Title:  Metal Gear Solid:  New World Order- Chapter 1:  Raiden's Dilemma

Author:  The Ice Goddess (FrozenBlueIce)

Fandom:  Metal Gear Solid

Feedback:  All feedback is welcome, whether it be negative or positive.  I'm trying to improve on my writing so, please be honest:  frozenblueice@yahoo.com

Pairings:  Snake/Otacon (my personal favorite ^_^), Raiden/Mei Ling

Series:  This story is a sequel to Metal Gear Solid:  Elements of Destruction.

Rating:  PG (this chapter only)

Disclaimer:  All characters appearing in previous Metal Gear Solid video games are the property of Konami Computer Entertainment of Japan, and of their creator, Mr. Hideo Kojima.  All new characters are the property of The Ice Goddess.  This is a work of fanfiction, and in no way, shape, or form will I receive any monetary compensation for it.  It is for entertainment purposes only.

Type:  Action/Shounen-ai

Summary:  This story immediately follows the events of Elements of Destruction.  A strange photograph prompts Snake and Raiden to go out and search for Olga's child.  The problem is, they don't even know where to begin.  When the trail finally leads somewhere, other surprises are there waiting for them.

Chapter 1:  Raiden's Dilemma

            Otacon let out a frustrated sigh, then readjusted the glasses on his face.  This task was panning out to be more difficult than he thought it would be.  He checked the data on his laptop again.

            "Well, I've located the power source, but there's a problem."

            Snake shot his partner a look and waited patiently for him to explain.

            "All of these implants seem to be on a network.  If they aren't shut down in the proper order, Raiden's life could be at risk," the engineer told him.  "We need a medical doctor with at least some familiarity with the field of cybernetics."

            Solid Snake let out a low growl.  "I don't know anyone I can trust."

            "Damn that Anja!" Raiden said, pounding his fists on the floor.

            "So what do you think we should do now?" asked Mei Ling who was sitting beside Otacon trying hard to find anything that her fellow tech might have overlooked.

            "I don't know," Hal replied.  "I suppose we could check the underground network."

            "Otacon, just because we've found a few rich people to sponsor Philanthropy on the underground, does not mean we're going to be able to find a trustworthy doctor to remove the kid's implants," Snake protested.

            "We've had some luck on hired help in the past," Hal argued.  "At this point we really don't have much of a choice."

            Snake frowned.  His partner was right; they didn't have much of a choice.  But, it was that fact that troubled Snake the most.  After their most recent run-in with Patriot spies, it was hard to tell what side, if any, people were on.

            Aggravated to no end, the mercenary pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and lit one up.  Raiden opened his mouth to object to him smoking in his apartment, but Snake threw him a look that dared him to say anything about it.  Jack decided against it, knowing that he wasn't a man to mess with.

            "So, what about the tracer?" the cybernetically enhanced man asked, clouds of vapor swirling around his mouth.

            "That I think we can do something about," Hal told him.  "I don't believe shutting down the tracing program will have any effect on the vital systems."

            "How about we leave it running?" Mei suggested.

            Otacon was confused.  "Huh?  What do you mean?"

            "Well, I was thinking of altering the program to transmit a false movement pattern based on Jack's regular daily routines.  This way, we won't have to alert anyone to any sabotage.  It'll give us an advantage."

            "Can you do it?" Snake asked, drawing again on his nerve-suppressing cigarette.

            "It's very possible," she told him, "but I need Otacon's hacking skills first."  She paused for a minute, pointing to bits of data on the laptop's screen.  "I need you to isolate the tracking program's parameters, including which satellite network is transmitting the location.  Once I have access to that information, I can write a program override based on some of the navigational technology in my Soliton radar systems to trick the satellite into believing Jack is exactly where we say he is instead of where he actually is."

            Raiden flashed a grin at his girlfriend.  "You never cease to amaze me, Princess."

            "It'll take me a day or so to hack through," Hal said, pensively scratching his chin.  "In the mean time, can you pull together some basic framework for the program?"

            Mei Ling gave a salute.  "Will do, boss!"

            "Alright.  Snake, let's get going.  I'd like to start analyzing these readouts."

            The mercenary nodded, then headed for the front door.

            "Oh, and Raiden?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Don't go anywhere in connection to Mei Ling or us," Otacon instructed.  "You'll give our locations away."

            "In other words," Snake added firmly, "Stay put."

            "Understood," the younger one replied, a discontented look on his face.

            "We'll be in touch."

***

            "You want me to make some coffee?" Mei Ling offered.

            Raiden shook his head.  "No, thanks.  Ever since I got these implants, anything hot makes my teeth hurt."

            "I see," she said, hugging her body and rubbing her arms.  "It's really cold in here.  What do you have the thermostat set to?"

            "I have it set to sixty degrees, which is as low as the air conditioning will go.  I'm going to hate to see my electric bill at the end of the month, but anything warmer has made me violently ill."

            Jack then came to a realization.  "Oh, I'm sorry!  It never occurred to me how uncomfortable it must be for others.  Would you like me to turn the temperature up for you?"

            Mei waved her hands in front of her.  "No, no, no!  It's okay!  I don't want you feeling sick on my account.  I'm just enjoying the time I'm spending with you."

            "Me too," Jack said.  "Would you like me to get you a sweater?"

            "Sure."

            Raiden went into the closet and pulled out a black sweater.  He handed it to her and she put it on.

            "That's much better.  Thanks!" she said, planting a kiss on Raiden's cold, bluish-tinted lips.

            A small cry came from the makeshift crib beside Jack's sleeping bag.  It was Iroquois, and he was hungry.  Daddy made his way over to his well-bundled son, lifting him up into the air.

            "Hey, big boy!  Want something to eat?"

            The baby cooed back, seemingly unaffected by the altered visage of his father.  In fact, the blinking lights proved to be a form of visual entertainment for the boy.

            "Could you hold him for a second while I make his bottle?"

            Mei held out her arms and took the baby.  He looked up at her and smiled, snuggling into the warmth of her bosom.

            "He likes you," Jack stated while pulling out the powdered formula mix out of the cabinet.  "He's usually shy around strangers."

            "Oh, really?"  She tickled his tummy.  Iroquois giggled in response.

            "Yeah.  With Rose disappearing and all, he's been acting funny.  I think he's almost adopted you."

            A serious look came over Mei's face.  "I'm so sorry that all of this has happened to you two.  I wish there was something I could do."

            Raiden popped open a fresh jug of distilled drinking water and poured it into the bottle with the powdered mix.  He placed the top on it and shook it vigorously.  When he walked back over to Iroquois, Mei held out her hand for the bottle, offering to feed him.  Jack smiled.

            "There is something you can do, Princess.  I'm just not sure how sudden this may sound to you," he told her.

            Intrigued, Mei's eyebrows raised.

            The man blushed, finding his words difficult to say.  "When we get the tracers taken care of, would you… that is…"  He cleared his throat.  "Would you move in with me and Iroquois?"

            The woman's eyes sparkled and a smile crept across her lips.  "No," she replied.  "But you can move in with me."

            Elated with the news, Jack wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and his son.  The three looked like a happy family.

Author's Notes:  Here's the sequel to Elements of Destruction.  I'll give this my best shot.  I hope it can live up to the original.