THE GREY CURTAIN
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Metroid. I only own cake. Mmmm…cake.
CHAPTER 1
Have you ever had someone dear to you taken away in the blink of an eye? I have.
My name is Samus Aran, and this is my story of losing someone you love, and the mad things you would do to get them back. Yeah, yeah, I don't seem like the loving type, but get over that and listen to what I have to say.
So, as I said, I'm Samus Aran, thirty five, human, blonde hair (yes, I'm a natural), not to tall, and a knockout in looks, if I do say so myself. Oh, and I've been married for four years.
Yes, I can picture the looks on your faces.
Love is a foreign concept to me, or it was until I met fellow bounty hunter John Westheimer. He's handsome, with short brown hair, hazel eyes and a smile that could make any girl swoon. He's smart, funny, and a damn good hunter. We hit it off, dated, and got married six months later. He took a few bullets (literally) to save me. Now tell me, would your husband do that? Didn't think so.
I didn't think Samus Westheimer was a very catchy title, and he didn't like it either, so he changed his name instead. Very touching. He also shared my hatred for the Space Pirates, another reason we like each other.
Now, we've both settled down in a small house in the skies of Elysia, only hunting as a part time thing. We're too busy enjoying each other's company to hunt full time. We took care of the Pirates a long time ago, and now they are no more of a threat to the galaxy than a Geemer is a threat to me.
It was six years ago that we took care of that, and I thought we were finally rid of them. Ridley (although alive) had not bothered me for the entire time, and if he didn't attack, neither would the rest of the Pirates. Well, that was just a theory. As it turns out, the theory was dead wrong.
It so happens that John was captured by the Pirates. I won't go into details (too…tear jerking) but basically, we were not prepared in the slightest, and he was taken. In his place, they left me a ransom note, asking for five million credits and me in person.
I…was heartbroken, to say the least. All I did was sit around the house all day, reliving the memories that John and I shared. And I cried. Oh, boy did I cry. I wanted the Galactic Federation to help, but I didn't want to seem weak. So I was alone. Knowing the Pirates, if I agreed John would be killed before I arrived, and then they'd kill me too. I couldn't live with John being killed, so I didn't know what to do.
It wasn't until a few days later that I got a visitor.
A simple knock on the door started the whole event. I was inclined to tell the person to go away, but I decided I may as well be polite about it. So, I stood up, dried my tears, and off I went to the front door. When I got there, I suddenly felt a shock. I can't explain it, but it was there. Shrugging it off, I opened the door.
There stood a tall, thin and pale man in a dark blue business suit and a red tie with silver stripes. He stood there watching me for a while, before he spoke. "Ms Aran?" I looked at him for a while in return, and said "Yes, that's me." Well, I thought, here goes. "Look, this is a bad time, so maybe-"
He instantly cut me off by saying "Why is it a…bad time, Ms Aran? Is it becccccccause of John?" he said. Firstly, I noticed the way he spoke, with random changes in pitch and tone, elongating the wrong parts of words and awkward pauses for breath. After I took note of that, I realised what he said. I was angry. "What do you know about John?" I snapped. In response, he grinned evilly. "I know quite a bit abbbbbbout him, Ms Aran. I know he was smart, funny…determined. I also know he was captured." He looked at me, waiting for a response. When I didn't, he said "I know where he is, Ms Aran. All I neeeeeeed are a few precious moments. May I…come in?" I stood for a while, my very being screaming "Let him in!" So I listened, and moved aside.
"Thank you." He said, and walked in. I noticed when he walked, he sounded like he was walking down a long marble hallway, no matter what surface he walked on. It was sort of scary, but at the time John was my only thought, so I shrugged it off. He came in, sat in a chair, and pulled out a briefcase (from seemingly nowhere). I went to the kitchen for some water.
When I returned, I looked into his eyes, and was overcome with fear. Those eyes were bright green, and shining like the night sky. They were also changing colour. Now they were purple. Now red. Now yellow. The glass in my hand shook.
"Ms Aran, let us get…down to brass-tacks." He said, snapping me out of the trance. "You and I…we share a similar goal. We both want the Space Pirates dead." "Wait, how did-" I began, but he cut me off again. "I want them dead for…business reasons, but you waaaaaaant them dead for revenge. So, I will make a deal with you." He said with a smirk. He waited for a reply, and again not receiving one, he continued. "The people I represent, the Grey Curtain, want to…hire you. They…we…feel that you are wasting your potential. And before you asssssssssk for pay, let me assure you, the pay you recccccccceive will be…great indeed, at least, to you. John is the pay."
"So, do you accept?" he asked. I didn't have to think long. I wanted John back, no matter the cost, and I told him this. "Well, your confidence is assuring, but the consequences could be…drastic. Do you still accept?" I said I wanted to again, and he immediately smiled. "Excellent. We begin in a few days." I stood to show him out, knocking over my glass, but he said "Oh, no, I will show myself out." I tried to stop him, to ask him so many things, but I couldn't. I couldn't move even a little bit. I could see my glass, floating in mid air, half of the water spilt, but floating. The robots outside had stopped flying, and where frozen.
I saw the man look at his watch, and say "Look at the time. I must be...on my way. We will discuss thissssssss further in a few days." He stood, adjusted his tie, and walked toward the door, with his loud footsteps ringing throughout the house. As soon as he closed the door after him, everything started moving again. The glass shattered, the robots flew, and I shot out of my chair towards the door. I opened it to find him gone. No ship, no nothing.
I went back into the house, and sat down, staring at the floor, thinking of what I had got myself into for John's sake.