The digital clock on the bedside dresser changed from 11:57 to 11:58 pm. Two minutes until midnight. Snake sat on his bed, tying up the laces of his boots. He stood, walked over to the Terminal desk and took his trench coat from the back of the chair. He was going to take a trip into town.
Snake took a second to check his inbox one last time. He tapped on the screen. No new messages. No response at all from the huntress. Snake wasn't sure if she'd even read the email he'd sent. He pulled on his coat and headed for the door.
Outside, a light fog hung in the air. It had rained all day. Snake could barely see the moon in the sky and the lights from the Town below. He locked the door to his apartment, adjusted the collar of his jacket and began the trek down the mountain road.
He breathed in the fresh air. It smelled of pine trees and petrichor, a scent he could never forget. It reminded him of home, of Alaska. He glanced at the neighbor's houses as he passed by. All their lights were out. Everyone was asleep.
Snake had been thinking a lot lately about the pink alloy who saved him from Ganondorf. He decided it was time to pay her a visit, to see how she'd been doing. He planned the trip into town on a week night, since matches were held during the week and early in the mornings. Anyone who had a match the next day would be asleep and therefore, would be less of a chance of anyone interrupting him. The General Store was the only place he knew he'd find the alloy, as he had no idea where they stayed at night or during their time off. He didn't know if they had rooms, like him and the others, or if they just stayed in the buildings they worked at, sleeping in some kind of flat upstairs, or in a back room.
If they did have rooms, where would such a building even be? Perhaps the Main Building in Town? It looked big enough to house a few thousand alloys. Did they even get time off?
There was a chance the alloy left the store too, as the incident may have proved too much for her. Snake hoped that wasn't the case, if so, finding her could be impossible, as alloys were nearly indistinguishable from their same colored brethren. It also didn't help that pink alloys were among the most common type on the island. They worked in every shop in Town and he saw them regularly on the street. He could have passed by her at one point and never even known.
Snake had sent Samus an email detailing his plan to visit the alloy and asked if she wanted to come along. If she did, they would meet at the Fork at an agreed upon time and leave for the General Store together. But she never wrote back. Normally, he would have thought she was just busy, the Tournament had restarted and she could have her mind on that, but this started to become her behavior as of late. She'd take longer and longer to answer to his emails, and when she did, her replies were shorter and to the point. Now though, she barely wrote him back at all. Snake wondered if something was wrong.
Samus hadn't been in a match yet this week, and he didn't know if she had one in the morning. Either way, if she wasn't going to answer him, then he'd just have to pay her a visit too.
Snake reached the fork in the road and turned left, heading up the mountain to the women's apartments. The lights were all out in these houses too, all except for one. Apartment '3W'; Samus' place. Her lights were still on. Good, that meant she was still awake. Snake shuffled up the wet street and onto her porch.
He rapped his knuckles against the door. He was only going to knock once, and if she didn't answer then he'd leave and go see the alloy by himself. Snake waited. After a few moments, nothing. Maybe she hadn't heard him? Or maybe she had fallen asleep and just forgot to turn out her lights? Snake sighed. He wasn't going to make any excuses for her. He turned around and took one step off the porch.
He paused.
Knock once. If she doesn't answer, then leave. Just knock once...
Rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, he went back to the door and knocked again, a little louder this time.
He heard noise from inside the apartment, then he heard footsteps. The doorknob turned and the door slowly opened. Samus peeked out from inside. "What- Snake?" She said, confused.
She opened the door all the way. Snake was greeted with the sight of her, barefoot, dressed in sleeping shorts, tank top and a gray sweater. Her hair was sloppily tied back with loose strands falling around her face. She had one hand on the doorknob in the other, she held her giant pistol.
Snake held up his hands. "Whoa there. Don't shoot. I'm not armed." He quipped.
"What are you doing here?" Samus asked, lowering her gun. Before he could answer though, she very silently, and very angrily, hissed at him, "What are you doing here, Snake?! Did you come here alone?! Did you know what time it is?!"
Snake was taken aback by this, "Huh?"
"What have I told you about being by yourself?! At night?!"
He sighed, shoving both hands into his pockets. "I take it you never read my email then."
Her anger instantly disappeared. "Email? ...What email?"
"I emailed you this morning. I asked if you wanted come with me to the General Store tonight." He replied.
Samus looked downright confounded. "The General Store? Why?"
"To pay a visit to the cashier. The pink alloy."
Her confusion cleared up as well. "Oh. Oh! You are?"
"Yeah. I thought maybe you'd want to see her too. You don't have a match tomorrow, do you?"
"I do! I mean, no I don't have a match, I'm off tomorrow. I do want to see her," Samus' expression become somber. She idly fiddled with the gun in her hand, "I've been thinking a lot about her, actually. You don't think it's been too long to see her, do you?"
Snake shook his head. "No. I wanted to give her some time to cope with what happened, since the alloys are all terrified of Ganondorf. I just hope she's still working there."
"You think she might have left?"
Snake shrugged, "We won't know until we get there. So, you coming?"
"Yes. I'll have to get dressed. Do you mind waiting?" She asked.
"Not at all." He answered, shaking his head.
"Ok. I'll be right back." And with that, Samus closed the door.
Snake turned around to gaze at the scenery this side of the mountain provided. Or he tried to. The fog obscured almost everything out here too. The only thing he could see were dark shadows from the mountain range across the valley and blinking red lights, the ones that surrounded the doors of the massive underground Hanger. Well, since he had some time to kill, why not enjoy a quick smoke? Snake reached into his jacket and pulled out a pack. He'd just run out of the cigarettes he'd brought with him from home, so now he'd have to start smoking the cigarettes he purchased from the General Store. The packaging was a plain white, there was no brand name or company logo on the front, just red lettering that cautioned the contents were not for children and than it posed some serious health risks. That was it. Not exactly the Surgeon General's warning. Snake assumed these cigarettes were also made by the alloys. He prayed the tobacco plants weren't grown in the same field as the damn coffee beans. But wait, he didn't have the portable ashtray on him anymore. Damn it.
The door suddenly swung open, startling him.
"On second thought, you'd better come inside." Came Samus' voice.
Before Snake could react, Samus grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked him inside. He stumbled over the threshold and she shut the door behind him.
"Hey! What are you-?!"
She locked the door and pointed a finger in his face, "I'm not going to leave you alone out there for one second. And what if the princesses see you standing on my porch this late at night? They might get the wrong idea." Samus was still in her pajamas and sweater, the gun still in her other hand. He thought she was getting dressed.
He piqued an eyebrow at her, "And you pulling me into your apartment sends a better message, how?"
She waved her hand, "Just... wait right here. I'll be back."
Samus walked down the short hall, rounded the corner and disappeared inside. Snake huffed in annoyance, stuffing the cigarette pack back into his coat pocket. Guess no quick smoke for him. He looked around the small hallway. The floor was a short, white carpet, a steel table was against the wall, on top of which was a glass bowl and a vase with flowers. The flowers looked like they would need replacing soon, as the water was a bit dirty and the petals were beginning to wither. There was a key inside the glass bowl, probably to the apartment. He looked at a circular mirror that was hanging on the wall. A door shut somewhere inside, taking his attention. Samus was probably in the bathroom, finally getting dressed. He could see into the house from his place by the front door. He saw the end of her bed and steel desk, on top of which was her Terminal and a few other things.
It was then that Snake noticed a noise. A low hum, sort of like a refrigerator that was working overtime. What could be making that noise, he wondered. Snake ventured inside to investigate.
From what he gathered after being in Peach's apartment for the Tea Party, every house must have the exact same layout on the inside, as the princess' bathroom, living room, closet, kitchen and storage room had all been in the exact same spots as his. Samus' apartment was no different. Her closet, living room, bathroom and kitchen were all in the same areas as well, with one notable difference, she didn't have a storage room. Instead, the entire right side of the house was composed of a garage type workshop. No wonder her apartment looked so big from the outside.
There were work benches, storage compartments, shelving and halogen lights on the ceiling. All manner of tools were placed on hooks along the walls and the drawers were all labeled. Everything looked so neat and organized. This place was the thing of Otacon's dream.
The workshop wasn't the only thing that caught his attention though, in the corner of the shop was a giant metal and glass tube, inside of which was Samus' massive Varia suit. Snake looked back to the bathroom door. It was closed. He walked a little closer to it.
This tube was the source of the humming. Lights on the inside lit up the suit from below, which made it look even more menacing than it already was. There was a keypad on the door's handle along with a small screen. More screens dotted the base of the tube. What was this thing for? Surely more than one heck of a collector's box. He couldn't imagine just how heavy this whole thing must be.
Samus still hadn't come out of the bathroom, so he took the opportunity to look around her apartment a bit. The place was spotless and smelled like metal and grease. Her furniture were black leather couches and she had a decent sized flat screen on a steel stand, though she did not have a stereo system like he did. All of her appliances where a shiny chrome. Snake noted that her fridge had a TV monitor and her sink appeared not to have any handles. How did she operate it?
Since there was no storage room, the washer and dryer were in the workshop, metal racks next to them. Samus' stock was also neat and organized. The towels were nicely folded and the toilet paper was stacked into a little pyramid. Snake just threw his towels and toilet paper where ever they would fit on the racks. No doubt Samus had seen his mess of a storage room when she'd stayed over and washed her clothes at his place. She probably thought he was a slob. Well, he kind of was. He felt a little embarrassed about it now.
A single coffee cup was washed and drying in the dish rack. Her kitchen trash looked about ready to be thrown, it was stuffed full of bags from the cafeteria. He walked back to the steel desk. A small booklet lay open on top and was filled with hand written notes. It looked like nothing but technical jargon, like the sort of notes Otacon would take about his gadgets. Snake assumed this was a log book of repairs Samus made to her suit, as it contained dates. He couldn't understand any of it.
An open tool box full of wrenches was also on the desk. Snake pushed it aside as he spotted two photo frames hiding behind it. He picked one up and examined it. This photo appeared to be a group shot of a platoon, as every person was wearing the same blue uniform. At the front of the group was a choppy haired blonde girl. She was the smallest among them, and the grumpiest-looking. Standing next to the girl was a very tall and bald black man. He had a hand on the girl's shoulder and was smiling broadly, contrasting her face. If Snake had to guess, this was probably the rescue platoon Samus said she was apart of, and the angry little girl was Samus herself.
Snake put the picture down and picked up the other. This photo was of Samus and a young man. The guy had short black hair and wore green fatigues. He had an arm around her shoulder and was smiling brightly while Samus looked uncomfortable and appeared to be pushing him away. Sort of like a cat that didn't want to be touched. Samus was wearing more casual clothing, but her shirt looked to be about two sizes too big for her. Her hair was still short but she had a blossoming ponytail sticking out the back. She looked a little older in this photo. Snake wondered who the guy was.
He took notice of another person in the background. A much older-looking man with short black hair was gazing back at them over his shoulder. He held papers in his hand and his expression appeared bored. The stripes embroidered on the shoulder of his fatigues suggested the man was a higher rank. Her CO, perhaps?
He heard a door handle jiggle behind him. Snake quickly put the picture back on the desk in a discreet motion.
"Alright, I'm ready!"
Snake turned around to see Samus standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She was dressed in leggings and a v-neck shirt, her gray sweater in her arms. Her messy hair was brushed and tied up in her usual ponytail. She looked surprised to see him standing there. "What are you doing over there?" She questioned.
Snake cleared his throat and motioned to the glass case in the workshop. "Just looking at your suit. You might want to take your sweater. It's a bit chilly outside."
Samus eyed him. Snake briskly walked past her, back towards the front door. She followed after him. He really hoped she fell for his lie. Samus grabbed the key from the glass bowl as she passed and they exited the apartment together.
Snake stepped off the porch first. He turned around to wait for her while she locked up. Afterwards, she glanced around. Snake doubted she was looking up and down the street for traffic.
"Don't worry, everyone's asleep." He assured her again.
"I'm not worried," She replied, sounding almost nonchalant, "Sometimes Zelda can't sleep, though."
Snake piqued an eyebrow, "The princess has insomnia, huh?"
Samus zipped up her sweater. "I imagine the life of a royal must be stressful."
"That why you're still awake too? Insomnia, I mean." He asked.
"No. I'm just a night owl. I was getting ready for bed though, before you came."
And here he thought princesses always got plenty of beauty sleep. A mischievous thought came to him and he shot Samus a grin. "Why are you so worried about being seen with me, anyway? This wouldn't be the first night we've spent together, you know."
Samus' face turned pink and she punched him in the arm.
"Ouch! Hey!"
"You are so... stupid!" She quietly barked. Samus pushed past him and stepped off the porch, stomping down the street. Snake rubbed his arm. That punch hurt but he couldn't help a small chuckle. He thought it was pretty funny. He followed after her.
"The girls won't exactly know the context of... this," She huffed, motioning to the two of them, "but they would know if you'd just let me tell them what happened."
"So you haven't told anyone? Good. I'm glad I can trust you." He replied.
Samus crossed her arms, "I can't believe you still don't want the others to know. They should. We could all look out for you."
"They don't need to. I can look out for myself."
"Sometimes I wonder about that." She huffed.
Snake put a hand to his chin, "Well, I do remember this pretty blonde offering to be my body guard, if I ever needed her."
Samus turned her face away from him and snorted, "I don't remember making any such offer." He thought he caught her face turning another shade of pink. Snake said nothing but chuckled again, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.
They walked down the street in silence after that. They reached the fork in the road and continued on. The fog made it hard to see the men's apartments as they passed. Snake could barely see the pair of streetlamps at the end of the road that marked the boundary of the Town.
"By the way, just what were you doing at my desk? I thought I told you to wait by the door." Samus spoke, breaking the silence.
Snake tensed. She was looking at him through the corner of her eye. He turned his gaze away from her. "I already told you. I was looking at your suit."
"From my desk?"
Snake tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, "I heard a strange noise inside and went to investigate. That's when I saw it."
"You were snooping at my pictures, weren't you?"
Shit! Snake tried to scramble for a response, but nothing was coming to him. He glanced back at her. Samus narrowed her eyes at him. Damn it! He was busted. She had seen him put the picture back on the desk after all, or maybe she noticed the tool box had been pushed to the side. Snake took a hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck, "Alright... I... might have taken a look..." He confessed.
He expected her to start scolding him, but instead, Samus laughed lightly. "It's okay. I may have done the same thing when I stayed over at your place."
Snake blinked. "You did?"
"I didn't snoop around or anything, just looked at your pictures. Do you mind if I ask who the man with the glasses is? Is that your engineer friend?" Samus put a finger to her chin, "What was his name again? Ottoman...?"
Snake chuckled lightly. "Otacon. And yeah, that's him."
"Right, sorry." She tittered, "You know, he doesn't look quite like how I imagined he would."
"What did you think he looked like?" Snake asked.
"Well, if he was a friend of yours, I pictured someone more... rough looking. Like you."
"Me?"
"But he looks kind of, uh... How should I put it...?"
"Like a nerd?"
Samus stifled another laugh, "I suppose all engineers do, don't they?"
"Well, you're not wrong. Otacon is a gigantic nerd. But he's a good guy."
"And the other photo? I didn't know you had a dog."
"Yeah, I do..." It was Snake's turn to eye Samus. That photo was on the night stand, next to the side of the bed he usually slept on. He gave her another grin, "Were you watching me while I was sleeping?"
Samus froze, her eyes going wide. He could see her realizing the implications of having looked at that particular photo. His grin only widened. She recovered quickly and snorted out a response, "More like investigating who you were talking to. Did you know you talk in your sleep, Snake? I just happen to see the photo then."
Snake's grin dropped, "...What did I say?"
She put another finger to her chin in thought, "I'm not sure, actually. You were mumbling most of the time. I couldn't really make out anything."
He was relieved. Otacon told him before that he had a habit of talking in his sleep. He said all manner of things, though it was usually just repeating someone's name. One time, Snake had said something about "not liking the star-shaped ones, because they scare him" while asleep, and the engineer made fun of him for the longest time. To his day, Snake still had no idea what that meant or what his dream had even been about.
"So, what's his name?"
Snake was taken out of his thoughts, "Huh?"
"Your dog. What's his name?" Samus repeated.
"Oh. It's Chief, and she's a girl."
"Oh, sorry." Samus apologized again, "I noticed you were wearing some kind of marker in the photo. Were you in a competition?"
"Yeah, a dog sled race."
"Dog... sled?"
Snake nodded, "Back when I lived in Alaska, I used to raced dogs competitively."
Samus looked really confused, "You can race dogs...?"
"Remember how I told you Alaska had really bad winters?" He asked. When she nodded, he continued, "Well, the way the natives of the land used to travel and hunt in the snow was by crafting wooden sleds, which were pulled by a team of huskies. They could traverse massive distances this way, carrying their kill and other cargo back home. Nowadays though, dog sledding is more of a recreational sport. There's actually a great story about a dog sledder who saved an entire town from an epidemic during a severe snowstorm."
"That's amazing. I had no idea you could do such a thing." Samus replied.
"It was how I made my living there. I also rescued and raised huskies, too."
Her dark eyebrows went up. "You rescued dogs? Just how many did you have?"
Snake scratched his chin in thought, "Before I had to retire from racing... I'd say about fifty."
Samus stopped dead, her jaw almost dropping to the floor. "F-fifty?! You had fifty dogs?!"
Snake waved a hand, "Well, sixteen of them were my racing team. The others were mostly puppies and some juveniles. I had actually found a box of about ten newborn pups abandoned out in the woods, so that's what brought the number up to fifty. I was lucky I had a nursing dog and she took them right in. Of course, they had to stay in the house, because of the weather and-" Samus suddenly burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. He stared at her. "What so funny?"
"It's- it's nothing- just-!" She stifled her laughter behind her hand, "The thought of a gruff grump like you with a whole farm of puppies? It's actually kind of adorable. And it makes total sense."
"What makes sense?"
"Why the kids and Pikachu seem to like you so much. I think I've finally figured you out, Solid Snake. You're a classic tough guy with a heart of gold." Samus poked him playfully on the nose.
Snake turned away from her and groaned. He picked his pace back up, leaving her behind. He knew the blood was rushing to his face and he didn't want her to see.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease." Samus apologized again, catching up to him, "Did you ever win any races?"
Snake grumbled a little before he answered, "...Won a number of the local circuits, and the Iditarod a couple of times."
"Eye-did-a-rod?"
"The biggest dog race in the world."
"No kidding."
Snake shrugged. "That's was a long time ago, though."
"Sounds like you were pretty good at it. Do you still race?"
Snake shook his head. "No. I had to retire. I was actually preparing to compete in my third Iditarod when the, er, whole Shadow Moses incident happened..."
"Oh, I see. Do you still have your dogs, though?"
"No. I had to give them all away. After Shadow Moses, I realized there were things I still needed to do. I couldn't stay in Alaska either. The only dog I have left is Chief. I... I couldn't let her go."
"She must be real special."
"She is. She was one of my two Lead dogs. She's very smart and kind of spoiled. She... also helped me through a dark time in my life." Snake looked away from Samus. He dreaded her asking him to elaborate, but she didn't. She stayed silent. Snake decided to change the subject anyway. "Since we're talking about pictures. That group photo on your desk, that was your platoon, wasn't it?" He looked back at her and she nodded. "You looked really young there. Just how old were you?"
"Fifteen, I think." She replied.
"Started out young too, huh?"
"Yeah. I was the youngest in the regiment. And the smallest."
"I could tell. You sort of stick out like an angry little thumb." He quipped. Samus chuckled lightly. "Whose the guy in the other photo?"
They reached the end of the cobblestone road, entering into the Town's limit, and started down the sidewalk. A streetlamp overhead lit up Samus' face in time for Snake to see a somber shadow pass over her eyes. "His name was Ian. Ian Malkovich." She answered.
He couldn't miss the change in her demeanor. "Was he in your regiment?" He asked.
"No. He was a technician with Maintenance. Our units traveled together though, so we worked in close proximity. Ian was the younger brother of my CO. Did you see the grumpy looking man in the background?"
"I did. That was your CO?"
Samus nodded again. "His name is Adam Malkovich. He's a pretty serious person and his brother Ian was his complete opposite."
Snake raised another eyebrow. "Did you two have something going on?"
It was Samus' turn to wave her hand in dismissal. "Oh no. Ian was way older than me. Plus, I could barely stand him at the time."
"Why's that?"
She looked away and sighed. "That time in my life wasn't exactly the happiest. I... I had a lot of anger, because of circumstances that led me to join the Federation so young. So, I wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Ian was so upbeat. He laughed and joked all the time. It got on my nerves but, looking back, I miss it."
"Where is he now?"
"He died, unfortunately."
"Want to tell me what happened?" He asked, softly.
Samus rubbed her arms as she spoke, "We were coming back from a rescue mission. The Space Pirates had devastated yet another planet under the protection of the Galactic Federation. We were transporting refugees on our ship when one of the engines of the solar sails malfunctioned." She gestured a hand to him, "Now understand, where I come from, we have warp gates and other machinations made from an element called 'Afloratite.' It's a revolutionary material that makes space travel possible. If Afloratite is combined with fire though, the resulting explosion can be catastrophic. If the sail exploded, it would have killed all of us, and all the people we'd just rescued. Ian was sent to fix the sail but... everything went south so quick. The sail ended up exploding, and he..."
"I see. I'm sorry."
Samus shrugged too, "That was a long time ago. An investigation afterward revealed that the sail had been sabotaged by a space pirate."
"And how did your CO take it?"
"About as well as one could. He was the one who ordered the detachment, which left his brother behind, after all."
"That's an extremely tough call to make."
Samus tugged at her sweater sleeves again, "I was angry at the Commander for the longest time. The explosion would have killed all of us, I knew it, but... sometimes I can't help but think... if he'd just let me go after Ian..."
"Maybe you could have saved him." Snake finished.
She nodded again, "Yeah..."
Snake reached over and gently gripped her on the shoulder. "There's not a person alive who doesn't have regrets in their heart. It was one life over the others. Your CO had a choice to make and he made it. Would Ian have chosen to live, over all of you?"
"No. He would have given his life in an instant if that mean it'd save us." She answered.
"Then, all you have to do is keep his memory alive."
She look up at him and smiled lightly, "...Thank you, Snake."
He nodded and lowered his hand. The two walked in silence again. They passed by an area lit by another street lamp. Snake looked over at a familiar set hedges, by which a young tree was planted.
"Congrats on winning your return match, by the way." Samus spoke, again breaking the silence, "I'm sorry I never told you."
"Thanks. I guess we're done emailing each other, then?" Snake asked.
Samus looked back at him, "What do you mean?"
"You were sending me emails every single day during the shutdown, checking on how I was, and if I'd spotted Ganondorf anywhere. You even sent a video message when I responded to one of your emails late. But now, the Tournament's started again, and it's like I don't exist."
Her reply was a bit hesitant. "Well... I've... just got other things on my mind."
"Is that why you've been ignoring the princesses?"
Samus' eyes widened, like a deer caught in the headlights. "Who told you that?"
"Peach. She and Zelda paid me a few visits during my suspension. I thought it was odd that you never came with them, considering our certain situation. I asked Peach about it and she said you'd been avoiding them."
Samus looked away. She began to tug on a tendril of her hair. "I just...uh..."
Snake leaned in close. "Is something going on?"
Samus backed away, stammering out her response, "No! N-nothing! I've just... W-weren't you the one telling me to stop worrying, anyway?"
Snake narrowed his eyes. What was really bothering her? Why was Samus avoiding her closest friends, the princesses? What was the reason? He thought girls told each other everything? He wanted to question her more, but now wasn't the right time. An encroaching light started to break through the fog front of them. Snake backed off and shrugged, "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. It's too bad though, I'm really gonna miss that thing we had going on."
Samus stopped tugging on her hair, "What thing?" She asked. When she saw the sly grin Snake was giving her, she scoffed, "Oh please. There's was nothing going on between us. We were just congratulating each other on our matches and swapping the occasional tip."
"No?"
She crossed her arms, "Not at all. You definitely won't get anywhere with those lame pick up lines of yours, Snake."
"Hm. We'll see."
She looked at him again with wide eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Eyes front, body guard. We're closing in."
The colorful arches of the General Store came into view. Even though an ample amount of light was spilling out from the Store's front glass doors and shining down from both street lamps on either side of the building, it still looked a bit eerie with the fog surrounding it. Everything was strangely quiet too, the water vapor in the air absorbing the sounds of the night. Snake stopped just short of the light from the doors.
"You ready?" He asked Samus.
She nodded. "Ready."
"If the alloy's not there, I'll fish the info out of the cashier about where she went."
"And what should I do?" She asked.
He grinned again. "Stand around and look pretty." Samus rolled her eyes. The bell chimed as they both entered the store together.
"Welcome! How can I - oh."
They both stopped short in the doorway. Standing behind the check out counter was a pink alloy. She seem to stare at them for a moment before she spoke again, "Uh, welcome to the General Store. Can I help you guys find anything?"
Snake and Samus shared a glance. Snake knew what she was thinking without her having to say it. She gave him a little nod and he approached the counter first. He spoke gently, so only the alloy could hear. "Hey there. You're that alloy, right? The one from that night, a few weeks ago?"
The alloy's round shoulders tensed and she brought her arms up to her chest. Samus approached the counter next. "You're the one who helped us, aren't you? Do you remember?" She asked softly.
The pink alloy's gaze slowly drifted down. "Yeah, I remember... That was that night when... when he attacked you..." Her voice sounded familiar. It was her.
"Good. I'm glad it's you. We came to see you, to see how were doing." Samus spoke.
The alloy's head shot up. "Really?"
Snake looked around. "Is there anyone else here?"
"My coworker, but, he's in the Stockroom right now." The alloy replied, turning her head towards a closed door near the check out counter.
"Do you mind if we chat with you for a bit?" Samus asked.
"Oh, no. Not at all." The pink alloy sat down on a stool behind the counter. She folded her hands in her lap. Her seemed to relax.
"Can you tell us your name?" Snake inquired.
"My name is Tish."
"How have you been since we last saw you, Tish?"
The alloy shrugged, "I've been okay, I guess. That night was... really scary. I took a few days off of work after it happened. I was scared he might come looking for me. Honestly, I still am."
"We know what you mean. We're worried he might come after us too." Samus said, motioning to the both of them.
"I don't believe he will, though. I think you're safe." Snake added.
Tish put her glowing hands together, sounding hopeful, "Really? You think so?"
Snake nodded. He could see Samus shoot him a look from his peripheral vision. He knew she heavily disagreed with him, but not only was it something he truly believed, the alloy needed some reassurance as well.
"Have you told anyone what happened?" Samus asked next.
Tish shook her head vigorously. "No. I can't tell anyone. Alloys are kind of chatty. What if the person I told, told someone else, and then that person told someone else too? Word would spread, and eventually, it would reach him. He'd come after me for sure then. You two haven't said anything, have you?"
Snake and Samus both shook their heads.
"No."
"We haven't. We know what would happen if we did." Samus reassured.
Tish put an orb-hand on her chest and sighed with relief, "Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. I still remember what you said about how little he would be punished for killing me."
"What about that other alloy? Your coworker? Does he suspect anything?" Snake asked.
Tish brought a knee up to her chest. "He does. He grilled me for two days, but I never told him anything. I can't, because it would put him in danger as well. He finally stopped asking about it, but I know he still suspects something-"
"I knew it! I knew something happened!"
Everyone was startled by a loud voice. The door to the Storeroom swung open, Tish's coworker, the orange alloy, was standing in the doorway.
Damn it! He hadn't heard the door knob turn! Was the door ajar the whole time?!
Tish shot up from her stool. "S-Sunder!"
"It wasn't just a thunder strike, was it?" The alloy demanded. Tish said nothing. The alloy came stomping up to him and Samus. He ignored her and stuck his concave face right in his. "What really happened that night? Tell me!"
Snake held his hands up, "You need to calm down buddy-"
"The name isn't 'Buddy', it's Sunder!" The alloy shot back, jabbing him roughly in the chest. "And you two did something to my friend! I want to know what it was, Dome Wrecker!"
"Sunder stop!" Tish yelled.
Snake clenched his teeth and balled his fists. His anger flared. He knew he shouldn't lash out at an alloy, he knew it, but damn it, he was pissed! Snake opened his mouth to give the alloy the must unholy tongue lashing he could-
"What did you say?!"
Samus shoved the alloy back, putting herself in between them. Her voice exploded with anger.
The alloy named Sunder stumbled, "Huh?"
"What did you just call him?!" She roared.
Sunder began to stutter, "I-I said-"
"How DARE you say that to him! How could you be so cruel?!" She barked in the alloy's face.
"I-I didn't mean it! I was just trying to-"
"Trying to what?! Accuse him of something you have no proof of?!"
"I-I was just worried about my friend-"
It was Samus' turn to jab the alloy roughly in the chest, "We would NEVER hurt an alloy! Do you understand?!" She backed the alloy all the way up to the wall of the Stockroom. Sunder held up his orb-hands, quivering in fear.
"H-Hey man, it's cool...!" He whimpered.
"Apologize to him! Right now!" She growled, pointing a finger back to him.
Sunder looked over her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, honest!"
Snake's mouth hung slightly open. He'd never seen Samus blow up like that. He'd seen her angry before, sure, she gave him quite the cold and contemptible glare during the Tea Party. But this? This was something else.
"It's... it's fine." Snake said after a moment. Samus backed away from the alloy then, though, Sunder remained pressed up against the wall in sheer terror.
WHACK!
Sunder crashed to the floor. Tish had walked out from behind the check out counter and clocked him right on the side of the head.
"Argh! What was that for?!" Sunder cried out.
"You moron! What do you think you're doing?!" Tish hissed.
Samus stepped back further. She appeared just as confused as he was by the pink alloy's actions.
"Do you really think these two would harm me?!" Tish continued to yell.
"I don't know! I was just-"
"You can't just burst out here and accuse the Smashers of such things! Do you want to anger Master Hand?!"
"N-No, but-"
Tish made a noise that sounded like an annoyed growl, "You've always had the densest head, Sunder! Never thinking before you act!"
"Why are you being so mean?" Sunder whimpered.
"Just go back into the stockroom and keep fiddling with that stupid...whatever-it-is!"
Sunder pushed himself off the ground, "No! I will not! Something happened to you and I just want to know what! You've been so skiddish lately and afraid to be by yourself. You never were before!" Sunder's voice softened, "You're my friend, Tish. I just want to know what happened..."
Snake suddenly felt really bad for the alloy. He saw Samus fidget and look down. He knew she was feeling guilty about her angry outburst too.
Tish put her hands on her hips and let out a long sigh, "Something did happen. But I can't tell you what. The more who know, the more danger we could be in."
"But we are already in danger because of- " Sunder sudden cut himself off. A subtle turn of his head signaled to Snake that he had glanced in their direction. Snake narrowed his eyes. "When that... certain person is here." The alloy finished, "Wait, is that it? Does it have something to do with him?"
Tish looked over in his direction too. She didn't have to have a face for Snake to understand what she wanted. He shrugged. "If you want to tell him, that's entirely up to you. I won't stop you."
Tish went back to her stool behind the counter. She sat. Samus looked at him over her shoulder, her expression nervous. Snake nodded to her. Everything would be fine. She seemed to understand him, her expression becoming resigned.
"Listen up, dummy. I'll tell you what happened, but if you tell anyone, you'll get the both of us killed." Tish began.
Sunder approached the counter, casually leaning an elbow on it, resting his head in his orb-hand, "Come on, you know I can keep a secret."
"I mean it Sunder. You can't tell anyone. Not the others, not your buddies Frait or Tervel, not even Odus! No one! Do you got it?"
Sunder raised his read a little, "Not even Odus? This is serious..."
'Frait' and 'Tervel' must be the names of other employees who work at the General Store. Snake wondered who exactly this 'Odus' was. Sounded like someone important.
Tish put her glowing hands together, as if intertwining her fingers. "That night when it first rained, I wasn't scared by a lightning strike. Mr. Snake had come into the store and purchased an umbrella, in the process, he left behind a bag he'd bought at another store."
"I remember that, you asked me to watch the front while you ran it out to him." Sunder commented.
"Well, when I finally caught up to Mr. Snake... he wasn't alone. There was a dark shadow, and an evil aura. He was there."
Sunder stood up straight. "Ganondorf...?"
Tish nodded. "He was attacking Mr. Snake, had him pinned to the ground. Mr. Snake was crying out and I... I tore a branch off a tree and I hit him with it."
"You did what?!"
"I couldn't stand there and watch him kill someone before me, much less a Smasher! What if Master Hand found out I watched it happen and did nothing?" Tish argued. Sunder said nothing and Tish continued, "The evil man turned on me next. He was going to attack when Ms. Aran showed up and saved us both. My fear got the better of me and I froze. Mr. Snake and Ms. Aran both protected me. They talked him down and made him leave."
Alloys didn't have any skin to go pale, but the light flickering in Sunder's bright abdomen signaled the same reaction to Snake. "Oh... I see."
"Yeah. That's why I didn't tell you." Tish finished.
Samus spoke next, "We haven't told anyone what happened either. Snake and I don't want to put Tish in any danger. I'm sure you know us competitors can't attack each other outside the Ring, to do so would result in punishment or being expelled from the Tournament, depending on the situation. If Master Hand found out what happened, and deemed the attack wasn't that serious, Ganondorf would only be punished, and for that he'd definitely seek revenge. He could kill Tish and barely be punished for it."
Sunder looked back at Samus. Snake could tell the alloy was contemplating her words.
"So, now that you know, you've got to keep your trap shut, or Ganondorf will be back and he will kill you too." Snake growled.
"I-I know that! I may have a big mouth sometimes, but I know when to keep a secret." Sunder countered, "But you, Tish... you stood up to him!"
"What?" Tish scoffed.
Sunder began to shake, his voice becoming excited, "You actually stood up to him! Even knowing who he was, and what he could do! You saved a Smasher's life! Do you have any idea how famous you would be around here if everyone knew?! You'd be even more famous than #64! Heck, you could be invited into the Fighting Alloys!"
Tish made another noise that sounded like a snort, "But then I'd be a dead celebrity, wouldn't I? I don't want to join the Fighting Alloys, that's your dream, and don't even think of comparing me to that numerical elitist, Sixty-four! I'd be dead right now if these two hadn't convinced Ganondorf to leave."
Samus held up a hand, "It was actually Snake who convinced him. I just kind of stood there."
"Anger can cloud anyone's judgment, make them do hasty things." He said, deliberately looking at Sunder.
The orange alloy laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, uh, sorry about that. Sometimes I jump to conclusions."
"More like all the time," Tish huffed, "You're lucky I was the one who punched you instead of Ms. Aran. She probably would have put your head through the wall."
Sunder laughed nervously again, "Assault isn't permitted on alloys, remember?"
Samus waved her hand, "I wouldn't have done that, really." She turned back to Tish, "In any case, Snake and I are honestly glad to see you've been doing alright."
"I thank you for that," Tish replied. Her gaze drifted down again, her voice becoming somber, "I'm not going to lie and tell you that I don't look over my shoulder every now and then. The only time I really feel safe is when I can see Ganondorf on the TV. No one stands up to him, much less a lowly alloy like me."
Samus stepped closer to both of the alloys. She placed a hand over her heart and spoke warmly, "You're wrong. You guys have never been lowly. More than anything, you are the ones who have cared for us, way more than Master Hand ever has. I don't know when the both of you were made, but, I watched you guys grow from Polygons with little will, to what you are now. And it's been incredible. I know when I come here, you guys will always be friendly, always be polite and always be considerate. You are one of the best parts of this place." Samus then smiled a genuine smile, more gentle than he'd ever seen from her before. Snake stared.
Tish did a little wiggle in her chair and Sunder rubbed the back of his head. He could tell they were both blushing.
"Thank you, Ms. Aran." Tish replied.
"You can just call me Samus."
The pink alloy nodded. "Oh! I guess I should ask, was there anything I could help you two find while you're here?"
Snake and Samus exited the General Store empty handed, bidding Tish and Sunder a goodnight, the orange alloy again apologizing for his outburst. The bell chimed and the glass doors parted to let them outside. The fog seemed to have gotten heavier, as the street and lights from other lamps across the street were a little less visible. Snake and Samus started the trek back towards the mountain together.
"I'm glad she's doing alright." Samus commented, "The alloys really are tough."
"Yeah. It's a shame that other one had to find out, though." Snake replied.
Samus sighed, "He was just worried about his friend. I can understand that."
"Yeah, me too." Snake was still thinking about how Sunder had cut his sentence short and looked at them. He was talking about being in danger. What could this mean? "Thanks, by the way."
Samus looked at him, "For what?"
"For standing up for me in there. I don't think I've ever seen you so angry." He answered.
Samus fidgeted, "Oh, it was nothing. I know Sunder was just concerned for Tish but... that made me so mad." She wagged a finger at him, "I told you before, if anyone gives you crap about the incident, they have to deal with me."
She couldn't possibly understand how much that meant to him. Snake smiled.
"Look at that, I didn't know you could smile." She joked.
Snake chuckled lightly. "Only sometimes. I think it scares people." Samus let out a light laugh too. "Thank you, though."
The huntress nodded. "Of course."
Snake and Samus came upon the fork in the road. Snake tried to bid Samus goodnight but she insisted on walking him all the way to his apartment. Snake grumbled about it but Samus was unmovable in her decision, that and coupled with the concerned look she gave him, made him give in. He also didn't mind spending the extra time with her. They chatted quietly as they walked up the cobblestone road. Samus remarked how she envied his view from this side of the mountain. On clear nights, the lights from the town below looked quaint and peaceful, and during the day you could see a mysterious, tall rock formation way out in the desert, and beyond that, a snow-capped mountain on the horizon. All she could see from her apartment was more mountain and forests. Not to mention the Garage and the massive doors to the underground Hanger. The sirens that sounded when the doors opened were loud and annoying. It was all she heard during the break when shuttle after shuttle flew to and from the Garage all day and night. Snake hadn't thought about that. He'd never heard the sirens at all. Samus also mentioned that, when the summer break came, she was thinking of taking her ship out and exploring the other half of the island.
Finally, they'd arrived at his apartment. Snake stepped onto his porch and fished out the key from his jacket pocket. "Alright, I'm home. You can stop worrying now."
Samus crossed her arms. "Good."
Snake pointed the key to her, "Promise me you'll get home okay?"
"How about I message you when I get back?"
"Will you actually respond this time?" He quipped. Samus chuckled lightly. Instead of unlocking the door and going inside, Snake lingered on the porch, "Are you sure you're doing alright? The girls are worried about you, you know."
Samus turned her gaze away from him, "I... I think I'm just... stressed. About the Tournament. Ganondorf. Everything. Sometimes I stress myself out for no reason, really. Don't worry about me though, I'm fine."
Snake knew this wasn't the real answer. He stepped closer to her, softening his voice, "Look, I know I haven't known you as long or, as well as the others, but sometimes talking to a stranger can help. Whatever's really bothering you, you can tell me, and I'll listen."
Samus looked back at him. After a moment, a light smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You're not a stranger though, Snake, you're my friend."
He smiled back. "You're my friend too. But, if you ever want to talk about anything, even if you just want to vent, I'll still listen. Any time."
She uncrossed her arms. "Thank you. I'm... I'm sorry I haven't been replying to your emails. I promise I will from now on."
Snake nodded, "If you don't, I'll just come knocking on your door in the middle of the night again." Samus let out a small laugh.
Snake intended to bid the huntress a goodnight, as the time was nearing 2 AM, but he didn't. Still, he stood on the porch, keeping his eyes on her.
Samus noticed his staring. "What? Come on, I mean it Snake, I won't forget to write back."
"It's... not that."
"Then what?"
Snake looked over the features of her face - the shape of her eyes, the beauty mark below her lips, and the one strand of hair that always fell in her face. The thick fog that surrounded them was lit up by the porch light of his apartment, which bounced the light back onto her hair, making it seem like it was glowing. She looked so enchanting right now.
Samus smiled nervously, "Snake, what is it?"
"There's... something I never got to tell you."
Her smile quickly disappeared, "Huh?"
Snake looked around. Everything was quiet, no crickets chipped and no wind rustled the leaves of the bushes and trees. They were completely alone out here. He stepped even closer to her and took hold of both of her hands. Samus glanced down at this then back to him.
"Snake, what're you-"
"I never got to tell you, well, I was going to, but then Kirby showed up and... what I mean to say is," He looked into her eyes, gripping her hands gently, "I wanted to tell you thank you, for saving my life that night. I really, truly would have died by Ganondorf's hands if you hadn't shown up. The only reason I'm standing here, right now is because, by your instinct or a miracle, you came back for me." Samus said nothing but stared back, barely blinking. He let go of her hands and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Samus."
Samus was still, tensing up at first but, slowly, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him too. It took her a moment to reply, her voice was a bit shaky, "Y-you're welcome, Snake..."
He lingered for a moment. He was truly grateful for what she did, that and he didn't want to let her go. She was so small and soft. Eventually, they parted, though not all the way. Snake held onto her arms and her on his. They stared at each other. His eyes trailed down to the beauty mark by her semi-parted lips again. Samus seemed to regain herself first and she stepped back, dropping his arms. She clutched her sweater tighter around herself, as if she were cold.
"W-Well, it's late, we'd better get to bed." She said rather quickly.
Snake agreed. Samus turned to step off the porch, but her foot slipped and she stumbled. Snake reached out a hand.
"Sam, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" She stuttered, regaining her footing. She gave him an awkward wave. "I-I'll see you in the morning, Snake. Uh, have a goodnight!"
"Yeah, you too." He replied.
Samus turned and headed down the street, walking a little fast. Snake watched her until he lost her silhouette in the fog. He sighed. He'd finally told her what he'd been meaning to for a while, but... the hug may have weirded her out. He might have overstepped his boundaries with that one.
Snake unlocked his apartment door and went inside.
Samus shut the door to her apartment and leaned against it. Her heart had been pounding the entire walk home.
That was the look he'd given her before. That soft look in his eyes...
Samus locked the door, dropped the key in the glass bowl and went to the bathroom, changing back into her pajamas. She dropped off her clothes in a hamper in the closet, hung up the gray sweater and pulled the red hair tie out of her hair. She sat on the stool in front of the Terminal and tapped the screen. The neglected email Snake had sent earlier that morning was still unread in the Inbox. She clicked on it and gave it a quick read before moving onto a new email waiting for her from Snake. She clicked the message:
"Write back when you read this, so I'll know you got home safely. Also, sorry if the hug was a little weird. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Samus typed out her reply: "I'm home now, and don't worry, the hug wasn't weird at all. It was nice. Goodnight, Snake." She clicked the send button and the email was sent off. She didn't know if he'd reply to it or not, but he didn't have to.
She thought about what just occurred. Snake spoke with such softness and sincerity in his voice, more than she'd ever heard from him before, and his hug was gentle. She'd hugged him before, the night she first saw him after he'd been discharged from the hospital, but it had been a quick hug. She'd apologized for what she'd said to him in the Dome, and he forgave her, yet he didn't return the hug. Not that she expected him to, she just thought that that meant he still held some reservations about forgiving her, but was just too polite to say anything.
Samus hugged herself. She had been completely enveloped in his arms. The wrinkles and hard lines of his face disappeared again when he smiled, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. He was warm, very warm, something she hadn't expected of him. In that moment, it felt like they were the only two on the whole island.
Blood rushed to her cheeks and her heart began to pound again. Samus buried her face in her hands and she groaned loudly.
No, no! Get a hold of yourself, Aran! What the hell is wrong with you?!
Not really a note, I just hope and pray I don't re-read this again and think WELP TIME TO RE-EDIT IT.