Well, here's the next chapter, hope the few people reading are enjoying it and possibly considering reviewing it…

Anyway, I've got a lot of fanfics, so I won't update each one super quick, but I'll never really ever abandon a fanfic.

All this real Guns of the Patriots info is getting my hyped though…Interesting, I can't wait to see the real storyline.

Well, anyway, let's start the show.

Disclaimer: I don't own Metal Gear or its characters. Konami does, and they rock. Who else could create someone as kickass as Revolver Ocelot!

The island of Lihin, South China Sea

Lihin Jungle

The two JRA troopers slowly tramped through the thick jungle underbrush, the canopy high above them, cascading with light and the savage and musical sounds of animals and creatures above.

They were clad in their familiar tan camouflage uniforms, with their AK-47s trained forward as they spoke in mutters and whispers, advancing.

"Psst…Kurahashi…"

The trooper to the right turned slightly to the trooper speaking to him, but still kept his eyes trained forward with his weapon as they advanced.

"Yeah, what is it, dammit?"

"Why-"

A rush in the trees above them interrupted the trooper, and they quickly peered around nervously, seeing a large bird flapping away.

"Heh…Um…"

"Yeah? Spit it out Kiri."

"Why are we out here again?"

Kurahashi sighed. He'd been with Kiriyama in this brigade for a goddamn decade or so but the bastard still couldn't retain anything important in that skull of his.

"We…are…here…to find that young guy, whatever they call him, Brittle Snake…"

"Why?"

Kurahashi's patience waned.

"Because, Kiri…he's been missing in the jungle for over an hour…"

"Um, but-"

Suddenly another noise above them, louder this time and Kiriyama almost yelped.

Kurahashi groaned.

"You imbecile, can't you just stay calm for one second? It's probably a snake or bird or som-"

"Snake…is right."

That was the last thing Kurahashi heard before he heard something drop down behind him and then two strong hands wrap around his neck and snap it expertly.

Kiriyama actually screamed like a preadolescent girl, dropping his weapon and trying to sprint away, but Solid Snake was much too quick, grabbing him by the heel as he tried to escape and quickly felling him to a subservient position on the mushy jungle ground.

He twisted the JRA trooper's arm behind his back and put an unlit cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

"Now tell me…Who the hell is 'Brittle Snake'!"

The island of Lihin, South China Sea

JRA Headquarters

Nox sighed as he stared down at the limp form of Raiden, a crowd of JRA troopers huddled around him along with Granite Cougar, Venom Lamprey, and Plague Hyena.

So now…we've procured the trade…they want the young man, and we want Arsenal Gear…Or so everyone will think. As long as they think the deal is normal, as long as even my own men think those are the only motives involved, then I will be fine, and I shall be waiting for you…Solid Snake…

Suddenly his dull red eyes flashed and he lifted his head, looking up into a shadowy tree in the darkness and speaking to apparently nothing.

"So…Cannon Manta…Tell me, have they all arrived?"

"Of course!"

A heavy German accent wafted in from the treetop, followed by a rush of air.

The man actually glided down from the darkness of the treetop, his wing-like cape bearing him down as he landed. He was clad in gray from head to toe, and where his right arm should've been, there was an odd looking cannon, enormous, although he seemed to bear it naturally.

"All of the players have come, Commandant…All of them…As you predicted."

Everyone but Nox seemed to smirk, already annoyed by Manta's glorious drop-in entrances.

Nox simply smirked and then nodded, turning away distastefully from the limp Raiden and issuing orders in a soft but firm voice.

"Granite…"

"Sir."

"Intercept Ocelot on the southern beach where he is to land, entertain him for me…I know you've been begging for a chance to finally…meet him."

Granite Cougar smiled broadly, his eyes clouded with lust as he held the huge club-like weapon on his shoulder.

"Yes, sir, I'll show him a good time…"

He walked off with that, into the forest, but not before lifting his huge club and slamming it into the ground with glee, causing huge visible cracks to form.

"And…Manta…"

The German nodded.

"I know…I know…I'll take care of anything that comes into my sector. Don't worry, mein commandant."

And with that he was gone, almost flying straight into the dense wilderness.

Nox stared at Plague Hyena and Venom Lamprey and then smirk, nodding to them and then turning away to go back to his "office" in the JRA compound. It was more of a huge secluded chamber, musty and gray.

Meanwhile, the two remaining members of the Pyesetz Brigade there hoisted up the coffin with Raiden in it, moving it towards a hangar close by.

Raiden's eyelids fluttered, and then he blinked. Twice.

The island of Lihin, South China Sea

Lihin Jungle

Solid Snake sighed, bending down beside a thick bush in the noisy jungle around him, his bandanna flickering against his already graying hair, responding to a CODEC.

"Yeah?"
"Snake? It's me, Otacon."

"Hrmmm…well if it's about this 'Brittle Snake' business, I have no idea, sounds like a joke or some fanatical admirer of Big Boss…The JRA trooper didn't seem to know a damn thing."

"Yeah…I…I suppose…"

"Otacon? What's new, any data on this mission for me? I don't want to be left in the dark here…"

"Yeah…well…not much. I've heard things about some sort of pay off going on here, it may involve Raiden and Arsenal Gear, although I'm not sure what…Apparently the JRA and Ocelot are definitely involved, although I can't "

"So basically we don't really know anything concrete."

"Well Snake…guess it comes with the business."

"Yeah wha-"

Suddenly Snake heard a smooth and venomous voice behind him, one that surprised him and send shivers up his spine.

How did this guy sneak up on me!

"Well…Hello, brother…Or maybe Uncle Snake would be more appropriate."

Solid twirled around, staring at the young man clad completely in black standing before him with a smirk framed by a thick goatee.

"What!"

Brittle Snake simply smirked wider as he drew the long black cane at his side, twirling it menacingly with a chuckle.

"You look like a mess, Solid…The ancient productions of Les Infants Terribles…You're outdated at best, by now…It wouldn't be fun to pick on a grandpa, but I guess I could entertain you for now…"

Solid Snake's eyes widened and he reached for his pistol, just as Brittle Snake's cane jabbed towards him, an ebony blur in the twinkling emerald of the Lihin Jungle.

The island of Lihin, South China Sea

Western Beach

He stared forward grimly, his face framed by heavy armor as his boots slammed hard against the sand.

Solidus Snake slowly floated straight up in the air, his expression unchanged as his two tentacles slammed into the ground and lifted him up into the sky off of his feet to get a better vantage point.

Solidus sighed.

Nothing but jungle…not the best area for this type of suit…I could just rip through it all though, I've got the firepower…The beach is my safest bet, but they obviously have Raiden in the center of the island.

Solidus Snake had not only survived and recovered a new suit of his high tech armor, but he had also been dubiously tipped off to Raiden's presence on Lihin.

It was all obviously the doing of The Patriots, he was just another chess piece on their board, another actor in their film, playing the part they led him to.

But he was fine with that for now…because they would pay for their underestimation.

Farce or not, possibly placing Raiden, Revolver Ocelot, and Arsenal Gear on the same island seemed risky enough for the committee.

They're obviously desperate now, or as desperate as an omnipotent organization can get…

He sighed as his tentacles settled him down on the ground, and began hurtling his way down the sandy beach, sending flame and jets of shining, melting glass in his wake as he counted off his armored fingers.

First kill Ocelot, then drain Raiden's blood, then secure a Ray from Arsenal Gear…I will succeed where all others have failed…

He clenched his fists as he rushed along quickly.

"I'm sure of i-"

Suddenly an odd sound and the feel of air rushing by him interrupted him, and then an irritating metal clang.

Solidus' eyes widened as he stopped, sending up a storm of sand, the apparently thrown daggers having barely missed his prone head, instead bouncing off his armor.

But what surprised him more was the source of the attacks.

A damningly familiar man stood before him with a smirk, a "foreign" looking man, possibly Eastern European, with a smart black goatee, sharp ebony hair, and a drab green trench coat.

"Vamp!"

"Ah…so Solidus…you live?"

Solidus scowled.

"I could say the same thing to you, 'vampire'…You're just a freak with nanomachines."

Vamp's eyes widened, but only slightly, and then he bared his ferocious looking fangs.

Solidus smiled wryly, drawing a katana as his two long tentacles floated about behind him.

"Oh, I know about them, and more…Seems like someone really wanted to set us up on the figurative date…"

"I will avenge my Queen."

"She died protecting us from Ocelot you know; us two Snakes, the great sons of Big Boss…But that's irrelevant. I'll kill you anyway, I've been hankering to test my stuff, and you're so conveniently here, ready to die."

"Hmph."

Their eyes squinted into ferocious squints, Vamp gripping two Bowie Knives while Solidus had a P90 in his right hand and a katana in the other. Dancing across both of their faces were bemused smirks of bloodlust, rage, revenge, nostalgia, and victory.

And then, it happened.

Boom.

The explosion was horrendous, and it seemed to have materialized from nothingness in the area directly between Solidus Snake and Vamp.

It shook the very earth and sent them retreating back, Vamp flung by the force, Solidus simply treading backwards, his armor and tentacles steadying him.

As the smoke and flung sand cleared, they both squinted through the debris, four eyes centering on a figure actually floating in midair, as if gliding.

Cannon Manta smiled, and then took aim once again, firing the Hydro Cutter strapped to his arm towards the two figures with a whooping Bavarian laugh.

Well, short and maybe anticlimactic chapter, but only for story purposes…

And don't worry, this fanfic won't just be mindless battling, but the battles in Metal Gear Solid are an important part of the awesomeness.

As for the next chapter:

Brittle vs. Solid!

Vamp and Solidus vs. Manta!

Cougar vs. Ocelot!

Etc!

Eheheh, well, see you next chapter.