-VI: Late Night Encounters-
Snake raised his hands over his head, his pocket knife still clutched in his fist. His captor kept the barrel of the pistol pressed firmly against his head.
"Drop it," the voice ordered. Snake's pocket knife clattered to the floor.
The voice was definitely female, and if Snake's hunch was right (which they usually were), he had a fairly good idea who it was. He tried to turn his head for a look but only felt even more pressure against his scalp.
"I said freeze!" she exclaimed. Snake kept his hands raised and stood as still as a board. He wasn't in the mood for a bullet to the head, and the way his attacker's hand shook didn't comfort him in the slightest. He couldn't help but chuckle; boy did this scenario feel like déjà vu.
"Is this the first time you've ever pointed a gun at a person? Your hand is shaking," he observed.
Snake felt the hesitation in his attacker's hand before he felt a painful metallic whack against the back of his head. He lurched forward and fell on one knee with a grunt. He was then forced on both knees by a tight grip on his shoulder. Whoever it was didn't like to play around.
Shouldn't this be the other way around? he thought with a sly grin. Meryl had hit the nail right on the head back on Shadow Moses: he truly was a real bastard.
"Shut up! I'm the one asking questions. What are you doing in my room?"
"Turn me around and I'll tell ya."
The woman paused, her pistol still pressed firmly against Snake's head, ready to blow it off without another thought. He tried once again to get a decent look at the woman, but unfortunately he faced a bad angle. The glass surrounding the Power Suit was too far away to see a good reflection, but he could tell by the figure's slim outline that it was definitely a woman.
Is this Samus' true form?
To his surprise, the weight of the pistol disappeared and he heard the woman take a few steps back.
"Put your hands behind your head then stand up slowly. No sudden movements," she warned. Snake complied and placed both hands behind his head before he rose to his feet.
"Turn around."
Snake did as he was told, turning his body until he was face to face with his attacker. It was her: the girl he saw in the hallway before. This was Samus Aran? She was definitely not what he'd envisioned. How could a frail little girl like her haul that heavy suit around? Sure, she was about Snake's height and her arms looked toned, but he'd expected to find a woman the size of a bodybuilder underneath that armor.
So what was it, then? Cybernetic enhancements? Genetic therapy? Cloning? Snake grimaced inwardly at that one, remembering Liquid's words about Les Enfants Terrible. No need to think about that right now.
She wore a bright blue one-piece jumpsuit that hugged her hourglass figure like a second skin. It accented every feature of her body. Especially the chest area.
Her long, honey-blonde locks were tied back in a ponytail. A strange glowing symbol that looked like a bird's eye adorned her left breast. In her hands was a customized pistol, the make and size similar to a .50 caliber Desert Eagle, or a customized Colt M1911. Even though he was on its business side, he couldn't help but be a tad curious to see what it could do.
What caught Snake's attention the most was not her stunning figure or her "hardware," but her eyes. They matched her suit; an alluring shade of blue. But there was hardened discipline behind those eyes; the look of a true warrior, much like Link was. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, but her eyes told him she should be much older. He had no doubt that she had killed many times before. There was something else there too, but he couldn't quite make it out.
"Would you stop staring at me already?!" she snapped. "Yes, I'm a girl; whoop-de-fucking-do. Now I'll ask one more time. What are you doing in my room?"
Snake ignored her. "You're Samus Aran? Why are you sneaking around in the middle of the night?"
"I'm the one with the gun here, asshole," she spat. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
Snake smirked, amused with her tough-as-nails attitude (Link hadn't been kidding about that one). He couldn't help but wonder if her bite was half as good as her bark.
He decided to test the waters. He took one step forward, hands still raised. Nothing happened. He took another small step. A blinding pink laser left a smoking hole right in front of his feet.
Snake whistled. That pistol packed quite a punch.
"I mean it, don't move!" she barked. But he kept moving, right until the barrel was pressed against his chest. He had expected it to be hot, but the smooth metallic surface actually felt cool against his t-shirt.
"Why are you hesitating? You've obviously killed before."
Samus narrowed her gaze, locking eyes with the mercenary. Her finger squeezed the trigger, itching to end the life of this smartass intruder. She gasped when in one swift movement he lowered his hands and grabbed the end of the pistol. He pulled it against his chest, right where his heart was.
"Can you really shoot me, little girl?"
Little girl? She was furious now. Her finger clutched the trigger even tighter.
Before she could blink, the pistol was out of her hands. Her eyes widened when she found her own pistol pointed directly at her head by the mysterious man.
"Not so tough without your toys, huh?" Snake grinned. Maybe he was wrong about this girl; perhaps she really was just a rookie.
He spoke too soon. A blur kicked the pistol out of his hand before he saw a fist aiming for his face. He deflected it with his left hand and punched her in the stomach. What would have caused a normal man to wheeze barely even fazed her. Before he could react she elbowed him in the face. Hard.
Snake stumbled backwards, stunned as his face burned as if he had been branded by hot iron. Did she really shake off a punch to the gut like it was nothing?
He shook the dizziness out of his vision just as another fist connected with his face. He grunted, ignoring the agonizing pain and unleashed a spin kick, using as much force as he could muster. To his utter amazement, Samus leaped backward and over the kick, somersaulted in midair while curled up in a tight ball and landed smoothly in a crouch.
Snake's jaw nearly dropped. Who was this woman? It was like fighting Gray Fox as the cyborg ninja, only Samus seemed even stronger. Did that suit augment her strength? Or was it another enhancement, like he thought earlier? He shuddered to think what she could do in that Power Suit of hers.
Samus rushed at him, ready to tackle him to the ground. Snake sidestepped right before she reached him and grabbed her in a choke hold from behind. She violently struggled against his grip but he had a firm hold on her. As much as he hated to even acknowledge Big Boss's existence, his mentor had taught him well.
"Feisty, impressive moves, and beautiful," he whispered huskily in her ear. "Bet you're a dream in bed."
The faintest of blushes lit up her cheeks, but by that point Samus was pissed. No one ever talked to her like that and got away breathing, let alone with their manhood intact.
Get them mad and they get sloppy, Snake grinned, though he wasn't expecting what she did next.
She yelled in a fit of rage and slammed her heel into his left boot as hard as he could. Snake screamed in pain and loosened his grip enough that she broke free. Snake ignored the pain in his foot and aimed a roundhouse kick at her ribs. The huntress turned just in time and caught his boot in her hands and twisted it around, knocking Snake on his back before he even knew what was going on. He barely caught his breath before he was forced to roll out of the way from an aerial kick aimed at his head.
Snake quickly leapt to his feet and sent a hook at a still-kneeling Samus from behind. He was stunned when she caught it without even looking, lifted his entire body over her own as if he were a mere paperweight and sent him sprawled out on the floor with the wind knocked out of him.
He groaned as he tried to rise again, only to find himself staring down the sights of Samus' pistol. She grinned, a sadistic look in her eyes.
"Now then, what should I do to you first? Kill you, or castrate you? Or perhaps both at the same time?" she asked in a not-so-innocent voice. Snake growled; he hated to admit it, but the blonde had some serious skill, and strength for that matter. He could see now why she could wear an armored suit. He knew when he was beaten. Not to mention he didn't like that malicious glint in her eyes.
"Okay," he grumbled, "how about a truce? You let me walk out of here alive, and I'll answer your questions."
Samus thought about it for a moment, keeping her pistol trained on the soldier. He couldn't believe that he, someone who had single-handedly taken out telekinetic psychics, sharpshooters, ninjas, tanks, a Hind D helicopter, and bipedal nuclear monstrosities not once, but three times, was at the mercy of a frail-looking girl with superhuman strength and a temper as hot as her laser. Samus and Sniper Wolf would have been best friends if they had ever met.
He was surprised when she smirked, lowered her pistol and held out her left hand. Snake reluctantly grabbed it and he was pulled to his feet.
"It's a deal, but only because I'm feeling merciful. Now tell me who you are?"
"My name's not important."
Samus cocked her gun again, aiming it at his head with a scowl. Snake sighed; this trigger-happy bitch was giving him a headache. He pitied whoever got in her way when it was that time of the month.
"They call me Solid Snake. Or just Snake, usually."
"Snake?" she snorted. "What the hell kind of name is Snake?"
"What kind of name is Samus Aran?"
She glared at him, one that would have caused lesser men to soil themselves. Snake narrowed his eyes, the hint of another smirk on his lips.
"Fair enough," she muttered as she lowered her pistol again but still kept a finger curled around the trigger. "Why were you snooping around?"
"Like I said, thought you were an intruder."
"Me? You're the one who broke into my room."
"Only because I saw you sneaking around. Besides, most rooms don't have suits of armor hidden in them. Or high-tech armories."
Samus grit her teeth, her grip squeezing her pistol even tighter. It wasn't like her to lose her temper so easily, but this guy's mere existence made her blood simmer like the lava of Magmoor Caverns. No one, and she meant it, no one had ever gotten her this steamed up before in her entire life. Who was this guy?
"That's none of your business," she said. "The fact is that you were trespassing. That alone gives me an excuse to kill you."
"But you won't," he said.
"And why's that?"
"Because I'm irresistible," he grinned.
He saw her eye twitch. He was laughing hysterically on the inside; she was incredibly easy to rile up. He knew he was already on thin ice, but still, this was way too much fun.
"Don't make me regret our truce," she said in a dangerous tone. "Remember, I'm the one with the gun here."
"Right…" he said, his grin fading slightly. "Those were some impressive moves back there. You a soldier?"
"Bounty hunter," she said with a smirk of her own. "Best in the galaxy."
That explains a bit, Snake thought. "What's with the suit?"
"Why so nosy?"
"Why so guarded? Got something to hide?"
She scoffed. "Like I'd tell you. What do you care?"
"Dunno, haven't met many people who wear armor like that, let alone women as well-endowed as you. If you know what I mean," he said with another sly grin.
Samus almost fell to the floor. Did this guy have a death wish? Who in their right mind decides to keep flirting with their captor, especially when said-captor is armed with a blaster pistol that could burn a hole through their brain in a second?
"I said I'd let you walk out of here. I didn't say in one piece," she spat as she raised her pistol at his face again. Snake didn't even flinch.
"Really now," he frowned. "I have a hard time believing someone as volatile as you could be the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. It's far too easy to get under your skin."
"Wha—?"
"I'm a mercenary," Snake said, "and a soldier. In war, you have to keep a cool head. Giving into your emotions blinds you to your surroundings and endangers the mission. You make a mistake; you pay with your life. That goes double for those you work with if it's a team-based op."
Samus was surprised at how serious his expression was. One minute the guy was a perverted bastard, the next he talked like a hardened war veteran.
"And why should I care what you have to say?" she asked. "I've seen things that would give you nightmares for years."
"And I've done things that would haunt you to your grave," he warned. "Being a legend comes with a price. Fiction is never a match for reality, I'm afraid."
"A legend?" she scoffed. "A pervert like you is a legend?"
"Believe what you want," he said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants and turning his back to her. "Now if that's all, I'm heading back to my room."
He walked toward the door, grasped the handle and stepped out into the hallway. Before he shut the door, he paused for a moment and turned back to look at Samus. She was taken aback by his expression. Was it…pain?
"Not that it matters much, but you remind me of someone I once knew," he said.
"Who?" she asked.
He went to reply, but thought better of it. "Never mind," he sighed as he shut the door, his mind deep in thought as he walked back down the hallway to his room. His face and body were still sore from his little scuffle with Samus, but he was too tired to care. Not to mention the bounty hunter had reminded him again of a certain redhead he'd been trying so hard to forget. He barely even remembered shutting the door to his room as he collapsed on his bed.
Goddammit. Why can't the past just stay buried and dead?
Snake awoke the next morning to the sound of something slamming into his door followed by rapid, retreating footsteps. He took the SOCOM off his nightstand out of habit and went to his door. Seeing no signs of movement outside the peephole, he opened his door. Nothing.
A glint of something metallic sticking out of his door caught his eye. It was his pocket knife; the one he had left in Samus' room the night before. A piece of folded paper was pinned by it. He holstered his SOCOM in the back part of his pants and yanked the knife out of his door. He pocketed it before unfolding the paper.
I want a rematch. Come to the stage control room tomorrow evening at midnight.
Come prepared. I won't go easy on you this time.
-S
Snake reread the note a few times, the thrilling thought of battle filling him with excitement. So she wanted to play some more, huh? Who was he to turn down such an offer?
Looks like I got a date tomorrow night, he thought with a grin. Count on it, sweetheart. I'll be there.
It happened! Samus and Snake have finally met. To those of you looking for fluff, sorry but you'll have to wait a bit longer. I'm trying to be somewhat realistic in this story, and realistically speaking, I think this is what Snake and Samus would have acted like. They're both warriors, and warriors understand each other best with their fists, in my opinion. And yes, Snake is still mourning Meryl, but hey he's also a perverted male who loves to hit on beautiful women (and frankly, I don't blame him, haha). But don't' worry, this is only the true beginning of the story. Not sure when the next chapter will be but stay tuned to my profile page for updates.
Anyway, sorry for the delay everyone (man, I really have to stop saying "sorry" so much). I would have had this up sooner but I had some issues with the dialogue and fight scene. If you have any tips, please tell me in a review and I'll do my best in the future. Part of the reason I'm writing this thing is to improve, so constructive criticism is always appreciated.
I was a bit disheartened at the lack of reviews last chapter (special shout out to AvidAkiraReader for the only review I got last chapter!), so I'm hoping I get more this chapter. I've seen a lot of favorite and story alert adds so I know people are reading (which is good), but reviews are the most useful (and encouraging) things us authors can get. I won't hold my story hostage or anything like some other authors do, but here's just a friendly reminder that reviews make the story better and encourage me to update faster!
On the bright side, I went through each chapter and corrected as many errors as I could find and changed a few minute details. You won't find anything too different from what I wrote before, but if you're curious to see what small little things I added, feel free to scan the other chapters. Expect these edited chapters to appear by tomorrow at the latest, but I'm thinking I'll have them up by tonight.
Believe it or not, but summer's just about over and I'm heading back to college next week. That said, I still technically have two weeks until classes start, but I just want to warn you all that updates will become less frequent once school starts. I'm going to aim for at least one chapter a month while alternating between LAH (until it's done) and this story. Hopefully since I won't be taking my Wii with me, I'll be able to focus more on my writing (both fan and original), my schoolwork and other responsibilities (going to be tackling an internship and a promotions position at my college radio station. Yeah I know, I'm crazy).
Thanks for reading, please review and I'm still looking for a beta reader for this story if anyone's interested!
-Sheik
