"What about Chico. He had a chance to stop Paz from hijacking ZEKE and he blew it. He's carried that guilt ever since. Kid really did care about her." –Big Boss (1975)

Location: Camp Omega/Southernmost tip of Cuba.

Time/Day: Unknown

Part 1: Lies in reality

Chico's P.O.V.

I lay, unmoving, the rain beating rhythmically on the tarp that covered the cage I resided in. Now that think back on it I knew how unskilled and ill-prepared I was with only my Walkman and...I pulled the photo out of my shirt pocket. I'd manage to grab it before I left the MSF base and hold onto when captured. It was a picture of Paz smiling and giving the peace sign along with me the other members. Paz known traitor and deceiver of everyone at MSF, so why would someone like me bother risking my life to save her instead of letting her rot or letting Boss handle it seeing as he probably heard about what happened to her through Commander Miller. Maybe I regret not stopping her that day or...some part of me wants to believe that not everything about her was truly deceiving, that she was partly true to her namesake and a part of her wanted Peace. I don't know, but I wasn't getting answers anytime soon... I then began to think about my sister and mi Viejo. I felt guilt and sorrow well up inside me. Would they hate me and see me as a traitor? How do Snake and Commander Miller see me?

I heard footsteps sloshing in mud along with a hood flapping in the wind, as well as the sound of grunting. From what I could tell it must have been another prisoner resigned to the same fate as me. "Get in there!" I heard a gruff say. I heard the sound of the cage beside me creek open and a grunt from the newly made prisoner being thrown into their new living courters. I didn't want to be rude or make them uncomfortable so I decided to watch them through my peripheral vision. That's when I noticed their eyes fixated on me. They seemed to be studying me, like I had done to them moments ago. "C-Chico?" they asked. I gave them a confused look how did they know who I was, unless...

"P-Paz?" I asked hesitantly. They nodded. I felt the inside of my heart swell up a bit. She looked so different. Her hair was no longer long and curly, it was now cut short. Her body from what I could see was covered in bruises and whelps. What had they done to her, why? How long had she been here?

"Chico?" I turned to her. She was hugging her knees and staring down at her feet. I knew this was probably the wrong time to think this considering the situation we both were in, but even with bruises and short hair Paz's cerulean eyes managed to still shine bright in the darkness of the night sky. It was oddly mesmerizing, yet comforting in a way. "Hmm?", "W-why? After what I—" I already knew where she was going with this. "I should hate you right? That would probably make sense, yet here I am trying to "save" you. The truth is while everyone else at MSF may see as you a traitor and may not care if you die here...I do. What you did hurt Paz, I thought we were friends, Compas. When I heard about what happened after you had deceived us, I kept wondering night after night, what if I had stopped you. Would we still have ended up here? Would you still have tried to kill snake? I wasn't sure and when I found out you were "dead" I..."

"Chico, I—" Suddenly footsteps could be heard sloshing through the mud again. They seemed to be heading toward the cage that Paz was being held in. Suddenly I heard another pair of footsteps heading toward my cage too. I watched as Paz' cage door opened a pair of arms reached out grabbing her. The solider forcibly taking her away. "L-let of me you son of a bitch!" she cursed trying to pry herself free. "Paz!" I cried out. My cage door opened up shortly afterward. A pair of hands grabbing me as well. "Walk!" the solider commanded tossing me roughly to the ground. "Move!" they commanded again kicking me hard in the stomach. "O-Okay!" I responded slightly coughing up some dirt. I slowly got up and obeyed heading toward my unknown destination.

"Ahhhhhh!" I continually winced as Paz' cries of pain and suffering rang out through the building for all to hear. 'Paz' I tried desperately to block her cries knowing I was powerless to help. "Why don't you just talk? This pain and suffering you're enduring will end." I heard a voice say. "I-I will never...talk. I-I don't care...what do you!" I heard Paz's broken voice reply back. "Fine, have it your way. I will eventually break you, you know this too, and I can see it in your eyes." The voice said. "Ha! Y-you really think you scare me? Y-you who has to resort to petty torture techniques to get what you want...h-how Pathetic!" Paz spat.

I cringed as a loud "slap" echoed through the building followed by a short cry of pain. Why did it have to be this way? Why didn't Paz just surrender instead of enduring all this suffering? Eventually, Paz and I were released with Paz having to be carried back seeing as she passed out from the pain. I watched Paz's chest rise and fall as she slept soundly. She seemed so at peace as if she had not a care in the world. For Paz sleeping must be a way for her escape the hell she was experiencing. 'I was supposed to get you out of here, but...damn!' I grabbed my tape recorder out of my back pocket and put in the ear buds and pressed the 'stop' button and then pressed 'play'.

I then heard the familiar tune of "Here's to you" through my ear bubs hearing this seemed to calm me down a bit. I continually stared at her until my eyes eventually drooped giving me too, even if temporary a sense of peace...

Part 1: End

A/N: Well, this is the first part of a three-shot. I decided to do it on Chico and Paz because after watching MGS V: Ground Zero's and listening to Chico's cassette tapes. I really wanted to attempt something like this. And PLEASE about Paz and her age, please just try to forget for this if you can. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for part two!