Chapter 3: Liberation of Memories Past
Snake looked away as if he were angry but at the same time contemplating his answer. "My colleague gave me the layout of the place," Snake finally answered a little reluctantly.
"'Never trust someone else to do the job for you' I always say." I told him as I turned to smile softly at him and to my surprise the small smile was quickly returned.
After helping each other get out of the enemy facility (which included quite a lot of arguing) Snake and I finally decided to meet later at the same restaurant we had gone to earlier that evening. It was almost three in the morning by the time we met again, Snake was looking like Dave again and I looked like my civilian self as well.
Snake reached across the table and softly laid his hands over mine. I snapped my head up to look at him; I then pulled my hands out from under his. I looked away - spotting a young couple obviously in love - as I started to talk, "I don't want any shit from you... Dave... you turning up here at the same time as me, with the same goals, it makes me question a lot of things, it makes the holes in the story I came to know as the truth larger than ever. I want you to tell me everything you know, starting from almost two and a half years ago." I told him, he looked up at me then closed his eyes, sighing deeply. I took that as a calm agreement, but before he started saying anything he slid a package across the small table to me.
"This... I received from Olga Gurlokovich. She told me, that if she did not survive the Big Shell job I was to give this to you when I saw fit. I do not know what is in it because I was asked not to look, but I suppose even if I wasn't asked that I would not have looked." Snake explained to me. I took the package with shaky hands and pulled it towards me, I looked down at it.
"Why now then...? Why give it to me now? I don't understand..." I said hearing my own voice waver as the memories of the Big Shell came back to me. I shouldn't have let Olga go alone! I should have gone with her! But I did not... I respected her wish and stayed where I was.
"I thought that if I gave it to you right after the Big Shell then... It would hurt you even more, I thought that by withholding it you might understand better later than if I had rushed it right to you." Snake explained, he moved his hands towards mine to hold then once again but I snapped my hands and package to my lap. I took a few deep breaths, trying to hold my composure in such a public place.
"Were you her lover? On the Big Shell I mean..." I asked, I just had to I could not stop myself. Why else would Olga have fought with him? Why else would she have risked her life for him?
Snake smiled slightly at me, "Would you be jealous if I said yes?" I looked up at him, shocked. "I wasn't her lover, not even close. It was a relationship of mutual gain I guess you could say. Her job was to get Raiden through the mission or her baby died, and I wanted to eliminate the Metal Gear threat. Working together would help both of us."
"But why would she agree to that even if it did benefit the two of you?!" I insisted upon. Why?
"She owed me, I guess. At least... that was partially why she helped me. The other reason she helped me was because of our mutual gain." Snake said, he was still calm and cool as ever; I hated it, I hated him.
"Owed you? Why would she ever owe you anything?" I asked, my voice dripping with hate for the man sitting in front of me.
"I helped save her life and her comrades' lives. She did not realize I had done so until a little while before she brought Raiden to Ocelot and Solidus." Snake explained, things were starting to make sense, but I suppose I knew less than I thought I had before this chance encounter, or was it really chance?
"Do you know how you got out of the Big Shell?" Snake suddenly asked me as I contemplated all the information I had been given. I looked back up at him.
I shook my head and started, "No... all I remember is a large explosion and the shaking of the facility then I fell backwards because the building was falling over and water... it was filling with water and there was no way out! Then there was darkness." I paused; I remembered the suffocating feeling, the feeling of fear. I wasn't able to get out!
"When I woke up I could barely move, my limbs felt numb and I was freezing. I don't know how long I had been in the water for; I just knew I was alive. There were two figures whispering to each other at the other end of the cold metal floor I was lying on. One of the dark figures walked over to me, blocking out the light momentarily. When the figure reached me it kneeled down and asked if I was alright. I was fine, other than the paralyzed part, I was finding as the minutes passed that it was getting easier for me to move, but the time was not going by fast enough. I asked the person where I was and who the people were but the only thing the person above me said was that I was in a safe place."
Listening to myself I wanted to stop talking. Telling this man all this information. This man that I felt such hatred for just a few moments ago. I looked at his face and I could tell that he wanted me to continue. Another reason why I wanted to stop was because I wasn't sure what to make out of the next part of my story.
"At about that time the other figure walked up, blocking out the light above once again and everything went black. After that I don't know what happened, all I know is that I woke up in a bed in the Russian facility where we had been before we left for America." I explained to Snake, my head lowered. My story was pathetic; I was not the protagonist, in fact, I probably caused a lot of problems that led to Olga's death...
"I remember that... when you were found, you had already lost consciousness in the water I thought you would die," Snake paused slightly, I looked up at him. Snake had rescued me? "We laid you across the flood of the Kamov and were discussing what to do with you, and what to tell you once you woke up. We--"
"Who is 'we'?" I asked without even thinking twice about interrupting the man who had saved my life.
"Otacon and I, yes, he was there too." Snake said, I sighed and leaned my back against the back of my chair, still holding the package tightly in my lap. Snake looked away slightly, as if contemplating something. He sighed, turning to me smiling softly once again. "Otacon and I could use another person to help us destroy Metal Gears around the world," He paused, looking over at me expectantly. I slowly placed my hands back on the table, the package from Olga still lying on my lap for safe keeping.
"Are you asking me to join your cause?" I asked, I supposed that I owed it to him for saving my life, even if I really didn't like the life that I had after the Big Shell. Snake nodded slowly, reaching across the table again, wrapping his hands around my own in an affectionate – slightly comforting – way.
"I would love for you to join us... It would be great to get to know you better..." Snake continued to try to coax me into agreeing, I looked directly into his eyes for the first time since I found out Dave was actually Solid Snake and fidgeted slightly under his gaze. A small blush spread across my cheeks. "You know, if you blush too much the blood runs to your head and your feet fall off." Snake said teasingly, I giggled softly.
"Well, if you weren't such a flirt I wouldn't have to blush as much, now would I?" I asked, the two of us smiled at each other. I took a deep breath, regaining my seriousness; I could not let a man that I had been taught was the enemy but actually was not anymore easily seduce me like this. I had to think clearly about this offer. If I joined forces with Snake and Otacon I would be able to kill Ocelot, destroy the Metal Gear and even possibly... find Olga's son! I cleared my throat before I began to talk again, trying to make it seem as if I was not eager or anxious. "I suppose I owe it to you – and your partner – for saving my life... I will join your... organization," I paused, "But," I said briskly, ", under one condition, and one condition only,"
"And what may that condition be?" Snake asked, taking his hands off of mine to raise his coffee to his lips and take a sip.
"My one and only condition is that if I join you, you must help me locate and rescue Olga's only son, Misha." I stated firmly, looking over to Snake for his reaction. Snake just sat, sipping on his coffee for a moment before he lowered it back to the side of the table.
"Why would you wish to rescue Misha? I know you were Olga's friend but--" Snake started to argue but I interrupted him, foolishly.
"No, I was not just Olga's friend... we were more than friends, more than best friends," I told him, my voice becoming harsher than it was before. I wasn't in a happy mood anymore; I don't think I ever was in a happy mood during this conversation.
"What? I don't understand." Snake stated simply. I closed my eyes and wrapped my hands around the package Snake had given to me, passed on to him from Olga on the Big Shell before she died. I looked up at Snake hesitantly, biting my lip. I should have never opened my big mouth, but I could not leave Misha or Olga out of this!
"Olga..." I paused; I looked up into Snake's expectant eyes then looked away, blushing. "Olga was my first love, and probably my last. She took me under her wing even after she knew what they had done to me... the ways they had messed me up." I shook my head, tears swelling in my eyes but I fought them back. Snake sat across me, his mouth gaping. "I have the same training as that Raiden person, same background too... child soldier for Solidus. When Olga took me in she taught me everything she knew about fighting and war – but more. She taught me how to be human, she taught me sadness, joy... and even things like love, passion and compassion. We were lovers before the tanker accident... when she lost her father and many of her comrades..." I stopped; I really could not go on. I figured Snake must have thought I was... a monster.
"The Patriots took you in after you were through being a child soldier, just like Raiden then?" Snake asked, it was a reassurance question, I could tell by his tone of voice, he thought it was true, but was not quite sure so was asking to confirm. I nodded slightly, looking down, trying to focus on the package so I would not have to look up at Snake and his judgmental eyes. "So... if you two were lovers before the tanker incident... then how did she become pregnant?" Snake asked me, I had been hoping he would not ask me that question but I suppose it was a pretty big hole in the whole thing. I looked up at Snake a bit guiltily actually.
"Well... one night Olga, me and some of the guys went out drinking and... well..."
"She had a drunken one night stand." Snake finished for me, I nodded slowly. I opened my mouth to continue but Snake cut me off before I could even start. "I can see that this hurts you to talk about, maybe the package I gave you will help answer some questions. If it comforts you any, I will agree to your one condition, I will be glad to help you find Olga's son." Snake said, I looked up at him and smiled. I was relieved that he didn't hate me, though I did not really understand why... maybe it was because I felt that this was the beginning of a new friendship, I really don't know.
Just then the waitress that was serving us walked up to us, smiling that same smile she had plastered on her face all night. "Would you like your bill now?" The young waitress asked us. We glanced at each other momentarily. Snake turned back to the girl.
"Yes, we would, thank you." Snake said. The waitress blushed slightly.
"You two are such a sweet couple!" The young woman exclaimed before leaving to get our check.
AN: Aww... I just could not resist putting in that last part! I thought it was so cute! Please review and tell me what you thought of the third chapter!
Snake looked away as if he were angry but at the same time contemplating his answer. "My colleague gave me the layout of the place," Snake finally answered a little reluctantly.
"'Never trust someone else to do the job for you' I always say." I told him as I turned to smile softly at him and to my surprise the small smile was quickly returned.
After helping each other get out of the enemy facility (which included quite a lot of arguing) Snake and I finally decided to meet later at the same restaurant we had gone to earlier that evening. It was almost three in the morning by the time we met again, Snake was looking like Dave again and I looked like my civilian self as well.
Snake reached across the table and softly laid his hands over mine. I snapped my head up to look at him; I then pulled my hands out from under his. I looked away - spotting a young couple obviously in love - as I started to talk, "I don't want any shit from you... Dave... you turning up here at the same time as me, with the same goals, it makes me question a lot of things, it makes the holes in the story I came to know as the truth larger than ever. I want you to tell me everything you know, starting from almost two and a half years ago." I told him, he looked up at me then closed his eyes, sighing deeply. I took that as a calm agreement, but before he started saying anything he slid a package across the small table to me.
"This... I received from Olga Gurlokovich. She told me, that if she did not survive the Big Shell job I was to give this to you when I saw fit. I do not know what is in it because I was asked not to look, but I suppose even if I wasn't asked that I would not have looked." Snake explained to me. I took the package with shaky hands and pulled it towards me, I looked down at it.
"Why now then...? Why give it to me now? I don't understand..." I said hearing my own voice waver as the memories of the Big Shell came back to me. I shouldn't have let Olga go alone! I should have gone with her! But I did not... I respected her wish and stayed where I was.
"I thought that if I gave it to you right after the Big Shell then... It would hurt you even more, I thought that by withholding it you might understand better later than if I had rushed it right to you." Snake explained, he moved his hands towards mine to hold then once again but I snapped my hands and package to my lap. I took a few deep breaths, trying to hold my composure in such a public place.
"Were you her lover? On the Big Shell I mean..." I asked, I just had to I could not stop myself. Why else would Olga have fought with him? Why else would she have risked her life for him?
Snake smiled slightly at me, "Would you be jealous if I said yes?" I looked up at him, shocked. "I wasn't her lover, not even close. It was a relationship of mutual gain I guess you could say. Her job was to get Raiden through the mission or her baby died, and I wanted to eliminate the Metal Gear threat. Working together would help both of us."
"But why would she agree to that even if it did benefit the two of you?!" I insisted upon. Why?
"She owed me, I guess. At least... that was partially why she helped me. The other reason she helped me was because of our mutual gain." Snake said, he was still calm and cool as ever; I hated it, I hated him.
"Owed you? Why would she ever owe you anything?" I asked, my voice dripping with hate for the man sitting in front of me.
"I helped save her life and her comrades' lives. She did not realize I had done so until a little while before she brought Raiden to Ocelot and Solidus." Snake explained, things were starting to make sense, but I suppose I knew less than I thought I had before this chance encounter, or was it really chance?
"Do you know how you got out of the Big Shell?" Snake suddenly asked me as I contemplated all the information I had been given. I looked back up at him.
I shook my head and started, "No... all I remember is a large explosion and the shaking of the facility then I fell backwards because the building was falling over and water... it was filling with water and there was no way out! Then there was darkness." I paused; I remembered the suffocating feeling, the feeling of fear. I wasn't able to get out!
"When I woke up I could barely move, my limbs felt numb and I was freezing. I don't know how long I had been in the water for; I just knew I was alive. There were two figures whispering to each other at the other end of the cold metal floor I was lying on. One of the dark figures walked over to me, blocking out the light momentarily. When the figure reached me it kneeled down and asked if I was alright. I was fine, other than the paralyzed part, I was finding as the minutes passed that it was getting easier for me to move, but the time was not going by fast enough. I asked the person where I was and who the people were but the only thing the person above me said was that I was in a safe place."
Listening to myself I wanted to stop talking. Telling this man all this information. This man that I felt such hatred for just a few moments ago. I looked at his face and I could tell that he wanted me to continue. Another reason why I wanted to stop was because I wasn't sure what to make out of the next part of my story.
"At about that time the other figure walked up, blocking out the light above once again and everything went black. After that I don't know what happened, all I know is that I woke up in a bed in the Russian facility where we had been before we left for America." I explained to Snake, my head lowered. My story was pathetic; I was not the protagonist, in fact, I probably caused a lot of problems that led to Olga's death...
"I remember that... when you were found, you had already lost consciousness in the water I thought you would die," Snake paused slightly, I looked up at him. Snake had rescued me? "We laid you across the flood of the Kamov and were discussing what to do with you, and what to tell you once you woke up. We--"
"Who is 'we'?" I asked without even thinking twice about interrupting the man who had saved my life.
"Otacon and I, yes, he was there too." Snake said, I sighed and leaned my back against the back of my chair, still holding the package tightly in my lap. Snake looked away slightly, as if contemplating something. He sighed, turning to me smiling softly once again. "Otacon and I could use another person to help us destroy Metal Gears around the world," He paused, looking over at me expectantly. I slowly placed my hands back on the table, the package from Olga still lying on my lap for safe keeping.
"Are you asking me to join your cause?" I asked, I supposed that I owed it to him for saving my life, even if I really didn't like the life that I had after the Big Shell. Snake nodded slowly, reaching across the table again, wrapping his hands around my own in an affectionate – slightly comforting – way.
"I would love for you to join us... It would be great to get to know you better..." Snake continued to try to coax me into agreeing, I looked directly into his eyes for the first time since I found out Dave was actually Solid Snake and fidgeted slightly under his gaze. A small blush spread across my cheeks. "You know, if you blush too much the blood runs to your head and your feet fall off." Snake said teasingly, I giggled softly.
"Well, if you weren't such a flirt I wouldn't have to blush as much, now would I?" I asked, the two of us smiled at each other. I took a deep breath, regaining my seriousness; I could not let a man that I had been taught was the enemy but actually was not anymore easily seduce me like this. I had to think clearly about this offer. If I joined forces with Snake and Otacon I would be able to kill Ocelot, destroy the Metal Gear and even possibly... find Olga's son! I cleared my throat before I began to talk again, trying to make it seem as if I was not eager or anxious. "I suppose I owe it to you – and your partner – for saving my life... I will join your... organization," I paused, "But," I said briskly, ", under one condition, and one condition only,"
"And what may that condition be?" Snake asked, taking his hands off of mine to raise his coffee to his lips and take a sip.
"My one and only condition is that if I join you, you must help me locate and rescue Olga's only son, Misha." I stated firmly, looking over to Snake for his reaction. Snake just sat, sipping on his coffee for a moment before he lowered it back to the side of the table.
"Why would you wish to rescue Misha? I know you were Olga's friend but--" Snake started to argue but I interrupted him, foolishly.
"No, I was not just Olga's friend... we were more than friends, more than best friends," I told him, my voice becoming harsher than it was before. I wasn't in a happy mood anymore; I don't think I ever was in a happy mood during this conversation.
"What? I don't understand." Snake stated simply. I closed my eyes and wrapped my hands around the package Snake had given to me, passed on to him from Olga on the Big Shell before she died. I looked up at Snake hesitantly, biting my lip. I should have never opened my big mouth, but I could not leave Misha or Olga out of this!
"Olga..." I paused; I looked up into Snake's expectant eyes then looked away, blushing. "Olga was my first love, and probably my last. She took me under her wing even after she knew what they had done to me... the ways they had messed me up." I shook my head, tears swelling in my eyes but I fought them back. Snake sat across me, his mouth gaping. "I have the same training as that Raiden person, same background too... child soldier for Solidus. When Olga took me in she taught me everything she knew about fighting and war – but more. She taught me how to be human, she taught me sadness, joy... and even things like love, passion and compassion. We were lovers before the tanker accident... when she lost her father and many of her comrades..." I stopped; I really could not go on. I figured Snake must have thought I was... a monster.
"The Patriots took you in after you were through being a child soldier, just like Raiden then?" Snake asked, it was a reassurance question, I could tell by his tone of voice, he thought it was true, but was not quite sure so was asking to confirm. I nodded slightly, looking down, trying to focus on the package so I would not have to look up at Snake and his judgmental eyes. "So... if you two were lovers before the tanker incident... then how did she become pregnant?" Snake asked me, I had been hoping he would not ask me that question but I suppose it was a pretty big hole in the whole thing. I looked up at Snake a bit guiltily actually.
"Well... one night Olga, me and some of the guys went out drinking and... well..."
"She had a drunken one night stand." Snake finished for me, I nodded slowly. I opened my mouth to continue but Snake cut me off before I could even start. "I can see that this hurts you to talk about, maybe the package I gave you will help answer some questions. If it comforts you any, I will agree to your one condition, I will be glad to help you find Olga's son." Snake said, I looked up at him and smiled. I was relieved that he didn't hate me, though I did not really understand why... maybe it was because I felt that this was the beginning of a new friendship, I really don't know.
Just then the waitress that was serving us walked up to us, smiling that same smile she had plastered on her face all night. "Would you like your bill now?" The young waitress asked us. We glanced at each other momentarily. Snake turned back to the girl.
"Yes, we would, thank you." Snake said. The waitress blushed slightly.
"You two are such a sweet couple!" The young woman exclaimed before leaving to get our check.
AN: Aww... I just could not resist putting in that last part! I thought it was so cute! Please review and tell me what you thought of the third chapter!