Reunion (SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKE)

[Solid Snake]

Snake sighed. He knew that Tori hadn't understood: frankly, no one had. Even in his message, he hadn't really addressed why he was leaving the gang.

And it was about time Tori got the full story.

"No you don't," Snake said flatly. "I know you were hurt; but I was too. I couldn't tell you why I was leaving, and it killed me inside. But it's been so long, it almost doesn't matter why any more. Still, you of all people deserve to know."

"The gang... You built it up from nothing, and I was there for a good part of it. It was so good, us fighting the dons and getting the streets back for the people, y'know? But the gang got too big... Things weren't all peachy any more Tori, and I couldn't stand for it. People were only in it for the money then. They... they didn't care about our ideals..." Snake shuddered.

"It got to the point where I couldn't stand it. I wanted to help the kingdom, not be indirectly helping these criminals line their pockets with money. And I... I thought it wasn't going to get any better. So I left and joined the police..." He concluded. Snake looked down up at Tori and said, "I didn't want to hurt you... But I fear I did, and I worry it runs deep..."

[Tori Ashwood]

Tori turned her head away, unwilling to meet his eyes. Yes, the pain ran deep. Very deep, in fact. She hadn't understood why he had willing to leave her, and even now it caused her breathing to hitch. The pain was still raw, still caused her to hurt, though the pain wasn't near as bad as it had once been.

She believed Fox had something to do with that. She had met him after that terrible time, just a few days after Snake had left the gang, actually. And though it had taken a while for them to actually become friends, once she had let him in, he was in for good. He had helped her heel, and become her best - and only - friend in the process.

And he had no idea he had done so.

Still, Tori remembered this conversation was not about afterwards, but about the moment, and licked her lips. She closed her eyes, shuddering. "The newest members are rough. They were rough. But... they were members. I needed my gang to grow, Snake. I needed more people so I could have more territory. Isn't all about money... but money plays a huge role nevertheless."

Her green eyes dulled for a moment, then she sighed. She looked up at him. "We're still not completely better, but we're getting there. I'm careful about who I choose, though I won't deny I will take the best no matter what their cost. It is just... It's just what I and the Thorns need."

[Solid Snake]

"I know we needed more people," Snake sighed. "That was the contradiction of the situation. We needed people, even if they weren't the right ones... I guess I just... I didn't want to be part of that cycle any more. It just hurt to know I was a part of the scamming and lying. It wasn't what we stood for... And I hated to see the Black Thorn used the way it was..."

Snake fell quiet as Tori finished her second comment. Her eyes... He could see the pain in them, and it made him feel that wave of guilt again. Leaving that message... It had been one of the hardest, if not the hardest, things he had ever done. Maybe this was him not fully being true to himself, but Snake cared far too much for Tori to have wanted to hurt her. And to see, all these years later, that that was what he had done... it made him upset.

"I can agree with you on that," Snake commented on her second point. "In recent years, the Black Thorn has done much more than the police force. It's probably because the force is that much weaker and filled with corrupted individuals, but... It's made me want to come back. I just want to help this city get back on it's feet... And stop all the pain..."

[Tori Ashwood]

Tori's lips pressed together in a tight, fine line. The thought of her gang, of the project that was basically her child, being used in such a way made her very blood boil. She had known that the people within her organization had been slightly... more violent than she had cared to admit, but they hadn't used her baby. Only she controlled what the Black Thorn did.

"I've never trusted the police. They've never been much help to me, not even before we started fading into darkness." Her nose wrinkled at the memories of days gone by. She had never advertised her circumstance, but she had always prayed that someone would notice. Unfortunately, no one ever did. Or if they did, they didn't bother to call the police.

The Police had never came to her rescue, which had been the foundation for her distrust of them. She had learned, throughout childhood, that the police were not the ones meant to protect you; only you could do that.

"This city has fallen past the point of no return. We may recover, but we will never thrive like we used to." That was something she had faced a long time ago. "But we can always try, I suppose."

[Solid Snake]

Snake sighed and nodded in agreement. "That's the problem; too often, I don't get to do what I should be doing due to political bullshit," he sighed. "And thus, the police come off as incompetent and unhelping... which they kind of are at this point... Still, I try my best to do what I can from this position, and hope that eventually things will get better"

"And maybe this city is past the point of return. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop fighting for it. I'm ready to risk everything to save if it means the people living here can finally get out from under this black cloud of depression," Snake vowed, closing his eyes for a moment. "They deserve better, and the dons need to be stopped so that they can finally be free, so that the streets can be free..."

Snake opened his eyes and looked back at Tori. "And you deserved better. I wasn't the SIC that Michael was before I came along. I was too focused on ideals, and he could see through that and see options that would put us ahead, even if it involved getting a little messy..."

[Tori Ashwood]

Tori listened quietly, her eyes spotting something very interesting about the street between her feet. She knew what Snake was saying was true; he wanted to fight for the world and the city. He wanted to bring it back to life. But Tori wasn't sure they would ever be able to even dig it out of its grave, much less actually give it life. This city was just... too far gone.

Still, she knew she would try. It was what she had been doing for the past several years, and it was what she would continue to do. Even if the members in her gang had given up a long time ago; even if it appeared as if Michael himself had given up... she knew she couldn't.

Even though giving up was a lot easier than fighting.

"You were a good Second, Snake," Tori murmured, letting her mind drift back to those days for just a moment, "You and Michael both helped keep the gang afloat. Especially considering we were going through a rough time then. I can't pick one of you either the other; you've both helped me so much. Both of you." She repeated.