Hi guys, before we start I just want to point out that some names here are in reference to other games, films, anime etc to make it a little more interesting. They'll get their own side stories, so enjoy.

The wind over mother base was cool and soft as a long figure looked over the massive man-made island. Over the 2 years since Diamond Dogs had been in operation, the PMC had grown into a sort of pseudo nation. Multiple bases across the seas, close to a million people between them all, an air and naval force and trade with different companies. Not only that, but due to the influx of refugees being left behind, Diamond dogs created several platforms to house these refugees making it the biggest refugee aid group in the world.

These platforms had schools, hospital, and more. In return the refugees supported Diamond dogs in non-military roles such as policing and farming. This was at least until they could find a place to life off mother base. It was a temporary situation, and people were happy about that. Not many of them could find work, so they stayed and worked. At least it was more stable than some parts of the world.

Each of the Mother bases now was more like an artificial island then a military base. All of them had at least four new platforms. The Air strip is what it sounded like. It was a platform meant for planes, helicopters and fighters. However due to limited funds and building space the R&D group had created VTOL aircraft so that they could land and take off on the platform with ease. Underneath the main landing pad was a motor pool where tanks and cars could be loaded up onto the aircraft without losing too much fuel.

Next was the navel platform. While it resembled a port, it was large enough to hold at least 10 destroyers and several frigates. Probably more if they expanded, but construction extra housing for naval assets wasn't an easy task on the open sea. But they were happy with it, at least for now.

The third new platform that they added was simply dubbed, village. With all of the resources crates they had and refugees, they created a village using these crates and spares from the other construction projects. Each platform could house around 2000 people along with farm animals and several fields of rice and other vegetables for mother base.

The final platform was similar to the naval platform but was more for trade than the naval one. This one was a port meant for cargo ships to come in and supply the base with supplies. It also doubled as a supply platform for all of their resources. Any excess they could sell off for some extra for which they could use to buy other things. In fact, because of this Diamond Dogs became one of the richest, if not the richest PMC in the world.

But they didn't see themselves like that, to them Diamond dogs wasn't a nation, it was a family. Here politics, sex, race, religion, nation, culture, age, language didn't matter. They were soldiers trying to achieve a goal that they all strived to achieve. The dream of Big Boss, a nation unlike all others. Mother base was the first starting to that dream.

On the roof of the Command platform a man with a robotic arm looked over mother base. Kosorukov 'Punished Venom Snake' Romanovich just looked at what he managed to achieve over the years. But something felt missing, he didn't know what but something just felt wrong. Turing his head he looked down at his robotic arm and sighed. He had two diamonds in it with a scratched number under both to remind him what happened. The first one was how many people died during the original vocal cord parasite outbreak.

The second hit closer to home. 20, he killed 20 of his own men during the mutation outbreak. That memory haunted his dreams each night, he remembered several soldiers standing in a room saluting him. He did the same before ending them with one shot to the head for each of them. True soldiers to the end. A tear dropped from his bad eye making DD look up at him. DD wined slightly making Snake look down with a smile and pat the dog.

DD wasn't a dog; despite being referred as such, while it wasn't true, it wasn't inaccurate. Dogs and wolf's had similar genes that calling dogs of wolfs wouldn't matter much. But either way DD was more like a mascot for the PMC now and with how effective he had been, wolfs of a similar species was introduced into the PMC. Other militaries had K9 units, so it was more of a natural step that Diamond Dogs introduced similar units.

Simply dubbed 'Wolf packs' they were mostly used for recon or guard duty. They were as effective as DD if not more so due to their packs.

Sighing Snake claimed down the stairs and was about to pass the command room as an intelligence officer walked out. Seeing Snake, he saluted. While Kosorukov wasn't big boss, they still accepted him as heir leader. They understand he was only acting under hypnosis; they still saw him as the man who made Diamond Dogs what it is now. Snake saluted back.

"Sir, I was coming to see you," the officer said before handing him a clipboard.

Snake took it and looked at it. It was an aerial map of several archipelago islands. Roughly the looked quite large with the biggest one being around the same land area as Manhattan island.

"One of the planes took photos of these," he said. "It looks like that they are uncharted,"

"Could be a good place to set up a base," Snake muttered making the officer nod.

"Yes sir, that was the reason I wanted you to see it. It's an uncharted island, currently, as far as we can see, it has no owner,"

Snake looked up at him with a look knowing what the officer was suggesting. Working off on platforms wasn't cheap with all of the maintenance involved due to decay from the sea and other problems. Moving to dry land would make it easier to conduct operations. Not to mention it would be easier to maintain.

"Look into it, and make sure to get people there," he said handing the clipboard back to the officer. "Don't want anyone else to find it," he said as he walked off.

"Sir," the officer saluted before walking back into the command centre.

Snake however walked back to his quarters, to relax. The day wasn't done, but he needed to look though the most recent reports. Something he loathed to do, but it was kind of necessary for someone like him. It was based on a rotation between him, Miller, Ocelot and several of the high-ranking commanders. No one liked doing them, so it was a shared responsibility between them all.

Entering his quarters DD jumped onto the bed before curling up while Snake walked up to his desk and began to look though the reports. Time passed as he looked though them one by one, being careful to read them. Operations in Africa, Middle east and more. While they were one of the most elite PMC's in the world, they still lost people. Thankfully, not many but Snake still wrote the number down. More soldiers turned into Diamonds, more recruits needed and more death certificates signed.

As he worked Miller walked in dropping off the latest reports. "Boss, here are the latest expense reports," he said as he walked up to the desk dropping off the files. "I don't know why you are still looking for her,"

Snake looked up sharply, knowing what Miller was saying. The two never saw eye to eye about Quiet. Miller, only seeing an enemy wanted her dead. He never gotten over the XOF killing his squad and taking his limbs, but Snake saw things differently. He saw her as an asset, a fellow Diamond Dog. Not only that but he saw her as someone else, despite the hypnosis he, for lack of a better word, fell in love with her. Not because she was Quiet, not because she followed XOF but because of who she was.

Miller however just left before Snake could say anything. That was probably for the best, last time Miller and Snake talked about Quiet it turned into a shouting match. As he left Snake just stopped looking at the reports, that reminder about Quiet made his mood quite foul. Looking at his watch he saw that at least three hours had passed. Sighing he push the papers to one side and looked up. He needed food, after getting up he walked out of his quarters.

OOOOO

The Firebird wasn't a normal battleship. It used to be a cargo hauler, but Diamond Dogs converted it into a makeshift carrier. Unlike aircraft carriers, this converted hauler was mostly used as a long-range troop transport ship. The landing pads it had could only be used by helicopters such as the blackfoot and chinook. But due to the frame of the hauler, and requirements needed, they couldn't use it to launch fighter craft from.

Despite this it was still packed with troops and equipment. Some of the equipment however was on the chinooks, not normal combat equipment but scientific ones. 3 hours earlier two chinooks landed on the transport with equipment meant for analysing soil, followers and more. Their orders were simple, investigate the islands that have been recently found. The R&D team that came with them were excited about this.

On the bridge of the ship stood a woman who was almost bare. She wore an olive drab bikini with a similar coloured webbing and holster. On her shoulder and back was a tattoo of a butterfly encased in a Dimond. She was no normal soldier, as Dimond Dogs expanded so did their specialist and elite forces. After quite had left, several soldiers approached the Boss and proposed a new unit named Butterfly hounds.

A specialist parasite unit similar to Quiet. But unlike the sniper, they could talk. In fact, most of the soldiers who volunteered for this saw her as a short of big sister. This wasn't much of a surprise as when first they joined, they couldn't strip a gun. After Quiet was through with them, they became a feared unit. After Code Talker was done with them, Dimond Dogs had its own parasite unit.

Command had ordered her to investigate the island. While she wasn't happy about it, it was at least a good chance to stretch her legs. As she looked out at the island, the Captain of the ship, Sea Viper, walked into the bridge. Unlike regular Diamond Dogs uniform, olive green tops with khaki trousers, he wore a dark navy-blue outfit with captains cap.

He walked up next to her and looked outside of the window. "What's on your mind?" he asked casually.

There was little formality with Diamond Dogs, while it was there when needed the soldiers talked to each other like a person and not a soldier most of the time. Fire Fly looked to the Capitan with an unimpressed look.

"Not being in a good fight is bothering me," she said with a tone that was hard to say if she was joking or not.

"Well, being soldiers we all look for a good fight. But it's good not to have not to have one, we are human after all. We have limits," he said looking to her with a smile. "There's no shame in admitting it,"

"Tell it to the dead," she muttered looking outside.

The Captain just smiled. "Very well, I just came to inform you that we are ready to deploy,"

"Thank you," she said before walking out.

A few moments latter two chinooks and six blackfoot helicopters took off from the carrier and flew towards the islands. After drooping off troopers to scout the immediate landing area, the helicopters landed and began to unload equipment and take samples. It would take a while but they would have them sent to HQ soon.

OOOOO

Despite the 6-hour helicopter ride Snake managed to calm his nerves by getting some sleep and having some food. He's been a soldier all his life and could manage not having too much sleep. It was like an ability that he could use. Jack Samuels, aka Pequad, sat next to Snake as the two had an impromptu picnic. The two had been together for so long now that there was little to talk about. So, they just sat in silence for now eating their food.

DD just lay down beside them chewing on a bone. As snake taking a bite out of his sandwich while giving DD a pat on the head with his robotic arm.

"How's Shila doing?" he asked.

Jack looked to the boss with a smile. "She's doing fine, but she's hit a bit of a depression," he admitted with a solemn look. "Not being able to become pregnant is hitting her a little too hard," he admitted.

Snake nodded hanging his head. The vocal cord parasite may be gone, but it turned out that other strains were still around and several more outbreaks gripped Mother base and the FOB's. This forced Dimond dogs to have a mandatory Wolbachia treatments for everyone. This caused some of the married couples to have a depression about not having children. It was upsetting, but that was the reality about the VCP. The medical unit had been trying to find a cure they found little success, but that didn't stop them from trying.

"Sorry," was all Snake could say.

He had always felt that the release of the VCP had been his fault, others tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault. But all of it failed, it was his burden to bear and not others. Jack just reached over and patted him on the shoulder hoping that it would reassure him about his feelings.

Before either could say anything Snake's I-Droid activated. Pulling it out Ocelot came on over the radio.

"Boss we found her," he said making the two looks to each other.

"Where?" Snake asked as both he and Jack jumped up moving into the helicopter.

"North Afghanistan," the tactical instructor replied. "But hurry boss, intel says that she's sick due to the VCP and the parasite already within her. They also said that she's going to be executed by a terrorist group,"

"Pequad…" Snake half yelled as he pulled the door shut as DD jumped in.

"On it!" the pilot said activating the rotors of the aircraft.

OOOOO

Cold, that's all she felt. The air was hot but her skin was too cold to hold any heat within her. Breathing was becoming too hard, each breath she took felt like a cheese grater against her lungs. Her eyes were already blurry and her mind was too fatigued to care what was going to happen to her. The parasites inside her body fought each other for dominance, but it seemed to be an even match as far as she was concerned. Her body was already on the verge of death.

The tent opened up and light seeped through the entrance. But her eyes were too dull to see anyone. She could still feel though. A hand grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her into blistering sun. Dragged though the sand she was soon probed up against a wooden pillar with her arms chained to the top. She now hung from her arms wating for death, her only wish was to see him once again.

The dull cock of rifles met her ears but no shot came. A growl met her ears however followed by a scream of pain. Gunshots then echoed in her ears followed by yells of voices. One felt familiar, as if she knew it from somewhere. Her eyes opened to see a soldier dressed in tiger stiped camouflage taking out a terrorist with his bear hands and a pistol. He moved like someone she knew.

Just then another terrorist moved up and fired at him. While he managed to move the weapon out of the way the round hit him on the left side of his head. A wold like dog then jumped and ripped the terrorist's neck making him fall down dead. The soldier didn't flinch just stood up straighter as if he earned another medal. He then turned to her and spoke something but all the only thing on her mind was one thing.

"You aren't the Boss," she said before darkness too over her mind.

OOOOO

"Approaching mother base sir," Pequad said as he piloted the helicopter with ease.

Snake nodded as he and DD loved over Quiet's pale and black patched body. She looked horrible, like death. But death was an old friend to Snake, and he knew that this soul wasn't his yet. Snake sighed as he looked at himself in the window of the helicopter. His left eye had been bad for a long time, now it was gone. Replaced by a bloody hole in its place. The pain never reached him, maybe because of all of the adrenaline pumping though his body trying to save Quiet.

He pulled out some bandages and a patch before placing it over the dead eye. He no longer had any use for it.

"Sir," Pequad then spoke up. "Problem on the pad,"

Snake looked out of the window and sat two groups on the pad facing each other down. Ocelot and Miller faced each other in front of groups of Dimond Dog soldiers. Millers all had balaclavas on while Ocelot's group all wore standard uniforms and no weapons in hand. This was going to get ugly. Pequad landed and exited the cockpit.

"Keep and eye on her," Snake said with Pequad just nodding pulling out his pistol.

Opening the door Snake walked past his soldiers and next to Ocelot. His presence however didn't go unnoticed as people turned their attention to him.

"Boss..." Ocelot started but noticed what happened to his eye but ignored it. "…Miller has taken it upon himself to take matters into his own hands,"

"Out of my way!" Miller ordered. "Both of you, I'm going to end her once and for all!"

"Really? Why?" Snake asked.

"She's XOF! A traitor!"

Snake looked around at the soldiers around him before picking a random soldier. "You," he pointed. "What group did you come from?"

"OKB Zero, I was with XOF," he replied making Miller's eyes widen slightly.

Snake then pointed to another. "You,"

"Same sir, I was with XOF,"

And another, "You,"

"Soviet Union sir,"

Snake went one asking a few more. XOF, SAS, Foreign legion, Spetsnaz and more, but then his eye fell on Miller.

"Every one here joined from different groups, different militaries and different PMC's. What difference does it make where we came from!" he nearly yelled. "You focus on Quiet for what? She's no longer XOF, she is not the one who killed your men. You are too focused on the past that you cannot let go of what Diamond Dogs is and what it has become. We no longer care where people came from, or what they have done, we only care for who they are," the tone of his voice betrayed his anger and frustration with the XO. "We are not just puppets for you do decide which one you like and which ones you can discard, people change. Some more than others and it's time that you did too,"

The soldiers behind Miller removed their balaclavas and dropped them while their safeties where clicked to on and the magazines removed. Miller looked to them in shock before his eyes turned to Snake.

"Kazuhira Miller, from this moment on you are removed from command and ordered to take psychiatric evaluation and therapy. Is that clear?" he asked baring his teeth.

"Yes sir," Miller said not flinching.

Just as the rain began a solder ran out onto the railings looking over the two groups.

OOOOO around the same time.

The main command room was mostly quiet as soldiers moved around. Radar wating wasn't always fun.

"So," Pharah began as she poured some coffee. "Who's thinking who's going to win?" she asked as she looked outside.

The glass was tinted was that they could focus on the radar and radios seeing about current operations.

"Well…" a woman with silver hair started not taking her eyes off the radio. "It's the Boss, we all know that look," she muttered with the others nodding.

"Yeah, I doubt anyone could not see that look in his eye," a male voice said. "The eyes of love,"

"Yeah," the sliver haired woman said taking her eyes off the radio for a moment. "It's hard not…" she fell silent and her eyes went wide.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her. "What is it EDI?" Pharah asked.

Edmonia-Dai Irodina fell silent and her eyes widened even more. "CHECK THE GLOBAL RADAR!" she yelled standing.

There wasn't a moment's hesitation as the team moved. A large screen activated and showed an image of a radar of the planet. All eyes turned to it widened as several small dots moved form the USSR and USA.

"No way," one of the officers muttered.

Pharah's cup fell to the floor with a splash as she ran outside. "EVERYONE!" she yelled getting their attention. "Get to the underwater bunkers! The USA and USSR have launched nukes!"

"EVERYONE GET TO THE BUNKERS!" Snake then yelled and people began to move and he ran to a phone on the wall pulling it off the hook. "Attention, this is not a drill! Nukes have been launched, all personnel make your way to the underwater bunkers!" he said before hanging it up and flipping a switch.

His announcement then started to echo from the speakers as Pequad came up with Quiet. Snake moved up and grabbed one of her arms over his shoulders before they made their way to one of the lifts. The lift activated and they descended into the sea. The underwater bunkers were exactly as they sounded. Bunkers underneath the surface of the water attached to each of the platforms able to house thousands with food and water for a year. As the lift stopped several medical staff took Quiet off Snake and Pequad. They took her to the medical wing while Ocelot and Snake made their way to the secondary control room. As they entered so did several of the command officers.

They moved to several control panels and activated them moving control from the main control room to the secondary room. Once that was done, they sat down and activated the large screen for the radar. All eyes turned to it as the rockets flew through the air.

"Activate anti-missile defence systems," Pharah said to one of her subordinates who nodded and flicked a few switches.

Silence then fell over the room as all eyes watched the radar. "The nukes will hit in 5…4…3…2…1…" EDI said before the dots were replaced with bright lights.

In an instant cities and nations were wiped off the map. Moscow, London, Washington and more were gone. Snake hung his head and took a deep breath as the others fell silent.

"How long until the radiation has dissipated?" he asked.

"About 50 years sir," someone answered. "Around 10 for the less affected areas,"

Snake nodded and looked to the screen again. "Ok, we are not going to get anywhere just sulking here, EDI, did you find out the reason for this?"

The communications officer looked to the boss as eyes fell on her. "The thing is sir I heard communications from both sides. Both sounded very confused to the point that they tried to dispatch fighters to take out some of the nukes. It seems that this wasn't planed,"

"That means something else is going here," Ocelot muttered making Snake nod.

His mind began to buzz as he looked to the map again. "Right this is the plan," he said turning to look at the commanders of the branches. "R&D, I want you to work of radiation resistant armour and uniforms, we need to find out what happened," the R&D just nodded in response. "Medical, get to work on radiation resistant meds. I have a feeling we are going to need them,"

"Will do sir," the chief medical officer saluted.

"Combat and Security will work together from now on. Organise into garrison and recon groups. Train them for radiation environments," that got a nod from both respective commanders. "Communications, I want you to monitor any kind of traffic and transfer it to the branch suits it the situation best," that got a nod from the commander. "Navy, air, I want you to set up recon teams as well, see how badly places got hit. Navy, this is a secondary priority for you. I want you to go out and ring back any ships you find, navy, merchant whatever. Get them to the nearest FOB,"

"Yes sir," both commanders said with a salute.

"Logistics, organise a strict rationing procedure. Make an inventory of what we have and what we can use," the logistics commander nodded. "Base development, get to work on a decontamination platform and more storage ones, we're going to need them. Also get a team to the islands we recently found and set up a base there,"

"Will do sir," the commander nodded.

"Good, ok people I have no idea what's happened, but one thing is for sure, someone is behind all of this. We are going to find out who and make them pay," Snake said with a confidence he didn't know he had. "MOVE OUT!"

"SIR!" everyone saluted before moving.

Snake then turned to look at the map again. "What do you think?"

"I have no idea," Ocelot said as he also looked at the map.

"Blank slate," Snake muttered.

"You don't think…" Ocelot said looking between Snake and the map.

"That's what we're going to find out, if the Boss did do this then we know why,"