Philanthropy
folder
+M through R › Metal Gear
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
14
Views:
2,757
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+M through R › Metal Gear
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
14
Views:
2,757
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
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.
Four
Did you know I have the Otaclock now? The thing's awesome! Thanks, Hal!
Otacon: In return for the convention ticket you gave me.
He's actually not really going. He's my luggage.
Otacon: I'm inside of your bag at university all the time as well, so I don't really care.
Yes, tomorrow it's ABUNAI time! The Dutch anime convention! Three days of pure happiness, I hope!
Otacon: ^_^
***
Four
‘So you were watching enime all day long…’
‘Anime. It’s pronounced as anime.’
‘…and what did your company say about that?’
‘Not much. I read online manga all the time. They must’ve known, but I was told I’d get all the freedom I wanted, as long as I’d be the designer.’
I thought about that for a while. ‘I guess they thought I was a genius.’
‘I’m sure you are.’
He was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.
‘They were using you. They lied to you…’
I stared at him, pretty confused. He caught my eye.
‘Did they ever tell you about their plans with your REX?’
‘Something about protecting the state and protecting liberty. From terrorists.’
He shook his head.
‘It’s crazy, I know,’ I quickly added. ‘But I had nowhere else to go. Plus, they made me feel useful, and welcome.’
‘That’s their game. Do you know what they’re gonna use it for?’
‘No idea.’
‘You know…there used to be other metal gear, long ago. And nothing has changed, despite all my efforts. I just can’t let them go on. I have to stop them.’
‘What was the purpose of those old metal gears, then?’
‘War. Money. Power.’
I didn’t understand what he meant. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to understand, like I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the meaning of life, or the time I had left to live.
‘Democracy is a lie.’
‘Huh?’
‘A government’s supposed to be neutral. Everyone should be able to have a say in their decisions, right?’
‘I guess… I’m not really…I don’t know much about politics.’
‘The government is cooperating with companies like yours. They’re not far off of being your company. They place orders. Your company makes a metal gear. The government uses the metal gear to create wars with inferior parties, and innocent people. Nobody dares say something, cause you know… they have your metal gear.’
He sighed.
‘I have been on the road for a few years now.’ He looked me in my eyes. ‘I attempt to destroy every metal gear ever made, and the knowledge to make one. So that this might stop.’
Another sigh, this one even deeper.
‘But I don’t know how long I’ll be able to do my job. Naomi Hunter gave me that virus, as you know.’
What could I say? The stupid, ignorant, puny office worker. I felt my warm tears slowly running down my face. My stomach felt like a giant lump of ice. I thought I was going to be sick. But… How did he know all this? I asked him in a weak voice.
‘I know people,’ he simply said. ‘Besides, I know how armies and weapons work, and how people react to them. I used to be a soldier, until I found out certain things.’
He saw my face, my confusion.
‘Hey, don’t cry,’ he said, not like a soldier at all. ‘You’re going to be a part of this. The time of being a pawn in their play is over. That is, if you would want to assist me some more.’
‘You mean…that’s why you gave me this?’ I held up the codec.
‘Yeah.’
‘I will,’ I said. My hands shook and I had to make an effort not to drop the codec. ‘I will help you.’
He rose from his chair. ‘Good.’ He shook my hand. ‘Thank you.’
His face cracked into a grin. ‘You believe me. That’s new.’
‘Yeah, I do. It makes sense somehow. Probably because I worked for…for the enemy.’
‘That’s right. The enemy.’
I nodded. ‘And how could I possibly not believe you after all that I’ve heard?’
A bit insecure, I asked him: ‘When do we start?’
‘In two days. Mei Ling’s gonna pick us up from here.’
I gave him an empty stare.
‘Oh. Mei Ling’s my assistant. My other assistant. We call ourselves Philanthropy. We work for the freedom of the people and the end of the wars. She invented the codec.’
I examined the machine in my hands. ‘Hmph. I could’ve done that, too.’
*
I got the urge to hold him. Poor Hal. Sister-less. Jobless. Anime nerd. He cried because of my story, the truth. And he was going to help me even more. But I thought he wouldn’t appreciate it if I did. We didn’t know each other for that long, right?
***
Otacon: In return for the convention ticket you gave me.
He's actually not really going. He's my luggage.
Otacon: I'm inside of your bag at university all the time as well, so I don't really care.
Yes, tomorrow it's ABUNAI time! The Dutch anime convention! Three days of pure happiness, I hope!
Otacon: ^_^
***
Four
‘So you were watching enime all day long…’
‘Anime. It’s pronounced as anime.’
‘…and what did your company say about that?’
‘Not much. I read online manga all the time. They must’ve known, but I was told I’d get all the freedom I wanted, as long as I’d be the designer.’
I thought about that for a while. ‘I guess they thought I was a genius.’
‘I’m sure you are.’
He was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.
‘They were using you. They lied to you…’
I stared at him, pretty confused. He caught my eye.
‘Did they ever tell you about their plans with your REX?’
‘Something about protecting the state and protecting liberty. From terrorists.’
He shook his head.
‘It’s crazy, I know,’ I quickly added. ‘But I had nowhere else to go. Plus, they made me feel useful, and welcome.’
‘That’s their game. Do you know what they’re gonna use it for?’
‘No idea.’
‘You know…there used to be other metal gear, long ago. And nothing has changed, despite all my efforts. I just can’t let them go on. I have to stop them.’
‘What was the purpose of those old metal gears, then?’
‘War. Money. Power.’
I didn’t understand what he meant. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to understand, like I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the meaning of life, or the time I had left to live.
‘Democracy is a lie.’
‘Huh?’
‘A government’s supposed to be neutral. Everyone should be able to have a say in their decisions, right?’
‘I guess… I’m not really…I don’t know much about politics.’
‘The government is cooperating with companies like yours. They’re not far off of being your company. They place orders. Your company makes a metal gear. The government uses the metal gear to create wars with inferior parties, and innocent people. Nobody dares say something, cause you know… they have your metal gear.’
He sighed.
‘I have been on the road for a few years now.’ He looked me in my eyes. ‘I attempt to destroy every metal gear ever made, and the knowledge to make one. So that this might stop.’
Another sigh, this one even deeper.
‘But I don’t know how long I’ll be able to do my job. Naomi Hunter gave me that virus, as you know.’
What could I say? The stupid, ignorant, puny office worker. I felt my warm tears slowly running down my face. My stomach felt like a giant lump of ice. I thought I was going to be sick. But… How did he know all this? I asked him in a weak voice.
‘I know people,’ he simply said. ‘Besides, I know how armies and weapons work, and how people react to them. I used to be a soldier, until I found out certain things.’
He saw my face, my confusion.
‘Hey, don’t cry,’ he said, not like a soldier at all. ‘You’re going to be a part of this. The time of being a pawn in their play is over. That is, if you would want to assist me some more.’
‘You mean…that’s why you gave me this?’ I held up the codec.
‘Yeah.’
‘I will,’ I said. My hands shook and I had to make an effort not to drop the codec. ‘I will help you.’
He rose from his chair. ‘Good.’ He shook my hand. ‘Thank you.’
His face cracked into a grin. ‘You believe me. That’s new.’
‘Yeah, I do. It makes sense somehow. Probably because I worked for…for the enemy.’
‘That’s right. The enemy.’
I nodded. ‘And how could I possibly not believe you after all that I’ve heard?’
A bit insecure, I asked him: ‘When do we start?’
‘In two days. Mei Ling’s gonna pick us up from here.’
I gave him an empty stare.
‘Oh. Mei Ling’s my assistant. My other assistant. We call ourselves Philanthropy. We work for the freedom of the people and the end of the wars. She invented the codec.’
I examined the machine in my hands. ‘Hmph. I could’ve done that, too.’
*
I got the urge to hold him. Poor Hal. Sister-less. Jobless. Anime nerd. He cried because of my story, the truth. And he was going to help me even more. But I thought he wouldn’t appreciate it if I did. We didn’t know each other for that long, right?
***