Now, now, everyone! Put down your pitchforks and torches! I know what you're all thinking.

"What?! He's publishing another story after an extended period between releases of his only other story?! Absurd!"

Probably.

What? You thought I was going to disagree with you? The fact is, I've had this story around longer than "He Who Guards The Avengers" and have much more of it completed and mostly ready to publish. Not to mention, I felt I should start expanding my "anthology" with the many scribblings I have in my hard drive.

With that said, please enjoy the beginning of Book One - The Man Who Stopped The Blight.

Chapter 1

Seychelles Waters.

If one were to ask someone what they knew about this specific spot of ocean located off the north-east coast of the island country Madagascar, the average person would not even be able to point to it on a globe. If you happened to ask someone who took high school geography and they remembered it, they might be able to give a general location of where it might be and not much else. Overall, most people would believe there was not anything of note there.

They would be wrong.

Situated somewhere in this largely untraveled patch of ocean was the home of a prominent international mercenary group. A massive multi-platform complex connected by struts in-between its spread-out platforms.

Mother Base, home of the Diamond Dogs, and the legendary soldier, Big Boss.

A visitor's first sight of Mother Base was truly one to behold. A single oil platform built on and supported only by the ocean floor was impressive enough, but that wasn't enough for the Diamond Dogs, not by a mile. Mother Base was made up of 28 struts connected by incredibly long roads. Laid out like a massive hexagon, each of the points made up by four platforms designated a specific function to the survival of Mother Base, it truly was a sight to behold.

The only thing more impressive than its appearance was the force it housed. A sizable military force powerful enough to rival nations, and the technology to back it up. Advanced armed vehicles supposedly available to only the richest countries, stockpiles of arms ranging from the simplest handgun to weapons pulled straight out of fiction, a small fleet of airplanes and helicopters, and they even had the capability of building a nuclear bomb.

It was a military nation living on an artificial country under no one's jurisdiction; made by soldiers, for soldiers.

Within this technological marvel, a meeting of this soldier nation was taking place. Not on one of the command platforms, as you might expect, but on the primary Intel platform, in one of the top-secret secure rooms. Sealed, secured, and completely cut off from the outside world, the three commanders of Diamond Dogs were gathered at the behest of their leader, the one and only Big Boss.

At least, they thought he was.

Since waking up in that hospital bed in Cyprus, the leader of the Diamond Dogs had never, not once, doubted his identity as Big Boss.

Why should he?

He looked exactly like Big Boss, except for his now infamous shrapnel "horn". His skills, his abilities, his leadership, they were all on par with the stories of Big Boss.

The only problem was…he wasn't.

He was only a shadow of the REAL Big Boss, a phantom, meant to draw the world's attention as the true Big Boss worked in the shadows.

And as he stared at the cassette player seated on the table in the middle of the room, completely empty apart from the table and the three men standing around it, he could feel his resolve being tested as he observed the reactions of the two men he had come to trust more than anyone.

The rage displayed on Miller's face would give anyone pause. He had been deceived just as much as the rest of them, but he took it personally. He could see it in his eyes; he felt abandoned, betrayed, by the man he respected most in the world. "Big Boss" knew that anger wasn't meant for him, but he also knew he would be receiving it anyway.

Ocelot's reaction, however, was what was really surprising him. Unlike the outrage and fury Miller was exhibiting, there was surprise followed by resigned acceptance. Like he was surprised at what he was hearing, but not like he was hearing it for the first time.

"We can change the world – and with it, the future.

I am you, and you are me.

Carry that with you, wherever you go.

Thank you, my friend.

From here on out, you're Big Boss."

The tape ended there, but for a few long minutes, no one moved to turn it off. Eventually Ocelot did, reaching forward to click it off, which seemed to spark Miller back to life. He knew why he was angry; he knew why the man who looked like Big Boss next to him had his uncanny Big Boss impassive expression since he already heard it; but he did not know why Ocelot looked so…passive.

And then it occurred to him. "You knew?" Miller growled.

Preparing himself for the likely fight, Ocelot took a deep breath and nodded. "I knew. I helped him plan it."

"And you never felt the need to inform me?!"

"It was Big Boss' plan and it was kept between the two of us at his order." It was unlike Ocelot to deflect, but that was the only reason he had.

Miller's hands clutched into fists, a fruitless effort on his part to keep himself calm. "If the Big Boss, the real Big Boss," he said with a pointed look at the man to his right who, for his part, didn't react, "has some plan, what is it? I think I deserve to know."

"The real Big Boss is working separately from us, to create his new nation."

"New nation…?"

"A military nation above and apart from all – the true 'Outer Heaven.' Something created to maintain world balance. Independent of the struggles for supremacy, for personal profit, the cycles of revenge between countries. It'll be an army all right, but more. Big Boss is building a nation. But…until it's complete, we support this Big Boss." He nodded at the one in the room. "His phantom carries on his legend…his meme, in full view of the world. That is Big Boss's plan."

"So that's the way it is…" Miller looked like he was barely holding it together. "…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."

"One day," Ocelot intervened, "the age of Big Boss's sons will arrive. They'll likely want to settle the score with him. We," he gestured to all three of them, "have to shape that age. We'll each have roles to play. Building the foundation for a revolution led by both Big Bosses – the true one, and the phantom."

A heavy silence settled on the room as his words left Ocelot's mouth, which was broken by Miller's now raspy voice. "No…Big Boss can go to hell. I'll make the phantom and his sons stronger, to send him there. For that, for abandoning me, I'll keep playing my role."

"Huh. You know…", he made sure the Phantom knew he was talking to him also now with a pointed look, "Sooner or later there will be only one Boss. There's only room for one Boss. His sons are fated to face each other someday too. If the day ever comes that you go back to Cipher, I'll aid the other son. And then you and I will be enemies, too. One of us will have to kill the other."

"…Fine by me. I'll be ready for the new age. Until then, until that day we become enemies comes, I guess we'd better get used to coexisting." With that, he turned and headed for the door.

But just before he opened it and stepped out, he stopped. "And you," it didn't take a genius to know he was talking to the "Big Boss" in the room, "I don't blame you, as easy as it would be. You're a victim in this as much as I am. So, I'll keep playing my role. I'll keep saluting and keeping the men in line. Just remember that the day will come that this…won't work anymore."

With that he slammed the button that opened the door and stepped out.

Days passed and barely a word was passed between the three men about anything other than Diamond Dogs business.

They continued their routine; but did not know how to act around each other anymore.

Ocelot continued training the men and monitoring Diamond Dogs operations around the world.

Miller resumed his role as Mother Base commander, overseeing daily operations and monitoring Mother Base's security.

As for the man holding the title of "Big Boss" now, he just kept…going.

He was committed now.

He was Big Boss, leader of the Diamond Dogs, the legendary mercenary. Every man on his base looked up to him, and everyone else in the world either feared or respected him. He couldn't afford to cast off Big Boss and try to scavenge his old life, if he could even remember that man anymore.

That was perhaps the scariest part yet, that he could barely scrape together any details about his life before the helicopter crash and explosion apart from the fact that his utter loyalty to Big Boss is what landed him in this situation. And now every single soldier that pledged themselves to Diamond Dogs were willing to show that same devotion, that same fanatical loyalty to the point they were willing to stand and salute while he was forced to gun them down in an act that he hoped was seen as mercy.

That day was perhaps the worst. Out of all the things he had done since that fateful night in the hospital in Cyprus, mercy killing his own men was the worst. He knew he would never be clean of that, nor did he want to be.

He took their lives, with his own hands, when they trusted him. He was honestly surprised any of his men now trusted him at all; saluted him, listened to his orders. But he was in no position to question their loyalty now. No, now more than ever, he needed them all to believe he was Big Boss.

Whether it was out of loyalty to help the real Big Boss, or desperation to save his own skin from being flayed off by a mob of angry soldiers, this was his role now, his lot in life. And he sure as hell was going to make himself indistinguishable from the real Legendary Soldier.

And it was with that cheery thought in mind that Big Boss was looking out over Mother Base.

No doubt about it, it was a sight to behold, considering what it had started from and grown into. Not just Mother Base, but all of them, all of Diamond Dogs,

It just wasn't what was on his mind at that particular moment.

He wasn't sure what to do next.

Big Boss had given him a mandate; be Big Boss, but no real instructions or goals. Cipher was crippled, Skull Face was dead. Diamond Dogs was a force to be reckoned with, a new world power, and there was absolutely no shortage of offers for their services.

However, despite all their successes, the rise of Diamond Dogs was not a bloodless story, far from it. Lives had been taken, both their own and that of their enemies. Losses had been sustained on both sides. And the world had come far too close to annihilation more times than they were comfortable with; than he was comfortable with.

But right now, at this moment, they had a moment to breathe.

Which is why Big Boss still had his sidearm unlocked but holstered. In his entire career, some of the most unpleasant, most shocking, surprises had come when he least expected it, when his guard was down. But his attention diverted from his thoughts to the view afforded to him on the highest point of Command Platform 1.

It was quite the site to behold.

Something about the way the sun set, shining its light behind the outline of the various platforms of Mother Base, just made him feel…calm.

Taking a deep breath of crisp ocean air, he was about to reach for a cigar, a REAL one, one that…she had given him for his birthday, when he was blinded by an intense flash of green. For a few seconds, Big Boss was blinded by the flash, but when his sight cleared up, he was treated to the sight of something that only belonged in fiction.

Far above Mother Base, there was a literal tear in the sky. It was green, it was glowing, and it was humongous. Mother Base was not a small outpost, not by any means, especially considering how spread out the platforms were by design. But this hole in the sky stretched over a mile in every direction beyond the borders of Mother Base.

Screams and shouts of panic could already be heard from the staff who bore witness to this…whatever it was. Most were running back and forth, and a few brave souls had drawn weapons and were shooting at it. What they were hoping to accomplish, he didn't know, but he couldn't fault them for their fear. He too was feeling it at the moment.

Quickly turning to the announcement booth located on one of the taller towers of the Command Platform, he was about to start leap-frogging the buildings between him and there to try and pacify his panicking men and women when he heard it; a sound no one on an ocean platform ever wants to hear when they're on it.

The sound of metal creaking and groaning when put under a great deal of stress.

Mother Base was a remarkable feat of engineering and construction. Hundreds of millions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel, metal, biological materials, and actual lives went into building it, so Big Boss made sure the extra money went into reinforcing every support strut. The last thing he wanted to hear was creaking and groaning, but there it was.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Nothing came falling out of the sky, no one was being sucked into it. Big Boss almost began to think he was hallucinating of some kind, though, that didn't explain why everyone else was seeing it.

But then, all of a sudden, he knew something happened. There were no visible changes, but Big Boss' instinct, hones from decades' worth of experience told him that something was about to happen. He did not have time to voice this concern, however, nor did he suspect that it would've made a difference, as the tear suddenly seemed to intensify in color before exploding.

There was no warning, no sound, no preamble, nothing.

Green overtook his sight, and then Big Boss felt nothing.

Worlds away from Seychelles Waters, there stood an old hut in the middle of a marsh. It wasn't much to look at and there was nothing of interest in the area that would warrant any normal person to venture that deep into the wilds it was located in.

Outside this hut, standing on the shore of the nearest marsh, was an old woman. Dressed in raggedy old clothes with long unkept hair framing her thin face, she did not look like the powerful Witch of the Wilds of legend, but appearances could be deceiving. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she spied her daughter practicing her spells. The area around her feet was blackened and dead after years of prolonged abuse, but she had to admit her beloved daughter was admittedly better than when she was a girl.

The old woman was about to call out and chastise her for a mistake in footwork when she felt suddenly felt it; a shift in the world, a power she had only felt a scant few times in her life. And then she felt the world shift, ever so slightly.

Something not of this world had arrived.

So taken off-guard was the old woman that she did not notice her daughter had noticed her distress and, in an uncharacteristic display of daughterly concern, rushed over. "Mother!" she exclaimed. "What is the matter? Is everything alright?"

She did not answer for a few moments, but when she did, she was laughing. And it was the most unsettling thing her daughter had heard in her entire life.

"Oh no, my dear Morrigan," Flemeth said. "Quite the opposite, in fact. Everything has changed."