited hers. "I've never been one for grandiose speeches - more philosophical debate - but I'd ask for your attention." He said. The whole room turned to him.

"There are perhaps two dozen Belltower crewmen total aboard this ship. We have six on our side at this time. All of them are armed. I am armed as well. My intent, with all of you, is to eliminate them and retake the ship - securing the dockside loading bay and holing up so that a comrade of mine might find others like yourselves, trapped inside." Liquid said. "Now I know what you're thinking - 'Where's my family?' - 'Why me?' - 'I'm no warrior!' - and all of those are valid. Right now, though, that's going to have to be put aside. If we don't defeat the Belltower men occupying the ship, all of you are going to get killed, imprisoned for life, or much, much worse. I've seen some shit on what goes on here - and none of it's pretty." He said.

"Any questions?" Liquid said. There was a moment of silence, then a thousand broke out. After a few minutes assuaging them, he took off - leaving the soldiers in charge of giving them basic firearm instruction. It was enough time to double back - acquiring three shotguns, six pistols, and a pair of assault rifles. Returning, he distributed the longarms accordingly to the strongest and biggest of the girls - giving them careful instruction on ammo conservation. He felt almost like a man from his history - one he'd only known from stories and gentle insults to his character as the weaker brother.

As one of the girls popped off a round into a target, he narrowed his brow. "You ready, boss?" One of the soldiers said.

"Yes." Liquid replied. He put on a grin. Perhaps a second revolution was enough.

 

[SlugSLinger]

...Wut?

Liquid in Human Revolution? Man, there had better be a Big Boss cameo here...

 

[Gideon020]

Interesting. Watched.

 

[Arythios]

So very watched.

 

[Ardion Prosili]

Ha! Those babbies in HR are not even on the Patriot's level yet! Hee hee hee , fun fun fun.

Anywho, now that I've spent some time digesting this, I want to say that the ending parts were a bit tough to follow first time through. Not by much but a bit.

Now I'm curious. How is this a multi-cross? Why were those six chosen to be released? Do they have a history? Will we get to see things from their perspectives? What are the purpose of the goggles? And why the heck is Liquid here?

They should also consider themselves lucky. At least its just nanomachines and not like...Rising Raiden. So much fuck with him.

 

[Historian]

I more or less wrote this chapter as a one-off with limited editing, apologies for confusion.

The six are random characters from other universes - thus the multicross. One series has three games crossed over via one character.

That leaves us a total of nine possible POVs, plus Adam Jensen, Anna Kelso, and a third character.

 

[Historian]

Liquid II​

The door slammed open, two rifle-armed women rushing through the door with only a little trepidation. They immediately dove for nearby crates - and this action proved fruitful. A hail of heavy gunfire rattled down the corridor - and Liquid pressed against the doorframe with a grimace. He stuck a hand to his ear. "Quinn, we're being held up in the superstructure beneath the CIC."

"I noticed, Bratan. Your actions have provided a good distraction for our other asset. Be advised that highly trained Belltower Special Forces will likely envelop the ship. Can you handle two platoons of special forces?" The Russian said, his voice expressing some concern.

"Can I?" Liquid said with a smile, "Certainly. The crux of the matter is whether my men will survive." 'Men' when almost all of his force was women notwithstanding, Liquid had a serious concern. He snapped left, out into the corridor, and felt his pistol bark. The shot found its mark, and the machine gunner dropped to the ground, holding his right elbow. Liquid dashed forward as his two companions swept right - a spattering of gunfire filling the compartment as they downed targets he couldn't see.

The gunner was torn between getting his pistol and evading bleed-out. Liquid made that easier for him, relieving him of his pistol and pointing Liquid's own at his helmet. "I know its' quite a thick helmet, but do bear with me." Liquid said. "What do you think of the detainees?" He asked. The soldier was on his knees, bloody elbow in hand, a gun to his head - and Liquid offered conversation.

"Fuck you ma-" Liquid pistol-whipped him, the crack from the strike obliterating the polymer pistol and splitting open the man's helmet. Liquid drew his backup, jabbing it directly into the gap. "I-uh-" The gunner paused, collecting himself and groaning in pain. "It sucks, man, but it's my job. If I squeal I end up like anyone else that has - or worse, get assigned to Queensland and get killed in a week." Liquid withdrew his pistol, stepping around to the man's front. He bent down holstering his pistol.

He smiled, his golden hair falling in his face from bending down. "Do you know how long it'd take for me to kill everyone on that base?" Liquid asked. More gunshots resounded down the hall. "Not very long, not that you'd know that. My goal isn't to kill everyone. It's to create a haven for those who live on the battlefield - for whom the real world is too much, and the appeal of duty ever-present." Liquid said. "If I'm going to do that, you're going to join me. You're going to carry that gun-" Liquid put a hand to the bloody elbow, smearing some of the blood across the man's helmet. The man winced in pain, but didn't fight. Liquid, like lightning, bandaged the wound. "-and you're going to be my Gatling Bear. Do you understand me?"

The man nodded, shakily. "Whatever name you were before - whatever ideology you follow - you are Gatling Bear. I am Liquid Snake." He said. "This," He let out a chuckle, motioning to the pockmarked walls, "Is Outer Heaven."

Liquid took off into the adjacent hallway, Gatling Bear at his side. He'd picked a few capable people to reform FOXHOUND - it was only right that he'd forge a new team, and he saw potential where he needed it. Gatling was unholy in his accuracy with that gun - and durable enough to keep using it, even without augmentations. A capable ally - and the first of his team.

"Report!" Liquid shouted, stepping into the next room. His two soldiers were bunkered behind relocated lockers, waiting for his go.

"Wounded a few." One said, her cheek spattered with blood. A bandage was covering her forearm, and she winced as she moved her wrist. Liquid frowned, but said nothing. "We're ready when you are." Liquid snapped up his pistol, nodding to Gatling. The man spun up his weapon in anticipation, and they slowly climbed the stairs. Immediately, rounds filled the air: a pair of rifle-toting soldiers missing cleanly: enough time for Gatling's bullets and Liquid's pistol rounds to fill the air. Liquid found throat and skull, Gatling their torsos. Both collapsed in a bloody mess.

"Does not everyone get a second chance?" Gatling asked. Liquid frowned.

"Were it my choice, they would - but when others' lives are on the line I don't take chances. They knew what they signed up for when they joined the military - private or no." The pair marched forward, the women bringing up the rear, and breached the CIC. A half-dozen people were managing a tactical map of the ship: and the room was isolated from outside noise. Everyone's eyes snapped up in horror, weapons not drawn, and Liquid calmly drew his pistols, holding them out.

Gatling took up a corner, and spun up his rifle. The ominous whirr filled the room with trepidation. Without issue, the women stripped every weapon from the people within: and they frisked the hell out of the Belltower Captain standing at the central console. It was then, and only then, that Liquid spoke. "I'm going to make this easy," He began, "These two women were kidnapped - from a hamlet in Germany and the streets of Seattle. Not central Queensland. Not North Australia. Not in commission of a crime during a counterinsurgency operation. They were kidnapped, against their will, and tossed into pods to be brought here. All for some operation, to take them to some place called 'Omega'." Liquid paused, holstering one of his pistols. He stepped forward, tapping a few times on the holoscreen. A hand snapped to his ear.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, lockdown initiated in five. Find a secure area and hunker down temporarily." Liquid said. He turned to the crowd of Belltower officers. "Now, you have two choices, as I see them. The buck stops with all of you as commanders of this vessel. You knew damned well who these people are, and damned well what they want to do to every one of you."

"Luckily, for every single one of you, I'm a man of some charisma. I could easily have lead a brutal slaughter. Instead I lead a revolution. Where I come from, my father created a group called Outer Heaven - where all soldiers and people could gather: free to fight and live their lives outside the apparatus of the state." He said. "I'm going to make it again - and dedicate it to ruining the people who think this sort of thing is okay. We fight as soldiers to help and protect people - not for the killing. If the latter's what you do it for, I'll kill you myself." He turned, tapping the screen one more time. "There are no doubt a few thousand men on that station, ready to kill anyone and everyone aboard this ship without question. A full sanitation."

He turned to the officer. "So the question you must ask yourself - is Commander Burke the type of man to pull the trigger on his own men? Are you willing to live with the idea that innocent people die every day?" Liquid let out a sigh. The officer was Chinese, his face tired and haggard from the events of the past few days. Between himself and Jensen, there'd no doubt been plenty of sleepless paperwork.

"I want to believe all of you are better than that, stronger." Liquid said. "So I'm asking you all to fight for me. Can you do that?!" He shouted. A few of the Belltower men shouted out. "Can you DO THAT?!" He shouted, and the entire compartment rung. Liquid slid his pistol through the holograms, and the officer took it. He slid the slide back, a click filling the air.

==

Two cracks echoed, and two men dropped. Liquid's face was pressed in a tight line, and he rolled to his feet. The cargo bay was expansive - and alack for cover. Bullets penetrated nearly everything, leaving his fireteam woefully in danger, lying as they were flat against the metal. It was a terror. Liquid could handle suppression, but already some of the women were cracking under the pressure. Even Gatling was having trouble returning suppression fire.

It was all because of the Box Bot - whose twin miniguns were raking the entire deck with fire. Liquid flipped around, lying on his back, and slowly pulled the pin on a grenade. He rolled back over and swung hard with the momentum, the bomb sailing to the foot of the robot. It detonated, and the machine collapsed on its front-left, a gun silenced temporarily. "Concentrate all your fire on the Box Bot! I have the rest!" Liquid shouted. Now was a time for action. He shot up - minigun fire tracing behind him.

One grazed his back, before his feet kicked out - and he was gone, flying over the side rail and toward the seas below. Or so it seemed. The rappelling cable he hooked to the rail pulled taut, stretching a bit to relieve the fall, and swung him like a pendulum beneath the loading dock. He pulled himself against the understructure and unhooked, free climbing upside down over a high-category sea state.

Some would call him insane.

Liquid called it Tuesday.

He slowly approached the right side, a machine pistol strapped to his hip, and a triplet of grenades on his chest. If this was going to work, he needed to move quickly and violently. The rest of his soldiers wouldn't survive, otherwise. Swinging himself up and onto the right side railing, he was now past the enemy's line, directly next to the bot. In a flurry, three grenades flew through the air - and detonated against the hull of the Box Bot. It roared error messages and began secondary explosions, shrapnel and flame coating the dozen Belltower troopers currently defending the entrance. Liquid swung himself over the rail, planted both feet on the ground, and snapped the machine pistol into a firing stance.

"Come on, soldiers!" Liquid shouted. "Outer Heaven awaits for those with the courage to claim it!" The gun kicked in his hands, two men on an inner catwalk gibbing into a bloody mess. Liquid quickly took cover behind a crate, Gatling and two-dozen troopers quickly falling in behind him. It was an even mixture - converted Belltower troops and rescued passengers. They'd awoken nearly forty more in the depths of the ship, and the Belltower Officer, callsign Phoenix, was in charge up top. At least three helicopters had begun to circle for a LZ, machinegun fire raking the deck. It was his job to deny the ship to the enemy, long enough to allow Liquid Rifleman Bank.

The loading dock of Rifleman Bank was filled with containers, alongside a few Autoturrets and dockworkers armed with pistols. Within two minutes, Liquid had the area secure. Alarms were already off in the facility, resulting in explosive traps on all exit hallways. The security system was disabled with some effort, allowing the autoturrets' usage as Anti-Aircraft Artillery.

One of the helos crashed hard into the superstructure, cutting into the north entrance and detonating the explosive traps. Tasking a squad of ten to defend the area, Liquid lead a remaining fourteen into the lion's nest: fire flooding the area as they made way into the northern area. Another firefight broke out, killing two of Liquid's men for five Belltower captured and twelve dead. The captured men immediately joined his side, willing to rescue the prisoners and, ultimately, free themselves of guilt.

It was a wonder how people changed their minds at the behest of the right tongue, Liquid thought.

"Quinn." Liquid said, talking through the Codec.

"I hear your handiwork, bratan." Garvin replied. "Jensen has breached the detention ward, and Special Forces has retreated from the ship. Burke is no doubt in severe trouble. I have contacted Commander Keitner, she will defect to you and bring most standard personnel to your side. That is over 300 personnel base-wide. Burke retains over 150 aboard, however. You will need to work with all assets you have, or we will not win this."

"I am beyond confident in our success." Liquid replied. "How is the asset? Jensen, was it?"

"He has breached a detention block. Special Forces have taken charge of the area as he descends to an underwater research facility. He will need assistance - and your companions are still trapped." Quinn said. A pair of boxes behind Liquid crackle open, their lights green as a pair of converted Belltowers direct them to defensive positions.

Liquid stripped his trenchcoat entirely, handing it to Gatling wordlessly. "I'll handle the rest of this personally, then. Soldiers! You know our job and our motivations!" Liquid yelled. "We have few choices, here! I cannot sacrifice you all to some mad end. Hold here - and if fortune fights 'gainst us, I urge you all to take ship, make your way to somewhere out of the way, and maintain the good fight. You are all just as capable as I." Lies, but well crafted lies.

The doors cracked open behind him - a robot-armed woman stepping into the room. There was visible distress on the faces of the Belltower troopers turned to Liquid, and a few tensed around their rifles. She entered with a dozen soldiers, all with slung weapons. Liquid turned around, flashing a smile.

"Keitner." He said, stepping forward and proffering a hand. She took it, lips pressed in a thin line.

"Liquid." She replied. "You have a plan?" Liquid nodded, motioning to the madness behind.

"You're going to need to play this defensive, my dear." Liquid said. "Have you talked with this Jensen fellow?"

"You two know eachother?" Keitner asked. Liquid shook his head, tapping his temple.

"I have a friend who's mentioned him a few times." Liquid replied. "I'm going to play his game. We've got a few HVTs to recover, then it's off to the races. Until then, keep the ship ready to move if necessary and hold the fort. If we don't, we can kiss this station goodbye. Along with plenty of other things."

They released eachother's hands. Liquid turned about. "Keitner is in charge. Kill every one of those Special Forces bastards you can - stay alive - and we'll all go home if fate is kind." The crowd cheered, and Liquid nodded to them. He was gone in a flash - deep into the belly of the beast. Gunfire already began, SOF troopers likely attacking from whatever routes they could.

It would be a hard day. There'd be a big bill when it was all over.

Liquid had known many like it.

A/N: Was dealing with a bit of writer's block. Not too much progress in this chapter.