Challenge Entry: Fanfiction
Title: Gone
Pairing: Implied Snake/Fox
Theme/Genre: Weapons, Angst
Rating: Pg-13
Summary: Mantis knows a weapon when he sees one.
Two things that Mantis knew very well were soldiers, and weapons. Of course, the fact that he read minds for a living, and most of the minds he had read had belonged to soldiers, or criminals, and people who handled weapons in general. He was also quite aware of the continual pursuit of better weapons, so-called smart bombs.
Always searching for a way to create better weapons. And what better weapon could be made than one that could think for itself?
A flawed mentality, trying to create weapons capable of thinking for themselves, because at the heart of cognitive thinking was self awareness. Self awareness led to a desire for self preservation.
Any weapon that ever achieved what Psycho Mantis believed to be reliably intelligent would invariably turn on whichever poor fool was trying to control it.
Mantis felt some morbid sense of pleasure in knowing that the vaguely human thing in front of him had done just that.
Dr. Clark had done an excellent job of surgically removing humanity from the former soldier that stood in front of him.
It was curious, though that Gray Fox hadn’t tried to attack him yet, there was little doubt in his mind that the so-called Cyborg Ninja could tell he was there, even when most other humans couldn’t.
Then again, Fox was only barely human.
Entering into his mind had been surprising, and Mantis was never surprised. He had expected to find someone who had gone insane with rage. But Fox wasn’t even capable of that anymore.
The man who had been Frank Jaeger could no longer feel anger; he couldn’t even hate Dr. Clark for what had been done to him. He couldn’t mourn the death of Big Boss, the way he so dearly wanted to, even pain was almost impossible for him.
But there was just enough of the Fox left for him to know what he had lost. He remembered enough to know that he should have been angry at Dr. Clark, at the people who had done this too him. He remembered to know he should feel sad for Big Boss’ death, pain for losing him.
There were enough memories left for him to know that he should love his little sister, and that he should have painful guilt over the death of her parents.
Mantis could see how desperately Fox clung to the small fragments of feeling that were left.
And then he found Snake.
Memories of Snake were hidden deeper than anything else. Fox had been loyal to only Big Boss; he had cared and raised his little sister. But he had loved Snake. Dim shadows were all that remained, Fox could recall what love and passion and affection were, could remember what it had been like to share those with Snake. And the loss of those came closest to actually hurting.
Fox was actually beginning to make sense to Mantis.
Fox wasn’t killing out of some homicidal urge; he was killing because it was the only thing that hadn’t changed for him. Fox killed the genome soldiers because as he ended their lives he was, in some twisted way, almost himself.
Killing hadn’t changed.
But only Snake made him feel alive. Only Snake offered the possibility of death, the thrill of danger, it brought back memories of their fight in Zanzibar Land. Hand to Hand, in the mine field.
That had been difficult for Fox, to fight someone he had come to care about so deeply. Even though Snake hadn’t died, Fox had felt the loss of his friend when he had chosen Big Boss over FOXHOUND. Mourning the living was more difficult than mourning the dead. Particularly if you’re trying to kill them.
Exchange blows with Snake in the cold darkness of Shadow Moses; he could almost feel it again.
Weapons are not alive, but they can still kill. Slaughtering the genome soldiers, Fox is nothing but a weapon.
Only living things have the possibility of death. Fighting unarmed against Snake, Fox can stare at his exposed mortality and be certain that he’s human.
Psycho Mantis has seen enough.
Having seen how empty and inhuman Fox had become, Mantis felt slightly less hollow and monstrous. Psycho Mantis had filled the void inside himself with hate for the world around him. Gray Fox tried to ignore the emptiness inside him, avoided trying to replace what he has lost because he didn’t want to lose what little was left.
As Mantis withdraws from Fox’s mind, the weapon turns to look in his direction.
Weapons can destroy one another, but they are usually directed at the people behind the weapons. Fox saw no reason to attack Mantis, and Mantis found himself lacking the hate he normally felt for everyone around him.
They stared at one another from behind their respective masks. One weapon to another, they understood each other, even if they did not completely understand themselves.
Fox looked away finally.
Mantis knew where Fox was going.
Fox was going to get his fight to the death. He was going to feel alive again.
For a brief moment, he would have the peace he has always wanted; he will have made his confession about his Sister’s parents, and have that off his shoulders.
He would save Solid Snake, and fight along side him one last time.
Then he could have the closure he wants, as Metal Gear REX will have finally eliminated the need for him to wonder if he is alive or not.
Fox left without saying a word.
Frank Jaeger did not know where he was going. But he knew how he was going to get there.
~
I've actually been toying with the idea of Mantis and Cyborg Ninja Fox for a while now... this idea struck me at One in the morning and forced me to get out of bed and write. Then the next day I edited it and finished tweaking it sometime after midnight.
Pairing: Implied Snake/Fox
Theme/Genre: Weapons, Angst
Rating: Pg-13
Summary: Mantis knows a weapon when he sees one.
Two things that Mantis knew very well were soldiers, and weapons. Of course, the fact that he read minds for a living, and most of the minds he had read had belonged to soldiers, or criminals, and people who handled weapons in general. He was also quite aware of the continual pursuit of better weapons, so-called smart bombs.
Always searching for a way to create better weapons. And what better weapon could be made than one that could think for itself?
A flawed mentality, trying to create weapons capable of thinking for themselves, because at the heart of cognitive thinking was self awareness. Self awareness led to a desire for self preservation.
Any weapon that ever achieved what Psycho Mantis believed to be reliably intelligent would invariably turn on whichever poor fool was trying to control it.
Mantis felt some morbid sense of pleasure in knowing that the vaguely human thing in front of him had done just that.
Dr. Clark had done an excellent job of surgically removing humanity from the former soldier that stood in front of him.
It was curious, though that Gray Fox hadn’t tried to attack him yet, there was little doubt in his mind that the so-called Cyborg Ninja could tell he was there, even when most other humans couldn’t.
Then again, Fox was only barely human.
Entering into his mind had been surprising, and Mantis was never surprised. He had expected to find someone who had gone insane with rage. But Fox wasn’t even capable of that anymore.
The man who had been Frank Jaeger could no longer feel anger; he couldn’t even hate Dr. Clark for what had been done to him. He couldn’t mourn the death of Big Boss, the way he so dearly wanted to, even pain was almost impossible for him.
But there was just enough of the Fox left for him to know what he had lost. He remembered enough to know that he should have been angry at Dr. Clark, at the people who had done this too him. He remembered to know he should feel sad for Big Boss’ death, pain for losing him.
There were enough memories left for him to know that he should love his little sister, and that he should have painful guilt over the death of her parents.
Mantis could see how desperately Fox clung to the small fragments of feeling that were left.
And then he found Snake.
Memories of Snake were hidden deeper than anything else. Fox had been loyal to only Big Boss; he had cared and raised his little sister. But he had loved Snake. Dim shadows were all that remained, Fox could recall what love and passion and affection were, could remember what it had been like to share those with Snake. And the loss of those came closest to actually hurting.
Fox was actually beginning to make sense to Mantis.
Fox wasn’t killing out of some homicidal urge; he was killing because it was the only thing that hadn’t changed for him. Fox killed the genome soldiers because as he ended their lives he was, in some twisted way, almost himself.
Killing hadn’t changed.
But only Snake made him feel alive. Only Snake offered the possibility of death, the thrill of danger, it brought back memories of their fight in Zanzibar Land. Hand to Hand, in the mine field.
That had been difficult for Fox, to fight someone he had come to care about so deeply. Even though Snake hadn’t died, Fox had felt the loss of his friend when he had chosen Big Boss over FOXHOUND. Mourning the living was more difficult than mourning the dead. Particularly if you’re trying to kill them.
Exchange blows with Snake in the cold darkness of Shadow Moses; he could almost feel it again.
Weapons are not alive, but they can still kill. Slaughtering the genome soldiers, Fox is nothing but a weapon.
Only living things have the possibility of death. Fighting unarmed against Snake, Fox can stare at his exposed mortality and be certain that he’s human.
Psycho Mantis has seen enough.
Having seen how empty and inhuman Fox had become, Mantis felt slightly less hollow and monstrous. Psycho Mantis had filled the void inside himself with hate for the world around him. Gray Fox tried to ignore the emptiness inside him, avoided trying to replace what he has lost because he didn’t want to lose what little was left.
As Mantis withdraws from Fox’s mind, the weapon turns to look in his direction.
Weapons can destroy one another, but they are usually directed at the people behind the weapons. Fox saw no reason to attack Mantis, and Mantis found himself lacking the hate he normally felt for everyone around him.
They stared at one another from behind their respective masks. One weapon to another, they understood each other, even if they did not completely understand themselves.
Fox looked away finally.
Mantis knew where Fox was going.
Fox was going to get his fight to the death. He was going to feel alive again.
For a brief moment, he would have the peace he has always wanted; he will have made his confession about his Sister’s parents, and have that off his shoulders.
He would save Solid Snake, and fight along side him one last time.
Then he could have the closure he wants, as Metal Gear REX will have finally eliminated the need for him to wonder if he is alive or not.
Fox left without saying a word.
Frank Jaeger did not know where he was going. But he knew how he was going to get there.
~
I've actually been toying with the idea of Mantis and Cyborg Ninja Fox for a while now... this idea struck me at One in the morning and forced me to get out of bed and write. Then the next day I edited it and finished tweaking it sometime after midnight.