It was over. It had to be, because he didn't think he could keep going. He had tied it all up, performed patricide just like he was supposed to. He'd grit his teeth and carried out that last order, and now--
There was a blank. Suddenly he wasn't on that building anymore, suddenly Olga's sword was gone, and suddenly he was waking up.
His eyes opened slowly, as if they were longing to remain closed. It made sense--he'd been awake for over twenty-four hours. The white was painful, but a nice change from the muted colors of Big Shell. The surreal feeling he'd felt while on the roof of that building persisted here, though, and he had to wonder if he was just making that up, too.
How had he gotten here? Where was Snake? Raiden sat up slowly, grabbing at the sheets with one hand as he brushed his hair back with the other. He was tired, but unfortunately, he couldn't go back to sleep until he knew what was going on.
He rubbed his eyes until they stopped trying to close, and then stood up, glancing around the room. He was alone, but he had figured on that. If someone had been nearby, he would have known. He was still in sneaking mode, after all, which made him all the more on edge. Had he been captured? By the Patriots?
The door opened then, and Raiden felt himself tensing, prepared to either dart toward a hiding place (under the bed? the closet?) or rush the door to pull whoever was coming in into a choke hold.
He decided to go on the offensive, but stopped short when it wasn't a soldier or guard who walked in, but a nurse.
The woman gasped. "Jake! Oh, I'm sorry, dear, you must be disoriented."
Raiden deadpanned at her. While she was right, he had gotten her name wrong. It was Jack, not Jake (who screwed that up?). Though more bothersome was the fact that she even knew his real name. The Patriots knew everything, of course, so he wasn't too surprised. He remembered what Olga had said about the Patriot-run hospitals and decided not to let his guard down.
"What's going on?" he asked, not wanting to reveal too much with his questions.
"Do you not remember coming here?" she asked patiently.
He shook his head, and started to feel a little nervous. Why had he lost consciousness, and how had he been brought here? He felt drained, and weak--had they replaced his blood to remove the nanomachines?
"Don't worry, that's normal for all new patients. That's why you're here, after all. We're going to help you so that everything is clear again." She sent him an encouraging smile.
Raiden shifted. She was being vague. He definitely would like something to make sense for once, but he didn't trust this woman at all. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone anymore, except for Snake. "Let's just cut to the chase here," he snapped. "I know you're working for the Patriots--"
"Now, now, Jake, we can't have you falling into one of those delusions again," she cut in, reaching her hand out to grab his arm.
He jerked away. "What?"
She sighed. "This place is called Landel's Institute, Jake. It's a mental hospital, and we're here to help you recover your true self."
Raiden felt his stomach twist. He was quiet for a good ten seconds before speaking again. "...What are you talking about," he said under his breath. "My name isn't Jake."
"Yes, it is," the nurse insisted firmly. "Jake Edwards is your name, even if you don't think that it is right now. But don't worry, dear. During your stay here, everything will start to make sense."
Was this real? Though the fact that he even had to consider that was proof enough of how screwed up everything was. He didn't know what to do next, and so when the nurse started to urge him out the door, all he could do was follow.
Big Shell, Rose, Snake, the VR missions, the past he had just thought he'd remembered-- had it all been in his head?
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There was a blank. Suddenly he wasn't on that building anymore, suddenly Olga's sword was gone, and suddenly he was waking up.
His eyes opened slowly, as if they were longing to remain closed. It made sense--he'd been awake for over twenty-four hours. The white was painful, but a nice change from the muted colors of Big Shell. The surreal feeling he'd felt while on the roof of that building persisted here, though, and he had to wonder if he was just making that up, too.
How had he gotten here? Where was Snake? Raiden sat up slowly, grabbing at the sheets with one hand as he brushed his hair back with the other. He was tired, but unfortunately, he couldn't go back to sleep until he knew what was going on.
He rubbed his eyes until they stopped trying to close, and then stood up, glancing around the room. He was alone, but he had figured on that. If someone had been nearby, he would have known. He was still in sneaking mode, after all, which made him all the more on edge. Had he been captured? By the Patriots?
The door opened then, and Raiden felt himself tensing, prepared to either dart toward a hiding place (under the bed? the closet?) or rush the door to pull whoever was coming in into a choke hold.
He decided to go on the offensive, but stopped short when it wasn't a soldier or guard who walked in, but a nurse.
The woman gasped. "Jake! Oh, I'm sorry, dear, you must be disoriented."
Raiden deadpanned at her. While she was right, he had gotten her name wrong. It was Jack, not Jake (who screwed that up?). Though more bothersome was the fact that she even knew his real name. The Patriots knew everything, of course, so he wasn't too surprised. He remembered what Olga had said about the Patriot-run hospitals and decided not to let his guard down.
"What's going on?" he asked, not wanting to reveal too much with his questions.
"Do you not remember coming here?" she asked patiently.
He shook his head, and started to feel a little nervous. Why had he lost consciousness, and how had he been brought here? He felt drained, and weak--had they replaced his blood to remove the nanomachines?
"Don't worry, that's normal for all new patients. That's why you're here, after all. We're going to help you so that everything is clear again." She sent him an encouraging smile.
Raiden shifted. She was being vague. He definitely would like something to make sense for once, but he didn't trust this woman at all. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone anymore, except for Snake. "Let's just cut to the chase here," he snapped. "I know you're working for the Patriots--"
"Now, now, Jake, we can't have you falling into one of those delusions again," she cut in, reaching her hand out to grab his arm.
He jerked away. "What?"
She sighed. "This place is called Landel's Institute, Jake. It's a mental hospital, and we're here to help you recover your true self."
Raiden felt his stomach twist. He was quiet for a good ten seconds before speaking again. "...What are you talking about," he said under his breath. "My name isn't Jake."
"Yes, it is," the nurse insisted firmly. "Jake Edwards is your name, even if you don't think that it is right now. But don't worry, dear. During your stay here, everything will start to make sense."
Was this real? Though the fact that he even had to consider that was proof enough of how screwed up everything was. He didn't know what to do next, and so when the nurse started to urge him out the door, all he could do was follow.
Big Shell, Rose, Snake, the VR missions, the past he had just thought he'd remembered-- had it all been in his head?