METAL GEAR: INNER HEAVEN (PART ONE)

By James R. Homer

PROLOGUE

Leather boots sink in and out of the mud, sometimes grazed by the odd patch of green flora. Africa was a big place, and Ocelot knew this. His two revolvers placed right by his sides, ready to pounce at any moment, with his rucksack clung around his shoulders, filled to the brim with equipment.

During his long voyage, he recounted his time on Mother Base just days prior to his expedition.

He felt that it was his perfect chance to slip away, during those hectic couple days. Escaping from an off-shore military base is pretty difficult, after-all. Ocelot, however, learnt how to do it from the best. When he first joined Diamond Dogs, Kazuhira filled him in on the infamous Zadornov's escaping antics. His escape was still difficult, but thanks to that crazy Russian, Ocelot found a way.

CHAPTER I – VENOM

Ocelot has the memory of three days ago still fresh in his memory – he considered it a miracle. Mother Base had a strict routine. That routine was the foundations of Mother Base. Midnight shift ends at four, followed by the morning shifts, then the day shifts. An infinite loop, unbreaking loop. And if you did break it, if you were late, Kazuhira would tear down on you like a barrage of missiles.

This day, however, was different. Before a mission, everything would be discussed between Kaz and Venom Snake, going over the possibilities, different scenarios. This day, that didn't happen. This day, Venom just vanished. Vanished, WITH Pequod and a heli.

Obviously, Kazuhira threw a fit. The intel team was all over it, he was gearing up his deployment teams, fear, concern and curiosity spread throughout Mother Base. Quite fast, for a man with one leg.

During the commotion, Ocelot slipped out on a boat. It took a few days, but he eventually found his way to Africa.

Unknowlingly, he was treading on shared land with Venom Snake himself – however he was not Ocelot's target. No, he had a different motive. In some villages of Africa, reports of a "blonde-haired boy and a child wearing a gas-mask" had arose. Ocelot knew what this meant, and predicting that Venom knew the truth – meaning Kaz would too, soon, he went off to train HIS snake.

Just on the horizon was the village in which the most recent reporting of Eli had arose, and Ocelot had his eyes set on it.

However, as he approached, he got a call.

After stopping in his tracks, he answered it.

Kazuhira Miller was on the other end.

CHAPTER II – TWO PHANTOMS

Kazuhira had hidden himself in the deepest, darkest part of Mother Base. The basement storage. Even though he was surrounded by crates upon crates, the room felt empty to him.

Like most things.

He was trembling, with rage, with sadness, with betrayal. After Skull Face took everything from him, MSF, his comrades, his limbs, his identity, he had one thing. Just one thing left. And that was the legend, Big Boss. He was alive, with one arm, by God, he was STILL alive, and he was STILL fighting. Venom was Kaz's last strand of hope that he could cling onto. In a way, Kaz saw him as a brother. A man that he could one-hundred-percent completely trust.

In his own way, Kaz loved Venom. As a compradre.

Two minutes earlier, that last strand was taken from him. And now, he had nothing.

Now, all he felt was the phantom pain.

Venom Snake had called him, and told him about the cassette tape he had received from the man who sold the world. The man who sold the world the biggest lie ever created. This was years before Operation Intrude N313, this was just the seeds, the beginnings of something far greater.

To Kaz however, it was a betrayal. Big Boss used him as a pawn in his own lie.

It didn't end there, however. Revolver Ocelot, the man that took so long for him to begin to trust, was in on it too.

Of course, the missing-limbed man wasn't going to just take this. He couldn't contact Big Boss, the man himself, but by God, he could and WOULD contact the man part of the lie –

Ocelot.

Luckily, for Kaz's sanity, he picked up.

As soon as he realised, he began:

"What was it all for?" Kaz said, hollow. He continued, "if the boss has some plan, what is it?".

Ocelot, after taking a moment of reflection, began, "The real Big Boss is working separately from us, to create his new nation."

Confusion growing, Kaz answered, "New nation?".

"A military nation, above and apart from all. The true Outer Heaven" Ocelot said, "something created to maintain world balance. Independent of the struggles for independency for personal profit, cycles of revenge between countries." Ocelot smirked to himself. "It'll be an army alright." His voice crackled through the device and rung through Kaz's ears.

Ocelot continued, "Big Boss is building a nation. But, 'till it's complete we support the OTHER Big Boss. The phantom carries on his legend. His meme. That, is Big Boss' plan."

Kaz hangs onto every word coming from Ocelot. "So that's the way it is," Kaz eventually said. His innards were burning with anger, however he tried to control it. "Nine years ago, I thought everything had been taken from me. But now I really HAVE lost it all. The Boss, and the future we were building TOGETHER".

On the other end, Ocelot couldn't help but feeling for the man he was speaking to. He couldn't see Kaz's face, but he knew what it would be looking like right now. "One day, the age of Big Boss' sons will arise. They'll likely want to settle the score with him. We'll have to shape them. We'll EACH have roles to play." Ocelot was suddenly very choice and careful about what he saying, as if he was treading through a verbal minefield.

Sighing, he continued. "Building the foundations for revolution lead by both Big Bosses, the true one, AND the phantom."

After a lingering pause, Kaz's anger subsided, and was replaced by his longing for revenge. The same longing that had shrouded him for the past NINE years. "No," he started, "the Boss can go to hell. I'll make the phantom and his son stronger to send him there."

He hung up. Still trembling, Kaz slowly got up with the help of his wooden stick and headed for the stairs.

CHAPTER III – YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD

A short while after his abrupt conversation with Kazuhira Miller, Ocelot walked through the village which had been on his mind for the past couple of days. Every step he took in that village felt like he was stepping closer and closer to the beginning of everything. His entire plan started or ended here.

However, his bets were on the latter. Littered around the village was butchered CFA soldiers, frozen in a state of shock and confusion.

Throats slit.

Clothes blood-stained.

Letting out a gust of air through his nostrils, Ocelot knew. This was definitely the work of Eli.

He began to walk around the bodies, taking in every detail.

The gold casings lying on the ground, the scattered guns, the small boot prints. He was looking for tracks, but as far as he could see, there were none.

Until the sound of a pistol being cocked behind him broke the contemplative silence.

"Came looking for me?" a pubescent voice said behind him.

Ocelot couldn't help but smirk. "You're pretty good."

END OF PART ONE