//what purpose am i to fulfill

[liquidouroboros.livejournal.com]

[There was no reason for him to be so attracted to that one certain door--it just seemed irresistible. As if he would never be able to get by without knowing what was past it. Despite realizing the ones that seemed the best would inevitably just be luring in victims, the uniformed soldier stepped closer. His hand rested on the doorknob for a moment, all logic screaming that he should turn away and forget it...but impulse won out in the end as it so often did when Liquid was involved.]

[And once he walked in, Liquid found himself playing out an unfamiliar scenario.]

Damn.

[Liquid scowled, slamming another clip of ammunition into his Beretta before pulling a USP from its holster with his other hand. How many soldiers could one offshore facility possibly hold?! The hallway was flooded with Gurlukovich soldiers at both ends, being held off by nothing more than Liquid's skill with a handgun. Or two, in this case.]

We're in trouble. [At his side, Otacon muttered those words in a nervous tone--laptop held to his chest like it was his lifeline.]

Not until I say we are. Stop talking and stay close.

[This was not good. Even if Liquid didn't have to worry about keeping Otacon out of the direct line of fire, this would be difficult. Of course he could handle these soldiers...but he was running out of ammunition, and fast.]

[Before he could think of any alternative to standing and fighting, there was the click of a pin being pulled and the clattering sound of a grenade dropping at their feet.]

[He didn't even have time to take note of Otacon's startled gasp. Liquid's foot struck the grenade with full force--it was halfway back in the direction it came from when it went off, sending smoke and debris in every direction.]

[That was when he started firing at everything in a balaclava, silently hoping they'd run out of reinforcements before he ran out of bullets. Otacon was close, thankfully--close enough that Liquid felt the engineer trembling. Any other fight, the soldier might have been throwing confident taunts to his enemy and grinning coldly at the sudden bloodlust that overtook him in combat...not today. Today he was outnumbered and definitely outgunned.]

[The Beretta ran out of ammunition first, and once Liquid holstered it he came up with a grenade of his own in one swift motion--pulling the pin with his teeth, he threw it in one direction and emptied the USP in the other.]

[Liquid turned, last of his bullets directed at the few standing soldiers he could see. There was another explosion and cloud of smoke behind him, shaking the entire hallway--then silence. The realization that they'd survived rushed through Liquid much like the adrenaline of a combat high, and a quiet, relieved laugh escaped him.]

I told you, Otacon. I'm the perfect soldi--

[In his arrogance, he'd made an amateur mistake--he'd turned his back before confirming the grenade had killed everyone. Liquid's confident assurance was interrupted by the sound of two shots followed by a choked gasp of pain.]

[His M4 was out in a second--it was the only gun he had with any ammunition left--and fired in the direction the shots had come from The three remaining soldiers--already injured by Liquid's grenade--fell all too easily. But surely he'd heard wrong, surely neither of them were injured, oh god was that Otacon slumped against a wall and bleeding]

Otacon--?! [Liquid dropped the rifle, immediately dropping to his knees next to the engineer and rummaging through his inventory for something, anything that would stop the bleeding. There were clear bullet wounds in his chest and shoulder, but he wasn't...he couldn't have...]

[...why wasn't he answering?]

...Hal? [Liquid cautiously put an arm around Otacon's shoulders and pulled him closer, other hand checking for a pulse--nothing. There was blood soaking his labcoat and Liquid's uniform...and he didn't have a pulse.]

[Welcome to your nightmares/worst fears. No, really. No matter what it might be, this room is where you'll live through it. Other people can see what you're experiencing as well, so have fun with that.]

Comments

[liquidouroboros.livejournal.com]

[He was dead. He was dead and it was Liquid's fault. Liquid was a soldier, for god's sake, he was supposed to be strong enough to protect people.]

[Of course you couldn't, because you, Liquid Snake, are a failurefailurefailure that can't protect anyone.]

[The scenario the room had created was gone, but Liquid--and probably Liquid alone--could still see the blood on his hands and uniform. The mark of his failure, the proof that he was worthless and would never have anyone else like Otacon--as if he'd deserved such a thing in the first place.]

[Though he couldn't quite process why, Liquid Snake was...laughing. The quiet, broken laugh of someone who laughed only to stop from screaming.]

[reichenbackup.livejournal.com]

[Otacon saw it all]

[He rushes to Liquid and grabs him]

James! Liquid, it's okay! I'm right here!

[liquidouroboros.livejournal.com]

[For a minute or two that quiet laugh was the only sound Liquid made...his shoulders shook uncontrollably as the laughter turned into something that sounded like a choked sob. Then...there was just silence for a long moment.]

...I'm not...I'm not good enough. I can't protect you. I can't do anything right.

[reichenbackup.livejournal.com]

You're wrong. That's absolutely not true.

[Hal gives him a tight hug.]

[ragnarok-snake.livejournal.com]

[No matter how long ago it was, there was one event (http://community.livejournal.com/fissionmailed/1079611.html) that stayed with this Liquid. He still had the occasional nightmare reminding him of that day, so badly had it shaken him.]

[Liquid was trapped--bad enough on its own, but he was trapped by Snake of all people. Restrained to Ocelot's damned table in the Shadow Moses room...at his brother's nonexistent mercy.]

You can't just--!

[The electricity coursed through his body again and interrupted his near-desperate protest, the knife in his shoulder heating up and multiplying the pain by god only knew how much--all Liquid knew was that he wanted it to stop, wished he wasn't screaming in agony like a coward.]

'I can keep you here forever if I want. Since nobody ages, you'll just stay there. For the rest of eternity. Never dying. Just for my entertainment.'

[It simultaneously terrified and enraged Liquid--how dare he make me actually fear him--but there was nothing he could do. Of course one or two people would know he was gone, but they'd just as likely chalk it up to him having gone back to Shadow Moses.]

'Maybe I'll even call Talib and ask him to drop in. He can teach me how to do this better.'

[If there was ever a moment when it could be said Liquid Snake wanted to die, it was then. He was helpless and alone all over again--his brother wouldn't stop, and the two of them together...Liquid was terrified, knew he was going to break, and he hated himself for all of it.]

[When the illusion dispersed, Liquid fell to his knees in a cold sweat, gasping for breath--the agonizing pain he'd felt was receding like it always did when he woke from that particular dream.]

[...god, I'm pathetic. What kind of soldier felt that much fear and panicked so badly under torture? Only an inferior failure, of course.]

[somnium-paterna.livejournal.com]

[And guess who's watching you from the shadows behind you, Liquid? See, that's the thing with being Solid Snake. You could creep. Sneak up behind anyone, silent, swift. It could be over in a moment - if he wanted it to be.]

Good to know I had that much of an effect on you.

[ragnarok-snake.livejournal.com]

--!

[Liquid straightened up in one quick motion, drawing his Beretta as he stood--he wasn't like the more normal Snakes, who would stand there with their gun drawn and watch an enemy monologue like a damned James Bond villain. If Liquid saw someone he didn't like, you're damn right he'd be unloading on them.]

[Which he immediately did upon hearing his brother's voice, firing at him three times.]

[somnium-paterna.livejournal.com]

[How typical. Ordinary. Liquid was so very rash. Snake kept his arms in position, protecting his vitals. The piercing agony seared through the ice cold of his mind. It stirred something familiar in him.]

Nice aim.

[He reached for the SOCOM with a trembling hand- two bullets had embedded in his arm, weakening his aim.]

Now lower your weapon and we both walk out of this alive.

lol TLDR post...OTL

[solidmusher.livejournal.com]

[Snake is no stranger to nightmares. Yay. Except not really. There's a veritable sea of dead bodies behind his eyelids, each grasping for him as they ask him why he killed them. And in the middle of them all stands Big Boss. Laughing at him. "With what weapon?" echoes in his head becoming the soundtrack to the bizarre world with bloody walls populated by moving corpses and the man who claimed to be his father. He had no weapon as before.] Shit...

[He drops to his knees searching for his salvation in his victims-they had faces he recognized. Gustava, the 4 Horsemen. Jungle EVIL.] Fox.

[Blood stained his hands now but he couldn't stop looking because he was walking forward. A lighter and a can of aerosol found his hand and he used it. The other man's flesh sizzled on his bones but he didn't scream instead staring with his eye despite the heat and laughing, still laughing even when all of his skin had burned off to reveal shiny metal underneath. "I have no weak points that you can penetrate, Snake."]

[[Ooc: Snake is dreaming of Big Boss coming back as a cyborg, yes. XD Considering Snake's Revenge isn't canon.]]

[hal1]

[OOC : I think that Snake's Revenge is Canon AU.]

...Hey, mister. Wake up?

[A kid is trying to wake Solid up from a prudent distance away.]

[solidmusher.livejournal.com]

[Ooc: IDK, I think that it falls into the same territory as MG AC!D and Snake Tales in that they're other universes but not canon. ]

[Snake wants to wake up. Except that he's too busy trying not to be killed by Big Boss. Who is currently trying to choke him to death.]

[hal1]

[OOC : Canon AU means that it's not part of the main canon timeline but is still canon, I think. Multiple canon timelines FTW.]

[There is a remote-controlled toy robot trying to poke you.]

[Poke poke]

[hal1]

You're not good enough. Why did I ever end up with a son like you?

His Father turns away, wheeling his wheelchair away.

Hal stares at him, disbelief, horror, fear and rage warring.

The rage wins. The tears don't come to later, when he's running down the endless hallways.

[worlds-serpent.livejournal.com]

[Liquid wasn't aware at first that anything about this room was unusual. It seemed normal enough, after all.]

[It was at that moment he felt a sharp pain in his chest, doubling over in a hacking coughing fit. His hand moved to the wall for support, but that didn't last long--he fell to his knees, gasping for air and coughing uncontrollably.]

[Otacon...Emma...wh-where are you? Damn it, somebody--]

[Liquid collapsed, breathing labored and strained as his vision went blurry. This couldn't be it, it couldn't end this way...!]

[There was no energy left in his body to move, no voice to call for someone...it was over. Liquid Snake, the greatest soldier of his time....died alone.]

[The sensation left as quickly as it came, a shaken Liquid forcing his arms to support him as he started to get up. That wouldn't come true, here or anywhere else. Liquid wouldn't allow himself to die, and certainly not without someone by his side.]

[Funny--years ago he expected to die alone and uncared for. Why did it frighten him so much now?]

[reallyold1]

[...This was hitting much too close to home.]

Liquid. Get out of this room, now.

[...But...Was that an older Emma? How strange.]

[reallyold1]

[A man, far older then his years, sitting on a bench, coughing.]

[A little girl tries to talk to him, and is called away by her mother.]

[Somebody tries to talk to him, sometimes. Somebody with glinting glasses, who hands out donuts and coffee.]

[What an idiot. You never really had a family, you fool.]

[It was all nothing but a dream.]

[Blackout]

I think this Silent HIll fan just came

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[If anyone had been paying attention, they would already know that being forced back into the role of a laboratory rat featured prominently in his worst fears. Anyone who knew Liquid psychology would have guessed at this.]

[Drugged into complacency was only the first step. Experiments, naturally. But the worst part came when other angry voices filled the air. That was when it became obvious he wasn't in a government laboratory, but rather someplace similar to the evil Paramedic's room, filled with those with similar dispositions.]

[But there was always room for one more, as they would pull in figures very familiar to him. Versions of himself, old to young. A hissing and spitting young man, Ocelot. Meek and frightened scientists. They all ended up the same: Injected with sedatives and experimented on. Some of the torturers had mad glints in their eyes and shifting trousers. He closed his eyes when those came off, trying not to be so useless and to stand up and kill them all.]

[And in the end, he would be powerless to stop them.]

[His breath choked in his throat at the most recent arrival, the whirl of the bone saw nearly covering the rookie's screams. They would take their arms, sewing them onto the healed stump. It never worked, and the removal seemed to be just as painful as the rest. Removing the very last remnant of those he cared about, to throw it away like it meant nothing.]

[Alone... experimented on... again. Forever.]

[still-a-rookie.livejournal.com]

[He watches only long enough to memorize where Liquid was.]

[Snake's bandanna is pulled down and tied tightly around his eyes, blinding him from whatever fears the room might conjure for him. His own screams echo in his mind as he steps into the room, counting his quickened steps to where his brother stands helpless.]

It's me. I'm here.

[That and a gentle touch is all the warning he gives the man before he grabs him and begins to backtrack towards the door.]

[identitycircuit.livejournal.com]

[Briefly, Liquid tried to fight back. Hands on his skin with those screams- no. He wasn't going to put up with-]

[It was his brother. It was Snake touching him. He could see a Snake-shaped blur and hear that voice. And movement- movement away from it all]

[But he's hurting. He will be left behind. I can't leave-]

[Was that his brother taking him away or the one he was leaving behind?]

[nomorenanos.livejournal.com]

[Vamp hasn't had many nightmares lately thanks to Jack's presence, which leads him to wonder if somehow he's actually been sent away somewhere when he finds himself lying on the ground in a dark, unfamiliar place.]

...? [He tries to sit up, but an intense pain hits him suddenly, forcing him back down. Gritting his teeth, he brings his hands up to find something has him pinned through to the floor. But when his eyes adjust to the light and he sees just what that thing is that's pinning him, his breath catches in his throat and he starts looking around the room frantically.]

Jack? Jack! [Ah- there he is. That panic is calmed somewhat at the familiar sight of his lover walking his way, with another person nearby. When he gets close enough, Vamp reaches out a hand to him.] Jack, I can't seem to get free...

[Raiden, however, pays him no attention. Rose is on his arm, and they both look down at him with contempt before continuing on their way. That's it; not a word or a single glance back.] Wait-!

[But the two don't listen as they shut a door behind them, leaving him in pitch blackness.]

[Vamp doesn't seem to realize that he's actually on the floor now, hands clasped over his face. He shudders a few times, unaware that he's actually still in the Nexus.]

[coolantmaster.livejournal.com]

[Jack happened to see this, and is now kneeling beside Adrian with his arms around his shoulders.]

Adrian? Adrian come on, snap out of it... I'm here, look at me...

[nomorenanos.livejournal.com]

[It takes him a little while to calm down fully, at which point he moves his hands away from his face and blinks up at Jack.]

...

[In an instant he has his arms wrapped around Jack in return, clinging to him with a death grip.]

I'm sorry. [He's not sure what he's apologizing for, all he knows is that he doesn't want Jack to leave him like he did in that vision.]

instant nightmare: just add jack's entire life

[productofwar.livejournal.com]

[As soon as Jack walked in, he felt... smaller. This entire place seemed familiar; the child soldiers in the room looked familiar. He looked them all over for a second, before continuing to his destination. Even the older soldiers respected him; that was just the way things were around here. He'd won himself the title of Devil, and the others both feared and respected him for it. As he walked by, he saw a few salutes from the corner of his eyes. They meant nothing to him. He heard a few mumbles, words that sounded like "happy birthday, Ripper". He was ten today, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. What was the point in celebrating the day you were born?

"Sir."

Upon entering the smaller room, Jack was greeted with the sight of ten men bound and gagged by the far wall. Solidus looked down at his favourite soldier with a grin on his face. "Happy birthday... Devil." He draws a long combat knife from a sheath on his belt. He hands it to the boy. He takes it, looking it over. It was sharp... sharper than his other knife. "Look what I got for you, boy."

Solidus watches as Jack nods slowly in approval. "Thank you, sir." He pulls his older blade out, dropping it to the floor. He's about to sheathe the new one in it's place, when Solidus holds out a hand to stop him. "We're not done. Do you see the scum lined along the walls, Jack?" He nods, his mind coming to the correct conclusion; Solidus wanted him to kill them. He holds the knife by his side, taking more notice of the men now that he was told to. "Blow out your candles, Ripper... or you won't get your wish."

Ten of them... one for each year of his life, he realized. None of them looked very strong. Knowing Solidus, they'd been starved for a while. Still, he felt no pity. He felt nothing anymore. He executed each man with a swift, precise slash to the throat. He didn't care about a stupid wish. What was the point? Wishes were nothing... nothing but the hopeful indulging themselves in the belief that someone out there might care enough to listen. Jack wasn't naive enough to think there was anyone out there watching over him.

With the last slice, it all seems to change. The man is a soldier rather than a civilian. His friends are behind him, armed and firing at Jack. ...No. Not Jack. Raiden. Jack had died... somewhere in Area 51, he'd become nothing more than a memory. The weapon in his cold, metal hand is a High Frequency Blade. It's more than enough to cut the soldier clean in half with one slash. He targets the other soldiers as they continue to bravely fire at the cyborg, despite the evident horror in their eyes. Their bullets are too slow. The ones that don't miss are simply deflected off his sword. He advances fast; his sword comes down and deals the same fate to each and every man in his sight. It's gruesome and bloody, but the cyborg doesn't care. His expression is a cruel, twisted one as he literally shreds the last man standing to ribbons. He takes in the carnage. He feels nothing. Deep down, he feels like he should. Sorrow, anger, remorse, anything. But there's nothing. The eye that isn't hidden behind a black bandanna narrows slightly, and his expression might have been a pained one for perhaps a split second before he sheathes his sword and leaves the mess behind.]

[Jack wakes on the floor with a jolt, feeling sick to his stomach. After a moment he realizes what just happened, but it doesn't change the realization in his mind. Nothing changed. He thought he was going solo, fighting because he wanted to. But the fact was... all this time, he wasn't choosing what he wanted to do. He was choosing what he'd grown used to doing. He thought he was fighting for something good, but those people had met a fate that he couldn't just explain away. It was cruel. It was unnecessary. He was still the monster Solidus shaped him to be.]

[cantdietwice.livejournal.com]

...

[The whole thing hadn't lasted very long, but he'd seen the majority of it all. And although he didn't really see the problem with Jack cutting people up, the first part had taken him aback. Most of all, he sees how it seems to affect Jack now that he's awake. Kneeling down next to him, Vamp clasps a hand over his shoulder to offer him some silent support.]

[productofwar.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't realize Vamp saw anything, but the support is very much needed right now... even if he isn't sure he deserves it. He wraps his arms around Vamp in a tight hug.]