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It was a routine mission they had done, quick and simple. Their objective was to take out a rebel group’s outpost and return with their weapons. By the time Snake had insisted he take this one with four of the rookies to show them the ropes, it was midday. Kazuhira and his own Intel team, of course, provided back up by radio.
The clouds above were starting to cover what was left of the setting sun, turning the sky an orangey-red in its wake. The air thickened with humidity and Kaz glanced out of the tent window thinking it might rain tonight. This mission was starting to look like it wasn’t going to take as long as they had originally planned, thankfully.
By the time they arrived, there weren’t many men left in the outpost area. Snake and his team quickly took out all of the men. Snake rallied up his men and told them to grab the weapons cache and head back to camp before the rain began. Snake trailed behind them, lazily. He was no hurry to make it back.
Kazuhira had thanked the men for their hard work and dedication and transferred their radio over to another on the Intel team in the next tent. “Great work, boys, come on home!” They cheered; clearly pleased their Commander was praising them and promised to return quickly.
Kaz smiled faintly and kept his headset on and tuned his personal radio to another frequency, greeted by a deep voice that clearly wasn’t as pleased as he was.
“Stop getting their hopes up like that, they’re going to get cocky,” Snake sighed.
“How are you going to build morale with an attitude like that, Boss?” Kaz chuckled lightly. His ‘Commander Miller’ persona was dropped and waited for Big Boss to respond.
“I don’t know, Kaz, you tell me. I’m sure I could think of a few ways…” Snake counters and grunts like he’s getting up from a crouched position.
Kazuhira rolls his eyes and pouts his lips in response, not that Snake can see him, but it’s like Snake knows exactly what he’s doing because he is met with a short chuckle and being told he’s acting childish.
“I hope it starts to rain on you, Snake.” He scowls and glances outside again because he thinks he can actually hear the small trickle of rain. Speak of the devil.
“Now that’s just rude, Kaz.”
They had spent their last few missions like this. Doing thoughtless, easy work for quick cash to build their little army with. While Snake was on his return he would pass the time by mindlessly talking with Kaz. About anything. They spoke about the little things at first. It began with political views and opinions all the way to how they grew up.
Kaz had confided in Snake about his mother, how he grew up in Japan and his endless search for his father. He spoke of his time in college in the United States and his return home to Japan, and finally how he ended up in jungles of Colombia and Costa Rica.
Snake, in turn, had told him (sparingly and with a little prodding) of The Boss and what an influence she had been on him. He was beginning to imagine how his Boss had grown up and what an incredible soldier he really was, living up to and even surpassing in some ways the legends and stories he’s heard.
Kaz’s heart fluttered unnervingly just thinking about the things he’s told Snake.
“Kaz?” Shit, he wasn’t paying attention.
“Yeah, Boss?”
“You haven’t been listening to a word I’ve been saying have you?” Damn. Great one, Kaz.
“I should be back soon, you can go ahead and get a bite to eat, I’m sure you haven’t even touched anything food wise since I’ve been gone…”
Snake’s tone of voice became a little sterner. Kaz winced visibly, even though Snake couldn’t see him. He was right. He was horrible at taking care of himself when he thought there was work to do. His men had to eat and he’d be damned if his own men didn’t eat before him. That’s how rank works after all.
“Will do, Boss. I’ll clean up here. If you need anything in the mean time, Alligator’s got it. Out.” Short, sweet, and to the point.
“Kill. I’ll be there in 30.” He clicked his radio on mute as Kaz snorted and mumbled what a belligerent fucker he was as he tossed his radio aside and cleaned up his desk quietly.
Once done, he dismissed most of his other men, telling them to get a good night’s sleep and that they’d take the next day off to celebrate the success of the day’s mission. They gave a hasty cheer and brought themselves to the position of attention as their Executive Officer left to greet the Soldiers returning home.
Kaz sighed. He loved working in this setting. He wouldn’t have it any other way, honestly. He opened the door to the little tent and braved the slow lazy drizzle that fell. The sun had finally retreated and the only light that was left were the little lamps in front of each tent as a marker. He walked toward the edge of their camp, waiting for his men to return, trying to take shelter under a rather large tree.
All of this was thanks to their hard work and dedication. MSF had gotten bigger than I think both him and Snake had imagined at first. Just a few hundred men strong and growing each day. Like a family. His new family.
He was brought out of his thoughts as he heard the four young men approach the camp, clearly proud. They were excited to be greeted personally by their XO and gave a hasty salute. Even though they were tired, they were beaming with pride.
“Good evening, sir!” they snap to the position of attention.
“At ease, at ease…welcome home.” Kaz starts and folds his arms across his chest. “Go ahead and inventory the weapons and add them to the armory and you’re all released. Shower, change, and get some rest!”
“Aye, sir!” They chime in unison and begin to make their way to the armory before Commander Miller changed his mind.
“Hey, don’t you forget to give me that detailed report tomorrow, either!” He calls after them uselessly. He squints behind his glasses, trying to make out if the men had heard him. He can’t tell. Oh well, he’ll find out tomorrow.
He’s lost in thought as he watches the men walk away with the little bounce of happiness and accomplishment in their step. He finally closes his eyes and breathes for the first time in what feels like days. His shoulders sag as he visibly relaxes.
He hears a twig snap somewhere behind him and he isn’t as suspicious as he probably should be. In an instant he feels his world dip as an arm is thrown around his neck in an expert rear choke.
Shit.
Kaz pries his fingers in between the crook of the attacker’s elbow and tries to jab his chin in the man’s arm to prevent too much damage. Practiced but sloppily, he throws his right leg out behind him to side step and throw the assailant to the ground.
Of course, Kazuhira knows exactly who he’s up against and is easily countered and thrown to the muddy and soggy ground instead.
Shit.
He coughs and groans as the wind is knocked out of him and the attacker laughs lowly.
“You’re getting too slow, Kaz.” Snake smiles faintly and extends his hand for Kaz to grab. “You need some more practice, huh? That desk job is making you soft.”
Kaz glares and ignores his hand and makes a move to sit on his knees to regain some of his bearing.
“You really have nothing better to do, Snake? You know I hate when you do this…I just washed this uniform, too…” He trails uselessly. It doesn’t matter, he was soaking wet anyway.
“We should get back to the tents before you catch a cold, Kaz, stop stalling!” He ignored Kaz’s pointed look and turned toward to the tents and started walking as he threw his hands in the pockets of his uniform.
“You’re such a jerk…” Kaz mumbled and pushed himself up to walk in stride with Snake.
Kazuhira can already tell he’s going to have a bruise on his hip from where he landed. He sighed heavily through his nose and watched Snake carefully out of the corner of his eyes. Something was off; he just couldn’t quite place what it was.
Snake wasn’t exactly an easy man to get along with. Snake was more animal than human. A little rough around the edges, though deep down he thinks that he means well. Perhaps that’s just what Kaz likes to tell himself.
He can tell when Snake likes people, he learned the more he sparred with them, the more he liked them. Or…something like that. Snake didn’t like to use words. He preferred actions. Actions speak louder than words, Kazuhira. Strangely, Kaz thought, Snake was very articulate and well versed in many subjects. You just had to probe it out of him.
“You’re unusually quiet, Kaz.”
Damn, here he is thinking of Big Boss when they were less than a foot apart. Great one, Miller. How are you going to explain this one?
“Yeah, just thinking about all the money we’re going to put toward the new chow hall, you know…” He lied, lamely.
“You’re not even trying to come up with a good lie.” Snake’s voice reigns with disappointment. If there was one thing Snake hated, it was being lied to. Of course he’d sniff it out. Fucking animal.
“In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
“Orwell, Boss? Really? I never took you for a literate.” He huffed, jokingly.
Snake’s eyes flash and he suddenly stops short and in one fluid motion grabs Kaz’s throat and squeezes with just enough pressure to ensure that his victim was afraid for his life. How practiced.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Kaz’s hands shot up, clawing wildly at his own neck, trying uselessly to pry Snake’s fingers from his neck. Kaz’s eyes searched Snake’s one eye for any ounce of humanity. His face was completely blank.
“S-Sna...ke,”
“What did I tell you about lying to me, Kazuhira?” His voice was devoid of any emotion, now. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?”
Kaz’s only response was a knowing blink and a pitiful wheeze. He knew exactly what Snake was talking about.
It had been an easy task, originally. He knew Snake would protest and not take the job, so Kaz had omitted a few truths about where he was getting the money and the real intent of the mission and at the end of the day, they were to make triple what they usually would. Of course, snake found out about his “dirty money” and wasn’t very forgiving as he proceeded to put his insubordinate Executive Officer in his place.
This felt different somehow. Something was wrong.