[ raiden holds his gaze firmly before snake finally relents and shows him what exactly's gone wrong. when he rolls up his sleeve, raiden gives the gash a glance before gripping the side of his forearm and inspecting the wound in question more thoroughly. wordlessly, his eyes narrow.

a moment passes. ]

I have one too. [ with his free hand, his rolls up his pant leg. the same fluid is oozing from his thigh isn't a fraction as human as snake's, and yet there's next to no difference.

raiden shoots him a quirk of the brow. ]

My blood's artificial, and yet they look exactly the same. That means it has something to do with this place. Something to do with wherever we were last injured.

[ a beat. his eyelids fall shut, like he doesn't quite want to recall. ]

The forest.