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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.

Chapter List
- 22
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One word before you begin: the German is (to any actual speakers, quite obviously) translated off of google or something. Don't expect it to make any sense.
Under the Basement Sink
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo -- H. G. Wells
"Put the next tape in," said Ocelot, bored beyond belief.
The fires had been extinguished-- more or less-- an hour ago, but Ocelot was left with the unenviable task of trying to find the guilty party while Big Boss did whatever it was he was doing alone, thank you, Sub-Commander Ocelot.
The damage could easily have been catastrophic. The Metal Gear could have been destroyed, nuclear warheads in neighboring buildings could have been set off...
Of course, they hadn't been. Arthur was a better officer than Ocelot had planned for: certainly he wasn't as good as Ocelot himself, but he was better than a number of second-class generals Ocelot had unhappily followed through the course of his career. Edik, on the other hand, was hardly a man Ocelot would have chosen had he been in charge, and was exactly the sort of man he'd expected, with Big Boss choosing seniority based on how much he liked someone. Edik seemed a competent middle-manager type of a man as opposed to a top-notch security expert.
Edik shifted in his seat, brownish sweat-soaked polyester uniform rubbing against the leatherette chair as he put the next tape into the player. "I just don't see why they're against us," he said, his light tenor voice reminding Ocelot just how young all the men seemed to be nowadays.
"The question," said Ocelot slowly, "is as always, who benefits from destroying this installation, and Metal Gear..." It was also a question intimately regarding the Patriots, and the other Philosopher offshoots that had grown up over the years. Big Boss was wrong: there were dozens of the things now, not just one each with China, Russia and the US. The American Patriots and the Russian Bratstvo were simply the most powerful of them. And the Russians were dying.
"There is that guy, Schneider. He's been inciting the locals to rebel against us. And we have a lot of them doing the cleaning work. He was the architect for this whole place, so he definitely knows the layout of the camera system."
"Why did he go against you?"
"He thinks we should be working for world peace. It's all Dr. Emmerich's fault, really. Gave him a cock-and-bull story about how we were working for these lofty goals of world disarmament, then started building Metal Gear prototypes to help the Boss take over." Edik shrugged and leaned back as the tape began playing.
They had been trying for disarmament for a while, not that the Patriots had believed a word of it. Some of Ocelot's missions from Big Boss had resulted in some countries being blackmailed out of the arms race. In fact, they were still gunning for global disarmament. Taking over, however, wasn't something he'd heard recently from anyone except for his other employers. "Take over?" he asked silkily.
Edik shrugged again. "I only know whispers. The two of them play their cards close."
Ocelot frowned. "Their plans can't be that secret," he said under his breath, "especially not from me." He shook his head and focussed his attention on the images moving on the screen. He had to find some sort of scapegoat. "Who's that?" he asked as a man in a lab coat walked purposefully past the camera.
Edik paused the playback. "That's Dr. Petrovich. It won't be him," he said. Ocelot raised an eyebrow. "Well-- that is-- You're right. We shouldn't count anyone out," he finished. "But Dr. Petrovich... well, it's like accusing Dr. Emmerich."
"He's that important to the project?" asked Ocelot doubtfully. That made him an even better target, really. They were keeping their plans hidden, but Arthur Emmerich was trusting a fellow scientist that much? That didn't sound like the Arthur Emmerich he knew. It didn't sound like a man Big Boss would trust. Hell, it didn't sound like something Big Boss would allow. Big Boss kept a tight rein on everyone in the organization, didn't he?
Ocelot hid his sigh. He'd judged the situation incorrectly. He should have been working on getting this Petrovich out of the picture for the Patriots personally-- it would have prevented this entire little operation.
"He must be," said Edik, almost shocked. "I mean, they're always off talking by themselves in German."
"I thought Arthur wanted--" Edik looked at him curiously, and Ocelot cursed his traitorous tongue. He'd meant to say Emmerich... well, too late now. "Never mind. Gossip shouldn't interest real men."
Edik turned his eyes back to the tape player and started it again while Ocelot's thoughts turned inwards. He'd always thought Arthur's motivations were to create things for himself, and now, he was giving over his operations to others. Why?
Was it age? Big Boss was much older, though, and he was still spry enough to get through fire and tear off the gun from the prototype weapon. And he was young enough to juggle two lovers. No, it couldn't be age, unless scientists felt older than soldiers.
But what else could it be? To pay so much attention to this Petrovich character, Arthur must have decided he was a genius. Even at that... Arthur had grown up with genius. He couldn't possibly be besotted by it now--
Besotted. Now there was a loaded word. Could it be something worse than an infatuation with genius? Arthur had never paid much attention to anyone except for Big Boss. There'd been that other man... what was his name, Granyi, Grainin...? And of course, he'd paid quite a bit of attention to Ocelot himself, especially during their little fling.
During their fling. Surely not...
This would have to be handled carefully. The Patriots certainly hadn't briefed him well enough for this mission, if he was only learning about major players at this point. Big Boss would not take kindly to learning that his lover was sleeping around again. If it got out, Big Boss' affair might too; he might even be inclined to drop Ocelot like spent ammunition in order to appease Arthur, and that would not please anyone: the Patriots would lose their most important operative in Big Boss' employ; Big Boss would lose the more interesting of his lovers, and finally, Ocelot would lose standing. On the other hand, Big Boss might decide to drop Arthur, which would provide some benefits: Ocelot would rise in rank, and the Patriots' influence over the Outer Heaven operation would increase.
In any case, it was too early to tell if it were true or not: if Ocelot said anything about this theory without being utterly certain, Arthur would certainly attack him for it. Big Boss wouldn't side with him unless he had proof.
There was another thing to consider: Emmerich was an integral part of the operations here. Before the man had returned to the base, Big Boss had been despondent. It had made it possible for Ocelot to wedge his way into the older man's heart, but he'd barely done anything during the year that Arthur was with his new bride. The Patriots might want to end the threat of Metal Gear, but that didn't mean they wanted the entire operation scrapped. Besides, in the short time he'd been here, it had become clear that Arthur and Big Boss really were running this place together. Hurting Big Boss' dreams for nothing just didn't seem right, Patriots be damned. On the other hand, if this Petrovich character was using Arthur...
"Arthur always did have a big heart," he muttered.
He turned his attention back to the screen in time to see the two of them walk down the onscreen hallway. Arthur was holding a clipboard, Petrovich's hand on his shoulder. Edik brushed by the pair and Petrovich's hand fell to the small of Arthur's back.
As a scientist, Petrovich would have access to the building. Being friendly with Arthur might have gotten him access to the supplies he would have needed, and apparently it had already made him almost invisible as far as security was concerned. So there was means and opportunity. Big Boss would believe it if Ocelot could find a motive. As far as that was concerned... "I want to talk to this Petrovich," said Ocelot, standing. "Where will he be?"
"He has an office in the lab building. Should I--"
"I want you to keep looking at the tapes." That would mean Ocelot didn't have to continue with the dull work himself. He smiled. "I'll be back later."
"Yes, sir," said Edik dully. Clearly, he'd wanted to leave the stuffy little room with too much equipment as much as Ocelot had. In this case, however, Ocelot was in charge. The tapes still needed to be reviewed, and anything Edik missed, or misinterpreted? Well, that was his problem, wasn't it.
He pulled out his guns and twirled them as he left and began the short walk to the science labs, smiling briefly as a flash of Arthur's face, ten years younger and smiling in a sort of awe at his tricks, passed through his head. The idea of him smiling like that at some weak little scientist made the smile turn into a sneer. Big Boss deserved better.
Big Boss' own infidelity had only been a product of Arthur's long running inability to stay with one man: if Arthur had been faithful, Ocelot doubted he'd ever have had a chance with the man. Before the wedding, Ocelot had tried several times when he knew the two to be fighting, but the man had been utterly devoted. "Love," he had said with an abhorrently patronizing look in his eye, "can't be tossed aside because of a little verbal wrestling."
And then there was Arthur, betraying his trust at every turn. He'd fallen for Ocelot, then he'd off and married that slut-- though at least it had ended well for Ocelot-- and now, a lowly little scientist. Petrovich wasn't even Arthur's type. Big Boss definitely deserved better than some idiot who was going to be led astray by someone he probably wasn't even attracted to.
He put his gun back into its holster with a flourish as he arrived at the entrance to the labs and pressed the button for the elevator. Big Boss had explained that the architectural procedures left as much of the compound underground as possible, so as to fool any orbital satellites. There were parts above ground because the people monitoring the satellites expected to see something, but the majority of the base was kept hidden. He got in the elevator and waited a moment as it began to bring him down.
A security camera looked him over for a moment before a door opened to allow him into the building itself. Inside, the entrance was filled with scientists walking back and forth, showing each other papers and pictures of results. The movement stopped momentarily as he stepped out of the elevator, but started again quickly, albeit a tad more distracted as the men (and occasional woman) kept glancing at him curiously.
Ocelot looked around for his target and frowned when he found him. Petrovich and Arthur were sitting together in a cramped, cluttered office, heads bent over the desk. Ocelot walked in with his spurs ringing, his boots clicking on the floor, then stood over them as they discussed some triviality in German.
Arthur looked up. "Ja?"
"Busy?" asked Ocelot with narrowed eyes.
Arthur looked at the papers and sighed. "You'd better keep going on this by yourself," he said to Petrovich as he stood and walked around the table. "There's a small office in the back if you--"
"Actually," said Ocelot, moving to take Arthur's seat, "I was hoping to speak with both of you."
"Oh," said Arthur, his eyes going briefly to Petrovich before resting on Ocelot. "Well. Ocelot, this is Dr. Petrovich Madnar. Doctor, this is Ocelot... our new Chief Inspector." He turned around and closed the door before realizing there was nowhere to sit. He leaned against one of the book-filled shelves instead and looked at Ocelot with a challenging frown.
"Sub-Commander, actually," corrected Ocelot. His eyes went to the table. Papers and plans covered the desk. "Dr. Petrovich," said Ocelot quietly. The smallish man looked at him, his sunken eyes flashing in his drawn face. "Where were you during today's excitement?"
"I sent everyone who wasn't necessary away when it started," said Arthur.
Ocelot sent him a sharp look. "I'd like you here, but if you're going to answer questions for him, I'll have to talk to you separately." Arthur raised his eyebrows and thought better of whatever he was going to say. His mouth closed into a tight, dissatisfied line. Ocelot nodded at him, forcing the other man to nod back and acknowledge that, yes, Ocelot was in control, then looked back at Petrovich. "So where were you?"
He looked at Arthur in a silent plea, but Arthur just looked away unhappily. "I came directly here," he said, his voice whiny. "All of us, the scientists, we all walked here."
"Together?" asked Ocelot.
"Yes... but I usually walk with Ar-- with Dr. Emmerich. I don't think I noticed who I was walking next to on the way back."
Ocelot raised an eyebrow. It seemed highly unlikely that any of them remembered him walking back, either. Which just meant he wasn't doing that. Ocelot smiled grimly. Evidence. Big Boss wanted evidence. He had to find or plant something on the man.
He looked at the man carefully. Frizzy hair surrounded the man's long, narrow face with high cheekbones that might have been attractive had the skin around them not been wrinkled and damaged by what must have been exposure to chemicals and radiation. Glasses too small for his face sat on his nose. He gave the impression of being slouched in his seat, despite having his back straight against the metal edges. He wore a white lab coat-- or rather, it was once white. Stains had dyed the thing blue and orange. The pockets held pens and a little notebook...
"Empty your pockets," said Ocelot. There had to be something...
"This isn't really necessary, is it, Ocelot?" Arthur stepped towards him. "I'll vouch for him myself. We have work to do."
How did Big Boss stand the whining?
Pens, a little notebook, a battery quickly covered by an eraser... Ocelot leaned over and grabbed the battery, his eyebrows drawing together and his mouth turning down in a frown. "What's that?" asked Arthur, looking over in concern.
Ocelot smirked. Once again, he was the best man for the job. "It's a radio," he said softly, stroking it. "Well made. Where's the amplifier?"
"Just a battery," mumbled Petrovich, looking at Arthur beseechingly.
Arthur moved to Ocelot and took the wire-covered battery, disbelief turning into disappointment. "I thought we were friends, Dr. Madnar," he said quietly.
Ocelot grinned and picked up the phone from the table. He dialed the number before Arthur had finished examining the little home-made radio, then made a show of talking his way past Monica. "Big Boss," he said cheerfully, "I've found the saboteur. It's Dr. Petrovich Madnar. I'm in his office now."
"Really?" the voice on the other end sounded a little bit miffed. "All right. I'll be there in a few minutes." They both hung up.
Ocelot took a moment to smile sadistically at Arthur before turning his attention to the traitor. "What did you think you'd gain from them?" he asked, leaning close to the man. "What did they promise you?"
"Back off, Ocelot," said Arthur suddenly, interposing himself between the two. "This is an infraction of the rules, and you can bet there's punishment, but he's not the traitor. Take a closer look at it," he said, pressing the battery-radio into Ocelot's hand. "It's low powered," he continued, without giving Ocelot the chance to look. "It's not good enough to get to the other side of the base, let alone to one of the satellites the real traitor's been using to get information off to the--"
Ocelot punched Arthur's shoulder fairly lightly, all things considered. It threw off his little tirade long enough that Ocelot was able to lean in and whisper in the man's ear: "If he isn't and you speak of them, he'll be dead, and if he is, you'll be the one with lead in you."
Arthur rolled his eyes and shook his head. "--the enemy," he amended.
How abhorrently bright of the man: an excuse of low-power to keep him away from his scapegoat. It seemed Ocelot had his work cut out for him-- Arthur would be fighting this all the way. "And you think he doesn't have an external transceiver?"
"Where would he keep it? Think logically," said Arthur. "Only officers have private rooms."
Petrovich nodded furiously in agreement with Arthur. "I don't know where that has come from!" he said. "I have no radio for myself!"
Ocelot pushed Arthur aside. "This is yours. Not even Arthur's giving you the benefit of the doubt on that." He grabbed the scientist by his lab coat and pushed him up against one of the equipment laden shelves. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded.
"No one!"
"Ocelot, stop it!" Arthur pushed himself between them again, causing Ocelot to drop the scientist. Ocelot's hand grabbed Arthur's shirt almost of its own will, but the door opened before he did anything more. "Let me talk to him."
Big Boss put a hand on Ocelot's shoulder and pulled him away. Ocelot pursed his lips and followed the older man out of the office. "What was that about?" asked Big Boss with a raised eyebrow as he closed the door, separating them from Arthur and Petrovich. "No, it doesn't matter," he muttered softly. "I've given you nearly free rein here, Ocelot," he said in a voice loud enough to be clear to Ocelot but soft enough that the scientists milling around weren't privy to the conversation. "The one thing you will not do is put your hands on him."
Ocelot stared at Big Boss' lips without listening to the words as the man continued to speak. They were fine lips for a soldier: firm and thick, but not too thick. Quick to part for words or pleasure, quick to press for information or desire, quick to close on errors and lapses in judgement. "Mm," Ocelot said, as the tone rose. He shook his head slightly and moved his gaze from Big Boss' lips to his eyes.
"I need to do my job," said Ocelot carefully, trying to keep his eyes from drifting back towards Big Boss' lips. "And if that means his feelings get hurt, so be it."
Big Boss let out a gusty breath and shook his head. "You need to work on people skills, Ocelot."
Ocelot looked away resentfully. He had good people skills. His people skills were better than Big Boss' were, for that matter. He was a spy, had experience in manipulating people that Big Boss could never hope to have. Ocelot knew who to trust, unlike Big Boss, or Arthur, who was busy falling for Petrovich when Big Boss was standing right outside the door. There was only one reason why Big Boss would think he had more people skills that Ocelot. "Why do you love him more than me?" he demanded, his voice quiet but his eyes connecting angrily with Big Boss'.
Big Boss looked around nervously. "This is Arthur's domain. Keep your mouth shut."
Ocelot's shoulders slumped. It didn't matter where they were. Arthur was simply more important to Big Boss. He wasn't even the better man. It rankled...
The door opened and Arthur poked his head out. "All right. Let's just clear up this misunderstanding."
Ocelot nodded sharply, and Big Boss followed him through the door. "Clear it up then," he said impatiently.
"Doctor, please explain," said Arthur in a compassionate tone.
Petrovich nodded from his place in the chair. "It's to talk to my daughter," he said simply. "She's been living outside of the base. I'm trying to convince her to come here... it's not safe out there."
How easily they'd concocted a lie. Of course, it could have been true, but Petrovich's eyebrows kept moving, a classic tell: funny how trying to look earnest always backfired. All right, fine. Ocelot held the miniature radio out to the man. "Call her," he ordered.
Petrovich took the radio uncertainly and attached a metal pen to one of the wires. "She may not be there," he said nervously with a quick, sidelong glance at Arthur. Big Boss leaned back against the door.
"I'm sure she'll be there," said Arthur with a comforting smile as he put a hand on the other scientist's shoulder. "Call her," he said amiably. He leaned over the man and stretched his arm around Petrovich. Ocelot was surprised to note that Arthur's other hand was hovering around the gun on his belt. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard.
The doctor nodded
nervously and fiddled with his pen for a moment for a moment.
"Ellen?" Petrovich shook his head nervously and paused.
"Bist du da?"

Ocelot frowned. "Speak in
English," he said.

Arthur laughed briefly. "Ocelot,
he's not going to say anything incriminating in German while I'm
in the room."

Ocelot grunted. Big Boss grinned.
"Ja, Vati." The tinny feminine voice came through the
radio.

Petrovich looked sideways at Arthur again. "Ellen,
du musst von hier verschwinden." Arthur shook his head, his
face turning to disbelief. "Es ist zu gef�hrlich, sie denken, dass ich ein Verr�ter bin. Flieh!"

"How dare you--" Arthur hit the battery-driven radio away. "He just told his daughter to run away--"
Ocelot grinned triumphantly. "We'll have him and his daughter in chains by the end of the day!"
"No-- No!" Petrovich stood up and he scrabbled with Arthur for his gun. Arthur flung the man away from him, then looked between Ocelot and the scientist in annoyance.
"What-- What do you mean by that?" Arthur asked. "We're not putting him in a cell for having a radio!"
Big Boss pursed his lips and pushed himself off of the wall. "Ocelot's in charge, Arthur."
Ocelot sneered at Arthur. Arthur's eyes narrowed, then he smiled and went to Big Boss. "You know," said Arthur, "he's the best scientist we have on the Metal Gear project." He put his arms around the man's neck. "And I can't afford to lose him..." He leaned close to Big Boss' ear. "And if I do lose him, I'll have to work late for the rest of the year, but if I don't..." He whispered into Big Boss' ear.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Obvious," he said with a leer rivaling any of Ocelot's old acquaintances'. "Ocelot, we're giving Doctor Madnar the benefit of the doubt. Have the men pick up his daughter. Arthur and I are going to be... indisposed for a little while. I'll leave the base in your hands."
Ocelot looked down, Rbetrayed by Big Boss' growing arousal. Arthur's hand entwined itself in Big Boss' and they left together. Ocelot scowled. Had Ocelot tried that, he'd have been pushed away. Business before pleasure.
How did Arthur have Big Boss on such a short leash?
"Your daughter will be held safely," said Ocelot, his eyes still on the door. "As long as you cooperate. If you don't..." Ocelot laughed grimly. "Your... friend won't be helping you."
"Arthur always helps me," said Petrovich. "This wasn't help."
"Hmph." It wasn't fair. Arthur was sleeping around on Big Boss. On Big Boss! And yet Big Boss gave him whatever he wanted.
There had to be a way to stop it. To make Big Boss care for Ocelot the way he currently cared for Arthur. If he was confronted by the cheating ways of his partner...
"Doctor Petrovich, tell me about all the ways Doctor Emmerich has helped you," said Ocelot with a calculated smile.

Notes

Petrovich is Russian, not German. Guess he's not impressed with Arthur's 1337 Russian skillz.

(And my German is obviously not good. Thanks to google for some bad translations, and thanks to donatien1740 for some better ones! Arthur CAN speak German. It's me that can't!)
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Brothers in Arms