Still hiding out in the stairwell, Rex and Big Boss checked the time and their supplies making sure everything was impeccable for when they had to fight the other soldiers. They'd been lucky so far, not many were coming to the stairs at the moment. They must have all been allocated a floor instead.

"We can't stand around here all day or we'll die of hunger and thirst." Big Boss said quietly to Rex who nodded in agreement.

"The normal plan?" Rex resounded, clutching his gun with both hands. There was a moment of silence between them where they just looked at each other, memories of old times flashing through their minds and reminding them of what had made them close. All those missions, the lost lives, the fighting for freedom... it was never easy yet those two, when paired up together, became a team that was almost unstoppable.

"Yeah, we'll have to. No ones bailing us out this time, just like every other damn time. Just run and shoot, we'll get ourselves out of here eventually." Big Boss shrugged. They readied their weapons and headed down the stairs. Rex was in front, rushing down each flight with ease as he looked for soldiers to fight. Big Boss on the other hand was slower, limping as he made his way down one step at a time, stopping when he needed to to gather his strength.

"Shh!" Rex suddenly said, stopping mid-flight as Big Boss slowly tried to keep up. "Someone's coming." Big Boss backed himself into the darkest corner of the stairwell whilst Rex crouched and readied himself for a fight. Millie and Roger were deathly silent. The entire office was as if it were abandoned, not even a squeak of a mouse interrupting this tense moment. The two of them were only lit up by the light projecting from their computer screens. Neither wanted to get up and possibly miss something as they went to turn the light on. Roger hadn't even got another coffee - this is how Millie knew he was seriously involved. Both had remained in those chairs for hours now, since they'd made contact with the soldiers to begin with. Both felt a duty of care and a need to complete this mission before they could rest.

"Millie?" Rex's voice pulled her from her frightened state. She sat up and squared her shoulders as if ready for anything.

"Yes, Sir?" Millie said professionally.

"They're french again, I think. Could you translate?" Rex asked in a whisper as the footsteps got closer, an obvious french voice in the background.

"Of course." Millie said, smiling to herself. She felt glad that one thing she had within herself had become useful in this mission and that she wasn't literally just sitting there listening to someone without helping at all.

"Oui, le patron me commandait et j'en ai eu marre. Je descends au quatrième étage pour retrouver Jean." The soldier was finally close enough for Millie to hear in the background. She wasted no time in translating instantly for Rex.

"Their Boss annoyed them with his orders. He's heading down to the fourth floor to meet up with Jean." She said without emotion, like a robot that was just answering it's programmed demands.

"Shit, he's going to come right past us..." Rex whispered as he fiddled with his weapons, making sure everything that was needed was to hand.

"Ces deux là? Ils doivent être morts maintenant. Ils ne pouvaient pas passer devant nous." The soldier continued. His footsteps were now echoing the stairwell that both soldiers were hiding on. Millie could feel her stomach knotting in anxiety as she awaited him getting close enough that these elite comrades would once again kill.

"He thinks you're both dead." Millie summarised as she translated again.

"Good. Always liked the element of surprise." Rex sniggered as he got ready. The soldier was now walking down the flight above them, his footsteps echoing loudly as his voice reverberated off the walls. He cluelessly glided past Big Boss, who was waiting for the right moment to pounce but was met at the bottom of the stairs by Rex, knife in hand. The Frenchman uttered some choice swear words as Rex severed the radio from the soldier and threw it away. He held the knife to his throat.

"Which floor is guarded the least?" Rex pressed, his voice hoarse and low. He shoved the soldier back into the staircase and kept the knife by his neck.

"Boss knows you're here. He's got eyes everywhere." The soldier answered unhelpfully, hoping the threat would scare them.

"Where can we get out?" Rex pushed for an answer again, but the soldier merely let out a laugh.

"You'll never get out." He said with a grin. Rex gritted his teeth as he tensed his body, desperate to try and hold back from beating the guy to death. Why was everyone saying the same thing? Were they that bad that the boss had given them a script? Rex went to open his mouth again but Big Boss jumped the guy, smashing his head against the concrete steps before shooting him in the head, not giving him a chance to react. The silenced gunshot still echoed the stairwell slightly and both soldiers held their breath in anticipation.

"You heard that right?" Someone said from the floor below. Rex shook his head at Big Boss, rolling his eyes even though he was wearing a mask.

"Let's check it out." Another voice responded. Rex and Big Boss hid back in their shadowed spaces as two more soldiers made their way up the stairs, finally reaching the bloodied corpse of a friend. For a moment, they stared in disbelief at the sight before one reached for his radio. Without hesitation, Rex jumped out and wrestled one into a headlock whilst he put a silenced bullet into the other's head. The soldier fought back, but not well enough, and Rex easily threw him down before killing him too.

"Fuck me! You wanna pull a stunt like that again I'll let you deal with the aftermath." Rex snapped at Big Boss as he shook himself out and stretched his tired muscles. Big boss shuffled down the stairs as he laughed.

"You needed to work out. You were starting to slack anyway." Big Boss said with a smile on his face. When he sidled up beside Rex, he patted him on the shoulder. Rex couldn't help but break out into a laugh, a smile on his face once more.

"You're such an asshole..." Rex said as he started down the stairs. Big boss followed after him.

"Me? You're the one who hasn't thanked Millie again..."