Theme: Seeing Red (Part One)

Rated: PG-13



So this was Rokovoj Bereg, Tselinoyarsk, also called the Fatal Coast.

The breeze planted a sweet kiss on my cheek before continuing to its destination, wishing me the luck that I needed. Trees towered tall above me, missing leaves and looking dead. Scanning the area, I saw three snakes wrapped around their individual tree, the position between them was a triangle. I thought it was odd, but I was in no position to argue. There was an abundance of white flowers, keeping a watchful gaze on the gently wafting river. White petals, like snow, fell on me and the rest of the field. I never knew there was such a place.

What a morbid symbolism white flowers have. Though the Japanese envision paradise to be with white flowers, it is more commonly known for death. I felt a tug of my stomach, feeling as though I needed to retch, but it had to be done. I stood straight, nodding to myself.

This was for Operation Snake Eater, if nothing else. I was assigned this mission about three to four days ago because of my experiences with The Boss. My original job, the Virtuous Mission, was to rescue Sokolov, which quickly ended in failure due to her defection. This mission resulted in the latter, where I had to find Sokolov, seek and destroy Shagohod, and Volgin with it. All that was left was....

Sokolov was killed, I think it was safe to assume. I had no way of confirming whether this was true for during this time, I was being tortured brutally, losing my right eye to the young boy they called Major Ocelot. Volgin was eliminated along with the Shagohod in a convenient fireworks show.

EVA said she would be here now. Nearby, she readied the plane, waiting for my return. I could not promise her I would come back like she desired for I did not know. The silence was chilling, my body tensing for action. Hand to the hilt of my gun, I began to walk through the meadow of pure white, examining every inch. After a brief sweep of the "paradise", I realized I was alone.

The Boss was my mentor. She raised me when I was young and naive, taught me what she knew, and trained me vigorously. I could still remember those ghost-like memories of me practicing my targeting with her keeping her eyes on me. We even developed CQC, or close-quarter combat together. Closer than the love between a man and a woman, The Boss and I were....indescribable. It didn't feel like the love of others, and not a quaint friendship. To think I had to kill her as soon as possible.

Before I knew it, I noticed that the air's currents changed. It blew with an amazing force; I had to cover my face to prevent any debris from hindering my vision. This was unlikely, there had to be a reason to the despair of the breeze. The fury of the wind came to a complete stop, a voice thick with lament speaking.

"Life's end.....isn't it beautiful?" I looked up at the cloudy skies. It looked as though it wanted to weep, rain on us on this sad moment. I breathed in the air sharply, recognizing the voice I knew better than anyone else. She was here. And it was almost funny how she would name this place in time life's bitter end. I, though not visible, smiled grimly at the morbid thought.

"It's almost tragic." I finally mustered enough strength to face her. She was mainly focused on the sky as I was, speaking softly, making me listen. "When life ends, it gives off a lingering aroma....light is but a farewell gift from the darkness to those on their way to die." Emphasis on the word 'die'.

She turned to face me completely, making us vertical from each other. My grip loosened on the M19, understanding what she wanted. It was as if she knew that many thoughts ran through my mind. From the look in her eyes, she wanted to say so much as well, the answers to my questions....And so she did.

"Why are you doing this?" I found myself asking. She gave me a quick glance before answering.

"Why?" she chuckled softly. It was a hollow sound, echoing loudly in my ear. "To make the world one again." She said as if everyone knew that. I looked at her with questioning eyes, and she continued on.

A few yards away, The Boss poured out her soul. Her words were carefully picked, telling a story that I never asked about. She kept her eyes on my figure, still educating me even though she said she had nothing else to teach. Those questions I had thought before was answered.

She spoke of her life. So much had happened in her time, and it was saddening. How she needed to kill The Sorrow, how the Philosophers used her, how her child was taken away.....she was truly a patriot.  She, all this time, kept her mind on her goals to see the world in peace, and not in this political race of what country was better than the other. The Boss, clearly emotional about this moment, brought many things to light. And now, I understood.

The blonde threw off her black cloak that had once covered her body, leaving her white suit, making her body blend in with her surroundings. She then reached her hands up to pull her suit open, her abdomen revealed. "Look at this scar." She said firmly. It was stitched up, but its shape was intriguing. "This is proof that I was once a mother. I gave up my body and my child for my country.

"There is nothing left inside me now....nothing at all." I subconsciously bit my lower lip. "No hatred, not even regret." She was not the type of person to even think of regret. She was always so focused on her missions. "And yet sometimes, at night, I can still feel the pain creeping up inside me."

She used two fingers to gently trace the uneven scar to enforce her point. "....Slithering through my body, like a snake..." Emphasis on 'snake'. I, being a male, could never feel the pain that she did the day she gave birth on the battlefield, though that does not mean that I could not feel sympathetic. With that, she gave a light laugh. It almost sounded like she was fighting back tears.

"I've never talked this much about myself before." We made eye contact, briefly, before she seemed to stare off into the distance. "Thanks....thanks for listening to me." Now, even though I was too far to see, I was sure she shed a few tears.

"Snake." she spoke my codename. She turned around, nodding to herself. She muttered something incoherent before turning back and continuing her sentence. "I raised you. I loved you, I've given you weapons, taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge.... there is nothing more for me to give you." Then there was silence. All that was heard was the wind circling around you and the melancholy feel of Rokovoj Bereg, Tselinoyarsk, or 'paradise'. Call it what you want, I thought sourly.

"All that is left for you to take is my life... by your own hand." The next words would stick with me for the rest of my life, if I was to live. "One must die, and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny...." She took out her Patriot. "The one who survives will inherit the title of Boss." It was just like her to say that. It was true, though, so I had no right to question it.

"I'll give you ten minutes. In ten minutes, MiGs will come and bomb the hell out of this place." Only ten minutes. How was I supposed to....? "Let's make this the greatest ten minutes of our lives Jack." Now, she used my nickname.

"Boss!" I exclaimed, reaching out slightly to her, hoping to change her mind. But I know her too well and as expected, she cut me off.

You're a soldier! Finish your mission! Prove your loyalty!" she said, and that was the last lesson she taught me. I growled in protest, but still taking out my knife. The greatest ten minutes of my life....more like the most traumatic. We both settled in our stances, getting ready for the biggest battle of our lives. Though I did not want to, it was as she said. I had to prove my loyalty to my country. After all, somehow I knew it would come to this someday.

"Face me!"