Note: I don't own anything in the Metal Gear games or the batman movies. No money was exchanged in the development, or distribution of this story.

Prologue:

"War has gone back to the way it should be."

"Reliance on overwhelming numbers."

"Dependence on dug in positions."

"And of course…no fucking nano machines!"

Donovan promised himself not to recall the security tape on the Outer Haven when they brought her body in. He had played it a hundred thousand times on his laptop, and 3 times that in his head. "What was she doing?" "She had no reason taking point, she wasn't the squad leader. He stopped kidding himself and admitted to himself…she was over confident, after the long pause before Meryl had inserted her last mag she knew she could take her…even though she was wrong. He probably would have done the same thing, but he possessed the ability to dodge it and make the kill, which he was sadistically contemplating when he got the green light.

Shrapnel had come in with the body bag. Stiff as a board as he knew it would be, he'd tried to mentally prepare himself for the moment, and tried to just shake it off like a true soldier, just as he did throughout his career, losing friend, ally, squad mate, and now wife. "Put her on the table," he said with an angry tremor in his throat. Shrapnel did just that being extremely careful with her, he didn't want Donovan to rip his hands off. Shrapnel like the rest of the den brothers respected Donovan, how could they not? They were all clones of him except his wife. Flak being the youngest just stood in a neutral pose hoping not to draw attention to him. He didn't want to look sad due to the fear of showing weakness, which would result in Donovan telling him to, "GROW A FUCKING PAIR!" He also didn't want to appear to have zero empathy, which made him edgier because either way meant a severe reprimand and being the youngest of the team he didn't want to lose everything he had fought for to earn the respect of his brothers. Blade was the second youngest of the team, although not much older than flak, what he lacked in age, he made up for in brutality. Unlike the rest of his unit he didn't use a firearm, but rather a collection of knives, and bayonets which ranged from the latest advancements in melee combat, to relics that were obsolete, that he still found useful. Shrapnel was the next eldest in the order. Seeing the darkest horrors humanity was capable of on its worst day could drive the most hardened vet into a void of insanity, he wondered if Big Boss could even stand to live with seeing what 

he had witnessed. He never thought about trivial things for long, he always looked to Donovan for an order or command, and he would do it without hesitation. He also looked to his older brother Cyber. Although the rest of the clones looked like Donovan, no one had ever seen Cyber's face due to his mask. And frankly the rumors spread by their grunts in the PMC, made them not want to know anymore. Cyber was blessed with more than just physical talent. When he was created he had been given a piece of technology that could simply overload or manipulate anything electrical. Kinda like the ugly Slav and the psychotic bitch except his gift only worked on artificial things. He never spoke in combat or on leave, which made everyone wonder where he went when he had free time…even Donovan. Cyber let his 1911A1 do his talking, the pistol that had made American History war after war, and even though it had been phased out by the Beretta and then the H&K. American officers still felt that John Browning's number one son was the best solution for any job. After all Snake used an Operator, and Cyber wanted to take his if he ever found his body, whether he eat a bullet himself, or he vanquished him, which he would of preferred. He would smile every time he thought about it.

Donovan looked at the body of his charred wife. He preferred it if she hadn't joined the Frogs, but she was just that damn good, and unfortunately Ocelot noticed. He delicately removed her helmet seeing her bright blonde hair pinned back and simply closed his eyes and remembered her hair down to her cheeks, with a smile that would have even driven Vamp crazy. But she was his, and now he had to do something that made his stomach turn. With his eyes still closed he moved his right hand to the area of her chest just above her heart. "Forgive me," he said with an unimaginable amount of sorrow that only a soldier could express, drove his hand into her body as if it were made of paper mache. Flak held his hand to his mouth, but was given comfort through blade putting his hand on his shoulder, as if saying it's ok to feel like this for the moment, but don't make it a habit. Shrapnel was hurting as well but his tears never leaked out. Flak looked at him briefly and realized he wasn't crying because he knew their time would come for swift, ungodly, brutal, and the part which he relished the most, violent retaliation, which he didn't want to experience it firsthand so he broke eye contact, Cyber gave out a grunt which Donovan was aware due to knowing him all his life was his way of offering his condolences. Donovan's eyes widened as if he found what he was looking for, and retracted his hand. A chain had appeared in his fist which latched his wife's wedding ring on it. He carefully removed the chain, took off his jacket exposing part of his torso, proceeded to pull out his lighter which his parents had given him on his graduation at the academy and ignited it under the golden band for exactly 37 seconds. He then took a deep breath preparing for the amount of physical pain he was about to endure and jammed it into his chest until only the diamond was protruding out. Emotional pain lasts forever, but physical pain doesn't. A call alarm came out and was patched to the briefing room screen. A familiar man appeared on the viewport, his trademark blonde hair, along with his chiseled face and superior expression, which Donovan had always liked about him and was the reason why he joined the revolt in Shadow Moses and then escaped, not before taking something from his commander's supposed corpse so that he could be reborn. He looked at his soldiers and saw only sadistic faces knowing that he was about to say what they had waited for since the destruction of the Patriots…."Go." As quickly as the order came the screen went blank.

"Gather up my den brothers we're on a hunt…"

Even though everyone knew where they were headed, Flak wanted to see his CO smile one last time before they headed out.

"What's the prey?"

Donovan without turning his head replied,

"Rats, at a wedding."