Note: This is going to be violent. There are going to be broken bones, cracked ribs, bent tendons, hemorrhaged diaphragms, dislocated jaws, punctured lungs, sword cuts, sword fights, and incredibly deadly poisons. I do not own G.I. Joe.
Any Price
Chapter 4
"I've been waiting here for hours. How far away from the island did you jump out of that transport?"
Snake Eyes shifted onto his right foot, preparing himself for a battle, but his surprise showed.
"Don't act so surprised, Snake Eyes. I knew, all along. I planned on you doing exactly what you've done tonight, and you did not disappoint."
He clapped his hands a few times.
Snake Eyes backed up, moving towards Scarlet's unconscious form.
"If I were you, I wouldn't get much closer to her." Cobra Commander said, holding up his left hand, showing the remote clutched in his fist.
"Your lady there is connected to three IV drips. One is the standard nutrimental chemicals. The second contains a mild sedative, just enough to put her under or keep her from causing trouble if we ever needed to ask her questions. It is, however, weak enough that she'd regain consciousness but remain immobile if the dosage decreased. The final one contains, well, I guess you might call it something of an insurance policy against you. The final drip contains venom, from the Brazilian Wandering Spider to be exact. If a few centileters get into her blood stream, she'll die, slowly and painfully, as she gradually becomes paralyzed, as her lungs shut down, until finally her heart stops beating. Now, that is exactly what will happen if you move any closer to her, or if you attack me without hearing what I have to say."
Snake Eyes stopped moving, and sheathed his sword.
"There now, see how easy it is to be civil? Now, I have a proposition for you, Snake Eyes. You've done well, extremely well, to make it this far into the facility. You've demonstrated considerable initiative. Given that, by coming here, you have knowingly risked the possibility of a nuclear attack on a random continent, I can assume that you'll hardly be welcomed back to America or your unit with open arms. Considering this, I propose an alliance between my organization and yourself. An old friend of yours already operates in a similar manner. You know you've nowhere to go now. Not after what you've risked to get here. Join me, and all that you desire will be yours."
Snake Eyes turned, looked at Scarlet, then drew his sword, and faced Cobra Commander.
Cobra Commander's hand clicked on the buttons on the remote. Scarlet's eyes flickered open.
"Let her witness that I tried." Cobra Commander said, pulling his own sword from the scabbard on his belt.
Snake Eyes charged him, swinging his blade viciously at him. Cobra Commander caught the strike on the edge of his sword, and whirled around Snake Eyes, bringing his sword around in a wide, sweeping slash, leaving a deep cut on Snake Eyes' back.
"You Joes. For years, you've underestimated me. Always assuming that I have lacked the courage to face you man-to-man. I simply have a policy about getting my hands dirty directly. About actually fighting. I only fight someone when I really want to kill them myself, or if I expect they'll offer a reasonable challenge. You, Snake Eyes, fit both criteria."
With that, he thrust his sword at Snake Eyes with astonishing speed, slipping the blade underneath his guard and driving the point into his midsection. He quickly pulled it out, but not quick enough, as Snake Eyes swung at Cobra Commander's wrist. Turning his arm to catch the strike on the hilt of his sword, Cobra Commander realized too late that he had done just what Snake Eyes wanted him to do.
Snake Eyes' blade hit the hilt of Cobra Commander's sword and knocked the weapon out of his hand, sending it clear across the room. Snake Eyes followed up with a thrust aimed at Cobra Commander's throat, but the Commander simply sidestepped it, grabbed the blade, and pulled. Yanking Snake Eyes toward him, he delivered a fierce uppercut to Snake Eyes' jaw, followed by a haymaker to the side of his head, and a light kick to his diaphragm. Turning, Cobra Commander hurled the relinquished blade into the far wall, then turned to face Snake Eyes.
"Ahhh. Now things will get interesting. A pure, old-fashioned fist-fight. The way man was meant to battle."
Snake Eyes charged at Cobra Commander again, throwing a vicious jab at his head. The Commander ducked it, and responded with a powerful punch to Snake Eyes' ribs. He felt at least one crack under the impact of his fist.
Snake Eyes whirled away, spinning in a circle to come around and deliver a kick to Cobra Commander's neck.
Cobra Commander simply grabbed Snake Eyes' leg, then brought his elbow down just below the kneecap, onto the tendon, bending it out of place. Tossing the flopping appendage up, he twisted and kicked Snake Eyes in the chest, launching him into the wall behind him. Snake Eyes crumpled to the floor, grasping his leg.
'Don't tell me you're giving up already? That was nothing, Snake Eyes. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed. I expected more. Tell you what, I'll make this simple."
He pulled out the remote again.
"Hit me. Once. You have ten minutes. After that, the third drip opens."
Snake Eyes grabbed his lower leg, and yanked on it, popping the tendon back to its proper position.
He glanced at his sword, embedded in the far left wall. He reached behind, and brushed the grip of his pulse uzi. He looked at Scarlet, lying in the bed, eyes wide, immobilized by chemicals.
He ran to his sword, drawing his uzi from its holster as he ran. He threw it, high and long, then grabbed his sword, yanked it out of the wall, and hurled it in a sideways arc.
The sword spun as it flew across the room, slicing through the IV lines.
The uzi landed directly in Scarlet's right hand.
Snake Eyes leaped towards Cobra Commander, flipping in mid-air.
Scarlet leveled the sight of the uzi at Cobra Commander and pulled the trigger.
Pulse rounds slammed into Cobra Commander's torso, a few skidding off of his helmet. He bore the fire for about two seconds, when Snake Eyes dropped his heel on the back of Cobra Commander's neck.
Cobra Commander dropped to the ground.
Snake Eyes limped towards Scarlet.
"Is that you, Snake Eyes?" Scarlet asked.
He nodded.
She ran at him and threw her arms around him.
They held each other for s second, then Snake Eyes recoiled and dropped to his good knee as her hand brushed the wound on his back.
"Oh, I'm sorry.'
He shook his head.
"Shit. That looks bad. And I know that's not the worst thing he did. We need to get out of here, now. Come on.'
She reached down, grabbed his arm, and hauled him up.
Well. Even I didn't quite expect some of that. I always intended for CC to beat the crap out of Snake Eyes, but I think I might've gone a little overboard. I think the nice little hug between Scarlet and Snake Eyes makes up for it though. Be aware, this is not the last chapter. They still have to escape, and Snake Eyes is still gonna have some explaining to do when they get back to HQ. Also be aware that I'm in a summer camp for the rest of the week, so the next one will not be up( or probably even worked on) for a while.
