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Brothers in Arms	By : ktatters Category: +M through R > Metal Gear Views: 3912 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Metal Gear, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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If I had a rocket launcher

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats -- H. L. Mencken

Day 5: Develi to Baghdad: Develi

Dawn rolled up cold and clear the next morning, and the men, including Arthur and Ocelot, looked ready to go. Big Boss wasn't. He watched them for a while from the shadows.

Dirgham and his brother were talking to each other quietly. He couldn't quite make out the strains of conversation between the pair, but it wasn't very important. If they had anything to do with the problems on this mission, they surely wouldn't say anything about it in front of Arthur.

Speaking of Arthur, he and Ocelot were in a quiet and obviously private discussion of their own. Big Boss sourly wanted nothing more than to shoot Ocelot. Unfortunately, it simply was no longer an option. Ocelot had protected Arthur, gone to help him last night, and he'd done it honestly. Even if Big Boss resented him for it.

Edik stood straight and still, by himself despite being flanked by the other two men Ocelot had brought with him. The other two were talking almost sleepily to each other about the alcohol they had had on Edik's tab, while the man in question was staring towards Arthur and Ocelot without any particular indication that it was anything other than a random direction to look at.

In fact, several of his standard drivers were bleary eyed this morning, either nursing hangovers or still under the influence. He couldn't trust them with the trucks. One environmental disaster in the north Ukraine was bad enough; a second in Turkey or Iran or Syria wouldn't be missed by any of the global authorities that were sure to be watching. And God help them all if it happened in Iraq.

So. Who looked capable of driving? Dirgham and Schluter, Ocelot and Arthur (and oh, but it pained him to let them go together, but someone had to take point and it couldn't be Ocelot), Edik, whose stiff bearing might also indicate a lingering of alcohol, Sasaki who would have been capable if he weren't being tied into the supply truck... who else... Perez only had a hangover, but then, he was almost seven feet tall... if he'd been the one to attack Arthur, there was no chance he could be in a truck today... and then there was Barajas, who was standing straight without difficulties.

Big Boss walked out, and those who had been talking stopped. "Gentlemen. I see everyone had a good time last night. I suppose you should thank Edik for his generosity." He frowned for a moment. He'd have to talk to the man about that too... excessive alcohol on a mission was dangerous, and he'd helped many of the men into drunken stupors. "Unfortunately, it's also determined who will be driving today. Dirgham, Schluter, you'll take the first truck. Ocelot and Arthur, you get the second cargo truck. And... Perez and Barajas, you'll take the supplies." If something happened, at least the cargo would be safe. He tilted his head toward Arthur questioningly. The other man often had something to add.

"It's been a long trip, but we're on the final leg," said Arthur. "So let's all get to the finish line, collect our money, and go home."

"Or not, as the case may be," muttered Ocelot.

Arthur nodded solemnly. Big Boss snorted.

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Day 5: Develi to Baghdad: Alleppo

"I know, I know. You think I'm overreacting. It's just that this mission is... really important," said Arthur. "Life and death. I can't afford to let Big Boss screw up any part of it."

Ocelot nodded from his position in the driver's seat. "Questioning his authority at every turn isn't helping your case, though."

"I know that. But every time I see him, I--" Arthur shook his head and looked at the side mirror. "He's not following any of my recommendations. I don't have to be right all the time, but this is ridiculous..."

"So he doesn't trust you. Find another way to introduce your ideas to him."

"What, in bed?" Arthur asked acidly as he turned his head. "I'm not just some... bed-mate. I've worked with him for ten years. I've commanded his teams, under his leadership, for almost as many. Even when I wasn't commanding military teams, I was the overall head of his research and development teams. I'm still involved in that--"

"If you're so good, why doesn't he trust you?" asked Ocelot.

Arthur leaned his head back and let out a long breath. "It only takes one bad mission..." He said, shaking his head as he laughed self-consciously. "If he lets you stay, remember that. One bad mission, and he thinks you're worthless."

"Oh, you're not worthless, Arthur." Ocelot flashed him a grin before turning his eyes back to the road. "You're intelligent, you're... strong, you're..."

Arthur waited a moment while Ocelot thought. "You can't think of anything else, can you." Ocelot shook his head apologetically. "That's okay. I'd bet you weren't even saying those first two except to cheer me up."

"I wasn't," said Ocelot, his voice sounding concerned.

Arthur shook his head. "You don't really know me. I'd be hard pressed to come up with anything, myself," he added softly.

They went silent for a while. Arthur looked out the window at the terrain that was slowly starting to even out, from the mountainous parts of northern Turkey to the flatter desert areas that were it's southern border with Syria.

"I'm sure you're very loyal," said Ocelot finally.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm not even that. They found my price, and they've ransomed me. I guess Big Boss must be the loyal one for trying to help me..."

"And what about his loyalty to you personally?" Ocelot demanded quickly. "Doesn't he owe you more than he could possibly repay?"

"He doesn't seem to think so. I don't know. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe everything I've given him has just been..." Arthur glanced at the rearview mirror, where he and Ocelot sat together. "Just a reflection. Like, with strength: I didn't have any before him. I thought I must have had it all along, and he just brought it out, but-- I just don't know anymore. What's me, what's him..." Arthur shook his head and rested it against the cool glass. "I'm sure that makes no sense."

"Oh, but it does." One hand left the wheel and placed itself on Arthur's knee. "You want something new."

Arthur bit his lip uncomfortably. "Look, Ocelot, um... that's flattering, but--"

A loud bang cut him off. Ocelot's hand returned immediately to the wheel as the truck started to swerve to the right. "The tires," said Arthur. Ocelot nodded shortly as the wheel shook, but another bang sounded before he managed to get control.

Arthur's hands gripped whatever they could as the vehicle went left and then right and then left again. He looked back.

It wasn't just their truck having difficulties: the supply vehicle was careening off the road, and three tires on the motorcycles had been blown. There was only one vehicle without any difficulties: the other cargo truck. Schluter was leaning out the side of it, a gun out.

The truck was slowing, but another two bangs and the back tires were gone. The truck bounced to a halt, throwing Ocelot and Arthur toward the dash. Behind them, Arthur could hear the gunshots still being fired, but he didn't care: he threw the door open, pulling his gun out and tearing off the safety as he did so.

He moved to the center of the road. The other truck was hurtling towards him, but he didn't care: he opened fire at the driver's side, trying desperately to stop it from going farther. Ocelot was staring at him from inside, shaking his head as if to clear it.

Arthur fired, and fired and fired. If the truck hit him, then it hit him!

Without warning, he was pushed into a roll out of his position. The truck rolled past. Arthur managed to get a shot to hit Schluter, but the truck didn't pause. Arthur watched it, his hopes sinking as it disappeared.

All that work. All that planning. All the lives lost. "Arthur, we have to get off the road, now!" said Big Boss, pulling him.

And the life that would be lost. Baghdad wasn't going to accept an excuse, it didn't matter how valid it was. It didn't matter that Chernobyl had been destroyed, it didn't matter that the team they were left with was skeletal at best, or that two of their own had defected. They had failed. Failed.

They were on the shoulder now. He looked at the rest of the road. The bikes were almost all messed up. Big Boss had perhaps been the only one to manage the feat of escaping unharmed. Ocelot's men were limping off the road, Edik the only one capable enough to have saved his bike from destruction. Big Boss' forces had fared even worse: one of them wasn't moving.

Big Boss left Arthur where he was and went to pick up the fallen, while Arthur stood, blinking dully at the scene.

"I should have argued," he said faintly. "I shouldn't have let him put Dirgham and Schluter in the truck."

"It wasn't your fault," said Ocelot quickly, moving up beside him. "It wasn't your decision, and he wasn't listening to you."

That was absolutely fucking true. Big Boss hadn't been listening to him. He'd told Big Boss to leave them behind yesterday. And then he'd been attacked... He'd been attacked after trying to get them away from the trucks! Big Boss should have known!

"Why didn't he listen to me?" Arthur's breathing sped up slightly as he watched Big Boss check the fallen man's pulse. "I told him they were bad news."

"But he didn't trust you enough to listen... I'm sorry, Arthur. Maybe if I'd said something--"

"No, it's not your fault." Arthur turned his eyes away from Big Boss and stared at Ocelot. "He didn't trust you much more than he trusted me. He doesn't anyone. He's got issues. And he's ruined this mission." His voice began to rise in tone and volume, and his breathing was getting harder to control, but Arthur didn't really care anymore. "He... he's killed him. It's his fault. He's cost me my-- everything. Everything!"

Ocelot shook his head, one corner of his mouth rising. "What is it they're holding against you?" he asked softly, a sort of superior sneering laugh falling out after the question.

But Arthur wasn't listening to Ocelot anymore. He was marching out onto the road, to where Big Boss was even now grabbing the man under his shoulders and dragging him off the road. "You should have left me in front of that truck!"

"This man is dead, Arthur," he said somberly.

Arthur was not going to let him off the hook that easily. He growled. "That's your fault too!" Big Boss looked at Arthur, shook his head, and ignored the shouted accusation. "How many people will die for this? We should have let them... should have..."

His face paled suddenly, all the blood rushing away. Big Boss turned, dropping the dead body. "That was never an option, Arthur. Never," he said quickly, then put his arms around Arthur.

"Don't dismiss me!" Arthur pushed the arms away explosively. "They're going to do it anyways, and all we've done is destroyed everything. You didn't want us to compromise our values by letting Ocelot use whatever he could to question them? Fuck, we'd already compromised our values, but you couldn't let that happen with Ocelot-- And look what's happened! We've destroyed a nuclear reactor-- displaced thousands from their homes, poisoned them and their families and the very dirt around them. We've lost men who were loyal and good! And we're still going to fail!"

"We haven't failed," said Big Boss. He turned his attention away for a moment. "You! Get this man off the road! And Ocelot, get tires back on the trucks and salvage what you can of the bikes!" He rubbed his forehead and turned back to Arthur.

"We should have stormed Baghdad!" shouted Arthur. "We should have knocked them down for daring to try a trick like this! But instead, we let them blackmail us. And whether you accept it or not, we've lost!"

"We haven't!"

"Why don't you live in reality like the rest of us? Another man dead! And now we know we were wrong about who killed those men, and who sabotaged us, and what do you say? We haven't lost? When do you accept defeat?"

"When we're both dead!"

The silence was deafening. Arthur had experienced silence before: the silence on the field of battle when a thousand bullets don't make a sound; the silence of anticipation, when the whole world hinges on a command decision; the self-satisfied silence of the victor on the bloody morning after, surveying a new world washed clean by napalm. No silence he'd yet experienced was as quiet as this horrible, gut-wrenching, terrified, angry silence.

Arthur closed his eyes against the sight of Big Boss. His body suddenly felt as cold as ice. "For all you care, I might as well be," he said finally, just loudly enough that Big Boss could hear. It wasn't for the men to hear this, no matter how they strained to listen to the anchorless drift of whispers the shouting left in its wake. "You promised it would be fine. You swore we'd get to Baghdad by the end of today. But it seems you're a liar. This is our last mission together." He saluted and turned, his back stiff, and walked away, ignoring Big Boss as he ordered him to come back.

The feeling still hadn't returned to his glacial mind, but there was work to be done. They weren't finished yet. "You!" He pulled Edik away from his bike. "Go untie Sasaki." He nodded towards Big Boss without particularly looking at him. "We need every man."

"Are you sure that's wise, Arthur?" Ocelot asked from beside him. Arthur didn't move, just breathed in and out carefully. "He's been in there for a few days. Maybe someone should talk with him first..."

"Do you want to talk to him?" Tides of emotion rose again suddenly as he considered Sasaki. Unjustly accused, made to suffer. And for what? For him. For Arthur. He could have died; someone had died. For him. "I'm not doing it anymore. If he can't be bothered to keep track of who's on his side, then that's the way things are."

Ocelot nodded cautiously. "Are we still going to--"

"We're going to complete this mission. We are still going to Baghdad." They threatened to overwhelm him. They'd died for him. They had to be avenged. "But when we get there, I can't promise you I know what's going to happen." No, there were no promises anymore that would be torn away by undercurrents. Promises were for people with families and futures. Promises were for people who had solid ground to stand on. "At eighteen hundred hours, we will be officially late. And when we are late, something bad will happen. And when that happens--" Arthur looked up and his eyes burned suddenly with sandy tears born from the blazing sun. "I swear, Chernobyl will look like a minor environmental mishap compared to what I do to Iraq."

Author's Notes

1. Em... sex will commence soon. Sorry to those who've been waiting?
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Brothers in Arms