Chapter 14: Guns of the Patriots
Edward assisted Big Mama, also known as Eva through the underground aqueduct, while Snake with his M4 equipped, took the lead.
“Liquid!” Snake exclaimed as his enemy was calmly smoking a cigar.
“Not bad.” Liquid enjoyed the cigar.
“Where’s the pyx?” Eva asked him.
“That no longer matters.”
“Where is it?” Eva asked and collapsed crying and sobbing as she saw that her cruiser was destroyed, still burning.
“Is that it…?” Snake asked his brother.
Out of nowhere, FROGS surrounded them, Vamp, Naomi and Noi revealed themselves on Liquid’s modified CB90.
“Naomi told me everything. And now, thanks to her, I finally have it. The thing, I’ve sought for so long…Big Boss. Put down the guns, both of you. It’s already too late.” Liquid sounded triumphantly.
“You almost did it. But it looks like I win after all.” He walked closer to Snake. “Cigars…Father’s favorite. What do you say? Care for one last Smoke?” He offered it Snake, showing respect to his enemy.
“You think you’re Big Boss now?” Snake countered as Liquid blew the smoke into his face, causing him to cough.
N-Noi?” Edward asked as he saw her on the PT.
“D-daddy?” she replied scared as Vamp held her back.
Liquid was amused. “So you’re the PMC soldier who helped my brother all along. Where is your loyalty to your boss?”
“Loyalty? I’m only loyal to my family and her! And you will pay for what you’re done to her!” He exclaimed angry.
“In that case, I make you a deal: Join me and you will get her back.”
“You’re really think that I would join you after what you did to her?! No freaking way!”
“Then, I’m sorry, soldier.” Suddenly, Edward froze, unable to move, the nanomachines told his body to do so. For some reason, he could feel that it came from Noi.
Liquid used this moment to disarm Snake, ramming his brother’s stun knife into his right shoulder.
“Nice try…But when it comes to CQC, I’ve got the upper hand.”
“Even if you do get a hold of the System, you’ll only have one part of the Patriots’ Al…The military part.” Snake grunted in pain.
Liquid chuckled. “What of it, brother?” He pulled Snake up, which was painful for him. “It’s only matter of time before I have anything.” He shocked Snake with the stun function.
“Remember GW? The Al they think they lost? It’s mine – a part of my army.” He shove Snake away.
“Impossible! We destroyed it!”
Liquid then replied that GW was just cut in little pieces, pieces that he was able to reconstruct. Snake’s brother stowed it away inside JD’s network. That way, JD couldn’t recognize GW as threat. Once JD was destroyed by Liquid with a nuclear strike, the Patriots’ network would be his.
“You’re planning to rebuild the Patriots?” Edward asked Liquid.
“Soldier, I and Snake were created by the Patriots. We’re not men. We’re shadows in the shape of men.”
He started to beat Snake and blocked every counterattack. “We’re freaks who never should have existed! We’re a System…insurance that future generations never prosper.” He shocked Snake again.
“The Patriots saw fit to create us, and in doing so became our only reason d’etre.”
He then said he would kill Zero and Big Boss to become a Patriot himself. It all began with those two, that his and Snake’s purpose was to fulfil their destiny.
He shocked Snake a third time until he collapsed. “Take that Snake, make him suffer, Liquid!” Broken Pony cheered.
“Tell me Edward, what’s your secret? I could use a man like you in my team.” Liquid tried to convince him to join.
“Runs in the Family. I will make you pay for hurting Noi!”
“Noi? I’m afraid; she’s no longer the child you used to know. But I give you one last chance. Join me, and together, you and her can be free from the System!”
“I’m already free from it, what else could you give me?” He taunted his former boss.
“A comfortable life with her once it is over.”
“Thank you for the offer but I need some time to think about it,” The PMC replied sarcastically.
“So be it.” Liquid took an apple EVA lost from the ground and gave it the filly that was happy for getting the Apple.
She let go of Edward, he collapsed as his body had cramps.
“The time has come for you to witness…Witness our moment of triumph!” Liquid clenching his right hand before he got on his boat with his FROGS “Let’s go!” he commanded and the boat started the engine, driving away.
As Edward recovered and got up, he heard Noi’s voice. “I’m so sorry, Liquid forced me to do this…”
I don’t know if she’s speaking to me via the nanomachines or if I just imagine it, but I will safe her!
Noi enjoyed the ride but hoped Edward would understand.
As the boat leaved the underground aqueduct, a spotlight turned on from starboard.
While her helmet offered some Glare protection, she still covered her eyes with one hoof.
“Hold it right there, Liquid!” Meryl shouted via megaphone.
He didn’t stop, 5 Mark V Special Operations Crafts operated by Meryl’s U.S. Army/Marine joint unit intercepted his boat.
“Drop your weapons and stand down, now!”
The boats surrounded Liquid’s boat, 3 US military helicopters, which were a fusion of the UH-60 Blackhawk forward fuselage, with the Kamov Ka-50 (and its variants) for the coaxial rotor and tail flew over his boat, snipers armed with M82 Anti-materiel rifles on board.
On a bridge, 4 Humvees with US soldiers, armed with XM8s stopped and got into position.
The US boats also activated spotlights, making it very uncomfortable for Noi as he shielded her eyes with both forelegs.
“All of you, drop your weapons and put your hands up!” Meryl ordered as Snake and Edward helped Eva on her boat.
Then it drove over to Liquid’s CB90. He was unimpressed and raised his hands to make a gesture.
“Aim!” Meryl ordered and drew her Desert Eagle.
“Liquid! Stop!” Snake shouted.
“No!” Edward was worried that Noi could get hurt in the crossfire.
“Fire!” Meryl gave the order as Liquid made a pointing gesture.
The spotlights turned off. Meryl and the US soldiers tried to fire, but their weapons made only clicking sounds as if the safety was on.
Edward couldn’t fire, he didn’t want to risk hurting Noi.
“The system is mine! Your weapons and guns are no longer your own! Behold…Guns of the Patriots.” Snake’s brother gestured his hands in a shooting manner as if firing with handguns, pointing at a helicopter. “Bang! Bang!”
The rotors of the helicopters stopped and they crashed into the water, the soldiers diving in panic to cover.
Liquid laughed triumphantly. “Die!” Making the handgun gesture again, the FROGS and Noi fired with their P90s at Meryl’s boat. Noi tried her best not to hit Edward.
Good for her, he was not hit at all, using the cabin for cover.
Then Liquid pointed the “handgun” to his head as if he committed suicide. “Bang!”
All his enemies got disconnected, holding their heads, screaming and moaning in pain as all previously suppressed emotions were released.
Again, the man known as Liquid laughed in triumph. Then he made two “handguns” and his small army massacred the US forces, Broken Pony laughed sadistic and smiled, enjoying the carnage as she fired her P90.
Liquid called out to the sky, “Do you see this, Zero? We are victorious! Behold! Guns of the Patriots!” He clenched his hand.
Edward, like through a miracle, wasn’t hit at all as they ceased fire.
Then, he noticed that a stray shot had hit him in his left arm.
The modified CB90s tank turret aimed at Rat Patrol 01S boat. “Out of my way!” Liquid shouted.
The explosion from the shot from the turret threw all except Eva and Snake over board.
The CB drove close to the damaged and burning boat.
“Let them have it. We don’t need it anymore.” Vamp obeyed Liquid and threw the pyx into the fire.
Big Mama leaped into the fire in a futile attempt to retrieve the body, Snake attempted to pull her away.
Liquid drew a Thor .45-70. “So long, Snake!” He shot the biomort in the head, ensuring its destruction, triggering a fiery explosion that caught Snake, badly burning the left side of his face.
“Edward!” Noi jumped into the water, to safe him from drowning.
Her armor was waterproof to some extent and the helmet supplied her with oxygen.
Her human stepfather was sinking, passed out as his head hit the hull very hard before he was fallen into the water.
She grabbed him by his right arm and used all her strength to get him out of the water and on land.
“Edward! Daddy!” She called out but he wasn’t responding. “No!” She pressed her forelegs on his chest and performed CPR.
“Daddy…Don’t give up on me.” It didn’t work and he stayed lifeless. “D-daddy…”
Suddenly, the still unconscious soldier spat out water.
“Daddy, you’re alive!” She was very glad that her life saving efforts weren't in vain.
Her HUD showed that he was stable, so she went back on the CM90 as Snake screamed “Otacon!” as the Mk.II jumped on Liquid's boat unseen.
Sometime later, Edward regained consciousness on the Nomad, learning that Eva had died.
Sunny had made him some eggs which he enjoyed as he watched the video feed from the Mk.II with Otacon and Snake.
“We’ll launch a stealth nuclear warhead at JD.” Liquid revealed his plan.
“I thought you couldn’t control a nuke with GW.” Naomi saw this as a problem.
“We can’t. We’ve taken over their guns and heavy weapons, but the WMDs are still under JD’s control,” Liquid took his glasses off, “That’s where REX comes in. I know where to find nukes they don’t control. Vamp, how long until REX is ready?”
“All that’s left is the final check. We’ve identified JD’s location through GW. An abandoned 20th century satellite orbit, disguised as debris.”
“A clever place to hide,” Naomi commented.
“Satellite orbit...”
“With the stealth nuke, there’s no need to worry about the Patriots intercepting it. By the time they realize what’s happening, it’ll be all over,” “Vamp explained.
“Once JD – the core Al – is destroyed…GW’s priority will raise to 1. And all the systems under JD’s control will then ours to command. Now go. Prepare our Haven.” Liquid ordered.
“Yes, boss,” Vamp replied as Noi bumped in the Mk.II “What the devil is this…?!" He asked before the feed cut off as it got bucked away by the filly.
After it ended, Edward looked after Sunny. “The eggs were delicious.”
Sunny smiled. “Thank you. Can you do me a favor?”
“Yes?” Edward was eager to hear it.
“Tell Naomi I cooked them right.”
“Of course, my dear.” He ruffled her hair.
“Oh, before I forget, a package came for you.” He gave him a packed almost too big for her.
“Thanks.” When he opened it, the young man couldn’t believe his eyes. Inside the package were the cold weather gear of his father of his time as Arctic warfare trooper in the Next-Generation Special Forces, and the engraved AM D114 Pistol from his time in the Diamond Dogs. There was also a letter from Edward’s mother.
Dear Edward,
I know it’s a while since we wrote each other and it feels like forever. While tiding out the attic, I found your father’s old uniform and sidearm. After I heard what happened to you, I thought I send them too you, thinking they could be useful.
I’m so proud of you that you helped that little child in the Middle East, father would be too. I wish you luck that you can save her. I would like to meet her when this is all over.
Sincerely, your mother
He wondered how his mother knew about Noi until he saw the Postscript.
PS: A woman named Meryl informed me about the child
The young man putted the uniform on, it fitted perfectly. A new voice downstairs said where his next destination was.
“A long-forgotten base, in US territory, outside the Patriots’ control…The place where Liquid made his debut…His monument. Off the Alaskan coast, in the Fox Archipelago…”
“Shadow Moses Island.” Snake and Edward said in unison.
Shadow Moses Island. The place where everything began for Snake, and where everything ended for Edward’s father.