Chapter 1: Old Friends, New Friends
Chapter 1: Old Friends, New Friends
"Gah!" Snake growled as the bullet grazed his arm. How could I let myself be caught off-guard?
"Goodbye, Snake. No longer will you tower over me!"
"Raiden! What's gotten into you?!" Snake yelled, clutching his arm.
"Realization, Snake. I know now that I can never reach my full potential with you hogging the spotlight!" Raiden grinned. Nothing was in his way now. He knew Snake couldn't stop him without any weapons. Now I can take my rightful place in the main characters chair.
Snake didn't trust him anymore, as the result of many failed attempts to kill him, so Raiden was forced to go back to when he did. He stole an experimental time-travelling device from the CIA and used it to go back and end Snake's reign over him.
"Raiden! You can't go changing the past like that!" The Colonel had told him just as he activated the machine. Raiden only heard the first three words.
Snake was worried, he knew Raiden was a competent fighter, and he needed a way out. Raiden would not listen to reason anymore. Raiden cocked his pistol. It was an automatic, but he liked to see the fear in Snakes eyes when he did it.
Raiden fired, the bullet whizzed through the air, hitting the ground by Snakes leg. Snake had rolled out of the way just in time and had snatched the belt Raiden dropped minutes earlier.
"The time machine!" Raiden gasped.
Snake knew this was the thing that brought Raiden to him. Logically, it should be able to bring him away too. It was a bulky thing, a large black metal belt. Raiden took it off so he could move easier, in the event that he may have to fight Snake. Big mistake.
Snake mashed a few buttons, not really knowing how the device worked. With a sudden flash of blue light, and a loud Zap! he was gone.
"Damn!" Raiden cursed. It was then that he realized what he just tried to do. Another flash of light, another Zap! Ocelot was standing in front of Raiden, who was then kneeling, tears in his eyes.
"Pathetic child." Ocelot spat. "Even after all that training, and against a surprised enemy."
"You forgot unarmed." Raiden said, sarcastically. He realized now that it was Ocelots doing. That he tried to kill Snake. Raiden stood, meeting Ocelot eye to eye.
"Tch. And now I have to find him… I'll deal with you later." Ocelot said, seeming rather unconcerned about the turn of events.
"Damn you, Ocelot…"
--
Snake found himself in an open field. A warm wind was blowing; unusually clean air, he noticed. Where am I? Where did that contraption bring me? What was up with Raiden? Many questions raced through Snakes head at the moment. He decided he should figure out how to work the machine, so he could get somewhere familiar.
He picked up the device, and it immediately went crashing down, as a large man bumped into Snake's side. Snake gasped as he watched the machine break into three pieces on the ground. He looked up to see the man who hit him. The man was nearly seven feet tall, with muscles bigger than Snake's head. He wore a roughly made animal skin, and held a hammer in his hand the size of a small child.
He was fighting a slender man, with slightly feminine features. He had tall pointy ears, and stark white hair. But the first thing Snake noticed about him was his pitch black skin.
Unarmed, and not willing to fight, Snake rose and tried to get away from the duo, but they both turned to face him as he stood.
"Well met, traveler." The tall man said. "My apologies if I have injured you, but my mind was elsewhere. You see, our sparring matches often get a little too heated."
"Far too heated." The skinny man reiterated. "I am Drizzt Do'Urden, and this is"
"Wulfgar, son of Beornegar." The large man interrupted. "And you, traveler?"
Snake stood in stunned silence for a moment, then composed himself and answered "Snake, er, Solid Snake."
"A strange name, by all standards. Where might you be from, Solid Snake?" Wulfgar asked. Drizzt thought it rude but, equally curious, kept the thought to himself.
"Uh, America." Snake answered, guessing correctly that he was outside of the country.
"A place even I have never heard of, and I have been farther than most." Drizzt pondered. "Where is this America?"
"I don't know." Snake replied. "I don't even know where this is."
Wulfgar laughed. "You find yourself outside of Baldur's Gate, friend. Surely you've heard of the place?"
"N-no. My land is… uh… different from this." Snake stuttered. Starting to guess what sort of place this was. Otacon was an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and Snake was dragged in to a few games. He now wished he had played more often.
Snake caught himself staring at Drizzt's charcoal skin and pointed ears. He was aware of the elves, but the dark skin baffled him. Drizzt noticed Snake's eyes upon him, and chuckled, now used to the stares people gave him.
"Yes, I am a drow elf, adventurer." Drizzt said. "Have no fear, I do not share the principals, or lack thereof, of my kin."
Now Snake remembered, Otacon used the drow in one of his campaigns once. He remembered them being an evil race, killing their own brothers if it would raise their rank and power. But this one did seem different, especially being on the surface, for the drow live underground. Snake decided to trust the two, they seemed friendly enough. And it didn't seem he could simply walk around and make friends at the time.
Snake familiarized with the two as they led him into the city, and into the nearest tavern.