Blinded by the sunlight

He opened his eyes; the light causing him to quickly close them tight. He realized that his hands had been un-cuffed and used them to haul himself to his feet. Eventually he let go of the chair he was holding onto, steadied himself and attempted to walk. Instantly he dropped to the floor. He growled and tried again, this time he managed to hold his balance.

"O…Ot… Otacon?..." he stumbled across the room like a blind man, reaching out in front. He grasped the cupboard door and threw it open. ", Damn."

He spun round on the spot and made his way for the door, grabbing his weapon on the way. He grabbed the handle and carried on outside with a smart remark ", at least they were polite enough to put my door back…" On the distant horizon he could see the silhouette of a person against the golden brown rising sun. As the shadow turned he could see the female form ",Meryl? No, it can't be." Forgetting about Otacon he broke into a run, his speed matching that of a wolf; his feet barely touching the crisp snow. The closer he got the further the woman moved away, until eventually, she faded away. "Noooooooooooo."

Snake stopped, out of breath, trying to let himself catch up. He let his eyes drop. As he brought them up another familiar figure entered his vision. "This just gets weirder. Apparently dead people never die…" he looked directly into the visor of Gray Fox. As he did, the scenery around him changed and he was in Zanzibar land. The ground around him was littered with mines and body parts. Calmly, Fox removed his helmet, but when he talked his robotic voice remained.

"Can't you see Snake? Big Boss is trying to save people like you and I. We are but expendable tools in the eyes of the government. Though here we have our own government and we are always needed. I'm giving you one last chance Snake. Join us…" Snake drew his sidearm, without thinking. He had no control over his body, it was as if he was replaying an event and couldn't interfere with what he had already done before. He tried to speak but his lips would not move, his voice-box would not vibrate. Gray Fox drew his weapon and threw it on the ground a few meters away, narrowly missing a land mine. "No, we will fight like warriors with honour. We will fight like friends. Remember Snake this is nothing but a mission, nothing has changed between us. We are and always have been brothers. The mission commands that one shall live and one shall die and that shall be true." Snake watched himself discard his weapon and take a fighting stance, unable to stop.

Gray Fox threw the first punch, catching Snake off guard and causing him to take a step backwards. Dangerously close to a mine. Fox quickly threw another but this time Solid was ready and caught his fist and swiped his legs away. Fox rolled backwards and then surged forwards, catching Snake in a tackle to the floor. Fox sat on Snakes' arms and looked into Snakes' eyes. Although Gray Fox's exterior remained emotionless, pain filled his eyes. He brought a heavy fist down onto Snakes' cheek, feeling the bone splinter underneath it. Snake screamed in pain. With a burst of emotion Snake managed to reverse Fox's hold and roll him backwards. He then followed up with a double footed kick to the back. This sent Fox into a forwards dive that he could not escape from. Fox could see the mine and the floor accelerating closer to his face. He smiled. He landed with his arm on the mine, instantaneously it erupted with noise, sand, fire and blood.

"Nooooo. Fooooox."

Fox's arm had vaporized in the explosion, he was left with a bleeding stump. His face was torn and twisted, shrapnel embedded into his flesh. Snake approached his best friend.

"Sorry."

The body coughed with what life it had left ", its okay. You were the better soldier. We didn't fight this battle here as enemies. We fought because we had to and so it means nothing apart from you can carry on with your mission and mine has ended. There is no one who's hands I would rather have died by." With that Gray Fox's head dropped back to the ground.

Snake was ripped back to reality by a voice cutting through the mist of Snakes' past.

"Snake? Can you hear me? Are you O.K?"

"He's taken a beating sir. He has a fractured cheek bone and has lots of splinters lodged into his flesh."

"He's fine… he's still breathing…"

"Co… Col…" with that Snake passed out again.