Six.
Every now and then, Yukinama would glance at the small monitor near her command chair to see what they Joes were doing--as if they could do anything. Sitting still in the holding chairs under the control of the Persuader ELF systems, their minds were somewhere else and out of Yukinama's hair.
But the occasional glance was necessary on her part, since enough had already occurred and she had no desire to make the situation even worse.
It was bad enough already.
"We've gone through this ship." Ms. Candy reported, "There's no doubt that Hydra's off it. But he did leave things to remember him by."
More bombs, more sabotage? Yukinama's mind raced over the possibilities of having more to major problems deal with now.
"Slaver Systems." Candy explained. "He managed to plant enough of the things throughout the ship to give us fits. Everyone of our systems will need to be checked over for eggs and cockroaches before we can use them."
Yukinama kept her outward cool while within the blow caused her no end of grief.
"And then there's the vehicles." Candy continued, quite a few show signs of—"
"Root it all out, Candy. Just root it all out." Yukinama tiredly told her. "Do your best."
Ms. Candy took that order to heart and left quickly, leaving Yukinama to glance again at the monitor in frustration at herself for allowing everything to go wrong.
Upon their arrival on Cobra Island, Wildman, Angel, and newly awakened General Colton had their first view of the Cobra Command Complex. It was grouping of several smaller Inca-style zygotes surrounding around a very massive pyramid, all in white ivory with a massive Cobra logo in deep red prominently mounted at it's top. The entire complex itself covered one square mile, giving a commanding view of the entire reconditioned island from its highest point.
"I've recently remodeled." Cobra Commander explained to them. "What do you think?"
Wildman and Angel said the usual nice things while Colton just glared as the Crimson Guardsmen prodded him along at the ends of their rifles.
"Yes, well, things have been rather hectic lately." Cobra Commander nonchalantly motioned. "And do excuse the mess, the remodeling isn't quite finished."
"After the UN finds out what's occurred, Commander, the Mess will be the least of your worries." Colton finally remarked, which earned him a very brutal shove from behind.
"The United Nations isn't at all on my mind at the moment." Cobra Commander curtly replied to Hawk. "In fact, your being here was quite accidental. Normally the Dreadnoks would have just killed you, but apparently they were merciful…I'll need to speak to Zartan about that after he wakes up."
The Commander stood in contemplation before Hawk, quietly considering things with a gloved hand near where his chin would be if not for the helmet.
"But, such opportunity cannot be merely wasted when it can be so beneficial to all concerned." And then he ordered the Guardsmen. "Take him to the Brainwave Scanner, and have the technicians ready him for a treatment."
As the Guardsmen moved to comply, Cobra Commander added to Colton, "It's certain to make a new man out of you."
"Charming." Colton frowned as the Guardsmen started leading him away.
Then Wildman stepped in. "May I have a few last words with him?"
"I'm not going to have him killed, Doctor." The Commander dryly replied. "I'm just going to change how he considers things."
"I'd like him to understand something." Wildman insisted. "It may make things a little easier."
Cobra Commander quietly considered the request, then motioned to the Guardsmen to halt. "Very well. " he said. "But keep it brief."
Wildman nodded his thanks to the Commander before stepping up to Colton, who regarded him with utmost contempt.
"I mean you no ill will, General." Wildman began, nervously rubbing his watch, "But after so many years of abuse, I've made up my mind to never allow myself to be caged up for others benefit—no matter the reason."
"You've just managed to contradict yourself, Doctor." Colton frowned.
Wildman was quiet for a few moments before replying in a reflective way, "Life is such, General."
Then he held out his hand to Colton.
"No hard feelings?" he said.
Colton had plenty at the moment, but was too decent of a man to lower himself for the entertainment of his enemies.
Especially now
"None." Colton said, giving Wildman a hard look when they shook hands.
And felt Wildman slip something from his hand to his, sliding it just under his wristwatch in moments.
Then Wildman smiled, releasing Colton's hand.
"I hope to see you soon, General." He told him.
The tour Cobra Commander gave them was quite extensive, centering on the main command sections of the Command Complex.
While Wildman took in every word with interest, Angel did her best not to appear bored. She even began considering that Cobra Commander was grossly over inflating the importance of all he talked about with Wildman, and was quite glad it was over and they were shown to their room by a Crimson Guardsman.
Cobra Commander, she firmly decided, was a bore. A big egotistical bore.
The apartment itself was furnished with only the basic needs in mind, though the furniture was better suited to a style some thirty years prior it was serviceable, what the placed needed was that 'personal touch'.
At least the bed in the bedroom was comfortable. Angel sat on it watching Wildman bring his single large duffle into the bedroom, and then proceed to take things from various hidden compartments inside the bag and lay them out on the bed.
Noticing this, doubt over the 'defection' started to grow, as did the number of questions she wanted to ask.
He was here for a purpose. What, Angel wondered, reflecting on the discussion in the elevator, found to be both vague and elusive.
"Mind if I ask you a question?" she asked.
Wildman, now putting the things into his jacket, still didn't acknowledge her.
She let the wave of sudden anger wash past without yielding to its urge to act.
"You know, I didn't take too kindly to being dragged into this." She directly told him.
He paused.
"I don't know what you're doing, but I will find out one way or another!" She continued. "So, would you mind telling me?"
Wildman stood there hunched over his things, first surprised, then frustrated.
"It's not going to be easy to explain," he told her, "You'd think me insane, if you aren't already thinking that. But then, showing you might drive you insane—especially if you took your remarks to me in the elevator seriously."
Angel gave him a sour look. "You're joking."
"I wish it was a joke." He frowned. "Then I could just kick back and laugh loudly about it with my friends over wine and tobacco—but it's not."
The irritation was there, really there. This wasn't acting at all, Angel realized.
"Due to my impatience, you're here. That's inexcusable, but unavoidable—I first thought you were the Cobra agent sent to get me, and couldn't let Zartan kill you or get mulched by the rest of the Dreadnoks." He continued. "And now on top of finding the survivors and keeping you safe, there's General Colton somewhere in this complex…I just hope he doesn't loose the tracker I slipped him."
"Murphy must love you." Angel chided, and immediately regretted it for Wildman suddenly snapped back.
"What I said to Colton when he visited me in the penthouse suite and what I told Cobra Commander on the way here are my true feelings!" he snapped. "You people only think of me as a possession with skills to be horded and locked away for your own special use, not caring at all that I am not much different that you with the same wants and needs. Oh no! I'm just something to use to fulfill your own ends, your own goals—caring less that I too suffer!
"My wife died, alone, all because some General just had to have his special 'toy' to give him the edge. I couldn't even save her beca--"
Abruptly stopping with the realization of something frozen on his face, Wildman melted back from the rage into a solemn form. But there was no mistaking the anger in those eyes. The glitter swirled viciously in them still even after catching himself, and most likely continued after he shut his eyes and turned away from Angel.
It was uncomfortable to watch.
There was no acting; the anger was pure and long held with in. For how long Angel couldn't guess, but it was solid enough to for him to defect. Embitterness mixed with idealology. Wildman had it, right down to his core.
So where had he been all this time? Angel wondered, as Wildman went back to his rummaging, ignoring her completely. A deep hole? The Amazon? Some deserted Island?
Outer Space?
That made her pause, made her remember what he'd said to her earlier…in the elevator.
It was crazy. But it did fit…
"You did hint that it could have been…back in the elevator…that I was right?" She quietly asked.
It took a long minute for Wildman to regain his composure. A long minute of quite consideration –to act or not to act. And then taking time to consider what and how to say it before facing her.
"You're very perceptive." He quietly said, with just a trace of anger. "Either that or very good guesser. I just hope Cobra Commander hasn't tumbled onto it as you have."
Now Angel was very uneasy. It was a guess occurring in the heat of the moment in the elevator. It just popped into her head, with no rhyme or reason. Now her mind was just reeling over the possibilities of how right her guess was.
What kept her in check was Wildman's angle in all of this.
"You came here to retrieve a spaceship?"
"No." Wildman answered, "to find the wreckage of one—and the survivors"
A part of Angel, the part that considered itself to be practical, started reverting back to the original premise of Wildman is a defector who needs to be stopped.
However, it was being beaten back by the other half didn't know what to think because inspire how incredible the whole story was there were just too many factors involved that pointed to it as being the truth.
She just stared at him wondering how all the pieces fit, because truth or not, it was just too strange.
Wildman noticed that look, and came to the only conclusion that would work.
"Guess I'm just going to haft to show you."
And reached for the dial of his watch, hoping she could take the realization of it.
Cobra Commander never considered himself to be a 'Peeping Tom', he was just careful. Of course, he was irritated over the tardiness of the Techno Vipers to properly set the surveillance devices in Wildman's room. But there were other courses he could take.
The folder he was given was the result of such carefulness.
Angelica Drummond, 2nd Lt. Royal Air Force, currently on assignment to MI6 for special operations in New Orleans. It didn't take too much imagination on Cobra Commander's part to put things together, but using the daughter of an English nobleman with deep connections within his country's Intelligence service was quite surprising nonetheless. Cobra Commander considered the possible uses for her in the same way he did for General Colton, but broke the chain of though off to return to Wildman.
The famous scientist came across a shade too desperate to escape from what he called a 'cage'. Yet, for twenty odd years he was virtually hidden from the World's best intelligence agencies. A feat not even the worst war criminals could achieve, even with money and assistance. Cobra Commander deliberately stalled Wildman for a week just to see how earnest it all was, sacrificing a medium-level messenger to the CIA in the process just to see what would occur. The events in New Orleans, the report he'd just finished reading as well, came off as legitimate, but that car of Wildman's was just too conveniently placed in the service garage.
But why was he here? Pondered Cobra Commander, why return? Why not continue hiding? And why now of all times to emerge from hiding?
That last thought was the most pestering. Yet it was becoming more and more undeniable that the timing of the Meteor and Wildman's desire to join Cobra was simply too close to be purely accidental.
So he wondered.
