[Author's Note: Be afraid. Be very afraid. The end is near. What happens when two video games, both part of a series, get to the peak of their awesomeness and end with a shocking realization or a "To Be Continued"? The creators make sequels. And what happens to those sequels? They are extremely convoluted and complicated, don't make a lick of sense, have you going around in circles and leave you extremely disappointed. The game itself is awesome, the characters your reason for playing…but somewhere along the line…the plot became warped with one too many twists. Now what do you think happens when you get these convoluted, confusing 'part 2's and combine them in a crossover story? Pure, unadulterated, blissful chaos. They didn't make sense by themselves, maybe if you toss them together in a blur of "What the hell…?" they'll start making sense! The stories I am speaking of are MGS2 and SR2. This is a crossover. I see people running away screaming but that's all right. It's expected. Chaos doesn't usually sit well, digestively speaking. So, yes. I am taking both of these stories that either a) didn't make any sense whatsoever, or b) made the plot so twisting and confusing that your head is now screwed on backwards, into one crossover story. They didn't make sense apart; maybe they'll make sense together. How? I have no idea. Let's see what pops out of my brain. Maybe I'll get hired by one of those two companies to make up convoluted confusing stories that never end too…Umm…Maybe I should mention there will be spoilers… sort of…? ::shrug::]

A Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty & Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 Crossover

Free Will is an Illusion

Time Shift

Raziel looked about in confusion. What era in Nosgoth's history could this possibly be? The doors to the Time Streaming Device had slid open with a slight hum as he exited the room. That was the first time that the doors had ever been made of such a strange material. Not a metal of any sort, nor stone. It puzzled him for a moment, but as the doors shut behind him, Raziel's puzzlement turned into a confounded bewilderment. This was unlike any place he had ever seen before. Raziel looked carefully down the passageway, but saw no oncoming threat. He then began to inspect this strange area where he found himself.

The walls were made of a stone he did not recognize. Raziel touched the wall and it felt smooth, unlike any stone he had ever felt. Even in marble you could feel the stone beneath through its smoothness, but this was different. The walls seemed… painted… but not decoratively or in any way to enhance beauty. It was a dull beige and the entire wall was that color. He knocked softly and heard hollowness. The floor was covered in a gray fur that felt more like frayed fabric than fur. And it too was hollow. Rooms below and to the side perhaps? But if that were so the stone must be very thin.

The ceiling was low. Not low enough to make it cramped or uncomfortable, but low enough to restrain movement. His high jumps would be of no use to him here. And on the ceiling, instead of candelabras or torches on the walls, there were blocks of a brilliant light that disturbed his sensitive eyes. What strange fortress was this? Raziel shook his head and began to make his way down the passage. It mattered not. This was Moebius' lair, this sterile, lifeless place. Moebius was here. And Raziel would find him.

And destroy him.

* * *

Solid Snake saw the person appear on his radar. It was a tiny red dot, but nevertheless a human being. This was the first one he had encountered since infiltrating the place. Snake suddenly got a really bad feeling. The guy was still a way off, this next hall was a fairly long one, but something just wasn't sitting right. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine…and that never happens. He logged onto the Codec and contacted Otacon.

"Hey, Otacon."

"I'm here, Snake."

"I've finally got someone on the radar."

"Whoa! Really? I guess this means you're on the right track, Snake. There hasn't been a soul since we got here," Otacon said.

"Tell me about it. For the Patriots' base, this seemed a little too quiet."

"Yeah, we assumed there would be special genome soldiers crawling all over the place. But there weren't even any guards. Getting in was a synch."

"Too much of a synch, if you ask me. This smells like a trap, even with the guy that just showed up on my radar."

"Speaking of which, is he a genome soldier or some freaky special forcer that they made? Or is it just another guard?"

"Don't know. I'll tell you in a minute." Snake logged off the Codec, and straightened. He checked his radar. The guy had stopped moving. Snake inched a bit closer to the corner and then looked over.

What he saw had him turning back and logging onto the Codec all in one moment.

"Whoa, Snake! That was fast. So what is it?"

"I'd go with the something freaky."

"Really?? Great! Give me the details. I'll tell you in no time what it probably is."

"I don't think you'll find this kind of thing in any computer, Otacon."

"Huh?"

"Looks like it came out of a horror movie."

"That bad? Geez, what are they doing to these people…"

"I'm not so sure it's a person, Otacon."

"What? All right, Snake; time to elaborate. What the hell does it look like? Frankenstein? Count Dracula? The Blob?"

"Actually any of those would be a bit more welcome."

"E-la-bo-rate."

"I've never seen a blue-muscled person with no internal organs or skin and claws for hands and feet. Couldn't make out the face completely because the lower half and some of the chest were covered in a shawl with some weird design on it. Looks like a gothic symbol or something. It has black hair, glowing eyes and what could have been gloves wrapped on its forearm and part of its hand."

"…"

"Otacon?"

"I prefer the Blob. What the hell could that thing be?! I've never even heard of such a thing, even in mythology!"

"Imagine being in my shoes. Whatever it is, it's down this hall, and I'm not sure if it knows I'm here yet."

"Well…uh…shoot it!"

"With what?"

"Your tranquilizer. Knock it out and see it up close. Maybe then we can make out what it is. Just be careful it doesn't spot you."

"I don't need you to tell me that, Otacon."

Snake logged off his Codec before Otacon could utter anything else. He checked his radar. It still had not moved. Maybe it knew he was here…but probably not. Snake loaded his tranquilizer gun and then screwed on the silencer. The last thing he wanted to do was alert the place to his presence. He pressed up against the wall and took a deep breath. He turned the corner and shot.

The thing had been facing a door. Snake hit it square on the temple. He slipped back silently, before the thing could turn and see him. Snake watched his radar, waiting to hear the thump of the body dropping to the carpet… But it did not come. Instead the red dot on his radar that signified whatever it was began to continue going down the hall toward him.

Snake called Otacon on the Codec.

"So what it is, Snake?"

"It's dead."

"I thought I told you to use the tranquilizers!"

Snake shook his head. "I did shoot with a tranquilizer."

"Then how is it dead?" Otacon asked in confusion.

"These things are supposed to be able to fell even an elephant, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I just shot it in the temple," Snake tapped his own, "and now it's walking in this direction."

"Holy shit."

"…"

"So either a) it's got a body that can stand any kind of depressant and not be affected or-"

"It's dead."

"I highly doubt it's a walking corpse, Snake," Otacon said.

"Then give me a list of people you know with no skin, claws, blue muscles and no internal organs."

"Uh…"

"Nevermind. Sorry, Otacon. Tranquilizers don't work. If it isn't already dead, it will be."

"Snake-"

Snake logged of the Codec and pulled out his AK 47 and its suppressor. He screwed on the suppressor and readied himself against the wall, watching the red dot on the radar. Twenty feet away. Seventeen feet. Fifteen feet. Whatever it was, it walked without any caution. Just purposely down the middle.

Ten feet. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Snake moved from behind the corner with lightning reflexes and began to shoot. He watched the thing get pumped full of rounds, but not a single leak of blood seeped out. It stepped back in surprise and let out a moan. Its glowing eyes flickered before they scrunched together with intent.

Snake did not stop shooting.

Suddenly it uttered a low gasp and faded. Snake abruptly stopped firing. It hadn't vanished, or screamed or died or anything else that remotely looked like escape or death. It just faded…

Snake called on Otacon on the Codec.

"So what is it, now that it's dead?" was Otacon's question when he picked up.

"…"

"Uh…Snake…?"

"It's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean 'it's gone'? Did it escape? Vanish? What?"

"It faded away."

"…"

"…"

"Faded…away… Did it escape or die?"

"Don't know. I pumped it with at least thirteen rounds."

"THIRTEEN?!"

Snake pulled out his cigarettes and lit one. He took a deep drawl and then exhaled before he said anything. "Didn't even bleed."

"Then…it's dead…"

Snake shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I thought it was already dead."

"Well, whatever it was, clearly the AK works. You might run into more… but I just don't get it." Snake waited. "This is a bit too weird. Nothing leads up to using this kind of thing. What is it? A mutated super soldier? But even if it was… things don't just fade…"

"…"

"Snake, I'm going to do some digging around. I've got a bad feeling about this. I don't know what this could mean-"

"Something's coming," Snake said cutting him off. A red dot was quickly approaching.

"Oh, shit. If it's another one of those things-"

"Otacon."

"What?"

"It just turned the corner. It's headed right toward me. It's the same one."

"But you pumped it with thirteen rounds!!"

"It's your job to figure it out, Otacon." Snake logged off and readied the AK 47. The thing was running up to him and from its right claw was coming a blazing light… If Snake was so inclined he may have described it as an ethereal blade. But he wasn't. All he knew was to avoid that and the claws at all costs.

Snake began to shoot. Again.

This time, with an unnatural speed, the thing dodged a bullet by moving quickly to the side. Snake shot in that direction, but it used the wall to jump away and land closer to him. That was then that Snake decided to haul ass as well as shoot.

He ran back into the hallway and turned. Whatever it was jumped after him. Snake continued to shoot as he ran down the hall. The thing only got hit once. Snake cursed. Up ahead he saw a flickering green light about half way down the hall. Snake did not waste anymore time. He dived into the room on his right that he had unlocked earlier. Once in, he quickly locked the door. He then went to the back and hid behind a few stacks of crates. Behind him was a small vent on the wall.

Snake began to reload the AK when he heard a CLINK CLANK. CLINK CLANK. Snake froze. No way in hell… There was tearing sound of alloy being ripped open and tossed. Snake readied the AK when he heard the thing step inside. Snake looked at the vent. Maybe he was better off…

"Forsaken block puzzles."

What the hell? Snake looked up just as four of the crates above him were abruptly thrown to the side. They crashed against the wall, all their contents spilling out, decorating the wall and floor with the rubble. Snake did not wait around. He took out a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it over the crates, before diving into the vent.

He was about twenty feet into the vent when he heard the explosion. He did not bother to go back and check to see if the deed was done. He doubted that the grenade had killed it, but maybe it had at least stopped it for a while… Or maybe not.

Snake suddenly heard a strange humming noise from behind him. He turned slightly and saw a ball of blazing energy, the same color as that energy coming out of the thing's hand, coming straight at him. Snake could only cover his face as it hit him full on.

It blasted him right out of the vent and sent him crashing onto the floor below. Snake hit tile and groaned. What the hell was that? He saw pieces of his body armor strewed around him. When his eyes completely focused he realized there was a sink above him. The bathroom? Snake closed his eyes and tried to move, but he felt such a great deal of pain that he only collapsed back onto the tile. He could make out some red… Blood…? Damn…what the hell was that? Nothing's ever done this much damage before… Snake began to reach for his rations when the Codec rang.

"Snake! Are you all right?!"

Snake's only focus at the moment was trying to get air into his lungs without causing himself any more undue pain.

"My god, is it that bad? How did it get you? Take some rations, Snake!"

Snake slowly reached for his rations. He winced at the pain and spoke very carefully. "I… don't…need you…to tell me…that…Otacon…"

"At least you still got your sense of humor. Geez, Snake, I didn't think… Well, what did it hit you with? It's claws or…something… Take your time! Just recoup first!"

Snake rolled his eyes and ate his rations carefully. When he began to feel his strength returning, he slowly sat up, the pain still reverberated across his back and chest almost making him double over again. He reached for his first aid kit and began to wrap himself, while eating another ration. He drank some water and listened to Otacon's worried fidgeting for a moment before gathering the strength to speak.

"He blew my body armor to pieces."

"WITH ITS CLAWS?!"

"No. Something else. A ball of energy." Snake drank some more water and put the first aid kit away. He could hear Otacon stuttering at the other end.

"B-ball of e-energy? What the hell? Does it have a laser blaster or something?"

"No. I saw this energy coming out of his hand and forearm. The ball looked like a propelled portion of that energy."

"What is it? A demon with ki-blasts?! What kind of twisted Jap Anime is this?!"

"…"

"Nevermind. Snake, how are you feeling? Blew your body armor away… Oh, shit. What is this thing? A demon of some kind? Oh, yeah, I can just see it. The Patriots made a deal with the devil and he sent them his own demons to guard the place. I feel like we've just entered Hell."

"You're not the one who got blasted. He sent me flying right out of the vent."

"…He? Snake, you just called it a 'he'."

"Yeah."

"…" Snake waited. "…Why?" Otacon finished.

"Because it can talk. Sounded strange too. Archaic."

"What did it say?"

Snake paused for a moment, mulling it over. He was already feeling a bit better, but moving was going to be a bitch. "'Forsaken block puzzles'."

"…"

"…"

"What?"

"That's what I thought."

"Why did it say that?"

"Probably because I was hiding behind some crates."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Snake remained silent for the moment. He tried using the sink that was next to him to hoist himself up, but pain shot through him, making his head spin. He sat back down, took a few deep breaths and leaned against the stall behind him. He took out his cigarettes.

"It tossed the crates I was hiding behind like nothing. Those things weighed, easy, about 500 pounds a piece."

"…"

"…"

Otacon let out a low whistle. "Holy shit."

"…"

"Okay, so we're dealing with an intelligent demon that can shoot ki-blasts, has a blade of energy attached to its arm, tears doors open, has superhuman strength and speed…and hates block puzzles." Pause. "Snake, we're in deep shit."

"Tell me something I don't know," Snake said while putting the AK 47 on his lap. He had it pointed at the door. He was taking no chances. He could not move for the moment, but he sure as hell was not helpless.

"Yet even with all of this, I don't see how it fits. Unless the Patriots did make a deal with Satan, I don't see how they could possibly create such a thing. Who know what other powers it has? …And why it hates block puzzles…"

Snake rolled his eyes. "You forgot to add something."

"What?"

"He doesn't die."

"…That's right. You put thirteen rounds of the AK 47 in it and it came right back around the corner after 'fading'. Anything else?"

"Another round and tossed a grenade at it."

"Did it blow?"

"…"

"Oh, shit. Okay, so let's add that nothing can kill it either. At least nothing that we're equipped with." Otacon sighed. "How…? How the hell did the Patriots get their hands on a weapon like this? A demon that doesn't die… Hey!"

"What?"

"You remember what was the first thing I found out about the Patriots, right?"

"They were all dead already."

"Yeah, for a hundred years. And we are not only breaking into this facility to put them out of business for good, but also to find out whether they're really dead or not and what's the deal with that."

"So?" Suddenly Snake picked up a red dot on his radar. He readied his AK 47 and waited. He did not bother to tell Otacon about it. Besides, he still wanted his question answered.

"If they really are dead already and there's a demon running around that can't die… Well, I'm just saying there's more of a connection between the two than just their henchman. Maybe there's a bigger reason why this thing's here running around and no guards or soldiers or anything else is."

The red dot stopped right in front of the bathroom door. "Smells like a set up," Snake said.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this. We've been led into traps before, but this has got an air of more than just a trap… Something more spiritual…more powerful…"

"Fate?" The red dot still had not moved.

"Yeah. Fate. Snake, this is way out of the usual. Something definitely isn't right about this at all. You've got to get out of there."

"So, in other words, someone or something is pulling the strings and we're just the puppets," Snake said. The door slowly opened and Snake leveled the AK at the thing's chest. "Gotta go, Otacon."

"Snake-?"

Snake logged off and stared into the thing's glowing eyes. It stared back. There was silence for about a minute. Then it spoke.

"'Someone or something is pulling the strings and we're just the puppets'." Silence. The energy on the thing's hand faded away. Snake heard a humph come from it. "My feelings exactly."