One Snake, One Boss: Part I
AN: This is, as you can see, the first part in an epic AU series, One Snake, One Boss. Here is the Part I summary:
'With the Les Efants Terribles a complete disaster, Big Boss has the upper hand over Cipher as he develops his private army and Outer Heaven. Yet, as Big Boss slowly builds his dream, Cipher eventually learns to adapt to their failure and move onto other plans. AU MGS: PW.'
As mentioned in the summary, this part is an AU of MGS: PW, meaning that there will be: some characters not seen in this game but in others appearing, missing characters; new roles for some characters and the technological inconsistencies being addressed.
Prologue: Failed Project
Location: Unknown, 1972
A heavy and tense atmosphere filled a room of tasteful furniture, glossy wooden flooring and confined white walls, a room that did not compliment this atmosphere. Everything within the room was silent and weighty, as if a funeral was taking place. Nobody outside the room knew what was occurring; no body even was aware that anything of grave significance was taking place. They were completely oblivion, an oblivion that was bittersweet, and they could not comprehend that this was but a cruel and manipulative illusion placed on them by a shadowy and omnipotent oragnization.
There were three figures within the room, all radiating different emotions: intense animosity, phlegmatic coolness and uneasy worry. There were two particular figures that radiated such intense emotion that it was suffocating to the other figure. One figure, known to his colleagues as Major Zero, stood poised and haughty, his arms crossed over his chest in an almost defensive manner, as if trying to size up his opponent, while containing a grim expression that said he requested his opponent's patience so he could explain himself. His grey eyes stared collectedly, indicating that he was at ease with the situation, and that he was not going to falter. A woman stood behind him, her hands fidgeting with a document as she blinked at her superior in uncertainty, clearly wishing to inform him of something, though uncertain of how to bring it up. Her brown eyes worriedly and quickly glanced over at the other figure, a sympathetic and apologetic frown crossing her features. Whether the other figure noticed or ignored her she was uncertain-she hoped-prayed even-that he didn't. To have his virulent and malevolent blue eye trained on her would have caused her to burst into tears.
The other figure that emitted such malicious rage was a figure that soldiers would tell other soldiers of with great admiration and terror. This figure was like a living legend, a figure that was worshipped by his followers, and feared by those who resented his existence. Clad in a scathed olive green attire that mocked Zero's neater attire, the figure's fists clenched tightly against his khaki pants to the point they turned white, his veins aching to match his quicken heart beat. His single blue eye shot icicles towards Zero, who continued to keep his steely gaze on the eye-patched man. That eye patch of his looked menacing, and if anyone made a pirate joke about it… then Zero felt great remorse for what was to be bestowed upon the joker. It was strange seeing this man wear a beret-he looked so commanding and authoritative, a trait that Zero had not seen in his old friend during their times together. Zero was not afraid of him though-he knew Big Boss too well; the man was too collected to lose his composure. Big Boss was indeed, like his previous code name, like a snake-deadly, menacing, yet collected and observant of the environment around him.
Tension still graced them. Zero knew that if anyone was going to speak, it would be him. He certainly would not like to be lashed at by a snake.
Taking in a deep breath so he could start this discussion calmly, Zero slowly and carefully began, "Yes… we have extracted your DNA to create copies of you-your clones, if you wish to call them by."
It took a few seconds, it would seem, for Big Boss to process that comment. That stern frown and closely knitted eyebrows made the bearded man appear like some disappointed warlord. His blue eye burned with vehement resentment, and he appeared to be eager to pounce on the major and bash him to a bloody pulp.
Growling under his breath, Big Boss spoke with a tone that sounded like a teacher scolding his student, "Without my acknowledgment? When did you plan on informing me of this, major…"
Zero did not wince at how Big Boss spat out his title. Uncrossing his hands, he pointed to Big Boss and used hand gestures as he informed rationally, "You must understand that by cloning you, we are continuing the legacy of The Boss! With exact copies of you, the dubbed greatest soldier of the 20th century, Cipher will thrive, and through Cipher thriving, The Boss' will, will be completed!"
Behind Zero, the woman, simply known as Para-Medic, shuddered at how Big Boss' eye patch visibly cringed when Major Zero addressed his former mentor. To offend The Boss was to offend Big Boss, and to offend Big Boss was a great sin in his eyes (or eye). She hated to think what Big Boss would have done if he had a gun in a holster at his side when Zero addressed that woman of taboo.
Somehow, Big Boss managed to contain most of his rage towards the comment that offended him. He scoffed pettily as he shook his head in dismay towards the major's pathetic excuse. "No… what you, and Cipher, are doing, is the complete opposite of The Boss' will." Zero opened his mouth to rebuke, but the eye-patched man cut him off. "But placing her will aside, you have betrayed my trust-all of you." His blue eye casted a glare over at Para-Medic, who looked down in guilt, her lips pressed in a forlorn frown. Slowly, Big Boss turned away from Para-Medic, his expression still trenchant and virulent, as if he was burning himself into the woman's mind.
His attention turned back to Zero, whose expression spoke chagrin and dismay, as if he were some father disappointed in his own son. The look on Big Boss was filled with such vehement animosity that Zero could feel his throat clog, causing him to bite his lips at the uncomfortable feeling that the mercenary had placed upon him. Now Zero was uncertain of how to view Big Boss-he thought he understood him completely, but now the major was not too sure if he should quickly draw out his gun from the cabinet to his right, if the mercenary indeed lashed out at him. Jack was one to never lose his temper, but Big Boss on the other hand looked so truculent that Zero knew things could become violent.
"Cipher can go to hell for all I care." Big Boss spat out with intense animus and asperity that the very words hissed out of his tongue.
Zero gave a dark chortle at the man, a chortle that startled Para-Medic and a chortle that caused Big Boss to knit his eyebrows in ultimatum. The nerve Big Boss had to threaten Cipher! Even if Big Boss was to attack him, he would pay the consequences and go down with him!
His former worries of Big Boss lashing out at him seemed to have vanished completely, causing him to ridicule tartly. "Hah! Even if you turn your back on Cipher, Jack, we still have clones of you! Our clones will become even better than you could ever be, and they shall continue Cipher's legacy!"
Raising a finger, Zero pointed at Big Boss, his sneer still plastered on his face, revealing his arrogant nature under that phlegmatic demeanour of his. "Face it, Jack-if you turn your back on Cipher to follow some silly legacy of yours, then you shall damn The Boss and your fate!" Ignoring that imminent glare and loud snarling from Big Boss, who was gripping the sides of his arms to the point of scratching his skin, Zero barked out snootily, "Your clones-our clones-will replace you, for you are now just an expendable toy waiting to fall a part!"
Another weighty silence filled the air. Big Boss appeared to be on the brink of losing his composure, as indicated by his expression of asperity. Zero, now, appeared to be maniacal; sneering towards his former friend like some overly-proud sibling that thought he accomplished more than his younger sibling. It was at that moment that it felt like something slapped Para-Medic. Flinched in realization, the medic visibly cringed in reluctance and shame at what she had to tell her superior.
Mustering the only little courage that she contained in herself, she took a deep breath and whispered, "…About that sir…"
Breaking out of his gleeful mockery stance with the hostile Big Boss, Zero turned to Para-Medic with his eyebrows knitted in demand. "About what?"
Having Zero's attention caused the woman to feel meek under his imminent gaze. Big Boss appeared to have paid no attention to her. He appeared too busy trying to ease the anger that was ready to erupt out of him, as indicated by his tense posture, his flickering cold blue eye and his fingers drumming rapidly against his sleeves. Clearing her throat to ease her nerves (though it did the reverse effect), the medic whispered softly, as if the words were a curse that should never be uttered.
"The experiment was a failure…"
Zero's once superior complexion vanished as his eyes narrowed and his mouth hung agape in dubious and incredulous disbelief. It was like that sentence was a virus that infected him, corrupting his internal organs, rendering him into someone who was internally suffering. Stone grey eyes that were once alight in omnipotent sovereignty now flickered in helplessness. An almost pleading look appeared on his wrinkled and pallor face, begging for the news to be not true. Para-Medic frowned deeply, and her eyes flashed in remorse, informing the major that she indeed was telling him the truth. Zero looked like he wanted to break down, but he was too stunned to spill out his emotions. It was just… too much for him to process…the thought of processing that news was poisonous to him.
Noticing Zero's newfound horrified expression, Big Boss' once antagonised aura and persona diminished and gave way to sadistic curiosum and startle, as indicated by his wry sneer and his arms crossed over his chest. Zero looked like some broken nutcracker figurine with his slack jaw and his wrinkles engraved across his face. Those wrinkles of his made him look like the unhealthy man he had become. Whatever brought out the ugliness of Zero's appearance must be quite some news, a thought that made Big Boss shift in ardent eagerness.
Shivering violently from the revelation, Zero growled as he took a step closer to the woman, who cowered under his looming figure, as he lashed out at her with such wrath and spite that no one has ever experienced. "What do you mean the project failed?"
Yelping at the screaming tone of Zero's, Para-Medic hastily and sobbingly answered, "D-Due to Big Boss' exposure to radiation at Bikini Bottom many years ago, his cells were not strong enough to live outside his own body! Th-the cells died off when trying to extract and duplicate them! I-it's just physically impossible to clone him!"
It really took something to stun the legendary soldier. He's witnessed people who could do the impossible; he's seen how child soldiers have been treated, and he has witnessed the cruelties of the world. But Big Boss visibly flinched, stunned at the remark, in which he blinked in scepticism. Wait… so the Les Efants Terribles project, that cloning project, that project that his friends conducted behind his back, and their prized possession…failed? Observing Zero's expression of denial and dour horror, and the clearly upset Para-Medic… it was true. The Les Efants Terribles project had failed… and there was nothing in the world that could ever allow for it to succeed.
A dark propitious smirk appeared on Big Boss' newfound haughty and boastful expression. He was far too ecstatic to laugh at the major-he also thought laughing would only stop the man's stupid expression. "Well, it would seem like this toy has outlasted yours, major." He commented snootily, his smile only growing towards the panicky major.
Turning back to Big Boss, Zero opened his mouth to say something, only for it to jam shut, like some pitiful fish opening and closing its puckered lips. Big Boss raised an eyebrow above his eyebrow patch in mockery towards the unnerved and humiliated old fool.
Big Boss then clasped his hands, his blue eye twinkling towards the despaired Zero. "It was nice having this natter, knowing how corrupt you and the rest have become." He stated in a tone that mocked that of a person saying goodbye to their closest friend. A knowing expression then appeared on his bearded face, one that held moxie and ardent interest. "I can now pursue my goal without having any strings attached."
Before anyone knew it, Zero took out a gun from the cabinet and pointed it directly towards Big Boss. Para-Medic screamed at the irrational move of Zero, while Zero stared with gritting teeth towards Big Boss, his expression flaring of that of a startled and maddened bull. His whole posture shook violently as he pointed his handgun towards the bearded man, as if someone had dumped buckets of ice on him, rendering him cold and jaundice towards the perpetrator, that perpetrator being Big Boss. He only became more antagonised towards Big Boss' indifferent complexion, who puckered his lips in vitriolic disappointment. That posture of Big Boss indicated that he was both sadistically amused at Zero's ploy and dissatisfied by the man's petulant nature.
Big Boss scoffed dismissively towards Zero, his head shaking towards Zero's stupidity and immaturity. "You really think shooting me will give you satisfaction, major? If you even try to pull that trigger, I'll come over and kill you myself with my bare hands. If you do shoot me as I charge to take you out, we both die, and Cipher will die along with us."
Para-Medic was trying to calm the man through whispers and gently caressing his shoulder through her own alarmed and utterly frightened nature towards the crazed man that could pull the trigger. But Bid Boss knew better. Zero prized Cipher too much to eliminate him. Cipher was his legacy, a legacy built upon his avarice and lust for power, and to lose it all because he was feeling vitriolic towards someone would not compensate for it. It would seem that he had Zero-and the rest of Cipher-in the palms of his hands, and he could easily crush them in his palms whenever he felt like it. No matter how much shaking of the gun and grinding of teeth Zero could muster, the old fool would not shoot Big Boss. Nobody would win… and nobody would continue either figure's legacy.
Growing tired of his mocking enjoyment towards the situation, Big Boss tilted his beret and bided with false benevolence, "Goodbye, David Oh. You certainly won't be welcomed into my heaven… my Outer Heaven…"
With that said, Big Boss turned and leaved for the door. He could hear the huffing and puffing of the fervent agitated man, and he could feel his aura radiate towards Big Boss' back as he walked off. But alas, he did not fire. At least the old fool made one right decision. As Big Boss closed the door and wandered off, the last thing he heard in that confided room was Zero throw down his gun and smash any objects he could find around the room, like the bitter old man he was. A puppet had entered that room through his master's strings, and now Jörmungandr the great snake left, ready to wrap his power around the world…
AN: If there are any spelling or grammar errors, let me know. If there were things you did not like about the chapter, then you can tell me as well.