#facingthenukes

       Snake gazed at Huey for a while, then lowered his cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke into the other’s face. “Actually, Mister Peace Walker, we do need you there, to check over the schematics and verify some of the documents.” Hal could have done the schematics alone, but having another pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt anything.

       “Doctor Emmerich,” Snake said, cutting him off calmly, “I know. Relax. I’ll be wheeling you there, if that’s what you want, or you can wheel yourself. Either way, we’re all going, so there’s no point in complaining. You’re not weaseling out of this. You’re free to try, though, if you like the sound of your own voice.”

       “There’s no such thing as a deterrent,” Snake said, folding his arms. “Eventually, for it to serve its purpose, it has to be used in an attack, or it’s not effective. The idea that deterrents are non-violent is a myth cooked up by governments and people like Big Boss so they can say that they were in the right when they build weapons like Metal Gear. And that’s what they are -- weapons. Weapons that are meant to do one thing: kill.”

       “Mrrgh? And how many people have you used, Doctor Emmerich?” He had no doubt that Huey had been used at some point in his life. After all, one could say that life was just a process of using and being used by others. If they were good, they gave and received the best that they and their partners had to offer, but that wasn’t often the case. As much as Hal’s father wanted to claim victimhood, in his case, it went hand in hand with being a manipulator. He had dug his own grave.

The most he gives him is a breath of a laugh--sarcastic, mildly meek. “Sometimes it’s hard, okay? Work comes first--it always will.” Even then, Hal wasn’t too sure if he could even say the same for his dad.

       “Actually, I just came by because I have something to say to you.”

       “Hating me has nothing to do with it, but it’s good to stay focused on the mission.” Folding his arms over his chest, he huffed a laugh and shook his head at Huey. “You’re asking me to change for you? Sorry, Emmerich, I don’t love you enough to even try. I mean, you haven’t bought me dinner yet or anything.” He stopped and took a drag on his cigarette. “Really. I’m not an easy person to like. You’ll just have to live with it.”

       “I don’t see any reason for you not to,” the saboteur said casually, lowering his cigarette and exhaling a long stream of smoke into Emmerich’s face. “If you want to hate me, hate me. You could find an excuse to. It’s not that hard. Besides, I don’t care. Instead of torturing yourself over it, just do it. It’d be one of the least harmful things you’ve ever done.”