Operation: Flanks for nothing.
At a Cobra safehouse, the Baroness has just contacted the Terror Drome. "I take it all hasss gone well with your mission, Baroness?" Cobra Commander asks, but she tilts her hand from side to side.
"Only partially, Commander; i vas able to confirm that the device is at MacGuffin labs, but i couldn't get close enough to take it." She reported.
"You damn useless...I cannot allow any opportunity to get back at G.I. Joe for the Vortexxx Cone and that antimatter stuff to pass me by, iss that clear?" He replied, feigning ignorance of what the latter is.
"Then what do you recommend, Cobra Commander?" Destro asked next, after which Major Bludd suggests a hit and run.
"Yesss, but how...I've got it; Scrap Iron, order the Garter Sssnakes to reconfigure some M939's to carry Firebats...and with an exxtra surprise incase the Joes foolishly attempt to intervene." Cobra Commander orders. "This will be our best plan yet; ssso glad i thought of it."
Around the same time, Mainframe is speaking with the man in the suit. "Future of power, huh; what...what kind?" He asks, still unable to stop staring at the object in front of him. "Photons, gamma rays?"
"Tempting, but no. You know of E.M.P.'s; well the B.E.T. is designed to do that in reverse."
"What-reverse? Is that even possible?" Sci-Fi asked.
"Based on Nikola Tesla's notes, it is in theory, but he could never prove it because money hates talent's guts." One worker says. "For now, though, the second step is the wiring and the programming, then comes the endurance testing, followed by..."
Elsewhere, Lady-Jaye is in an unusual situation. "Well this is a first." She thinks as she is being handed an engineer's uniform.
"I guess you're not so thrilled about this?" One of the base personnel asks her.
"I'm only being coerced to do "covert" surveillance by the people under said surveillance." She replies before she switches on a camera hidden in a pen and looks to a test monitor.
In another part of Area 51, Mainframe is in the van speaking with Breaker. "Joyrider one-niner to Roadhouse, acknowledge."
"Roadhouse here. Go ahead, Joyrider."
"We've made it to the lake, no leaks in the boat so far."
"Understood, Joyrider. Bring back a ton of 'em."
"Will do. Signing out." Mainframe replies, then turns off the console and leans back and runs hand down his face.
At Joe .H.Q., Cover Girl is giving an A.W.E. Striker an oil change when she hears someone. "How's it goin' dere, little lady?"
"Just dandy, 'Country." She tells him as she guides herself out and sits up.
"Well, it's 'bout tuh get better cause i jes' gots me my latest paycheck." He says while holding a letter.
"So you can finally get that tapedeck you've been after...way to go." She tells him while giving him a high-five just before Beachhead walked in.
"Tollbooth, front 'n centeh!"
"Be right there...Setting up or tearing down?" Tollbooth asked after climbing down from a W.H.A.L.E where Shipwreck was explaining that his newest girlfriend, after Mara's body was found near a toxic waste dumping site, only has the same first name as the engineer's wife.
"Settin' up; ah need a battle platform five minutes drive from MacGuffin labs 'n one platoon to man it. Any volunteers?"
A day later, Mainframe's team is working when they are called to the base commander's office. "You wanted to see us, sir?"
"I just got a call from Hawk, your mission here's been called off." The C.O. replied.
"It's what, why?" Mainframe asked.
"He says that an orphanage got burned down during a skirmish near some laboratory after a Firebat was brought down."
"Oh no; are they alright, how many were hurt?!" Lady-Jaye asks as she let out a gasp and leans toward him before apologizing and explaining a similar disaster a few years back.
The C.O. nods and continues. "According to him, none of the children or caretakers experienced anything more than some smoke inhalation and bruising; but 12 people at the lab were executed, and 1 enemy pilot shot himself to avoid capture. Hawk wants the three of you back to assist with repairs."
"Alright, thank you sir."
"Of course, all the film is already in your van...and tell Hawk he owes me again. He'll know what it means."
"Uh, right. Let's go, guys." Mainframe says, and as they are on their way, Sci-Fi speaks up.
"Well that was cool; or would be if we found out if they had a ufo here or not, that scheme Cobra pulled with the disguised airships had to be inspired somehow."
Hearing that makes Mainframe think back a half-dozen hours to when he in a restroom washing his hands alongside a random airman.
Flashback. "Man, i never thought I'd actually be here, must be so cool working on all that out of this world stuff...If what they say crashed in New Mexico is true, i mean...is it?"
"...You really want to know?"
"Huh, does that mean it is?"
"Let's just say if i did tell you, we could be the Green-shirt in the foxhole next to you, the local auto-mechanic, a waiter, or a mailman." End flashback.
"Nah, forget that, just buckle up." Mainframe replies, and motions for the M.A.S.S. device to send them on their way. Once they were gone, the airman he "spoke with" enters the C.O.'s office.
"Colonel Keller, R&D just finished designing the skin for the jet."
Chapter two. Read and review, please.