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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 30: Tense Peace (2 of 2)

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I woke up and... it was still night. I think it's been just a few hours since I got kidnapped, especially since there was barely any light coming from the broken windows of the warehouse where I had been taken to.

Also...

DING! New Skill Acquired!
(Drug Resistance (Normal) - LVL.1/100) - Your body's capacity to resist all forms of normal drugs. Current Resistance: 1%.

Thank you Game for not telling me that could be an issue.

I gritted my teeth as I felt my body still sleepy while I took notice of the overall surroundings. I was sitting on a steel chair bolted to the ground, and my hands were tied with chains. A lot of them. Still, not enough to stop me... until I recovered a bit.

Blinking, I realized that I wasn't alone. Sitting on a similar chair, but very free and staring at me from afar was a man with short gray hair and a sharp pair of eyes. He wore a red bandana around his head, a green jacket over a black shirt and a pair of camo pants.

Frank Jaeger
Gray Fox

He didn't keep put for long as he stood up and then walked on another side of the room. Silence continued as I looked at him while he carried a TV through a wheeled desk and he got it right in front of me. Two long wire connecting it to a generator and... outside, an antenna.

Stopping, Frank picked a radio and muttered something rapidly in German. A few minutes later, the TV was turned on and I was staring at the man himself - The Legendary Soldier, the Man who Sold the World... Big Boss.

He was sitting behind a desk, looking like an old frail thing of the past, a relic of a bygone era... I knew better that this was all but a silly ploy as the man was still the crafty fox that shaped the 'idealism' behind The Boss' post-death views of the world for mercenaries.

"Tsukino Shingo," He spoke in English. "Can you understand me?"

"I can, sir," I spoke in fluent English and I saw a hint of relief wash on the wrinkly face before he rewarded me with another flat look. "So, what did I do to deserve this kind of warm invitation?"

"I don't need to explain myself as you seem already conscious of what is going on."

I was 'too' calm to be unaware, and I rolled my eyes at that.

"How did you do it?"

"We couldn't get much data on your sister," Big Boss remarked truthfully. "Something about her alternative form masks her face and other major traits, but we were able to triangulate your home by checking Moon Knight's patterns and the limited times you cooperated with your sister within the very district you live."

Yeah, that was bound to be... wait.

"That doesn't explain how you tracked me down in regard to my identity."

"It doesn't," Big Boss confirmed with a nod. "But I like to not reveal my cards all at once. I wish for this to be an exchange of sort."

My lips twitched. "You want to know if we are potential threats."

"That's one of my worries, yes."

"We are not." I assured and he frowned, causing me to sigh. "Acta non verba."

Frank snorted. "Deeds not words."

"Your conduct has been positive in many situations, yes," Big Boss agreed with me on this. "But there are many things we don't know about you and... the Sailor Scouts."

"Ask, and I shall try to answer your questions, Big Boss."

Frank retrieved his chair. He could already tell it was going to be a long talk.

"Then let's start with the simplest question one can think on the matter: are you and your sister aliens?"

"We are not, but we aren't normal humans either due to some specific situations," I answered calmly. "My sister and her friends are representations of celestial bodies. Actually, reincarnations of said representations."

"Reincarnations?"

"It may be too long to explain the full story, but I will just say that this is the 'Second Human Era' as far as we know. The first one having ended partly because of the dark sun that spook you and many others in regard to your 'safe planning'," I started to explain. "Everyone died back then, but a new cycle was created to allow a situation where the threat could be eventually handled without having to restart again."

"What is this 'Threat'? This sun-like entity that almost destroyed the planet?"

"Her name was Metalia. And she was a fragment of a greater entity that has been at war with life itself for several eons now: Chaos."

"Like a deity or-" Frank guessed, but I interjected him.

"It's more of a hive-minded entity. To put it bluntly, it's that sort of primordial essence that is inherently against any form of order. It isn't evil by an objective point of view, but its goal is to destroy any form of order and rule unconquered over the minds of all."

"Uncompromising, vicious... uncaring," Big Boss listed out quietly. "I suppose that it is a form of monstrosity that seeks something in particular. Something held within Earth. Does a 'Sailor Earth' or 'Sailor Terra' exist?"

"No. And I get what you're suggesting- Earth is unimportant in terms of location. But it is the place where what it needs is held: the power of the Moon."

"The moon is not a planet," Frank pointed out and I smiled. "Unless we are missing more details."

"The Moon is not a planet, yes. But it is unique due to its 'pure' composition. The Silver Crystal is the source of power of Sailor Moon, but it is not exactly a simple trinket for a magical girl- it is an endless source of power that, if wielded by the right user, can truly shape Earth as a whole in a little Heaven... or a dystopic society."

"That sounds particularly-"

"Dangerous for someone that already feels the worries of losing their free wills," I interrupted Big Boss and I saw his lone eye narrow at me. "But no. My sister is not going to create an unified Earthly hegemony if that's what worries you. In fact, I think it would be more legitimate to worry about your old war buddy doing this with his AI."

My sharp tongue struck again, and I saw Big Boss frowning harshly at my words.

"What?"

"Are you not familiar about what Zero has been doing behind your back with his AIs? He is losing it even as we talk about it. The moment you truly 'betray' him, then he will truly go insane. After all, he is the only one that can keep the torch for the Boss. Not you. You lost your touch in his eyes."

Frank looked puzzled at this sudden topic. "AIs?"

"I believe you are familiar with the Peace Walker Incident. Hot Coldman may have died, but Zero found his ideas noteworthy: machine to rule humanity. The best way to achieve immortality... if only at the expense of a inhumane system that doesn't understand emotions."

The man appeared even more confused, but also nervous.

"Zero seeks to use AIs to keep the Will of The Boss alive. I am familiar with Strangelove's work but she has been dead for a long time-"

"It was passed to a new management. I believe you know him, Anderson or Sigint. They changed the system to no longer needing to learn emotions. They wish to create a sentient tool, what they will create is a digital threat that will erase humanity as a whole if not destroyed at once," I commented dryly, then frowning at Big Boss. "But you will not do it. Because you still believe there's hope in a man that has already shown you how much of a deranged madman he is."

"How do you even know all of this? I can understand the 'mystical' things, but this is... this is heavily classified."

I leaned back and... broke my chains. Frank stood up by instinct, but I didn't move out of my chair.

"That's a question I will not answer. After all, it has no point in how I know, only that I know and that we can cooperate within a deal."

It was all a game at this point. All this information was stuff I could give away without fearing repercussions. Big Boss would not approach Usagi or the others - he would monitor them, yes, but he wasn't going to target them. Not with the way I was spinning the narrative. And not with the deal I intended to snatch out of this guy.

"What deal?" Frank pressed and I smiled.

"I have information on Zero. Things that can be helpful in slowly disarming all sorts of tools he can use to try and ruin your plans to get yourself a 'successor'. Also, I can give you some contacts with organizations that are beyond Zero's reach and that can give you some tools to improve your plans to safer degree of calculations."

Big Boss frowned. "The price?"

"The basic - no one touches me, my sister, our friends. But I also want to keep in touch with you specifically, sir. Not because I want to be a troublesome contact, but I think this deal can foster more collaborations."

...

"Deal."

I offered a surprised frown. "So earnestly? I thought you would have taken your time to think about it."

"I am well aware when someone is trying to play a bigger game than they talk. You know a lot, and yet I can tell that you don't seek to cause me or the world any trouble. For now, I am willing to 'play' with your rules."

I nodded, and soon the communication ended there.

"We will contact you through more 'peaceful' ways next time, Tsukino Shingo," Frank pointed out and I nodded as I got off the chair, made an impressive high jump to the tall window on the side and shifted to my Moon Knight form. "Oh?"

"I'll look forward to that, Gray Fox."

And I left the warehouse with that, knowing that the peace I had looked forward to enjoy between seasons was nowhere to be found. Now I had to deal with the bloody backdoor deals of the Metal Gear World...

AN

Deals ensue and... next time, Amy gets a good step in her planning. Except she can't fully exploit it!