Disclaimer: see the first chapter


Chapter 3


North's Workshop – Globe Room

The hunt for Big Boss was successful and satisfying for North, looking at the globe. His eyes scanned each light, vigilantly. The enemy might make a surprise move that might endanger the children. He began to expect what kind of power Ba'al might possess in order to prepare himself and the others, especially the new Guardian Big Boss.

"North are you even listening?" Bunny complained in an annoyed manner, butting in to his thoughts and disrupting his planning. He turned to him and stared with questioning look making the Guardian of Hope moan in protest. He was clearly wasn't listening to his rant.

"I said, Big Boss can't become a Guardian. I know I'm being pessimistic but you've seen his memory right?" Bunny said in a tired manner but North was taken aback. The moon had chosen the man as a guardian. He would've expected Bunnymund to accept him.

"I know my friend. I've seen his memories." Then another problem sprang into his mind. The memories of Big Boss. He recalled it all and he can only say one thing about it. Tragic. The man was a former mercenary who waged war on the world and tried to conquer it with strange machines and evil contraptions called 'Metal Gear'. As far as he knew, the said technology was also the root of Big Boss's world's problem.

But he was chosen…Manny might've seen something good in him, he thought wildly but a little bit of doubt still resided. The man had become corrupted…because he was played and toyed with by his superiors or leaders, and he even killed his beloved mentor without knowing that he could've saved her, if he'd known what his mission was in the first place.

And then he acquired his mentor's dream, a united world and a country for only soldiers that lived freely away from the fickleness of his world's government. That's where he began to change.

"But Bunny, his dream, it's for the world. He wanted to make his mentor's dream a reality and the people in his world were against him." North said, his tone defensive. Bunny made a few nods, but then he countered.

"All the more reason not to trust him, or make him a guardian. He became corrupted from it, together with his goons, remember?" The Guardian of Hope, moved and looked through the shattered moon. He has seen his world and it was completely hopeless, Big Boss was the proof of it and since he had shown his corrupted side on that world then he could too in this world.

More disasters could come if he becomes a Guardian, so Bunny's answer was simple. "We'll ask Manny to take him back to whatever place he came from after we defeated the new enemy."

North sighed furtively, but Bunny's pessimism about the man was accurate, and staggering.

However hope emerged within North, "Bunny, I believe Big Boss could change. I believe the man was kind, he only lost it to his…foolish noble cause," he cast a gladdened, confident smile at the Guardian of Hope. "We can guide him into his new life. Isn't that wonderful?"

Bunny, again, sighed in a defeated manner. North's optimism was always accurate and precise, and so he didn't counter it. There might indeed be a chance for Big Boss to change, but Bunny only saw a glimpse of the possibility. To him, Big Boss was someone who'd already decided to take a destructive path. Nothing could change his mind.

"Fine, but once he start showing of betrayal," Bunny warned as he took out his boomerang and pointed it to North in a warning manner, "We'll have to…dispose of him by ourselves."


Guest Room

Jack watched in a concerned manner as Tooth and Sandman began to treat the man's wounds. He stared edgily and saw Big Boss making out small gasps of pain. The man was on the bed, his chest rising heavily, his breathing labored, grunting.

"It's a good thing he's unconscious," Jack uneasily mumbled and looked at the severed right arm, the flesh somehow unnerved him. The guy must be truly in pain right now. But then he also saw in amazement, that the severed right arm of Big Boss was growing and regenerating faster and faster. Such power could only be attained by the stronger guardians.

"Ok, I think he'll live." Tooth said as she smiled in wonder. She was awe struck at the face of the man, and excited to what she would do next. "Ok, let;s remove his jacket first," she said and only got a hard stare from Sandy, suspicious as to what she would do.

"It's for medical purpose Sandy." Jack chuckled at her reasons, but Sandman just sighed, beaten. The tooth fairy proceeded to take the jacket off the man, revealing his toned bare chest and a tattoo imprinted on his skin. Tooth let out a gasp of surprised.

Jack couldn't help it. He blushed red. The man has a striking physique, and he felt both embarrassed and belittled. He shifted his gaze to Tooth and Sandman, but to his surprise both were looking at the man, but not at his amazing body. They were looking, bewildered, at the man's tattoo.

"Is this…" Tooth began as Sandy only nodded strongly. The tattoo on Big Boss's chest was beautiful, a sun was drawn on the upper portion and a moon on the lower, both enclosed in a skull with its jaw opened, and right beside it were six wings that surrounded all of it, drawn with grandeur and grace. It was a striking tattoo, just like his body.

"Well it looks modified, but it was definitely that symbol," Tooth lowered her voice, energetically, Sandman which puzzled Jack.

"What's his tattoo anyway? It makes him look entirely mercenary," Jack said. The tattoo gave anyone who saw it a strong impression of his job before and it looked enigmatic to him.

"Jack, this symbol where the sun and the moon show up together, is a symbol for Seraphim." Seraphim? The term triggered something in Jack's memory, just like Big Boss's tattoo.

"What are Seraphim?" He asked as his curiosity piqued. He hadn't heard this kind of term before and it mystified him. Tooth and Sandy looked at each other and made an astounded smile. The legend of the Seraphim would surely change everything they thought of Big Boss and quell Jack's curiosity very well.


A rustle of leaves made Big Boss open his eyes. He squinted as a ray of sunlight hit his face and he let out a short groan of irritation as he stared in front of him. The wind that passed through him was cold and chilly; it made him breath hard to produce heat.

Where am I…? Then his eyes landed on a huge steel cage that looks like a cage for big animals and he began to wonder. Bewildered, he looked to his sides and was confounded. There were rows of cages on both of his sides, different in shapes and sizes, it was very confusing. He was supposed to be in a forest, defeating the monster.

"Am I…in a Zoo?" he turned around, his feet moving. He was indeed in a place like a zoo, but it confused him more. The cages are empty and the metals are rotting apart, it was abandoned zoo, he thought.

"John…" a voice suddenly made him turn sharply behind him; it was male. He darted his eyes up to the face and saw a person who suddenly walked and turned sharply on a walkway. Startled at the appearance he suddenly took off running. He couldn't understand why he would chase him, however the man's voice, it was familiar to him, too familiar and that pushed him to run after him.

I know that person…a wave of strong reminiscence swept through him. The man was all too familiar to him, and his mind worked hard, trying to remember. He turned around another corner, stopped, as it was a junction, then turned to his left after he heard the man again, calling his name. The sound haunted him.

He ran again and then stopped. He had reached a wide clearing. There was a small placid lagoon in front of him, and right between him and the lagoon was a man wearing a brown coat that fluttered gloomily. Silence loomed over both of them; his mind already filled with questions, like who was this man and why he was so familiar to him?

"I guess calling you by your real name is strange for me eh?" the man began as he slowly turned around and reveal his face to him. Big Boss let out a short gasp of shock, his jaw dropped and his eyes hardened in recognition of the man's white hair, his solemn greyish blue eyes and the long scar on left side of his face.

The feeling of reminiscence reigned strongly in his chest; the man was his friend from his world before.

"Zero…" his voice wavered, his jaw slacked from overwhelming presence of his long friend, Zero.


"Hello there…Snake, it's been awhile," Zero began, his voice calm and inviting. He smiled as he walked towards Snake. Big Boss stood still, awe and surprise freezing him, his mind in a raging storm of disarray. Memories of Zero played aggressively like a nostalgic movie. He couldn't believe what he was seeing right now, his old friend was here, standing and talking to him.

Zero stopped, stared at his friend and saw his turmoil. Never in his life had he seen Big Boss in this state and he merely chuckled at it.

"Is that how you greet your long lost friend? By staring? Rude," he began in a jocular way, "I'm happy to see you like this…you've grown fat." The man moved closer to him and looked through his eyes. Big Boss eyes hadn't changed, it seemed he was stuck in a repetitive jolt of shock. Zero formed an assuring smile.

"This isn't a nightmare; it's just one of your dreams. I merely inserted myself within it, which reminds me…" Zero looked around in a curious manner, looking through the empty Zoo cages inquiringly, and then he said with enlightenment.

"A zoo, in a dream, symbolizes loss of freedom, and inner chaos within a man." He landed his enlightened eyes at Big Boss and saw that the man's eyes were returning to normal, slowly recovering from his shock.

"So, did you lose your freedom? Is someone controlling you again?" the question reverberated around the room, firm. Zero knew Big Boss dislikes being controlled and he saw something was wrong.

"Let's talk more Snake," he looked to his left and right and saw benches, but all of them were so rotted that they would give in to their weight. He glanced at the lagoon. "Over there, if you wouldn't mind."

Zero turned around and walked away from the recovering Big Boss who gulped. Nostalgia squeezed his soul and brain, the memories of the two of them still playing in his head. He wasn't expecting his old friend to appear. The 'Zoo' world seemed to spin with swirls of Zero's face and the scary cages around him.

"Snake?" Zero called, in a worried manner. Big Boss stared at him with melancholy and longing in his eyes. He gulped down his stunned feelings again, willed himself to move and faced his friend.


As seconds stretched to minutes, minutes stretched to hours, and hours stretched to eternity, Big Boss only stood in silence as his friend Zero talked and talked about the golden days between them before, his face happy and his tone upbeat as if their lives before were great.

But Big Boss, he only felt bemoaned. Zero was a friend of him back on that world, they were soldiers at arms and he was a colleague of his mentor, he was a recruit at the time and he immediately swore fealty to him, for both of them wanted to serve mankind. However fate was cruel to them both, after his mentor's death, and they both wanted to fulfill her legacy, but Zero had become corrupt.

Driven by greed and a lust for power, Zero had waged war against the world as he tried to unite it with only one single will, forcibly and brutally, and Big Boss was dragged into it. He even degraded Snake a bit when he started cloning him without his knowledge, insisting that he wouldn't live forever, in order to create perfect soldiers.

That was the day Big Boss decided to leave him, and the bad blood between them grew to a staggering rate.

"The world you lived in…it's so peaceful isn't? I envy you my friend, too bad I'm already on the other side." Zero laughed shortly, his voice was calm and solemn, which sent chills to Big Boss's spine.

"Friend…?" Big Boss muttered ruefully. Zero was indeed his friend but he had many sins against him, grave and heavy sins. His memory suddenly flashed on that fateful day where Zero died right after he killed him, back on that cemetery, the sad recollection made his lips tightened as he looked down, in sorrow.

"What's wrong, Snake? You've been awfully silent," Zero asked apprehensively. Big Boss would've talked by now. Something was wrong.

"Zero…did you remember?" Big Boss paused after every word, his voice filled with resentment that cut agonizingly at his throat.

"The day…that I killed you," Zero's face softened but his smile remained, though Big Boss's face screamed shame. "I remember everything. You're my friend, Zero and as a friend I should've talked to you that time, and asked you to stop. I should've faced you instead of running away."

Big Boss couldn't take it anymore, his dark memories was stabbing him like a knife slowly cutting him to pieces. This was guilt, the first time in a long time he felt it again and it was torturous.

"So…why? Why are you retelling our memories like nothing bad has happened there…" he gritted his teeth, the pain of disgrace hitting him hard. His sudden recollection of memory he had about Zero, had made him realize something. He could've saved him and talked it all like a good friend but he didn't. He ran away from him and didn't bother facing him until his death.

"When I killed you that time, I felt longing and pity to you Zero, because…I know that our friendship could turn it all around, but no, I didn't. I chose to turn my back to you and ran." Big Boss then faced his friend, anguish was eating him up as his eyes produced one tear, a tear that Zero saw and felt and understood. The sadness of Big Boss, this was the first time that he had seen it.

*THUD!* Zero then darted his eyes in alarm. He landed his eyes on the Zoo's enclosure cages which began to move. He watched in curiosity as he saw how the cages moved to one another, connecting their rusty metal frames. The cages connected rapidly, it even began to cover the pathway where both of them walked through earlier.

The cages then began to crawl upwards, bending and twisting, the man knew what the cage will become, it's a becoming a dome. He faced Big Boss and again and the man was still in remorse, he couldn't hear the cages painful rusty groan nor feel the overwhelming presence of the rising metal dome.

Oh…so that's what's eating him up…Zero then smiled at him, he finally understood everything. The zoo represents Big Boss loss of freedom, not from this world but from his guilt that slowly eats him. He straightened up. Time to finished the mission he received from the moon.

Zero's tone then turned dignified. "Snake, do you really want to know what I feel about that time?" Big Boss only stared in grieving silence, unable to answer for he was lost in his own sad thoughts.

"I felt…peace, Snake. Peace. And for a long time I've finally felt it again and it's all thanks to you." Zero said, almost declaring it. During his time before, he had lived in pain after he was infected by some kind of a parasite that an assailant used against him, and Snake's act of killing him had put an end on it. Zero would never forget it. That was the last time Big Boss showed compassion to him.

"So don't brood over it. My friendship to you was born from pure admiration and love. I never feared you; instead I felt that I must protect you. She had seen it and I also saw it too. You're very strong, Snake and the more the man is strong, the more he's vulnerable to anything. And that made me worry about your future." Zero paused as the cages suddenly stopped groaning, stopped building the dome. He'd succeeded with getting to Big Boss's mind.

"Of course, the Boss's legacy, I also wanted it to happen, but…I selfishly prioritized you. I wanted more power so I can protect you from anything…and then before I knew it I became too corrupted and I lost you…I'm sorry my friend." Zero finished with a tranquil smile, his voice calming and made Big Boss wide eyed for a moment.

Big Boss's emotions were now like a zoo, chaotic. He couldn't control them anymore, the words of Zero were too heavy and they started to destroy him. The things that he had thought about him were now crushed by his guilt. Shame had stabbed him again and again and he felt the agony of it.

"Zero…" he muttered, his face was gloom with misery, and then he buried his face in his hands and cried softly in mourning. He shouldn't have left him, he could've changed it all and yet anger drove him and put him in a broken path of despair. And now he could no longer take it back.


"Hey, hey…" Zero was amused and somehow relieved. Big Boss had understood him, he was regretting everything. For a long time he hadn't seen him like this and that put him in an ease. Big Boss, his friend, had indeed changed in this world.

He slowly put both of his hands on his shoulders, in a friendly manner. "It's all right now, my friend, all is forgiven, everything is over now, that world is gone and you're in a peaceful world." Zero whispered, serenely, soothing Big Boss's aching heart. The man breathed hard, sadness still in his heart. His friend whom he had abandoned was here.

He felt Zero's sincerity and he couldn't fathom it. Zero would've been mad at him, he would've lashed out at him but he didn't. The words that he had said began to sink in finally, so with a strong whiff of air, he understood everything and fell silent. And the grief that he had felt, as fast as it appeared, began to dissolve in his heart.

His muddled mind was then freed from his guilt and Zero knew it, because the cages around him started to crack and fall.


The cage dome started to moan loudly in protest, and after a second, it began to collapse. Rivets and nails fell and the cages started to detach and break into pieces, slowly decreasing it sheer height, and just like the cages, the dark tall trees that shielded them both from the playful sunny day had also began to collapse, allowing light from the sky to shine brightly at them, and after a minute of reconstruction, Zero began to admire the new scenery of Big Boss's dreams.

The once cage-filled zoo was now a meadow filled with bright flowers. Big Boss was free, from his troubled past between Zero and himself. His mission was a success.

"Snake,"

"Zero…" Big Boss slowly looked at him, and Zero saw that his eyes were now longer grieving. The man that he knew before was slowly coming back.

"Snake, I don't have much time left. The reason why I appeared to you right now is because I was given a mission by the man in moon."

Big Boss was startled by what he said. The man in moon was involved? He wanted to asked more but he sensed the hurriedness of Zero's voice.

"Snake, even though this world is at peace, it's in grave danger. This new enemy that you'll face is stronger than you think. Don't let him overwhelm you with his powers." Zero's face became serious, it was the same face that he gave to Big Boss whenever he was about to embark on a mission.

"You must find new comrades and friends, who will protect you and care for you. Don't be alone this time and forevermore, my friend." The words that he released were sincere and it only begged Big Boss to ask more.

"I don't want to become a guardian, I want to go where you will go, and I wanted to be with everyone now." Big Boss began. He couldn't understand it all, why he was a guardian and what were guardians in the first place, it was all too confusing.

"I don't want to fight anymore. I want to lay down my gun and rest in peace."

"I'm sorry my friend but this is a call of duty, the moon wanted you to protect." Zero said and watched as Big Boss only frowned in irritation. The moon, who revived him, who disturbed his sleep and prevented from him crossing the other side, inspired the old hate in him.

"Now don't frown at him. There's a purpose for everything, you'll soon understand it. And not to mention…" Zero reminded him with authority, sensing the soldier's dismay, and continued, "You're being punished my friend…but not by the moon."

This made Big Boss darted his eyes at him, mystified and startled. The moon would've been the one who could punish him like this, he thought of that before after dreaming 'the Boss's words, but now his mind was jumbled up.

"Goodbye my friend, my time is up." Big Boss startled, completely shifting his attention to him. Zero, just like 'the Boss' in his dream, was starting to disappear. Sadness swept through him and twisted him; he was again all alone in the new world.

"Zero-!" Big Boss tried to reach for him, in a desperate manner, but his friend merely laughed heartily at his actions.

"Don't worry, we will be on the other side. We'll watch you keenly and cheer for you and now that I mention it…" slowly Zero formed a calming, farewell smile to Big Boss, a perfect goodbye for his friend, "Would you kindly show your other cool side? I bet a lot of children would love to fly and even believe in you."

A wave of sorrow slowly swept past Big Boss as he slowly watched in pain as his friend Zero disappeared. Then, slowly, the sorrow changed into a stern look. He suddenly straightened his back and with pride and determination, he saluted to his former friend and soldier, Major Zero.

"I will Zero…I will see this world!" he said out loud, and filled with willpower, he resolved to carry out everything he had he said. Zero saluted him back.

"And by the way, Snake, three ghosts will visit you on your journey. I'm the first one; greet the others with sincerity, okay?" Zero said and Big Boss absorbed it in his mind and answered back like a true soldier.

"I will Zero, I will," and then Major Zero disappear, leaving him with his one last smile and his last remark. "This world needs a Guardian like you."


Guest Room

"Zero…" Big Boss croaked and gargled, heavily. His consciousness resurfaced as he woke up from the dream that was already far away. He opened his eyes groggily and saw nothing but complete darkness. He looked to his left and right warily, but only darkness greeted him.

Am I blindfolded…? A thought came to him after he felt a soft fabric blocking his eyes and tied around his head. His senses slowly came back and gave him a sensation of thin, string-like, ropes tied around his wrists and his ankles. He was bounded on a chair and this made him grunt annoyingly.

"Shit…I'm captured!" Big Boss clicked his tongue, irritated to his bounded adverse. But by whom…then he asked himself and after a second he remembered the face of that boy Jack Frost and what he said about him and the-

"Guardians…" he miffed and tried to move. The chair where he was bound rolled smoothly, telling him that it has wheels. Amateurs…he only thought arrogantly to the Guardians who captured him.

"Yo B squared, you awake?" Hearing David talking made him feel a bit more at ease. He didn't want to choose now if he felt bad that David was here, and would tease him about his adversity right now, or he was be relieved that he was here and he could free him.

"David, I'm glad you're here…" Big Boss moved his head around, sensing his presence.

"Yeah, whatever," David haughtily said, not worried about Big Boss even one bit.

"Now untie me, let's escape whatever this hell hole is," Big Boss immediately said as David yawned lazily, which made him frown and grit his teeth. The fox seemed bored about his situation and that angered him for he wanted to be freed.

"David!"

"I can't untie it with my teeth, we have to get you a scissor," He sensed David drop to the floor and walk towards him, his little paws making a pit-pattering sound.

"Luckily your chair has wheels. I can open you a door and lead you to it." He wasn't sure if David was sincere since he couldn't see his face to see if he was leering at him or if he was dead serious. But the thin ropes around his hand tightened, uncomfortably, so he clicked his tongue again. He had no choice.

"Alright, lead me to it." As fast as Big Boss commanded him, he heard David jump and heard a door knob moving and the squeaking of a door. He felt nervous. What if the sound was too loud? His captors might hear it and catch him again.

He quickly thrust himself forward as he felt the door open, his bounded feet working tremendously. All of his training back on that world now dictated his movements. With a hard thrust and then a slow thrust, Big Boss worked toward his escape, his senses heightened and giving him a vivid image of a wide, empty corridor.

"Ok…" He silently thrust himself forward more, David in front of him, clearly guiding him, which was a relief. The fox had been as good as his word.

"Ok…David, where am I now," he asked as the fox stopped, halting him as well.

"The corridor ends here. Turn left now, it's the only way." David dictated and Big Boss obediently followed, nodding. He felt freedom was already in his grasp, and he thrust to his left, following David's words, and then he let out a yelp.

"Ahh!" Big Boss felt the rushing of wind as his chair hit the edge of the stairs and his chair fell. He fell down and hit his back, his chest and then finally his head sending a lot of pain up and down his spine. David, who'd guided him the whole way, finally released his laughter and snickered at the fallen man.

"Haha… now that was a good one!" David leered and Big Boss heard him. Anger rose in his head, his murderous desire sky rocketing.

"You son of a bitch! You tricked me!" He scowled in fury, trying to break the thin ropes, but they didn't give an inch. He grunted at his unfortunate situation and his hatred for David the Fox. The fox dropped from the stairs and landed beside him. David giggled, menacingly, at Big Boss and brushed his bushy tail at his face which the man tried to bite just to get back at him.

"Aww, I can't help you B squared," David sneered, feeling relieved now that he was even with Big Boss. "I'll call Jack Frost and the others to help you."

The words he said made Big Boss freeze. He was shock that David was going to call Jack, which would mean one thing. Not only the fox tricked him, he has betrayed him. Those ten years of him and David hunting together, it began to deteriorate and it boiled down to fury, he was being betrayed.

"David…you son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" Big Boss gritted and gnashed his teeth, as David the Fox chuckled. "Stay down Big Boss," he said as he left Big Boss fuming in his own madness towards the fox.

Big Boss, frustrated, tried to move again, straining at his bonds, Bu he sensed that David was gone. All those years of trusting him whenever they were hunting, those days where he could just command him to find him a prey and to tell him to shut up from his pranks, it all began to disappear and was replaced by vengeance.

"God dammit…!" and then suddenly his head began to spin, his fall finally effecting him as his vision began to swirl and slowly his consciousness faded but he caught footsteps approaching.

"Oh no…! Are you alright?" But Big Boss didn't answer, he only growl in frustration. The Voice of Jack Frost rang in his ears and he knew he was caught again. He could only close his eyes and accept whatever happened to him.


beta-read by : sierra steinbrecher