Hahaha, anyone remember the story I wrote back in 06, MGS: Second Skin? Haha, well as it turns out I'm turning in my screenplay portfolio for a full review next month and I'm turning in the following screenplays:

Ground Zero (Title Pending)
Ground Zero II: Dark Ambience (Title Pending)
Metal Gear Solid: Second Skin

Now my previous version of Second Skin was, no matter what anyone else says, HORRIBLY written. Many people say rereading Second Skin is still a good read, and it may be to some, but not to me, or any other screenwriter and none of my reviewers will even consider grading anything other then proper screenplay format, so I am revamping Second Skin completely into a new screenplay format, which will have much better dialogue, severe edits within the story, action, plot and the characters themselves. It will also be a bit shorter too, since it's MGS I can luckily push it to 120 pages, no more, maybe less. I can guarentee you this isn't at all the same story you read a year ago, but a much better, different story.

Now since I am working on this project, I thought that I owe it to the loyal readers who enjoyed reading Second Skin so much to a new much better edition here on MGSF. Only now it will be formatted to a level where regular readers AND writers can enjoy without straining themselves trying to read the shit seudo format.

So, without further adue, I am proud to bring you Metal Gear Solid: Second Skin, enjoy. :thumb:

Metal Gear Solid: Second Skin

By Kamran Nikhad


FADE IN:

EXT. INDIAN OCEAN - DAWN

The magestic Indian ocean, water sparkling from the sun set reflecting on its' surface. The camera overlooks the entire ocean. A large miniatour submarine rises to the surface of the ocean shooting through the ocean at the speed of a speedboat with waves rapidly rippling along its' path.

INT. OMS (One Man-Submarine)

Camera zooms into a monitor displaying co-ordinates set within the OMS. The monitor changes screens to the Indian Ocean. The screen zooms in closer to see a large island with what appears to be a base atop it. The camera zooms out to a pair of goggles watching the screen.

MAN
Gotcha....

EXT. INDIAN OCEAN - DAWN

The island base is in sight. The OMS submerges once more under water and gains speed. It moves closer and closer towards the island.

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB - INDIAN OCEAN - One hour earlier

The briefing center, a large chamber within the lower deck of the submarine, filled with Foxhound operatives, a computer station to the left corner of the center, and a large monitor overlooking the entire center. COMMANDER ROY CAMPBELL, (voiced by Paul Eidings) wears his traditional Foxhound Officers' uniform, now a bit thinner, fitting a grey beard, holds a remote and presses one of its' buttons. The monitor, displaying the Foxhound Fox Logo switches to a pixelated image of the globe, zooming in closer to the Indian Ocean. A second images zooms out next to the ocean image, showing a rural island, zooming closer reveals a large image of the Major Munitions Corporation EchoSymth.

CAMPBELL
EchoSymth, the leading supplier in Munitions
and advanced weaponry throughout most of the
Western Region of the globe. Approximately three
hours ago, we received word that one of EchoSymth's
leading research compound, located on the Korydalos
island within the eastern region of the Indian Ocean was
seiged by a former U.S. para-military unit codenamed
"Phoenix."

SOLID SNAKE, (voiced by David Hayter) notably more muscular, shorter hair, fits a brown beard greying under his chin, wears his trademark bandana and a new sneaking suit with a new utility vest over his torso and rubber armor pads over all muscles on his body, with the black rubber clear for his joints. Snake lights a cigarette in his mouth and waves his match to extinguish the fire.

SNAKE
(Blows out smoke)
Which division did Phoenix originate from?

CAMPBELL
Sector AF19, Project Brimstone.

Snake inhales from his cigarette and removes it from his mouth, blowing out the smoke once more.

SNAKE
Genetic Alteration Infantry? What was the government
doing tampering with genetically altered specimens?

MAN (O.S)
Project Brimstone was one of the governments' most
secret black op projects. The use for genetically advanced
super soldiers caught the White Houses' eye at the time,
especially consideirng the circumstances surrounding
the development of Brimstone.

DRAKE PERCELL, (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) short slicked back blonde hair, wears a Foxhound Tactical vest under black field gear fatigues with the long sleeves on his arms rolled up, wears black gloves, kneepads and boots. He approaches the center and stands right of Snake.

SNAKE
Under what circumstances?

PERCELL
Big Shell of course. After Ex-President Sears
was revealed to have been leading Dead Cell into
a terror attack on the United States, President
Gordan wanted to make sure he could create his
own unit capable of taking down renegades within
Dead Cell or any future supernatural enemies like
them.

SNAKE
By creating their own legion of supernatural soldiers
for combat, and with zero chance for Phoenix going
rogue, huh? That's our government at its' finest as
usual.

CAMPBELL
Which is exactly why President Gordan is sending
Foxhound to deal with Phoenix before their involvement
can go public. Imagine the damage it could do to
President Gordan's credibility.

INT. INDIAN OCEAN - Present Time

Snake's OMS continues on its' way. Several water-mines become visible in front of the OMS. Snake's OMS lowers even deeper in the ocean. The OMS heads closer to a group of several water mines.

INT. OMS - INDIAN OCEAN

The radar begins to beep rapidly as several red dots appear on Snake's screen, all which represent mines. Snake, lying down on his stomach with his hands on the steering handles of his OMS and head right in front of his OMS, turns his handles to the left and pushes them forward.

INT. INDIAN OCEAN

The OMS moves to the left away from the mines and moves deeper under a path of water mines on both his left and right. One single mine appears in front of the mine trail. the OMS heads upward atop the mine and still with several mines on both of its' sides.

[FLASHBACK CONTINUES]

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB - INDIAN OCEAN

BRENT SILVERMAN, (voiced by Jason Winston George) black, husky, has shaved black hair, a thin beard, wears a long sleeved dark grey skin tight shirt with elbow pads and black gloves, a munitions vest, splitter camo cargo pants with knee pads and short boots. Silverman enters the scene and passes Snake an oxygen tank and a scubadivers mask and straps for his tank.

SILVERMAN
As it is, man, Gordan's credibilty is shit, I think
we all know that's a given anyway, right?

Snake smirks and straps an oxygen tank to his back.

SILVERMAN (con't)
And since this was in a sense his fallout, he's assisting
us anyway he can. He's sending us because of your
experience dealing with these unusual enemies.

SNAKE
(Pulling scuba goggles to his eyes)
I still don't understand why he's putting Philantropy up on
this op with Foxhound. Philantropy's operations have been
on a stand still since last month.

PERCELL
You mean the Ocelot op?

SNAKE
Ocelot and the Ray he was travelling the Atlantic Ocean
with was the last of the Metal Gear prototypes Philantropy
had to exterminate, and I made sure to kill him before he
could sell any more blueprints or prototype Metal Gears
to the black market. As it was we could tell he and Liquid
were on their own. Ocelot was panicing, he was on the run
for over two years, The Patriots weren't helping him anymore,
odds are they knew about what Liquid was doing to him, which
is what made killing them in Isreal all the more easier.
But even so Campbell, what's in Korydalos that we need
Philantropy on this op?

CAMPBELL
As it is, President Gordan hasn't given us the full story.
He merely informed us and Special Ops that Phoenix
was after the advanced weaponry located in Korydalos'
research and testing compound, to possibly use in another
potential terrorist attack on the U.S.

SNAKE
But Philantropy was strictly an Anti-Metal Gear organization.
Ex-President Johnson had us marked as terrorists, and so did
Gordan early in his first term. Now he wants us on this op?
I understand he wants Foxhound for dealing with Phoenix, but
Philantropy had no obligation to dealing with supernatural
soldiers like them, or advanced weaponry. So then what
is he hiding?

[END FLASHBACK]

INT. INDIAN OCEAN - KORYDALOS PARIMETER

Snake's OMS gets in range of Korydalos. The sound of a hatch opening booms through the water as the front of the OMS opens and out swims Snake as the OMS sinks down and sticks between several rigid rocks on the bottom portion of the island.

Snake swims up to the surface and climbs up a large rock separated from Korydalos. Snake takes his binoculars from his vest with his right hand and removes his goggles with his left hand. He draws his goggles to his eyes and zooms in on Korydalos. He spots the EchoSymth compound on site. A large compound with three different compounds connected to one another with large metal walls surrounding the entire parimeter. Snake puts his binoculars back in his vest, puts his goggles back on and dives back into the ocean, swimming towards the left hand side of Korydalos.

[CONTINUE FLASHBACK]

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB - OMS HOUSING CENTER - INDIAN OCEAN

Campbell, Percell and Silverman stand on a metal platform above a purification pool while a catwalk retracts on the platform. Snake climbs into his OMS hanging on a metal cable line above the pool.

CAMPBELL
Any further intel we receive from Gordan or command
shall be directed to you immediately. But as it stands,
your mission is simple, secure the EchoSymth compound
and all assets on site, and the second is to eliminate Phoenix.

SNAKE
(Strapping on his oxygen mouth piece)
Do we have any intel on the members themselves?

PERCELL
No, Project Brimstone consisted of over one hundred
test subjects over the course of four years, we still haven't
been able to narrow it down to the leading Phoenix members.
Only that there are seven Phoenix successors to project
Brimstone, the other terrorists on site are highly trained
guns for hire. But not your ordinary grunts.

SNAKE
How so?

PERCELL
EchoSymth has one of the strongest defense systems
apart from the Navy itself, the security personel on site at
Korydalos were highly trained and heavily armed, so if
the Phoenix ops could take them down and seige the
entire compound, then they have to be top of the line
mercenaries.

SNAKE
Got it, so firefights are on the "Not To Do" list this
time, right?

CAMPBELL
(Sarcastic tone)
Not that the list really matters to you, does it?

SNAKE
Not in the slightest.

CAMPBELL
Heh, just remember that it's up to you to stop
these madmen, so don't get careless. And how
is your new codec operating?

SNAKE
Like a jewel.

CAMPBELL
Good, fortunately this time around your codec's signal
comes from a pre-installed network within your own
sneaking suits' wireless field, protected within your armor,
so the enemy won't be able to block your codec's signal
anymore. To activate it, press the button in the control hidden
under your earlobe, frequency options can be dialed using
the pannel hidden under your wrist pad.

SNAKE
Gotcha. Ready for deployment then.

CAMPBELL
Very well, good luck Snake.

Campbell signals an operative on the other side of the platform at the control terminal. He nods and pulls his control latch back. The OMS lowers into the purification pool. A large deployment gate in the pool opens and releases Snake's OMS into the Indian Ocean.

[END FLASHBACK]

EXT. KORYDALOS - FRATER DECK - EVENING

The frater deck is an open loading dock on the west wing of the island, under the surface level of the compound. Two loading docks attached to two separate catwalks floating on the water view of the ocean view the Indian Ocean. Snake swims underneath a large shipment frater in between both catwalks and swims past it further to the other end of the loading dock. Snake climbs onto the dock platform.

Snake takes the mouth piece out of his mouth and takes a deep breath. He then removes his goggles and oxygen tank and hides them behind EchoSymth shipment crates. He looks around and finds a single dead crew worker next the shipping crates. Snake approaches him and crouches down examining the body. He has a bullet wound in his chest and forehead, and a small puddle of blood forming from the back of his head. As he examines the body, Snake finds his I.D. card attached to his blood stained uniform. After taking his card, Snake rises to his feet and presses his index finger on his earlobe for his codec.

SNAKE
(Into Codec)
Campbell, I've entered the EchoSymth loading docks.
I've also obtained a security card from a crew member I
found dead on the docks, so I may be able to get across
certain parts of the compound a little easier.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Good, now according to the direct schematic we have
obtained through EchoSymth's higher ops, you should
be able to enter the first compound's exterior through the
supply elevator to the east sector of the docks. Head there,
and make your way through the compound to eliminate the
Phoenix operatives.

SNAKE
(Into Codec)
Got it.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Also, we have someone else on this op who needs to
have a word with you, I'll lend him the line now.

OTACON (V.O)
Snake, can you hear me? It's me, Otacon.

SNAKE
(Surprised tone in Codec)
Otacon? What are you doing on this op?

OTACON (V.O)
Well President Gordan wanted Philantropies chief
commanders on the mission, I.E. you and me. I'm
actually back at Foxhond Headquarters now. We just
merged Philantropy Archives with Foxhound and Division
Six. You're now a lead agent for a new branch in National
Security, Snake, kind of makes you proud huh?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I'm estatic.

OTACON (V.O)
Whatever wiseguy, anyway, I'm also here to record
all of your mission data and give you any info you need
about your new sneaking suit or additional gear. If you
need to contact me, my codec frequency is 141.96.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Okay.

OTACON (V.O)
Well, just thought you should know. But to be honest,
it still doesn't make sense why the President feels the need
to make Foxhound and Philantropy an official joint branch
within the Government, or why he needs me on this mission.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I was thinking the same thing. But I suppose now isn't
the best time to ask questions, as is usually the fashion.

OTACON (V.O)
Right, you're only priority is to stop Phoenix from getting a hold
of whatever weapons EchoSymth has on site for any further attacks.
And we're all rooting for ya, Snake, so don't let us down now.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I wouldn't dream of it.

Snake pushes his codec button again and approaches the elevator lift, using the crew members' card to grant him access to the lift controls. The lift rises up and takes Snake all the way up to the first sector of the EchoSymth compound.

Wow, I thought you were just going to change the format of the writing, but you've even changed some of the characters too. Unexpected, but awesome all the same. I like the screenplay format, which is working for you fantastically, and I can't wait for chapter two!

As I said kiddo, this WON'T be the same story you read last year, but I promise it will at least be twice as good. I'm almost done with chapter one. The beginning is merely prologue.

*In the actual script I'm sending in my portfolio, the following will be changed:

1. No (Voiced by's)
2. No boss themes
3. And it will probably be trimmed back.
4. In the portfolio addition, I'll probably cut Cerebral out of the script entirely, it all depends on how different he is in this version.

I'm adding that because I want to keep the Second Skin feel living strong. Also, codenames of the enemies, and some of the enemies themselves won't be the same.

Can't wait to see the finished result, I loved the original.

Glad to hear it bud, good to see you again. And you need not worry in that department, you're going to love this new storyline WAY more then the original. Trust me. :thumb:

Okay, and we're off.

Chapter One: Faces Of The Past

[Event] - Scorpion's Theme

EXT. ECHOSYMTH COMPOUND - SUPPLY DEPO - EVENING

The Compound is a large industrial looking facility, the floor outside is metal plated, with the large metal walls surrounding the entire compound. Inside are metal walls dividing the supply compound from the other two compounds. The elevator lift rises to the surface. Snake walks off the lift and onto the metal grounds of the exterior. He spots two phoenix operatives wearing black armor under dark green uniforms and immediately darts behind a large metal shipping crate. Snake slowly leans over his shoulder and looks over at the two soldiers armed with FAMAS Assault rifles. Next to them is a crew member bleeding from his mouth and nose. The first soldier delivers a loud sock to the face, sending the crewmen down on his face. The main gate to the compound opens as two more phoenix operatives now wearing heavier looking body armor and bullet proof helmets with red visors and a big man wearing metal body armor exit the first compound.

SCORPION, (voiced by Clancy Brown) a big man, at least 7'2ft, buzz cut short black hair, a black beard greying on the sides, deep wrinkles on his forehead, wears dark grey metal body armor over his entire body. The fabric between each of his joints is jet black, and he has an extremely stern look on his face. Scorpion approaches the two soldiers. The two stop the beating and stand steady before Scorpion.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
He's not talking. He just won't give up the password.
(Attention turns to the crewmen.)
But he will...

The crewmen lifts off the ground and sits back, leaning on a metal crate and spits blood at the soldier. The soldier steps back, he is fuming. Scorpion pays no attention to him, but rather the crewmen.

ECHOSYMTH CREWMEN
(Attention to the phoenix op)
I'll never give you what you want. You hear me?!!
I know all about your plans! It will never work!
Without Echosymth's main password, it's just
a giant hunk of metal! So you can all go to hell!

The first operative reaches towards the crewmen, pulling him up by the collar and punches his face three times the entire time with Scorpion still only staring at the crewmen before the operative throws him back down.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Very irritated)
You WILL give up that password or I swear I will
put a bullet in your damn skull!!

ECHOSYMTH CREWMEN
(Shouting)
Then do it!

Scorpion very calmly reaches for the gun holster on his right hip and pulls out a desert eagle, and very calmly points it right in front of the crewmen's head. One very loud shot is fired.

The camera cuts to Snake who jerks back a bit startled, but he very cautiously leans over his shoulder more, looking at Scorpion and the other operatives. The crewmen, still on his knees, falls on his left side with a loud thud on the metal floors. His eyes are wide open and there is a large bullet hole in his forehead. Scorpion, stares down at the crewmen and puts the desert eagle in his holster once more. The two operatives attacking the crewmen in the beginning look fearfully at Scorpion.

SCORPION
We're on a tight schedule as it is. If he won't
give us the code, then what good is he? Kill
him and move on, we don't have time for you
to try and beat a code out of a man, so don't
waste anymore time, is that clear?

The first operative, armor stained with the crewmen's blood, gulps hard and nerviously nods with compliance.

SCORPION (con't)
Get back in the facility and help our units hack
into Salazar's files. He kept the password in his
main computer station. Look there and crack his
code.

Scorpion and the two more armored soldiers begin to head to the connecting wall of the second compound's exterior. The blood covered operative stops Scorpion.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Nervious tone)
Sir, if you don't mind me asking, how come
Salazar didn't just give you the password if
you made him reveal the location?

Scorpion and the two armored operatives stop. Scorpion still keeps his back towards the two operatives, but leans his neck over,

SCORPION
Because Salazar died before he could give it up.

Scorpion approaches the entrance door, a small window opens and he leans closer towards it, the camera remains to his back as a bleep confirmation noise sounds, opening the blast door as Scorpion and the two armored ops exit the scene with the blast door closing behind them. The blood covered operative looks at the second operative nerviously and heads to the first section of the compound. The second operative looks down at the dead crewmen and merely continues to patrol the exterior.

Snake looks down at the ground with a hardened look on his face. He stops leaning over his shoulder and presses the button on his earlobe for his codec.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Campbell, I've got an I.D. on the leading subject on
the compound.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Who?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
It's Scorpion...

CAMPBELL (V.O)
(Shocked tone)
What?!

SILVERMAN (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Who?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He's Foxhound, or at least he used to be.

SILVERMAN (V.O)
What happened?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Official records indicated that he was killed in action.
I never thought I'd see a man like him leading these
terrorists.

SILVERMAN (V.O)
But who was he?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Scorpion was Foxhound's former interrogation specialist.
Torture would be the better word for it, but when you saw
what kind of people he'd be torturing, you'd never really have
pity for them. He could take a man with one hundred ICBM's
hidden all around the world, and in a matter of minutes, beat
their loactions of them. Ah I guess it was fear that he used
to intimidate subjects, because you would either yield like a
dog, or you would die like a dog.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
(Cutting back in)
It can't be him. He was captured in Syria over fifteen years
ago! The Syrians kept him in their POW camps for two years.
We still have the videos they sent us. We never rescued him,
he was recorded as killed in action by the government shortly
after, because he was as good as dead, Snake, you this better
then most.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
But he never died like the records said. You just don't want the
records to be false.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
You're damn right I don't! And you know damn well why I
don't want that to be the case either! You and I both knew
how dangerous the bastard was on our side as it was, so
just imagine Scorpion, a man who knows our playbooks
off the top of his head, and can counter each of our attacks
as our main enemy through this operation, and THEN you
tell me I want those records to be false.

PERCELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Hold on, if Scorpion is the leading Phoenix member, then
he has to have been genetically altered somehow. Snake
did you see anything different about him?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He was wearing some kind of advanced infantry body armor.
It looked like there were metal plates protecting his body,
and he just looks older, that's about it. It's still to early
to tell what alterations have been done on him during
Brimstone.

OTACON (V.O)
Snake, give me a few minutes, I'll find out myself.
If we have an I.D. on Scorpion then we should be able
to look him up on the Brimstone Subject List.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Just hurry it up, I'll need to know what I'm up against
if I want to take Scorpion out....I just can't believe we're
up against him of all people.

Snake presses the button on his earlobe again, turning off his codec. He leans back on the crate and grabs his silenced socom with both hands, before slowly sneaking away from the crate, and towards the phoenix operative. The operative continues to patrol the exterior of the compound. Snake steps lightly on his toes on the metal floor and grabs the operative from behind, putting him in a sleeper hold before snapping his neck. The operative goes limp as Snake drags him towards the elevator lift and drops him on the lift. Snake presses the down button and the lift takes the operatives' body to the loading docks.

Snake walks toward the compex entrance and swipes the loading docks' crewmen I.D. The confirmation bleep sounds and the blast doors open. Snake enters the compound.

This is from reading the first post.

Err... I actually kind of didn't like this.
It's kind of hard to put my finger on just why. To me it feels a little bit less like MGS and a little bit more like James bond. Again i don't really know how to describe that.

I also didn't like the fact that you revealed the identity of the antagonists right in the intro. I've always thought it was extremely difficult to do that well, and I don't think anyone here (you and me included) are good enough to actually pull that off... at least not with a dire story such as MGS.

All this might be just me, but I think you should still consider it.

I am actually trying to give it a different sort of feel, similar to how I did with the original, because in the end no one can pull off a perfect MGS story except for the MGS team themselves. But I see where you are coming from, and believe it or not, it's what I am hoping for, regarding the antagonist introduction, I agree as well, introducing the main antagonist is does feel a bit different, but regarding previous MGS games, we've introduced Liquid within the first 5 minutes, The Boss, in terms of cutscene wise, 10 minutes into Snake Eater, and Gene within the first 15 minutes.

Now since this is a portfolio addition of Second Skin, I'm going for around 110 pages at most = 1 hour and fifty minutes. Scorpion was introduced on page 8, so within the first eight minutes of Second Skin, so I couldn't really wait on that too long, know what I mean?

Now, in terms of the MGS feel, well, I can understand why you'd think that now, all I can do is assure you that you'll think differently relatively soon. Now again, without revealing anything, I can only assure you that this will change. So stay updated, be sure to read the next chapter, and I think you'll understand why. :thumb:

That's just a bit different, that's the main antagonist. And I think that is much easier to get away with, since you can spend an entire script from beginning to end characterizing him/her and still not have done enough. But the same is not true of the other bosses, they only get limited screen time, so their relegated to secondary characters.
For instance, Poseidon's hatred of Foxhound goes into years of lies and conditioning by some force that shall not yet be revealed. But he died already, so I can't really explore that further now can I? I had to reduce his life story down to two conversations, one with Emma the computer program, and one with Poseidon himself, just before he dies in the second boss fight.
I didn't get into what was done to him to make him believe what he does, and I won't, at least not for him individually, but as a general explanation for the behavior of the entire unit.
That's why its not good to introduce these characters in the very beginning. You'll spend too much time on them and not enough on the main characters, and if you don't, people will demand you do.

Hell, I introduced Eve in the very first in game cutscene of Metal Gear Thunder, but I waited until the second mission to introduce her unit Eden.
What you should've done is introduced the primary antagonist in the very beginning, and later on reveal what kind of 'super unit' he commands.

I know what you mean bud, but again, there is a trick behind this.

Take Snake Eater. You had Volgin, you had Ocelot, you had The Boss, EVA, The Sorrow and the Cobras. We got pretty deep into each character, but the Cobras were one trick ponies who got taken out in their second appearances each, one by one. Now Scorpion, you can imagine isn't a one trick pony, it's a given since he and Snake do have some form of background history together that I will spend more time on him then some, that's because he's one of the main antagonists apart from a one trick pony like others.

And there are other members of Phoenix who are important as well, and make several appearances, but at the same time, Phoenix also has a few one trick ponies as well if you see what I'm getting at, because I'm not making each and every single member of Phoenix that big, only a select few as is a custom in these sorts of screenplays. You will get deeper into other characters, and we're already about to come across the other two more important enemies in the script in chapter two, which I'm still working on.

But again, I don't think it's necessarally fair to compare what I'm doing with MG Thunder, because my screenplay is forcing me to really have a strict limit, so I don't necessarally have enough space to get deep into some of the other characters as I would with Scorpion and a few others. You get what I mean?

And back to Second Skin we go. Now we get a chance to meet another major character in the story. Oh and I'm changing Scorpion's main theme so if you want to check that out, go on ahead, either or is good because that theme is now this character's main theme.

Chapter Two: Faceless Terror

[Event] - Bombshell's Theme

INT. PRODUCTION DEPO - KORYDALOS

The blast doors open as Snake enters the Production Depo. The Department is dim, several shipping crates remain around the production machines. Three phoenix operatives patrol the main corridor, all armed with Mp5 with Flashlight attachments. Snake darts towards the wall to his left next to a large overnight delivery shipping crate. One phoenix operative turns his head curiously.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Questioning tone)
What was that?

He wanders towards the shipping crate. The camera cuts to Snake who leans slightly over his shoulder and spots the light of the operatives' flashlight getting closer. Snake looks down and spots a group of cardboard boxes stacked atop one another. The camera cuts back to the operative walks past the crate and shines his light where Snake was once standing. No one is seen. Only a group of cardboard boxes around the ground. The operative looks around for a second and turns his back and continues patroling the department.

Snake, with the box still atop his body, slowly creeps past the shipping crate, and next to the boxing machinery. Now closer to the testing department.

The same operative who shined his light at Snake's position earlier spots Snake again. This time he sees the box move slightly. His attention is once again on the box which is now next to the boxing machinery.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE OE
(Confused tone)
What the hell?

He shines the flashlight of his Mp5 at the box and approaches it. He stands over it, the box is motionless. He kicks it. The box moves to the right, no motion. He leans closer towards the box. A phoenix seargant enters the scene from the blast doors of the testing department.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE TWO
Seargant.

PHOENIX SEARGANT
(Loud tone)
The commander has ordered that all personel move out
to the Research sector of the compound.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE THREE
Why? Don't we have enough personel guarding the
research sector and hanger as it is?

PHOENIX SEARGANT
He wouldn't say. Just do as you're told.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE THREE
Yes sir.

The three all head for the blast door entrance leading back outside. The first operative remains inside, giving the box a curious look. He leans closer towards the box, and looks in the handle hole in front of the box. The calibur of a silencer points right in his eye. The camera zooms out to the operatives' back as a shot is fired. Blood shoots out the back of his head as he falls backwards on his back dead.

Snake takes the box off of his body and approaches the testing department. The blast doors open, he enters.

INT. EMPTY TESTING DEPARTMENT - KORYDALOS

The blast doors open as Snake enters the testing department. A large hall with white walls. Lights illuminate the hall from the ceiling, and on the walls are several display windows. Snake leans towards the first display window and finds a large block of C4 with a mysterious design of a laughing Falk Mask in the center of the explosive. Snake looks to his left and finds the exact same explosive in the display window to his left as well.

SNAKE
Damn...

Snake swings his arm with disappointment then looks up for a moment and smirks. He opens the top compartment to his utility vest, and pulls out a box of cigarettes. He puts a cigarette in his mouth and takes out a small lighter from the same compartment, lighting his match. Snake takes the cigarette out of his mouth after a moment and blows smoke towards the display windows, revealing a laser line between both blocks of C4. Snake gets down on his stomach and crawls forward, cigarette still in his mouth. He gets in a clear zone with no display windows on his sides. He looks up with his cigarette in his mouth and spots a camera looking down at him. He looks harder at it. The camera zooms in on the camera, the video cordes are plugged out of the cameras' sockets, and the red light is dim on the off position. Snake sighs with relief and crawls forward.

Snake crawls past all display windows, towards the exit of the empty testing department. The sound of blast doors opening cause Snake to stop dead in his tracks. Snake, back faced towards the camera immediately reaches for his socom on his right thigh gun holster. Snake grabs the handle and makes a full 180 degree turn, gun pointed forward. A look of curiousity grows over Snake's face. He keeps his gun pointed forward.

MASKED MAN (O.S)
So you're the intruder the commander keeps
talking about, huh Snake? I must apologize for thinking
you would let your guard down enough to get caught with
my traps, but it still doesn't hurt to try, right?

Snake stares sternly and points his gun closer outward towards the other end of the hall.

SNAKE
Who are you?

The camera cuts to the other end of the hall.

BOMBSHELL, (voiced by T.C. Carson) wears a baggy uniform over his body with red, black, brown and orange camo, in the design of fire on it, over his torso is a munitions vest with several grenades, stun grenades, and blast grenades attached. He also wears black leather gloves, boots, and a white smiling Greek Theater mask with a black sack underneath it, covering his eye, mouth and head, while the mask appears atop the sack.

BOMBSHELL
(Curious but sarcastic tone)
You don't remember me?

Snake tilts his head curiously as he continues to point his gun forward at Bombshell. Bombshell nods his head and wanders to his left.

BOMBSHELL (con't)
Well, of course I don't expect you to remember me,
afterall, THIS
(points to his mask)
makes it kind of hard to tell, doesn't it? No matter, the
face I once was is the face of the man I truly am, so
in a sense, we've never formally introduced one another.
I am Bombshell, the demolitions expert of Phoenix.

SNAKE
Bombshell....never heard of you before. By the way,
quick question for you, unless you think bombs exploding
is some form of cultural art, I hardly find a Greek Theater
Mask necessary to wear, especially as protection for
your face from explosion. No offense, it's a pretty nice
mask, a real work of art at that.

BOMBSHELL
(Nods head)
Thank you.

SNAKE
Buuut....I'd feel a little guilty putting a bullet through
something so expertly crafted.

Bombshell steps back and begins laughing aloud. Snake takes a few steps back, the blast door won't open. Bombshell steps closer towards Snake's position on the other end of the hall.

BOMBSHELL
Don't bother, I have this entire place on lockdown,
so no one can interfere with our little game...

Snake looks firmly at the display window to Bombshell's right and smirks. Snake keeps his aim on Bombshell, and tilts his gun to the left slightly. Bombshell doesn't seem to notice.

BOMBSHELL (con't)
Do you really think pointing that gun at me all
day long will do you any good?

SNAKE
Actually....
(Tilts gun more to the left)
I do.

Snake fires one bullet into the display window all the way across the hall on Bombshell's left, nailing the C4 as it and the C4 across from it go off. All eight C4 bombs go off, as Snake holds his arms up to protect his face as his armor protects the rest of his body. The force of the explosion knocks Snake off of his feet and right into the blast door, sending him down to the ground groggily. He stares up and sees a figure smoldering in the explosion step out of the fire. A shocked expression grows over Snake's face as he rises to his feet.

Bombshell's body is on fire, and he doesn't react to it at all. His uniform and mask are undamaged. He doesn't bother patting out the fire on his body. Instead he holds his right arm high, revealing a remote. Snake spots it and immediately fires more rounds into Bombshell.

The bullets force Bombshell to take several steps back on impact as blood sprays out of his body with each bullet connecting. Snake finally stops shooting. Bombshell steps back, smoke fuming out from his body. He begins to breath heavy, clutching his chest in pain, he lowers his head, he is breathing heavier, and begins laughing maniacly. He lifts his head back up and stands straight and firm as the bullets pull themselves out of his body and fall to the ground, stained with blood. Bombshell brushes his uniform, Snake stares at him with disbelief.

BOMBSHELL
You're wasting your bullets, Snake. No matter how much
you shoot at me...I'll still be standing....
(Chuckles)
....will you?

Bombshell points his remote towards Snake and clicks a button. Snake draws his gun towards Bombshell once more but the ground below Snake explodes. The floors cave in on Snake, dropping him out of the empty Research department, while Bombshell chuckles and reaches for his hip radio, drawing it towards his mouth.

BOMBSHELL (con't)
(Into radio)
Titan...it's time to play....

Bombshell reholsters his radio and laughs as he walks towards the blast doors which he came from, as the camera zooms in on the smoldering hole in the research hall where Snake fell.

i have two words

1) AWESOME!!!

and number 2) BOX!!!! woo hoo

that was good, i liked it, i have the image of scorpion looking like a black marv from sin city

Thanks, glad you like it, and the box, lol. As for appearances, again, I'm making sprites for these guys too so you can see what they look like, and after each member has been introduced, I have a group shot I can post here. :thumb:

Now, onto chapter three.

Chapter Three: Into The Abyss

[Event] - Titan's Opening Theme

INT. UNDERGROUND FOUNDATION

Snake lays motionless atop a mass of shattered stones and concrete. Snake moans in pain, rubbing his head and rises to his feet. His codec starts beeping. He presses the button in his earlobe.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Snake, what happened? Your vitals were just
at zero. Are you alright?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had an unpleasant fall, nothing too
serious.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
What happened?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had another run in with a member of Phoenix.
He said his codename was Bombshell.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Bombshell? I'll have Dr. Emmerich search
for him in Brimstone's database. And what
about Scorpion?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He's still alive and well, which makes me wonder
Campbell, if he was declared dead in the official
reports, how come it was never cleared up after he
volunteered to be a subject in Project Brimstone?
Foxhound is supposed to have off-the-record intel
about all of its' operatives. Hell, official
records still state that I died five years ago in
the tanker incident, so why weren't we briefed
about Scorpion?

PERCELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Also keep in mind that President Johnson was
in charge of this project began in development.
President Gordan has already informed us that
he wasn't fully briefed on this project after
his predecessors' death, Scorpion was dead for
all he knew as well.

OTACON (V.O)
Speaking of which, I managed to locate Scorpion's
file in Brimstone's database. It's remarkable,
Scorpion's entire genetic structure has been
completely restructured, he isn't a warm blooded
mammal anymore. His body doesn't give off any
heat whatsoever. Because of that, he is virtually
undetectable by heated motion sensors or Thermal
vision. On top of that, he wears a prototype heavy
infiltration armor joint developed by EchoSymth and
ArmsTech. It is a very light armor, but it releases an
Electromagnetic pulse shielding the one wearing the
armor with EMP charges, which can deflect bullets,
fire, explosions or anything else you through his
way.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Sounds like taking him out won't be the easiest
task in the world afterall.

OTACON (V.O)
Exactly, also, Commander Campbell just
informed me about your meeting with Phoenix
member codename Bombshell. It's bizarre,
according to his dossier, he too was a former
Foxhound Veteran.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What?

OTACON (V.O)
His real name is Damon Lanning, he was
Foxhound's demolitions' expert. He
specialized in sabatoge missions.
But during a sabatoge mission in
Syria, he was officially declared
killed in action.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Damon Lanning...
(Snake pauses)
Smiling Jackal...I remember now...I did know
him, this was another joint op between Foxhound
and Philantropy. We were supposed to sabatoge a
Syrian Jet Hanger to blow, to prevent any further
attacks on Jerusalum during the Syrian/Jerusalum
war. The Syrians had obtained an airial Assault
Metal Gear....Metal Gear Phoenix....Jackal
wired the hanger fuel tanks with his explosives,
but the Syrians spotted him, and tried to stop
him. During the heat of battle, one of the
fuel tanks was shot at, and it so happens that
it was the very last fuel tank Jackal was mounting
C4 with, and the tank exploded, taking Jackal with
him....we escaped, and I managed to set off the
C4 tanks after we escaped anyway. But I rememeber
seeing his body...it was scorched, his skin was
just incincerated, how the hell could he still
be alive?

SILVERMAN (V.O)
(Cutting in)
More importantly, how the hell could the government
test on a subject so viciously scarred?

OTACON (V.O)
Very easily appearantly, Bombshell's injuries have
made him completely numb. Medical records indicate
that he can no longer feel pain, smell or taste anything.
On top of that, genetic alterations have caused
his bodies cells constantly reproduce within his
flesh, enabling him to regenerate after being
injured. His cells block out bullets from fully
penetrating his skin, pushing bullets out of his body,
and recreating new cells and molecules after a bullet
has been removed.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
This whole mission reaks to high heaven, Campbell,
we're not getting the full story, and we both know
it. There's no way these could just be coincidence.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
I know, Snake, but the only person who knows the
answer to all of this is President Gordan, and he's
too focused on keeping this op private that he's refusing
to give us any further information that could cause more
desecration to his presidency.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He can take his presidency and shove it up his
ass for all I care, I want some Goddamn answers.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
I know Snake, and I'm sorry, but my hands are tied.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
As always.

PERCELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Focus, Snake. Your objective is still to eliminate
the Phoenix Members. At least you know two of them,
so you should be able to understand their battle
tactics, right?

Snake is silent.

PERCELL (V.O con't)
Just focus on your mission, any backwork is what
we're here to take care of.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Fine.

Snake removes his finger from his earlobe, disconnecting from his codec frequency. He wanders in the underground foundation. There are a number of metal struts in the tunnel, holding the ceiling up. The entire area is surrounded by black rocks. There are several spot lights in the ground. Snake stares at the small spotlights and follows them to a trail of small lights.

INT. UNDERGROUND PIPELINE - UNDERGROUND TUNNEL

The lights lead Snake to the underground pipe structures of EchoSymth. Snake sees next to the central pipeline a ladder leading to the surface. Snake approaches the ladder. He begins to climb but stops, the sound of a circuit blade from a distance booms into the tunnel. The noise gets closer and closer.

Snake drops back down from the ladder, stares curiously ahead of him, as the sound of a circuit blade grows closer and closer. A look of shock grows over Snake's face as he dives for the ground. As he dives down a large spinning metal circuit blade glowing light blue barely misses Snake as he dives to the ground. The blade passes him as he hits the ground and as it flies further, turns around and jets towards Snake, who rolls on his back and spots the blade. Snake immediately rolls toward his right as the blade slams into the ground where Snake was lying.

The camera cuts to a glowing light blue armored hand. It raises its' hand up higher, open palm. The camera cuts to the blade. It rises from the rocks. Cut to the hand, which pulls its' fingers in its' palm. The blade spins into the dark. The sound of the spinning blade dies out. Out comes a darkened figure.

TITAN, (voiced by Robert Martin Klein) a large behemoth of a man. Wears heavy metal black armor, covering his entire body. His helmet is round, almost sphere shaped over his head and neck, with a large blue visor in the front of the helmet. There are several wires plugged into his wrists from an EM generator on his back. His wrist pads are twice as big as his real wrists, with two circuit blades on each wrist.

Titan approaches Snake slowly. Snake rises to his feet, gun pointed at Titan. Titan's visor opens, revealing Titan's face while a hatch releases, the top of Titan's helmet opens, flapping down on his back while the sides slide away. Titan has light skin, no eyebrows, glowing blue eyes identical to the glow of his blades, and a sadistic smile over his face.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
You are quick on your feet...fantastic...
I always enjoy a challenge...

SNAKE
Another member of Phoenix?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
I am Titan...the beast within my unit.
The powerforce that leaves our enemies
in check.

SNAKE
I think you're all pretty much a group
of beasts in that department...

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
Why? Because we possess such Divine
power?
(Raises arm and makes a fist)
In today's day in age, only the strong
can survive...you must be merciless.
If you show mercy to an enemy, you
will be eaten alive. Which is why you
must do whatever it takes to obtain
the power needed to declare your dominance.

SNAKE
So you and your comrades decided to
abandon whatever humanity you had left
in you, for power?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
We are only keeping up with the times.
This world thrives on the need to obtain
power. It's that very desire which drives
this nation to madness...as it did me.
That very madness causes suspicion, hatred,
war, death, armageddon....

SNAKE
What the hell is your point?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
That me and my unit are merely trying to
keep up with the rest of the world...

SNAKE
By turning yourselves into souless monsters
and sieging a munitions compound? This isn't
keeping up with the times, it's terrorism,
simple as that.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
Then what did you justify your actions
with philantropy as?

Snake looks sternly at Titan. Titan smiles, grinning his grey teeth.

TITAN (con't)
(Deranged tone)
Yes I know all about Philantropy...your anti
Metal Gear organization...tell me, other
militant forces had began development on their
own line up of Metal Gears, and you saw them
as nothing more then common criminals...and then
you intervined and destroyed them for it. How
do you justify doing that when they are only using
those weapons for the good of their nation?

SNAKE
Weapons of Mass Destruction are never for the good
of a nation. This world runs on a balance of power,
and in order to maintain that balance, other national
militants shouldn't try and tip the balance and take
control. No one should ever be allowed to have a
weapon like Metal Gear in their possession, and I
personally made sure of that. Yes we were marked
as enemies of the state, but who is to say we are
truly terrorists? The government of a nation, or the
people who make that nation? All you're doing is
tipping the balance for yourselves, not for a nation,
and not for any remedial good purposes what so ever.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
That's your opinion...fact of the matter is that
you haven't even scratched the surface of what's
going on here...nor will you...
(Titan's helmet clamps back over his head and neck.)
Let's play....
(Titan's visor comes down over his face.)

And we're on our first boss fight.

Chapter Four: Clash of The Titan

[Boss] - Titan - This is a track from the SF: Dark Mirror OST. Iquitos Action 2


INT. UNDERGROUND FOUNDATION

Snake lays motionless atop a mass of shattered stones and concrete. Snake moans in pain, rubbing his head and rises to his feet. His codec starts beeping. He presses the button in his earlobe.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Snake, what happened? Your vitals were just
at zero. Are you alright?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had an unpleasant fall, nothing too
serious.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
What happened?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had another run in with a member of Phoenix.
He said his codename was Bombshell.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Bombshell? I'll have Dr. Emmerich search
for him in Brimstone's database. And what
about Scorpion?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He's still alive and well, which makes me wonder
Campbell, if he was declared dead in the official
reports, how come it was never cleared up after he
volunteered to be a subject in Project Brimstone?
Foxhound is supposed to have off-the-record intel
about all of its' operatives. Hell, official
records still state that I died five years ago in
the tanker incident, so why weren't we briefed
about Scorpion?

PERCELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Also keep in mind that President Johnson was
in charge of this project began in development.
President Gordan has already informed us that
he wasn't fully briefed on this project after
his predecessors' death, Scorpion was dead for
all he knew as well.

OTACON (V.O)
Speaking of which, I managed to locate Scorpion's
file in Brimstone's database. It's remarkable,
Scorpion's entire genetic structure has been
completely restructured, he isn't a warm blooded
mammal anymore. His body doesn't give off any
heat whatsoever. Because of that, he is virtually
undetectable by heated motion sensors or Thermal
vision. On top of that, the iris' in his eyes
have been replaced with mechanical iris', which
not only allow him to be able to see like the
rest of us, but he can actually detect heat
given off of other beings.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Like thermal vision...?

OTACON (V.O)
Exactly, but on top of that, Commander Campbell just
informed me about your meeting with Phoenix
member codename Bombshell. It's bizarre,
according to his dossier, he too was a former
Foxhound Veteran.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What?

OTACON (V.O)
His real name is Damon Lanning, he was
Foxhound's demolitions' expert. He
specialized in sabatoge missions.
But during a sabatoge mission in
Syria, he was officially declared
killed in action.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Damon Lanning...
(Snake pauses)
Smiling Jackal...I remember now...I did know
him, this was another joint op between Foxhound
and Philantropy. We were supposed to sabatoge a
Syrian Jet Hanger to blow, to prevent any further
attacks on Jerusalum during the Syrian/Jerusalum
war. The Syrians had obtained an airial Assault
Metal Gear....Metal Gear Phoenix....Jackal
wired the hanger fuel tanks with his explosives,
but the Syrians spotted him, and tried to stop
him. During the heat of battle, one of the
fuel tanks was shot at, and it so happens that
it was the very last fuel tank Jackal was mounting
C4 with, and the tank exploded, taking Jackal with
him....we escaped, and I managed to set off the
C4 tanks after we escaped anyway. But I rememeber
seeing his body...it was scorched, his skin was
just incincerated, how the hell could he still
be alive?

SILVERMAN (V.O)
(Cutting in)
More importantly, how the hell could the government
test on a subject so viciously scarred?

OTACON (V.O)
Very easily appearantly, Bombshell's injuries have
made him completely numb. Medical records indicate
that he can no longer feel pain, smell or taste anything.
On top of that, genetic alterations have caused
his bodies cells constantly reproduce within his
flesh, enabling him to regenerate after being
injured. His cells block out bullets from fully
penetrating his skin, pushing bullets out of his body,
and recreating new cells and molecules after a bullet
has been removed.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
This whole mission reaks to high heaven, Campbell,
we're not getting the full story, and we both know
it. There's no way these could just be coincidence.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
I know, Snake, but the only person who knows the
answer to all of this is President Gordan, and he's
too focused on keeping this op private that he's refusing
to give us any further information that could cause more
desecration to his presidency.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He can take his presidency and shove it up his
ass for all I care, I want some Goddamn answers.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
I know Snake, and I'm sorry, but my hands are tied.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
As always.

PERCELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
Focus, Snake. Your objective is still to eliminate
the Phoenix Members. At least you know two of them,
so you should be able to understand their battle
tactics, right?

Snake is silent.

PERCELL (V.O con't)
Just focus on your mission, any backwork is what
we're here to take care of.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Fine.

Snake removes his finger from his earlobe, disconnecting from his codec frequency. He wanders in the underground foundation. There are a number of metal struts in the tunnel, holding the ceiling up. The entire area is surrounded by black rocks. There are several spot lights in the ground. Snake stares at the small spotlights and follows them to a trail of small lights.

INT. UNDERGROUND PIPELINE - UNDERGROUND TUNNEL

The lights lead Snake to the underground pipe structures of EchoSymth. Snake sees next to the central pipeline a ladder leading to the surface. Snake approaches the ladder. He begins to climb but stops, the sound of a circuit blade from a distance booms into the tunnel. The noise gets closer and closer.

Snake drops back down from the ladder, stares curiously ahead of him, as the sound of a circuit blade grows closer and closer. A look of shock grows over Snake's face as he dives for the ground. As he dives down a large spinning metal circuit blade glowing light blue barely misses Snake as he dives to the ground. The blade passes him as he hits the ground and as it flies further, turns around and jets towards Snake, who rolls on his back and spots the blade. Snake immediately rolls toward his right as the blade slams into the ground where Snake was lying.

The camera cuts to a glowing light blue armored hand. It raises its' hand up higher, open palm. The camera cuts to the blade. It rises from the rocks. Cut to the hand, which pulls its' fingers in its' palm. The blade spins into the dark. The sound of the spinning blade dies out. Out comes a darkened figure.

TITAN, (voiced by Robert Martin Klein) a large behemoth of a man. Wears heavy metal black armor, covering his entire body. His helmet is round, almost sphere shaped over his head and neck, with a large blue visor in the front of the helmet. There are several wires plugged into his wrists from an EM generator on his back. His wrist pads are twice as big as his real wrists, with two circuit blades on each wrist.

Titan approaches Snake slowly. Snake rises to his feet, gun pointed at Titan. Titan's visor opens, revealing Titan's face while a hatch releases, the top of Titan's helmet opens, flapping down on his back while the sides slide away. Titan has light skin, no eyebrows, glowing blue eyes identical to the glow of his blades, and a sadistic smile over his face.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
You are quick on your feet...fantastic...
I always enjoy a challenge...

SNAKE
Another member of Phoenix?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
I am Titan...the beast within my unit.
(Raises arm and makes a fist)
In today's day in age, only the strong
can survive...you must be merciless.
If you show mercy to an enemy, you
will be eaten alive. Which is why you
must do whatever it takes to obtain
the power needed to declare your dominance.

SNAKE
So you and your comrades decided to
abandon whatever humanity you had left
in you, for power?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
We are only keeping up with the times.
This world thrives on the need to obtain
power. It's that very desire which drives
this nation to madness...as it did me.
That very madness causes suspicion, hatred,
war, death, armageddon....

SNAKE
What the hell is your point?

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
That me and my unit are merely trying to
keep up with the rest of the world...

SNAKE
By turning yourselves into souless monsters
and sieging a munitions compound? This isn't
keeping up with the times, it's terrorism,
simple as that.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
Then what did you justify your actions
with philantropy as?

Snake looks sternly at Titan. Titan smiles, grinning his grey teeth.

TITAN (con't)
(Deranged tone)
Yes I know all about Philantropy...your anti
Metal Gear organization...tell me, other
militant forces had began development on their
own line up of Metal Gears, and you saw them
as nothing more then common criminals...and then
you intervined and destroyed them for it. How
do you justify doing that when they are only using
those weapons for the good of their nation?

SNAKE
Weapons of Mass Destruction are never for the good
of a nation. This world runs on a balance of power,
and in order to maintain that balance, other national
militants shouldn't try and tip the balance and take
control. No one should ever be allowed to have a
weapon like Metal Gear in their possession, and I
personally made sure of that. Yes we were marked
as enemies of the state, but who is to say we are
truly terrorists? The government of a nation, or the
people who make that nation? All you're doing is
tipping the balance for yourselves, not for a nation,
and not for any remedial good purposes what so ever.

TITAN
(Deranged tone)
That's your opinion...fact of the matter is that
you haven't even scratched the surface of what's
going on here...nor will you...
(Titan's helmet clamps back over his head and neck.)
Let's play....
(Titan's visor comes down over his face.)

Titan holds both his arms out to his sides. Snake steps back. Titan's body glows light blue. The blades connected to his wrists begin spinning once more as he charges toward Snake. Snake begins running back, firing his socom at Titan. Titan shreds each bullet to pieces with the spinning circuit blades. He leaps towards Snake and lands his wrist down at Snake who dives to the right as Titan slams his blade into the ground, shattering the rocks on impact.

He turns to his right and rises to his feet. Snake runs behind a large pipe running through the central line of the compound. Titan laughs.

TITAN (con't)
(Deranged tone)
So it's cat and mouse, is it? Heehahaha!
Have it your way!

Titan sends both his arms forward as both circuit blades shoot off of his wrists and spin towards the pipe. Snake hears the hissing of the blades coming his way and rolls away from the pipe as the blades cut clear through the pipeline, releasing large quantities of water out of the cuts, spilling onto Snake and all around the ground.

Snake rises to his feet, still holding his socom and shoots at Titan's helmet, directly into his visor. Titan sees the bullet coming and smirks. He stares into the bullet and it freezes on impact. The bullet glows light blue like Titan's armor before dropping to the ground.

Titan holds his arms out as the two circuit blades return to him. He flexes and roars angrily and charges towards Snake. Snake continues shooting at him, the bullets all stop in their tracks while Titan continues to charge at Snake, head first. He rams his large helmet square into Snake's body, sending him flying into the stone walls, back first before falling to the ground. Snake groggily stares up and sees Titan gunning straight for him. He immediately rises to his feet and dives to the right just as Titan reaches his position. Titan barely misses Snake and blasts clear through the stone foundation. Snake hits the ground hard, and quickly rises to his feet. He immediately reaches for a grenade on his vest and holds it steady. He steps back and has his finger over the pin, waiting for Titan.

To the right of the large hole Titan plowed through, the walls explode. Dozens of chunk of stone and rock foundation from the tunnel go flying from the wall as Titan emerges through. Snake immediately pulls the pin of his grenade and tosses it at Titan. Camera closes in on the grenade as it flies in slow motion directly in front of Titan's body, before exploding. Camera zooms out to Snake jumping away from the explosion and falling flat on his face. His lip is bleeding, and he is breathing heavily. He rolls onto his back and sees Titan still standing in the exact same spot, not moved from the explosion.

SNAKE
What the hell....?

Titan remains silent and runs to Snake. Snake tries to climb to his feet but Titan grabs him firmly by the neck and lifts him off the ground just before tossing him right through a stone pillar in the tunnel, sending Snake clear through it as his body shatters through the pillar. Snake lands in the ground as rocks pile onto him. He coughs up blood and begins throwing stones and rock off of his body. He looks up at Titan, who slowly lifts his hands up high in the air as they begin to glow light blue. He begins growling angrily as Snake begins to rush toss rubble off of his body.

Titan's blades then detatch from his wrists, and glow light blue as they float right above Titan's fingertips. He twirls his glowing blue fingers in a spinning motion. The circuit blades floating above him begin spinning with his fingers.

Snake slams his knee into the remains of the rubble above him. His armored kneepad blasts the remaining stone off of him as he quickly rises to his feet. Titan throws his arms forward. The circuit blades go flying after Snake.

Both circuit blades goes chasing after Snake as he continues running away to his right. Titan laughs and slowly follows.

EXT. TESTING COMPOUND - UNDERGROUND TUNNEL

The tunnel leads to a direct ladder to the Research and testing compound of Echosymth. Snake continues running away as the two blades begin to gain speed on Snake. Snake turns around while still running and shoots one of the blades, sending it wobbling off course while the second blade edges closer to Snake.

Snake drops to the ground as the blade passes above his body, and shoots into the black stone walls.

The second circuit blade retracts back in the section where Snake came from. The sound of a small latch closing echos as Titan roars and comes booming out from where Snake came, charging towards Snake once again.

Snake quickly rises to his feet and tosses another grenade on the floor as Titan charges forward. As he storms through he stomps on the grenade. The grenade goes off, sending Titan right off his feet and face first to the ground.

Snake immediately runs towards Titan and shoots him in the back six times. Titan growls in pain as he rolls onto his side, clutching his back. Enraged, he rises to his feet and rams his helmet right into Snake in a headbutt motion, dropping him immediately to the ground. He grabs Snake again and tosses him up. As Snake flies in the air he turns towards Titan and fires two more bullets, Titan, unaware of Snake's actions, holds his arm up to call back his blades. One bullet nails him in the wrist pannel, and the second richocets off of the metal on his wrist and shoots into Titan's visor.

Titan screams loudly as his visor shatters. He clutches his face as blood begins spraying out from the sides of his hand. He removes his hand and stares at Snake as he lands on his feet. He grits his teeth angrily, the right side of his face is covered in blood, his eye is spraying out blood.

TITAN
(Enraged deranged tone)
ENOUGH!! Now you DIE!!

Titan's arm glows blue once again. He calls back the circuit blade stuck in the walls. Snake opens fire again, but Titan holds his left hand out open palm, glowing light blue as the bullets again stop in their tracks. Titan, with his good eye, looks past Snake and sees his circuit blade perfectly lined up behind Snake. He growls and closes his palm into a fist and violently yanks it back as the circuit blade blasts out of the stones hissing towards Snake.

Snake looks behind him and sees Titan's blade rapidly approaching and quickly backflips. In slow motion Snake flips back as the circuit blade slowly approaches. Snake is flying higher as the circuit blade barely misses his head. Speed is normal as he flips back and the blade jets past him.

Titan looks past Snake and sees his own circuit blade gunning towards him. He gasps and holds his hand out to stop it. The blade is coming too fast. It nails Titan directly in the chest, hitting him at a 50 mph impact. Titan lets out a quick scream before his body is hurled into the wall behind him. His body crashes into stone while the broken walls he crashed into crumble down on his body, crushing him on impact.

Snake exhales and looks to his right, camera zooms in on the ladder leading to testing and research compound. Snake dusts off his armor and approaches the ladder. He climbs up the ladder.

Titan's boss fight is awesome Kam. I like how he's eventually killed by his own blades. Although, the ending is a bit like Spiderman 1. You know, when Spiderman flips backwards over the glider and the Green Goblin is impaled by the blades? So, maybe that's something to think about. Plus, not many people liked Snake's flipping in TTS.

Alright, I'll be sure to try and fix that up if it's a problem with anyone else, in the mean time, onto Second Skin.

Chapter Five: The Puppeteer

EXT. WEST WING - ECHOSYMTH - NIGHT

The exterior west wing views the Indian ocean. The grounds are metal plated with two large EchoSymth carrier trucks by the main gate to the left. The compound, a large facility in the south west section of the wing, is guarded by two composite towers on the left and right side attached to the exterior walls surrounding the entire area. Camera zooms in on a large hatch on the other end of the grounds. The valve opens as the hatch opens. Snake emerges from the hatch.

Snake closes the hatch and approaches one of the trucks. The compound's main blast door opens. Out comes Scorpion. Snake spots him and quietly heads to the open bed of the truck, hiding behind several shipping crates.

Scorpion looks up at the guard monitoring the east gate.

SCORPION
We're secure, let them in.

The guard nods his head and presses the large gree button in the gate control system. The gate slowly opens, sliding into the walls from the right. Another Echosymth truck enters the scene, slowly pulling into the center of the west wing. The truck bed doors open, out emerge six Phoenix operatives, all wearing white helmets with blue visors in the front of their faces, black uniforms with white armor plating on their torsos, shoulders, wrists, knees and calfs.

Two climb up the bed and begin pushing out a large machine with a bullet proof glass cyllinder in the center with blue light glowing out of it. The other four soldiers grab it from the other end and begin carrying it towards the science department. Scorpion approaches the passenger side of the truck.

Out emerges an old man wearing a coat. From the drivers side, emerges a man wearing a full trenchcoat with his hood up covering his face.

The OLD MAN (voiced by Alastair Duncan) short grey hair, several wrinkles on his face, wears black shades, a black turtleneck under his black coat, with leather gloves, and urban camo pants, approaches Scorpion as the man in the trenchcoat, VERTIGO, (voiced by Doug Boyd) wears a grey trenchcoat, fully buttoned, with his hood up covering his head with the hoods' shadow covering his face, grey hands and boots, both fitted with what appeared to be black lines running deep within both his hands and legs, stands to the old man's right side.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
How much longer before preparations
in the cryogenic chamber are complete?

SCORPION
Unfortunately after the EMP charges were
released, we've been pushed back another
three hours, sir.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
The electro magnetic pulse shouldn't have cut
the power to the cryogenic chamber though.

SCORPION
Unfortunately it too is running on the same
electric circuit as the rest of the compound.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
It was supposed to be ready now. I may not
last three hours, you know this as well as I.

SCORPION
I'm sorry sir, but it wasn't as if we had
a choice in the matter.

Snake pulls the sheet covering the bed up slightly, he peeks through the crack and stares at the three in front of him, all approaching the science department.

SCORPION (con't)
(Attention to the machine with the glass center)
This should be enough to power AHC100 back on
schedule before then.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
My time is limited, if this ionic
generator can't power AHC back to
scheduled power, it may be too late.

Scorpion lowers his head nodding.

SCORPION
Yes sir, I apologize.

VERTIGO
(Mechanical Filter)
What about the intruder?

Snake stare sternly.

VERTIGO (con't)
(Filter)
Titan hasn't reported back with his status
report, and Bombshell said when he checked
the tunnels, he nor the intruder were
anywhere to be seen.

The old man smiles.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
Snake...

Snake jerks back slightly, shocked. He stares closer at the old man.

SNAKE
(Silently)
Who the hell...?

Camera cuts back to the three.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
Send Mirage and Gloom after him.
Snake still doesn't know about our
true objective, so sure to have him
elimated before then.

SCORPION
(Smirks)
It doesn't matter, at this point
he can't stop us.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
Never the less, I don't want to risk
it. Snake's usefullness has come to
an end. And when something is no longer
useful, it must be disposed of.

SCORPION
I understand.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
Also, I understand Director Salazar is
dead now, am I correct?

Scorpion nods.

OLD MAN (con't)
(Disorted voice)
Salazar was our only lead to AHC's
access code, and now he's dead. And if
we don't have that code in less then three
hours, I'm dead...and if I'm dead, rest assured
Scorpion, you will be joining me soon.

Scorpion stares at Vertigo who nods agreeingly. Scorpion smirks and nods.

SCORPION
We don't need Salazar, his backup
files are being encrypted as we speak.
Salazar's file locks will be gone in no
time, and you'll have AHC100's access code.

VERTIGO
(Filter)
But what about Snake?

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
(Attention on Vertigo)
If Titan hasn't responded by now, we
can assume that he is dead. So Mirage
and Gloom will deal with him until then.
In the mean time, get Bombshell, have him
wire the rest of the compound, in case Mirage
and Gloom don't manage.

VERTIGO
(Filter)
Understood.

OLD MAN
(Disorted voice)
(Attention to Scorpion)
And ready the weapon, we launch in one
hour as scheduled regardless of whether
or not AHC is ready or not.

SCORPION
Yes sir.

The three enter the science department. The depo gate opens and the four Phoenix ops carry the ionic generator in with them. Both the gates and the blast doors close. Snake looks sternly at the department, and presses his earlobe.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Campbell, I've made it to the second
sector of the compound.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Good, and what about Phoenix?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had a run in with another member of Phoenix,
Titan. But I've dealt with him.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Nice work.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
There's something else, I don't think
Scorpion's actually the one pulling the
strings on this operation.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
What do you mean?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I can't get an I.D. but there's someone
else, an old man, looks to be in his late
70's, he was talking to Scorpion outside
the research compound, about something
called ACH or AHC whatever, and the entire
time, it sounded like Scorpion and another
man in a trenchcoat who I also couldn't I.D
were talking to this old man like he was in
charge.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
We've only assumed that Scorpion was the
man running the show because at the time, he
and Bombshell were the only two members of
Phoenix you came across, so you could be right.
Well regardless, they are your objective, so
when you get a chance, eliminate each and
every single one of them.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I'm actually more concerned with what this
AHC thing is. It looks to be an item of great
importance to that old man, and the phoenix
ops were carrying a large ionic generator
to repower it.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
You think it's what they are after on this
compound?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
It certainly looks that way. Roy I honestly
gotta tell you something else is going on here.
These guys are up to something, and I'm starting
to think that it doesn't involve the weapons
in the compound either.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Snake, whether or not their target is this AHC
or the weapons is irrelevant, your objective still
stands, eliminate the members of Phoenix before
we find out the hard way, of what they're after,
are we clear?

Snake mutters a few words under his breath.

CAMPBELL (V.O con't)
Are we clear?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Yeah...

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Good, so that's all then?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
No, there's something else, one of them mentioned
sicking two Phoenix members codenamed Mirage and
Gloom my way.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Alright, I'll have Dr. Emmerich look up their files on
the Brimstone Database, and I'll ask him to do a little
research on AHC as well so we can get an idea of what
it is, in the mean time, focus on your mission.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Right.

Snake hangs up his codec and exhales deeply. He climbs out of the truck bed. One Phoenix op remains stationed patrolling the sector. He places his finger to his radio headset. Snake spots him and approaches him slowly, tip toeing behind him and stops right behind him as the operative begins talking.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Into radio)
So, you all heard the news, didn't you?
Yeah, can you believe it? Titan of all
people, done in by a flesh and blood
regular joe like us.

Snake smirks as he leans closer to the operative.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE (con't)
(Into radio)
Kinda makes you wonder what we're all up
against. This "Snake" they all talk about,
so what he's some kinda super agent or what?
(Pauses)
Damn, then what the hell are we doing here?
I mean Scorpion's already got us all shaking
in our boots, why doesn't he just go take
out Snake himself?
(Pauses)
What? What spy?

Snake's smirk dims to an expression of curiosity.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE (con't)
(Into radio)
I tell ya sometimes I don't even know if
the money the boss is paying us is even
worth the risk, especially if this Snake
guy is as good as they say he is. I tell
ya if I come face to face with the man who
took down Titan, I don't give a crap what
he's packing I'm running, okay?
(Pauses)
The weapon? I don't know, but the guy who wears
that weird looking mask seems to know a lot
more about it then Scorpion or the others, so
ask him. Alright, I gotta get off the line now.

The operative pulls his headset up, Snake immediately puts him in a sleeper hold with his left arm and points his socom to the operatives' temple with his right arm.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE (con't)
(Nervious tone)
Jesus Christ...it's you isn't it?

SNAKE
Bingo.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Nervious tone)
Wh-what do you want?

SNAKE
Two things really, one, to find out
if Phoenix has any more surprises in
store for me...the second, to thank you
for your complements earlier.

PHOENIX OPERATIVE ONE
(Nervious tone)
Surprises? No, I swear I don't know
anything about that. These guys don't
tell the grunts anything, I swear to God!

SNAKE
Guess I gotta believe you then. Well,
bed time...

Snake tightens his grip over the operatives' neck, he gasps briefly before passing out. Snake drags his body aside and tosses him into the bed of the same truck bed he climbed out of. Snake tries to enter the science depo but the doors remain shut. Snake sighs and walks away looking around at the compound exterior. He sees a long ladder leading to the top of the science depo. He begins to climb it.

Chapter Six: Trapped in an Illusion

[Event] - Enter Mirage

EXT. HELIPAD - SCIENCE DEPARTMENT - NIGHT

Snake climbs the ladder and reaches the helipad. To the west side of the helipad is an elevator, in the center of the helipad is the landing zone for a helicopter with an EchoSymth chopper atop the platform. Snake approaches the elevator.

As he is about to press the call button the sound of thunder booms on. Snake stops and looks up at the sky. It begins raining.

Snake looks up curiously, then turns to the elevator, which to his surprise has vanished.

SNAKE
(Curious tone)
What the hell...?

OMNINOUS VOICE (O.S)
Snaaaake......

Snake turns around. No one is behind him. He stares back at the elevator, which is once again visible. Snake stares at it curiously and presses the call button. He looks up, no rain, no rain drops on the helipad. Snake looks around in a confused manner. The elevator rises to the helipad, Snake enters the elevator and presses the down button, his elevator lowers.

INT. DATA SECTOR - SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Snake's elevator stops, the doors open. Snake enters the data sector, a large bright sector, several computer terminals surround Snake. He wanders past the computers and stops, a loud hissing noise booms into the data sector. The hissing grows louder, Snake covers his ears and growls in pain.

The hissing grows louder. All the computer screens turn onto a picture of Snake's face, all looking directly at Snake himself, who is now on his knees clutching his ears growling in pain. They all begin yelling Snake's name. The faces all yell for Snake. Snake snaps.

SNAKE
(Enraged)
ENOUGH!

Snake rises to his feet and begins shooting at several computers monitor by monitor. The screaming and hissing cease. Snake remains unsteady, breathing heavily from anger. Footsteps slowly sound approaching from behind Snake.

OMINOUS VOICE (O.S)
Relax...it is only a Mirage after all....

Snake turns around gun pointed forward and spots a mysterious being standing in the corner of the room, emerging from the shadows.

MIRAGE, (voiced by Harry Hamlin) wears a dark violet skin tight suit, his face covered by a dark violet helmet, faceless, no air holes, four glowing red lights forming a diamond around the center of the helmet, a larger glowing red light. His torso is protected by a lighter grey chest plate, his wrists cybernetic, his hands are white, glowing a bright white, his thighs and legs protected by lighter grey armor.

MIRAGE
As is much in this mysterious
world we share...

SNAKE
Another member of Phoenix?

MIRAGE
(Sarcastic tone)
How could you tell?

Snake smirks and returns the sarcasm.

SNAKE
Call it a lucky guess.

Mirage chuckles silently.

MIRAGE
Then you'd guess wrong. For you see
I am not a member of Phoenix, nor a
member of anything for that matter.
In fact, I am nothing at all.

Snake stares at him curiously as suddenly Mirage vanishes. A shocked expression grows over Snake's face as he looks around.

MIRAGE (O.S)
But I, on the other hand...

Snake turns around once again and spots Mirage standing towards another set of computer terminals near the Data sectors' exiting blast door.

MIRAGE (con't)
...am a member of Phoenix. A master
of illusion and deception if you will.
(rubs hands together as they begin glowing white)
Which, to me is rather ironic...I bring
my enemies into a world of illusions
in order to bring them into reality.

SNAKE
Bring them into reality?

MIRAGE
My enemies tend to be rather dillusional...
such as yourself.

SNAKE
Dillusional huh? Sounds to me like
the only dillusional person here is
you.

Mirage leans back and begins laughing.

MIRAGE
Oh...I am the dillusional one, am I?
Okay, let's review who the dillusionals
REALLY are.

The five glowing lights on Mirage's face grow even brighter as he holds his hands out open. Snake looks around him and sees himself standing in a military lineup. Countless soldiers stand straight row by row, with Snake in front. He looks back and sees the countless masses with shock and stares back in front, seeing Mirage standing on a large platform overlooking the entire lineup.

MIRAGE (con't)
Look around you Snake! Each and every one
of these young men soldiers just like you!
They go into the war zone thinking they are
fighting for a true cause! These people truly
believe their deaths will not be in vein, that
they shall return home as heroes, HA! Just
another bunch of dillusional masses sacrificing
their lives for reasons even they cannot know,
and do you know why Snake?

Mirage holds his right hand up and throws it down. The soldiers and setting vanish, and now Mirage and Snake stand in a middle eastern city, demolished by ruins. Soldiers wearing raggidy clothes and carrying AK-47's monitor the city. Snake stares back at the middle eastern soldiers. Mirage continues.

MIRAGE (con't)
There, right there! Your government TEACHES
those soldiers every day that THESE people are
their enemy. That they are heartless monsters
all fighting for the soul purpose of destroying
your nation! Your government teaches those
soldiers each day to show no mercy, to not learn
to understand your enemy, that these people are
just standing in the way of freedom and decency.
And soldiers EVERYWHERE eat that story up as if
it were Creme Brulee'. THAT is what I consider
to be the dillusional masses that I must free
from a world of deceit. Because in the end-

The setting returns back to the data sector. Snake lowers his gun.

MIRAGE (con't)
-Soldiers truly don't have a cause to fight.
They must be given a cause by the nation, and
they must die for that cause which isn't even
theirs.

SNAKE
You're full of yourself.

MIRAGE
Excuse me?

SNAKE
We aren't forced to fight, we fight because we
have our own reasons to fight. You think you're
fighting to free those soldiers? What the hell
makes you in such a position to do so? You're
nothing but a freak terrorist, given whatever
powers Brimstone has given you, that's all you'll
EVER be!

Mirage begins laughing even harder.

MIRAGE
(Amused tone)
Terrorist?! Hahaha! Ohhh Snake, my dear Snake,
you entertain me...what makes you any better then
me? What makes you any better then those dillusional
soldiers? Because you have a CAUSE?! Ha! And what
cause may that be? The cause of Foxhound? Or the
cause of that weasel of a president, Gordan?

SNAKE
I fight for the good of the nation. I don't give a
damn about my government. I fight because there's no
one else who can stop people like you from bringing
terror into the hearts of the nation. I don't fight
for my government. In my time with Philantropy,
every time I had come across another Metal Gear
prototype, I would always recall the threats the
previous Metal Gears' once posed, and always questioned
whether or not the Metal Gears I was stopping could be
an even greater threat then the previous, then I'd
destroy it before I could find out. THAT is
MY cause.

MIRAGE
And you're so dillusional that you believe your
comrades have the same cause as yourself?

SNAKE
It doesn't matter, I fight alone anyway.

MIRAGE
Snake, you have to realize something...you are
fighting alone in EVERY sense of the word. Your
comrades will NEVER share the same morals as you.
You're a dying breed Snake, you're kind is drowning
in time while the rest of the world floats above you
continuing to thrive in its' own deception, while you
sink even further. The world you hope to create is
nothing more then a hopeful illusion, Snake-

Mirage holds his hands out once again. Their setting turns to an outer area in the middle of a battlefield, the sky is jet black, bodies lie in the dirt and fire surrounds them both.

MIRAGE (con't)
-THIS is the real world! One of destruction,
deception, illusions, mirages! Nothing is real
anymore! We can trust no one! We must fight everyone!
Our enemy is a faceless one which we know NOTHING about!
Snake, YOUR world no longer exists! It is a fantasy...
which you will never be able to turn into reality.
Snake...if you want reality, then look around you,
THIS is reality...THIS is where men like us belong...

SNAKE
No, you and I shall NEVER belong in the same world.
And if you think you can stop me then YOU'RE the
only one living in a world of illusions!

MIRAGE
Is that so?

Mirage holds his hands out, three daggers appear in between both of Mirage's hands. The settings are once again back to normal. Snake grabs his gun firmly and lifts it higher.

MIRAGE (con't)
We'll see who's world is reality and who's world
is an illusion then, won't we?

The five lights in Mirage's helmet glow even brighter. He crosses both arms together and flexes back. Several mirror images of Mirage surround the entire data sector.



*If you're wondering what Mirage looks like, this picture should help:*

Awesome work dude. The picture you've drawn is incredibly detailed, and really gives me a mental image of what Mirage looks like. This chapter was incredible. It really gives me a sense that both men believe they're fighting for good, due to different points of view. I'll be looking forward to reading chapter seven, and the ultimate fight.

So far I've only managed to read the first bit. I like the premise so far, a very interesting setting for a MGS setting.

I think it is actually quite a bit like a MGS story, especially if you use your imagination a little when playing those scenes in your head.

wow dude, this story is awesome!!! if it was ever to become a boxoffice movie, or even just a fan made movie i would definately be up for a copy, hell i would even apply for a role!!! :violent:

Thanks folks, glad you like it. And now we head onto chapter seven, the next boss fight; Mirage. Be sure to download the boss theme. And onto Second Skin we go.

Chapter Seven: Lost In Illusions

[Boss] - Mirage


Snake looks around him. Six Mirage images circle him, all six toss a hand of three daggers at Snake. Snake drops to the ground as all the daggers fly right above his head. Mirage laughs.

Snake rises to his feet and sees Mirage standing in front of him and shoots him in the head. Mirage vanishes.

MIRAGE (O.S)
What's the matter Snake? I'm
over here!

Snake turns around, three images of Mirage, toss their daggers at Snake once more, Snake shields his head with his wrists as the daggers smack right into his armor plated wrists and fall to the ground. Snake looks down and sees only three daggers on the ground, facing the south west. Snake looks up and sees Mirage tossing another set of daggers, Snake rolls under the daggers and lands on one knee. He points his gun forward and fires. Mirage stumbles back and grunts in pain as the bullet makes contact with his chest. The lights on his helmet grow bright.

MIRAGE
Let's step it up a notch!

The entire sector catches fire. Snake, startled, steps back from the roaring fire. Mirage appears before Snake and attempts to stab Snake. Snake jumps back and throws his fist at Mirage's face. It goes clear through his face as Mirage fades away. The real Mirage snatches Snake from behind and grabs him in a sleeper hold with his left arm and reaches for one of his daggers with his right arm. He pulls one over Snake's chest and strikes down. Snake holds Mirage's right wrist back, struggling to hold him back.

Snake grabs Mirage's right wrist with his left hand and with his right arm elbows Mirage in the side, breaking his grip over Snake. Snake turns around and punches Mirage in the face, knocking him to the ground. Mirage rolls back as Snake pulls his Socom up towards Mirage, but Mirage's hands grow bright white as he holds them up as Snake points his gun at him. Fire rises up viciously between Snake and Mirage. Mirage rises to his feet and steps away.

Snake walks through the fire and looks to his right and left, Mirage is gone. Snake then walks towards a computer terminal to his left, Mirage jumps from behind the terminal and tosses three daggers at Snake. As the daggers fly towards Snake, he pulls his wrist up to stop them. Two of the daggers are deflected off of Snake's wrists, but the last dagger misses Snake's wrist and skids across Snake's right cheek, slitting it. Snake looks to his right cheek and places his left hand over his cheek and pulls his palm down as Snake looks at the blood in the center of his palm. He nods and grabs his Socom with both hands and runs forward toward Mirage.

Snake runs past the computer terminal. Two copies of Mirage side flip from the left and right hand side of the center terminal. While in the air, both copies toss six daggers each at Snake. Snake rolls to the right as six daggers pierce the terminal. The computers spark out electricity as the daggers pierce their screens.

Mirage stands alone walking towards the destroyed terminal, carrying a single dagger. He spots Snake on one knee rising to his feet.

MIRAGE
Okay, show me just how real a
warrior you are, Snake.

Mirage approaches Snake, a single larger dagger in his right hand. Snake raises his socom pointing it higher at Mirage. Mirage tosses a second dagger from his left blade first to the floor in front of Snake. The dagger explodes in a blast of light. Snake covers his eyes and slowly opens them as the light dies down. A grey dagger is thrown into Snake's thigh, piercing his armor, dropping him to one knee as he growls in pain.

Snake looks up and sees six copies of Mirage standing in a circle around Snake. They all charge toward Snake. Snake fires at the copy in front of him and it fades away. Mirage comes from the side and strikes his dagger down at Snake. Snake catches his arm and tosses him back. Mirage rolls backwards, rolling back to his feet. He runs at Snake again and throws a slice at Snake's neck. Snake bends back, dodging the attack as Mirage draws a second dagger from his left hand and strikes it at Snake once again. Snake blocks it with his left wrist and tosses his arm aside with his right arm and kicks Mirage in the back of his right knee, dropping him down to one knee and kicks him again in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Snake immediately draws his gun and shoots Mirage. Mirage grunts in pain, as sparks shoot out of Mirage's body. He growls angrily and throws three more heavier daggers at Snake. Snake rolls to the left. As he lands on one knee, he growls in pain from the dagger in his thigh and falls back down on his back. Snake pulls it out of his thigh. Snake looks up and slowly rises to his feet. Mirage stands right ahead of Snake arms folded, with a dagger sticking out of both of his hands. He releases his arms and prepares to throw his daggers at Snake. Snake immediately draws his socom and shoots Mirage in the head. He vanishes.

MIRAGE (O.S)
What are you shooting at Snake?
I'm over here!

Mirage appears from Snake's left and throws both hands forward, releasing six denser daggers Snakes' way. Snake turns to Mirage and draws his socom up and shoots five of the daggers as the sixth one nails Snake in his munitions' vest, knocking Snake back as the dagger drops to the floor. Snake breaths heavily and grits his teeth angrily. Mirage appears before him as he looks up and tosses another set of daggers, but as Snake prepares to fire, he turns and sees Mirage standing up from behind a computer terminal preparing to toss his daggers. Snake immediately turns and before Mirage can raise his hand to toss his daggers, Snake fires a single bullet directly into the center light of Mirage's helmet. Mirage screams loudly and clutches his face, stumbling backwards as his suit begins to release sparks of electricity.

Snake steps back as Mirage continues screaming. Mirage clutches his head and sways around madly as his body begins to glow white. He growls in pain and stops as his body suddenly goes limp. Mirage's upper half slouches down as if he were touching his toes. He slowly lifts his head and stares at Snake. Sparks shoot out from his arms and legs causing him twitch greatly. He jerks violently as the other lights on the front of his helmet shatter to pieces one by one. As all four shatter, his head begins to spark electricity.

MIRAGE
(Pained tone)
No....NO!

He clutches his face swaying around viciously before flexing both his arms out and screaming at the top of his lungs. His helmet and hands glow white as they release a massive charge of electricity through the entire sector. Snake ducks down as electricity passes him and blasts through each one of the computer terminals, shattering the screens and setting them afire.

The entire sector begins to catch fire. The loud beep noise rings out. The red lights on both the entrance and exit blast doors go green as they both open. Snake stares back at the exit door and back at Mirage. He stands motionless as his suit slowly catches fire. Fire slowly consumes Mirage's torn up sparking suit. He tilts his smoking fire covered head down at Snake almost lifelessly. Snake draws his Socom and points it at Mirage.

MIRAGE
Ss...Snake....your world...your liberation...
will not come from this facility....nor anywhere
else! Your life...your mission...your duty as a
soldier....it is all an illusion!

Snake lowers his Socom and stares sternly at Mirage.

MIRAGE (con't)
You cannot liberate this world...because it will forever
remain divided....the conflicts and wars you face...
they are eternal...and these battles separate us
further....a higher power must end battle in order
to liberate the world....not the power of a soldier...
but as a hero....Snake...you must release your own
charades and decide once and for all whether or not
you are a soldier...or a hero...a man with a mission...
or a killer following his orders....only then will
you break into reality.......your answer resides
past that door....only then will you learn that
if you plan to liberate this world....you must first...
liberate yourself......

Fire consumes Mirage's body as his flame covered body falls to his knees, and down on the floor flat on his face with a loud thud. Snake stares down at Mirage curiously...and exits through the now open blast door.

will this have an apperence from :ocelot: ? i mean wats a MGS story without him?

or is that top secret story info???? :blink:

The official story if you read the first chapter, Snake caught up to him and killed him and Liquid, so there's a sense of lack of dependency on Snake's part to have to be the hero. But now he faces a threat even deadlier then before you'll soon learn why. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming up soon today.

But I can't reveal anything of that nature I'm afraid, so stick to what you read in the script. We're already on the next boss, codenamed Gloom, coming up soon. *Again, Titan, Mirage and Gloom are one trick ponies, the lasting bosses are Bombshell, Vertigo, and Scorpion. :thumb:

Guys, I'm deeply sorry for not getting back to you, I'll try and post the next chapter sometime today, but I've been VERY busy with Dementium Effect. I promise the next chapter'll be up soon, so stay tuned. :thumb:

Now THIS has been a while as well, since I'm ahead with DE, I also wanted to make sure Second Skin wasn't forgotten. I actually should've posted this chapter earlier, it's a MAJOR turning point in Second Skin, one which people who viewed the first draft don't know either.

Chapter Eight: Sea of Darkness

INT. TESTING CENTER - SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Blast doors open as Snake enters the testing center. A bright room illuminated by white lights. The walls, ceiling and floor are painted white. The entire center is empty, suddenly the lights die out. The entire center darkens. Snake's codec rings. He bends down on one knee and presses his earlobe.

OTACON (V.O)
Snake, I found the files on the Phoenix members
you mentioned earlier.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
A little late but better then never I guess.

OTACON (V.O)
Hmm?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I had a run in with Mirage just now, so
I can already guess what's in his file,
but nevermind, just go on.

OTACON (V.O)
Guess that leaves Gloom. His file is very
mysterious, he doesn't seem like the kind
to go rouge at all.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What do you mean?

OTACON (V.O)
He's a victim of stock hold syndrome. He became mentally
disturbed suffering severe trama in his time with
Spec. Ops. His reports indicated that his entire
team was wiped out by guerilla forces, he was taken
prisoner by Ugandan guerillas, who then tortured him
and his comrades for six months before he was ever
rescued. After he returned, he left the Special Ops
unit and suffered from severe depression and hysteria.
He was kept under watch due to possibility of suicide,
but get this, instead of killing himself, he joined
...get this, Foxhound.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What...?!

OTACON (V.O)
His former codename was Frowning Owl. He specialized in
infiltration and rescue missions before he too, was pronounced
dead by command.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
He was declared killed in action too....?

OTACON (V.O)
It's so strange, because he was reported killed in a
rescue mission two years ago in-

CAMPBELL (V.O)
(Cutting in)
What...?! That doesn't make sense then, why would
their files still have then reportedly dead if they
were test subjects to Project Brimstone?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Roy, this isn't right. Smiling Jackal, Frowning Owl,
and Oblivion Scorpion, they're all members of Foxhound?
Who's to say the others aren't former Foxhound agents
either? More importantly, why have their files been
so covered up by the records? What is AF19 hiding?

PERCELL (V.O)
You're getting ahead of yourself again Snake. We
can figure these questions out AFTER the mission,
do you understand?

Snake mutters a few curious words under his breath.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
I want answers, they can't wait, and I won't
wait on them, so no, I don't understand.

PERCELL (V.O)
Well deal with it, you still have a mission to
accomplish.

SILVERMAN (V.O)
(Cutting in)
I'm afraid he's right, Snake, the threat still
exists, and we already know that Phoenix is up
to no good, we can't afford to find up just how
deadly they will turn out to be.

Snake is silent staring down at the ground with an irritated expression on his face.

Static builds up over Snake’s codec. Snake jerks his head back slightly, and presses on his earlobe once again. Nothing.

INT. ECHOSYMTH JET HANGER – CONTROL STATION

Scorpion approaches the main control hanger and inserts an Echosymth key card into the security panel. Access color turns from red to green. A touch screen monitor arises from the center counsel of the control terminal. Scorpion presses a button to the side of the monitor.

INT. ECHOSYMTH JET HANGER

The hanger rooftop opens wide open, revealing the night sky.

INT. ECHOSYMTH JET HANGER – CONTROL STATION

Scorpion draws his radio from his waist to his mouth.

SCORPION
(Into radio)
Awaiting your order sir.

OLD MAN (V.O)
(Disorted tone)
Activate it.

Scorpion reholsters his radio and presses the number panel on the touchscreen.

The entire station begins to shake.

INT. ECHOSYMTH JET HANGER

The metal hatch floor splits open, revealing a large platform arising to the surface, carrying on it a massive war machine of a jet arises to the surface, carrying a massive rail gun fitted with Electro Magnetic Generators pulsing out energy on its’ back. This is METAL GEAR PHOENIX.

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB - INDIAN OCEAN

Campbell stands along with his staff in the command center.

CAMPBELL
Did we run a dead line?

STAFF MEMBER ONE
No commander, something’s jamming Snake’s
Signal.

Percell’s codec goes off, he looks around and moves aside.

PERCELL
(Into codec)
What’s going on? The attack wasn’t
supposed to be so early in the mission.

SCORPION (V.O)
Plans change, I’m sure you’ll understand.

PERCELL
(Looks aside)
Dammit
(Back into codec)
Fine, give me a few minutes, I need to
evacuate in the mini sub first.

SCORPION (V.O)
You have two minutes.

Scorpion hangs up his codec line. Percell looks around, in a frustrated manner and approaches Silverman.

PERCELL
We need to leave now.

SILVERMAN
Why?

PERCELL
Just come with me.

SILVERMAN
What’s going on, Drake?

PERCELL
Brent, I'm not in the mood to play games
with you, now, come with me now, or you
know what will happen...

An angry expression grows over Silverman’s face as he starts to sweat. He looks around and walks with Percell.

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB - MINI SUB HANGER

Percell activates the flood gates as they both enter the mini sub.

INT. MINI SUB

Percell mans the controls and takes off, shooting out of the Foxhound command sub. Silverman looks around curiously, Percell gets back on his codec.

PERCELL
(Into codec)
You’re clear, but first, remove the
Network jammer, you won’t need it anymore,

INT. TESTING CENTER – SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Snake regains a signal as his codec begins hissing, causing him to jerk back, gritting his teeth. Signal returns as Snake re-connects to a new line.

SNAKE
(curious tone into codec)
Otacon?

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Snake? What’s going on?

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Campbell? Where’s Otacon? I was just-

SCORPION (V.O)
Hello, old friend....

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What the hell…? Scorpion?

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Scorpion?!

SCORPION (V.O)
Hello Roy, hello Snake...I'm glad to see you
both remember an old friend...how's long has
it been since we last spoke, Roy? Couldn't have
been more then 12 years ago, right? If I recall,
our last little chat. Of course, that was BEFORE
the Syrians caught me, right? Ohh...I just love
our code of honor, if you are captured, we deny
any involvement with you. If you are caught fighting
for our own cause, we erase you from existence,
you become a lost number...well frankly, I don't
feel very lost anymore.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
You knew the code long before you were captured,
those men running that POW weren't just run of the
gun soldiers, they were part of Syria's grand guard.
Their actions were approved by their country, and
infiltrating their base would've resulted in an international
incident! You know this better then most!

SCORPION (V.O)
I know a broken code, that doesn't mean I approve of
it. See, now....now I have my own code, Snake, you'll
want to hear this one. "Hit them where it hurts..."

SNAKE
(Into codec)
You knew a thing or two about hurting people, didn't
you? Almost half the prisoners you interrogated died
from the pain you inflicted on them.

SCORPION (V.O)
And yet, our superiors didn't seem to mind, much, did
they, Snake? They knew it was necessary because I
am a man who knows how to break people...once you
can hit someone where it hurts most, you have already
broken them to pieces...just like you, Snake....soon you'll
see what it feels like to lose what matters to you, and soon
you'll be no different then the men I captured and interrogated.

SNAKE
(Into codec)
Really...? How so?

The entire base shakes rapidly. Snake falls backwards, his codec still functional. The sound of a loud beam fires.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
What the…?!
(A loud explosion occurs)
What was that?!!

A concerned expression grows over Snake's face.

SCORPION (V.O)
That's how...

EXT. INDIAN OCEAN – NIGHT

A submarine emerges from the depths of the ocean, in wrecks, above it flies Metal Gear Phoenix, EM generators still pulsing as the rail cannon aims down at the sub once more.

INT. FOXHOUND COMMAND SUB

Red lights flash, the site is that of chaos, staff and agents run around attempting to flee with their lives. Campbell runs towards the main radar, and switches monitors, revealing Metal Gear Phoenix menacing over their sub like a vulture on dead meat.

Campbell is speechless.

INT. SCIENCE DEPARTMENT – TESTING CENTER

Snake rises to his feet, one finger in his ear pressing for his codec.

CAMPBELL (V.O)
Metal Gear….

SNAKE
(Into codec)
What?! Roy! What’s going on?!

A loud final beam rings out from Campbell’s line, followed by an ear deafening explosion, Snake’s jaw opens slightly.

SNAKE
(frantic in codec)
No…Campbell…answer me! Roy!!
ROY!!!

SCORPION (V.O)
Consider this our message to you. You
Aren’t going to win Snake, so just give up
Now or I will personally reunite you with your
Friends over there, understand me?

INT. INDIAN OCEAN – MINI SUB

The impact of the Foxhound sub exploding releases a massive wave within the ocean, hitting the mini sub Percell and Silverman reside in, spinning their sub around so that they can view the carnage from the front window. Silverman stares at the wreckage sub in pieces as it slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean jaw wide open in disbelief. He immediately turns to Percell who doesn’t seem the least bit saddened.

SILEVRMAN
(shouting)
You son of a bitch! What did you do?!
The Commander! The agents! All of people!
What the hell have you done?!!

PERCELL
All part of the plan I’m afraid…

SILVERMAN
You NEVER said anything about this!
How could you…?!!

PERCELL
I’m not the one whom activated Phoenix,
Brent, talk to Scorpion about-

SILVERMAN
The hell with you! My God…all those people…
All dead because of you!!

Percell turns to Silverman and smirks.

PERCELL
Enlighten me, what do you intend on doing
about it? You going to tell Snake? Or
warn him about what we’ve done?
One idiotic move on your part, and your
son dies, do you understand me? We
do what is necessary to maintain balance,
should a few worthless lives be lost to
my cause, then so be it. Because remember,
Brent, no matter how much you fight it,
our cause, is your cause now. Now, shall
we go help out our dear friend Snake?

Silverman stares at the wreckage one final time before the sub turns and heads towards EchoSymth.

SILVERMAN
I’m sorry Campbell…

INT. SCIENCE DEPARTMENT – TESTING CENTER

Snake lowers his head, eyes closed saddened and angry and tightens his fists. The room suddenly begins to turn gray. Smoke begins to arise to the surface of the sector, Snake doesn’t even seem to notice. Snake opens his eyes and sees the smoke. Snake, enraged, grabs his socom and points it forward, shooting furiously.

LOW VOICE (O.S)
You feel it too, do you not? The anger
And sorrow that comes with battle...it
Is a price we all pay, the price this
Nation pays, so that war can go on. Is
It right? No, but it is a part of war,
Casualties, death, sadness, it is a price
We must all pay.

Snake moves in closer within the smoke, one arm pointed forward with his gun, and the other waving the smoke aside.

LOW VOICE (O.S)
But we don’t truly realize that it is real,
Until it affects us personally. I’m sure you’ve
Been dealt more death then I can imagine, as is
The cost of being a hero..villains want to make
You pay. However….can you say you are any better
Then the men you kill? You are as big a death dealer
As anyone here. As much so as Scorpion, all of
Phoenix…or myself….my past has offered me nothing more
Then sadness and hatred…my present leaves me with
Nothing but death….my entire life is truly gloom…
And my actions of crime and terror, were all of my
Own doing, and I must live with them for as long as I
Shall live…but if I can put an end to a major death
Dealers’ life such as yourself, m