#ocelot if you can nab that photo raikov will in fact be on his knees saying he will do anything

[sadistpet]

how did you fare without him ?

oh, how. how how how. exiled to the middle of nowhere and every waking moment full of nothing but torment and brutality, every night spent in agony and shame and disgust and despair. his body and soul ripped asunder and toyed with like he was nothing. even the night didn't spare him ; every dream was of yevgeny, and everything was warm, and sweet, and they were together again, and then it would all fall away in his hands in streams of blood and the stench of ozone and seared flesh and smoke and the freezing burn of rain and he would wake up in terrified anguish and grief and his waking nightmare would begin anew. the careless smile so easily spread across ocelot's face makes raikov want to vomit. you know exactly how i fared, he wants to snarl, you know exactly what they did to me. his tears burn with indignant rage more than despair. there is no point in wasting his already shallow breath on adamska.

ivan almost wants to laugh. was this his idea of mercy ? bargaining ? it made sense, because it was exactly how ivan himself worked. and ocelot and raikov were nothing if not too frighteningly similar beasts unable to be housed together, too alike in motion and mind for each other's comfort. he lowers his arm, no longer pointing his well-used makarov at ocelot's face, yet refraining from slipping it back into its holster. it's too dangerous to remain unarmed around snake's right hand man.

oh, how the tables seem to have turned -- who was the precious pet now ?

" after you helped murder the love of my life, i don't think you can be generous enough. " an amused exhale, devoid of true humour. tired eyes glance down to the yellowed photograph held in his other hand, a thumb stroking over the surface of the film. as much of a traitorous bitch tatyana - no, eva - was, as much as raikov wanted her dead as much as ocelot, there was part of him that would forever be thankful for her almost uncharacteristic mercy towards him. she had given him the photograph, the one he has carried for almost twenty years hence, the one he caresses so fondly. the colonel and the major, forever immortalised in print. " would putting any effort into, god, however long i have left, even matter ? maybe i don't want a new purpose. maybe all i want is you and your american pig dead. what the hell could you offer me that would be better than seeing the light leave your eyes ? how do i know you're not lying, adamska, with how many backs you've stabbed ? for all i know, you'll string me up, or worse, as soon as i go with you. "

He only met Raikov's threat with a smile. 20 years ago he had dreamed of seeing the other man so defeated, seeing him finally suffering the consequences of relying so heavily on Volgin to survive. He had known the day would come that they would meet again, he doubted RAIKOV had expected the same. " Oh but you certainly benefitted greatly from being at his side. I recall you happily avoiding any work and getting away with it just because of your relationship to him. Tell me, Ivan, how did you fare without him? I heard they exiled you? " Of course he knew perfectly well what his former colleague had gone through over the past few years. He knew EVERYTHING there was to know about him. It was always rather useful to keep an eye on anyone who may have ill intend towards him or Snake.

" You know, given your situation I feel like you don't get to make demands. " He put his hands on his hips, pushing his coat far enough back to reveal one of the revolvers slung around his waist. He did not have to threaten Raikov, he knew the man was far past the point of having anything to lose but after the last few years he felt like he had earned the slightest bit of FUN by tormenting his former comrade at least a little bit. " But I'm not entirely without mercy, no matter what you may think of me. I believe we might have something of interest to you. "

He would not tell him the full details of what that ' something ' entailed, not yet, not until he had Raikov exactly where he wanted him, bound to them in a way that made it impossible for him to get out without risking much worse fates than death. " Besides, aren't you interested in what kind of position I'm offering you? You could actually make use of all that training you got for once and put some effort into your existence. Maybe find a new PURPOSE. Is that not generous enough of me yet? " He knew Miller would have issues with Raikov's presence given the man's dislike for Snake but he was willing to accept the anger that would be directed at him for this decision. It would all pay off eventually. It always did.