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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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I Repent Tomorrow

Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever. -- Napoleon

"Grey Fox? Remember that this mission is about stealth. Keep yourself hidden from the mercenaries on the base. Over." Big Boss sat in the room with Ocelot and Arthur, his eyes fixed on the computer readouts designed specifically to ensure the detection of any unauthorized entries to the base. Today, however, all the expensive equipment was going to be used to help someone get into the base. The trick was to get him in and out without giving him any information that was going to cause another mission.

"Understood, sir," said Grey Fox in a high tenor voice. The little dot on the satellite photos made its way out of the water. "Will contact upon infiltration of the base. Over."

"Good luck, Fox, and be careful. Out."

Big Boss set the radio to receive and watched the monitor as Grey Fox clambered over the fence and into the compound. The infiltrator looked around for a moment, then rolled under a truck as someone walked by.

"He's one of my best," Big Boss said a little fondly.

"Playing favorites, Boss?" asked Ocelot, a lazy smile appearing on his face. "You know, that could easily be what's led to your little situation here."

"He's always played favorites," said Arthur quietly. "Would have thought you'd know that."

"Only with those who are good, Arthur." Big Boss smiled at the man, who was glumly looking at report documents. "And you play favorites, too." Arthur raised an eyebrow and gave a faint, rueful smile.

"He certainly does," said Ocelot. Arthur looked at Ocelot with a concerned frown before turning his attention back to the papers in front of him. "And Dr. Madnar is one of his favorites. Perhaps it would be better if he weren't in the room when we question him, Boss."

"Only if you're not the one questioning him," muttered Arthur as he traced a line across a page.

Big Boss shook his head. "I already told him he could stay, Ocelot. If you had an objection, you should have brought it up last night." Arthur's frown deepened. "Have you found something?" asked Big Boss hopefully.

"No," said Arthur absently, eyes still turned to his report. "I was just thinking... you didn't come back to bed last night."

He'd gone back? The clean up effort should have taken him all night! How could he have-- And he'd noticed! He suspected something. He was still carefully, studiously looking at the report, perhaps trying not to give anything away in case he was wrong. Big Boss glanced at Ocelot, who's mouth had suddenly tightened around the edges. Not by much, of course, not enough for Arthur to notice it, but... "It took longer than we expected," Big Boss said smoothly.

"As long as he's not too hurt."

Big Boss blinked a few times to clear his eyes of whatever lingering guilt was in them. Arthur didn't suspect a thing. It was all he could do not to breathe a sigh of relief. "He's not, I promise," said Big Boss.

"Monkey will bring him here soon, and you'll see that he's unharmed," said Ocelot, a predatory smile suddenly lighting his face with malice.

Big Boss stood quickly. "Outside a moment, Ocelot," he said as the other man opened his mouth. Arthur glanced up, shook his head and went back to analyzing whatever he was looking at. As soon as he and Ocelot were out of the room and the door was closed behind them, he pushed Ocelot against the wall. "I don't want to see you looking at him like that," he said savagely.

"He cares more about that scientist than you, and you aren't going to call him on it?" asked Ocelot, pushing Big Boss back. "I--" Ocelot glanced up and down the hallway. "I care about you more than he does," he whispered angrily, "and if he's going to-- well, I do care if he hurts you."

Big Boss sighed. He put a hand on the door to make sure it stayed closed and gave Ocelot a gentle kiss. "Ocelot, you can't--"

The sharp click of a boot down the hallway forced Big Boss to pull away. They both turned in near unison. Monkey was looking quite satisfied as he led Petrovich, flanked by two small guards, down the hall. Johnny and Luther walked on either side of the man, backs straight and eyes alert, the perfect young soldiers. Big Boss nodded approvingly: a good task for children was one that gave experience while not exposing them to real danger. He wished Arthur understood that... well. He'd have to deal with Arthur's wife himself.

He pushed the door open and led the way in without saying a word, then took his seat at the short table. Ocelot followed quickly after and leaned against the wall beside the door. Monkey, Petrovich and the boys soon joined them.

"Sir!" Monkey gave a salute to Big Boss. "I've brought the prisoner as requested, sir."

Arthur put his report down and glared at Monkey and Ocelot before smiling a bit wearily at Petrovich. "Let's clear this up so we can get back to work," he said, his tone mainly pleasant but with an edge of impatience.

"It will take as long as it takes, Emmerich," snapped Ocelot before turning his attention back to the prisoner. Big Boss raised an eyebrow, but did nothing. It wouldn't do to reprimand Ocelot in front of a suspected saboteur. "Sit down, doctor," Ocelot said with a sneer, pushing Petrovich into a straight backed wooden chair.

Ocelot pulled one of his guns out of its holster and, with a loud snap, opened the cylinder and looked at the bullets inside. He closed it quickly and spun it around, the noise of it loud in the quiet room. He walked around the chair slowly, his eyes fixed on Dr. Madnar. He looked like nothing more than a kitten about to play with a new toy. His eyes spoiled the expression, too alert and vicious for a cat with anything but prey.

The gun began to spin on his finger, and Ocelot stepped between Arthur and Petrovich as the man looked to his superior for support. Arthur began drumming his fingers on the table.

"Do you know," said Ocelot absently, "I've been in the business of interrogation for almost twenty years now. I don't tend to be subtle about it. When you're in a position of power, you don't need subtlety, after all."

He turned his gun to Petrovich and fired, smiling humorlessly as the man cringed. "Five chambers are empty. You know of Russian Roulette, don't you, doctor?" He spun the cylinder around. "What do you think your odds are?"

"It is an independent Stochastic," said the man with a concerned look at the gun. "The probability is always one in six."

Ocelot grinned, pointed the gun at him and pressed the trigger. "Now it's one in five." His finger closed again. "And one in four." The doctor flinched as he squeezed it again. "Three."

"Stop with the theatrics already," said Arthur, jumping up from his seat. "We all know what you do, so get on with it!"

"Am I frightening you, Dr. Emmerich?" Ocelot grinned at Petrovich and put his gun away. "It is too early to finish things, isn't it." Big Boss tugged on Arthur's shirt sleeve and the scientist sat down, his eyes angry and impatient.

"So. How long has your daughter been in contact with Russia and her spies?"

Arthur's chair clattered backwards as he launched himself to his feet again. "Your guns obviously aren't the only things that're loaded," Arthur said loudly. "Should I ask one? Have you stopped sleeping with people to get your promotions?"

"No, Arthur, I haven't," Ocelot said with a tight smile. Big Boss closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Sit down and let me do my job. And if you still can't handle watching an interrogation, then you have no business being here."

That effectively shut Arthur up. The man looked as though he'd been struck, but he righted his chair and scowled at Ocelot all the same. Big Boss shook his head. Why did the two of them have to come to verbal blows on so much? Everyone had the same purpose. Neither Arthur nor Ocelot were trying to destroy the proceedings, and yet...

"Your daughter told me she was funneling information for you. Who was she sending it to?"

Something had to be done about this. The questions were going on and on, and Arthur was taking them as one barb after another directed at him. Why the hell was he so worried about Madnar anyways?

"No, no, my daughter does not say such a thing. We are not sending information about Metal Gear to anyone."

"I'm not talking about sending it to anyone, I'm talking about sending it to enemies. Who is she sending it to? The revolutionaries?"

"No, no, we do not talk of Metal Gear! She is not a scientist!"

"You know..." Ocelot sneered cruelly at the man. "You're right. Dr. Emmerich can't speak for her. Bring the daughter in here." Arthur shook his head in concern at the other scientist. Monkey gave a sharp salute and opened the door.

"No, no! She is having nothing to do with this!"

Monkey looked questioningly at Ocelot. "Go get her!"

"Yes sir," said Monkey, nodding at the boys, who followed him out.

"Wait, I tell you, I tell you!"

Ocelot closed the door behind them and Arthur bit his lip for a moment before letting out a small sigh and looking away. Ocelot pulled out his revolver again and spun the bullet-holding chamber around again. "We'll have to play this game with your daughter. One in six, right?"

Arthur's hand curled into a ball, clearly thinking about his own son in this situation, but he held his tongue and swallowed his anger. Big Boss smiled slightly, proud of Arthur for keeping his feelings in check this time.

"It is not what you are thinking! I--" He paused.

Ocelot stared at him a moment, waiting for him to continue. When Madnar said nothing further, Ocelot pulled out his other two guns and began to juggle them. "You know, sometimes I forget which gun was which." He grinned. "Changes the odds, doesn't it--"

"Weapons broker! I speak to weapons broker!"

"What weapons broker?" asked Arthur, looking up in annoyance. Ocelot's guns went back into their holsters and he smirked, but Arthur only had eyes for his friend. "You never told me about--"

"Quiet, Arthur," growled Big Boss, staring intently at the prisoner. Why didn't they know about this already?

Ocelot glanced at them both with a raised eyebrow as if to ask whether or not they were finished before he continued. "Where do you meet him?"

"In Galzburg at bar. Ich entschuldige mich, Arthur, aber die Welt muß verst--"

"In English!" commanded Ocelot, punching Petrovich with a relatively light hit. The man fell under the force of it.

"You're sorry? Damn it, Petrovich..." Arthur put his head in his hands and started massaging his temples. Big Boss patted him awkwardly on the back and motioned for Ocelot to continue.

"You wanted to destroy the Metal Gear so you were the only one with working plans to sell, is that it?" asked Ocelot.

Petrovich shook his head. "I did not do that. Arthur, glauben Sie mir bitte!"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Arthur asked coldly. "And he told you to speak in English. Don't give him another excuse."

"And even now you defend him," said Ocelot, spinning around to face Arthur. Big Boss raised his eyebrows, unimpressed, but also unwilling to get between them at this point. There was, after all, the slightest possibility that Arthur had seen signs of it and ignored them because he and the other scientist were friends, and the truth was that someone had to call him on it. It was better all around if that someone didn't have to be Big Boss himself.

"I don't expect you to understand being loyal to the people you command. I'm sure you'd just as soon shoot them all in the back," said Arthur quietly. "Screw everyone over while you get higher up, don't worry about the consequences to anyone but yourself."

"I take my own consequences, and if the people around me aren't smart enough to know the consequences they're earning, they deserve to be screwed. And who are you to try to tell me about loyalty?"

Absolutely ridiculous. Two trained officers who couldn't put their enmity aside for a simple questioning of a man who'd just admitted to selling secrets and would probably admit to sabotage if pressed enough. Beep beep.

"We're getting off-topic," said Big Boss finally.

"Diese zwei sind in der Liga zusammen, Arthur. Ocelot möchte Metal Gear zerstören. Es liegt auf der Hand."

Arthur shook his head in frustration. "Big Boss couldn't possibly want to--" Beep beep.

What the hell was that noise?

"I said English," snapped Ocelot, whipping a gun around his back, not even needing to look while he aimed at the man's head. "How long have you known and done nothing, Emmerich?"

"You think I knew something about this?" His mouth dropped open and he stood, his chair clattering against the floor again.

Big Boss shook his head in annoyance as he searched for the source of the beeping. "Ocelot, you know he had nothing to do with it. Get your mind back on the right track. I want to know about the sabotage." Beep beep.

The radio! Grey Fox-- "Shut up, all of you!" Arthur's teeth ground together and Ocelot turned to make sure that Petrovich didn't say another word. Big Boss flipped the switch. "This is Big Boss. Over."

"Fox here. I've infiltrated the base. Am heading toward the science labs for intel. Over."

"Understood, Fox. Don't stick around in there. Get the intel and leave ASAP. Big Boss out." He turned the radio off with a flick of the switch that seemed loud in the artificial silence he'd forced upon them. Arthur was looking down at the table, Ocelot still staring at the frightened scientist.

After a moment, Arthur picked up his report awkwardly. "I'm going to go."

Big Boss nodded. "Don't go near the labs," he cautioned.

"I'm not an idiot," said Arthur with a sigh, then, after a quick, disappointed look at Petrovich, muttered, "Not entirely, anyway." He shook his head and paused to look at Ocelot. "We all want the same thing, isn't that right, Adam?"

Ocelot put the gun away with another showy twirl. "I hope so," he said.

"Right, then." He looked at the door. "I'll leave this to you." He looked down, his hand on the doorknob. "Dr. Madnar... for the sake of your daughter, tell them whatever you've done. Big Boss isn't forgiving, but he's not like the--" Arthur paused and shook his head. "He's not the kind of man who destroys a man's family. If a man is forthcoming."

He pushed the door open and walked out without looking back at any of them. The door didn't close behind him though, and Monkey quickly walked in with the scientist's daughter in tow. She was very pretty, with long legs and dark hair. She had a dancer's grace, apparent even with the manhandling from Big Boss' security chief.

Ocelot leered at her for a moment. "Take her outside," he said to Monkey. He waited until the door closed. "Well, Doctor? Arthur's abandoned you. I'm sure you knew he would eventually. Your daughter's life rests in your hands."

"I did not damage anything. I only gave plans to the weapons dealer," said Petrovich, his eyes on the door, clearly thinking about the girl on the other side of it. "If I cannot research, I cannot sell. I would not destroy this chance!"

Beep beep.

Ocelot looked at Big Boss in annoyance. Big Boss flipped the switch. "This is Fox. Do you read me? Over."

"Loud and clear, Fox. Faster than I expected. Should I set up your extraction? Over."

"No, sir. The documents here are faked, and there's someone else at work here. I've found evidence of modifications to several of the logs, and a bomb which I've disabled. Any instructions? Over."

"Standby," said Big Boss. He switched the radio off and rubbed his head. This could ruin things. How had Fox seen that they were fakes? Arthur had prepared things personally last week, and Big Boss had glanced over them before giving them to his secretary to deliver to Monkey. Surely they hadn't overlooked anything...

He stood, walked to the door, and opened it quickly. "Johnny, Luther. Take the girl back to her cell. Monkey, I need you to take care of our guest. He'll meet you in Hangar A. And hurry up. He won't be wasting time." Big Boss didn't wait to watch them follow his orders: he moved back into the room. "Ocelot, bring our friend to Arthur for safekeeping. This man's a traitor, but we still need him, and if he's the saboteur, he's got a partner. I need you to get to the lab and find out about the bomb and the documents."

"Yes, sir," said Ocelot, pulling Petrovich up by the lapels of his lab coat. "Let's go, doctor."

This time Big Boss did wait as Ocelot left. "Grey Fox," Big Boss said as he turned on the radio. "They must have known we were coming. We need more information about this base and who's in command. Our intel has shown movement around their plane hangar. Make your way there and see if you can find out what's there. Over."

"Will do, Big Boss. Grey Fox out."

How had he known? How had he known? Someone had to have done something. What? Big Boss changed the frequency of the radio to one that Arthur would pick up and called him.

"Yeah?" came the somewhat dejected voice on the other end.

"It's me. There's a problem. Did you see anything strange when we were setting up the lab for Fox?"

"No. What kind of problem?"

What could have been done between the morning setup and now? "A bomb. I've sent Monkey to take care of Fox, and--"

Beep beep.

"-- I've got another call, Arthur." Big Boss changed frequencies again. "Big Boss here."

"This is Fox. There's someone in the hangar, sir." Damn it. Monkey wasn't the best at stealth, but he should have been better than this! "I've located another unguarded entrance to the base. I'll contact you again when I have more information. Over."

"Understood, Fox. Be careful," he said, keeping his tone from showing the rising concern he felt. There were half a dozen different entrances around there, and they should have all had people covering them. He changed frequencies again. "Monkey, do you copy?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Fox isn't coming. There's an unguarded entranceway in the area. I want to know which one, and I want to know who was assigned to it."

"Understood sir, I'll get right on that. Monkey over."

Big Boss switched again. "Ocelot?"

"Sir. I've just delivered our prisoner to Dr. Emmerich."

"Good," said Big Boss. "Change in plans. I need you to find out where Fox has gone. He's in the base somewhere."

"Understood, sir."

He switched one more time. "Arthur, I need you to make a base-wide announcement. The last thing I need is for Fox to know I'm in charge here, and he'll know my voice if I get on the loud-speaker..."

"What's going on, Boss?"

"He's somewhere in the base, and he's unchecked. Our guards must be asleep... we need to have a serious chat with them about security--"

"Attention! Attention!" Arthur's voice blasted through the compound like an elephant's trumpet. "There is an unknown security threat in the base. Code level black. Repeat, code level black." A siren began to wail through the buildings and Big Boss heard the click of the disconnect for the loud-speaker being pressed.

"Thank you, Arthur. I've sent Monkey and Ocelot to find him and take him down, but keep your own eyes open, got it?"

"Right. I'll keep my radio tuned to this frequency, Boss."

Beep beep.

"This is Big Boss speaking."

"There are scientists down here." Big Boss felt his breath catch in his throat as Fox started talking. Scientists down here? He had to be in the basement, with Arthur and Petrovich. "They're talking about something... I can just make it out... Metal Gear--"

Big Boss waited a moment. "Grey Fox? Grey Fox?"

Beep beep.

"This is Big Boss."

"Ocelot here. I've got him, sir. He's alive."

Thank God. "Secure him," he said quietly. "And find out what happened. We'll discuss it all in the afternoon meeting."

"Understood."

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Schematics for programmable logic controllers flashed by almost randomly on the massive computer screen, interspersed with ladder lines of code. The rungs flew by in front of Arthur's glazed eyes as he pressed button after button. There could be no mistakes.

And yet, there they were. Error after error, problem after problem. Arrays of misjudgments. Logs that counted too high, or not high enough. Faults in reasoning in all the backups. Someone had been in this system. And he knew exactly who it was. Some of the high ranking scientists had dumb terminals connected to the computer in their rooms, and those terminals all had identifiers that were logged along with changes. What the logs showed was tampering from one Doctor Petrovich Madnar. So Ocelot was right.

Damned if he'd admit that to Ocelot, though.

"Doctor Madnar, since you were selling Metal Gear to the highest bidder, you must have a proper copy of the programs," said Arthur quietly, just loud enough to be heard over the thrumming of the fans in the supercomputer.

"Yes," said the other man, just as quietly. "I have such a thing."

Arthur turned to one of the ubiquitous panels and punched in the order for the twins to come down. This was a duty that he wholeheartedly approved of, if the boys had to be around at all. Guarding a man who wouldn't do anything but needed to be watched... The perfect task for boys who wanted to feel important.

"Arthur... my daughter has had nothing to do with this. You must let her go..." Arthur didn't look at the other man. He couldn't bear to. What would he say anyways? Arthur couldn't let the girl go now. She had to be held against further attempts at selling the research. Petrovich had made a real mess of things.

"Arthur?"

From this latest incident, Big Boss had at least decided the other scientist wasn't involved in the sabotage. And now there was conclusive evidence that he had, and Arthur was going to have to mention it sooner or later-- why shouldn't he, anyways? Metal Gear sold to the highest bidder. What a mess.

"No one should have this technology except us, Doctor Madnar. We are supposed to keep the world safe from it. It is our responsibility, doctor. Don't you understand that?" asked Arthur, again, no louder than the background noise. There were recording devices everywhere, and whether they were necessary or not, Arthur had no wish to have his words on review at the next monthly status meeting.

"The world has a right to know, Arthur," he said, his Russian-accented German sounding harsh.

"And when our children are destroyed because governments have our technology? Big Boss won't use it like that, but there are governments that won't hesitate to create a world of destruction. Is that what you want? For the whole world to be destroyed?" It was difficult to keep his tone low and even.

"That isn't what would happen, Arthur," said Petrovich. "It would trigger another cold war. We would all be important again! No more hiding in little bases in the middle of nowhere without support from our countries..."

"And what if the war isn't cold? We aren't ready to defend ourselves or our families. You wanted to risk that to bring back the good old days?" And how strange that was now, to call them the good old days. When everyone had worried that the next day might bring nuclear destruction... when no one was sure how old their children would grow... how good were they? For research, they'd been exciting. For old soldiers, they'd been strengthening. But what about for people like Hal, or even Petrovich's own daughter? Arthur shook his head-- it would be a better tomorrow for them too, with the renewed economy-- and sighed. "I understand what you want, but Petrovich, you're naive if you thought it would return just like that."

Before Petrovich could answer, there was the hard sound of a soldier's boot from the hallway.

"Doctor Emmerich," said Edik, mild surprise mixed with pleasure in his voice. "I was hoping I'd find you down here, sir." His tone shifted suddenly to one of slight unease. "I've seen something in the tapes that I thought you'd want to see."

"Ah. Well," said Arthur, returning to English, "Ocelot's in charge of the investigation." Arthur was apparently useless at it. He hadn't seen betrayal in his closest... well, not friend, perhaps, but certainly the closest of his associates here on the base.

"Sir... I really think it's important for you to see it before he does. I thought, perhaps, on the way to the meeting, you could review it, sir. With the way things are between you and Ocelot, I'm a little bit worried that there might be a... a conflict of interest, sir," he said uncomfortably. His face turned in on itself for a moment as though trying to decide whether or not to say more.

Arthur nodded slowly. A conflict of interest with Ocelot? It certainly wouldn't be unexpected. The man was... unethical seemed a rather mild epithet for the man, but Arthur wasn't sure what word would suit him. Evil? But if Big Boss trusted him, that was probably too strong...

"Sir!" Twin voices and salutes came from the door behind Edik.

Arthur's gaze turned back towards Madnar. The man was sitting sullenly, obviously not happy with Arthur's words. "Petrovich, go with the boys and get the plans you stole. Johnny, Luther, don't let him alter anything. Keep him in my office. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" said the boys, happy as ever to be put to work.

Arthur watched unhappily as the three left. Children playing at being soldiers. And what were Hal and Elena Petrovich supposed to do, when children ten years younger than them were being soldiers? Would they be the innocent victims, dead because men like Petrovich stole plans? Because people were willing to sabotage the base?

He sighed heavily and stood with a nod towards Edik. "What is it you wanted to show me?"

Sorry about the google-translated german!
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Brothers in Arms