DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Metal Gear is created by Hideo Kojima and owned by Konami. Genshin Impact is owned by miHoYo.

METAL GEAR SHOGUN

Episode 15
TARNISHED HISTORY

"Do it, Jacqueline…" She heard the voice say.

"No… I can't…" Her own voice responded, sounding younger.

"He's only a liability." The first voice spoke. "He's betrayed us – and you, too."

"But he was my…"

"He's a filthy traitor! It's better that he dies now before he becomes too much of an issue later!"

She could see the African boy lying against the wall, fear in his eyes.

"Now, Jacqueline…" The voice commanded her. "Cut off his arm."

She saw her own hands reach towards the boy. "No… no…!" She tried to object, but she wasn't in control of her own body. The combat knife she was holding dug into the boy's elbow joint. "I can't…!" Her arm began cutting, and the African boy screamed in pain.

"NOOO!"

Ei awoke in a cold sweat. She was back inside the housing unit, in her bed. She pinched herself to make sure this was real. It hurt like it was.

Another bad dream.

Ei had been experiencing these nightmares for a long time now. She knew the NGO that took her in performed counseling sessions on her, but she couldn't remember for what.

It certainly wouldn't do her any good just sitting in bed and stressing about it. Ei decided to go outside for some fresh air.

/-\ Fort Hood, November 17th, 2004 /-\

Ei leaned against the outside wall, smoking a cigarette. The fresh air didn't do much to help her attitude, so she decided to light up a cigarette and inhale its contents. She was aware of the possible dangers of smoking, as the nicotine in the cigarettes and other tobacco products was highly addictive. However, she couldn't disagree that taking in the cigarette smoke helped calm her down – as a matter of fact, she was feeling more relaxed already.

"Jacqueline…!" A voice caught Ei's attention. She turned her head to see Drill Sergeant Fletcher approaching her. "What're you doing out here?"

"Just trying to calm down, sir." She responded.

"Well as long as you're here, you might as well run a few laps while you're at it." Fletcher added.

"Is that an order, sir?"

"Heh, sure thing, maggot."

Ei began jogging around the track alongside Drill Sergeant Fletcher. They continued for several minutes before Fletcher inquired about what Ei was calming down about in the first place.

"So what's the problem, Jackie?" Fletcher questioned.

"Sir…?"

"You said you were calming down. What exactly were you calmin' down from?"

Ei didn't speak for a moment. "Nightmares, sir…" She finally answered.

"The heebie-jeebies got'cha, maggot?" Fletcher taunted lightly. Ei wasn't amused, and the Drill Sergeant noticed. "It's alright, I get it. This sort of profession can be pretty stressful. But I'm sure you didn't just sign up without knowin' what you were getting yourself into. You must've had a reason to join."

"That's… the thing, sir." Ei responded. "I'm not sure why I decided to join the military."

Fletcher let out a hum of confusion and looked at Ei. "How come?" He questioned her.

Ei slowed down her jog to a walk, and Fletcher followed suit. "Well, it isn't something I can explain with words, but I will try." Ei began. "These nightmares… I've had them for a long time. I'm not able to figure out what they are supposed to mean, nor why I am having them. But they feel familiar. Like I have actually lived through them. It was only after joining the military that I felt… something."

"What kind of 'something'?" Fletcher asked.

"That's the part I can't describe." Ei answered. "It almost feels like a part of me that I've forgotten. But whatever it is, I feel… relieved whenever I take a life in virtual reality. Do you understand, sir?"

Fletcher thought for a moment. "Sorry, but I don't think I do." He responded. "But maybe you could use a bit of R&R. I'll talk with Lieutenant Greene to see if he can help."

"Lieutenant Greene?" Ei asked. "What will you be talking about with him?"

"Ah, he's been planning something for a couple weeks now." Fletcher answered. "Says it's not work-related, so maybe he can include you in it."

"I see." Ei replied. "I'll ask him later today."

"Alright." Fletcher spoke. "Now keep up with your exercises, maggot. Don't want you fallin' outta practice, now."

/-\ Virtual Reality /-\

Ei loaded into the VR environment as usual. This exercise was different, as it would be a set of consecutive courses she would need to run through back-to-back. She had taken these kinds of courses before, and decided to tackle a few of them while she was able. One of which was a set of ten short courses which tested the runner's ability to navigate a hostile environment without a weapon. If she was spotted by an enemy, the exercise would be over. This exercise was the one Ei was currently going through.

Ei turned around the corner and hid in a small alcove on her left. A single guard occupied this course, who stopped a few feet short of her hiding place. The guard returned to his original position, allowing Ei to sneak up behind him and knock him unconscious with a short close-quarters combo. She reached the first stage's waypoint, being transported to the second stage.

The second stage was box-shaped, with wall-like obstacles blocking the middle of each of the four quadrants of the area. Two guards were present – one in the center of the north area and the other in the southeast area. Ei appeared in the southwest area, making her way to the north corner, then running east down the north side of the platform. She was able to time her advance so that the guard to the north would be facing away when she reached the middle of the north face. After Ei reached the northeast corner, she entered into the ending waypoint, clearing the stage.

For stage three, Ei appeared in the southwest section, next to a raised section that blocked off the middle of the platform. The path ahead of her led around the edge of the platform while the one to her right seemingly led to a dead end. Inspecting closer, she saw a small vent-like opening, big enough for her to crawl inside. She crawled into the opening, making her way deeper inside.

To Ei's right was a path with two exits on its right side. She knew the exit waypoint was in the southeast corner of the platform, so she crawled all the way to the end and crawled out of the far exit. Almost directly outside of the opening was the exit waypoint, which she promptly walked into after standing up.

The next stage was similar to the second, only that it was a boxy area with walls that blocked progress. The biggest obstacle was shaped like a wave, with two smaller walls to its north, on opposite sides. It was parallel, with one guard each in the gaps between the walls, and a final guard patrolling the way that led to the exit in the middle.

Ei, who appeared at the "apex" of the wave, made her way around the northeast wall, pausing at the gap between it and the wave-shaped wall. She waited for the guard there to turn around, then taking the opportunity to move to the other side. The guard surveying the south side of the platform was still facing towards Ei's position, but since she was behind the corner, she was safe from detection. Once the guard turned back, she silently walked to the center of the southmost part of the wall, entering the opening and reaching the waypoint to exit.

Stage five was shaped like a diamond, or at least as close to a diamond as possible with the square-like edges of the platform. A majority of the center's floor was a lighter shade of blue than the rest of the course, signifying it would make noise if it were stepped on hard enough. The two guards in the center were sleeping, but the two on the edge were actively watching for intruders.

Ei appeared behind a wall on the south side of the course, walking around the outside of the glowing floor. If she moved slowly, she would be able to traverse it without making a sound. She got low and crawled behind the two sleeping guards, arriving at a safe place directly in the platform's middle. The exit point was behind a small wall to her north, so Ei continued crawling as to not make any noise. Making sure that the other two guards had their backs turned, she crawled around the wall and into the waypoint, clearing the stage.

Ei reappeared in stage six, a long corridor with security cameras on its walls. There were two on the right wall and one in the middle of the left wall. Only four small walls in the center of the stage were available to provide cover. She hid on the right of the closest one, waiting for the camera to pan over to the side. Once it reached the farthest point, Ei ran between the walls and through the camera's blind spot over to the other side. She carefully walked between the two camera's fields of vision as they panned back ahead. Once again reaching the farthest point, Ei ran between the two walls farthest from her starting point, stepping around to the right and into the endpoint.

Ei started stage seven in a corridor that twisted to the right and then the left, like a snake. Not only that, but sets of red lasers lined the corridor, forming a precise web to navigate. She took a few seconds to squeeze through the first, but quickly went through the second with no issue. The third set of lasers almost ended with Ei running right through them, but she stopped to study them, finding a way through, and moving through them.

Exiting the twisting section of the stage, Ei saw a smaller version of the second stage, with only a single guard, but walls of lasers periodically appearing and disappearing. She went into the southwest corner of the "laser maze," waiting for the guard to turn his attention away from the left side. Eventually, he did, and Ei walked over to the center of the left wall. Both sets of lasers in the northwest corner deactivated, and she quickly ran to the exit waypoint in the middle of the northmost area.

Stage eight was shaped like a key, with walls surrounding the edges of the platform. A single guard was present close to where Ei began, but behind an obstacle. Ei knocked on the wall, making a noise that drew the lone guard away. She ran to the key's "ring," finding another guard patrolling around the exit point. She once again knocked on the wall, distracting the guard and drawing it away from the waypoint. Ei took advantage of her distraction and entered the waypoint, ending the stage.

Stage nine placed Ei on a platform trapped with various pitfalls. In her immediate area, there was a guard patrolling an area with a single pitfall on her left, and a corridor of pitfalls on her right. Opting to take the path with fewer pitfalls, Ei waited for the guard to look away, then carefully sneaking around the edge of the platform, to the next area. The next area was somewhat similar to the first one, only copied and rotated ninety degrees clockwise. Once more, Ei waited for the guard present to wander off, running to the end of the area.

Only the end of the course was on the other side of two pitfalls, with a guard periodically checking the ending waypoint. There was no way to circumvent the pitfalls. Ei would have to be quick and use proper timing. She waited for the last guard to turn away from the waypoint, then running as fast as she could to the endpoint. Shortly after she stepped on each pitfall, they opened up to swallow whatever stood atop them whole. Ei was able to avoid falling into them, entering the waypoint, and finishing the course.

Ei appeared in the tenth and final stage, moving to an opening to her right. There was a wall with a surveillance camera on its left side and a guard on its right. She knocked on the wall to lure the guard, hiding until he was within reach. She then knocked the guard unconscious, moving around the wall and towards a new area.

Right ahead was a pathway with a pitfall at its entrance, but that wasn't important. To the right was a section of glowing floors which would alert the enemies if she didn't walk carefully on it. Ei knew the ending waypoint was just past there, but a pair of guards patrolled atop it. Ei hid, waiting for one of the guards to leave. Eventually, one of the guards went behind a wall, leaving Ei to knock the remaining guard out. She then crawled across the glowing floor, turning to her right to enter the final waypoint. Once she reached there, she walked into the endpoint, successfully clearing the entire exercise. As usual, the VR environment around her began to dissipate.

/-\ Fort Hood, Mess Hall /-\

Ei sat in the mess hall, eating a well-deserved meal. The lingering stress from her nightmare had not gone away, but she was still able to lessen it a bit. A decent meal went a long way, after all. Looking up from her tray, she noticed Lieutenant Greene approaching her.

"Afternoon, Jacqueline." Greene greeted her.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant." Ei replied.

"So, Drill Sergeant Fletcher tells me you've been having some nightmares." Greene began. "Is this true?"

"Yes, sir." Ei answered. "For a while now."

"I see. Well, maybe I can show you something to help take your mind off it. Tell me, are you a movie person?"

"Movie…?" Ei questioned.

"Yeah." Greene stated. "What, do you not like movies?"

Ei had seen movies before. She wasn't sure which movies she had seen, or even when she did see them, but she did remember that they seemed somewhat graphic.

"No, it's fine." She spoke. "Do you… want to show me a movie…?"

"If that's okay with you." Greene answered. "To be honest, Godzilla's 50th anniversary was about a week or two ago, and I'm a pretty big Godzilla fan. Figured me and a few other people could watch one of his movies together. Are you interested?"

"Godzilla…?" Ei thought out loud. "What is it about?"

"Well, Godzilla is a giant radioactive lizard that goes on a rampage in Tokyo. Though, in the movie I'm thinking about watching, he wrecks New York City. Do you want to see?"

Ei thought for a moment. A movie about such wanton destruction would not be worth watching, but something about this one stroked her curiosity. That, and Lieutenant Greene did offer her to watch with him. It would be somewhat rude to reject his offer. After a few seconds, she answered.

"Very well, sir." Ei answered. "I will watch with you."

"Thank you, Jacqueline." Lieutenant Greene spoke. He seemed genuinely happy about her taking interest in his hobbies. "I'll set it up quickly, so just hang tight."

Two and a half hours later, the movie was finished. Ei had never seen anything like it before. The closest comparison would be when the Watatsumi Omikami, Orobashi, attacked Yashiori Island with his followers. Though, both events were still vastly different. While the creature Godzilla travelled to New York City merely to find a place to nest its young – inadvertently causing the Chrysler Building and most of the city to get wrecked in the process – neither Ei nor her sister Makoto fully understood the reason behind Orobashi's attack.

"So, what did you think?" Lieutenant Greene asked Ei. She had somewhat of a difficulty with finding the right words to describe what she thought.

"It's…" She began. "First and foremost, it is very frightening. To think that nuclear weapons can so drastically alter the wildlife… Is it true that nuclear test sites like the one in this movie are inhabited by such enormous beasts? Surely, they should be properly contained, at least?"

Greene seemed taken aback by Ei's statement. After a few seconds, he simply responded with, "It's just a narrative device."

Ei blinked. "'Narrative device'?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah." Greene spoke. "It's just make-believe."

"So it's… made up?" Ei asked Greene.

"That's right." He answered.

"What's the point of that?" Ei spoke. "Without being grounded in reality, how can the story be believable? Also, I'm fairly certain that New York City is doing all right for the most part, even after the terrorist attacks from three years ago."

"Jacqueline, it's a movie, not a report out of Los Alamos." Greene said, somewhat disappointed. "I don't get what's so hard to understand."

"So… giant creatures like that don't exist?"

"Yeah."

"Then, Godzilla is…?"

"Just a fictional creature."

Ei pondered what was just told to her. "But then, what is the point of watching movies like these?" She asked. "Is there any kind of meaningful takeaway from this?"

"Well, it's mostly mindless fun, but it's also got a serious anti-nuke message as well." Greene answered. "Nuclear weapons are dangerous and can impact our environment in the long-term, but they haven't made any kaiju just yet."

"You sure know a lot about movies." Ei stated, equal parts amazed and confused.

"Yeah, I guess." Lieutenant Greene spoke. "For instance, the building King Kong climbed in his movie was the Empire State. I don't suppose you're the movie-watching type, are you?"

"I don't know." Ei answered. "Perhaps I have not yet found a movie I like."

"Okay, then. Maybe next time, I can just get you a documentary." Greene stood up and began to leave the room. "At least you forgot about your nightmares, right?"

Ei was confused for a moment, but then realized. The movie that Lieutenant Greene showed her had distracted her from her nightmares. She smiled a bit. Even if she did not fully understand what she was shown, she was certainly grateful that she could lose herself, for at least a moment. She stood up herself and began to get back to her schedule.

Okay, this chapter is a little bit of a filler chapter, but it does set up a major event in the future. I actually watched the 1998 Godzilla movie to prepare for writing this chapter, and I thought this was a good way to give Ei this information about which skyscraper was in which movie. Here are the reviews.

Gabrielito: Thank you very much for your support. Don't worry, Ei won't be getting into any really harmful drugs at all. Maybe when she returns to Teyvat, she'll take a little of Jacqueline with her.

Thank you for reading again! I'll see you later!

-Azzy Asbourne