imthe_shit | [ Video ; Action ]

[ Entering Violet City is Old Snake. He's coming in via Route 36, looking tired and a little confused, but well enough. In his arms is a Snubbull wearing a bow on one of its ears. Looking around, the old soldier takes a moment to crouch down and take out his Pokegear, making a quick note. ]

Otacon, Heather, I'm in Violet now. Made it here safe and sound... But there's a weird Pokemon on Route 36. Looks like it really hates water, must not actually be a tree... I tried to catch it, but it got away. I caught a few more Pokemon on the way over here anyway, so that's good I guess.

[pause.]

I guess I should meet up with Raiden and Vulcan Raven. [Stands up slowly.]

Shnub.

Hnn? Shnubble. [Looks like Juliette the Snubbull is feeling sad again, so Snake kneels down again and places her on his knee, giving her head some gentle strokes.]

...Shnuuubbllleeee... [Seemed she liked that, but as soon as Snake stopped, she grabs his hand. 8| WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T STOP.] Shnububle!

... Right...

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... [He's not sure he wants to drink the hot chocolate anymore.]

Yeah... But now he's being controlled by Liquid. At least, that's how things are in 2014...

[It's a comfort drink. Raven's going to serve himself a cup right now.]

[He pauses at Snake's words, mug at his lips. 2014 wasn't far when one compares it to Snake's apparent age. He has the presence of mind not to ask about it, though.]

Controlled? It's difficult to imagine anyone truly controlling Ocelot. Even with our group, he was something of a wild card.

Not even Big Boss could make him completely obedient.

[At least, not in the time Raven had known him. He can easily recall a few of Ocelot's rare visits to Outer Heaven after the he'd recruited the Inuit.]

... Ocelot... grafted Liquid's arm onto his body... But Liquid's soul was still present and is now controlling Ocelot's mind. He's leading an insurrection... Everything's gone to hell.

War... has changed.

A soul cannot truly control a body that isn't theirs, but I admit that the circumstances are unique.

[Leave it to Ocelot and Liquid to dick around with that sort of spiritual muck-up. Next thing he knows, Mantis with be using his psyche to control someone from beyond the grave or some such nonsense.]

It is the nature of war to continually evolve.

[i see what you did there]

I didn't believe it at first either... But I've been chasing him down for years, trying to stop him... I'm supposed to kill him, but I can never get close enough, he always has the upper hand... He's more insane than ever.

[Oh good~]

And it is from that point that you are brought here, where he is still young and not quite as mad. It must be jarring.

... [Thinks back to the fact that his best friend is sleeping with the guy, and his face falls again. He shifts uncomfortably, turning away from Raven somewhat.]

[Too bad Raven doesn't know who it is Liquid is sleeping with.]

I met a young man named Raiden from our world. he mentioned being part of FOXHOUND, but not.

What happened to our old unit?

... FOXHOUND... It's changed. Looks like they're using virtual reality training... Trying to make the perfect soldier by recreating the events of Shadow Moses over and over again.

[Sighs.] Raiden was... Subjected to it.

I take it he was unwilling or unaware of the experiment?

[A dark look clouds Raven's face. That sort of thing was what FOXHOUND had been trying to prevent. It was an insult to learn that their name was tacked onto such a project.]

Yeah... Ocelot was working with Solidus Snake, the third clone of Big Boss. But... Ocelot was actually working with the Patriots the whole time...

[Shakes his head.] It's a mess.

[Guess who hadn't known that?]

Ocelot betrayed us.

...

[ Has a feeling he shouldn't have given out that information... He's getting some bad vibes... ]

[Bad vibes indeed.]

[The silence around Raven was heavy and tense. It was as still as the air around Pompeii the hours before Mt. Vesuvius erupted. A silent cacophony of fury rises up as if to sweep them all away.]

[Then it is gone, leaving only two tired, used soldiers in its wake.]

When I was young...I dreamed that I would die for nothing.

It seems even I cannot escape prophesy.

[ Exhales, feeling suddenly exhausted, more than he should be. He stares at the hot chocolate again. ]

... We didn't have to fight.

...No. Our fight was inevitable.

Our group would not have stood idly by and watched as loyal men and women died. Even knowing the outcome, we would have fought for them.

[Glares.] Liquid was insane.

To you.

Resurrecting Outer Heaven was an afterthought. Our original demands were for Big Boss's remains, so that a cure could be found and given to our soldiers.

... [ Sighs, shaking his head. ] If those nukes had launched... Millions of people would have died.

Something that could be prevented by giving us what we needed to save our soldier's lives.

[Glares.] You really think that would have stopped Liquid?

Liquid was not alone in Shadow Moses, Snake.

It had became obvious how little our army's lives mattered to the government. We wanted to break away from that, to restore honor and dignity to soldiers.

We wanted to create a nation where their lives would mean more than numbers.

... [ Sighs, putting his hot chocolate down for Marlboro to have instead. ]

It wouldn't have worked out... Outer Heaven failed with Big Boss... It would have failed again...

[There will always be more later.]

...There was more to Big Boss's Outer Heaven than you might realize.

[Raven had been there before Snake, after all.]