A/N: This is where the story actually begins. I will be changing a few things from the Metal Gear series throughout this fic to have it fit in better with the story.
Chapter 1: Deadman Walking
The year was After Colony 200. It was four years after the Mariemaia Incident. The Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian sat in her office, tiring from all the paper work and stress she had had as of late. It was February. Although the days were getting longer, it still got dark early. Light snowfall still made its way outside. Relena decided to get up from her desk and put a hand on her rather large window. She sighed. She was more than exhausted-she felt like she would die pretty soon. Relena felt like she was a 100-year-old trapped in a 20-year-old's body.
She could thank the President of the Earth Sphere United Nation, George Sears, for her exhaustion. After discovering her true heritage as a Peacecraft, fighting with all of her young might for peace during the Eve Wars, and struggling to uphold it during the Mariemaia Incident, she could feel it all slipping away. She could feel it in her heart, that George Sears, whether directly or indirectly would shatter the fragile glass wall of peace she had cultivated in one second with his clenched fist.
George Sears, an American man, was elected president of the ESUN in response to the Mariemaia Incident. He promised to never let a rebel faction such as the Barton Foundation and the Mariemaia Army ever threaten the ESUN again. In that regard, he proposed the Military Unification Act of AC 198-a massive military expansion bill that created a separate Unified Army outside of the purview of the Preventers-who President Sears had said in his address to the legislature "clearly failed in their duty."
Despite her best efforts to oppose the measure, the Mariemaia Incident was still fresh on the legislator's minds and the bill was passed. Relena feared her work was beginning to be meaningless. The Earth Sphere Unified Nation had just lost its meaning.
But the biggest blow was to her heart. The man she loved more than anything, Heero Yuy had disappeared completely from her life a month prior to the drafting of the Military Unification Act. Although they were far from where Relena desired their relationship to be-Heero had at least kept in touch with her. Then he vanished. He was gone and she had not heard from him since. While she valiantly tried to remain the Relena she always had been during the critical debate about the MUA-she knew that she was not completely herself. Her heart still had a hole in it-one which would never completely heal.
"Heero..." She whispered sadly. Snapping out of her daydream, she knew she had to get back to work. This was no ordinary paper work-this was possibly even more important to defeat than the MUA. Walking over her desk, she began to look over the critical documents again.
This was President Sears' biggest and most audacious move yet. Right off the heels of his dismissal of Lady Une, he was planning to authorize the development of a new type of Metal Gear. Metal Gears were specialized mobile suits built for mass destruction-to end thousands or millions of lives as quickly as humanly possible. The bill was innocently named enough-the Military Science Act of AC 200. This "Military Science" happened to be the science of walking weapons of mass destruction.
Going back into the history of Metal Gear brought up legendary names and events of the past century. Big Boss, Solid Snake, Shadow Moses. All of these people and events were intricately intertwined with Metal Gear. Solid Snake's actions during the Tanker Incident in New York effectively ended Metal Gear for good. In AC 193 Solid Snake infiltrated what looked to be an oil tanker, released photos of what it was really carrying-the new Metal Gear, and then proceeded to blow it up, killing himself and Metal Gear in the process.
Although Snake was responsible for the deaths of thousands-Relena couldn't help but admire the man.
"Solid Snake." She smiled, looking at a photograph of him taken by a Cypher UAV while on the deck of the tanker which was included in one of the files. "You were a killer. But at least you did something meaningful with your life. Thanks to you Metal Gear is dead and buried."
Relena then imagined what would have happened had Metal Gear been used in the Eve Wars-by any side. There might not be an Earth left. Nukes would have been exchanged like regular rifle rounds. Indeed, a major reason for the success of the Gundams during the Eve Wars was the fact that they weren't up against any Metal Gears.
"I guess that's why you're legend." She whispered again. She then remembered-Snake was Heero's idol. He had told her numerous times. Heero admired Snake's courage, ideals, and skill. The Perfect Soldier modeled himself on a Perfect Soldier that came before him. Thoughts of Heero flooded her mind again, Relena desperately trying to push them away.
Moving on, she looked at an image of Metal Gear TX-55. The image instantly brought up memories-the nightmare she had from time to time since she was a child. The nightmare of the attack on the Sanc Kingdom-and her, a toddler, lost in the chaos. But there was always the man...the man who saved her, she remembered that man destroying that very Metal Gear and sending her away. Indeed, this was confirmed to her by her adoptive mother, Mrs. Darlian, a few years ago-a man had destroyed a Metal Gear and handed her off to her adoptive father.
So much misery, so much suffering-her personal suffering included. No, she would not let President Sears revive the project and create an even deadlier version of Metal Gear! No!
"If it's the last thing I do! I will not let him have it!" She shouted, slamming her hands on the stack of papers.
"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian, you have a visitor." Her secretary, Sarah, told her over the intercom.
"Who is it?" She said in a tired voice.
"A Mr. Ocelot is here to see you."
Ocelot? What was Ocelot doing there? She took a look at her clock. 7:12. Why so late?
"Send him in." She said unemotionally.
Ocelot was one of the President's closest confidantes. As such, he and Relena were very ideologically opposed. Relena watched as her door opened and a man with a ponytailed head of white hair and a long moustache stepped through.
"Miss Relena. It's a privilege." He said bowing.
"It's good to see you again, Ocelot." She said putting on her best diplomatic-AKA bullshit smile while she shook his hand. Ocelot gave her the creeps, he had since the first time she had met him. His voice and eyes were so cold.
"Don't overwork yourself, Miss Relena. I think you should get some more rest." He said after glancing at her huge pile of papers.
Relena knew the politicking immediately. She was the biggest force opposing the recreation of Metal Gear. Ocelot surely knew this. It was more a statement for his own interest rather than for hers. Ocelot had gotten a base hit into left center.
Relena responded. "No, really, it's quite all right. This is my job, after all. Someone has to deal with all of this insanity." Insanity implied Metal Gear. Ocelot knew it, and Relena knew that Ocelot knew it. It didn't matter, she left him unable to speak for a time. Relena had hit a home run over the right field fence.
"Ocelot, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" She asked, getting to the point.
"The President is having a banquet at his estate in South Carolina next week. He would be honored if you could join him there." Ocelot said, fishing around in his jacket pocket and then handing her the invitation.
She took the invitation. The Metal Gear debate would be in two days. Sears knew she was his biggest opponent. Yet he invited her, he had to. Etiquette said that politics stayed in the legislative chamber. He had to invite her and she had no choice but to go, even though she did not want to.
"Tell the President that I will be there." She said to Ocelot.
"Good." Ocelot smiled at her. "He will be pleased." Ocelot took a glance around her room and noticed a picture on one of her bookshelves. Relena stood with a young man with rather messy hair over his eyes.
"Will that young man be joining you at the party?" He asked, motioning to the picture.
"...No." She said in a sad whisper.
"Miss Relena, would you like me to walk you downstairs to your car?" He asked.
"That would be fine, Ocelot. Thank you." She said, putting the papers in a folder, which she took while getting her coat.
After a walk that lasted a couple of minutes in which neither Relena nor Ocelot talked very much, Relena got into her car and waved good-bye. She looked at her watch, 7:30 P.M. Relena would be taking the day off tomorrow. She would have to be well rested for the political fight of her life.
When the debate was over, Relena and her allies had narrowly managed to defeat the Military Science Act. Relena breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Metal Gear would not be reentering the world, for now at least.
Up far away in a remote part of Alaska, four people watched the Metal Gear debate intensely. A woman with long brown hair was the first to speak.
"Your sister certainly still has the guts she is known for, standing up to Sears like that."
"Yes, but it's not like he'll listen." A man with ice blue eyes said back to her. "Legal or not, Sears will bring back Metal Gear."
"I agree." Another woman who had her head on the man's chest said. "Sears definitely has an agenda, and Metal Gear is a key part of it. He and his friend Ocelot will see their agenda through no matter the cost.
"Zechs." A woman with blonde hair said. "Are you sure our time here isn't a wild goose chase?"
"I'm absolutely certain, Sally. Sears and Ocelot will revive Metal Gear, and they will use it to seriously harm the Earth Sphere United Nation and the peace it stands for. So we've got to form a resistance. And who better to lead us than the greatest Metal Gear fighter who's ever lived? Besides, I need to pay him back for saving mine and Relena's lives."
"I can't believe you actually met Solid Snake, Zechs." The woman, Noin said to him.
"I wish it was under better circumstances..."
"This is all besides the point. Zechs, Snake is dead. Snake has been dead since that Tanker operation of his!"
"No! No, Lady Une! Snake is not dead!"
"And how do you know that?"
"I can't really explain it...it's something I've come to know in my extensive travels. And besides, Snake is way too good to have been blown up in that Tanker."
"Zechs, don't let your reverence for Snake cloud your judgment." Lady Une warned.
"Snake has always been my hero...ever since he saved my life. His various activities only further strengthened my conviction. He's still alive and we are getting very close. C'mon." He said as he got up and left the hotel they were staying at.
The three women followed him out. After driving for around four more hours, they arrived. It was a small town on the ass end of nowhere in Alaska. Looking around, they arrived at a small cemetery. A man was standing over a couple of graves. He appeared to be 35, with light facial hair, a mullet, and blue-green eyes. He wore a heavy coat in the serious blizzard.
"Meryl…Gray Fox." He said in a low breath. "I miss you."
Hearing footsteps in the snow, the man turned around. There were four people, three women and a man.
"Who are you?" He asked in a threatening tone.
"That is him...I don't believe it..." Lady Une was nearly speechless.
She was the first person he recognized. "Lady Une. Leader of the Preventers, or former leader of the Preventers."
Lady Une answered him. "Are you..."
"No." He answered, trying to throw her off. How had these four people gotten here? Did they really know that he was who he was?
The four of them didn't seem to be deterred. The man stepped forward to look him in the face.
"Perhaps we ought to introduce ourselves. That's Lucrezia Noin, Sally Po, and you've met Lady Une." Zechs was practically shaking in anticipation-finally he was meeting his hero, not as the small six-year-old boy that needed to be saved, but man to man. "As for myself, I am-"
"Wait a minute." He was cut off. "It's...you. You're that kid, Milliardo Peacecraft. You were also the one who was going to crash Libra into Earth!"
"I regret my actions every day I live. Snake...and don't deny it because I know that's who you are. I never did...thank you for saving my sister's life." He said, actually hugging the man, a tear in one of his eyes.
"Hey, best not to cry out here kid." The man said, reluctantly hugging Milliardo back.
Milliardo laughed. Sally Po spoke.
"So Snake...you're not...dead."
"No. I'll let you in on a little secret too, I didn't blow up that Tanker either."
"Then who did?" Sally asked.
"That was Ocelot's doing."
"OCELOT?!" The four of them yelled.
"Yeah, but it was convenient to blame me. The plan was to just upload the pictures of the new Metal Gear on the net, and let the public outcry be enough to stop it. But since Metal Gear was destroyed as well, I think it all worked out nicely. Anyway, I have a question to ask you. Why the hell did you people come out here, just to see if I was still alive? I don't think so. There's something you haven't told me and I suggest you spill it."
Lady Une spoke. "Snake, sir. As you know I was just dismissed as leader of the Preventers. Agents Water, Fire, and Wind quit in protest. I was dismissed because President Sears wants to bring back Metal Gear and I was an obstacle to that."
"Relena Peacecraft just defeated that measure." Snake responded.
"It was thanks to you that she's alive to do all she's doing..." Emotion overcoming Milliardo again. "She goes by Darlian now though."
"Eh, I know. But she'll always be a Peacecraft to me. As will you, even though you strayed from your father's ideals. But then again, that is your choice."
"Side conversations aside." Lady Une said, interjecting. "Snake, do you really expect George Sears to not revive Metal Gear just because Relena Peacecraft said 'no' with the support of a few hundred people?"
"Of course not." Snake said matter-of-factly.
"Well, you're right. I was dismissed as leader of the Preventers because I went over his Metal Gear plans without authorization. He wants a Metal Gear army, and in fact, development is already under way. No one is going to stop him...or so he thinks. Snake, we are going to form a resistance. But we need a true leader, and who better than you, the legendary Metal Gear destroyer?"
"I'm retired." Snake said, beginning to walk away in a huff.
The four former Preventers looked at each other in a state of shock and hurried to catch up.
"But please, Snake!" Noin pleaded with him. "You're legend! We need you!"
"Let me tell you a little something, Miss Noin. A legend is nothing but a fable. It's a made up story. I'm no hero and I never was. People need to get over it and worry about their own lives."
"That's a lie!" Milliardo shouted at him. "You are a hero. To me most of all! It was you who saved me and my sister. That's not an over hyped account, that is a fact that I will never forget! And besides, legends are important. They give the people something to rally around, a symbol for why they fight. And you are a symbol of hope to millions, whether you like it or not, that's what you are!"
Snake did not know how to respond to those words...they had a sad hint of truth to them, despite his denials.
"Snake, please." Sally tried to reason with him. "We need you. The world needs you!"
"Snake, if George Sears makes a Metal Gear army that rampages around, your life will have meant nothing, all your efforts will have been in vain because Metal Gear will be back and worse than ever. Please, continue on. Help us! Lead us in these desperate times! I beg you!" Lady Une took his hand and knelt before him.
Again, there was a sad truth in her words as well. His efforts would be wasted if Sears ever got his hands on Metal Gear. And he knew Sears' true colors.
"Argh." He grunted. "Fine. I'll do it..." Snake continued to walk. "I'll take you to my home, follow me. If I'm gonna be a part of this, much less your leader, you have to tell me your plan." He said walking off. "Hurry up, don't fall behind."
As the four former Preventers walked behind, their faces lit up with hope-a stark contrast to the blizzard they trudged through.
"Thank God..." Lady Une whispered with a wide smile. "Zechs, you were right! Our journey here wasn't wasted, far from it! We have a chance..."
The dead had risen. It was walking, trudging, toward its cause.