Part 30: Episode XXII: Shadow Seal
Alright. Now that we've gotten Pyro Bison to simmer down, let's see if we can't get any answers out of him. I mean, Metal Gear Solid 1 got a lot of flack for dying boss monologues spilling their entire backstory before croaking. But... only two bosses actually did that. And we've already met that quota! So maybe we can get something out of this jerk instead of background fluff...
"...I know that I'm a sinner without you having to tell me. But... why 'shadow'?"
"...Huh?" "Shadow. You said you were in my shadow. That was weird." "When did I say that...?" "Before we fought." "Oh... Oh! Right, right. Stop living in your shadow and all that." "All right. You'll learn what your sins really are..."
Black Chamber Theme
"...shadow of Fox-Hound." "Go on." "Seven years ago, you destroyed Metal Gear here in Outer Heaven, and put Fox-Hound in the headlines. Everyone in the world knew the name 'Solid Snake' ...and so you became the 'Legend.' "....." "Yeah, that was kind of awkward. Whatever happened to 'classified covert operation'...?" "But Fox-Hound got too famous. Since Outer Heaven, its every move was watched by intelligence organizations everywhere. Truly covert operations became impossible. So Black Chamber was created. We took over every covert ops that had been Fox-Hound's - assassination of anti-American foreign leaders, removal of domestic civilians engaged in anti-establishment activities, intervention in strifes and civil wars that affect American interest...doing the dirty work in the dark, on and on in the shadow of the great 'Legend'..." "...So the issue you Black Chamber guys have is that you... didn't get famous...? Am I understanding that right...?" "I never wanted to be called the 'Legend.'"
"...difficult missions, why you're here right now!" "You do know in the whole Outer Heaven thing I was a rookie and my commander, Big Boss, sent me in to get killed, right? And I'm here now because I've actually fought through this place before and your boss is threatening the world with Metal Gear and a nuke. I'm not doing it to give Tom Clancy more fodder for airport bookstore reading material..." "Your deeds speak louder than your words, Fox-Hounder!" "You've killed 2 people here already! Of course you want to be the 'Legend;' deep inside, you want the glory. And you keep killing for it, because it's the only thing you're good at."I'd just like to stop and note that the game actually does keep track of how many people Snake has killed thus far and adjusts Pyro Bison's kill count accordingly. Since I'm a badass at Tactical Espionage Action (just not SPEED RUN Tactical Espionage Action
) the tally only lists two: Slasher Hawk and lMarionette Owl. I thought that was a spiffy detail for its day. I think my kill count the first time I played was well into the double digits since the series was very murder oriented up until MGS2 introduced the tranquilizer gun and pacifist runs was the new name of the game. "....." "I've got more good news for you, my pathetic friend. There's one of us among your trusted rank." "What?!" "Heh, heh, heh. Didn't you think it was strange that we knew about you coming? That we were waiting for you every step of the way?" "But..." "When you were talking to each other, you were talking to us." "But, that's not possible..." "I mean, unless you know the frequency already. But who would sit around and tune through 200 frequencies just at the off chance you'd catch a communication...?" "I see someone has never been told to 'look at the back of the CD case' and not had a CD case to look upon..." "Yes, Snake... Suspect. Suspect everything, everyone, and die without knowing. Your doubts and suffering, your hatred, is the best tribute to my fallen comrades. Two years since the trap closed... only five of us left, the rest of Black Chamber dead at traitors' hands." "Five?" "This is planned payback: to Fox-Hound, to you, to 'Anonymous.' GLF are just pawns in our greater scheme. Viper will take care of the rest - I can die in peace. But I don't need your help."
"...it cleanses all things alike...it is the great equalizer...of both the sinful and the innocent... That's where I'll die...in the heart of the fire... Pyro Bison points his flamethrower at the ground and flicks it on...
"The heat! This is what I've been looking for -! I'm burning!!!!" "Oh God, YES!"
And so Pyro Bison burns away into ash. Yes, we just watched a boss commit suicide by self-immolation and reach orgasm climax while doing so...
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Rated E for...
Intruder 1 (Metal Gear Solid)
Following Bison's death, the Snake radios the Colonel to ask what the deal is with the whole traitor thing...
"I heard Snake. Don't let the enemy get to you. There is no way a spy could be among us."
"Wanna bet?" "What did you say?!" "There are too many weird things about this mission, including this committee."
"What the hell are you saying?" "Take you, for example. Why is the CIA butting into an Army operation? And you're a little too full of advice, eh?"
"...He's really not." "Weasel, stop this." "You too, Campbell. Aren't you retired? What the hell are you doing here?" "Likely because I'd have told anyone else to get the hell off my property..." "That's because -" "And you know something about Black Chamber that you're not telling us. Am I right?" "....." "Cat got your tongue? Right to remain silent, eh?"
"Stop it!" "Hey, sweetheart, you're no exception. I don't care what kind of hot shot techie you are. A grad student on a classified mission - that's weird." "You...!" "And the proverb thing. I mean who the hell does that? Did you minor in pretentiousness at MIT? You're weird, lady. Weird. Plus sometimes you've got a thick Chinese accent and sometimes you don't. What's up with that, huh?" "Well, are you any better?" "What'd you mean?" "You think I don't know? Five years ago in that war? Your own brother and -" "What's it to you?" "I'm just saying that you can't be trusted." "Good! It's no compliment to have your trust." "Besides... Hello! My name is 'WEASEL'. At least I'm up front with being untrustworthy." :Enough of this! There is no spy. This is an enemy tactic to confuse and divide us. Snake, just think about preventing that nuclear strike. Take out the power plant. Snake... you have to trust me." "I'd like to..." "But I'm going to tell you ahead of time, if the 'General' turns out to be you in blackface, I'm going to be pissed..."
And with that Snake ends the bicker fest on the radio and proceeds further into the power plant.