Disclaimer: I don't own any version of GI Joe. I do however, own several fine action figures and my Lifeline figure is shelf mates with Dr. "Bones" McCoy, Thor, and Beach Head. Between Bones and Thor, it's a booze fest every night. Lifeline and Beach Head disapprove.
Note: Pit Life Deux is a bit of a companion piece to Pit Life, which I have every intention of updating. This is mostly a dumping ground for scenes that don't fit into any fic I'm working on, but show a snapshot of Joe Life. Sometimes the chapters may intersect with the other Pit Life, but you don't need to read one to get the other collection of stories.
Pit Life Deux
Chapter 1: And a ninja joins the Pit (otherwise known as Storm Shadow's first days in the Pit)
Clutch and Rock N Roll
"So…what do you want to do?" Clutch asked. His buddy, Rock N Roll, shrugged uncomfortably. The two men were currently lounging on a couple of crates in the motor pool. The blonde Joe swished around the contents of a Mountain Dew.
"I mean…yeah…he was Cobra…but Hawk says he was under the influence of the Brainwave Scanner most of the time…" Clutch added uncertainly. The mechanic fidgeted a moment before standing up to pace around the crates. He paused next to his "desk," which was really just a folding table that was currently littered with papers, tools, empty soda cans, and a few stray, gum wrappers.
Clutch absentmindedly swatted at an empty soda can.
"Mindbender was the one who used it on him, not Zarana, right?" The other Joe finally asked quietly. "I mean, when Zarana used it on us, it was bad enough…but Mindbender…" Rock N Roll trailed off.
Clutch kicked a trashcan. It flew across the space and collided with a pile of tires. Trash spilled out onto the floor.
"Yeah…" he mumbled. The mechanic didn't look at his friend, but he knew they were thinking the same thing. Of all the Joes in the Pit, only three had experienced brainwashing from the Brainwave Scanner: Storm Shadow, Rock N Roll, and himself.
Granted, Snake Eyes had experienced the machine as well, but Mindbender hadn't actually attempted to brainwash him. It had only been used as an interrogation tool at that time. Zarana was the one who had changed all that.
Clutch vented his frustration by kicking the trashcan again. The cheap metal compacted inward from the force of his boot. A large dent now marred the little trashcan. He pretended that the trashcan was Zarana's face and stomped on it again.
"So…what do we do?" Rock N Roll ventured to ask, repeating Clutch's question from a few minutes ago. An awkward silence greeted him. The other Joe finally shrugged uncomfortably.
"I dunno…" Clutch answered honestly. They were still suspicious of Storm Shadow…but yet…the Brainwave Scanner…
Neither of the two Joes were idiots. As awful as Zarana's torments had been, she had been largely ignorant of how the Brainwave Scanner worked. It had also been a onetime incident when she had brainwashed them. If Hawk and Psyche Out were to be believed, Storm Shadow had experienced years of brainwashing under the machine…and Mindbender had known exactly what he had been doing.
Clutch didn't even want to imagine how much that had fucked with the ninja's mind. He still didn't entirely trust his own memories and neither did Rock N Roll. Zarana had manipulated certain memories and destroyed others.
Both of them still had nightmares about it.
"I guess…we should give him the benefit of the doubt?" Rock N Roll finally suggested. "I mean…we don't have to be friends with him or anything…but he's our teammate now…and if he was brainwashed, it wasn't exactly his fault."
"The others don't see it that way," Clutch replied dully. There were many who still doubted that the ninja had been brainwashed, while others pointed out that Clutch and Rock N Roll had both been brainwashed by the same machine and that they had both managed to shake it off at the last moment.
"They don't have a fucking clue," Rock N Roll retorted savagely. He'd heard the same doubts voiced as well. "We almost didn't…we were going to kill those kids…and Zarana hadn't exactly known how that thing worked and Mindbender did…and Storm Shadow was a prisoner for years…" he stopped rambling and looked up at his teammate. The mechanic was still standing silently near the destroyed trashcan.
"…Yeah…" Clutch answered quietly. The two men looked at each other silently for a long moment and came to a silent agreement.
"Where do you think he is?" Rock N Roll asked.
"The dojo?"
Storm Shadow was in fact in the dojo when the two Joes tracked him down. They loitered uncertainly near the entrance. The ninja in question was meditating on the opposite end of the room, with his back to both men. Rock N Roll and Clutch looked at each other.
"Maybe…we should talk to him later?" Rock N Roll whispered. "I'd hate to bother him…"
"He's supposed to have good hearing," Clutch pointed out. "He can probably hear us."
"Yeah, but…"
"Suck it up," the mechanic told him under his breath. "We're here for a reason." He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. Clutch was a brave man, but Storm Shadow was still an unknown and dangerous factor. After a few more seconds of collecting himself, the mechanic plastered a grin on his face.
"Yo Stormy!" Clutch shouted. He was quite the expert at false bravado. Rock N Roll groaned and slapped a hand to his face. The other Joe ignored him and waved across the room at the ninja.
Storm Shadow, for his part, had twisted his torso around and now stared back at the other two Joes. He had of course heard the men approach, but had ignored them. Clutch's friendly shout had shocked him so much that his concentration had immediately melted away.
Well…his meditation would have to wait then. Curiosity burning now, the ninja master rolled to his feet and walked over to other two men. He saw Clutch stiffen a moment, as if steeling himself. The mechanic relaxed a moment later and began to walk nonchalantly in his direction. A more reserved Rock N Roll followed on his heels.
"Can I…help you?" Storm Shadow asked with practiced calmness. Underneath the feigned unconcern, he was still confused. Save close friends like Stalker and Snake Eyes, most of the Joes had been anything but friendly. Granted, most of them weren't openly hostile…but that was because of orders from Hawk and Duke.
"Just wanted to say hi," Clutch shrugged. "We can do that, right?"
"Uh…" This time Storm Shadow didn't have a ready response.
"That is…well…we just wanted to formally welcome you to the Pit," Rock N Roll blurted out, jumping suddenly into the conversation. The blonde Joe shoved a hand forward and the ninja hesitated a moment before shaking it.
"…Thank you," Storm Shadow said, still trying to figure out what was going on. Old instincts were screaming at him, warning him that this was just a trick. After years in Cobra, it was a difficult task to not be suspicious of every action his teammates made.
"Well…he can be civilized," Clutch joked. "That's more than you can say for us at least." Rock N Roll grinned as well. Both men were emboldened by the fact that the ninja was not only being polite back…but actually seemed at a loss of what to do with them.
"I…uh…" Storm Shadow searched for a response and finally recovered himself. He made himself smile politely back. "I don't mean to sound rude…but…I wasn't exactly expecting you two…"
"Hey, I wouldn't expect me either," Clutch joked. "Or Rock N Roll. We don't exactly make a point of hanging out in the dojo."
"Yeah…not really our thing, you know?" Rock N Roll added. "I mean, we're not exactly martial arts experts…and there aren't any cute ladies…"
"Well…there's Jinx and Scarlett…" Clutch smirked back. "But we learned a long time ago that ogling them comes with a painful price."
"Imagine that," Storm Shadow smirked back. He didn't doubt that for a moment. That still didn't explain the two men's presence though, or their unexpected, friendly attitude towards him.
"Yeah, well…" Clutch shrugged again and then decided to change the conversation. The mechanic decided that it was best to just push through it and get it done with. He wasn't exactly one for tact anyway.
"Look…we've both been brainwashed by the Brainwave Scanner," Clutch said bluntly. He pointed a thumb first at himself and then at Rock N Roll. "Zarana did it to us..."
Silence fell suddenly in the dojo. Storm Shadow's smile had slipped and his face had settled into a stony expression. Clutch had seen the slight tremble in the ninja's hands at the mention of the Brainwave Scanner and had shut up because of it. He looked at Rock N Roll then. The blonde Joe shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his head.
"Look…" Rock N Roll said quietly, not quite looking at the ninja master in front of them. "Maybe we didn't have it as bad as you…but we know what it's like…to…have someone reach into your brain and rip things out…"
"Or change things," Clutch added. He swallowed a dry lump in his throat and made himself keep talking. "I mean...I…still have memories of being in the Crimson Guard that Zarana put there…Psyche Out's tried to help me get rid of them, but…"
"Same here," Rock N Roll said quietly. "I mean…I know they aren't real, but…I mean…"
Both men froze suddenly when they felt a hand suddenly resting on their shoulders. Storm Shadow immediately lifted his hands back off. He hadn't meant to actually touch the two men. The ninja had automatically reacted to their distress.
"You don't have to say anything else," the ninja told them. He believed them. Both men's heart rates had sped up. If that hadn't been enough of a clue, the bead of sweat now forming on Rock N Roll's temples and the slight shudder that Clutch had given at the mention of the Brainwave Scanner had only cemented it. Even now, memories of brainwashing still put them into a panic.
"So…um…" Clutch stuttered, trying to break the awkward silence. "Anyway…we just wanted to let you know that…we understand and…"
"We're playing poker tonight," Rock N Roll said, cutting off his friend. "In the rec room, if you're not busy." He half expected the ninja to say no. Instead, Storm Shadow gave him a faint smile.
"What time?"
"Huh?" Rock N Roll asked.
"What time is the game going to start?" the ninja asked.
"Oh…uh…usually around 20:00," the other man answered. "A couple of people might be late."
"I'll be there then, thanks," Storm Shadow told them. He felt a knot of tension begin to loosen up in his shoulders. A poker game wasn't much, but it was nice to actually be invited to something.
And hell…they actually understood. The ninja knew he should feel sick about that…what had been done to them was disgusting…but it also made him relieved. Storm Shadow didn't have to explain himself to Clutch or Rock N Roll. Their circumstances had been different, obviously. However, he wasn't going to pry and ask them. If they wanted to talk about it, fine. Chances were they didn't and Storm Shadow respected that.
"Great," Clutch replied. "See you later then." Both he and Rock N Roll waved at him and then turned to leave. Storm Shadow remained standing after they had walked out of the dojo. He stared silently after them and then returned to his meditation cushion.
It took several minutes of silent breathing before the Arashikage ninja felt himself begin to relax into the meditation. He wondered idly if he should suggest meditation to Clutch and Rock N Roll. They didn't seem to be the meditation types, but, well…Tommy wanted to help them.
One, two, three…
He counted his breathing and pushed away all other thoughts. He would deal with them later. Right now he just needed peace and quiet.
Meet the Medic
"I don't get the medic."
Two pairs of eyes looked up at the ninja master and then went unconcerned back to their original business. Stalker stuck a pen in his mouth as he mentally drafted a letter back to his mother while Snake Eyes sharpened a favorite knife against a whetstone.
"And nobody cares," Storm Shadow added dryly.
"Tommy…nobody gets the medic. I think Lifeline is the only one who gets Lifeline…and I'm not even completely positive on that," Stalker replied. He jotted a few lines down on a piece of paper and inspected them a moment before crossing out a few words. Storm Shadow noted with bemusement that he didn't even have to say which medic he was confused about. It was automatically assumed to be Lifeline.
"But a pacifist in GI Joe…" Tommy began.
*Everyone has already asked that,* Snake Eyes signed. *We don't get it either.*
"But he's friends with Beach Head, who's the most violent guy in the Pit…" Tommy interrupted.
"Yes?" Stalker grinned. "Don't forget the shoot me red, the Aikido black belt, the perfect marksmanship…"
"Wait…perfect marksmanship?" Tommy asked.
"Yep," the other ranger answered. "Perfect. It drove Lowlight nuts when he found out. Good luck getting the medic to pick up a gun though. He won't do it unless it's a tranq gun."
*Don't let him hit you with the tranq,* Snake Eyes signed. *If you escape the infirmary, he'll hunt you down with it. Well, sometimes he will.* To be honest, it was more a special occasion type thing...which usually involved rangers or ninjas.
"Oh yeah, it really pisses him off when you check yourself out of the infirmary early," Stalker said. He capped his pen and decided to finish working on the letter later. "He'll find a way to get you back too. Lifeline's passive aggressive like that."
Storm Shadow stared at his two friends silently for a moment. The wheels in his mind tried to process their responses, but they still failed to click into place.
"You're…talking about the pacifist, right? The one who won't do any harm?"
"Define harm," Stalker smirked. "Physical? No. Psychological harm? Well…."
*He has a box,* Snake Eyes signed. *He keeps special surprises in there for misbehaving patients.*
"The pacifist?" Storm Shadow repeated.
"Pacifist doesn't equal saint, Tommy," Stalker grinned. "Do you really think that a guy who made it onto the Joe team and hangs out with Beach Head is going to be Mr. Goody Two Shoes all the time?"
Tommy stared at the other man for a long moment and then felt a smirk tug at his lips. Of course Stalker was right. GI Joe was full of odd balls. Elite odd balls, yes, but still odd balls. Lifeline was just the one who stood out…literally…in bright red.
"Don't go bother the medic," Stalker sighed, seeing the change in expression. "He may be patching you up some day."
*No…I want to see it,* Snake Eyes signed.
"Stop encouraging him," Lonzo retorted. He wagged a finger at both ninja.
"Seriously…don't go out of your way just to mess with the medic. Especially you." The ranger pointed a finger at Storm Shadow. "You're still too new here and most of the Joes still don't trust you. If you go picking on the pacifist just to get a laugh, it's not going to sit well with the others."
"But other people do," Storm Shadow protested. "Just look at the prank that Shipwreck pulled on him a few days ago."
*You're not Shipwreck,* Snake Eyes pointed out. The Silent Master had suddenly realized Stalker's concern. He knew full well that Storm Shadow wouldn't do anything to harm Lifeline and the medic could certainly hold his own. It would probably be a good lesson for Tommy to learn just how stubborn the pacifist could be. Still…it wouldn't look good to the other Joes. They might get defensive…
Still…Lifeline didn't need to coddled. If Tommy thought he was going to antagonize the medic and get away with it…well…he'd find out pretty quick what it felt like to get a vaccination needle stabbed into his ass.
*You know Lifeline can handle it,* the Silent Master signed to Stalker suddenly, changing his tune. Stalker narrowed his eyes slightly in the stern, disappointed look that he was such an expert at. The ranger shrugged his shoulders a moment later and sighed.
"Fine," Stalker said. "Do whatever you want." He shared a long, silent look with Snake Eyes before looking back up at the other ninja. Lonzo's lips quirked up into a grin and he winked at Storm Shadow.
"I hope you don't plan on sitting down anytime soon," Stalker added. Snake Eyes' shoulders shook slightly in silent laughter. Tommy stared suspiciously at both of them.
"Why?" he asked.
"Oh…no reason," Stalker smirked.
Two days later, Storm Shadow swore darkly as he hobbled out of the infirmary. It took great willpower not to rub the sore spot on his left butt cheek. Did the medic really have to stab him that hard?
And honestly…Tommy still didn't quite believe that he was out of date with his measles and rubella shot. He was also fairly certain that the measles and rubella shots went into the arm and not the ass.
Stupid medic.
Author's note: The idea for giving Lifeline natural marksmanship skills came from willwrite4fics.
I also wrote about Rock N Roll and Clutch's brainwashing experience in a separate story, which is entitled "Hi Mom, it's Lance."