-I do not own MGS
-I do not own the characters
.
.
.
Ocelot walked slowly through the woods. The sun was beginning to set and the remaining sunlight licked the sides of trees and rocks. Ocelot was looking forward to sleep. He had gotten up as early as he could and had been hiking through thick forest with his elite team of marksmen for nearly the entire day, save now. Plus it was incredibly cold. At last he was alone, while- he hoped- his men were setting up camp, as they had been told.
"'Pretty good…'" Ocelot mumbled to himself angrily. "I'll show you… You won't get away from me."
This time, he was ready. This time, he would be prepared. This time, the ambush would work. He would make sure of it. Ocelot's calves began to ache. With each step, he could feel the individual muscle pressing against his skin; yet somehow, it made him feel stronger. He stopped in front of a tall tree. Several precious fruits hung from its sagging branches. Ocelot pulled a revolver from his belt holster.
He wasn't even thinking of hunger when he pulled the trigger. He just wanted to know what it was like… to be Him; to eat like Him. A single red fruit fell from the tree with a thump, rolling to its side. Ocelot approached it cautiously. He picked it up and examined it; just a simple, red fruit.
"If He can eat it," Ocelot said, turning the fruit over in his hand. "Then so can I." Ocelot sank his teeth into the bright, scarlet fruit, ripping a chunk off. He hesitated no longer in spitting the bitter, wretched tasting fruit out.
"Disgusting…" He said, wiping his mouth, trying to rid it of the taste. "How does He live like this?"
Ocelot decided it would be best to return to camp- or what he hoped would be camp- and check up on his men. Though normally reliable, without him around, they had absolutely no clue what they were doing. Skilled and handy with a gun, sure, of course they were. But skilled and handy with common sense, well, that belonged to another team; not Ocelot's. However many times they had failed him, Ocelot hoped that this would not be one of those times. He was incredibly tired, and arguing with his own team of supposedly "professional" men was not something he looked forward to on a daily basis.
Ocelot neared the carefully tucked away clearing. As he got closer, there were suddenly two of his guards following closely behind him. Ocelot supposed they were attempting to be some sort of escort.
At least they were actually keeping guard, Ocelot thought, frowning. His frown deepened as he saw what was supposed to be camp.
"Welcome back, Sir!" The nearest soldier said, saluting.
Ocelot grew furious as he looked around. He had gone for an hour and left them with one order: to set up camp. This? This! THIS! This is what they called 'camp'! Two men were trying desperately to start a fire. How pathetic. One, he observed, had at least begun setting up a tent- wait, wait, never mind, it just got knocked over.
"I leave you for an hour…" Ocelot began, his eyes closed, teeth clenched. "…with one SIMPLE order… to set up CAMP. You men call this camp?" He said, gesturing toward the mess.
"We apologize, Major, but we were having difficulty with the wet wood and rather old and beaten tent…" One of his escorts said.
"You call this difficult! To put up a measly tent and start a simple fire!" Ocelot struggled to control his anger. He had put so much time and thought into this plan… He would NOT have it be ruined by these ignorant, backstabbing, simple-minded, pathetic excuses for soldiers. These… these… these-
"Sir, just give us twenty more minutes and we'll have camp all set up."
"Twenty minutes? You haven't done anything for an hour and now you expect me to give you twenty minutes to do what? Start a fire? Pitch a tent?"
"May I remind you, Sir," Said the guard behind him. "That we were not the ones going on leisurely strolls through the woods-"
Ocelot ripped the revolver from his belt and pointed it directly at the guard's head.
"Say that again… I dare you…" Ocelot glared at the guard.
"Sir, please try to calm down…" Another guard tried to say, but Ocelot ignored him completely.
"Are you questioning my authority?" He said to the first guard, taking a step closer, keeping the gun pointed at the flustered guard.
"N-no, no, Sir," Said the guard, putting his hands in the air. "I just feel you don't appreciate some of the things we do…" The guard yelped as a bullet landed not an inch from his foot.
Ocelot turned to face another guard to his right. He pointed his revolver at this guard, right under the chin.
"When I get back," He began, keeping the gun pointed at his target. "I expect camp to be entirely set up. Got that? You're in charge." The guard, without much of a choice, nodded.
Ocelot threw both his arms down and stormed angrily out of the clearing, only looking back once more to glare at the two guards who attempted to escort him out.
.
.
.
Ocelot didn't know how far he had gone, nor did he care; as long as he was away from those fools. Strange noises came with the falling darkness, though Ocelot continued to plunge through the undergrowth without any hesitation what so ever. He had to be at least be three miles away from camp. This was actually the spot he had originally planned to set up his ambush- a perfect location for snipers. He knew for a fact that Snake was heading for the great fortress of Groznyj Grad, and this was the only way to reach the mountain base.
Ocelot was expecting Snake to show up sometime tomorrow. That seemed like a reasonable guess, considering the rate at which Snake was traveling. Ocelot stopped and put his hand on a tree. He then slid down and sat against it, sighing in exhaustion. If he could just pull something off without a flaw… He put his hand on his forehead. Ocelot always seemed to have bad luck. Time and time again he and his team were the ones screwing up, embarrassing themselves. No, he wasn't going to give in now. Not after all this planning. He was going to go back to camp, tell the team his plans, and make sure they were followed to the end.
Yes, this seemed like a good idea in theory. And he was going to keep it a good idea. Filled with a sudden excitement, Ocelot leaped up began to go back the way he came. Though, with excitement comes ignorance. Not noticing the brown rope against the mud brown forest floor, Ocelot walked right toward it, sick with enthusiasm.
SNIIIIIICK
Ocelot felt the rope wrap its way around his ankle, tugging and pulling him off the forest floor. He now swayed freely upside-down, limiting his vision only the floor of the forest.
"Shit! Shit!" He paused, glancing from side to side. "SHIT."
"You have got to be kidding me…" Ocelot mumbled, looking at the ground. He reached for his revolver, but as he took it out of the holster, thanks to gravity, it went plummeting to the ground below to join Ocelot's hat. Another thing to thank gravity for was the fact that his coat hung loose and fell over him, leaving Ocelot feeling quite exposed. His scarf also hung from his neck, covering most of his face.
He wouldn't dare shout, for it might draw the wrong attention. He wouldn't even bother to call to his men. For one, they wouldn't hear regardless. Second, it's not like they would respond after what had happened, anyways.
Ocelot tried again and again to untie the rope himself, though the branch was too high for him to reach.
Relax, He thought, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes. The rest of the Ocelots will come looking and eventually find me. It won't be long.
Trying to grasp the urgency of the situation, Ocelot glanced around. Well, at least as far as he could. There was a tree. And there's anther tree. And a rock. And there's a dead scientist hanging from that tree.
Wait… What? Ocelot tried to pull himself up to get a better look, though it was no use. He could see it fine, anyways. There, in a tree across the clearing, was a scientist long dead hanging in a tree, caught in the same kind of snare Ocelot was in now. Had he starved? Or perhaps froze to death? For all Ocelot knew, a passing guard could have shot the scientist for the fun of it.
Ocelot silently thanked the scarf that clung to his neck, although most now covered his face. It would at least keep him a little warm, unlike his coat which was of little use to him, since it hardly covered him in his current position. And now, since he had spotted the scientist, it was as if he couldn't look away.
He had already ruled out being shot, for there was no visible blood on the scientist, except for around his ankle. Blood would have easily been visible on the scientist's white lab coat if he had been shot by a passing guard.
Ocelot tried to think of how to rule out starvation, although he was beginning to suffer the side effects of being upside-down for long periods of time. He started to feel lightheaded, and he felt constant pressure in his head. He didn't know how long he had been hanging there, but it was defiantly doing something to him. He found it harder to move his legs and see.
If I don't get out of this snare soon… Ocelot decided not to finish that thought. If I could just pull myself up close enough to the knot-
A sound from the underbrush disrupted his thoughts. Ocelot was suddenly alert, trying to glance down and see where the sound came from. He wanted to call out, but he was smarter than that. Ocelot heard a chuckle beneath him.
"So we meet again." Ocelot recognized the voice immediately.
"Snake…" Ocelot said, clenching his teeth.
"Got yourself in a bit of trouble, have you?" Snake was clearly amused as he stared up at the vulnerable and helpless Ocelot.
"So what?" Ocelot challenged. "Are you going to stand there all day or kill me already?"
"It doesn't feel right to shoot an unarmed man," Snake said, pulling out his own Single Action Army colt revolver. "But I'll get over it."
Ocelot growled and braced himself. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, waiting for the shot.
So this is how it ends… He thought in dismay.
Time went by slowly at that moment. Ocelot heard the shot and flinched.
Nothing. At first. Then, to his surprise, the ground was suddenly getting closer.
"A-ah aaah!"
THUMP.
"Ow…" Ocelot landed awkwardly on his upper back, his shoulders taking the brunt of the fall.
"Aaugh…" Ocelot moaned, rolling onto his side. "W-why did you…?" Ocelot tried to get up, but the pain shot through his upper back prevented him from moving much.
"Oops," Snake smirked, standing over Ocelot. "I must have missed."
It was obvious to Ocelot that he didn't just "miss". It was an easy shot. Someone with no gun experience at all could have made that shot.
Ocelot opened his mouth, and then closed it. He forced himself to sit up, leaning against the nearest tree. He flinched when Snake took a step closer.
"You know, kid, it might be smart to carry around a knife when you're traveling through the jungle." Snake said in a mocking tone.
"You… bastard!" Ocelot hissed through clenched teeth. He pushed off the tree and forced himself toward Snake, ignoring the pain.
With one swift movement, Snake used one hand to push back on Ocelot's shoulder, and the other to grab him just above the elbow. Snake flung Ocelot to the ground with little to no effort.
"Another mistake, kid; don't let your emotions get ahead of your common sense. You let your anger blind you right there. Don't go rushing into battles you know you can't win."
Ocelot narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip. His anger was growing by the minute. This was what, the fourth time in a row he had been humiliated by the same person?
"Also, you could have easily dodged that move. When I pushed against your shoulder, you shouldn't have resisted. Use the momentum to your advantage, and swing to the side for a counter attack, like this." Snake swung his body to the side, imitating the situation. "Here, let me show you."
Snake reached out, offering Ocelot his hand. Returning the offer, Ocelot reached up and grabbed Snake's hand.
"Second mistake," Snake pulled Ocelot up forcefully. He then thrust his other arm into Ocelot's stomach and flipped him forward onto the hard earth. Ocelot landed hard on his back. Ocelot groaned in pain. "Never trust the enemy. You should have seen that coming."
"Grr…" Ocelot leaned up and looked toward the tree he was caught in, taking note of how far away his gun was.
"Now, think this through," Snake coached from a few feet away, watching Ocelot's every move. "Sensibly, you have two options. You can either go for your gun, knowing that you may waste valuable time, giving me a chance to counter, or you can go directly at me and attack using only your body. But is that really the smart thing to do, knowing that you'd be going up against a much stronger opponent? Either way, you're dead, so now what do you do?"
Ocelot glanced from his gun to Snake, unsure of what to do next. "Uh…"
"Now, suppose I didn't have a gun," Snake continued, staring down at Ocelot. "Then what would be the smarter move?"
Ocelot pushed himself up from the cold, hard ground.
"Um…" Ocelot hesitated, not sure how to react to this sudden lesson. "…Go for my gun…?"
"You see, kid, there's your problem." Snake said. "You think just because you have a gun means that you automatically have an upper hand in the battle, when that's not necessarily true. Go ahead," Snake nodded toward Ocelot's gun. "Go and get it."
Ocelot didn't budge.
"Smart move," Snake said, staring straight at Ocelot, nodding in approval. "It means you're learning."
Ocelot stood just a few feet away, not sure if to take that as a compliment or an insult.
"Here," Snake said, tossing the gun he was holding to Ocelot, who caught it expertly in his right hand. "Now, come on then. Shoot me."
Ocelot pointed the gun at Snake and hesitated, holding his arm steady. In a flash, Snake grabbed Ocelot's wrist and used his other hand to knock the gun out of Ocelot's hand.
"Don't hesitate." Snake said, still gripping Ocelot's wrist.
"Then why did you…?" Ocelot began.
"Because I knew you would hesitate," Snake said. "Besides, you wouldn't have shot me anyways."
And that was the last straw. Not only was this man humiliating him, but now he acted as if he knew exactly what Ocelot would do! And this pissed Ocelot off more than anything. He was not going to be that predictable.
Ocelot pulled away from Snake's grasp and took a few steps back. Snake raised an eyebrow. Ocelot looked slightly to his left, and then darted quickly toward the tree where his gun rested on the ground. Picking it up with a sweeping motion, he pointed it at Snake, this time not daring to hesitate.
CLICK
Nothing.
"DAMN IT!" Ocelot cursed, throwing the gun to the ground. He'd used the only bullet intimidating his team, and in his anger, he had forgotten to pack ammo.
"I have to say," Snake said, still remaining calm, though he was now frowning. "I wasn't expecting that."
"Damn it…" Ocelot mumbled again, hugging himself in an attempt to keep warm. It was getting colder, and the frost from his breath floated in front of him.
I need to get back to camp, Ocelot thought. I've wasted enough time humiliating myself.
"If you're thinking about going back to your camp, I wouldn't recommend doing that."
"Why not?" Ocelot argued. "And how did you know I had a camp set up?"
"For one, it's common sense. Anyone knowing it would be this cold would set up camp. Plus, the night is more suspicious. Suppose now if you went back to camp, wearing all that black. What do you think your men would think from far away?"
Ocelot nodded, understanding what the older soldier was saying. He sighed, picking up his hat and patting it to get the dust off. He walked toward a relatively large tree, not far from the one the snare had once occupied. He was done fooling around with this man. The least he could do was get some sleep. Putting on his hat, he slid down the side and sat against the icy tree, breathing in the chilly air. He pulled the hat over his eyes.
"So now you're going to go to sleep right in front of me?" Snake said, walking closer, eyeing Ocelot in curiosity.
"If you were going to kill me, you would have a long time ago." Ocelot crossed his arms over his chest, trying his best to ignore Snake.
"So you're calling me predictable, then?" Snake said, standing over Ocelot.
"Well, yeah." Ocelot admitted, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of Snake's stare.
Why doesn't he just leave already? Ocelot thought.
Ocelot felt a sudden weight on top of him, forcing him against the tree. The force knocked Ocelot's hat off, and he was now face to face with Snake.
"You call this predictable?" Snake said, closing the gap between the lips, forcing Ocelot into a kiss.
It was second nature for Ocelot to kiss back, which he did for a moment before realizing what he was doing. He tried to pull away, though this, in turn, caused Snake to force him harder against the tree.
"Whwhyooaf areyou ahdoing auhthis?" Ocelot tried to ask, though if Snake heard, he took no notice. Ocelot didn't know how long they had been caught in the embrace, although he knew it had been long when Snake pulled away to gasp for air.
"Still think," Snake gasped, sucking in the icy air of the night. "That I'm predictable?"
"I… um… uh…" Ocelot's face was dyed a deep red color, and he looked away from Snake, panting.
"I notice you returned the gesture there for a bit." Snake smirked, looking affectionately at the younger man.
"Well I…" Ocelot lied. "I didn't really have much of a choice." Ocelot stood up, as did Snake, and Ocelot was now in-between the tree and the confused Snake. "I really should leave…"
"But you were about to fall asleep a moment ago. Was it something I said?"
"No, it's just, I, ah!" Ocelot flinched as Snake slid his arms around Ocelot's waist, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Then why the rush?" Snake asked. Not waiting for an answer, Snake pulled Ocelot into another lengthy kiss.
This time, Ocelot returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Snake's neck. It was as if he could taste the wild that Snake had traveled through. This was something Ocelot had never experienced before. He could taste cigar, gunpowder, and a hint of blood. It was as though Snake was telling a story, but without the use of a single word.
.
.
.
Ocelot leaned against Snake, shivering in the cold as they sat against the tree. Snake's muscular arms were draped over Ocelot in an attempt to keep the younger man warm. Ocelot tilted his head and rested it against Snake's shoulder.
There was no need for words now. Aside from the cold, Ocelot wished this moment would last forever. He didn't want it to end, caught in the warm embrace of Snake.
Snake took Ocelot's hand in his own and squeezed it. There was no lust here. They just understood each other and their needs. Snake looked fondly at Ocelot, whom was beginning to fall asleep. As Ocelot fell further into his slumber, Snake scanned the forest.
It was still the middle of the night, and it was still getting colder. Snake was close to drifting off to sleep when he heard the call.
"Sir? Major?" There was a loud call not far away. "We finished setting up camp. Sir!"
"His men came looking for him…" Snake mumbled. "Ocelot. Ocelot, wake up." Snake nudged Ocelot on the shoulder.
"Huh… hmm?" Ocelot moaned, drunk with sleep.
"Your men; they're here, looking for you."
"Wh-what?" Ocelot was wide awake immediately.
The call came again. "Major!"
"You would think they'd be smarter than that…" Snake said. "Now anyone around would know where they are."
Ocelot picked up his hat and placed it back on his head. He walked over to where the two guns lay. He picked them both up and walked back over to Snake, who was up and standing as well.
Ocelot took one and threw it in the air, catching it expertly by the barrel.
"Here," He said, handing it toward Snake. "This one's yours."
"Keep it," Snake said, pulling something out of one of his deep pockets. "And take this."
"Why? I don't need this." Ocelot said, taking the single bullet from Snake's palm.
"Keep it if you want to see me again," Snake whispered, searching Ocelot's eyes. "When I run out of ammo, I'll come looking for you." Snake lightly kissed Ocelot's cheek.
Ocelot closed his eyes, taking in the smell of Snake once more. When he opened his eyes, Snake was gone.
.
.
.
Sunlight slithered through the slits in the treetops as the sun began to rise. Ocelot gathered his men in the middle of camp.
"I know you all worked hard to set up camp last night, but I have some bad news."
Several of the guards moaned, almost all knew what was coming.
"But I have decided to move our location east of here. It's not a long hike, and I'm sure," Ocelot paused. "We can put up camp fairly quickly, so go pack up."
The team dispersed to gather their personal items, but Ocelot remained there. He thought back to Snake.
Ocelot wrapped his hand around the single bullet that hung from his neck. One day, Ocelot thought, glancing at the sky. I'll find out his real name…
With that, Ocelot turned away and scanned the forest. With the camp all packed up, Ocelot began to lead his men through the forest.
SNIIIICK
Suddenly he felt a tug on his right and ankle and he saw the ground getting farther away.
His men stopped, staring at Ocelot hanging from the tree.
"…"
"…" Ocelot said nothing.
.
.
.
"DAMN IT!"
.
.
.
Author's note: First story I thought was actually worth posting. BU
I'd say it need be longer.
But me brain say I'm lazy. And I know the story doesn't match up with the actual game, but whatever. (E.G. Ocelot getting his second revolver from Snake)
And those stupid red fruits. AMG I HATE THEM. I always eat them. Which is a bad idea, my friends. And in that area where you fight the fear, there are two dead scientists caught in traps :'D