OTACON
After a few weeks, we settled into out new headquarters. Me and Snake were in good moods and felling totally relaxed. We cleaned up the place and set up some high-tech communications equipment. We needed to intercept signals and keep our own calls hidden as well. We still didn't have any clue what kind of mission we were going to do first, until we got a call from Snake's old colonel.
In a way, I was disappointed that we were going to start a mission. It's what we agreed to do, but Snake and I were having fun just being roommates.
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SNAKE
After a few weeks, there was still not much going on. Me and Otacon were becoming like an old married couple and I didn't like it.
I got a call from the Colonel over our secure line one day. Not a moment to soon.
The thing was, we had been the first tenants living there for at least five years, and we had inherited a big spider problem. I agreed to spray if Otacon bought the stuff. This almost goes without saying, but Solid Snake and shopping carts don't mix.
He came back from the hardware store with a tank that said Dead Bug and I asked him it was specifically for killing spiders.
He said, "Let's see. It says it kills cockroaches, palmetto bugs, ants, clover mites, crickets, cigarette beetles, confused flour beetles, red flour beetles, rice weevils, saw-toothed grain beetles, dermestid beetles, firebrats, silverfish, water bugs, earwigs, box elder bugs, centipedes, millipedes, pillbugs, sowbugs, scorpions, and spiders."
I dragged my feet over to the tank and was about to pick it up when the phone rang, so I picked that up instead.
The Colonel spoke to me like it was an everyday thing; "Snake, is this a secure line?"
"Yeah, of course. Otacon set the whole thing up. He doesn't screw around when it comes to these things."
"Good. How's your 'personal time' going? Getting any work done?"
"Not yet. We've just settled in to our new base. Haven't gotten any promising leads yet."
"And that guy I set you up with? Did he have all the gear you needed?"
"Sure. We're fully loaded at this point. All we need now is a mission worthy of our attention. About that Salamander guy, how did you end up meeting him?"
"It's a long story. For now, maybe I can help you with a mission worthy of your attention."
"I told you, Colonel. I'm not fighting for you or anybody in the military."
"I'm not trying to send you out myself, Snake. This is just a tip. If you choose to go at all, you go on your terms, by yourself."
"So what is it?"
"Monkeys."
"Monkeys?"
"Yeah, monkeys. They've been reported to have been terrorizing residents in a small forest in England. It seems they're wearing some kind of helmet that increases their intelligence. Now, this is only a rumor, but apparently Big Boss himself fought to capture the same kind of super-intelligent apes, around the time he was your age."
"Wait. So, are they monkeys or apes? There's a big difference there."
"You're right, but we really don't know what they actually are at this point."
"This is a little far-fetched."
"No more far-fetched than anything that you faced in Shadow Moses. Remember Psycho Mantis?"
"Alright, so this is a mission to recapture some apes? Can't they get animal control or the military to handle this?"
"The military, police, even special forces won't do anything. I haven't been able to find out why yet. Animal control went in, but they all ended up being killed as well. The monkeys have turned extremely violent."
"So I wouldn't be capturing them..."
"No, you'd have to take them out of commission. Even if you just tranquilized the apes, they would be eaten by forest scavengers soon after, so you may as well kill them."
"If I choose to go."
"Of course. I think you should also know, Ocelot is rumored to be involved in this."
"Ocelot? How?"
"It seems that he was one who arranged to have the new monkey helmets built. We think he's the one who is making it impossible for the military and police to get involved."
"Wait. Who's we?"
"MI-6. We've been getting all of our intel directly from them."
"If they're involved, why don't they just send in one of their own?"
"Apparently, they have a shortage. What few agents they have are all in the field."
"And now they want to borrow one of ours."
"It seems they're out of options."
"Okay. I'll think about it, and talk it over with Otacon."
"Right. You know how to reach me."
"Right."
I looked over at Otacon, about to tell him about it all. But by the look on his face, he had heard everything. So we continued to sit there.
After five minutes of silence, Otacon finally said something.
"So... are you going to spray them now?"
