DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters that Konami has made. I do, however, own the completely wild-ass-imagination characters you see here. This does not include the main protagonist.
Also, please forgive me if any of the characters seem to be the wrong age. This is set as an alternative story at the same time as MGS4.
A lot of the equipment used is made-up. I felt it might be good if I moved away from using real-life weaponry. Plus I get to do interesting things with them. But I will not remove the two signature handguns of the series.
Sections italicized and center-aligned are the protagonist's inner thoughts. Stuff written like a playscript in italics is Nano-communication.
Legacy of the Legend
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
A young man in a Sneaking Suit sat on the lower of a bunk bed, stripping and reassembling a Heckler & Koch Mk23. His blue eyes focused intently on the weapon. It was old, having seen its way through battle upon battle, and it must have fired more than fifty thousand rounds in its life. Yet the man, who now reassembled the weapon and holstered it, would never get rid of it. This weapon came with a history.
I didn't ask to be here. I came because I felt I had to. That I owed it to these people. There's no denying that they fight for a good cause, but is it my cause? "We're not tools of the government or anyone else". How often had that maxim been drilled into my head? Was I being a tool of these people by agreeing to their request? Or did I actually choose to be here…was I fighting for what I believed in?
The man stood up as two others walked in the door. One of them was in his late fifties, and had a rough face which had evidently seen too many battles, too many deaths. His military officer's uniform was immaculate. The other had blond hair that reached down to his shoulder-blades, and was dressed in a FOXHOUND Skull Suit. On his back was a long, straight blade in a sheath.
The man in uniform spoke. "Solid Snake. Good to see you here."
The man in the Sneaking Suit raised one eyebrow. "Solid Snake? I don't deserve that name…well, not yet. Solid Snake was my father, and in no way do I surpass him, Colonel Campbell."
Roy Campbell looked surprised. "Alright, fair enough…Snake."
"So, Colonel, why have you dragged the son of a legendary mercenary out from a peaceful life, to an island so small it can't be plotted on a map, which you call a base of operations?" Snake asked.
"Raiden, you tell him," Campbell said to the man in the Skull Suit, "I have a few things to take care of."
Campbell turned on his heel and walked out the door, leaving Snake and Raiden alone together.
Raiden sat down on a bunk facing Snake. "Do you remember the incident at the Big Shell in 2009?"
"Of course. My father told me all about it. If I recall, he had the honor of working with you," Snake replied.
"The honor was mine. I wouldn't have survived that mission if not for Solid Snake."
Raiden unsheathed his blade, and it hummed as he looked at its reflective surface.
"He gave me this," Raiden muttered, remembering the events at the Big Shell.
Raiden sheathed the blade and turned back to Snake.
"Before I tell you anything, let's get the formalities out of the way. Welcome to Philanthropy, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the threat of Metal Gear. Founded by the allies of your father who survived Shadow Moses, and now expanded to include the ones from Big Shell.
"Meaning you and Rosemary," Snake replied.
"Yeah, us. Anyway, down to briefing. The situation is this. Do you have nanos? I'd rather nobody be able to eavesdrop," Raiden said.
"Of course," Snake replied, "I'm on frequency 141.80."
-INITIATING TRANSMISSION – 140.29 TO 141.80-
Raiden: This is Raiden. Are you reading me, Snake?
Snake: Loud and clear. So, what's the situation, Raiden?
Raiden: Well, while our two tech-experts, Rose and Otacon – you do know who Otacon is, right?
Snake: Of course. I know everyone involved in Shadow Moses and Big Shell. Go on.
Raiden: Anyway. While they were searching for leads on new Metal Gear prototypes, a website came up. The thing is…whoever made it specifically addressed us. Right after we read the message, an e-mail came into Otacon's inbox with a list of their threats and demands.
Snake: Let me guess, this is going to involve a group of freaks who somehow have possession of a Metal Gear, and one of their threats involves launching a nuclear missile.
Raiden: Doesn't it always? Anyway, this group is calling itself Force Excelsior – that's a Latin word meaning 'higher'. From what we've been able to gather, they're under the command of Liquid Snake…or Revolver Ocelot…however you look at it…ugh, let's call him Liquid Ocelot. You know who I mean, anyway.
Snake: Of course I do. Now tell me more about them and their demands.
Raiden: They comprise a large mercenary force, as well as seven elite soldiers, kind of like the Shadow Moses takeover force. Their elite members consist of:
The Infernal Pyroclast, a deadly and destructive wielder of flamethrowers and explosives.
The Unseen Seer, a direct descendant of The End, and the greatest sniper in the modern world.
The Furious Edge, master of knives and a fearsome swordsman.
The Holy Skyreacher, a skilled pilot of any airborne vehicle.
The Shadowed Darkness, a stealthy fighter who uses dark environments to instill fear in his enemies.
The Metallic Barrage, a soldier who feels no recoil from weapons and expends ammunition at a terrifying rate.
And the man in charge of them all, Liquid Ocelot. You've heard of him, specialist in torture and interrogation, unparalleled skill with revolvers, and master of ricochets. He's dropped a lot of the cowboy attitude since Big Shell, though.
-ENDING TRANSMISSION-
"Some group," Snake muttered aloud.
"I know. Dead Cell was bad enough…now we have to deal with this lot," Raiden sighed.
"What do you mean, we?" Snake asked.
"I'm coming with you. You think after all the help your father gave me, I won't repay the favor?" Raiden answered.
"Well then…It's an honor to be working with you, Raiden," Snake replied, "And you still haven't told me about their demands."
"Right, sorry. I'll talk openly this time…extended nano-communication gives me a headache," Raiden said.
"Their demands are these: Firstly, Philanthropy is to hand over the data of all the Metal Gear models your father destroyed. Secondly, they demand the remains of ex-US president George Sears, Solidus Snake. To top it off they want a sum of one billion dollars, and they say that if these demands are not met within 72 hours, they will launch nuclear strikes at the US, and some other major cities worldwide. They are also threatening to execute someone we've been trying to track down for some time," Raiden said.
"Who is it?" asked Snake.
"Olga Gurlukovich's daughter…Anya Gurlukovich," said Raiden heavily.
"What!?" exclaimed Snake
"I know. It's definitely her, too. We have photographic evidence, plus they sent her blood sample for a DNA match. 100 positive," Raiden said.
Snake had nothing to say, but his eyes told Raiden everything. He was in.
"We leave in three days. Get some rest, tomorrow the Colonel will brief you on your objectives," Raiden said, as he got up and walked out.
Rain lashed against the windows, the sea pounded against the island's shore, and Solid Snake II fell into a deep sleep.
