All Purpose Metal Gear Fanfiction Thread

It was months after Yukihito Tsuge had "left" Cambodia, thanks to the commotion with UNTAC HQ in Phnom Penh that everyone in the JGSDF Labor Squad deployed with the Canadian Army was taken out by hostiles, possibly from Khmer Rouge fighters who still have not surrendered. The ex-JGSDF officer had arrived safely from Cambodia to Pakistan via land travel on trucks since air travel was impossible due to the secrecy needed to cover his "story", which the media reported his status in the JGSDF as MIA, going to possibly KIA since they couldn't "find" his corpse. He heard rumors that something big was about to happen in Central Asia and that mercenaries were being recruited by someone who matched the description of Big Boss.

During his travel, Tsuge obtained clothes from the black market and disposed of his JGSDF-issued clothes and UN beret, except for his boots and the JGSDF UN patch from his BDU, by burning them to prevent anyone from identifying any links to him through his uniform.

For days, Tsuge had traveled on horse with a local guide who has claimed to receive written orders from someone in the former Soviet territory of Tslinoyarsk. To help prove the claim, the guide showed a handwritten note that has a letter from someone known as Big Boss, inviting him to join with his forces. The insignia of a PMC known as Diamond Dogs stoked Tsuge's interest. They took the Pakistan-Afghanistan land border route going north towards Tajik soil. This method of travel took very long, taking into account the civil wars taking place in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

This is a very long way to travel. But I have no choice. Not while I'm still alive.

The long days began to pay off when they arrived in Tslinoyarsk. When the guide spoke to Tsuge, he was warned to be very careful since the area is still under a civil war since the natives of the region are fighting against Russian-led forces trying to quash an independence movement. The guide, in addition, told him that someone would be there to meet him.

Tsuge was given a photo of a man in his late 40s, having long white hair and a mustache, while dressed up in what appeared to be spaghetti western clothes. He was seen posing in a desert. The only he knew was that when Tsuge looked at the back, there was a message addressed to him in English. It read:

If you're reading this, it means that you're arrived in Tslinoyarsk. Stay sharp. I'll rendezvous with you after a day or two.​

An armed Diamond Dogs soldier accompanied Yukihito Tsuge, who had already changed to a simple white shirt, jeans and brown combat boots, when he safely arrived at Tselinoyarsk with Ocelot. He was led to several corridors on a fortress built somewhere in the mountains, which served as the base of operations for the DD forces as they were busy training pro-independence fighters who had gone tired of Russian-led attempts to quell their independence movements. So far, Tsuge's arrival has been kept classified, due to his recent "death" in Cambodia.

"This way, sir." The DD soldier motioned to Tsuge to enter through the sliding door.

"A... all right. Thank you, soldier."

The black-haired officer entered the office and was greeted by the most interesting sight he ever saw in his life.

It was Big Boss. Or rather, Big Boss without the rumored prosthetic arm.

Big Boss without a prosthetic arm? But that's impossible.

"Greetings." Big Boss stood up from behind his desk. He seemed to be tired from a day's work.

"S-sir." Tsuge was a bit stunned that the greatest mercenary in the world greeted him by trying to shake hands with him. The ex-JGSDF officer snapped into a salute.

"There's no need for that." Big Boss shook his head.

"Big Boss." Tsuge calmed himself before he asked the mercenary. "But from what I heard, you're suppose to be having a prosthetic arm after you nearly got killed in Central America?"

Big Boss smirked and nodded, understanding Tsuge's question. "Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated, my good man. But for now..."

Tsuge was directed to sit in front of his desk by the eyepatched man.

"I understand that you're an advocate for applying Labors into military use beyond law enforcement use, am I correct?" Big Boss looked over a DD file that contained basic info on Tsuge's history with the JSDF.

"Yes, I am. My colleagues called it the Tsuge School." Tsuge sighed, remembering the good days he had back in the JSDF. "At the time back then, the JSDF didn't have a lot of labors in service. In theory, I was trying to justify the use of labors in a mechanized infantry concept due to the great technological research that first world nations were able to achieve." He then added. "This also included studying the deployment of the Metal Gears that I knew of, specifically the Sahelanthropus in Afghanistan and the TX-55 in South Africa alongside the Walker Gears that I heard from the War in Afghanistan."

"I see that you did your homework, Colonel."

Both men stayed silent for a few seconds until Big Boss asked the colonel. "Do you know anyone in Japan who is aware of your supposed demise?"

"No." Tsuge shook his head. "Not even my students. I want to keep it that way."

"No survivors from your labor unit?"

"No. Despite my requests to UNTAC HQ for immediate support, they were rebuffed and I was ordered to hold my positions." Tsuge clenched his fists. "That order was the reason my unit was defeated."

Big Boss stared at Tsuge and from listening to his frustration, he felt that he and the man shared the same feeling.

Loyalty to one's country and to do what's right, despite being thrown to the wolves. He hated that. And he heard Tsuge's angry rant with the same thing.

"Do you wish to redeem yourself?"

Big Boss threw the question at Tsuge, which made him initially confused.

"Redeem? How..."

"As you may know, the region's been trying to declare independence from the USSR in the early 1990s before Soviet troops were deployed to put down the movement. Considering your achievement in the JSDF's mechanized infantry forces and your position as a labor instructor, I'd like to ask you to join Diamond Dogs and form up a labor training unit to help the opposition maintain a credible labor force within their ranks."

Tsuge felt humbled that the greatest mercenary in the century was asking for his assistance to help Diamond Dogs create a labor training unit to help the region fight for independence. From what he read on the PMC, the closest mechanized force they had was Walker Gears that they acquired during their involvement in southern Africa back in the 1980s.

He could perhaps study their Walker Gear forces and perhaps use it as a basis for a labor unit slash labor training unit.

"Of course." Tsuge bowed his head before Big Boss. "I'll be glad to help."

Big Boss extended his right arm to shake hands with Tsuge.

"Welcome to Diamond Dogs, Colonel Tsuge. I'll make the arrangements at once for your accommodations."

Tsuge had spent the past few weeks training DD soldiers in handling the Hannibals and Samsons that were in JGSDF service, painted with light woodland camo since parts of Tselinoyarsk are not covered entirely in Woodland. During his training sessions, Tsuge emphasized team cooperation in operating as a combat-type labor unit alongside proper communications at all times. This part was partially done to avoid repeating the same mistakes he made in Cambodia when UNTAC HQ failed to recognize his request for reinforcements.

The unit had trained from handling the labor's weapon systems to movement operating throughout Tselinoyarsk terrain. Over time, Tsuge was able to assemble a labor unit of around ten labors, most of them Hannibals with a few Samsons embedded. He had plans to integrate Abrahams and Doshkas, but he needed more time to figure out what to do with the former, but he had plans for the Doshkas to be on fire support.

Big Boss had arrived in the fort's training facility when Tsuge gave the order for everyone to dismount from their labors and take a short break after having a few rounds of combat exercises with paint rounds to simulate being shot at by a labor.

"I see that you're making progress." Big Boss greeted Tsuge when he got off his personal Hannibal.

"Boss." Tsuge greeted Big Boss as he took off his labor pilot helmet. "Is there something up?"

"I just came to see how everyone's doing so far."

"Aside from some of them working out the kinks with the labors, most of them are doing well. I'm thinking about expanding the unit to include some Doshkas for fire support and maybe the Abrahams too."

Tsuge's request made Big Boss go silent for a few minutes to ponder on his suggestions.

"We did capture some Doshkas in a recent joint combat op with some of the locals when we ambushed a transport convoy bringing in Russian labors to reinforce the local garrisons." Big Boss spoke to Tsuge about his decision. "I suppose it can't hurt to add one of the Doshkas to the unit."

"Thank you very much." Tsuge bowed before him.

"It's okay." Big Boss waved his hands. "You don't need to thank me. From a tactical standpoint, it makes sense since the Hannibals you've got don't have a lot of anti-armor weapons. We may need to attach personnel for protection against hostile infantry with access to rocket launcher and anti-armor mines."

"Are we embarking on a combat mission?"

"Probably the first." Big Boss looked at the DD soldiers trying to relax while taking their break. "I could use your unit for this one since the opposition's been calling for more attacks on the Russians in response to a massacre on a non-violent protest movement calling for the region's independence."

"I'll make sure the men are combat ready by the time it starts, Boss."

"It's not due for a few more days or so. I'm going to send in a liaison officer to see when the attack is due. Until then, you're in charge of training the labor."

"Understood." Tsuge saluted Big Boss before he watched him leave. Afterwards, he told the DD labor pilot trainees to get ready to head back to their labors since he needed to go the toilet and relieve him before they'd start another round of combat exercise to polish their labor combat skills."

Tsuge stayed silent in the Hannibal's cockpit, under the cover of a camo net, while he awaited for battlefield updates from the mobile HQ deployed on the field. He adjusted his labor pilot vest and helmet when he observed what he can see from the labor's cameras.

Nothing yet from recon.

For now, he and his labor unit needed to follow the plan. Wait until the Russians were seen in the main road going to the direction of a newly established Russian Army base in Lazorevo.

"Alpha leader." Tsuge received a transmission on his headset. "Control's calling in to hustle things up. Convoy's in your line of fire."

"Understood, control. All units, check in."

"Bravo leader, all clear."

"Charlie leader, all clear."

"Delta leader, all clear."

Tsuge nodded when he heard the team leaders check in on him.

Any time now.

The officer performed a weapons check on his Hannibal. The system reported an all-clear afterwards.

"Now or never." Tsuge murmured.

"Convoy in range. I repeat, convoy in range."

"All units, move in now!"

The camo nets were being removed as soon as the order from control was given. As once, DD soldiers in Russian-made British-type DPM BD Us and PLC Es with PASGT helmets advanced out of the forest. They were armed with AK-74s and RPG-7s loaded with PG-7VR warheads. They were in four fireteams of four men each.

They saw the convoy consisted of two Doshkas, front and back, alongside two BTR-80 APCs and two ZiL-131 general utility trucks, the latter having its truck bed covered in green tarpaulin.

DD Hannibals emerged out of the forest at once, taking the convoy by surprise when they fired the 20mm machine guns on the torso to take out the Doshkas.

"Okay." Tsuge murmured when his 20mm machine gun made contact with one of the Doshkas. His plan, with assistance from Ocelot thanks to his position at the GRU, called for an immediate strike by taking the Doshkas out and fast. With them out of the way, it should make it easier for DD soldiers armed with RPG-7s to take out the BT Rs. But they were given explicit orders not to touch the trucks as they needed to seize the cargo on it.

<"Move out! They're done for!"> A Russian officer in charge of the convoy quickly dismounted from one of the BTR-80s, followed by other Russian soldiers as they engaged DD forces to a halt with their own AK-74s. The BTR-80's KPVT machine guns conducted suppressive fire to keep the DD fireteams down.

With that in mind, Russian troops outside of the BTRs used the APCs as cover while they engaged the DD fireteams, the latter using the bushes and trees for protection.

"This is Team 1 to base!" A DD officer radioed in while taking cover in the bushes. "I'm requesting for immediate evac! I repeat, I'm requesting for an immediate evac!"

One of the DD soldiers was wounded when he got hit in the right leg by a 5.45 Russian bullet after the Russians opened fire to cover for their other comrades. He dropped his RPG-7 in the midst of the chaos.

"Whatever you do!" Tsuge radioed in after he got a visual confirmation that the Doshkas were down. "Don't use your weapons to hit the trucks! We need to secure it!"

Tsuge saw Russian troops firing at the DD teams trying to flank them.

Take this!

Tsuge opened fire with the Hannibal's 20mm machine guns on one of the BTR-80s. It struck the APC several times, killing a few soldiers who were exposed when they tried to move in out of cover. The said vehicle was damaged with some of its tires taken out of commission.

<"Head back! Head back!"> The Russian forces opened fire on the incoming Hannibals, which didn't work since the bullets didn't do much damage to the labor's armor.

Another DD soldier picked up the RPG-7 and aimed it at the secondary BTR-80, firing its KPVT at two Hannibals to keep them back.

The RPG-7s from the DD fireteams connected when the PG-7VRs made contact with the other BTR-80's wheels, front and back. The explosions severely damaged the BTR-80.

"Sweep the place up, but don't damage the truck."

The DD fireteams stayed back when they heard the transmission. Sounds of 20mm machine gun fire raked the road to clear it out of armed Russian soldiers. It was only after a minute or two that the all-clear was given.

A few DD soldiers shouldered their AK-74s when they came across the ZiLs, their tires taken out by the Hannibals carefully so that they won't drive off.

"Contact!" A DD soldier shouted when he saw two soldiers take aim with their Makarov PMs.

In response, the DD soldiers opened fire with their AK-74s at the passengers on the trucks unless they can visually confirm that they weren't a threat.

"Move it and clear it out!" A DD soldier pointed to the truck after the guns were silent.

"Yes, sir."

Two DD soldiers from two teams slung their assault rifles and opened the truck's driver and passenger doors. Once they visually confirmed that they were dead, they grabbed onto the corpses and pulled them out in order to clear it from any further threats.

The other DD soldiers went for the rear and opened the ZiL's hatch. Two soldiers climbed up in each truck and cleared it out.

The Hannibals positioned themselves at the road to serve as protection for the soldiers inspecting the disabled trucks and to provide cover in case Russian or CIS military forces were scrambled to secure the cargo.

"All clear, Alpha leader." Tsuge received a radio transmission from the DD soldiers on the ground.

"Is the package secured?"

Silence lingered on the frequency for a few seconds before it came back to life. "Yes, sir. Package is secured."

"Get the birds ready."

"Yes, sir."

---

Big Boss came in on a DD-marked Mil Mi-17 chopper once it landed close to the wrecked convoy.

"Sir!" The DD soldier saluted Big Boss once he disembarked from the chopper.

"Good work!" Big Boss saluted back as he walked away from the chopper. He was shown the cargo that the soldiers were able to recover safely.

"We found this covered in another tarp." The DD soldier debriefed Big Boss.

The mercenary knelt down and inspected it. Yes, it was no doubt that the Russian military had transported the nuclear material in lead-lined boxes to ensure its safety. He took a peek inside and saw that the content was still in good condition.

"Dammit..." Big Boss muttered. "What were they hoping by bringing this in to Tselinoyarsk under the cover of GRU secrecy?"

"Boss, you secured it?" Big Boss received an incoming radio transmission from Ocelot.

"Your intel was right on the mark." Big Boss sighed when he closed the box. "Russians were bringing in nuclear material. Most likely enriched uranium under cover."

"Guys you took out were most likely Spetsnaz sent in to secure the convoy in case they encountered locals or fellow Russian soldiers."

"I take it that they're not from the regulars?"

Big Boss signaled to the DD soldiers to take the boxes away and load it on board the Mil Mi-17.

"Wouldn't surprise me if they got orders from Alpha or Vympel to do it. Their ops are classified and only their commanding officers would know of the details."

The eyepatched man got back on the Mi-17 and hopped inside.

"They'll be in a panic once they get news of the convoy's destruction. So what's the next move, Boss?"

"We keep at it. Harass them, guerrilla-style like the ones the Mujaheddin used in Afghanistan." Big Boss sat at the edge of the cabin and waited for the chopper to take off. "With Tsuge's experience in labor combat from his days in Cambodia, we can use his unit as a force multiplier. The Russians haven't even made an attempt to create a labor that would be on par with the Hannibals and Samsons. Not even the Abrahams."

"A good idea, Boss. As of now, the Russians are still in the planning stages. Perhaps we can use the opportunity to strength the opposition and help them do guerrilla attacks on local garrisons."

Big Boss looked at the side and saw the lead-lined boxes secure and strapped onto the floor to make sure the contents don't break. He went back to his seat, tired for the day.

He wondered if the long-term plan, concocted with help from Kazuhira and Ocelot after they took out Skullface, would give the future nation state of Zanzibar Land an edge over Cipher if they get words that DD was responsible for taking out convoys transporting nuclear material.