You don’t have the right or the ability to dictate what’s true and what’s false to Jack - not anymore.

And I don’t, either. I have no further reason to lie to Jack, not after the events of Big Shell opened his eyes to his true capacity for agency. There’s nothing I could say to make him stay with me against his will; if he’s still by my side, it’s because he wants to be.

And if one day he decides he doesn't want to be anymore, he’ll go, and I’ll be powerless to stop him.

But make no mistake, Mr. Ex-President: if he leaves me, it won’t be in order to head back to you.

Y-you keep saying I’m a killer because that’s what you want me to be… And, that… it’s only partially true. I was a killer. I won’t be anymore. 

I’m choosing to stay with Rose and be a dad! I’m not going to leave her, and I’m definitely not going to kill her, either! The only one who’ll be leaving is you, Solidus. 

Rose… she isn’t just telling me what I want to hear. I trust her. We’ve lied so much… …we’ve only got the truth left to tell each other.  

...

You-... Jack... and your pathetic woman...

This-...

This is truly disheartening. 

It seems that your woman really has... domesticated you. Taken the old attack dog and turned him into an accessory. 

I don't define you anymore, Jack. But she does. You've thrown your everything onto her. And whether it's a mutual delusion or not, both of you act like there's a chance for normalcy between you two. 

But even now, I refuse to believe it can last.

Liberia, son. The slit throats, the blood, the defilement of flesh. Every breath you breathed guaranteed someone else was robbed of their's, or worse. And you reveled in it. The rest of your brothers, they've attempted to move past. But you? Oh, I can still see that spark. And I wonder what kindling it needs to become a true fire.

The woman is right, Jack; you're not coming with me. 

But I promise you, you are not going to stay with her. Or your child. You're damaged, irreparably. And until you admit that, until you admit just how broken you are, not to this woman, but to yourself...

Well. I just hope I'm there to see the end.

Perhaps I should expedite the process by killing your lifeline now...

Yet I'm more interested in seeing what comes naturally.

This isn't the end for us, Jack.

And especially not for you and I, woman. You... interest me.

And this, ex-President Sears, is why you couldn’t fool anyone into thinking you were Solid Snake, not even for a moment.

There’s one thing you were right about - we are the products of the memes we inherit. But Jack has inherited more than just yours. You’re not the only Snake he’s met, and you’re not the only Snake who’s passed something on to him. Your brother thwarted you during Big Shell, and he’s going to thwart you again right here, right now.

Jack, remember when we reunited in Manhattan after the incident? You told me about what Snake had told you, and then you made a promise. You made it to me, to our child, to yourself, and to Snake.

And I know you wouldn’t let him down, not for the world.

Rose… I-! … …

…Thank you. You’re right, I promised. I promised all of you that I would find something worth passing on. That I… I’d find the self that I want to be…

I won’t let any of you down. I… swear I’ll find something. I can be a good man, Rose… I can…

...and so this is the woman carrying your spawn, Jack?

Well. Hold her tongue, or I'll make due cutting it out of her.

I do hope you don't really believe her, son. Whatever promise you think you made means nothing. Because in the end, no matter how many memes you receive, no matter how many lies you adopt, my gift to you has taken the deepest root.

The gift of subservience. 

Solid Snake, this woman, the Patriots, you cling to the memes they have given you. They make you feel like you're free, that you're making your own choice. But look at the way you just bend to her judgement. The way you need her to 'remind' you of what you swore to uphold. She's your everything, isn't she? For now at least.

All you've done is replace me Jack, with a new master, to give you a new lie you can believe in.

But one look at you, and I can see the killer. It won't last. Eventually, she'll bleed out at your hand when her lies aren't enough to let you sleep at night. When the nightmare that is your true self comes roaring back.

You'll let them down, all because you don't know what else to do other than kill and destroy.

John watched as the man grinned to himself and as John thought the man was happy. he smiled back.

" You mean my daddy, right?" John answered with a light tone and then he got excited.

" Yeah! my daddy is Jack! who are you mister?" the boy tilting his head to one side. 

It soon made sense that the man was talking about his father Jack. But the boy yet knew nothing of this man but seemed to see a light side. 

"Who am I? I-"

And it only took him a second to decide his next words.

"-I'm your father's father."

Solidus grinned widely at the boy, a smile that seemed genuine, yet was completely and utterly filled with such a smug satisfaction on the inside.

He bent down on one knee, so that he was at least somewhat closer to the boy's height, and chuckled.

"You look quite a bit like him when he was your age. Fascinating."

His single eye looked around the premise, searching intently with anticipation for a potential conflict. After all, Jack's boy was here, so did that mean...

"Where is your father, son?" 

I-… I’m learning about taking care of babies…!

… … …I-! I won’t! I won’t just snap and go crazy…!

 N-no! I… I’d die before I let anything like that happen to Rose and our kid! I- I wouldn’t do that to them! I wouldn’t! 

rrgh… Shut up!

…you know I’m right, don’t you?

You’re just afraid, son, it’s alright. You just have to admit it. Admit that you’re still the monster I made you.

N-no! I’m not going to be like that anymore! I won’t!

I won’t…

But you know you will.

Deny it to yourself. Bury it. Let it fester like a wound. Do as you like, while you shield yourself with your pretend purpose. 

And when it finally crumbles away, you'll be begging for benediction, and you'll find nothing. 

Except for me.

… … I-! I can… I can teach him other things! I can… I can teach him not… to make the mistakes I did. 

What the hell do you mean “make it out alive”?! You think I’d kill my own child?! I would never!

Have you even learned from your ‘mistakes’? Do you even know how to begin to care for a child?

You’re just not cut out to be domestic, son. You’ll hide your nature under facades and lies. Try and fail to play the dutiful father, try and eek out a living when you know you’re better suit somewhere else, try to not snap the necks of the frail people in your life completely incapable of understanding you and your struggles.

But eventually, you’ll snap. And then your wife, your child, everyone who tires to stop you… there won’t be anything left of them but a smear on the ground.

It’s just your nature, Jack.

I-… I’m learning about taking care of babies…!

… … …I-! I won’t! I won’t just snap and go crazy…!

 N-no! I… I’d die before I let anything like that happen to Rose and our kid! I- I wouldn’t do that to them! I wouldn’t! 

rrgh… Shut up!

...you know I'm right, don't you?

You're just afraid, son, it's alright. You just have to admit it. Admit that you're still the monster I made you.

I… no! I’m— not like that! I don’t need to fight! You trained me to be a killer, and I was, but I’m an adult now, and I can make my own choices! And I chose to not fight anymore; I chose the life of a father over the life of a killer. And that’s something you don’t know anything about! You talk about how you’re my father, but that’s the last thing you were to me! And I refuse to pass your kind of “fatherhood” on.

…so you’re a father now.

And how long do you think that’ll last, before you realize that the only thing you can teach your child is how to be a killer? Since that’s all you know. The only life you understand.

And that’s assuming he even makes it out alive…

… … I-! I can… I can teach him other things! I can… I can teach him not… to make the mistakes I did. 

What the hell do you mean “make it out alive”?! You think I’d kill my own child?! I would never!

Have you even learned from your 'mistakes'? Do you even know how to begin to care for a child?

You're just not cut out to be domestic, son. You'll hide your nature under facades and lies. Try and fail to play the dutiful father, try and eek out a living when you know you're better suit somewhere else, try to not snap the necks of the frail people in your life completely incapable of understanding you and your struggles.

But eventually, you'll snap. And then your wife, your child, everyone who tires to stop you... there won't be anything left of them but a smear on the ground.

It's just your nature, Jack.

Really? You’re a self made man now, Jack? 

I hope you don’t believe that. One look at you, and I can see, you’re still the same brat that I found in Liberia and shaped into a real solider, not like what they made you. Your face tells it all. That darkness, that fear, the bloodlust… now that you know everything, it’s like you haven’t left home at all, haven’t you? 

You need the fight.

So tell me, what purpose could you possibly have now, that puts you so above that?

I… no! I’m— not like that! I don’t need to fight! You trained me to be a killer, and I was, but I’m an adult now, and I can make my own choices! And I chose to not fight anymore; I chose the life of a father over the life of a killer. And that’s something you don’t know anything about! You talk about how you’re my father, but that’s the last thing you were to me! And I refuse to pass your kind of “fatherhood” on.

...so you're a father now.

And how long do you think that'll last, before you realize that the only thing you can teach your child is how to be a killer? Since that's all you know. The only life you understand.

And that's assuming he even makes it out alive...

…your… own man?

Don’t make me laugh.

I made you into a killer and the Patriots made you into a pawn. You’re a product of another’s choice, and you always have been. You’ve never been your own man, and you never will. Just a puppet playing a pretend purpose. And you need it, don’t you?

I care, Jack, because we were once the same. Only I’ve found my purpose, my drive. And perhaps my purpose is the one you need.

Don’t tell me what I will and won’t do! I’m going to be my own man! And I’m the one making the choice to do that! Y-yeah, I haven’t had much experience in doing things for myself, but I don’t need other people to tell me what to do anymore. Least of all you!

I have my own purpose now and it’s not the one you gave me! I don’t need anything from you; you’ve done enough damage.

Really? You're a self made man now, Jack? 

I hope you don't believe that. One look at you, and I can see, you're still the same brat that I found in Liberia and shaped into a real solider, not like what they made you. Your face tells it all. That darkness, that fear, the bloodlust... now that you know everything, it's like you haven't left home at all, haven't you? 

You need the fight.

So tell me, what purpose could you possibly have now, that puts you so above that?

Gratitude?! Why you-! 

That’s the last thing I’d ever feel towards you! Why can’t you just leave me the hell alone?!

Leave you alone? Please. Where would you be without me? 

So petulant. You owe your life to me.

As for why I don’t merely let you sulk by yourself… well. You are my child. My addition to the world. Why wouldn’t I care?

I’d be better off without you, that’s for sure! You’re not as important to me as you like to think you are! I’m my own man now, you know!

Why wouldn’t you care? You’ve never cared about me before, why would you start now?

...your... own man?

Don't make me laugh.

I made you into a killer and the Patriots made you into a pawn. You're a product of another's choice, and you always have been. You've never been your own man, and you never will. Just a puppet playing a pretend purpose. And you need it, don't you?

I care, Jack, because we were once the same. Only I've found my purpose, my drive. And perhaps my purpose is the one you need.

Oh, I want nothing different from what I’ve always wanted. Right now, though, I’m just… checking in.

How have you been? You seem- well, you seem less then well.

What? Do I look like I’ve seen a ghost?

How droll. And here I hoped you’d be overjoyed to see your creator.

Such a lack of gratitude.

Gratitude?! Why you-! 

That’s the last thing I’d ever feel towards you! Why can’t you just leave me the hell alone?!

Leave you alone? Please. Where would you be without me? 

So petulant. You owe your life to me.

As for why I don't merely let you sulk by yourself... well. You are my child. My addition to the world. Why wouldn't I care?

Please, don’t tell me that your time away from me has rotten your senses!

It’s me, son. We’re talking. I’m alive. And now, we’ve found each other all over again.

Isn’t life grand? 

tch… just peachy.

W-what the hell do you want anyway? 

Oh, I want nothing different from what I’ve always wanted. Right now, though, I’m just… checking in.

How have you been? You seem- well, you seem less then well.

What? Do I look like I’ve seen a ghost?

How droll. And here I hoped you'd be overjoyed to see your creator.

Such a lack of gratitude.

  No.

No, fuck you. You’re dead. 

There is absolutely no way you’re here talking to me right now!

Please, don’t tell me that your time away from me has rotten your senses!

It’s me, son. We’re talking. I’m alive. And now, we’ve found each other all over again.

Isn’t life grand? 

tch… just peachy.

W-what the hell do you want anyway? 

Oh, I want nothing different from what I've always wanted. Right now, though, I'm just... checking in.

How have you been? You seem- well, you seem less then well.

…Jack?

Jack.

Oh, son. Cursing at the sight of me? Haven’t I taught you better? Maybe you still need to learn…

It’s been too long, hasn’t it?

No.

No, fuck you. You’re dead. 

There is absolutely no way you’re here talking to me right now!

Please, don't tell me that your time away from me has rotten your senses!

It's me, son. We're talking. I'm alive. And now, we've found each other all over again.

Isn't life grand? 

metalgearsolidus started following you

… … …

Yeah, no… I’m gonna assume that this isn’t what it looks like, and there’s just something messed up with my computer right now. Because there is just no way that—

Oh.

Oh shit.

Shit.

...Jack?

Jack.

Oh, son. Cursing at the sight of me? Haven't I taught you better? Maybe you still need to learn...

It's been too long, hasn't it?