Fatman

Fatman
General information
Japanese name	ファットマン
Gender	Male
Affiliation and military information
Affiliation	The Raven's group
Occupation	Operator, Stork pilot
Craft	F21C Stork
Eras present	Verdict War
Real world information
Appearances	Armored Core: Verdict Day
Voice actor	Japanese : Yōsuke Akimoto

Fatman is a "Storker", a person who co-operates with mercenaries, transporting them into battle piloting an F21C Stork helicopter. He appears in Armored Core: Verdict Day.

Bio

An exceptionally experienced Storker said to be the oldest still in action at age 62. He always goes by this call name -- which he apparently holds dear -- rather than his actual name. He has partnered with countless mercs over his long career. More often than not, his partners have also enjoyed great success in the field. For that, he is revered by those in the know as the "luck bringer."

The reputation comes largely from his one hard-and-fast rule: his partner survives, however dire the situation. True to that rule, he has snatched many from the jaws of certain death. He remains unswerving in his dedication to fight alongside those who refuse to abandon the fight.

From his brash demeanor and appearance, he gives the impression of being untrustworthy. However, those who know him as an expert firefighter who made his name by surviving countless battles.

Information

Fatman has no real name. Reborn in the midst of a conflict, by the time he came to his senses, he had no one to call family, and no one to call him by his actual name. As a young man, he became a soldier in a small armed group, always a hair's breadth away from death. The group he belonged to was far from the kind driven by a cause seen amongst other factions, more like bandits who simply attacked, killed, and robbed the enemy in front of them. A common sight in that day.

Every day he saw his friends and so-called enemies dying for no reason, and he had a vague idea that one day he would be like that too. To him, living simply meant not being dead yet, just waiting for your turn to die.

Later on, his group was deceived and fell into an ambush. Severely wounded, he collapsed on the battlefield, feeling his turn had finally come. But he survived. He was saved by an old soldier employed by the enemy's unit. Not understanding why, Fatman questioned the soldier, and he replied that "Everyone is going to die someday. Just try to live as you like. It seems like your turn hasn't come yet. "

That soldier was originally a member of the Storks, an old group that once followed Edward Stork. After recovering, Fatman worked alongside the soldier and acquired skills as a courier. The soldier later told him: "There's no need to rush to your death, doesn't matter who you are. It's my turn now. Until your number comes up, keep living as you like. That's what I decided."

In this way, Fatman inherited his will. Just like when he was saved, he'd save others. If he saw his enemies alive after the mission was over, he'd help them. To him, once the mission was complete, there was no longer any distinction between friend and foe. Sometimes he'd leave first aid kits behind, and sometimes he'd even rescue pilots from their cockpits.

"if you die in battle, it's just your turn. But if you survive, your turn hasn't come yet. There's no need to force yourself to die here. Just try to live."

Over the course of the game, he guides the player and Maggy as his partner, providing useful information and assisting the player when needed. In comparison with Maggy's occasional hotheadedness, Fatman is much more laidback and serves as a mediator and voice of reason. He is also at times shown to be very philosophical, as his time on the battlefield has affected him greatly.

He shares a deep bond with Maggy, and is distraught when she chooses to join the Reaper Squad and expresses regret that he could not prevent her from taking that path, which ultimately results in her death at the hands of the player.

Quotes

• "Where do you get these jobs?! They're always shady as hell"
• "I guess mercs are disposable these days, huh?"
• "I'm sick of being a mule, Maggy. All I think about lately is quitting."
• "No dice. It's gonna rain, and I want to quit on a fine day."
• "Scans show no enemy signatures; let's head home".
• "I have no idea what we did here. Not that I ever do."
• "It's got to bug you too, Maggy. You were a merc once, right?"
• "We're lucky to have you."
• "Ahh, these things are a pain in the ass!"
• "The towers, huh? They're a mystery too."
• "Pretty reckless of them..."
• "But I guess that sums up the human race, huh?"
• "Man!! I don't believe this!!"
• "Maggy, I don' care what you've done in the past. You're only human."
• "Maggy, are you sure this is what you want?"
• "You are not right in the head"
• "Maggy, what in the world has gotten into you?"
• "Some people just don't like being told what to do."
• "Maggy, is that what you want to become?"
• "You're not right in the head."^{(to J)}
• "All I've known my whole life is war. And this whole time all I've done is watch others like you throw their lives away on the battlefield. 'That's why I wanted to save you, Maggy, but maybe, maybe I was just selfish. That's why I wanted to save you, Maggy. But maybe, maybe I was just a fool to think I could. You've got to live and die by your own rules, not for anybody else, that has always been our way, Maggy."
• "YOU!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!?!?"^{(to the Foundation Man)}
• "Aren't you human? What are you?"
• "Here is that crazy old bastard!!"
• "Are you happy now? You are the one lying broken"
• "That's exactly what we'll do!"

Gameplay

In-game information

VoW Personnel File 001

Fatman Male, age 62. An exceptionally experienced Storker said to be the oldest still in action. He always goes by this call name--which he apparently holds dear--rather than revealing his actual name. From his brash demeanor and appearance, he gives the impression of being untrustworthy. However those who know him come to recognize him as an expert freighter who made his name by surviving countless battles. Photo credit: VoW

Gallery

Translation differences

In the English translation of "Mission 09: 'Forgiveness of an Angel'", Fatman admonishes Maggy for her choice, whereas in the original he somberly acknowledges that she ultimately chose a path befitting their lives as mercenaries. The Japanese lines translate to "I... knew it from the start. Inside you was something terrifying, Maggy. All I've known my whole life is fighting. Watching people like you die is why... I wanted to save you. But maybe that was just me being conceited. 'Live as you like, die as you like, not for anyone else.' That's always been our way, huh?" The credo Fatman recites is the same one repeated throughout the game.

Trivia

• His "sixth sense" regarding survival is similar to RD's.