Halle sat in the hospital bed, furious that she turned her back at the wrong moment in an operation, and a bullet pierced her calf. Now she was in bed rest, and watched non-stop by devi- nurses. "Ms. Jackabae, you have visitors, a General Hawk," A nurse announced, and a man accompanied with a man and a woman.

"Corporal Jackabae, I have a proposition for you."

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"I know that your training is mainly in field work, and I've been well briefed on your resume. I've also heard of your smart mouthed repuataion."

"What are you playing at General, are you going to arrest me for something?"

"On the conturary, I want you to join a black ops team, a facility with the best specialists around the world, and I want to scout you. If you except that is," Hawk held out his hand, and Halle looked at it, before smirking and said, "Why not? When can I start?"
"As soon as your leg heals," Hawk said, and Halle shook his hand, before standing up.

"That means in two weeks Corporal," Hawk scolded, and Halle rolled her eyes, "It's a raptured tendon sir, in less than one day of cooling it and resting works, and so I can go since I've obviously done all that," Halle called at the nurses who waddled out saying, "Lies Miss Jackabae, lies."

Hawk shook his head, and said, "They gave the name Dragon Tongue to you on purpose didn't they?" He chuckled and walked out. Halle folded her arms, and muttered, "Fine, two weeks, how hard can it be?"

Two weeks later…

Halle bit back her words by the end. At the end of the first week, she told off the nurses and threw the food out the window, and to the begger on the street, who, in Halle's defence, was happy. By the second week, she threw the wheel chair at the nurse, and chased them out as soon as she was allowed walk around. Halle grabbed her clothes that were sent from her apartment, and changed into the ripped jeans, black leather jacket with three tan leather strips around her biceps and trims, a white tank top, combat boots, and her dog tags.

Halle walked out to see a blond man in uniform waiting for her, "Corporal," He said, before relaxing, and Halle shook his hand. "My friends call me Halle or Dragon. Don't ask, by the way, I need to swing by my apartment to pick up a few things."

"Okay, and call me Duke, Halle." Duke said, and Halle smiled at him, before looking for her motorcycle. Duke looked surprised, and she got on her Indian, and called, "Hop on soldier boy." Duke shrugged, and said, "We have to be at the air bay in less than an hour," He shouted as he held on. "You can grab my waist if you want, doesn't really matter, and no worries Duke, I know all the short cuts of San Francisco, and we'll be there soon."

Duke circled Halle's waist, who then sped through the city of San Francisco like she owned the place, before stopping at an apartment building in the center of the town. Cars buzzed past, and her sleeve tugged up, and Halle pulled it down.

Walking up to the door, Halle came up to the penthouse apartment, which Halle opened, and walked into her rooms. A kitchen, living room, and bedroom showed, with the bathroom slightly ajar. Large windows layered the entire side of the living room and kitchen, making the light come in. The view was incredible, going from the harbor, to the forests, to the city, to the beaches. It was like the center of a compass, and Halle tossed her coat on the coat rack, the place was clean, and a TV stood off to the sides.

Halle turned to face Duke, and said, "I gotta go pack, but make yourself comfortable, and I'll be out shortly."

Duke nodded, an picked up a remote, and was content watching the news. Halle quickly packed, and then cursed, Duke hadn't noticed her tattoo yet, a black dragon winding around her left arm, a momento of a life she once had. Halle stuffed everything into a duffle bag, and quickly zipped it up and shouldered it. She flipped her Chesnutt brown unruly pixie cut back, and walked out the bedroom door silently, and then slid on her jacket. She walked back to the door, opening it again, and making it creak.

Duke looked up, "Ready?" He asked, and Halle nodded, and Duke paused, "Didn't you take your jacket off?"

"Nah, I threw my keys over there see?" Duke shook his head, and said, "Sorry, I don't know why you thought that you tossed your jacket over."

"No worries, come on, we only have fifteen minutes till that chopper takes off." Duke muttered, "Oh crap," Before he and Halle sprinted out the door, taking less than seconds to lock the door. Then running down the stairs and to her motorcycle, Halle got on first and then Duke got on after her, and the motorcycle purred as it sped into the street. Halle weaved in and out traffic, with Duke's extra weight gave her extra drift, and she smiled at the wind whipping through her short hair. Halle sped into the airport with less than minutes, and she arrived at a parking garage, parking the car and sprinting toward the bay. Halle reached the bay within minutes, with Duke right on her heals, and saluted a dark skinned man, who responded with also a salute. "Corporal Jackabae, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," The man said in a heavy British accent. "Same sir, are we ready to leave?"
He nodded, and Halle smiled, "Great, let's go."

…

"So, this is the pit?" Halle asked as she climbed out of the strange aircraft. "Yes, welcome to GI Joe corporal," Hawk said, giving her a salute, and Halle had been distracted, and she nearly dropped her bag as she saluted back.

Halle walked down the steps and looked around the impressive facility, and Heavy Duty started to take Halle's bag. "I'm dropping it with the support team to take it to your room."

Halle nodded and let go of her bag, "So what's first?" she asked Hawk, who smiled and said, "Sparing, with Snake Eyes, good luck corporal."

Halle nodded though she felt panic inside in fear that he might recognise her. She followed Hawk, and was handed a helmet and chest plate. She slipped them on, but gave back the helmet, and a man said, "Your going to need that Corporal."

"I'll take my chances," Halle said, and she held the rod ready. She looked at the masked man she knew as a teen, and studied his motions, her training flowing back to her. He spoke for reasons he never told, and the cowl was something new. Suddenly he tested her, using a basic move to swipe her legs out from underneath her. Halle flipped backwards, and aimed for the back of his rib cage. The battle began, exchanging battle blows, and never seeming to daze one another, till Snake Eyes feihned one side, and then Halle left her sides guarded, and gave a spin kick toward Snake Eyes face, which he blocked. Halle sprung off of it, and dropped kicking the legs out from underneath him, but Snake Eyes grabbed her wrist, pulling her down, and they hit the floor at the same time.

Halle panted for breath, and saw Snake Eyes looking at her left, exposed forearm, which Halle quickly covered. The Joes cheered, and Halle started to get up, and Snake Eyes offered his left hand. Halle took her right hand, and let him help her up, before silently cursing herself for letting herself go so easily.

She exchanged a quick glance with Snake Eyes, and Hawk broke through the ranks of Joes, who had quieted.

"Corporal where did you learn to fight like that?" He asked, and Halle rubbed her sore neck, and said "Oh, I lived in the east for awhile, and I picked up some street fighting moves. I also watched a lot of fights, and I guess I picked up a few things," Halle lied, and Hawk nodded, clearly unconvinced. "Well come on now- I think you can move onto your next stage of testing."

Halle nodded, and removed the chest plate, and looked at Snake Eyes again, who had faded, and disappeared. Halle gave her chest plate to a man waiting, and followed Heavy Duty, who led her to a area that looked like a basic savilion building completely empty.

"So what's here?" Halle asked, and Heavy Duty tossed her a machiene gun. "We test your ability to shoot in a time limit. Try and kill as many holograms as you can in two minutes. You start now," Heavy Duty clicked a remote, and her gun activated. "Oh crap," She muttered and ran out into the center, and started to fire at the holograms that also started to fire at her. Halle killed three in one bullet, and then three others soon. She worked up a dried sweat again, and she rolled and shot the 18th just as the clock chimed.

"Halle stood up from her crouched position, and wiped the sweat off her brow, and the survey continued, till Halle finished and went to go shower. She showered quickly and she wrapped the towel around her, before looking at the black and red dragon on her forearm again. She sighed, and turned around to see Snake Eyes, and he grabbed her arm, looking at it and then back at her.

*I knew you were Dragon Tongue, and I'm warning you, do not hurt my friends*

"I don't know if you've noticed Snakes, but I gave up that life a long time ago, and I was twelve when I walked away. My father is dead, and nobody will come after me. I've changed Snakes, I really have, this is a burden that I have to carry. Don't start that I will hurt them, I don't want to even remember that training, but its forged into my instincts, just like this curse is into my skin." Snake Eyes seemed to glare at her underneath his mask, and Halle slipped her wrist from under his tight gaze.

"I'm not that thirteen year old teenager you met at a completion. I've changed, and so have you."

Snake Eyes looked at her, before disappearing into the mist again, leaving Halle alone. Halle shivered, and rewrapped her towel around her, before wheeling around and kicking the camera that Snake Eyes planted there. It feel to the ground, and Halle cursed, before limping into her room, and collapsing on the spot. Perhaps being part of the team was a mistake, Halle hadn't been trained so hard since her days…

*Flashback*

"You have the advantage Dragon Tongue, use it! The first true female apprentice lets weaklings off guard, and they shall hesitate, don't ever think not to use that!" Black Dragon shouted as she fought with a older student. She dropped, before flipping backwards, and then leaping at the student's head. She kicked at his head, and hit his shoulder. He grabbed her foot, and twisted it, before hanging her kicking in mid air. He dangled her above, and looked at Black Dragon, "Master, she does not belong here. She should know her place as serving tea, and keeping her sharp tongue shut."

"Perhaps Dead Claw, but Dragon Tongue may yet earn her place." Black Dragon said, and Dragon Tongue swung around, and hit Dead Claw in the small of his back, and he collapsed, and Dragon Tongue stood up, before Black Dragon grabbed her wrist. "I have every reason to kill you right now, but I know a place you hold in history. Making a mistake of missing a kick like that, disgraces the clan, for that is the move that creates our reputation. I know for a fact that you are weak, senseless, and naive, as are all women, but perhaps lashings shall clear your mind. You have made mistakes, and perhaps it was my mistake to take you under apprenticeship."

"But Sensei-,"

"You address me as Master, and after the poor performance, I will give you eight lashings. While you recover, perhaps you shall correct your mistakes."

"Yes master," Dragon Tongue whimpered, and let the others take her arms, and attach her to the board. She clenched her jaw as Black Dragon cracked the whip, before it struck her back. Tears seeped through her eyelids, and did the blood through the back of her tattered shirt.

*End of Flashback*

Halle rubbed her shoulders where the scars of her past still remained. She crawled into bed, feeling as though the lashings had happened again, and not all those years ago. She fell into a sleep, wanting nothing more to cry the tears that had seemed to dry from her eyes a long time ago.

so thats halle. if you've ever seen catwoman the movie, she looks like Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, with the short hair and tanned skin. so yeah, um just R&R, and enjoy the story