So much had happened in a single night, and Snake was still reeling from it all. After a long and annoying journey through the compound's vents, he'd reached the same fire escape he and Midoriya had come through. There, he found DD sitting with a small girl named Eri, with Midoriya nowhere in sight, along with the sound of gunfire in the distance. With Victoria out of commission, Snake had no honest clue what was going on.
With such little time, he'd grabbed Eri, with DD following alongside him, and booked it to the van he'd arrived in. There he dropped off Eri and DD, before rushing off toward the gunfire. By the time he arrived, he spotted at least a hundred knocked-out cultists, MSF troops assisting local heroes, and All Might standing next to an extremely injured Midoriya. Now, Snake sat in UA's infirmary across from his son's hospital bed, impatiently tapping his foot.
Along with Eri sitting on the other side, and DD sitting on the foot of Midoriya's bed. Aside from telling him her name, Eri had not been very talkative. Instead, Snake would hear the occasional whimper from her, as the girl looked over Midoriya. Looking over his son, Snake couldn't help but grimace. Both his legs had been broken and peppered with shrapnel. His right arm was in a similar state, along with seven of his ribs. Two of which were pressing into one of his lungs.
Were it not for Recovery Girl's help, Snake wasn't sure how long Midoriya would have lasted. That thought caused Snake to rub his eyes tiredly. He should have been faster, Snake mentally berated himself, and he should have been more careful. He was supposed to protect him. Instead…
"-with over one hundred and seventeen reported dead. Along with a staggering two hundred and forty-six wounded," the news had announced, causing Snake to cringe. After the alarm in the compound had been set off, the Ninth Circle had sent reinforcements. Midoriya, not wanting them to arrive, had gone on a killing spree.
The entire display immediately hit the news, as hundreds of calls went out to emergency services once the shooting started. No camera had caught footage of Midoriya, which Snake was largely grateful for, but… he knew there were going to be problems nonetheless. Yet none of that mattered to Snake, not when Midoriya had yet to wake up. So Snake quietly sat next to him, watching his heart monitor beep.
All the while, Snake heard Eri softly cry across from him.
"I-it's my fault," Eri quietly muttered, the girl looking over Midoriya, "I'm s-sorry."
The sight made Snake's heart crack. It only got worse the longer he watched Eri cry. The poor girl hadn't done anything but cry for hours. She wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't let doctors check her out, she wouldn't leave Midoriya's side. When offered, she wouldn't even change out of her rags. Eri just couldn't bring herself to leave him. To Snake, it all felt worryingly familiar. The crying traumatized child, the refusal to leave their rescuer's side… damn it. It's the same as all those years ago, Snake thought tiredly. At the same time, Eri started muttering about some monster, which Snake didn't pick up on.
Instead, he scooted his chair forward, getting closer to Midoriya's bed and Eri.
"It isn't your fault," Snake calmly told her with a small sigh. The girl looked back at him, her eyes red and dry.
"Y-yes it i-is," Eri argued, sniffling to herself, "H-he got hurt saving m-me."
Slowly Snake nodded and carefully reached out toward his son. Quietly he set his hand down on Midoriya's wrist. The heart monitor was still beeping, but it felt comforting to check himself. There he felt Midoriya's pulse, showing he was still alive.
"He did, but he's going to be fine," Snake replied, glancing back toward Eri, "Trust me. He's a tough cookie, he'll be ok."
To Snake's shock, Eri looked back at him in confusion. The girl blinked at him for a moment, before tilting her head to the side.
"T-tough cookie?" she asked, with Snake slowly becoming angry. He hid his anger well but took his hand off Midoriya's wrist. He didn't want to accidentally hurt his boy anymore.
"I mean he's strong," Snake clarified, hoping to comfort Eri, "He'll… he'll get through this."
Eri for her part said nothing, instead she slowly turned back toward Midoriya. Her crying had come to a temporary stop though, so Snake counted it as a victory. Looking her over, Snake could only see the similarities to all those years ago. Eri, while not looking malnourished, didn't look all too healthy. Her body was small and frail. Her skin was so pale it was practically white as snow, and her hair was a tangled greasy mess. And while Snake hadn't noticed it before, through all the adrenaline and now the infirmary's chemicals, there was a definite smell coming from Eri.
All this did was serve to make Snake angrier. To think they treated this child so poorly. For those bastards to let her reach such a horrid condition, it disgusted Snake. But he didn't linger on those thoughts, Night Owl and his army of psychopaths would be dealt with. Eventually, Snake heard a low rumble emanate from Eri's direction. After a few seconds, it happened again, and it took Snake very little time to realize what was going on.
Wordlessly, he began digging through his pockets. There he pulled out a small chocolate bar. It was melted somewhat but was still in good condition. After opening the wrapper, Snake reached out toward Eri and held the chocolate bar in front of her. The girl looked at it confused for a second, before looking at Snake.
"Here," Snake told her, watching as Eri hesitantly took the chocolate, "Eat."
With the chocolate in hand, Eri examined the chocolate warily.
"What… what is it?" Eri asked, with Snake pulling out another chocolate bar. He'd brought quite a few, knowing it would be a long night.
"Candy. Chocolate specifically," Snake explained while opening another wrapper for himself. Quietly Eri watched as he took a bite of the melty chocolate. Only when Snake swallowed, did she bite into her chocolate bar. In a millisecond, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. It was adorable to look at, and Snake wished he brought a camera. He also had the sudden urge to cave in someone's skull. To think a child her age had never tasted chocolate before.
After a few seconds, she wolfed down the last of her candy. It caused Snake to chuckle, while Eri wiped her mouth with her hand.
"Heh, got more if you want them," Snake offered, with Eri looking up at him hesitantly.
"...No thanks," Eri replied, only for Snake to pull out another bar.
"You sure?" he asked, with Eri looking over the bar quietly. Within seconds she reached out to grab it. With a comforting smile, Snake handed it to her.
"That's what I thought," Snake commented, before digging a few more from his pockets, "Take a few more."
The girl grabbed all of them, and quickly began opening them up. Snake knew it wasn't the best idea to just feed her candy, but he didn't exactly have any five-course meals on hand. Better to give her some kind of food, than let her deteriorate any faster. As she ate, Snake pulled out his Idroid and quietly switched over to the news. For a moment he searched for any stories in the general area.
Only two had shown up, All Might's public speech, and Midoriya's brawl with the Ninth Circle. Shockingly, the news of the Ninth Circle's appearance had been rather positive.
"Late Night Cultist Attack Ended In Swift Victory" was what one article read. While there had been casualties, the attack had ended far sooner than anyone anticipated. After All Might and Star and Stripe showed up, the Ninth Circle quickly dispersed. Two hundred of them were beaten senseless by heroes, and the others retreated.
It was confusing though. If Snake had to guess their focus had likely been on securing the compound, not a large-scale assault on Tokyo. So once the heroes showed up, the Ninth Circle ran into hiding. But… they'd shown up in force. Literal hundreds of cultists had shown up. Sure they tried to keep things discreet by wearing plain clothes and having no visible weapons. But all that went out the window the moment the shooting started.
In which case, why retreat? Last Snake checked they weren't ones to run. Then again, Midoriya's fight had given the cult an outing. The hero's attention was dragged away from the compound, toward some random streets. With that opportunity, they could have regrouped and secured the compound more easily. Still, it was rather odd, but Snake would take any victories he could get.
Quietly Snake continued to flip through the news, hours unknowingly passing by. With a glance, he spotted Eri fighting against the temptation of sleep. Even with the sugar she'd been given the girl was struggling to fight. Snake for his part smiled fondly at the sight, remembering times Midoriya did the same thing. Always claiming he wasn't tired when anyone tried to put him to bed.
It brought a small chuckle to Snake's lips before his mind began to wonder. This poor girl would need help, lots of it… Snake never thought of getting a second child. Midoriya had been adopted by… well not accident. But it kinda just happened. No grand event or celebration. Just… Midoriya accidentally calling him dad. Looking over Eri, Snake slowly began tapping his finger on his thigh.
Ah… why not. He didn't know if Eri had any family to go back to, but knowing Night Owl's previous actions, it wasn't likely they were alive. She was already attached to Midoriya as well, so there was that. Kid number two then, Snake mentally joked, while his Idroid switched to another news station.
"-through much deliberation, newly appointed European Army Director Kurt Konig has announced a contract ordering two million HK416 rifles. The contract comes after the decision to make the rifle the European Army's standard-issue service weapon," the reporter announced, while Snake took the time to stretch. The reporter went on about a dozen other items of business, some Snake cared for, others he didn't.
Of those that stuck out, most were of the European Army. In just one week Director Konig announced a joint space program with the US, the adoption of the KF-51 MBT, a call for roughly two point five million volunteers across the EU, and hundreds of contracts to new arms manufacturers across Europe. Companies once thought long dead reopened their doors for entire new programs, as billions of dollars began flowing in.
The French Naval Group was contracted to build three new next-generation aircraft carriers, revving the old French PANG program. Airbus was contracted to design new attack, super heavy lift, and utility helicopters. Rheinmetall, along with the KF-51s, was being contracted to build a new bi-pedal mech design to match the MSF and Russia, with the program being codenamed the X92 Gremlin. And of course, Milrem Robotics was being contracted for their THeMIS and Type-X drone platforms.
There were hundreds of other contracts being sent out for new body armor, machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons, APCs, IFVs, fighter jets, bombers, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and a million other items, but Snake didn't have time to go through them all. All in all, it was a large mesh of European military equipment. Some were being adopted en masse, others not so much.
However, thinking over all that equipment caused Snake to pause. Slowly he turned and looked over his watch. By now, the museum operation was over. Last he checked progress had been going well, but that could have changed. Any second now Miller should be notifying him of their either imminent success or failure. Seeing sunlight peek out of a nearby window, Snake tiredly waited for news to arrive. Then, it happened. A small ding from his Idroid arrived, signaling a message.
Cautiously Snake opened it up.
"All objectives achieved, mission accomplished," was what the message read, and Snake stared at it quietly for a minute. Slowly a chuckle escaped his mouth. The edges of his mouth shifted upward, forming one of the biggest smiles he'd had in years.
"Yes!" he couldn't help but cry out, feeling as giddy as a child on Christmas. All this time, all this effort! After nearly a decade, it had finally happened! A crippling victory against Night Owl. The feeling of it all was too damn sweet to Snake. Though his little celebration was cut short, as Snake noticed Eri finally drifting off to sleep. Quickly he quieted himself down and took a few deep breaths. It all just felt so cathartic. Surprisingly though, his Idroid began to ring.
Looking at the device, Snake expected Miller on the other end. Instead, he found an unknown signal trying to call him. Silently Snake looked at the device before it all clicked together. Carefully Snake stood up and began to leave the infirmary. All the while he bore the biggest shit-eating grin anyone had ever seen. Because now, it was time he and Night Owl had a little chat.
Tiredly, Midoriya found himself staring up at the tiled ceiling of UA's infirmary. It took a second for his mind to register the sight, as Midoriya stared confused. How… how did he get here? One moment he was on a park bench, saved by All Might. The next moment he was here. Quietly Midoriya rationalized it as having blacked out again. Of course, with that thought came old memories, as the rest of the night played through his mind.
He'd… oh he'd killed a lot of people. It took little time for that thought to circle through his head. The sheer amount of destruction that occurred, because of him and the cult's fight. He… he couldn't remember how many people died. His best guess was in the low… hundreds… Midoriya gagged at the thought, realizing how normal killing had suddenly become to him. It was far too quickly for his liking.
The thought ate away at him, and Midoriya took a few calming breaths. He'd done what he had to, Midoriya quietly reasoned, his mind refusing to believe the words. Sneaking away was all but impossible. If he'd gotten away Midoriya would have been leaving Snake for dead. Fighting with stealth would have eliminated some cultists, but without the loud distraction, most would swarm the compound. He did what was necessary for the mission.
None of them had to die, but they did. Midoriya didn't like it, but the choice had already been made. But… best to lay off the killing, Midoriya quietly reasoned. He didn't want to take another bloody mission for a long while. Both for Snake's sake and for his. Eri's too. Midoriya didn't want her only memory of him to be killing people- Midoriya's eyes shot wide open. Instantly he sat up from his bed, his body yelling in pain at the action.
Swiftly he moved to tear out an IV tube, ready to hop out and run. He'd been so caught up in the adrenaline of it all last night, he didn't know what happened to Eri. He didn't know where she was. Where DD was. Were they still on that rooftop? Had they gotten away? Snake had to have gotten to her! His limbs screaming at him, Midoriya just about fell out of bed, before he noticed two things. One was the odd weight he now found sitting at the end of the bed.
It pressed down on his feet, rising and falling every few seconds. The second thing he noticed was someone snoring. It was faint and quiet, sounding like a child sleeping. It also was coming from his right. Struggling somewhat, Midoriya slowly turned to face the noise. As he did so his eyes passed over DD sleeping at the foot of the bed. To Midoriya's surprise, sitting next to him was a blond woman, with Eri fast asleep on top of her.
The woman wore something akin to a white sneaking suit, and for some odd reason, was practically see-through. Warmth seemed to radiate off of her, as she quietly ran her hand through Eri's hair.
"So, you're awake," the woman commented, noticing Midoriya staring. Caught in an awkward position, Midoriya had difficulty speaking up.
"Uh… heh… hi?" he eventually settled on. The woman laughed quietly in response, trying her best not to wake Eri. It only left Midoriya more confused though, as he shifted around in his bed. At the same time, he silently noticed the lightweight pressing on his right arm. A quick glance and he found it had been wrapped into a cast.
"I… I'm sorry but who are you?" Midoriya eventually asked, earning a small smile from the woman.
"You can call me Joy," she replied, with the name instantly clicking in Midoriya's mind.
"You're the person Eri was talking about," Midoriya noted, with Joy slowly nodding her head.
"I am," Joy confirmed, again running her hand through Eri's hair, "My associates and I were watching over her for a few weeks."
The words lingered in Midoriya's mind for a moment, finding it odd. She'd been at the compound for weeks, along with others. If she was with Eri, then surely Joy would have done something to help her. And as far as Midoriya knew, that didn't happen. At least, he thought so. Slowly all the strange things he'd seen began connecting: the guards being afraid of something that attacked them the day before, Eri somehow hiding away in a vent she couldn't reach, even the very fact Snake didn't know anything about the compound, yet knew it existed…
Joy was the one who told Snake about the compound, Midoriya slowly realized. It had to have been her doing. She led Eri to the vents, her associates terrorized the Ninth Circle, and they called Snake for help. He didn't understand how or why, but Joy was the one who told him. It was as Midoriya thought this, that he saw Joy's face sour. Deep in thought, the woman watched Eri shake for a moment. Her small legs kicked out, moving as if she was trying to run.
"The things she had to go through," Joy grumbled angrily, her presence slowly soothing Eri's restlessness. Concerned Midoriya looked over Eri slowly, noting scars along her arms he hadn't noticed before. Her sudden cease of movements didn't help his concerns. She didn't look hurt, but Midoriya didn't know how much he'd missed.
"...Is she…" Midoriya hesitated to ask, with Joy quickly nodding.
"She's fine. Just tuckered herself out waiting for you to wake up," Joy explained, causing Midoriya to sigh in relief. It also made him chuckle a little as he found the situation funny. He was supposed to be the one making sure she was ok, not the other way around. Of course, as he thought this, something else stuck with him as odd. Turning to his right, he spotted an empty chair sitting right next to him.
It didn't take long for Midoriya to realize why it was there.
"My dad, Snake, where's he?" Midoriya asked, his worry coming back again.
"Outside," Joy answered, immediately squashing his fear, "He sat by your bed for a few hours, but had to take a phone call outside."
Hearing the words, Midoriya slowly nodded his head in relief, before his eyes widened in terror. He was beyond screwed, he just knew it. While he saw his "action movie brawl" as necessary, it was debatable whether Snake would see it that way. He… he was only alive because of All Might, Midoriya remembered. He'd gotten in way over his head. As good as it would be to see Snake again, Midoriya was not ready for that conversation.
"You know, it's nice to finally meet you," Joy commented, stirring Midoriya out of his thoughts, "Face to face that is."
"Oh…" Midoriya muttered, confused, before bringing up a pained but friendly smile, "It's nice to meet you too."
The choice of wording had stuck out to Midoriya. Face to face, he thought, she'd known them before. She'd known about him, but they'd never met. Maybe Snake had told her, Midoriya rationalized, before shooting the idea down. The way she spoke about it sounded far too personal. Her tone didn't say Midoriya had come up in casual conversation. It implied something more.
"You told Dad about the compound right?" Midoriya asked, hoping to press for more information. Joy calmly nodded in response, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Have you known him long?" Midoriya inquired, with Joy again nodding. But her answer instantly surprised Midoriya.
"Very long. I've known him for years in fact," Joy replied, leaving Midoriya silently dumbstruck. He tried his best not to show it on his face, but a million confused questions ran through his mind. Snake had known her for years. Yet… this woman had never come up in conversation before. Not once had Joy been mentioned to him… unless she had been. Maybe Joy was a codename, just an alias she'd given Eri.
But then… who was she? If she'd known him for years, Midoriya surely would have met her before. To be so close to Snake of all people, was a guarantee he'd have met her. Yet he didn't have a single memory where he'd met Joy. And… why was she see-through, Midoriya questioned. He'd been so caught up in everything else, he entirely missed the fact this woman's quirk made her see-through… wait…
"How long exactly?" Midoriya asked, hoping for clarification. Joy seemed to think it over, but Midoriya wasn't sure. For all he knew everything said was an elaborate lie.
"Give or take thirty years," Joy eventually replied, with Midoriya running the math through his head.
"Thirty…" he couldn't help but mutter. It didn't make sense. Thirty years. She'd known Snake for thirty years, but he'd only been in this world for a decade. And Joy very clearly had a quirk… right? Midoriya didn't know what else it would be. But then again, she had a sneaking suit on. A sneaking suit that, as Midoriya got a closer look, had the letters CCCP sewed on its arm.
It seemed odd, as Midoriya tried to remember anything of use. And then it clicked. A single memory created years ago of him and Snake camping out in the African savannah. Snake had decided to tell a ghost story, one that had left Midoriya awake for weeks. The story of the Sorrow. A psychic Snake had run into during Operation Snake Eater. Most of the story didn't matter, but there was one thing Midoriya remembered clearly. The Sorrow had been in love with The Joy.
Snake's mentor, his mother figure. The Boss. Midoriya didn't realize it, but he'd started muttering to himself. Millions of questions came to mind as to how any of this was possible. It was likely due to the Sorrow's psychic powers, but then why wouldn't they appear all the time? Was there a time limit of sorts? Maybe the Sorrow got tired of holding up their ghostly forms, so they could never stay around for long. It was by this point that Midoriya began muttering, his mind captured by the possibilities of actual ghosts.
A small laugh from Joy shook him out of the small spiel though, and Midoriya looked back embarrassed.
"S-sorry," he muttered, with Joy smiling softly.
"It's alright," Joy told him, "Everyone thinks in different ways."
Midoriya laughed lightly in response, before moving to scratch the back of his head. This proved to be a mistake, as he winced in pain from the action. His rapid shifting in bed had caught up to him.
"I just… you're… you're her!" Midoriya eventually managed to exclaim, as he fought against the pain. With his uninjured arm, he motioned toward Joy, still surprised by everything.
"You're the Boss! You're Dad's mentor! You're… oh would that make you my grandma?" Midoriya asked, almost muttering the question to himself.
"If that's how you think of me," Joy replied calmly before both of them heard Eri quietly shift on Joy's lap. Not wanting to wake her, both stayed silent for a moment. As this occurred, a new thought came to Midoriya's mind.
"You… you told Snake to bring me on the mission, didn't you," Midoriya commented, it being more of a statement than a question. Snake never wanted to bring him on the mission, he'd never said it, but his actions always made that clear. Yet Snake brought Midoriya anyway. And he wouldn't risk the life of his own son without good reason.
"I did," Joy stated, confirming Midoriya's suspicions.
"...Why?" Midoriya inquired unsure. With the huge firefight he'd gotten in, it likely would have been better if Midoriya hadn't gone with him. So many people ended up dying that night, and for what? If Snake hadn't had to worry about Midoriya coming along, the mission would likely have gone fine. But then Midoriya saw Joy's gaze shift. Ever so gently her eyes drifted onto Eri. Joy's actions were so slow and methodical, it was like simply looking at the girl would harm her.
"I did it for Eri's sake," Joy explained calmly, the woman sighing as she placed her hand on Eri's shoulder, "When we stumbled upon her, she'd been taken from one monster and given to another."
That simple statement made Midoriya pause. There was someone else, someone before Night Owl. Before Midoriya could even linger on this fact Joy pressed on.
"We don't know everything, but we know she was experimented on like you were," Joy added, a somber look crossing over her face, "We know she has no family to go back to, and we know she's been treated as nothing but a freak."
At those words, Midoriya could feel his blood boiling. His hands clenched tightly together, now begging to hit something in the room. Again he noted the scars on Eri's arms, and how unnatural they looked. The scars didn't resemble that of a surgical cut, or a chemical spill. They didn't resemble a flame or an electrical burn. No, they resembled ordinary scraps. As if she'd tripped and scratched her knee.
It was too normal looking, too safe—something she could have acquired from anywhere. Whoever had been experimenting on her, had done a good job hiding it. That alone made him angrier. If they could hide it so perfectly, then that implied experience or maybe a dangerous quirk. Either case brought Midoriya to the same question, how many times had Eri been hurt? Seeing his rage, Joy reached out and put her free hand on his leg. Feeling the odd warmth, Midoriya blinked a few times, before looking back at Joy.
"As much as I trust Snake, the situation needed a more delicate touch," Joy continued tiredly, with Midoriya about to argue, only to stop as Joy told him, "Eri needed someone who could relate to her. Someone who could understand."
Hearing the last sentence, Midoriya's thoughts paused. His gaze dropped back to Eri, remembering when he found the girl. He remembered how afraid she looked, how hesitant she'd been to approach him. It reminded Midoriya of himself, all those years ago. Yeah, he could understand.
"Not to mention, the compound was a two-person job. The longer Snake dealt with the supercomputer, the longer Eri sat hiding in the vents," Joy added, with Midoriya slowly nodding. The opposite was also true. If Snake grabbed Eri first, he'd be carrying her across the compound until the supercomputer was destroyed. Overall it would have made the mission far more difficult. It made sense the longer he thought about it. Again he saw Eri kick in her sleep, causing Joy to go quiet. At the same time, Midoriya thought Joy looked… paler. The woman seemed to fade in and out of existence.
"Eri's been through a lot," Joy told him, running her hand through the girl's hair again. This time the action was much slower, more tender, and methodical.
"And… she's going to need someone to help her. She's going to need someone who understands her," Joy continued, her gaze slowly turning toward Midoriya, "Someone, like an older brother."
Hearing those words, Midoriya froze. Him… an older brother… The idea seemed appealing, but… what was he even supposed to do!? He grew up an only child! The idea quickly worried Midoriya as he looked down at Eri. Joy wanted him to help Eri, but where does he even begin? Snake would be the one raising her, but Midoriya, he'd be the one to understand her.
To know her pain and how to help her overcome it. Hesitantly Midoriya tapped his hospital bed slowly. It's not that he didn't want to help, he would always try to do something. But… he just didn't know what he would do. Somehow, Joy cleared her throat, regaining Midoriya's attention.
"I can't always be here, so please, look out for her," Joy told him, slowly fading away. Again Midoriya thought it over, his eyes falling on Eri. He didn't even know where to begin. Maybe Rody would be helpful, he had siblings.
"...I will," Midoriya eventually relented, before laughing nervously, "Not sure what Dad will say though."
Joy lightly chuckled in response, her form again fading. Slowly she stood up from her chair, lifted Eri off her lap, and set the girl down gently. Brushing her hair one final time, Joy sighed.
"I'm sure he'll agree," Joy replied, giving Midoriya a quick glance, "After all he was nothing but a doting father while you were asleep."
"Oh… heh, fair point," Midoriya commented, quietly imagining the sight. Whether she meant he'd been doting toward him or toward Eri didn't matter, the mental image remained the same. Of course, by now Joy faded away entirely, giving Midoriya a small wave goodbye. One he quietly returned, before laying back in his bed. But as he did, he heard someone tiredly grumble from across the room.
"Who the hell are you talking to?" the voice muttered, as Midoriya quietly searched for the source. To his surprise, Midoriya spotted Bakugo sitting across the room in another hospital bed. The other teen didn't face him and was instead resting on his side. How… how hadn't I noticed him, Midoriya questioned. Sure he was distracted by Joy but… you know that break sounded better by the minute.
"No one, just… rambling," Midoriya answered, deciding he didn't want to sound crazy. Bakugo didn't seem to buy it, but seeing as he seemed to have just woken up, the teen didn't press on.
"Sure…" Bakugo grumbled, rolling over in his bed. The second he did he spotted Midoriya, and Bakugo paused for a moment. His eyes crossed over Midoriya's bandages, and Bakugo's face shifted to a confused glance.
"The fuck happened to you?" Bakugo inquired, not particularly worried, but more confused.
"...I got hit by a bus," Midoriya instinctively answered, with Bakugo raising his brow quietly. His eyes went over Midoriya's bandages again, picking out every small detail. But of course, none of that was what Bakugo noted. No, he spotted the medical chart sitting at the end of Midoriya's bed.
"That's a bullet wound," Bakugo pointed out, his eyes giving the chart a quick glance.
"Oh… so it is," Midoriya replied with a nervous chuckle. Bakugo simply grumbled and rolled his eyes in response. After a moment the room went quiet, and Midoriya began looking around again. The silence dragged on awkwardly, as Midoriya tried to distract himself. Bakugo, thinking the same thing, turned to grab a glass of water nearby. Clicking his tongue, Midoriya watched the display.
"So… why are you here?" Midoriya asked, with Bakugo grumbling in response.
"Where else would I be?" Bakugo asked in return, with Midoriya slowly nodding his head. Right, dumb question Midoriya thought. With a few deep breaths, Bakugo reached for the glass next to him. Watching the display, Midoriya couldn't help but notice how much Bakugo was struggling. His right arm had moved slowly, and it shook the entire time.
Carefully Bakugo's hand wrapped around the glass, only to let go a second later.
"Damn it," Bakugo muttered, the teen clenching and unclenching his right hand. Each time his hand seemed to disobey him, with one or two fingers refusing to move. The sight… it honestly made Midoriya feel bad for Bakugo.
"You ok?" Midoriya calmly asked, with Bakugo again grumbling.
"I'm fine, shut up," Bakugo replied, before reaching toward the glass and trying again. His hand grabbed the glass like before, and every so gently picked it up. Yet when Bakugo tried to move his arm, it struggled to do so. Weakly his arm moved, the glass feeling a hundred pounds heavier than usual. Eventually, Midoriya heard the cup squeak, as little by little, it drifted out of his hand.
"You sure, I can hear the glass slipping," Midoriya pointed out, earning another grumble from Bakugo.
"I said, I'm fine, leave me alone," Bakugo spat back, the glass continuing to slip from his grasp. Rather carefully the teen tried to tighten his grip, only for the glass to slip more.
"Are-" Midoriya began to say, with Bakugo angrily looking back at him. The second he did the glass slipped from his hand. Water splashed over Bakugo before the glass hit the ground and shattered. Annoyed Bakugo grabbed his bad arm, clutching it for a moment.
"Agh, fucking damn it!" Bakugo cried out, as he tried to clench his hand into a fist. It did so slowly, struggling to hold form. Feeling Midoriya's eyes watching him, Bakugo glared at the other teen.
"Not one word!" Bakugo ordered, with Midoriya holding up his good hand defensively.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Midoriya quickly replied, while Bakugo scoffed.
"I'm sure you weren't! Constantly looking down on me from your ivory fucking tower," Bakugo grumbled, the last part being mumbled to himself. Midoriya wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it or not, but hear it he did. It made him confused, as he lingered on the words. Looking down on him?
"Do you have a problem with me-" Midoriya tried to ask, only for Bakugo to look back at him incredulously.
"A problem!? Of course, I have a fucking problem!" Bakugo replied angrily, pointing at Midoriya with his good hand. Yet as Bakugo moved to speak again, he began to sputter.
"I'm supposed to… my quirk is going to… all you are is a useless nerd… and yet…" Bakugo attempted to say, though it was clear even he didn't know what his problem was. The go-too reaction in his mind was because Midoriya was quirkless. But then Bakugo had to wonder, why did that bother him? So the next option was because Midoriya kept beating him. That brought up a new question though. Why was he so upset that Midoriya had beaten him? Eventually, Bakugo took a deep breath, the teen trying to get his thoughts in order.
"Why… Why do I keep losing?" Bakugo coldly asked, with Midoriya looking at him for a moment. Midoriya almost answered with, because of training, but then he stopped. Bakugo didn't say why do I keep losing to you. He said why do I keep losing.
"...To me-" Midoriya began, hoping for clarification. Of which Bakugo was all too eager to answer.
"To fucking everything!" Bakugo replied, while slowly moving his right arm, "First week of class, and I'm unstoppable. Then the USJ happened and that Nomu thing treated me as if I was nothing! Then you show up, and no matter what I do, you keep winning! And the icing on this bullshit cake is that I lose to some bum fuck cultists, who blow my arm off!"
While still monumentally angry, Bakugo continued to move his arm. He moved his forearm back and forth, the movement being slow and methodical. Every time he struggled to move his arm, he just kept trying. Yet the actions didn't hide his annoyance, as he continued to glare at Midoriya.
"I'm… I'm supposed to be better than this! I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you, and yet I keep losing!" Bakugo yelled out, as Midoriya slowly connected some dots. He still found the entire conversation odd though. He knew Bakugo had some kind of grudge against him. Built upon his defeat at Midoriya's hands not just once, but twice. But… had Midoriya ever made it seem like he looked down on him?
Quietly Midoriya thought back to prior weeks. He couldn't remember a time. He never said anything of the sort. He couldn't recall any actions he'd committed that Bakugo could draw from. He'd… he hadn't done anything. Maybe he'd done so accidentally, but Midoriya couldn't remember that happening.
"What made you think, I look down on you?" Midoriya asked, hoping for a better explanation. Thankfully Bakugo didn't interrupt him this time. Instead, Bakugo looked at Midoriya incredulously. Shock and confusion lined his face, but quickly turned back into anger.
"You kidding?" Bakugo inquired, his breathing speeding up "Everything!"
Instinctively Bakugo's hands began to pop, miniature explosions going off in his hands. Yet to Midoriya's surprise, the second Bakugo realized they were happening, he clamped his hands shut. For a moment he breathed a small shaky breath. But not wanting to seem weak, Bakugo kept talking, acting as if nothing happened.
"You're quirkless! In possession of no actual strength bar that of a gun. But as the heir to a multi-billion dollar army, you come marching in as if you're unstoppable!" Bakugo exclaimed, slowly standing from his hospital bed, "You bring in all these fucking toys, and act like you can stand shoulder to shoulder with me! You… you…"
Slowly Bakugo began walking toward Midoriya. Reaching the other teen, Bakugo shoved a finger toward Midoriya's chest.
"You have all this wealth and influence, and yet you go around hanging with extras! It's bad enough you can't stay in your lane, you have to start bringing others with you!" Bakugo yelled, causing Midoriya to glance back toward Eri. Somehow the girl was still asleep, with Midoriya mentally sighing in relief. This was not a conversation she needed to hear. Yet slowly Midoriya registered Bakugo's words.
Though he tried to speak confidently, there were messages Midoriya began picking up on.
"Everyone always said I'd be the greatest hero. The next All Might," Bakugo shouted, again shoving his finger in Midoriya's chest, "And yet he keeps praising you!"
From there, Midoriya felt like he had a revelation. Bakugo stayed quiet, breathing heavily while Midoriya collected his thoughts. His mind lingered on all of Bakugo's words. Yet one set stood out to him. Everyone always said I'd be the greatest hero. It didn't seem like much at first, just more of Bakugo's usual arrogance. But… it seemed more personal to Bakugo. As if it was actually true. Not words built out of ego, but something people actually told him.
Which, the more Midoriya thought about it, made sense. Bakugo had a strong quirk, one monumentally stronger than most. While he'd suffered some defeats in training and made several dumb mistakes, Bakugo was an adept learner. His grades were some of the 1A's highest. Out of everyone's hero costumes, his was somehow one of the most practical. Bakugo had made rash decisions built on ego, but he was by no means dumb. If all of these factors were constant in Bakugo's life, then of course people would tell him he'd be a great hero.
It was a message Bakugo seemingly took to heart. And slowly the last dots were connected.
"This isn't about me looking down on you," Midoriya realized, his eyes meeting Bakugo's, "This is you looking down on yourself."
For a moment Bakugo stayed quiet before he scoffed and grabbed Midoriya by his hospital gown. The teen pulled Midoriya near the ledge of his hospital bed, and Midoriya struggled to keep balance. His legs felt like they were on fire, while a heart monitor nearby sped up.
"The hell are you talking about?" Bakugo demanded while Midoriya held up his hand again. At the same time, he began searching for a way to fight back. Neither teen was truly ready for a fight, but Bakugo held the advantage. He was only down one arm, Midoriya was down an arm and both legs. However, with a whistle, he could wake up DD. The dog would hopefully even the odds.
Yet somehow, Midoriya didn't think it would come to that.
"Just, hear me out!" Midoriya exclaimed somewhat nervously, "You just told me that everyone always said you'd be the best."
Shockingly, Bakugo seemed to stop for a moment. He clicked his tongue annoyed, and slowly let Midoriya go. Instantly Midoriya sat back in his hospital bed, cringing as the pain left his legs.
"Day in and day out," Midoriya continued, slowly looking over his legs, "For how long?"
Bakugo thought over the question cautiously, unsure exactly what Midoriya was getting at. But he thought it over. Everyone had always told him he'd be the best. Year after year.
"...Since I was four," Bakugo eventually answered, with Midoriya slowly nodding. The same age most children get their quirks, Midoriya thought.
"So… for twelve years, that's all they tell you," Midoriya stated, looking away from his legs, "Everyone around you says the exact same thing. That'll be the best. The next All Might. And that's a hefty expectation to put on a four-year-old."
Bakugo scoffed at the last part, but Midoriya looked back at him seriously. It was a hefty expectation. For most people, it likely would have been an off-handed comment. A compliment made to make a young Bakugo feel good. How often that compliment was given though, was the problem.
"With your quirk, everyone saw greatness in you. They believed you could excel, and everyone made that fact clear to you," Midoriya continued calmly, with Midoriya hearing DD yawn from the foot of the bed. Carefully he reached out and petted the dog, while still keeping his gaze on Bakugo.
"To the point that to you, it's no longer a compliment or a kind comment, it's a fact," Midoriya stated. It would have started as nothing more than a compliment. A small encouraging comment for a young child. But when it's said often enough, it begins to sound less like encouragement, and more like an expectation.
"Heaps of expectations were put on you. Your teachers, your friends, and maybe even your parents, all believed you'd be the best. And you believed them too," Midoriya pointed out, noting how Bakugo slowly began tapping his arm with his good hand. To Bakugo, being the best was now expected. It was a requirement, something he had to achieve because everyone said so. Whether people actually expected this from him, didn't matter. As to Bakugo, he believed they expected it.
"So… every time you lose that belief is proven wrong," Midoriya continued, while Bakugo quietly tsked, "In exchange you push yourself harder. You lash out. You blame something. Because you're fighting not just the expectations of others, but of yourself."
The more Midoriya talked, the more complicated he realized this was. There was no expectation for Bakugo to become the best hero. But he believed there was. If not from the people around him, then from himself. The idea of being the best became a necessity to him.
"You're continuously reaching for the impossible, and never viewing it as good enough," Midoriya explained, watching as Bakugo shifted in place, "In your eyes, you keep failing. In your eyes, it's never good enough. You just never admit this."
Again Bakugo tsked, but he said nothing. Anger was present on his face, yet he continued to listen.
"Through the expectations of others, you hold yourself to an unrealistic standard," Midoriya calmly pointed out, "But you couldn't admit that. You couldn't admit that you'd never be perfect. After all, you had everyone expecting more from you. Your mind wouldn't allow defeat, so you doubled down. Your ego rose and brought arrogance. To make up for your lack of self-worth, to try and hide the fact you believe yourself a failure, you began treating others like crap. You looked down on people you deemed extras or useless."
Midoriya wasn't sure if there was more to it, but it seemed like a good explanation. It's why Bakugo was always a jerk to people, even those trying to be kind to him. The reason he acted like everyone was beneath him, was so he could ignore his own failures. To act like everyone was an extra, was to put himself above everyone. In a world where everyone else was useless, well that obviously made him the best. Before Midoriya just assumed Bakugo was always a jerk, but there was clearly something more.
"And I'm guessing that's how it was for years. You desperately trying to reach both the people's and your own expectations. A self-created inferiority and superiority complex," Midoriya explained, while Bakugo remained quiet. While he never said it out loud, Bakugo looked down on himself. He always strived to be the best, yet in his mind, he was never good enough. Yet at the same time, his self-doubt would never allow him to admit this. So to compensate he looked down on others.
For years this had all worked for him. No matter the challenge Bakugo had succeeded in overcoming it. It festered an unhealthy cycle, of Bakugo striving to be the best, his brain telling him he's not good enough, Bakugo lashing out at others to feel better, and reinforcing the idea he'd be the best. Thus, causing him to set ever more impossible goals. Until the USJ happened. He hadn't truly fought and lost against the Nomu, but he was supposedly ignored by the beast. At least Midoriya assumed so.
But until the USJ, Bakugo had suffered no actual losses. He'd never had to stop and face the cycle he was in. Of course that didn't happen though, because while the USJ was important, it wasn't the catalyst for Bakugo's current predicament. No. The catalyst was Midoriya's arrival.
"It's why you hate me," Midoriya noted, "The world has taught you to believe only those with quirks can be the best. Only those as strong as you. Yet, I'm quirkless, and I've beaten you time and time again."
Bakugo quietly grumbled in response, his glare coming back to fruition as Midoriya pressed on.
"To have someone like me be better than you… it hurts your ego. Because I prove everything you believe wrong," Midoriya continued, watching as Bakugo again grumbled, "I prove that you're not the best. I prove that your power doesn't matter. I prove that you never had to be a jerk to anyone."
Because if Bakugo was supposed to be the best, the strongest, the fastest, the next number one hero, then what did losing to Midoriya mean? Every defeat had given Bakugo a chance to reflect. To see what went wrong. Instead, all Bakugo did was self-loathe. It was likely Bakugo didn't even realize he was doing this.
"You keep losing because you look down on yourself. Purposefully or unwittingly I don't know. But that self-doubt feeds into a never-ending cycle. One where you can't admit that you're not the best. Because admitting that hurts. Admitting it means admitting you've failed. And with all the expectations you put on yourself, all the unreachable goals, you can't accept failure. Else it feeds into your self-doubt," Midoriya told him, with Bakugo's glare slowly growing fiercer. It caused Midoriya to sigh, and pet DD again.
Knowing Bakugo, he'd likely deny any of this. Say it was all wrong and that he was fine. Agreeing with Midoriya, in Bakugo's eyes at least, meant admitting he was weak. Admitting he was weak… Well, that fell back into the cycle. Slowly an idea came to Midoriya's mind, one that made him pause.
"You believe the best stand-alone. That relying on others makes you weak, but that isn't true," Midoriya explained calmly, earning another scoff from Bakugo, "I mean I rely on others all the time. Half the stuff I do wouldn't be possible without my dad, Uncle Kaz, Victoria, or even DD."
Carefully Midoriya rubbed the back of DD's ears. The now awake dog in response, shuffled toward him and licked his face. Once that was done, DD stopped and turned toward Bakugo. With its one eye, DD stared at the teen, before sniffing him. Bakugo just glared at the dog, watching as DD hopped off the bed. There DD sniffed his bad hand and began licking him. Bakugo just stood there unmoving for a moment, unsure of what to do. Of course that changed when he spotted Midoriya smirking.
He glared back at the other teen, who feigned mock ignorance. However, Bakugo made no move to stop DD. To which Midoriya lightly chuckled.
"You know, there are times even All Might asks for help. Admitting that doesn't make you a failure-" Midoriya began to say before Bakugo interrupted him.
"Shut up…" Bakugo ordered, to which Midoriya complied. There was shockingly not much rage behind the order. It still had the usual gruffness Bakugo was known for, along with the annoyed tone. But the fierce fiery anger behind his words was gone. Bakugo let DD lick his hand a little more, even giving the dog a small scratch behind his ear. After a few seconds though he turned and walked back to his bed.
"Idiotic bullshit nonsense," Bakugo muttered to himself, before sitting back in his bed. Midoriya simply sighed and slowly shook his head. Looking over Bakugo, Midoriya could see the explosive teen was thinking over his words. The gears were turning in his head. But he seemed reluctant to believe anything. Which, Midoriya expected. Admitting it, fed into the cycle.
Standing amongst the ruined remains of his supercomputer, Night Owl began to pace. He could do nothing but fume at the Ninth Circle's incompetence. Sure he could always build a new supercomputer, but that wasn't the problem. The Tokyo compound was left in ruins, with bodies lining the cafeteria floor, an untold number of files had been stolen from his computer, the quirk erasing bullets were gone, and Eri was nowhere to be seen!
It all served to infuriate Night Owl the more time went on. But this was fine. All fine. Definitely fine. Nothing more than a setback. He'd review the compound's security footage, find out what went wrong, locate Eri, and get everything back on track. Yep, everything would be fine, Night Owl told himself. So it was here Night Owl decided to leave his broken supercomputer. Wordlessly he began to walk toward the cafeteria. Better to see what everyone was freaking out about.
When he arrived he'd… oh… oh…
"I don't know what to tell you, but it was freaky fucking shit," one cultist muttered as Night Owl looked over the cafeteria. The entire area had been scorched, with ash covering every corner of the place. However, that was somewhat expected. The Ninth Circle had reported a fire breaking out. What wasn't mentioned were the bodies dangling from the ceiling.
"Whatever the hell it was, it crept out of the damn shadows," another cultist stated, a few others busy tending his wounds, "It… it was like a demon."
Night Owl scoffed at the idea, before looking around quietly. His gaze lingered on the scorch marks around him, and he didn't know why. For whatever reason they stuck out to him. Telling him some unheard message. Of course, as Night Owl tried to discern what they could possibly be, a nearby Prophet began to yell.
"Be not afraid my brothers and sisters! Though we have suffered this day, we will be victorious! No demons, heretics, or blasphemers will stand in our way!" the prophet exclaimed, with Night Owl quietly grumbling, "We will find this supernatural force of nature, and it shall know fear! For it is Reaper's Will!"
With the final words a dozen voices yelled out, "Praise be to Reaper!"
It caused Night Owl nothing but annoyance. To blame this on the supernatural of all things was idiotic. What logical argument was there for it? Did they trespass on an ancient Indian burial ground? No, because they were in Japan. The mall had been abandoned for years, so the place couldn't have been haunted. I mean come on. Do you expect him to believe that the collective sorrow of Musutafu manifested… some… ghosts.
Sorrow… Night Owl lingered on the word. Like the scorch marks, it stood out to him. Why, he didn't know. Calmly he thought back to the report Reaper had given him. Inexplicably, the compound had a mysterious fire, an unknown sniper, a swarm of hornets, and some freaking clambering through the walls. All had the excuse of being under a quirk. But the more Night Owl thought it over, the more specific it seemed.
It… it connected to something, but what? Sorrow, Night Owl wondered, why did the word sorrow seem so important? He questioned it for a few minutes before his eyes slowly widened. Sorrow, Night Owl realized, The Sorrow. He'd… he'd completely forgotten about him. About the long-dead Cobras. But… how? Why!? How long had they been here!? Were they watching him!? Were they in the room right now!? Night Owl tried not to panic the longer time went on. He knew everything that was going to happen before it happened.
So how, how did he miss this!? He was supposed to be smarter than this! But through his own arrogance, he'd missed the one thing that could screw up everything. If the Cobras were here, then did that mean she was here? If she was here then… Snake… Snake! Big Boss was the one to break in last night! He was the one who accessed his files! He'd stolen Eri and the quirkless bullets from him! Night Owl couldn't help but feel infuriated. Snake, oh Snake was going to get what was coming to him. Matter of fact, why don't I call him, Night Owl decided. In a second he pulled out his phone, ready to dial Snake. It would all be so simple. He'd threaten to detonate the nuke, demand Snake hand over everything he took, and then things would be back on schedule.
But before he could even start the call, his phone began to ring. With an annoyed groan, Night Owl looked over the number calling him. To his surprise, he found it to be from the police. Confused, Night Owl took a moment to calm himself down. Walking away from the cafeteria to a secluded area, Night Owl answered the call.
"Hello?" Night Owl asked, a voice on the other end replied quickly.
"Vice President Nagai?" a female voice asked, with Night Owl faking a yawn. Better to make them think he'd just woken up.
"This is him," Night Owl confirmed, again yawning to the voice's displeasure.
"This is Detective Enomoto Mai, of the Osaka Police Department," the detective on the other end explained, "I'm calling to inform you that one of your museums has been robbed."
From those last words, it was as if a bomb had gone off. Night Owl stayed silent for a moment, the idea that he heard wrong ringing through his mind. He'd been up for a long time, surely his lack of sleep was catching up to him.
"I… I'm sorry?" Night Owl inquired, hoping for more clarification. Instead, the detective only confirmed what he'd been dreading.
"We're still looking into it right now sir, but we got a call this morning from some of your security guards. They were reportedly knocked out last night and restrained in a broom closet. They haven't seen much, however from their testimony, most of your exhibits are missing items," Detective Mai explained, with Night Owl going wide-eyed.
"What… what's missing exactly?" he asked, pleading for it to be nothing big. Just a few rifles, maybe some RPGs. Yet Detective Mai seemed determined to crush his dreams.
"I'm not entirely sure. Forensics is still counting everything up. However, by the looks of it, you're missing… I don't know how to easily put this but you're missing tanks," Mai replied, and Night Owl felt the breath die in his throat. It didn't end at tanks. As time went on Detective Mai listed more and more missing equipment. At the Osaka Museum, everything was gone. All the ammo he'd stored up, all the helicopters, all the tanks, everything.
And when Night Owl hung up on the detective, he tried to calm himself. Sure, this was bad, but it was one museum out of fifty. He'd lost a lot of weapons, but he still had thousands more. Then the calls started coming in. Museum after museum had been looted in the dead of night. All simultaneously. By the end of it, Night Owl was near catatonic. Everything he planned, all the years he'd spent working toward the war, and it was gone.
He… this… this was Snake's doing. All Might's last-minute speech, the break-in at the compound, it was all his doing! The robberies were far too coordinated, far too organized to be some random thug! All of this was the MSF's doing! There was no logical explanation! Angrily Night Owl began scrambling his phone's signal, before calling up his target. After a few seconds, the mercenary picked up, already knowing it was him.
"Night Owl, what do you want?" Snake demanded, while Night Owl laughed annoyed.
"Oh ho, don't play coy with me Snake," Night Owl warned, the mad scientist slowly pacing in a circle, "I know what you did."
"Do you now," Snake commented dryly, causing Night Owl to grumble.
"I don't know what it is you think you've achieved, but it isn't working," Night Owl told him angrily, "So, how about I make this simple for the both of us. You're going to hand over all the weapons you've stolen from me, or I will detonate my nuke."
For a second after the words left his mouth, Snake remained quiet. At first Night Owl assumed Snake would follow his demands. To him, everything would be fixed, and go back on track. This was just a minor slip-up, after all, one that would be fixed shortly. But then the silence dragged on. And though Night Owl couldn't see Snake, he had the distinct feeling the man was grinning from ear to ear.
"No, you won't," Snake replied, with Night Owl beginning to fume, "Not unless you want to lose your only bargaining chip."
Lose his only bargaining chip… no… no! He had plenty more cards to play! He had-
"Before you could threaten us with more attacks. But without your guns, you have nothing. No army, no war, nothing," Snake continued, interrupting Night Owl's thoughts. And his response left Night Owl.
"Which is why I know you're not going to detonate that nuke," Snake added further, as Night Owl slowly stopped pacing, "You only have one. The moment it's gone, that's it. And right now, it is the only thing protecting you from me. You set it off, and I'll drag you out of your office, and toward the nearest electric chair."
It caused Night Owl to grumble as he desperately tried to think up a counter. He had backup plans within backup plans. Secret projects within secret projects. He had more bargaining chips! Lots of them. Yet the more he thought about it, the more dead ends he reached. His chemical weapons were stored at the museums in secured canisters. Secret weapon programs he'd started years ago were either still not complete, or outright abandoned.
By now Night Owl thought about detonating the nuke purely out of spite. But the thought was shot down. It was supposed to be his weapon to control Snake. To ensure his plan went smoothly. Now it was his shield, the only thing keeping him alive.
"Besides, there's nothing I can do for you. Even if I wanted to give you your guns, they're all at the bottom of the Pacific right now," Snake noted, adding salt to Night Owl's wounds. There was nothing he could do. By now the pressure of the ocean had likely crushed every piece of equipment he'd acquired. Years of hard work and planning, everything he'd been working toward, it was all gone. He could demand weapons from the MSF, but they'd either never give them to him, or hand them over booby-trapped.
And he could do nothing about it, lest he throw away his only shield.
"You… you're not going to get away with this," Night Owl told him, a thought slowly coming to mind. Snake… he was different nowadays.
"You're not the same man as you were all those years ago," Night Owl pointed out "You've changed Snake. Are you willing to risk all millions on a bluff?"
Again, Snake remained quiet.
"What makes you think I've changed?" Snake inquired, with Night Owl staying silent. There… There were a lot of reasons why. Night Owl had seen everything! He knew how Snake acted before this, what his beliefs used to be! He knew everything about Snake! He knew… Slowly doubt crept into Night Owl, the more he thought it over. He was supposed to be smarter than this, yet he missed so many variables. So many possibilities he hadn't accounted for. Had… had he missed this too? Had Snake actually changed, or was he the same man he always was?
Night Owl wanted to say yes. Snake had a son for crying out loud, an army of people he cared for. He was a hero to the second and third world. He wanted to say yes. But all of their meetings had been at gunpoint. They never had a "heart-to-heart" about their daily lives. No. It was the same cycle, of Snake showing up, Night Owl taunting him, and Night Owl getting away. All of Night Owl's assumptions were built on knowledge he'd acquired for years. Knowledge that could very well be wrong.
No matter what, Night Owl couldn't win. If he detonates the nuke, he kills millions, sure. But it was as Snake had told him, there would be nothing stopping him from killing him. The alternative was to do nothing.
"Face it, you have no cards," Snake told him, before abruptly hanging up. Stuck in silence, Night Owl stared at a nearby wall. Slowly the scientist began to laugh. No, yeah this was fine. Everything was fine! This was just a setback, nothing more. He'd… he'd find new guns! New weapons! All he needed was time! Yet the Tyrant was dead. The JSDF had their armories locked down tight. So did the rest of the world.
"Fuck," Night Owl muttered, placing his hand on the wall. He'd recover from this. He didn't spend nine years working on this plan just to lose now! But what else was he supposed to do? His contacts were dead or unavailable.
"Fuck," Night Owl again muttered, this time punching the wall angrily. He did so again and again, the more he thought about his situation. All that work and preparation, now gone! He'd have to delay everything! Forget the war starting by August, he'd… he'd have to delay another five years at the least! Oh no, that was fine! Perfectly fine! Definitely fine! Brilliant even!
"Fuck!" Night Owl cried out, his hand becoming bloody as he continued to punch the wall. He laughed in pain as he did so, ignoring the cuts along his knuckles. Everything was supposed to go his way! He'd accounted for every possibility! So why, why did he miss this!? He should have known the MSF would raid his museums before it even happened! He should have known Snake would infiltrate his compound before the thought ever crossed his mind!
"FUCK!" Night Owl yelled, punching the wall a final time. The bones in his fingers broke then, blood still seeping from his hand. Cackling like mad, Night Owl soon brought both of his hands to cradle his head. All he could do was laugh. Cultists walking by viewed him like a madman, and electively stepped away. Yet Night Owl didn't care. All that work was gone. And for the first time in years, so was his smile.