fissionmailed | EPIC SIDESTORY: LOVER'S DUEL CONTINUED

[While he waits for Viper to snap out of it, he quickly goes through his pockets, removing a gun and a knife and placing them far out of reach. He quickly disarms himself, not wanting to be accidentally shot either, and takes off his hornet bag. He doesn't want the queens inside injured during the fight.]

[Bronze knuckles with sharpened points are on. If he needs a knife, he can get one out.]

[Viper will have his fight.]

[He's unaware of his surroundings at first, sucking in air and grasping at his lost bearings. His next instinct is to get on his feet and grab his gun, but it's no where to be found. He's concerned, but moves to his knife and finds that he's been completely disarmed. He's a little more than concerned.

Then he notices Pain.]

...It's about time.

[Ocelot looks up as he's nearly out the door with Alek. It seems they're getting out of here in the nick of time-- he doesn't want the spare headache.

He meets Pain's gaze and grants him a casual salute, letting him see that the target's safe in his possession.

Time to leave his uncle to finish what he has to do.]

Sorry. I have no patience for games, you see.

[He moves into a combat stance, nodding to Ocelot; he knows that Alek is in good hands.]

If you had just asked me for a revenge duel, I would have come on my own. And you'll have to excuse my comrades; I rather doubted your trustworthyness after the kidnapping and the collaberation with the torturous murderer and decided to take things into my own hands.

[His fists clench. He finds himself looking forward to blood on his hands. He gestures to Viper.]

Now, let's fight. I need to be home in time for dinner, after all.

You slaughtered my teammate and his partners. How was I to know you would be honorable? And I ally with whoever can help me, regardless of past sins.

...I'm afraid your lover will have to start without you.

[He throws the first punch!]

He slaughtered my teammate and desecrated her body; what was I supposed to do, let him kill again? I don't understand how Slasher Hawk can work with either of you.

Yes, it does take a long time to wash out blood.

[Pain spins around the arm and elbows Viper in the face.]

Regardless of reasoning, he is still one of mine. Hawk is with us because took him in. He is one of us.

I'll be sure to remember that after our fight.

[He tries to dodge, craning his neck and getting caught in the cheek. He's pushed back, steadies himself, and aims a punch at Pain's ribs.]

I'll keep that in mind. I'd rather not fight him; he seems a pleasant man.

[...]

[Why hasn't he used his hornets yet?]

It's hard to get blood out of your own corpse, yes.

[He backflips away. He'd let Viper get his fight out, but Pain has work to do. He has a family to protect now. And fighting with Alek has gotten him used to not using his insects.]

Viper...give it up. You have better things to do than fight me right now. Go take care of your birds.

[One last chance. He waves for his hornets to ready them.]

...He is. They didn't deserve him.

[He sees what's coming, but has no backup plan without the rest of his bombs. He grits his teeth and stands anyway, wondering how fast those hornets could fly.]

I am.

[And runs for the torture room and his remaining supplies.]

I plan to leave all of you in peace after this; hopefully the three of you can get along in this place without running into more trouble.

I don't want to have to kill any of you again. Please make sure that I don't have to when you reincarnate.

[He signals the hornets to attack.]

[Did you know that hornets are fast? They are. The giant Asian hornet is known for it's speed, although not nearly as well as it is for being enormous and having flesh-melting stings.]

[Viper may notice as the hornets start stinging that he is in incredible pain. These hornets have one of the most painful--and deadly--stings of any kind of wasp, bee or hornet.]

[There are thousands of them. They swarm over Viper, crawling and stinging every inch of skin they can find at their master's command.]

[They won't stop. Killing them only encourages them. What will Viper do now?]

[He'll scream, find his mouth full of hornets and his world full of pain, and collapse to the ground before he reaches the door. His last half thought is the crushing knowledge that he has failed all over again.]

...Well fought, warrior.

[He stalks over to Viper's body and closes the bulging, teary eyes. Ignoring the horrified looks he knows he's getting from Ocelot and Alek, he looks up and finds Viper's ghost lurking over his body.]

I hope that in your next life, we do not have to be enemies.

[The ghost refuses to look and fades swiftly into the ceiling.]

[Listening for an end to the commotion, Ocelot returns from leaving Alek with the Sorrow at their rear position to find...]

...huh, a fitting turn-out.

[He looks to Pain.]

Well?

[He turns to look at Ocelot; when he speaks, his voice is still and quiet.]

He's dead. I don't think we'll have to worry too much about him after this, but it remains to be seen.

[He looks down at Viper.]

I can understand where he was coming from; I was quite upset when I found out Sorrow died. Wish he'd just asked; I would have come to fight him.

We should do something about the body.

[He stares down for a moment, then looks back up.]

How's Alek?

[Well he can see the dead part. He more meant where Pain was at, psychologically... But he can infer that part from the rest of what his uncle says.]

There was a problem with the extraction, so he seems to be paralyzed. My apologies. It should wear off, however, and otherwise he seems to be... stable. Certainly at no great risk at present.

[Ocelot left him his coat before coming in. He'll spare Pain the lecture about wanting it back washed.]

If we're done here, it would be best to retreat now. My father being less than corporate at the moment, I'll require your help to move Alek back to the theater.

Not hurt otherwise?

[His eyes light up.]

Good.

[He grabs his bag and pulls out a lighter and gasoline; hornets swarm inside it to check on the queens and larvae inside.]

I'm going to burn the body in the room. It should only take a moment.

[He picks up Viper's body carefully, then takes it inside the torture room. He pours the gasoline, then sets the lighter to it; Viper's body goes up in flame.]

[He steps outside.]

We can go now.

[Although properly appreciative of the jacket Ocelot had left him, Alek is not, in general, feeling all that good. He's just been left lying paralyzed on the floor; bound, gagged and blindfolded.]

[All in all, he is really not pleased with things.]

[Quit whining. Ocelot was going to get to it. Eventually. Or maybe not. He was brought in for target extraction, not hospitality.]

[To Pain, as he steps over Alek] Care to take his arms? You said we had a medic waiting at the theater, correct?

She should be there, yes. I'm untying him now.

[He kneels and cradles Alek in one arm.]

I'm taking the tape off. This may hurt.

[That actually does hurt quite a bit, and he illustrates that with a few quiet Russian curses after Pain pulls off the tape.]

Blindfold or hands next?

[He's already starting to unwrap the tape around Alek's hands, where it doesn't stick to skin.]

[Ocelot eyes this warily. He hasn't forgotten what Pain mentioned in the infirmary, about this man being involved during the Tanker Incident...]

We can save that for later, can't we?

[This modest effort to save them all a headache is surely made in vain.]

[Other than the occasionally muttered curse, he doesn't react to either Pain or the mystery person. It seems like all he can do now is talk and blink his eyes.]

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