Author's Note: I never expect this to happen but…. it's been 7 months since I update this fic. Well, to be honest, a LOT of things happened in my own personal life. However, I was heartbroken when my father who passed away last January. But I'm very glad because for me, he is the best dad in the world and I and my family are fine and moving on as well.

But still, I'm in high spirits and now I'm back on playing MGSV and thanks to a certain reviewer, it got me back on writing this story again. So, here it is, one of my potentially long chapters, chapter 2, which is part of ACT 1: SOLDIER.

I don't own Danganronpa and Metal Gear Solid.

Chapter 2: Diamond Dogs

Mukuro's Quarters, Room 212

Diamond Dogs Mother Base

Seychelles Waters

Command Platform

11:10 in the morning

*Mukuro's POV*

That was a nice shower. Can't complain, anyway; the water is… nice.

After sitting on my bed for a moment (AND after I put up my underwear, which it consists of a navy blue sports bra and matching panties), I stood up and went to the closet. As I open it up, I saw a lot military-themed clothes; however, the uniforms are placed in a row of hangers. Speaking of the uniforms, they have a series of jungle fatigues: all ranging from the standard yellowish tan and the olive darb uniforms to the camouflage pattern types; fit for infiltration and survival. Looking down, I saw t-shirts with the standard colors of black, blue and white; fatigue pants, shorts, and jungle boots.

I opened the bottom part of my closet. I can still see a stack of my underwear; they also had socks in it. I may be not as fashionable as my sister Junko, but I know what a real soldier should wear.

So I began to wear a white t-shirt; I took the standard beige fatigue pants. I wear the socks and putting on the jungle boots. Next is I grab the standard uniform and as I look into the mirror, and began to wear it. After I finished by putting the zipper up, I looked myself at the mirror.

"Alright, this is neat." I said to myself. "But something's amiss…"

I decided to put the sleeves up until it reaches on my elbows, making it sleeveless. And then I looked back at the mirror, I turned right and checked the right shoulder part of the uniform; it's a simple logo with the letters "D.D." on it. I also checked the left shoulder part as it has the "Diamond Dogs" logo on it.

I take a final look as I smiled contently. "There; much better."

I looked at the time and it is 11:30 AM; it's thirty minutes before lunchtime. Great; I'm in a good mood. Better to go to the Mess Hall to eat some grub; heck, my stomach is growling.

If they have a Mess Hall here…

I opened the door of my room by pushing the red button and went out from it. I closed it by pushing the red button as it closed again. As I saw a lever-like device attached on the place where the red button was located; I pulled it down… and it's locked.

"Uh, okay. Nothing bad is gonna happen, right?"

And I went on my way…

Room 108, Mess Hall

First Floor

Command Platform

12:10 at noon

At last, I finally reached the mess hall. Can't believe that the whole place was… vast.

The Mess Hall of this base is something: it was neat and orderly, especially the decked seats and tables in a number of rows. Most of them are eating their lunch; some of them are chattering. Meh, can't even tell.

"Hey, rookie." I heard someone called me. I turned to my right and it was the guard.

"If you want to take lunch, please fall in line."

I nodded as I entered the mess hall. I saw the fellow mercs fall in line with their treys, spoon and fork, and plates to get their grub. I get mine as I fall in line and wait.

Now it's my turn; the chef is standing before me. "Alright, missy. Take your pick."

"Ok…" I mumbled. "Just give me a broiled fish, rice, mushroom soup and some vegetables, please."

The chef smirked. "Good choice, missy. Comin' right up."

"Thanks." I smiled as he gave me the aforementioned food.

I finally took my seat in one of the desks and as I began to eat my food. Hmm, it's still delicious, by the way. It's almost the same level of taste of the rations that Snake, or should I say, Big Boss, gave it to me back at the chopper.

As I keep on eating my food, I heard footsteps; I'm certain that there is a soldier holding her own trey of food. She sat beside me, which I don't even mind, and began eating her lunch.

"So you must be the new rookie? I never knew that one of the new recruits is a kid…"

When I heard it, I turned to the female soldier beside me. Upon her looks, I can tell that she's also a Caucasian and she had brown hair and brownish eyes; she also wears her standard Diamond Dogs uniform and speaking of her hair, it was tied in a bun.

And she gave me a pleasant smile.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "But you're no child soldier or anything, aren't you? By the way, how old are you, kid?"

"One, I received military training at a very young age. And two, I'm seventeen years old."

"Oh, I see." The female merc said as she keeps on eating her food. "Most of the people who are recruited her are in 21+ years of age. But I never thought that someone like you could end up in Diamond Dogs."

Then the female soldier turned to me and gave me a pleasant smile. "But you're so different, kid. You even kicked Instructor's Ocelot's ass. Hmmm…with those skills of yours, I can see that you'll end up in the Combat Unit for sure."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Combat Unit?"

"Here's a hint: most of the soldiers recruited here are not your typical militia or that crap per se. See the patch over the right chest of my uniform?"

I take a look and she was right: she had a patch. And its description is a small red cross inside a white square. I nodded when I saw it.

"I belong to the Medical Unit." She said. "That is where we took care of the injured and the sick. But we have different skills, though."

"Okay." I nodded then I turned to her. "Tell me more about it."

We continued until we finished our meal. We stood up and looked at each other.

"Well, that's all I give you for today. It's better if you will approach Instructor Ocelot. Aside from Commander Miller, he also knows everything about this place more than I do." She told me.

"Understood." I nodded.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I didn't even introduce myself. My codename is Floating Hummingbird."

"Mine is Fenris Wolf; Fenrir, for short. Real name's Mukuro Ikusaba." I introduced myself to the medic in return.

"'Mukuro', huh?" Hummingbird pondered. "Well, nice to meet ya, kid." She offered her hand to me.

"Um, thanks." I shake hands with her.

"Ikusaba?"

I heard someone called my name. And as I turned, it was another Diamond Dogs merc.

"The Instructor has called you. He needs your attention."

I cocked my eyebrow. "Care to tell me?"

He smirked instead. "Just follow me."

I'm wondering why this guy smirked at me. "Okay." I said politely. As I began to follow the guy, Hummingbird called me out.

"Hey, if you have any injuries or stuff that bothers you, just count on us! We're here to help!"

I smiled at the female medic. "Thanks for the advice… but I won't get hurt easily." Afterwards I went out of the Mess Hall, following the other merc. But in honesty, another reason why I was called the Super High School Level Soldier… is because I always get back in one piece after an operation; I was never hurt or wounded. That is one of my talents….

But, I can't even tell. As I keep on finding my own place in this world, a little training and warm up will suffice.

Command Platform

Diamond Dogs Mother Base

Seychelles

1:05 in the afternoon

The white-haired man named Ocelot is standing with his arms crossed. He is observing two men fighting each other. It's not even a 'real' fight yet more of an exercise; the two soldiers are doing close quarters combat (CQC) training. Of course, that means he's observing the whole exercise as well.

"Ok, that's it. Keep going."

Hearing this, the two soldiers resumed their training. While the Western cowboy-clad instructor continues to watch over, he also hears footsteps from behind and as he turned, saw Mukuro along with another soldier, accompanying her.

"Alright, stop." the instructor called the two soldiers to stop the exercise. They hear it and went to the front.

"That's it for today, boys. You may go back to your quarters for now and take a rest. Don't forget your duties."

They salute in response as they left. Then Ocelot looked back at the black-haired girl.

"You came." he said in a pleasing tone. "Enjoying your lunch?"

"Hm. Can't complain." She replied.

"You may leave." He motioned the male soldier to leave with the latter salute in response. That brings the two of them are now alone.

"Actually, I called you out because this afternoon, we will conduct… a tour over Mother Base." Ocelot announced.

"A tour?" Ikusaba cocked an eyebrow.

"Let's say it's more like an 'orientation' of sorts." Ocelot continued. "And since you're a new recruit, I would like to introduce to you a lot of things around here."

The white-haired man instructor approached Mukuro and gave her a walkie-talkie like device, which the girl soldier took it. As she looked into it, she could tell that the device itself looks like a walkie-talkie, as series of buttons on the right side and optic lens-like part on the center.

"It's yours now. Keep it."

"What's this?" Mukuro wondered, asking the instructor.

"Every Diamond Dogs soldier carries it, even the Boss himself. It's called an iDroid." Ocelot said.

"iDroid?" The black-haired freckled girl repeated.

"It's a device that uses a holographic interface. Not only it has a holographic menu on selecting missions and even managing Mother Base, but it also has a holographic map. In other words, it's a very handy tool since it was connected to our Mother Base itself." Ocelot explained.

As Mukuro looked back on the iDroid, she asked. "How does this thing work? When I was a merc in my world, all I had is a radio when I want to contact HQ; nothing else."

Ocelot chuckled. "You still have your curiosity, eh? Even you're an 'excellent' soldier in your world; you're still a rookie… to me, that is. You still got a lot to learn."

"Not just that, sir. I'm still learning my own place in this world." She commented.

"And the time to do that… is now." Ocelot said. "By the way, try to open up your iDroid, and see it for yourself."

When she pressed one of the buttons on her iDroid to open it, she was speechless. She was amazed, to be exact.

The optic lens-like part releases a light as it reveals a hologram of the Diamond Dogs logo then a holographic map appears in front of her, straight from the device itself. It was the map of the whole Mother Base. As she navigates the map through the rotating stick that has a button-like feature, she can't help to be in awe.

"Wow…"

"Seems you like it, right?" Ocelot guessed.

"Yeah. This was very helpful if you ask me." Mukuro commented. "It's a device unlike any other."

"Thanks for the compliment, Miss." Ocelot grinned; and then he continued. "Now, let's begin the 'orientation' subject, shall we? Put down your iDroid for now."

I nodded as I put this 'iDroid' into her left pocket and then she turned her attention to the white-haired instructor.

"This building right here is the center and 'heart' of Mother Base itself, the Command Platform. This is where staff has their own quarters; this place has a mess hall, communication systems, defenses; everything that meets the needs of every Diamond Dogs merc. The expansion of Mother Base all starts with this place."

"So that means this place is more like our central HQ or command center?" she asked.

"Exactly." Ocelot affirmed. "If this one falls, everything in Mother Base falls like a row of dominoes." As he ends the explanation, Ocelot pointed to the Super High School Level Soldier. "Now, open up your iDroid."

Mukuro nodded as she put out the iDroid and opened it, as the holographic map is in full display.

"Try to call a chopper using that." Ocelot ordered

'Fenrir' turned to her instructor. "Seriously?"

Ocelot nodded. "Yes. First, go to the Missions menu, and select the Helicopter option."

Mukuro did as she was told, until she goes to the Missions menu and selects the Helicopter option, which she does so.

"You see the two options on the secondary menu under the Helicopter option, right?" then the instructor continued. "Select the option that says 'Pick Up'."

She did as she was told. When she selected the Pick Up option, it returned to the Mother Base map and saw a small spreading white light on the map, located on the helipad of the Command Platform.

"See that blinking white light on the Command Platform indicated on the hologram map? That means it was located on the helipad of this building, indicating the landing zone, or LZ for short. Highlight the squared cursor that is on the map, and select that LZ."

"Okay." Mukuro nodded, and she selected the LZ through pressing the button of her iDroid.

*Mukuro's POV*

I did what instructor Ocelot told me. Then moments later, I heard the sound of the helicopter that I called. And as I look up, I finally saw the helicopter I called as it arrives on its landing zone.

The said helicopter lowers down as it keeps on floating.

"There it is; our ride in the sky." Ocelot said. "Come on, let's go." He motioned to follow him as I walked next to him.

Ocelot got on the chopper first, and I, of course, followed as well. As we are now both inside the chopper, the instructor handed me headphones as I wear them. He also wears his as well. I can tell that since talking in the chopper when the door's open is close to impossible, these headphones help us communicate with each other.

"Alright, it's now set up." Ocelot checked up the comms and I did the same. "Can you hear me, Ikusaba?"

After hearing Ocelot's voice on my headphone, I turned to him and nodded, "Loud and clear, sir!"

"Okay." He nodded back. "Pequod, let's go for a tour, shall we?"

"Roger that. Gaining altitude!" The pilot of the chopper affirmed as the chopper we're riding slowly went upward as it gains altitude.

"So you're the little soldier that the Boss rescued back then?" One of the pilots seems referred to me, as I listened. "Rest assured; you're gonna love this place, kid. Hold on tight."

I smiled at what he said. And then I remembered when Snake said to me that this Mother Base, the home of Diamond Dogs, is now my 'new home'.

And now we took off…

Aboard on Pequod

In the vicinity within Diamond Dogs Mother Base

Seychelles

1:45 in the afternoon

*Mukuro's POV*

"Still enjoying the view from up here?" Ocelot called me as I keep on looking down from the chopper, still marveled on Mother Base itself.

"Yeah." I nodded as I turned in front of him. "Can't believe that the whole place is this big when I first got here…"

"And it will get bigger…" Ocelot added. I looked down again and he was right: from the Command Platform there are bridges with smaller struts that are connected with each other and there are a few complete regular struts connected from the other platforms; most of them are under construction.

"Open up your iDroid and see where we will go next…" Ocelot said. I nodded and opened it up and as I see it, we are reaching to our first building…

"The chopper is now going into the platform which says… 'Base Development' Platform."

"And look down, kid. Here we are." He motioned me to look down and I saw the said platform. It has one crane and while looking, I saw soldiers walking around in various buildings and a number of shipping containers crates in rows with different colors and designation. I'm curious of what is inside of those crates…

"See those shipping containers down there?" Ocelot asked me and I replied with a 'yes'. "That is our resources."

"Resources?" I repeated, being curious.

"Right." He nodded as he continued. "That place down there is the home of the Base Development Unit. They're responsible for the gathering and processing of the materials we got in order to make it useful for Diamond Dogs. Ammo, support weapons, vehicles, food, you name it."

"I see…" I muttered.

"However, the primary function of the unit is the further development and expansion of Mother Base itself. The processing of materials takes a time interval; the higher the level, the less time interval will be in between each processing cycle. By the way, your XO Kazuhira Miller heads the unit and the platform. So if there are guys who had a hand of expanding Mother Base, it's them." Ocelot ended his lecture.

Now I understand what he's saying. I can say that the 'Base Development Unit' is some form of their logistics. And the one-armed half-Japanese man heads the unit? Maybe he's not just a soldier… but also a negotiator and businessman. The Fenrir mercenary group is one of the elites, but compared to Diamond Dogs, they're as not as well-organized or even economically-grounded like the latter. With this, it sparks up my interest over these guys.

"Economically-grounded, huh?" I said. "That was something."

Ocelot smirked. "That's how our PF works, little soldier."

"So what's the next stop?" I asked the instructor. Can't wait to see more of Mother Base; actually, I was very eager to see more.

"Patience, soldier. We're going there." He told me. The least I can do… is to look down and watch.

After a few minutes, we reached to the second platform. Still looking down, I saw a series of buildings, all colored in white and mercs are also walking around, guarding the area.

"This is the Medical Platform." Ocelot began to explain, as I listened though my headphone. "The home of the Medical Unit; hence the name, this is where doctors and nurses located, and of course, they're the ones who take care of the sick and wounded, and even people who suffered PTSD. Better we recruit people with special skills like being surgeons, physicians, counselors. That will make the unit more efficient and better."

"Hm. Full of medics." I mused. "I concur."

"Alright, let's to the next platform." he called out.

We're still flying in the sky and as far as I see it, we went past to the Command Platform. And as I checked on my iDroid, we're heading south. By the point that we reached the next platform: it was a small building with a hangar inside, as well as two inter-connected struts.

"Okay, our next stop: the Support Platform." Ocelot said.

"So this means this place..."

"Yes." he affirmed. "The home of the Support team; keyword: support. The stronger the unit, the faster they responded to every Diamond Dog merc, especially the Boss himself. In other words, their main function is to help you in your missions."

"You know, I always get out alive." I comment. "I'm less relying on support..."

The white-haired instructor chuckled. "No matter how good a soldier is, he needs a group of people to back him up, in every kind of situation. You need a LOT of help from these guys in the long run..."

"I suppose..." I nodded as I continued to listen.

"Something you need to know, kid: these guys can make distraction against the enemy while you go out there scoot and sneak past in, or you can call fire support so they can fire missiles on a certain target or drop off sleeping gas to put those guards to sleep. And a lot more, even changing the weather for our benefit." he explained it to me. "So these guys are helpful."

"Hm, maybe you're right, sir." I said to him. "Sometimes I never needed help; just receiving the mission and get it done... due to my talents and abilities, I can even work alone."

Then I felt that a hand touched my left shoulder. I turned to Ocelot and said to me, "You're not just a soldier, Ikusaba. Here, we are comrades. We are family. That's what Diamond Dogs are."

I never uttered a word after he said that as I go into silence. Family. My whole class were all my 'friends' yet I was a loner. But the only family I have… is Junko. I always believe that people with the same blood are always looking for each other, no matter what. That's why I'm fine at everything she throws at me, hurtful words and stuff. But I don't care… because she's my sister.

Until the day… she killed me. I have no idea if it was out of love… or is it because of despair…?

If you ask me, no one will ever know.

"Hey, you alright, kid?" I snapped out of my thoughts as Ocelot called me. "Seems that something is bothering you, isn't it?"

I shook my head and said, "Um, no. It's nothing… "

"Okay, let's head to the next platform. Pequod?" the white-haired instructor called on the pilot.

"Roger."

Afterwards and we headed into the next platform and by the looks of it, it looks like a monolithic spoked building and from the top of it, I saw a helipad and a small hangar.

"Down there is the R&D platform. As the name goes, it's the home of the R&D team. You know what this means, right?" Ocelot said on the radio.

And I answered, "I have an idea: weapons development and research, is it?"

Ocelot chuckled on the radio. "Not only that, kid. These guys are in charge of developing weapons. Aside from weapons, they develop gadgets, items and other equipment to help every merc on their missions. Of course, most of the staff there are scientists and researchers so this is their home turf. The higher the level, the better since it allows them to develop advanced weapons and items for the betterment of Diamond Dogs."

And a smile crept on my face. You know, I'm an expert with guns and any kind of weapons but unlike a ragtag mercenary group like Fenrir which they provided me with any gun they could afford, these people act like an actual military organization than a ragtag group. An R&D team, huh? That's what I call... awesome.

"Alright, let's head to the next platform. And Pequod, let's make a landing."

"Roger."

"Wait, are we gonna land?" I asked.

"One of the platforms, kid; and I'm sure that you will like this." Ocelot assured me.

Wait, what? I'm not even sure what will I say about this. But I let out a sigh and told him, "Lead the way, sir."

Combat Platform

Diamond Dogs Mother Base

Seychelles

2:45 in the afternoon

The chopper hovers as it began to land on the helipad. The white-haired cowboy guy opened the door of the chopper and as he dropped off, he motioned me to drop off as well.

And with glee on Ocelot's face, he said. "Here we are. This will be your new working place."

As I began to walk towards, my eyes widened.

The whole place is more like akin to an HQ, but this was more sleek and advanced in its own time. The whole platform comprised of various radio towers and communication arrays, cranes, and a variety of buildings.

"Ikusaba, this is where the toughest of the tough work here: the Command Platform." I turned and I saw Ocelot coming into me. "This is the home of the Combat Unit, where they were dispatched into any kind of missions all over the world. Whether it was infiltration, resource gathering, scouting, frontal assault, escort, these guys are perfect for the job."

"I see."

"Now, let's have a little tour, shall we?" the white-haired guy said to.

"Yes." I nodded.

Well, it took a half an hour of showing me the whole platform. It's a bit tiring, but worth it. We are now standing in one of the balconies in the building, overlooking the sea.

"So, what do you say?" Ocelot asked me.

"Speechless. But this is much better than the turf back in my world. It's nice." I told him.

"Well, thanks for the compliment. Anyway, how does it feel that you're now starting a new life here?"

The time I heard that, I'm now thinking: what will be my place in this world? Is there any chance of me on going back home?

"I believe in second chances." I told Ocelot. "This is something I'll never throw it out. I'll take it."

Then Ocelot replied. "Some people say that the first step of taking the high road is very rough. But I believe that you can handle it. You may be a merc in your world, but it's better if I treat you like a rookie. But I see your potential, kid."

A smile crept on my face. When he said that, I felt relieved.

Then I saw the instructor reaching into his ear, which is his more like a radio device.

"Alright, I'm on it." he said, confirming the call. And then he turned to me, and said, "I got some errands to attend to. Come meet me at the Command Platform within 15:45 hours. In the meantime..." he cut off and smiled at me. "Why not spend time to look around or take a nap? It's up to you."

"Thanks, sir." I calmly replied.

"Okay, see you around, kid." Ocelot went on his way. And me? Well, I'm just standing here, and then I looked into the sky.

When I remembered the time that I died back in my world... it's not just that it hurts at first, but something that I felt: that kind of pain, excruciating pain. And then I fell down, felt nothing. People called it death. But to be honest, as I looked up into the big blue sky, I was thinking that... I should be in the afterlife. I should be in heaven. I should be with the people who died during those 'mutual killing' days.

But here I am: in an offshore plant in Seychelles. This Mother Base, the home of this mercenary group known as Diamond Dogs. It seems fate has given me a second chance. And here it is.

I was a bit exhausted, though. So I just leaned on the walls in the building. And I close my eyes just to take a nap.

3:30 in the afternoon

Combat Platform

Diamond Dogs Mother Base

Seychelles

"Hey... wake up kid. Naptime's over."

When I heard that voice waking me up, I slowly opened my eyes. Actually, I felt a bit drowsy. I looked up to the person who woke me up.

It was none other than a woman, a female soldier. Like me, she has short hair yet the color of it was black. She is holding a rifle, though.

"You have to get up..." she said to me.

"W-what?" I widened my eyes that I realized something: oh yeah, the drill! I almost forgot. "Oh no, I almost forgot! He said that I have my first drill!"

"You mean the instructor?"

I nodded.

Then the female merc chuckled. "That's why I'm waking you up. Follow me." Then I stood up and followed the female soldier.

We are still walking until we reached a jeep. As she puts the gun in the back of the jeep, the woman hopped into the driver's seat and she motioned to jump on into the front seat. She starts up the engine and after a few moments we crossed into the bridge, connected to the main platform.

"So, how are you feeling right now?" the female merc breaks the silence.

While looking over the blue sea, I replied. "Fitting in would be hard, but anything else, I'm fine."

"Glad to hear that." the woman complimented me, and then she continued. "By the way, are you still in your teens?"

"I'm 17." I curtly replied.

"Hm, one year left and you're 18. But to be honest, we just don't accept kids or teens here; we just can't let them roam there and die by the gun. But... you're an exception."

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"You can go toe-to-toe with Instructor Ocelot. I mean, for a teenager like you, you can pull off those moves? That's what I've heard from the others."

"Well, this might sound crazy for you, to be honest." I said to her. "But... I became a soldier, at a very young age."

"Wait, you started as a child soldier?" seems the woman reacted about my answer.

"You can say that." I answered honestly. "But being a soldier at a very young age is not something that I'm forced to. It's my choice."

"Your choice, huh, so it all makes sense. You're too young to make decisions in your life. Yet you did. You had me impressed, girl."

Satisfied with her reply, I said nothing as I leaned on my seat.

"Alright, we have arrived." she called me out.

The jeep made its stop when we entered into the area of the Command Platform. We both got off from the jeep and meet Ocelot who is waving at me.

"Well, you came." he said, calling me out.

We approached the white haired cowboy and the merc who escorted me saluted him as she takes her leave.

"I called you because I want to talk about something, Fenrir. And since you're a new recruit, we will discuss about Mother Base. The Boss himself is running this place since he's our lead commander, but with your help, we can make Diamond Dogs the force it deserves to be.

"And like any organization, we need good people and we need to make good use of their talents. Commander Miller asked me to lay that out for you."

"Understood, sir." I nodded.

Then the instructor took something from his bag and he gave me something, then I took it.

"To start bringing people in, use this." Ocelot continued. "It's a Fulton recovery device."

Still holding the bag, I suddenly remembered. "Wait, I know this thing."

"Hm?" I saw Ocelot raised his eyebrow.

"I saw Boss used this to extract a prisoner... at the time he rescued me."

"Okay, then how does it work?" he asked me.

"Um, to put it... it's more like you place it on someone and then the balloon comes off. That's all I know, upon what I've seen." I answered.

"Good, I was impressed you're that smart." Ocelot said with admiration. Then he continued. "When you're in the field, use it to extract any soldiers or prisoners you want back here. Then we'll see if we can't persuade them to join the ranks of Diamond Dogs."

Then he continued. "Go on; test it out on one of the staff here. Anyone you want." he said to me then he motioned one of the mercs to come forward.

"I'm ready, sir!" he saluted to Ocelot.

He nodded and then he faced me. "By the way, take this." He picked up something in his holster, and it was... a gun? And it has a suppressor. Without hesitation, I took it.

As I looked into it, Ocelot continued explaining. "This is our tranquilizer gun. If you wanna go non-lethal, use it to put your enemies to sleep. Now, since we are in a drill, tranquilize that merc and put him to sleep."

"Okay." I nodded.

I pointed the tranquilizer gun in front of the standing DD soldier. The guy even said to me, smiling. " Don't worry, little girl. That doesn't even hurt."

Really? Hearing what he said, I'm aiming the gun on his head. I pulled the trigger and the soldier... fell down as if he was knocked down.

"Good. Out like a light." The instructor commented, as I heard. But... I'm still looking at the tranquilizer gun Ocelot gave me. Can't believe that this is like an ordinary gun yet it was effective.

"Still liking the gun?" I turned to Ocelot as he approached me.

"You said this gun is non-lethal, right? Yet effective." I remarked.

"Indeed it was." he chuckled. "Tranquilizers are best for shooting down enemies within range, without ever killing them, of course. Lack of firepower, yet it knocks them down." Ocelot said. "But it all depends of the effectiveness of the tranquilizer."

"I see."

"Now, approach and extract him." I did what he said by attaching the Fulton bag and activated it...

And done! A balloon popped up as the soldier was floating. And then he was pulled up.

"Good." Ocelot said.

And I was like as I look up, "Whoa... never thought it was that high..."

"You're first time using it, isn't it?" And I nodded as he continued. "Alright, extraction complete. You can only Fulton recover someone if they're not resisting it. No dead bodies, either. They don't make great recruits."

But I raised my hand. "If you want to ask questions, go ahead." he said to me.

"What about I try to Fulton someone who is wounded?"

"Oh no, I won't do that if I were you, kid." Ocelot shakes his head in disapproval. "Not just that it's very risky, but the shock of it could kill them. Here's a better idea: call the chopper and take them in for extraction. It is the safest way to bring wounded soldiers and prisoners to Mother Base. Our medics will take care of them. Is that clear?"

"Clear as crystal, sir." I replied.

"Now, moving on..." he continued. "The staff member you just extracted will be assigned to the team best suited to his abilities. Why don't you see for yourself?"

"Um..."

"You still have your iDroid, right? Open it."

I took out my iDroid as he ordered me and opened it. As I'm currently looking at the holographic menu,

"Go to the MOTHER BASE menu and select STAFF MANAGEMENT." Looking on the menu, I did what he instructed. I'm now in the said menu and as I looked into it, it indicates that soldier that I extracted and his info are displayed: his codename, stats, and the team he was assigned in. I'm not really good on analyzing stats, but as I saw his, he has a D rank as compared to the others with the E rank, all marked with the wrench icon on top. As I see it, he's assigned into the R&D team.

"So that staff member was placed on the R&D team." Ocelot commented. "I explained to you about them back when we are at the chopper, do you remember?"

"I do, sir."

"Good. Now, let's see the development list. Select WEAPONS/ITEMS under the DEVELOPMENT heading." Ocelot ordered, which I did in response; a couple of menus and I'm now in the DEVELOPMENT menu, which it has a list of weapons and items. Some of them are locked, some of them are ready for development, and some are developed and ready to use. As I browse the menu in my iDroid, I saw guns, rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers are in display; and I also look at the items as well.

"Done browsing?" Ocelot said with a smile crept in his face.

"Woah, there are a LOT of them." I commented. "I'm talking about the weapons and items that are displayed here."

Then Ocelot chuckled in response. "I'm glad that you like it, kid. Alright, moving on... go to the menu with the box icon." Again, I comply with what he said.

"Now, see the item called 'Cardboard Box'"?

I raised my eyebrow when I saw the item.

"W-what? A cardboard box?"

"Are you surprised?" Then I give the instructor an odd look as I nodded in response. "Well, doesn't seem much use to me, but Miller was so adamant that the Boss want it on the list. 'The last word in infiltration techonology'... or so he said."

"Maybe I can join into this... conversation."

I turned my head and saw Commander Miller walking towards us. I saluted him when he arrived.

"This is more of a drill than a conversation, Miller." Ocelot bluntly told him. "Just doing some... lecture for our new prospect here."

"I see." the man with the trenchcoat said. Then he walked towards me. "So, Ikusaba... you're wondering about the Cardboard Box?"

"Um, yes sir... to be honest." I replied nervously.

"Well, you can say it's kinda ridiculous or weird but, whether you like it or not, cardboard boxes are very effective for infiltration. The Boss himself keeps on bragging about it." Miller said to me.

"You can't be serious..." I said in disbelief.

"But that's the truth." he chuckled. "Back at MSF, 9 years ago, we made different kinds of cardboard boxes. Some of them can be used as traps against enemy troops, some of them can help you in different situations, and there's even a box where two people can fit in, especially a box modelled from a tank." Miller grinned.

I was like... what? I looked at Instructor Ocelot, and he shrugged.

Then I heard Miller clears his throat. "Now we continue Ocelot's lecture, seems I need to help you out. Look at your iDroid."

I followed Commander Miller's call as I look back at my iDroid.

"Did you see the 'Cardboard Box' item in the menu?"

I nodded.

"You see the development costs through GMP, or Gross Military Product. In other words, our money. Since it's unlocked and no wrench icon in the said item, it means it's already developed. Now, select the 'Cardboard Box' item." Miller told me. And I select the said item and I saw an option that reads: 'Request a supply drop?' Then I select 'Yes'.

"Good, Ikusaba." Miller remarked. "Now we wait a few moments for the supply drop."

"By the way, kid." I turned to Ocelot. "You need the Support Unit to supply you with weapons and items you developed. Think of it more as your personal delivery service."

"Okay..." That's all I can say.

A few moments later, I looked up in the sky and I saw a box in a parachute. Then it dropped off in front of us.

"And there it is." Ocelot remarked. "Not sure what it's good for... "

"Now, obtain the said item by entering in that box." Miller said.

"Uh, is it necessary?"

"Just try it out." Miller told me and I nodded. I opened the box and entered in... and I obtained the item.

"Good." Miller commented. "Now, try to use the cardboard box."

I select the cardboard box in my inventory and I did. Well, I'm inside the box. Now what's next?

"You can move freely, kid. But remember, don't let the enemy caught you while walking around hiding in that box." the man with the glasses said.

I tried to move... and I did. A couple of steps, jogs yet even I'm inside of this cardboard box, I can still see my surroundings through a hole. Now I see why this was useful...

"No comment..." I heard Ocelot blurted with a sigh.

"Alright, you can discard it now. You did well."

I got off from the cardboard box as I began to stand up.

"You can put a lot of tricks using the cardboard box" Miller continued. "It's up to you if you like to use it, but cardboard boxes work."

"You know, the thought of using it was silly... but it seems that the whole thing was proven useful." I commented.

"See? I know you will like it." Miller nodded. "Shall I continue?" he turned to Ocelot.

"Go ahead. I'm gonna watch here." Ocelot crossed his arms. Then I set my attention to Commander Miller.

"I saw you putting a soldier to sleep using a tranquilizer and Fulton him... but another thing you need to know is that you can extract individuals you've knocked out."

Miller continued his lecture. "Now, why don't you try knocking out someone with CQC next? Show them how it's done."

"Right." I said. And Ocelot called another soldier to come over and gave a salute to his superiors.

"Try throwing him down." Miller told me. "It's the best way to knock someone instantly."

I nodded. And as I reached the soldier, I grabbed him and did a simple throwdown. And I succeeded.

"Excellent, Ikusaba." Ocelot remarked.

Then Miller spoke up. "It's really rare that someone with that size can pull a throw like that. Impressive."

"Now, extract him." I heard Ocelot ordered me. I did by putting the Fulton recovery device on the knocked out soldier. Still, same thing: balloon popped up and he was taken up for extraction.

"Extraction complete." Ocelot declared.

"One thing you should need to know, kid." the instructor continued. "A Fulton extraction won't always be successful. I already answered your question about extracting wounded people using Fulton, which is a no-no; if the weather is unfavourable, well...they could end up gone missing."

Ocelot still continued on his lecture. "You can determine the chance of success by approaching the person you want to extract. I mentioned back then about extracting people by calling a chopper, right?"

I nodded.

"That's also the best way to make sure they can get out, wounded or not." Miller added, as I turned to my attention to him. "When I was captured back in Afghanistan, Snake rescued me and extracted me in a chopper. Well, just an example from my personal experience, especially about what happened to me."

I get Commander Miller's short story. He even lost his arm and leg as he was indeed helpless, as I saw it.

"Alright, moving on. Extract the next staff member." Ocelot ordered. Then I saw Miller called out, "Boys, this little girl needs some help!"

"Or should I say, two." Ocelot playfully smirked.

Well, I was a bit fazed when the sub-commander said that. Shrugging that off, I saw two soldiers lined up and salute the two officers. And then they set my eyes on me.

"Is this the new kid? Can't believe that this girl is the one who beat the instructor..."

"I know." the soldier told the other one in his right. Then the said merc called out to me. "Don't pull any punches, missy."

I smirked and told them, "Thanks for the advice."

The instructor continued. "Now, extract them. Any method you like. Start by knocking them out first. If there are multiple adversaries nearby, perform CQC on them in quick succession. This will allow you to tale them all out before any of them can strike back."

Facing the two mercs, I began to rush forward on the first soldier then throw a two-hit punch combo in the gut, a kick in the left leg and threw him a right in the chin, knocking him out. Then I dashed forward to the second one and elbowed him in the gut and did a turning side kick, still knocking him out.

Then I succeeded on extracting the two mercs. Instructor Ocelot called me and I approached him.

"Very good, kid." Ocelot said to me. "Now, open up your iDroid." I nodded and opened it up.

However, Miller stepped in. "The two staff members you extracted are part of the Support Team. The higher the level, the more they became efficient on supporting you on missions. Your instructor told you about the details, isn't he?"

"He did, sir." I nodded.

"However, every soldier and prisoner you extracted is assigned to any team where they see fit. But the decision making is on me." Miller said. "And that also includes the Boss."

Then I saw Ocelot walked into us. "And that's the end of the drill. Remember everything that we've taught you today, Ikusaba."

Then all of us heard the sound of an arriving helicopter; as the aerial gunship makes it landing on the helipad...

"Well, look's like our top guy came back from a mission..." Miller commented.

And he was right. Coming out from the chopper is none other than Ahab himself, man who was known as Big Boss; the same man who rescued me. He walked forward and soldiers saw and salute him. And now I know why he is respected, because he is our commander, the man who runs this place.

The eyepatched man, who is also named Snake, approached us and I salute him. He raised his hand as I lay down my salute gesture.

"So how's the mission, Boss?" Commander Miller asked.

"Went well." Snake replied. "Also spent time extracting some people to join our ranks." And then I saw he turned to me.

"How's your drill, kid?" he asked me.

"Same thing, sir: it went well. But, it's just a matter of time that I fit in here..." I answered honestly.

"Good to hear that." Snake nodded.

"Boss," I saw Ocelot called Snake. "We decided to make an evaluation for our new prospect. And it'll last for... three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Miller repeated. "But do you think she could make it for such a short time?"

"I'm sure she can. Let's say it's more of a 'warm-up exercise' for Fenris Wolf. After three weeks, she'll be ready for action." Ocelot said.

I looked into Ocelot, wide-eyed.

"I meant it, kid." Ocelot smiled at me. "After 3 weeks of warm-up drills, you will become a full-fledge Diamond Dogs mercenary. And best of all, you will have your first mission."

I heard it from the words of the instructor himself. I was speechless. My first mission? Well, deep inside my heart that I'm glad. That this became my starting point: my own new life as a soldier in this world.

"Ikusaba," Commander Miller also called me as I turned to him. "When the time you come into a full merc, and as in-charge of managing Mother Base as XO, I will put you into any unit that you're best to fit in. So make those three weeks count."

Then I stood in front of them and I said with joy, "Thank you very much, sirs." And then I bowed down in gratitude. "Gladly I appreciate this!"

"Rise up, soldier!" I heard the sub-commander called me and I did rose from my bow. "Like I said, there's no need for familiarities here and like I said back then, even you're still young, you're now one of us."

"Um, sorry sir. Sometimes I can't even help it. Reminds me of my high school days." I told them.

"Yeah, about that..." Ocelot joined in the discussion. "If you are the student, then we are your, let's say, headmasters." he playfully commented.

I sweatdropped inwardly, yet I smiled nevertheless.

"And that's it for today. Oh, it's late afternoon so you may take R&R. You are now dismissed."

I saluted in response and told Miller first. "Thank you, sir." I saluted Miller and then I turned to Instructor Ocelot and he waved on me and I nodded in response. I'm now going back to my quarters until-

"Fenrir!"

I turned back and I saw Snake, holding his somewhat hi-tech cigar and plastered a smile.

"I'll see you on the battlefield."

I closed and took a deep breath... and looked to him then I gave the man who rescued me a salute.

"Looking forward to that, Boss!" I declared. And Snake nodded to me. And then I went off my way... back to my room. This time around, I have never felt this... so alive. Three weeks. Three weeks of workouts; three weeks of warmups. Yet for me, it's more like three weeks of preparing myself to another battlefield to step in. It's like during my days back at Fenrir, but unlike the hell I went through back then which my little twin sister was behind all of it, it's a whole new thing. It is more of my doorway to freedom, my doorway to hope... in this strange world.

Three weeks is very long... but it will be worth the wait.

CHAPTER END

DEBRIEFING FILES (RADIO)

1. Looking for the 'Honey Bee'

(Four days before Mukuro's first mission)

Ocelot: "So, how's your... bionic arm?"

Snake: "Getting used to it. Much better than the one you put it on me before I rescued Kaz."

Ocelot: "Seems the Russian engineer is a big help for us, isn't he?"

Snake: "Right."

Miller: "Snake, you need to look at this."

Snake: "What is it, Kaz."

Miller: "It is one of our clients. And it turns out to be..."

Ocelot: "The CIA?"

Miller: "Indeed. According to the request they send to us, it says that a U.S. military secret had gone missing. They claimed that they handed this secret into a group called the Hamid, a band of Mujaheedin fighters."

Ocelot: "And this U.S. top secret...?"

Miller: "It's more like a weapon. This can turn the tide of the war between the Soviets and the Afghan rebels. It was codenamed 'Honey Bee'. But unfortunately, we have no idea about its location."

Snake: "So the client's request is to locate this weapon?"

Miller: "Yes. But first, we need to gather more intel upon the location of this weapon."

Snake: "All right, I'll handle it."

Ocelot: "Wait, I have a better idea, Boss."

Miller: "What do you have in mind?"

Ocelot: "How about we send... Ikusaba to gather intel for the location of the 'Honey Bee'?"

Miller: "Hold on, do you think she will ready?"

Ocelot: "Given the three weeks warm-up for the kid, I'm sure she will. By the way, there is certain someone who will aid her in her first mission."

...

Ocelot: "And I'm talking to you, Boss."

Snake: "Me?"

Miller: "Hmm, given that this will be her first mission, it's not even a bad idea. While you're busy roaming around, why don't you try to act as her mentor and guide? And since you are her top commanding officer, it'll be best that you assisting her by giving advice and information in her missions?"

Snake: "I suppose. Since I'm the one who saved her, then it's best to watch over her."

Ocelot: "And of course, you're not alone."

Miller: "Hey, don't forget about me."

Snake: "Fenris Wolf's first mission... looking forward to it."

2. Secret File # 1: An 'Intel' Call

Ocelot: "Hey, it's me."

?: ...

Ocelot: "How's it going?"

?: ...

Ocelot: "Doing well, huh? As I expected, you did a very good job. Keep it up."

?: ...

Ocelot: "I called you because three weeks from now, Diamond Dogs' biggest rookie will have her first mission."

?: ...

Ocelot: "Yes, and she will be assisted by none other than the Boss himself."

?: ...

Ocelot: "I'm sure you know her very well. And as I gather, she's from the same world you also once lived in."

?:...

Ocelot: "Yes, her name is Mukuro Ikusaba. The one who holds the title of... 'Ultimate Soldier.'"

?:...

Ocelot: "It IS her; the one and only. And it was the Boss himself who brought her here. And I also handled the introduction of Mother Base and the basic drill of how to bring in people. Lots of stuff happened. Also, the three-week warm-up training we set up for her? She needs it so she can be physically and mentally ready."

?:...

Ocelot: "So, do you have time to go and see her after all these years? I remember you told me that you also share a... similar fate."

?: ...

Ocelot: "Hm, that's fine by me. Just take your time, kid. Making hard decisions like that is also a part of growing up."

?: ...

Ocelot: "I know, I know. Even you're a bit... older, you're still a teen."

?: ...

Ocelot: "By the way, sooner or later, you'll be joining her in her missions."

?: ...

Ocelot: "Along with us, you will also provide intel for the 'Ultimate Soldier'. So you better prepare yourself, kid."

?: ...

Ocelot: "Anyway, you mentioned about James Bond every time we talked to each other. Whether it was films or movies, I never had an interest in them since it was all fantasy. You and my former commander would've been best friends since he's also a fan. He loves those James Bond movies, though..."

?: ...

Ocelot: "But what interests me is that... movie that you watched back then in your own world. What's the title? Oh, Casino Royale, the same title of the first book... heh, I'll try to read it sometime."

?: ...

Ocelot: "But a James Bond who is a cold and ruthless killing machine? Well that's something new."

?: ...

Ocelot: "You showed me your talent, mostly hiding at least. But you learned how to fight and defend yourself. And I was the one who took you and trained you. You're not a little kid anymore; you're a grown young man who kicks ass."

?: ...

Ocelot: "That's all for now. I'll keep you in touch and keep it up on your job. You belong to the elites of the Intel Team. And remember everything I taught you."

?: ...

Ocelot: "Good. See you around... 'Ultimate Secret Agent'."

Author's Note: And this is the end of chapter 2 of the first arc of this story. And I can't believe that this was very long (9,000+ words!) But this serves more as a "tutorial" or sorts (for those who played the game) before her first mission.

But wait... now, now... who is this new character? By the way, I actually wanted to include 'him' in this story because he will be a great help to our favorite SHSL Soldier. But we'll see about it.

As always, read and review. See you guys later!