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Snake sat at his desk in the quarters he rarely used, puffing away at his phantom cigar. He silently cursed the storm that had so quickly crept up on them, preventing him from escaping the base and escaping his thoughts.
It wasn't that he hated Mother Base or anything, he could never hate his home nor the people on it. He just...needed to be out there, completing his long list of missions. He was what many would call a workaholic he guessed, hardly content with sitting down for more than a few moments. And he had tried to avoid that very thing, roaming Mother Base to try to fill his time. But for such a sprawling place, he found surprisingly little to keep him busy. He'd started with target practice while he still could, only barely beating the raindrops that had begun to fall hard and heavy around him as he took his final shot. He'd made his way inside after that, finding some of the soldiers to work out some CQC on. But that too only lasted so long and he soon found himself wandering the base again, thus causing him to find yet another rare place for himself, the kitchen.
He only really went near the mess hall on a few occasions, normally he just lived off what rations he had in his pack. Ocelot and Miller put a quick end to that of course, pretty much forcing him to bring something slightly more suitable along to eat. In one rare occasion he even mumbled off a 'thanks dad' to Miller, earning him the highest arched eyebrow he had ever seen on the man. That also brought about another rarity in Snakes life, a small chuckle.
Snake had shook the thought from his mind at that moment, as he had come to realize he had wandered well into the kitchen and was now being stared at by the head cook. Well, he was here already wasn't he? May as well do some work. And so he had spent the next hour or so in there, helping to prep the evening meal, much to everyone's amusement.
But even after all that, the storm had proven to be a stubborn foe and refused to let up, so he soon found himself in his current location, sitting quietly puffing his phantom cigar and staring out the small window at the torrential rain.
His eye jerked over to the door as he heard a light pounding from the other side. He cocked his head for a moment, almost forgetting what to do when someone knocked. It wasn't like it had been something he had experienced in a while, and his mind had been off in some distant thought as well.
But finally he cleared the cobwebs enough to give a gruff, throaty response. “Come in.”
The door opened with a hiss, revealing a soaking wet Ocelot who looked very much unhappy with his current state, not unlike his feline namesake.
“You know Ocelot, normally people take their clothes off when they shower.”
Ocelot gave him a look for a moment before stepping all the way in, letting the door hiss shut behind him.
“You must be pretty bored if you can actually make jokes. Especially one in which you yourself are guilty of.” He said as he pointed a finger at him, quietly berating him for his constant mobile showers with said clothing on.
“Fair enough.” Snake said as he sat back in his chair and swung his feet up on the desk. “So what were you doing outside in this anyway? Miller was insistent that no one be out on the platforms because of the high winds.”
“The rain was getting way too bad, had to do something about Quiet's cell.”
Snake raised a brow at his response.
“This isn't exactly a hurricane or anything but, it's still more liquid than she can handle. Was starting to swamp her cell, and you know she can't get submerged.”
“What about the pumps?”
“We're short on maintenance staff again, they only fixed what was most important at the moment.”
“Damn. Looks like I have to head out and 'recruit' a few more people when this storm dies down.”
“It'd be appreciated.” Ocelot said in his thick cowboy accent. It always amused Snake a bit, he had that accent down so good you wouldn't even know he had Russian in him at all if you didn't know him.
“Anyway...” Ocelot started as he looked around, trying to find a place to sit down.
“Just sit on the bed, doubt I'll be using it anytime soon anyway.”
Ocelot gave him a look before slipping off his drenched coat and sitting on the bed.
“You're gonna catch a cold at this rate.” Snake said with a nod of his head.
“Thanks for the concern 'dad'.” Ocelot said with a sly smirk, throwing Snakes own joke back at him.
Snake let out one of his rare chuckles again before swinging his legs off the desk and getting up, putting away his phantom cigar. “Coffee then?”
“Please.”
Snake turned and headed toward the small kitchenette in the corner of the room, getting the coffee maker going. He may have been Boss here but, he still kept his furnishings about the same as anyone else. He only had a slightly larger room, with the bathroom, kitchenette, and area for the desk being the only extra space he had. It still wasn't large by any means and more than three people would make the room quite crowded.
“Was a reason I stopped in here to see you Boss.” Ocelot said from behind him, his hands making a smacking sound as he peeled the gloves off to set aside as well.
“And what is it you needed then?”
“Well, not exactly for me really.”
“Then who?” Snake asked, he was too busy with the coffee filters at the moment to even look back and regard the cowboy behind him.
“For Quiet.”
There was a light rustling sound as Snake dropped said filters onto the small counter top. He turned to regard him at this point, leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. “For Quiet?”
“Yeah.”
“And what does she need exactly? You took care of the rain issue with the emergency tarp yeah?”
“That's not what I'm talking about.”
“Then what?” Snake said as he turned back to the coffee. Even he was growing a hankering for the brew on this gloomy day.
“Well, thing is Boss, the men and women are still really having a problem with her.”
“To be expected.”
“It's like running a damn grade school out there Boss, you ain't around most the time to see it.”
“Wanna elaborate a bit Ocelot?”
Snake heard the springs in the bed as the coils released, telling him Ocelot had gotten up. The telltale sound of spurs chiming did much to validate that assumption.
Ocelot made his way to the window, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, letting out an exasperated sigh at the same time.
“They're scared of her, to be expected as you say. And I don't rightly blame them either, the way they tend to handle it is a bit disconcerting though.”
“And how are they handling it?”
“Like a bunch of damn five year old's, leaving nasty words all around and in her cell. Calling her a freak and...other more unsavory words.”
Snake scowled at this, his chest tightening a bit as a slight bit of rage crawled it's way upwards within him. He couldn't understand it really, it wasn't like him. She'd done her best to kill him, and yet when the sniper battle was over, and she lay prone before him, his sidearm trained on her...he couldn't pull the trigger.
He'd always assumed it was because Ocelot had been right, and she'd prove to be a worthy member of the Diamond Dogs. But these days it just didn't seem to be the case. Anytime anyone said anything even remotely negative toward the silent sniper, his rage would boil beneath, only barely being kept in check. It was even starting to put a strain on his friendship with Kaz. He knew the man was just looking out for their best interests, but it still infuriated him that Kaz didn't trust him more with this decision.
Again, he could understand his reasoning. His trust had pretty much been shot since the first Mother Bases' destruction. But Snake knew what he was doing, and his XO was going to have to learn to respect that more.
“Boss?”
“Yeah. I hear you. Go on and continue.” Snake said as he pulled some mugs down, the Diamond Dog label printed proudly on the sides.
“As I was saying...I can understand why they do it, but it is a childish action and they're not children, they're soldiers. Acting like a bunch of bullies is not acceptable here.”
“Well you have every right to give them a talking to Ocelot, your word is as much mine and they know it. As for Quiet, she's a grown woman Ocelot, and a damn assassin to boot, she can take care of herself.”
“And she has. Problem is I'd like all our soldiers to be in one piece Boss.”
“True enough.” Snake said as he walked over, handing Ocelot a mug. “Anything else I should know about?”
“Well, they've stepped it up a bit, playing some rather unkind music over the loud speaker in her cell.”
Snake gave a growled sigh, the action clearly gave away the facade he was trying to put on.
“You're right ocelot, this is not something becoming of a soldier, especially a Diamond Dog. We don't act like children here and I think it's time they knew that. I will talk to them personally. In the meantime only people I personally appoint will be allowed to watch over her cell, and the others can clean that shit graffiti off the signs outside her cell.”
Ocelot gave a curt nod, sipping from his coffee, the chill clearly getting to him.
“Also, only you and I are allowed access to the radio to her cell. No more of that childish crap over the loud speaker.”
Ocelot gave another nod, the corners of his mouth turned up just a bit, showing something amused him.
Snake didn't even ask the question, his look was loud enough.
“Unlike Miller, you can't fool me Boss. You see something in that woman, and there's no doubt there's some kind of connection there. What it is? Who knows? Not like it's any of our business. But that fact still stands, shes being tested, being given a chance. And the men and women here need to accept that. And it's not just that, she is still our key to what's going on here. She doesn't talk, she refuses to write anything down...if she even can. But if she can, I think you're the one that can get it out of her.”
“Is that so?”
“You're still alive ain't you? One needs to ask why? Either shes still plotting, or somethings changed. But I don't think there's any doubt that the plan was for her to kill you. Maybe you just weren't what she was expecting.”
Snake quirked an eyebrow, taking a quick sip from his own coffee before responding. “And just what part of me do you think may have changed her mind? If it's indeed been changed at all?”
“Just gotta look around here Boss. There's so many different kinds of people here, races. Civilians given a safe home away from the bloodshed. And you made every one of those things possible. As long as they're willing to fight for the cause, that's good enough for you. They still have their freedom, their religion. You don't think seeing a 'commander' like that wouldn't change someone's mind? I mean, you sure as hell changed everyone's here.”
Snake was about to respond, when there was another rap at the door, this time with a metallic clang to it. Not too hard to figure out who that was.
“Come in Miller! Join the party!”
The door hissed open, but Miller was not the first in view, instead there was just a massive blur of gray and before Snake knew it, he was flat on his ass; his coffee spilled all over his bionic arm.
“DD!”
He could barely get the letters out as the massive dog was currently licking every part of his face he could get a hold of.
“The dogs being a damn brat.” Miller said, his usual grumpy tone emanating through. “He tore up my damn office.”
“Why the hell was he in your office?
“I had to deal with that issue with Quiet's cell and, well, he's still leery around her. At least, when you're not with him.” Ocelot said.
“You could have told him where he was so he could come get him.” Miller grumbled.
“Would you quit being a damn grouch Miller. What are you, eighty? Gonna start yelling at kids to get off your lawn?”
He might not have been able to see it well, but Ocelot knew the mans eyes were narrowed behind those aviators. It made him quite happy.
But before Miller could say anything in way of a rebuttal, Snake had found his feet again and was between the two.
“Alright, alright. Don't you two start acting like kids too. I'm sorry you got stuck with DD. And as for the other issue, I'll take care of it Ocelot.”
“What other issue?”
“Dealing with some kids, so you wouldn't care much about that.” Ocelot said with a smirk as he set the now empty mug down. “Thanks for the coffee Boss.”
Snake only grunted as Ocelot grabbed his gloves and his coat and left the room, leaving Miller to look befuddled.
“What did I miss?”
“Babysitting issues apparently.”
“Babysitting?”
Snake only shrugged as he headed back over to refill his mug. “Coffee?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
By the following morning, the rain had subsided, but it left behind a soupy mix of dew and fog. The fog itself wasn't terribly dense but, it was enough that for the time being, no helicopters were going out.
Snake swallowed his frustration over the weathers hatred of him, and just decided to get on with the task at hand there at Mother Base.
He talked to Ocelot again to get the personnel list for Quiet's cell before heading off with DD. It was still early enough in the morning so most the staff was just finishing up with breakfast, making it much easier for Snake to track down each individual on the list. He understood them, he really did, but he had to put his foot down. He made it quite clear that eyes were always on Quiet, and their intervention was not needed, especially when that culminated with them acting like bullies on the school ground. He basically gave them the adult version of 'shame on you'. How they were handling it was wrong, and out of fear or not, there were better ways of dealing with it.
After he had finished giving them a guilt trip, he had them march off to find Ocelot for re-assignment, leaving him alone with DD. The dog tilted his head up, poking the tips of Snakes prosthetic fingers with his nose. The concern was very apparent in the dogs eyes. Snake allowed a small smile to creep up on his face, as he reached down to pat the dog.
“Running things isn't easy boy.”
DD only responded with a wag of his tail, just happy to see any other reaction than the stone face he usually kept.
Snake glanced back at the list now, realizing that two of the staff members had not been present. After checking the log that accompanied the list of names, he realized they were on watch duty in Quiets cell at that moment. He grumbled a bit, not at all doubting what must have been going on in that cell right at that moment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
He could hear the voices echoing upwards as he approached her cell, and needless to say the words that first hit his ears would make a priest fume with rage. He bit back yet another growl and quietly descended the stairs, curious to see exactly what happened when no one was looking.
The two soldiers stood near her cell, but far enough back that there was no way she could reach for them. If they only knew. Snake knew damn well she could just phase through the bars whenever she liked, the cell was just to ease the soldiers minds a bit.
But, they didn't know this, and if they had they wouldn't even be thinking of throwing half the shit at her that they were.
The younger of the two men, and clearly the stupider one, dared to step a slight bit closer, snickering at Quiet. Quiet, for her part, did nothing. She just lay on her back on the cot, one leg bent up at the knee and the other stretched out. To anyone's eyes it looked like she was ignoring them entirely, but Snake stopped in by her enough to read small details. There were tiny twitches, so tiny you'd miss them if you didn't know to look. Some of the words were hitting home, she just clearly was so use to it she was able to hide any response to it. Or so she thought anyway.
“Hey! You deaf too you freaky bitch!? I'm talking to you!”
Again there was no visible response.
“Bitch!”
“Hold up.” The older man said as he stepped forward, placing his hand on the others shoulder. “Don't want to piss her off while you're standing that close. Wanna end up in traction or something? You did hear what happened just cause they tried to put clothes on her didn't you?”
The younger man swallowed harshly as the older pulled him back a bit.
“Besides, if she wants to dress like a slut let her. She's a freak but at least shes a freak that's good on the eyes.”
“Ye...Yeah.” The younger stammered out.
“But there isn't a person here that's going to truly trust you freak. You may think you're getting somewhere with the Boss, but that just proves you underestimate him.”
“Or maybe it's you who underestimates me?” Snake said as he finally decided enough was enough.
The two men turned to him in shock, immediately saluting.
“If I remember right, half the people here came here under the same circumstances yes? Enemies who I gave a chance to, a better life to. So why is it any different for her? Only because she is 'different'?”
“Boss...I...”
“I don't want excuses. I can't stop you from fearing her, but I can control how it's handled. In all honestly, I believe that most of the ones involved here did the name calling as a safe way to attack her. But you...I think you just got a bigger problem with her. You just plain don't like her cause she's not like you. I could care less about her capabilities, she still gets the same chance everyone else here does. And all this...shit, ends today. You and the rest are going to clean up all the nasty little words you left around, and you're being reassigned. I don't want to catch you in here again...especially you...”
“...yes Boss...”
“Now get the hell out of here. Oh, and kid?”
He called as the two made for their retreat.
“Boss?”
“...think you should find a new group of friends.”
The younger only nodded before disappearing up the steps with the older man.
Snake let out a heavy sigh as he reached for DD again, patting his head. The dog was becoming more and more his resource for stress relief. At the rate things were going, he was going to have a full head of gray hair by the end of the week.
Worse still, he was showing more and more of his hand without meaning to. He was trying to stay neutral, but it was becoming more apparent that Quiet held a spot of her own in the rankings.
He turned his attention to Quiet now, noting that she was sitting up, watching him. He made his way over to her, leaning against the bars just behind her.
“It's true, I am giving you a chance, whenever you want to take it. I'm still not sure what's going on in that head of yours, and even if it looks like it, my guards far from being down. You have a choice, and I'm allowing you to make it. So what will it be? Follow me? Or kill me?”
She just stared into his eye, a questioning stare. He knew he wouldn't get a verbal response, but he was surprised he got any kind of response at all. That look told him quite a bit, she didn't understand what he was playing at. Why he was giving her even the tiniest thread of trust.
But he offered little more than that as he pushed away from the bars, moving back towards the stairs. He only stopped for a moment and turned as the speaker in the room crackled to life again, a song from one of the many cassette tapes he picked up blaring over it.
She could have been seeing things but, she swore there was a small smirk forming at the corners of his mouth, an amused one. But he was on his way again before she had the time to read into it more, DD right behind.
This was unusual for him, and it made her more frustrated. Everything this man did made her second guess any action she was about to take. She came here to earn his trust, and with it buy some time for the perfect moment. All of those had come and gone, and he still lived. They all still lived. She just...she couldn't do it. This man was nothing like she had originally been told. More than a few things were off and it made her hesitate. She was actually hesitating, something she had never done before. This was the man she was supposed to kill, it was her duty...and she couldn't do it. Even before what happened in Cyprus, she was treated differently for just being a woman, and it had caused her to become cold and calculating.
But here...here was different. Sure some of the soldiers acted the same way towards her, which she could understand. They'd be stupid to not fear her.
And yes, they still ran their eyes over her like the other soldiers in the XOF had. For obvious reasons it was worse here, the men hated her but they still couldn't tear their eyes away from her, even some of the women had the same problem. But even with all that, it still felt different. These soldiers did nothing if their 'Boss' did not permit it. And this 'Boss', the man that she was to kill, seemed hell bent on protecting her. And not just him, even that cowboy. Or the one who wanted to be a cowboy anyway, she could see right through all that.
And all this confused her. And it was in this moment that realization hit her. She was out of the XOF's hands, away from Skullfaces' grasp. She could walk away if she so wished it, join with these Diamond Dogs, though she knew better than to believe this would be an easy task. But she just...didn't want to kill this man. She couldn't. She'd been offered a choice, and she had finally made up her mind.
She sat back against the bars and crossed her legs, kicking one leg to the tune. She chose to watch this Snakes back.