in the quiet loop. (solid snake x reader)

05 - loose ends

"Otacon, hover above the northwest pillar," Snake ordered. "We'll provide cover from above."

The chopper hovered just behind the blast radius while Snake opened the side hatch again, taking aim. You stood behind him, launching your own counter-fire as the Harrier made another aggressive pass. The battle erupted in full chaos. Raiden sprinted along the damaged bridge, firing what he could from the ground. Snake launched two missiles, with one grazing the Harrier's right wing. You timed your shots to force the jet to veer off course, breaking its line of attack.

"Nice hit!" Hal called from the cockpit, voice sharp with tension.

The Harrier responded with a barrage of missiles and machine gun fire, raking the side of the bridge and sending smoke and flame in every direction. You leaned back into the cockpit and grabbed another missile, reloading with precise motion despite the shaking aircraft.

You ducked behind a steel support as bullets sparked around you. Snake stepped into position, locking onto the Harrier's heat signature through the Stinger's tracking system. He fired once, then twice. Explosions erupted along the Harrier's wings, but it remained airbone, its pilot still defiant. You crawled your way back into the Kasatka while Snake and Raiden kept the harrier busy.

Then you spotted a sniper rifle, a PGS1, long-range and in pristine condition. You grabbed it and slung it over your shoulder. You moved to the Kasatka's hatch, bracing the rifle against the frame, wind whipping your hair and coat. Your breath settled as the crosshairs settled over the Harrier's cockpit, catching a glimpse of Solidus behind the reinforced glass.

You exhaled, slow and steady, then pulled the trigger. The sound cracked through the chaos like a whip as the round hit the Harrier, not the cockpit, but just enough to fracture a side panel, and grazed Solidus's left eye. You saw him jerk violently in his seat.

The Harrier collided with the Strut G section of the connecting bridge. Completely out of control, the Harrier went into a freefall. But just as the plane was about to slam into the ocean, the water heaved upward like something was alive, rippled in unnatural waves.

You and Snake instinctively took a step back as the surface split open, and from beneath the waves, a giant steel form surged upward, water cascading off its plated armor in sheets.

The Metal Gear RAY.

The war machine's mechanical jaws clamped around the Harrier like a beast protecting its own. Its massive arms lifted the damaged jet with unsettling precision, shielding it from certain destruction. The Harrier groaned under its weight, barely hanging together but was saved.

RAY's eyes flashed, scanning the perimeter before sinking slowly beneath the water again, disappearing with the Harrier like a serpent vanishing beneath the waves. Your breath caught as the image burned into your mind. Below, Riaden dangled form the ledge of the bridge, his body barely holding on after the impact of the explosion. His grip looked tenuous, then with a strained groan, he pulled himself up, collapsing momentarily on the steel surface.

"He's okay," Snake noted.

Above, the wind kicked up again as the Kasatka's rotors resumed their beat. Hal's voice came over comms, tight but controlled. "I'm getting us out of range. Hang on!"

The Kasatka banked hard to the right, slicing through the air as the last wisps of smoke curled into the sky. You held onto the side grip near the hatch, watching Raiden get to his feet, catching his breath.

"Otacon, put us down in the port at Strut E. We regroup and rethink everything," Snake ordered.

The helicopter lowered steadily, sweeping over the Shell structure. From above, the full scale of Big Shell seemed even more fractured now. The parts of the complex blackened from fire, riddled with broken supports and shattered glass. The Kasatka touched down in the narrow landing pad beside Strut E as its metal groaned under its weight.