A/N: This takes place after the main story, it should be noted that there are MAJOR SPOILERS. Just a fair warning.

Continuing on...I came up with this idea after playing "A Quiet Exit". The last three missions of the game were just heartbreaking. So I thought: "What if BB finally snapped after all that?". Then this happened. So yea, read on, my fellow viewers!

As always, R&R! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: A New Wound for a New Dawn

A man sits on his cot. No…not a man, but a husk of what was once a man. Empty, cold, and dull. The husk slushed around the liquor within the glass before downing it and exhaling loudly from the tang of the cinnamon whiskey.

He stared on into the label of the alcohol. "Fireball". Strong in its name as it is in the contents of the bottle.

It was rare for him to drink. He would rather smoke any other day if given the choice. But in these rarities, he felt like it was the only thing that could work. Something to drown the sorrow away, to flush and watch it go. Cigarettes may calm him, but it doesn't take his mind off it.

All the recent events combined hit him like a freight train. Sure, one thing he was fine with. But the other two tore his world apart.

The quarantine…

Her…

It all hurt him like a fistful of nails being pushed into his heart.

As the man stared at the bottle and the cup in a drunken stupor, he tossed the cup onto the floor, making it crack in the corner. He grabbed the bottle by the neck and took a large swig, coughing slightly from the spice of it.

It was then that the door opened and another man entered, looking down at the mess of glass in the side of the room. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

The white, long haired man looked up at the other, slumping against the wall while on his cot. He spoke up in a sullen tone. "So this is the legend? This is the man himself. Big Boss."

"Shuddup cat-man!" the horned man spat at his colleague. "You kno' I'm 'ot the real un! I'm a shadow!"

"You heard the tape. You're the same as the real one. He even said you shared the name with him. You are him, and he is you."

"Whatev'r!"

Another heavy sigh from the other man. "And my name is Ocelot. Not "cat-man". Now give me the liquor, you've clearly had enough."

Venom Snake readied his rocket arm, something Ocelot wish he took away now. "Touch it, and the fist 'ill fly like a beardy!"

"Birdy."

"I kno' 'hat I said!"

Ocelot pinched his finger between his nose, trying to solve the dilemma. "Could you even aim that thing with how drunk you are?"

"Go 'way, or I'll show ya how god I am at ai-ai-amying!"

Ocelot snatched the bottle from him while he was stuttering. "Hey!", the drunken Snake cried, trying to shoot off his fist. Thankfully, in his fumbled state he didn't even know how to work it.

"Go to bed Snake.", Ocelot said as he removed the rocket arm from the weakened Boss.

Snake groaned in anger. "Gotta take 'way EVERYTHING from me! F-frist, the qurantime, where I lost my men! Then, she left too! Now ya take my arm and drunk!"

Ocelot ignored his intoxicated mini-tantrum and closed the door behind him. He could hear the man's fits of rage turn into heavy sobbing. Outside, Kazuhira and another soldier stood by. The soldier carried a tranquilizer pistol just in case things got heavy.

Miller turned to the Diamond Dog. "Thanks for coming. Your help is appreciated, but it looks like we won't need that. Dismissed."

"Yes sir.", the soldier saluted, turning and walking away.

Kaz stared at the door as he heard the loud bawls turn to silent weeps. Using his only arm, he took off his glasses, showing his blank eyes, the pupils moving from the door to Ocelot. "What the hell happened to him? He was fine before!"

Ocelot shared his psychological knowledge. "Well, for one thing, he's under the influence. And another thing, he's hiding it. He may be "fine" on the outside. But who knows what things lie underneath? Think about it. He was already dealing with vengeance before. But pile on what happened recently…it probably caused him to explode."

"I didn't hear him burst out…besides now."

"Not every emotional outbreak is loud and rambunctious Miller. Sometimes it's silent and moves subtly."

"Like a Snake.", Miller grimaced.

"Ironic isn't it?"

"What do you think is the source of all this? You can't tell me it's multiple things that had him fall off the deep end."

"I don't know. I can't pinpoint it. Maybe if I could question him more I would know. But…"

"He's the boss. Like he'll agree to questioning at all. Especially in this state."

"Took the words out of my mouth."

"I guess he really is different from the real Boss. They might have the same face…but they sure are separate under the mask. The real Boss wouldn't let this get him down.", Miller's lips tucked in disappointment.

"But this one isn't. He's a phantom. No matter how much he tries to mimic the real Boss, he is different in some way."

Miller exhaled before turning and hobbling with his prosthetic limb and cane. "You've got that right.", he muttered. "Even if he isn't the real Boss, his soldiers look up to him. If he keeps going at this rate, he'll bring everyone's morale down. No will means no work.", he muttered to Ocelot as he kept going further and further from him.

Ocelot looked down at the rocket arm and brought out Venom's standard one. He headed back in to notice he had cried himself to sleep, evident by his damp cheeks. The revolver-fanatic screwed on the basic arm and turned, leaving with his back to the Boss.

"C'mon, Snake. Let the legend come back to life. This isn't you.", he mumbled as he exited the room, leaving Venom to sleep, with his iDroid constantly playing a tape at a soft volume, just enough so it was barely heard.

"I am Quiet…the absence of words…", it rewinded and repeated.

For future reference (you'll see why later on):

[- -]'s represent scene changes (usually at the same time or slightly ahead/immediately after).

[- - -]'s represent changes to a much further time.

Edit: Boy this site annoys me sometimes. Can't even put three dashes without spaces.