001 | Stupid Won't-Die Bastard | Video

[liquidation]

[Who’s blond, angry, and ranting at his Pokegear? If you guessed ‘Liquid goddamn Snake’, you get a prize.]

I do not care who all of you are, or where I am, or how I have come to be here. I do not care if I have been spirited off to a strange world or if I am hallucinating though the latter seems much more likely than the former. Bloody Stinger missiles. Such mere details are irrelevant until I have gained the knowledge of one thing, and one thing only! 

[dramatic pause]

The location of one man, the one man amongst the billions of wretches filling this miserable earth whose every breath is an affront to me. The light to my darkness, the flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood, the man who casts a shadow that stretches to the end of the world! The man who stands high and secure upon an indomitable pedestal, the missing parts of my genetic legacy, who stole the birthright that should be mine! I will not rest until I find him! I will tear apart the fabric of this universe if I must!

My brother! Solid Snake!

[Protip: the prize is a rant.]

Comments

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

[Holy shit.]

What?

[It was all he could say, for a minute. This was too much even for Otacon to process all at once; first of all, he'd never expected to see Liquid again. That in itself should have made him happy--it did, but that was so overshadowed by everything else that it was hard to tell.]

[He was talking like that again, like the Liquid that Otacon remembered from ten years ago. And it didn't take more than a second to put two and two together. If it looks like a megalomaniac, sounds like a megalomaniac, and acts like a megalomaniac...]

...no way. Y-you're not seriously-

[Otacon had completely and without hesitation believed Liquid could have kicked the laws of reality in the teeth and changed fate. Maybe the ending wouldn't have been happy, but at least no one would have to die. It was tough to admit even now, but he'd liked that idea...that concept of a Shadow Moses that wasn't a complete catastrophe. But this was a harsh slap in the face and a reminder that nothing in the world could ever go that well.]

You at least...remember me, don't you?

[Otacon's voice faltered halfway through that sentence. Honestly, he knew he didn't need to ask. Even if Liquid did remember, this conversation was already doomed to go badly.]

[video]

[liquidation]

[The eyes that looked back at Hal from that video screen were cold and hard; a far cry from how they'd looked on a twelve-years-younger Liquid. He was every inch a commander, every inch an implacable man.]

Of course I remember you, Emmerich. How could I forget the man who made my war machine?

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

D-don't...don't start talking like that.

['Emmerich'. That alone would've confirmed Otacon's worst suspicions even if he hadn't noticed the obvious change.]

You can't tell me you just forgot everything.

[video]

[liquidation]

I'll speak as I please, Doctor. You've no right to try commanding me.

[There were some things that couldn't be changed; not that Liquid had been able to try when he'd been sent back. He couldn't change what he couldn't remember.]

Forgotten what, exactly? I've been far too busy to listen to your babbling in the past few weeks, if you hadn't noticed. I had something of a war going on.

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

...

[Oh, hell no.]

[Liquid lost all intimidation rights over Otacon a long time ago, not to mention ten years was apparently long enough to grow a spine.]

Don't even start this whole thing. I'm not going to listen to the overblown ranting and the half-crazy demands all over again.

[video]

[liquidation]

[Liquid seemed taken aback for a moment; since when did Emmerich ever do anything but stutter and try not to get underfoot?]

[And why was the idea that he had a spine not quite as surprising as it should have been?]

Last I checked, you were not my keeper.

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

[Oh, that was a tension headache starting. Of course, of course Liquid wouldn't remember. Because, Otacon thought with no small amount of bitterness, that would be easy. And god knew nothing could ever be easy or kind at all for either of them.]

You're basically telling me you have only the vaguest idea where you are and what the current circumstances are. Right?

As long as I know more about that than you, I think you should probably stop scowling and start listening to me.

[video]

[liquidation]

...

[As loath as he was to admit it, the engineer had a point. Liquid's memory wasn't clear enough to be of much use right now, and he had information.]

Fine. I'll play along for now and pretend that I don't half believe this is a hallucination. Talk, Emmerich.

[video]

[vulpesvivus]

..It's just Hal, first of all.

[Audio]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[......]






[Like she could ever forget those grandiose rants.]

[There's a dull fuzz of static as she calls. No video... for the moment.]</sub>

... Liquid?

[Audio]

[liquidation]

[The voice stirs something half-remembered in Liquid's mind. He knows it, but he can't put a name or a face to it, and the familiarity without recognition is deeply frustrating in a way he can't describe.]

Yes. Do you have information for me?

[Audio]

[foolishwren]

_{[There's a pause on the other end, then a rustle as the speaker shifts.]}

You don't remember me?

_{[The voice is a little hoarse, a little smoky-sounding, but she figures it can't sound TOO different...]}

[Audio]

[liquidation]

I've met a lot of interesting people and killed most of them. You can't expect me to remember everyone.

[An annoyed sigh] At least give me something to go on. Have I threatened you before?

[Audio]

[foolishwren]

... Heather Mason.

We got drunk once in a city called Violet.

We used to spar.

Traveled together from Azalea to Goldenrod and lived down the hall from each other for months.



... Do you not remember this place?

[Audio]

[liquidation]

[A bell went off in his head at the name.]

Vaguely. While I do appreciate the thread of continuity, this hallucination is twelve years old and I hardly considered it important enough to try remembering all the details.

[Audio]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[A long silence.]

[... And then, in a dull tone (because it FIGURES. It just FIGURES...):]</sub>

Nice.

Something tells me you're gonna have a hard time adjusting to this place.

Re: [Audio]

[liquidation]

[So you remember that dickbag you told Liquid he didn't have to end up like? So much for that.]

I've adapted to far worse places.

[Video]

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Solid Ssssnake?

[He heard ranting and snakes, so this got his attention.]

I don’t believe I’ve heard of anyone with that name. What does thissss person look like?

[Video]

[liquidation]

[Ranting and snakes and ranting about Snakes were kind of Liquid's thing. Along with backflips, punching things, and giant nuclear deathtanks. But hey, everyone needs a hobby.]

My brother is the mirror of me, but with darker hair. A mullet, God help us all.

[Video]

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

[With all that, Liquid would probably fit in pretty well in Cobra's world.]

I haven't ssseen anyone matching that description. Not recently, anyway.

[Video]

[liquidation]

[And Cobra would probably fit right in on FOXHOUND.]

It may be that he isn't here, or that he's skulking about in some hole. He has a certain gift for staying hidden, and he is difficult to find when he wants to be. I'll find out for certain soon enough.

[Video]

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Not that it's any of my business, but what are you planning to do if you find thisss brother of yours?

[Video]

[liquidation]

I would challenge him to face me like the warriors we are and carve out retribution for all of my grievances from his flesh.

That is to say, I would kill him, of course.

[Video]

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Well, in that case, if he's here, I hope you're able to find him. I'd appreciate someone taking the time to reduce the amount of idiots running around thissss place!

[Cobra's not even going to mention the lack of permanent death or anything like that. He's far too entertained to ruin this conversation with something like that.]

[Video]

[liquidation]

My brother is many things, but fool is not one of them. He would not have lived to become the perfect soldier if he was.

[Best not to mention that. For one thing, he might try to test it.]