Chapter Text
It was into his first week at Mother Base that Eli heard rumours and whispering about some creepy child which seemed to put the whole Base at unease. At first Eli thought they were talking about him since none of the Mother Base soldiers had high opinions of him- an opinion he shared back at them -but as he crept closer along the catwalk so he was above the two soldiers who he'd overheard mention 'the child' it soon became very obvious that it wasn't the case.
The two soldiers were leaning against the railing over one of the massive platforms, talking low enough Eli had to press himself against the grating in order to catch the tail end of the conversation. He ignored the metal digging into his cheek as he flattened himself against the catwalk, keeping his breath low and light. Hours of sneaking around the base and Eli was fairly confidant these so-called 'soldiers' wouldn't pick up his presence at all.
He was fairly frustrated when they stopped the conversation in order to light some cigarettes and Eli wrinkled his nose as the foul smell reached him but thankfully the two carried talking without anymore interruptions.
The leftmost soldier spoke first, "No, I'm telling you it's what happened. And I don't mean all that sick shit that Skull Face guy was doing in The Devil's House but more of that creepy kid that's always following him around."
"Yeah, I heard about that brat," the other man replied, nonchalantly flicking some ash off his cigarette, "Real creepy if you ask me. Is that kid even human?"
"Doubt it- I mean the kids the Boss dug out of Africa are pretty fucked up but they're still kids, you know? Even that Eli brat is still a child even if his temper tantrums cause a lot more damage."
Only his curiosity over this 'other' kid stopped Eli from leaping down from the catwalk and stabbing the offending soldier in the back. At this angle he'd be able to sink his blade right into the soft flesh at the base of the man's skull. However he was information gathering at the moment and so forced the white-knuckle grip on his knife hilt to relax as the other solider snorted.
"I'll say. I mean, that 'Third Child' looks like stuff of nightmares, some real Children of the Corn shit you know? Never talks while floating about, sets everything on fire and is even impervious to bullets and rockets. Not to mention the gas mask and straitjacket get-up the kid's always in. From what I heard that brat nearly killed the Boss when he was at the Devil's House using that Man on Fire and, if what Wild Leopard said is true, even attacked him back when the Boss was escaping from that hospital before the whole place went up in flames. Where'd the kid even come from? Some kind of lab?"
"Hell if I know. I just hope they figure out what to do with the Third Child and fast. Creeps me out knowing there's a kid like that sneaking about and with that kind of power. At least the ones we've got on Mother Base aren't...whatever the hell the Third Child is."
"Ha ha, what if the Boss brings the brat back here? Since he seems to try and adopt every damn child he comes across considering how many we've got running around here. Imagine how Miller would react."
"Don't even joke about that-"
Eli waited a few more moments until it became clear the conversation had shifted and the two soldiers started discussing all the animals getting fulton'd back to base and so Eli carefully crept out of the area, thinking intently.
Another 'child'? One capable of going toe-to-toe with his father? From the sounds of it the other child possessed supernatural abilities. Eli would have dismissed such a thing instantly but he'd seen some strange things around Mother Base, especially with that woman Quiet who was kept locked in a cell underneath the base. He didn't really know much about her barring all the scathing comments from most of the soldiers- and Miller, who certainly seemed to hate her a lot -but she almost seemed supernatural. Turning invisible and drinking through skin seemed like that.
Eli brooded on the issue for several moments, running numerous scenarios through his head. While he was still unsure about the the whole 'supernatural' aspect from the sounds of it this Third Child was a formidable enough opponent, especially if they were able to attack Big Boss and get away with it. Judging by the hush tones the soldiers spoke of the Third Child they were powerful enough to make people within Mother Base uneasy simply by discussing them. Him? Her? Eli wasn't sure yet.
Maybe if they join me... The idea had a great amount of potential. While his father had been stupid enough to allow him free reign within his coveted base of operations Eli wasn't foolish enough to think he could kill Big Boss without repercussions or getting killed himself in the aftermath. Admittedly he was prepared to kill his father or die trying at some point but Eli wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to up his chance of success.
Especially considering this 'Third Child' seemed to dislike Big Boss as much as he did and had tried to kill him on numerous occasions. Maybe if he could track this 'Third Child' down, convinced them to join him...after all, he had taken over the camp in Africa with nary an issue, beyond having to beat some more unruly underlings into respecting him. He wasn't sure if that would work on a psychic, but if they hated Big Boss as much as Eli did they could be persuaded into potentially joining him.
With an annoyed grunt Eli kicked the side of the building, his boot leaving a dirty smear on the orange metal. Speculation wouldn't help. Like with any mission he needed more information.
After some thinking- and breaking one of the chairs in the lower part of Mother Base in frustration -he eventually planned on sneaking into Miller's officer. The old soldier would have information on the strange 'Third Child', that Eli had no doubt. He did briefly think of trying to break into Ocelot's room since that man seemed to spend most of his time lurking around and spying on everyone but dismissed that just as quickly; Miller had a weird softness for children and would most likely let Eli get away with the break in compared with that Russian cowboy if he did get caught.
Eli plotted his mission carefully, even making sure to be on his best behaviour the following day to avoid casting any suspicion or increased scrutiny upon himself. It was a near thing though and he came extremely close to breaking the nose of one of the other children in the base. Only his burning curiosity over this 'Third Child' stopped him enacting any violence, no matter how well deserved it was. Whatever, Eli vowed to give that other kid a lesson in respect soon enough. Just not today.
He even forced himself to tolerate a passing remark from his father, keeping his expression blank and neutral when the man praised him for showing restrain. Eli wanted nothing more than to ram his knife in Big Boss' remaining eye and gore it out but forced himself to respond to the comment with a stiff nod even as rage caused his clenched fists to shake but he swallowed the impulse down.
The next few hours was snooping around the vicinity to Miller's office, making sure to keep his movements slow and careful as he idly watched the patrolling soldiers from where he was perched on the upper level. At this height only a few of them noticed him, but Eli had spent quite a lot of time in the previous week lurking in the upper stories or lounging on a chair that most of them ignored him. Fools.
However at the moment the Mother Base's soldiers incompetence was a help as a fight broke out between several of them on the lower levels. Eli kept a close eye on them from where he was perched up on the upper deck and after some careful spying he spotted Miller leaving his officer and slowly making his way down the stairs. Probably to go scold the soldiers who got moved to the infirmary after the fight got broken up.
Either way, it was to Eli's benefit as he waited until Miller had vanished before he carefully shimmied down the pipes before hopping down to the platform. It was almost pathetically easy to break into the office; Eli ignored the door (which would no doubt be locked) in order to pry open the window with his knife, jamming the sharp steel hard into the hinges of the window. It took a bit of twisting and muscle but he managed to bend the frame of the window enough in order to twist his fingers through the gap and undo the latch.
Sheathing his knife Eli hefted himself up and squirmed through the now-opened window. It was small enough he had to wiggle around a bit, skinning his elbow in the process before successfully falling through into Miller's now empty office.
Conscious of how soon Miller could return Eli wasted no time in scanning the files on the desk. To his annoyance most of it seemed to be ammunition and scouting reports along with a ridiculous amount of paperwork on flowers that his father seemed to waste an ungodly amount of time harvesting out in the field. With a disgusted snort Eli shoved aside the papers, wasting several minutes trying to find anything on the Third Child to no avail so he shifted his attention to the filing cabinets along the left wall.
It took him a few minutes of rummaging through the densely packed files- along with a steadily increasing paranoia that Miller was going to barge back into the room at a moments notice -before he found a thick brown folder stamped with 'The Man on Fire' which caught Eli's attention and he recalled the discussion he overheard with the two soldiers; the Third Child was said to be connected to the Man on Fire so it seemed like a good start. Sitting down at Miller's desk Eli flicked open the folder; most of it was crammed with text that would take him a while to get through (time he didn't have) so he ignored most of it as he flipped over the pages until he got to the photos. Most of them were blurry and over exposed, looking as if most were taken at a great distance. Considering the Man on Fire was a...well, a man on fire it seemed like a wise decision. Eli looked over one of the more close-up photos, taking in the hulking, glowing frame of the Man of Fire with its near demonic eyes and abilities. Little wonder people avoided this thing so diligently, but they still seemed more afraid of the Third Child than this flaming man.
He spread out the files on the desk, frowning as most of them were about the Man on Fire or written in Russian. There were notes on some of the photos accompanying the files, little comments about supposed weaknesses and first-hand experiences soldiers had with the strange supernatural entity, such as the entity being imperious to bullets, grenades and rockets. Weak to water- even sprinkler systems -which was how his father escaped him at The Devil's House by all accounts but otherwise there seemed to be no way they could deter the Man on Fire beyond stalling him. Eli shifted, glancing over at the folder and back at the pictures; how did the Third Child tie into all this? Looking them over again he noticed that in many of the photos there seemed to be a small shadowy figure ghosting in the background and, when he looked back at the file in greater detail, there were vague notes that the 'floating kid' was somehow...controlling the Man on Fire? 'Parasiting' him? What did that even mean?
With a growl of frustration Eli threw the first file off the desk and onto the floor. He didn't particularly care about the Man on Fire, especially since the notes alluded to the possibility that the Third Child controlled him. This other kid was even more powerful than Eli originally thought and he didn't bother to stop the vindictive smile that crossed his face. If he could sway the Third Child over to his side, he doubted even Big Boss could stop them from killing him.
Flicking through a few more pages Eli's eyebrows rose when he finally came to a clear photo of the Third Child hovering in front of the Man on Fire, the photo glued to a page next to a plethora of notes. From the way the soldiers spoke of the Third Child earlier, along with the notes detailing the Child's connection and control of the formidable Man on Fire Eli fully expected the Third Child to look as ferocious and deadly as the Man on Fire, some strange otherworldly creature on fire and covered in spikes, with glowing eyes like a demon.
Instead the person in the photo was small, an over sized black straitjacket hanging off their skinny frame and grey leggings covering their thin legs. The Third Child's face was completely obscured by a dark gas mask, with messy red hair spilling over the sides.
A girl?
That was the Third Child? The one who controlled the Man on Fire? Who nearly killed his father on several separate occasions? Who attacked the hospital and The Devil's House? An undersized red-headed little girl?
Eli was unsure what to call her now- Girl in a gas mask? A witch? Or just keep on using 'The Third Child' despite it seemingly more like a title? The notes also called her 'floating kid' a lot but he doubted that was her actual name. As it was she looked fairly creepy, so calling her a witch would probably suited her well enough. He did later privately admit to himself she had nice coloured hair- red, the colour of blood and fire. A good colour.
At the moment however Eli pushed that aside, carefully reading the text on the page next to the Third Child's photo. There was some more speculation about the girl's, or 'floating kid' abilities, including pyrokinesis, levitation and telekinesis and even physical manifestation. Eli didn't understand most of the words, frowning as he skimmed through the next paragraph but it was something about 'latent cognitive abilities' and 'bio fields' which Eli couldn't make heads or tails of either. Probably some stupid science jargon that just complicated things so those adults could make themselves sound superior; he remembered his 'handlers' using such ridiculous language when he was still being held captive by them until he escaped.
With a huff Eli quickly scanned the rest of the page but it was more-or-less the same; just more nonsense. However a note at the bottom caught his attention, written first in Russian then in English-
'третий ребенок - Tretij Rebenok - the Third Child.'
Tretij? Her name is Tretij? Eli tapped the page with a gloved finger, frowning slightly as he rolled this new knowledge around in his head, That's a weird name. But she's apparently Russian so it might have something to do with that.
After all Ocelot was Russian by all accounts and that man made the hair on the back of Eli's neck stand up and he wanted to knife him whenever the old man came too close. So, the girl's name was 'Tretij Rebenok' even if Eli didn't understand why they gave her so many different names like 'Third Child' and 'floating kid' if they had her actual name on file. Probably for the same reason they kept on trying to force his 'normal' name back on him. He deserved his animal moniker, no matter what these idiots at Mother Base claimed.
The door suddenly swinging open violently jarred Eli from his thoughts and a startled voice snapped, "Hey, just what are you doing-"
Eli was up and out the window before Miller even finished his sentence, sending the files flying in all directions as he bolted from the room.
Quickly Eli ran along the catwalk and darted up the stairs before clambering up to the top of the building, heart hammering in his chest. Even though he was now three stories above Miller's Office Eli could hear the man's faint cursing. Whatever, he'd deal with it when the old man found him.
Regardless Eli made sure to give the man a wide berth for a while until he calmed down somewhat, even though Miller did catch him a few hours later and proceeded to lecture him over boundaries and ruining all his files but Eli couldn't care less. However he knew he needed to keep suspicion upon himself low, so instead he lied and made up a story about getting uneasy due to not being up to speed with current events. Eli felt like he was pushing it when he brought up his time as a commander in Africa, but made sure to put emphasis on how he was in charge and thus had been aware of everything that occurred within the camp and with his soldiers, hence him wanting to be knowledgeable about the coming and goings on Mother Base. He felt as if he was laying it on too thick but Miller seemed to be buy it after watching him carefully for a few moments, Eli standing ramrod straight and making sure to keep eye contact.
He wasn't sure if Miller actually brought it, but the man dismissed him with a sigh and parting warning about the consequences if he breached the privacy of his office again, which Eli quickly accepted before leaving. He got the information he was after and it seemed Miller was none the wiser to his real intentions.
Later on, when dusk was beginning to settle over Mother Base and Eli was sitting on one of the top levels watching the sun set as he carefully ran through the information he gathered. He wasn't foolish enough to write anything down, so he leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the plastic arm.
Tretij Rebenok, the Third Child who had attempted to kill Big Boss on numerous separate occasions and was armed with a plethora of supernatural powers. A potentially powerful ally for himself.
All Eli needed to do was figure out a way to meet her.
The next week Eli devoted most of his time to reconnaissance and information gathering; Getting off base would be fairly easy once Eli figured out the weaknesses and blind spots in patrols and security around Mother Base- many of the helicopters operated on skeleton crews and a large portion of the shipping and mailing system on and off base had major flaws so sneaking into one of the shipping containers to escape would be easy enough.
However getting off Mother Base didn't mean he would be able to find the Third Child and from Miller's reports that he read when he broke into the man's office she always seemed to appear when Skull Face did, which was typically around Big Boss. So sneaking off base wouldn't help Eli find her. He did however keep a mental note of all the lapses in security around Mother Base for potential escapes- that information would no doubt come in handy somewhere down the line.
But the fact was this 'Tretij Rebenok' only ever showed up when his father was out in the field. Which meant Eli had to find a way to somehow follow Big Boss on one of his missions. Something he doubted would be in anyway easy, since that Quiet woman or the annoying dog always accompanied his father on missions. Even if the man was stupid enough not to notice him either of those two definitely would.
Eli was frustrated enough he broke several of the windows on the lower decks of Mother Base and also broke the nose of the Diamond Dog soldier who tried to stop him. After easily evading the man he wound up in the lab of that creepy Emmerich man with the weird metal legs. Eli threw that stupid DD cup of his into the man's slimy face which resulted in Eli being forced into solitary confinement for two days once the soldier he wounded caught up with him but Eli didn't care. He was moreso angry about his current predicament than the incompetence of his father's troops. After finally being let out of solitary- and getting yet another lecture from Miller -Eli spent most of his time watching the coming and goings of the soldiers up on his perch on a nearby roof, raking his mind for any possible way to reach the girl. Most of them boiled down to 'find a way to follow Big Boss on a mission and hope she shows up' but Eli couldn't figure out a way to do it. Especially considering both his father and Miller complained whenever Eli practiced with his weapons or would always refuse his demands to be let off base.
It was nearing the afternoon when an increase of activity on the ground caught Eli's attention of where he was dozing in his chair, murky daydreams of blood and revenge cut off as raised voices. Shaking off his sleepiness Eli got up and carefully hopped down the grating until he reached the ground floor, making sure to keep his movements light and quiet.
Apparently his father was investigating something of 'great importance' and Miller was going to travel en route with one of the helicopters in case the need of support arose. Or at least that's what he gathered from the flighty babble coming from the troops as they darted back and forth like panicked chickens, their conversations getting partly blown away by the wind of the helicopter as it touched down on the nearby landing pad. Eli eyed the troops flitting about from where he was hidden behind one of the nearby shipping crates, only half-interested in the panic. Last time everyone was acting so ridiculous it was only because his incompetent father decided to fulton four bears back to Mother Base in rapid succession which apparently made for a fairly intense afternoon for the Diamond Dogs at the animal conservative platforms, even more so when one of the bears escaped and mauled several people before getting tranquilized. Eli remembered laughing about it.
Eli was yanked out of his reminiscing when he heard snatches of a hurried conversation between two soldiers as they rushed past, the key words 'Sahelanthropus' and 'Skull Face' instantly catching his undivided attention. He sucked in a breath before looking over at the helicopter still waiting at the landing pad; at this point Miller had somehow appeared and was talking with an annoyed looking Ocelot. That creep Emmerich was also hovering nervously on the outskirts of the group for some reason and judging from the unpleasant glares he was getting nobody else wanted him there.
Eli scowled, thinking furiously. He had to find a way to get on that helicopter. If the situation was bad enough Miller felt the need to go off base because of it then Eli had little doubt Skull Face was doing something of great importance, like he was at The Devil's House. Which is where the Third Child also showed up at with the Man on Fire in an attempt to kill his father.
He needed to get on that helicopter. This could potentially be the closest chance he got to meeting the girl, especially considering how distracted everyone was. With that in mind Eli swallowed down his nervousness and nimbly crept towards the group as they began to climb into the helicopter. Truthfully Eli was half expecting to be caught despite being as careful and quiet as possible but to his surprise he was able to duck into the helicopter and hop up on one of the spare seats without anyone giving him a second glance.
Breathing slow he kept himself as still as possible as the helicopter shuddered and started to rise off the landing pad. Miller seemed too occupied with yelling at the pilot to notice while Emmerich was busy fiddling with his strange metallic legs even as Eli sat down next to him. As the helicopter began to steadily leave Mother Base behind Eli felt a small smile cross his face as he gradually relaxed, glancing around the small space. Across from him Miller stopped scolding the pilot and shifted back on his seat, eyebrows shooting up when he realized who was sitting next to Emmerich.
"I- Eli, what are you doing here?" Miller snapped.
Eli blinked, trying to look casual and innocent, "I wanted to know what was happening; then everyone jumped onto the helicopter and I thought we had to leave," inwardly he cringed at how lost and confused he sounded but Miller had a habit of eating that act up.
Miller's stare hardened behind his glasses and Eli forced himself to look evenly back at the man, blinking owlishly. After a few moments Miller sighed and muttered, "Damnit, we don't have time to turn back- alright, but sit there and behave; that means no running off or doing something foolish to try and prove yourself. Understood?"
Swallowing down a triumphant smile Eli kept his features calm as he answered Miller with a brisk nod. Miller cast him another annoyed glance before turning his attention back to the pilot, a comms device in hand. Satisfied that the soft-hearted fool brought his story, Eli looked around at the rest of the thread-bare crew; most were random Diamond Dogs he couldn't remember the names of but that Emmerich man was shifting restlessly in his seat next to Eli. They made eye contact and Eli glared at the man until he looked away.
The rest of the trip was largely done in silence, with Miller occasionally grumbling under his breath or listening to his comms device where near inaudible words would occasionally emanate from. Eli guessed Miller was in radio contact with his father who was currently occupied with Skull Face. However everyone was too still and tense for Eli to eavesdrop more obviously so he casually leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees as he thought over how he was going to approach the Third Child, still fairly unsure just how to go about doing it. She might only speak Russian would could be an issue or she might decline his offer. However hopefully she hated Big Boss and the Diamond Dogs as much as he did and would readily agree to join with him in order to find a way to kill them all. Either way Eli was fully prepared to find a way off the helicopter to track her down while everyone was preoccupied with Skull Face.
He was broken from his musings when the pilot loudly announced, "This is Queequeg, on station to provide cover."
"Get us a line of fire," Miller quickly ordered and the helicopter shifted, swooping off to the side as the pilot carefully plotted a new course.
Eli shifted slightly in his seat, straining to hear the words streaming from the comms device Miller was holding in his hand- luckily their small quarters and increased proximity to Big Boss meant the words coming from Miller's comms device was clearer and from his seat right across Eli could hear a few snatches of the conversation playing on the other end, even if he didn't recognize the voice.
"-He lives, because of you. Show him."
Weird snarling, grinding noises followed that, before the unmistakable crackle and hiss of fire overtook all other sounds. Even though the noise was faintly distorted by the device Eli knew enough from his experience of the fires in Africa to instantly recognize that noise. Miller's faint cursing joined in and Eli felt vindictive glee build up in his gut and he knew without a doubt the Man on Fire had arrived down where his father was currently located. Suddenly Eli wanted to hear nothing more than Big Boss being burned alive over that speaker, even if he didn't get to see it himself. Dying in flames and screaming in agony would be a fitting death for that man and Eli glanced down at his hands so they couldn't see the small smile cross his face.
The pilot suddenly spoke up, tone nervous, "We've got a spike on the RWR... Strange PRF."
"What's wrong?" Miller asked.
"Control lost...Can't maintain RPM. We're settling!"
Then everything just stopped.
Eli blinked, dimly aware the pilot was speaking again but he took no notice as his attention shifted inwards as something pressed up against his mind. He automatically tensed as a strange sense of disorientation and confusion took over his mind. Something tugged at him persistently and from the corner of his eye he could see himself, watching him intently. Eli inhaled carefully, unsure what was going on before the strange copy of himself warped into someone else and slow, rasping breath filled his hearing. The appearance of bloodred hair and the gas mask instantly gave away the identity of the person standing only a few inches away from him.
Tretij Rebenok, Eli thought, still feeling strangely frozen in place. The other mind shifting against his paused before approval flooded into Eli's thoughts and he knew without a doubt it was the Third Child and she'd decided to contact him first.
Though he hadn't actually prepared for her approaching him first he couldn't steam the tide of his excited thoughts her abrupt appearance brought on, his mind instantly flickering through numerous scenarios of killing the Diamond Dogs, of destroying Mother Base and killing his father in the most agonizing and humiliating way possible in order to escape his predetermined curse of fate. Underlying all of his feverish visions of death and vengeance was the overwhelming hatred and rage he felt towards Big Boss and those who were still controlling him.
Eli felt a click deep inside himself and something shifted in the girl's mind, along with an answering echo of the fury Eli felt. In that moment he was unsure which part of it was his and which part of it was hers but nonetheless felt satisfaction; she understood and accepted.
All this passed in a matter of seconds and the girl's rasping breath was loud and overwhelming in his ears, even as everything else felt murky and distant as if he was experiencing it underwater. His awareness of the interior of the helicopter faded even more as she tugged his mind again and abruptly they were both gone. Instead he got the impression of metal and rage and then suddenly he could see his father, along with Skull Face and a bunch of Cipher soldiers.
It took Eli a few moments to realize he was seeing everything from Sahelanthropus' point of view. He'd overheard rumours and hushed discussions over this giant 'walking nuclear tank' of Skull Face's but he had no idea Tretij had a connection to the machine. No, not a connection. She could control it. Another flicker of approval went through their mental link even as Eli got momentarily distracted by a giant eruption of fire down near Sahelanthropus' feet as the platform moved forward at Tretij's silent encouragement.
Was she going to kill Big Boss? Through Sahelanthropus Eli could see the man, so small and insignificant in comparison with the massive war machine and it would be pathetically easy to kill the so-called living legend. Before he could say as much- or think it- Eli was caught off guard by her mute offer to let him control Sahelanthropus.
Without hesitation Eli accepted, feeling a brief whirlwind of disorientation and suddenly he was Sahelanthropus, raising a giant metal foot and smashing it down upon the two nearest Cipher soldiers, turning them into a meaty paste on the floor. Without pause he guided the giant machine off the platform and then halted, catching sight of his father staring up into Sahelanthropus' 'face' with a blank expression upon his own.
Eli shifted the giant machine forward, intent on killing Big Boss as easily as he did to those soldiers. To his frustration his father was annoying and hard to catch, ducking behind a upturned jeep and sprinting out of the cove where Sahelanthropus was housed. Enraged, Eli chased after him, the gigantic machine stomping heavily after the man before crashing headlong into the rocky overhang. Eli snarled in frustration, Sahelanthropus mimicking his movements and sounds as he tried to repeatedly force it through the gap without success. Before Sahelanthropus Big Boss stopped and turned back around, watching the machine carefully as it stared right back at him.
Then Tretij intervened, quickly pressing a series of experiences and images into Eli's mind and he instantly understood; with a screech of rotating metal and twisting gears Sahelanthropus shifted and transformed into its humanoid configuration, easily breaking free of the overhang. The next few moments were fast paced and erratic with Eli encouraging Sahelanthropus forward as quickly as the machine could walk. The bullets and rockets from the Cipher troops were more of an annoyance than anything; working on the information Tretij shared with him Eli activated the Gatling guns mounted on Sahelanthropus' head unit, killing several of the troops and destroying some of the jeeps and tanks.
To his irritation even more Cipher units swept in, causing Eli to loose sight of his father even with the towering bulk of Sahelanthropus scanning the area. Those troops needed to be killed and quickly so Eli could focus on his real quarry. Approval flared over his meld with Tretij and the girl readily supplied him with more information on Sahelanthropus' weaponry, including the lethal nano-fibre whip coiled around the gigantic machine's midriff.
Eli didn't know what nano-fibre was but he knew enough from the images Tretij shared with him that they would easily deal with the tanks blocking their way. Quickly he unfurled the massive whip on the machine before slamming the weapon hard on the ground, severing a jeep completely in half while causing the tanks behind it to explode as giant metallic spikes erupted from the ground in a shock-wave of heat and destruction.
Even before Eli righted up Sahelanthropus several rockets from a nearby helicopter struck the huge machine and with a snarl Eli thrust the nano-fibre whip up sharply and impaled the helicopter with the lethal metal before hurling the now-flaming helicopter at the nearby power line.
The resulting explosion caused the power line to topple over and as it did Eli caught sight of a familiar figure swiftly running out of the blast radius. Without hesitation he urged Sahelanthropus forward, making the machine leap right over the power line as he pursued Big Boss. Quickly he turned the machine and kicked one of the nearby broken tanks at his father, who promptly leapt over the railings to safety.
Eli tried to follow his movements, but the explosions and fire everywhere caused him to miss where Big Boss darted to cover for. Pivoting Sahelanthropus around didn't reveal the man's hiding place and Eli snarled in frustration, kicking a tank off to the side as Sahelanthropus' verbally echoed his anger. Then-
There! A flash of thought and Eli immediately turned Sahelanthropus around and fired off the machine's Gatling guns, narrowly missing his father before smashing the robot's foot onto the tank and flipping it over so it landed with a crash. He growled as his father evaded that as well, the man getting hidden by the numerous billows of smoke and fire littering the area. Kicking aside a flaming jeep Eli scanned the area, trying to track his father down without success for a few moments.
Tretij suddenly surged forth through their metal link, urging him to turn the machine around which Eli automatically did, curious as to what had caught her attention so intently that he momentarily forgot about their search. There beyond the broken power line and trapped by the fires was a small, black clad figure.
Skull Face, the hissed thought trailed through their melded minds followed by a heavy spike of rage which Eli was certain wasn't his own. Images of the man with the disfigured features flashed rapidly through Eli's mind, of pain and confusion and revenge then overriding it all sheer anger over being enslaved to the man. A rage Eli immediately understood and endorsed so without hesitation he moved Sahelanthropus forward and raised the machine's leg before sending it crashing onto the broken power line, smashing down hard into where Skull Face was standing. Crushing him underneath the twisted metal. A spike of pain burst from the man's mind then nothing.
Heady satisfaction and approval flooded through the meld from Tretij which disorientated Eli for a brief moment, watching the smoke and dust billow out in a lazy cloud around Sahelanthropus' legs. The sudden shift of Tretij's mind, clearly pleased with the death of someone who, from what Eli caught in the flash of images, had temporarily enslaved her will jarred him from his own vengeance before she shook off the feeling and sent a quick pulse of thought through their meld and directing his attention back towards the jeeps. To his father.
Quickly Eli pivoted Sahelanthropus around and stomped after Big Boss as the man took off in the jeep, attempting to crush the vehicle under the machine's feet. To their joint frustration he was unable to chase down the jeep so instead Eli slowed Sahelanthropus and once again unfurled the nano-fibre whip around the machine's waist and smashed it onto the ground; though the jeep had already rounded the cliff and was out of sight Eli estimated the jeep's path and sent the massive spikes down the road and around the corner.
Sheathing the whip Eli sent Sahelanthropus forward, following the shattered road and earth until he spied the battered, flaming remains of the jeep further down near a cliff. From his vantage point crouched on the hillside Eli carefully scanned the thick cloud of smoke and dust until he spotted a small figure struggling to stand up admist the upturned earth and asphalt.
Sahelanthropus straightened up as Eli turned the machine around, pursuing his father as the man quickly darted over the cracks in the road.
It turned into a frustrating game of cat and mouse, Big Boss obviously realizing he'd never win in a straight-out match with Sahelanthropus and was doing his best to evade the hulking machine on his horse and Eli doing his best to kill the man via Sahelanthropus' variety of weapons. The landscape became cracked and hot from the repeated use of the nano-fibre whip churning up the ground while missiles and bullets send up thick clouds of dust and gored out giant craters of rock.
There was something completely surreal about controlling the gigantic frame of Sahelanthropus, feeling as if he was the bipedal war machine as it rampaged across the countryside, scarring the ground and shattering the earth as he hunted down his father, catching glimpses of the white horse and man as they evaded Sahelanthropus' glare.
Tretij also pressed constantly against his mind, a reassuring presence as she carefully watched Eli guide the huge machine in its pursuit and would occasionally share new information through their linked mind space; such as when Big Boss hijacked a nearby tank of Cipher's and managed to strike Sahelanthropus' radar dome with a rocket Tretij immediately offered up information on the Archaea grenades, with the resulting red mist eating away at the tank and rendering it useless in a matter of seconds.
However as the fight dragged on Eli was beginning to get more and more frustrated; his father just would not die despite Sahelanthropus managing to strike him a few times with its weaponry, even injuring that white horse of his. The fight was going to end soon- Tretij was giving him streams of information, usually advice or mute encouragement but was also giving him feedback on Sahelanthropus; the machine was steadily getting damaged by all the rockets and grenades Eli's father was managing to launch at the machine as he darted about, mangling the mechanics of Sahelanthropus' waist and back and causing noxious trails of black smoke to start spewing out of the broken metal.
Sahelanthropus was going to be destroyed- or at least rendered unusable -if the fight carried on as it was.
So much for the ultimate weapon, Eli thought bitterly as he urged Sahelanthropus forward, activating the huge machine's railgun. Tretij immediately spotted Big Boss, tracking him past one of the mountain ridges as Eli fired the weapon, the gigantic glowing projectile blowing up half of the hillside as it struck. With a growl of frustration Eli launched Sahelanthropus forward, the huge machine easily leaping across one of the roads until it landed down onto the ground with a colossal crash, transforming into its hunched-over mode to fire the railgun at point-blank range at his father who was darting back and forth in front of the huge machine like a panicked chicken. He wouldn't miss at this range.
However before he could fire off Sahelanthropus' railgun again a sharp jolt of pain shot through the link between himself and Tretij and a wild sense of disorientation and anger flared through the meld along with a scattering of images.
Did she just get shot? before Eli could think further on it Sahelanthropus was struck hard in the vulnerable plating at its waist as the machine shuddered and seized in place, with Eli unsuccessfully trying to force it to fire its railgun as another rocket struck the plating in a burst of fire and smoke.
After a few more stilted stutters and spasms Sahelanthropus finally transformed back into its bipedal mode and righted itself but before Eli could focus back on his father another missile hit the giant machine and then everything exploded outwards and-
Eli jerked violently as his connection with Sahelanthropus was abruptly severed, suddenly finding himself sitting back on the helicopter. He sucked in a shaky breath, an almost overwhelming rawness leaving him disorientated as he slumped forward in his seat.
Next to him hovered Tretij, the muzzle of her gas mask only a few inches from Eli's nose. This close he could see her eyes narrow slightly behind the orange lenses and Eli shifted, glancing at the girl then over her shoulder so he was looking out of the helicopter's cockpit as a pillar of smoke and fire billowed up in the distance. Sahelanthropus was beaten.
Eli grimaced, anger flowing hot and heavy through his body. His chance at killing his father had passed and Eli's gloved hands clenched into fists even as the helicopter swooped closer to the location where Sahelanthropus had collapsed. Probably to go pick up his father, since the man hadn't died like he was supposed to. Eli ground his teeth together, ignoring Miller's question as he fought the urge to curse loudly over his failure.
He heard a snort through the link and he glanced at Tretij who still hadn't moved from where she was hovering a few inches from him. Eli shot a glance around the helicopter, confused as to how no one else seemed to notice her presence and smugness radiated through their link. Even though Sahelanthropus was destroyed she was still mentally connected to him and Eli got the odd impression of being hidden, of turning aside others minds so they wouldn't notice.
Eli straightened up as the helicopter began to descend, Sahelanthropus' now still frame coming into view. While Eli had not intended to use the machine- and wasn't even aware he could -he still reached his original object; contact the Third Child. Now that Skull Face was dead hopefully she'd be amendable to becoming allies with Eli. Considering she was still there just watching him while all the adults remained oblivious to her presence, rather than vanishing once Sahelanthropus was defeated.
With that in mind he reached out through their link, silently asking for her to come back to Mother Base with him.
A series of impressions swept over his mind; bemusement, confusion and then assurance and acceptance. With that approval Eli relaxed slightly as the helicopter settled to a halt in front of Sahelanthropus. He was even able to swallow the rage that built up in his gut as his father climbed into the waiting helicopter with Miller's help. Tretij stayed close to him, to the point Eli could feel the black of her jacket and the crimson of her hair out of the corner of his eye from where she was lurking half-hidden behind him.
Like the rest of the adults Big Boss was completely oblivious to her presence, instead focusing on Miller and saying, "Let's see Skull Face."
The request confused Eli for a moment as he assumed him and Tretij had killed the Cipher leader with Sahelanthropus but apparently the man still clung to life, an assumption that was proven correct when the helicopter flew back to where Sahelanthropus had begun its rampage. Though Eli stayed within the helicopter he could see the small broken form trapped underneath the twisted metal of the power line. Miller and his father left the helicopter, with Emmerich following at a distance. A flurry of through surged through Eli's mind and Tretij seemed to focus intently on something else for a brief moment. Despite that Eli could still feel her, like a strange pressure against his own mind and he knew she was still close to him even if he couldn't see her anymore if he turned his head.
Minutes passed as the adults milled around a dying Skull Face, even as gunshots rang out a few times before Big Boss and Miller made their way back to the helicopter. They stopped half way as another gunshot rang out as Emmerich apparently put the final bullet in Skull Face and Eli hid a snort; old fools couldn't even get their revenge right. A flare of amusement and agreement came from Tretij, wherever she was lurking.
The trip back to Mother Base was spent mostly in silence, Eli brooding on how he was going to kill his father now that even Sahelanthropus hadn't worked. Tretij remained at the edge of his consciousness and he'd occasionally get different flickers of emotions from her, usually curiosity or approval as he ran through numerous vicious plans of how he'd kill Big Boss. Miller spoke to him a few times, usually to ask him if he was 'alright' as Eli had apparently spaced out for a large portion of the trip due to being preoccupied piloting Sahelanthropus but they didn't need to know that so Eli just lied and told the old man he'd simply felt disorientated for a while. Tretij seemed to find the whole mediocre exchange immensely fascinating, her presence pressing up against him when Eli addressed Miller and not for the first time he wondered if she could speak.
He tried asking her but she didn't respond beyond a few odd images of a man, a white room and fire. Eli didn't understand it and he got distracted from asking her further when the helicopter reached Mother Base, the landing rocking him back in his seat. He waited as the adults got off first, shooting his father a vicious glare as the man hopped out before he aided Miller. Without comment he followed soon after, still feeling fairly bitter about his failure to kill Big Boss even if he did gain a new alliance as a conciliation.
Eli followed the group at a safe distance, watching them carefully as they made their way to the edge of the base. He ignored most of the adults ramblings, well used to tuning their boring rhetoric out by now even as more and more Diamond Dogs steadily emerged from Mother Base and converging in the general location of his father. Ocelot was already there to greet Big Boss, along with that old man in the wheelchair who looked more dead than alive.
The familiar whirl of helicopters grew louder and louder and was accompanied by Emmerich's excited shouting from the lower levels, "Oh! Here she comes! Here she comes!"
Confused Eli looked over at the group who were staring at something off to the side while several helicopters flew slowly up ahead and Eli's eyebrows shot up as he realized they were all towing an inert Sahelanthropus through the air.
Those idiots had brought Sahelanthropus back to Mother Base.
Making his way slowly to the lip of the platform, elbowing several Diamond Dogs out of the way as he did so, Eli watched as the helicopters set Sahelanthropus down on the platform below, the huge machine denting the flooring as it settled in place. He was vaguely aware his father had started talking, with Miller joining in at random intervals but Eli couldn't care less about what they were saying, instead focusing on the giant machine as it swayed slightly before going ridged as the soldiers darting about its feet locked the huge thing in place.
Sahelanthropus was dented and scratched, remnants of its prolonged fight with Big Boss. Eli knew enough when his connection with it was severed the machine wasn't in operating condition. A pity, or he could activate it right now with Tretij's help and kill all the adults gawking at it on the platform. However they were still foolish enough to bring it here and considering the excited gushing Emmerich was still doing there was a potential for the weapon to be repaired and used again.
At least he thought so until his idiot father opened his mouth and declared Sahelanthropus was now a 'trophy'. Apparently something to do about being a symbol of victory and some other useless phrases and Eli crossed his arms, irritated by Big Boss's narrow mindedness and stupidity. He didn't bother moving, even when his father finished his speech and soon left with Miller and Ocelot, even when most of the Diamond Dog troops also left, eventually leaving him alone on the platform.
Eli watched the hulking form of Sahelanthropus for a long while, squinting slightly as the sun began to slowly set behind the gigantic machine. The Diamond Dog troops wandering over the robot's feet looked almost like ants. He could still easily recalling crushing Skull Face's troops underneath the machine's feet, turning them into bloody pulps. Then his attention shifted, noticing a small dark shape hovering above Sahelanthropus along with an increasingly familiar tug at his mind.
A second later Tretij was hovering a few feet in front of him, her breath raspy and slow behind her mask. Eli blinked as the girl cocked her head to the side before slowly raising her right arm towards him and for a brief, mad moment Eli thought she wanted him to grab her hand. Instead his attention shifted and he noticed the long green vial hovering a few inches above the black sleeve of her straitjacket.
The English vocal cord parasites? Eli sucked in a surprised breath; when did she steal this? He saw enough from his spot on the helicopter when his father threw the vials off to the side, where they presumably were destroyed in the fires scattered across the area before he and Miller shot Skull Face but Eli never even noticed she'd left his side to retrieve the vial. She was even more sneaky and resourceful than he originally thought.
And now she was allies with him.
A smirk crossed his features as he reached out and took the proffered floating vial, feeling an answering vibe of smugness emanate from her. Whether over his thoughts or the potential damage they could cause with the virus on Mother Base he was unsure but he felt a sense of kinship over her agreement with his intentions.
This close he could see the glint of her eyes behind the orange lenses of her gas mask, as well as the slow blink she gave him. Something shifted in her mind and she dropped her arm, the too long sleeve flapping in the breeze like a broken birds wing. Then she floated backwards slightly, head turning to the side before she pivoted in place and drifted upwards.
"Wait!" he blurted out the words because he could stop himself.
"You're not," he faltered as she shifted back to face him, a questioning thought entering his mind. Eli swallowed down his nervousness, hand tightening on the vial before he asked, "You're not leaving, are you?"
Truthfully Eli wasn't sure what he was going to do if she said she was- or thought so. He was still rather confused about her whole 'speaking with her mind' thing and for a brief moment he wondered if she was mute like that woman on the base, Quiet. Regardless, he now knew first hand how powerful the Third Child was and considering she'd approached him first he assumed she approved of his plans for Mother Base and his hatred of the adults within it. After all, she agreed to travel back to Mother Base with him when initially he asked.
"You don't have to leave," Eli said quickly, trying to keep his voice level. His time in Africa taught him appearing panicky and nervous just invited others to question his leadership, keeping calm and in control made others less likely to challenge him. However Tretij was a psychic who could set things on fire by pointing at them and was able to control gigantic war machines using just her mind. Also she was a girl- there hadn't been any girls at the African base so he wasn't too sure if the same tactics he'd used on the boys would work with her.
He straightened up as she drifted closer to him, her breathing raspy and calm. He felt the questioning thought through their link and said, "You can stay- it would be easy. All the adults here are stupid, even Big Boss. They didn't even notice you on the helicopter, so you don't have to-"
Eli was cut off by an oversize sleeve suddenly pressing against his face and he instinctively swatted her arm aside before looking at her incredulously. She just gave a nearly inaudible snort, drifting back a few feet. Eli was still able to see her eyes through the mask though they were currently narrowed into a glare. He clutched the vial closer to his chest, feeling nervous and immensely aware of the fact she could kill him easily enough.
She obviously caught that thought by the way she jerked back and a strong sense of annoyance mixed with amusement crossed through their mental link, as if she appreciated his acknowledgement of her abilities but was irritated at the thought she'd leave or attack him.
"So you'll stay? We can work together; we already nearly killed my father with Sahelanthropus and now that fool brought it here and we have the parasites. It will be pathetically easy to kill Mother Base from the inside out," Eli said, voice raising slightly in excitement, "We could do it, you and I. Together."
Tretij shifted and Eli twitched as foreign images and feelings were pressed across their psychic link- Traveling on a plane then suddenly everything was on fire and crashing then out in the rain while disorientated and confused, being tied to the Man on Fire, Skull Face and even Big Boss. Following the fire, of summoning giant phantoms, of setting things ablaze. Overlaying them all were an almost overwhelming feelings of rage and vengeance but twisted around and smothering her own mind until everything became a hazy blur. It felt unnervingly like the times Eli's handlers would drug him whenever he got too 'rowdy' before he escaped them.
Eli grimaced, his free hand rubbing at his temple as he tried to process the sudden onslaught of information she'd given him. It felt oddly like she had been turned into a puppet somehow, to Skull Face and the Man on Fire. Eli wasn't sure how but he guessed she was asking if he was going to attempt the same on her which affronted him.
"You aren't my slave," he snapped, "We're...allies. Partners."
She seemed to think it over, swaying slightly in midair before giving a short nod and a flurry of emotions ran through their mind meld, heavy with approval and potential violence. She shifted until she had her back to him and she silently watched Sahelanthropus for a few moments before another curious thought came through the link, seemingly asking if he's known anyone like herself before and Eli caught a few images of the Man on Fire, that Quiet woman and even some of odd twisted people with glowing green eyes he didn't recognize.
"No," Eli said, suddenly feeling immensely awkward, "I haven't met a girl like you before."
She paused near the edge of the deck before facing him again, still hovering a few feet off the ground. Eli couldn't see any change in her posture but a feeling of deep amusement crossed their mental link, causing him to frown. Was that not a compliment?
"What?"
She didn't reply but he could see her shoulders starting to shake slightly before faint, muffled laughter bubbled through their mental link. Eli's grip tightened on the green vial as his face flushed slightly, suddenly feeling weirdly self conscious.
"What?" he repeated more forcefully than before. Again she didn't respond, instead drifting back a few more feet until she was hovering over the edge of the deck. Her oversize sleeves of her straitjacket flapped weakly in the cooling breeze and in the light of the setting sun her bloodred hair looked as if it was on fire.
Eli scowled before muttering, "Girls are weird," loud enough that Tretij could hear him easily from where she was still watching him.
Now there was no mistaking the laugh echoing through his mind and without another word she left in a flicker of smoke, her laughter fading as she vanished from view.
What was so funny? Eli thought irritably. He cast a suspicious look in the direction she'd disappeared to but couldn't catch sight of her. Even so he still had a weird sense of awareness, like a whisper-thin thread of emotions connecting them both so he guessed she had gone to snoop through Mother Base. The lingering amusement from her end of the link caused him to scowl before he turned away, tucking the vial of parasites into the inner pocket of his coat.
Girls were so weird.