When I was writing this story, I was about to cry! I can't believe I'm writing this! (Again, I blame Shining Zephyr, Andi Mack, and Solid Snake's Soldier.)
So enjoy!
Blood of a Friend
We fought mercilessly.
We ridiculed each other brutally.
You wouldn't even know we were pals by the way we clashed. Pouncing like foxes and hissing like snakes. We weren't even human. That's the question. Are we really human? Humans bleed. Humans have feelings…a conscience.
As we hit the cheeks of our sinful flesh, I wonder about that.
"Snake, whoever shows the first spill of blood in a battlefield is already dead."
Fox…why?
My knuckles grew white. My arms grew tense. In my heart…it screamed for me to stop.
But my body had other plans.
As I pulled my punches, I can hear the cracks of bone break from my friend's neck. You will think I will stop and let him recover.
No…like a snake poisoning its victims several times over, I punched…I jabbed at my friend.
I didn't feel any pain as I clawed my way breaking my friend. I looked into my friend's eyes. His mud colored eyes blew sharp, cold feelings towards my spine. Bliss twinkled in his eyes. Did he enjoy this…this brutal display of human nature? Even as a rookie, I couldn't comprehend this joy of battle he had.
Our fight continued as I got Fox in a neck lock but a blow to my stomach unleashed my grip. I felt adrenaline swirling in my veins as I decided to try a different approach. Hitting him numerous times in the head, I saw his attacks waning. His movements grew sluggish and miscalculated. The end was near.
He was wheezing a little as I was about to do one final punch to his skull. One step closer to completing the mission and finally putting my nightmares to rest.
Yes…that was what I really wanted. The nightmares to go away of all the people I killed and a certain CO to get out of my head.
As my knuckles hit the head of my friend, blood flew across my face. My friend's blood…
Time slowed down as my friend coughed up blood and landed on the minefield. His eyes grew wide as he looked up at me with eyes near death.
"It's time to give up my title. The snake has defeated the fox."
"Fox…why?"
My friend smiled in pain, "Our situation is incredibly different. Big Boss…he was a CO to you. A commander. But to me…" Fox coughed as his paralyzed body chilled.
It was a dangerous gesture but I bent down and looked into my friend's eyes. We were friends but our relationship was strictly professional.
Now…something deeper was going on.
Fox stared at me with tired eyes, "To me…he was like a father…he saved my life twice…no…wait three times. First was when I was very young in Vietnam. Because of my half-white heritage, I was forced to work in hard labor camps. He saved my life from that retched place. Then, when I was a teenager, I was used as an experiment from some unknown organization. I was given no name…only Null…nothing but zero. Programmed like a machine…to kill."
Why was he telling me this? Though all training he gave me…telling me to never ask personal questions towards him for fear of attachment or vice versa to me.
"What's your real name, Fox?"
"Never ask that. That's a personal question."
"Why?"
"Look kid, providing personal information to comrades is an unwritten rule. It's dangerous to everyone. You get attached to the person then one day they die or worse…they betray you. Emotions flare and emotions are not allowed in our kind of work."
Now he was telling me his life story? I still don't understand. As I hear his story, the more I regret…the more my heart seems to turn.
Fox continued, "In Mozambique, I was being tortured as a RENAMO soldier. They cut off my ears and nose…"
His nose was a little out of place and his ears was scarred.
"He saved me. Did you see all these children here? We all are orphans of war. Conflict is in our blood, Snake. We can't have normal lives…get married…or…"
He wheezed and I saw a twinkle of water come down his cheek. Fox…
"Making people happy…making a woman happy…is something I could never do. I was fated to die on the battlefield. Fated to die by the sword I used to murder my enemies."
"Fox…I promise you that I will never turn into you. I will live my life."
"Please," his voice cracked, "Live it…don't be a stubborn, selfish bastard like I was. Don't let your fans down."
"Wait a minute! It was you that was helping me over the radio."
"War is no reason to end a friendship, Snake."
All of a sudden, Fox forced my hand to open as he gave me the detonator to activate the mines, "Get out of here! End my suffering!"
I couldn't believe he was asking me to do this, "No…Fox…I won't…"
"Big Boss is waiting for you outside this room."
"Fox…"
"You're a soldier. Finish your mission. Do it for me, Snake!"
I yelled in disgusted and walked to the other side of the room with the detonator in my hand before I walked out of the room. I glanced over to see Fox watching me, "Keep that promise…Snake. Now…go. Gustava! I'm sorry. Forgive me!" Real pain was in his voice.
"He knew about Gustava? Oh Fox…"
"She's waiting for you."
As I exited the room, the doors slowly closed my eyesight from Fox. I turned around to face the corridor. I lifted the detonator up and glared at it. The red switch…red like blood…was below my twitching thumb. My hands were shaking. My lips were quivering.
I pressed the button.
I heard the scream…the explosions…I smelled the smoke and felt the hot fury of the flames behind my back.
I stood there in shock. Flashes of our fight popped in my skull. Flashes of our last spar and the flash of the time we first met. His eyes were haunting me with pain and agony.
His face…kept coming into my mind.
And in that moment…I lost myself…I snapped…
I threw down the detonator causing the wires and the plastic outer covering to fly across the walls. I dug my fists into the walls denting them. I kicked and screamed.
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX!"
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX!"
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX!"
I screamed his name over and over again. I touched my face and saw his dried blood. I wiped it off but it wasn't going away. Not even the tears in my eyes washed it off.
I was on my hands and knees. Suddenly, I heard a yell. I heard a laugh that cause me to compose myself.
"Snake, it's time! Come to me!"
Big Boss.
I want to kill him. He made my nightmares. He made me kill my best friend.
"I'll kill you, Big Boss!"
Blood of my friend.
It will never go away.
My hands are stained. My innocence gone.
I want vengeance!
What a ugly way to die! Poor Snake! (He needs a hug!) He was forced to kill his friend. Now he is going after Big Boss. We all know what's going to happen next. Oh! what tragedy!
Next chp. "Blood of a Father"