Normally, Grey Fox was far from claustrophobic but crawling through narrow tunnels for the past several hours were unsettling, but if the tunnels weren't bad enough but Grey Fox hated rats, she was scared to death of them. I can't stand rats! But I can't compromise mssion over a childish and irrational fear! She thought herself as she could feel a couple crawling over her, it made her skin crawl. I have to keep moving. Coming out on the other side of the tunnel, she lifted her NVGs noticing daylight streamed from gaps in the cave ceiling, she felt a refreshing breeze of fresh air against her face drying the sweat and grim on her face; her camo paint was streaked and faded from sweat.

Emerging from the tunnel she stood onto her feet to stretch her cramped muscles. Walking into the daylight creeping into the cavern she removed her rucksack and M-4 to sit against the right hand wall for a rest break.

Opening her pack, she pulled out a First Strike Ration to get something into her stomach while unscrewing her canteen. Thinking about her supplies, she was still unsure where her final objective is she might start enjoying a diet of snakes and other indigenous wildlife.

"Grey Fox come in." A voice spoke through her earpiece.

"Fox here," she answered in a weary and tired voice.

"Thank god," Hawk answered, "We hadn't heard from you from you in over 24 hours."

"I'm fine. Mission proceeding; heading north hopefully I'll get more intel."

"You don't sound fine."

"Well, I just spent a couple of charming hours crawling through tunnels with rats and just running only adrenaline." Fox quipped with sarcasm, "so I'm just peachy."

"Sylia…"

"I'm sorry, Clayton." Fox answered with a sigh, "You're too good a friend for me to be disrespectful."

"It's okay Sylia. Try to get some rest." Hawk said before signing off.

Grey Fox sighed in frustration as she lightly knocked her head against the cave wall. This was the first time she had ever mouthed off to Hawk; He was her friend and her commanding officer. Her thoughts took her back to a book she read on the 5370th Composite Unit otherwise known as 'Merrill's Marauders.' She read how the unit fought its way from Walawbum to Myitkyina along the way dealing with physical and mental exhaustion to the point they were nearly no longer combat capable, disease and still fought against the Japanese. As a Ranger she was a descendant of the Marauders what they went through was the basis of her training.

Taking the General's advice, she closed her eyes for a brief nap.

Cynthia entered the Commander's office with a cup of coffee in each hand. "Sir, your coffee." She said as she placed the cups on the desk. "Sir, security has been increaded as ordered. I'd requested additional FANG and Trubble Bubble units to deployed they should arrive from Solomon within the hour."

"Good." The Commander removed his helmet and faceplate before taking his coffee. "I've been giving more thought to our guest. If you were GI Joe, Cynthia, you had to send in one person, who would it be?"

"One person? Snake-Eyes. Recondo. Flint. Leatherneck. Wet Suit. It has to be someone who has jungle and mountain warfare training."

"Reasonable. But I have been making some discreet inquiries of my own." The Commander brought up the file of a dark haired woman with brown eyes in her early to mid 20s. She had an elegant beauty to her face. "Pretty girl, but doesn't look like a soldier."

"Yet, looks can be deceiving my dear." The Commander answered, "2nd Lt. Sylia Stingray of the 75th Ranger Regiment."

"She's a Ranger?!"

"Yes, quite decorated and highly trained for such a young woman."

"An obvious candidate for GI Joe."

"Perhaps but that's irrelevant. Least we know who were dealing with." Cobra Commander continued to study the intelligence on Sylia Stingray. If GI Joe sent this person in, it's an interesting move on their part; considering their roster. Also a bold move to send one person rather than a small unit to minimize their presence.

Closing the file, he turned to other matters; there were status reports on other operations such as Mindbender's experiments in developing psionic soldiers. Waste of money! The commander decided he wrote a very terse and blunt order killing the project. What next? Mutant produce? Recruiting the dead? Tribal monkeys worshipping a fallen satellite as a god? Such amusing bullshit! The Commander chuckled as he allowed his mind to dwell on such absurd thoughts for his own amusement. There was an E-mail from Berg Katse with a proposal for the creation of a transforming mecha called Mechanika. Reading the full proposal he found it more worthwhile than psionic soldiers.

Author's notes: I made some passing shots, through Cobra Commander, at some of the more absurd episodes of GI Joe such as Satellite Down, the Green House Effect, Operation: Mind Menace and the Phantom Brigade. While also making a reference to episode of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, episode 16: The Indestructible Machine Mechanika