"This time... I won!"

Fox stared after the flare, complexion paling more beneath his mask. "The explosion was northwest. He's near there." 

"We've fallen into his rhythm of attack," Ghost said.

"Night Cicada once said he was a master tactician," Fox whispered.

The ghost slowly asked, "Should we retreat? The situation's out of control."

Fox paused, slightly surprised by "Zero's" suggestion. Whether to retreat or not was for the field commander to decide. However, Night Cicada, the leading commander, was out of contact. Lunar, the second-in-command, was buried. Fox was a good soldier, but he was not a qualified leader. He had no idea how to order in such a situation, and Rose, who was more tactically savvy, was also missing. He didn't know whose listen to take.