Chapter 8
Knives were holding Halle and Snake Eyes as bay. "So kind of you to stop by cousin, but you brought an enemy." Red Dragon hissed, he paced, running his costume blade over the ground, making sparks and scars in the rocks.
"But I want to know why, why are you back?"
"I'm not here to regain the Shadow Dragon Clan Red, I'm family." Halle repeated tieredly, the blood loss made her weak, and poor Snake Eyes was in worse shape. After the came outside the walls, they attacked the two, till Halle came forward, but they beat Snake Eyes to near death. He was barely conscious, and his head lolled against Halle's. They had removed his mask, and his blond hair was bloody.
"What you speak is true, but family doesn't turn their back on one another."
"Red, you survived that battle, and my father didn't. His last words were toward the clan, he told me to uphold my honor by never lying, by not loosing myself. Well I had to find myself first, and I couldn't do that here. They say that a dying man's words are the wisest things they will ever say in their life. Would you have me dishonor his memory and not follow through with his wishes?" Red Dragon hesitated, before slamming his hands down on the arms of her chair.
"You could have told us where you went, we could have helped you."
"I thought at the time that the only way to find oneself was to turn on everything I knew! It was the view of a twelve year old Red, what else can you expect?"
"You could have come back, you could have helped us rebuild. Then we had Cobra, Cobra was a savior, Cobra was our-,"
"Desise, you have it too! The Arashikage are infatuated with it, and so are you! I thought Dragon's had honor," Halle yelled, they were going to die now, that was for certain.
"Cobra made us stronger, Cobra is all! We can fight and never die, we can-,"
"You're insane," Halle concluded, and Red started to laugh histerically. Red Tooth as he was once known as, Red Tooth, the cousin only three years younger, Halle's partner in crime, her best friend, her family, started to laugh hysterically. He fell to the ground laughing, his features stretched, until he was still. Then he got up mechanically, being controlled by something else. Suddenly wind blew the trees and Halle looked up. It wasn't the Joes she realized with a sinking heart, it was Cobra.
"Do you know how touching it is to see my daughter living by her dead father's last words? Or perhaps I should say- presumed dead," Halle's eyes widened and her father stepped forward.
"Killing those who would have sided with you was too easy, but then you escaped, and it was hard to track you. I finally had a pilot get into GI Joe, and he was the man who flew you here. Yet he weakened to fly before your other friends could get on, but before, I had the attention of the Cobra Commander. He made our clan great, and now I will kill the final piece keeping me from triumph. Though I think I will have the Arashikage killed first."
Halle struggled against the bonds, and suddenly in a flash, she and Snake Eyes were being lifted into the air, and into a jet. Halle swivled her head around, and saw somebody she had never expected, "Stormy! Seriously, as much as I apreicate this, why'd you save us?"
"You are with Snake Eyes, and I took an oath to kill him, and that is a true test of who is better. It will not be a simple slit of the throat- no, it will be a battle to test each others strength and find the greater warrior."
"Oh right, that whole land, air, and water test right? It was customary for your clan to work as two sword brothers, ours were a brand."
Storm Shadow turned around from the controls, "You know much for your little use of training. You would be intresting to teach-,"
"Nuh-huh ninja, I am not getting involved in that again. I know all I need to know. Can you release these hand cuffs please? They're bothersome," Halle asked him and Storm Shadow lazily throwing a shrewkin and cutting the ropes. Halle rubbed one wrist, and untied her legs. She got up, and check Snake Eyes. His blue eyes glazed in pain as he tried to focus on Halle's face, there was a welt on the side of his head along with a gash. Cuts and slashes covered his body, and his hair was matted from blood and soot. Halle was shock and she flinched before delicately untying his wrists. Then moving to his feet, she looked up at Storm Shadow.
"You suffer from injuries yet you try to tend to a rival clan. Why?"
"I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not from a rival clan anymore. I'm an outcast, it's best that way, and Snakes is a Joe, he and I got into the mess, and we're getting out alive."
"Touching, but you both will die unless you get medical attention."
"Then step on is Stormy," Halle turned and he rolled his eyes, but he pressed the dial and the speed burst knocked Halle into Snake Eyes legs.
"Do you have a med kit?" Halle asked, and Storm Shadow folded his arms, "I stole this, the crew took the med kit out. It's Cobra, if you're weak, you die, this ship is for dumping the bodies."
"That's- comforting. By the way, where are we going?"
"I'm setting you down in the GI Joe base."
"How?" Halle asked, and Storm Shadow smiled. "You give me the code."
"No, I won't do that."
"I don't think you have a choice, Snake Eyes is dying."
Halle ran a hand through her hair, and then looked at him, "Exactly Stormy. Honor, just set us outside the base, you've infiltrated it, right?"
Storm Shadow and Halle glared at each other before he said boredly, "You would be the best student I would have taught Dragon Tongue. I will say yes only if you allow me to train you."
Halle glanced at Snake Eyes, who touched her arm slightly and gave a short shake of his head. "Why do you align yourself with them Stormy? You don't exactly fit in do you? I always thought that the test of land, air, and water was a completion yes, but it went till one collapsed from exhaustion, or both qualifying equally."
Storm Shadow laughed without humor, "Do you or Snake Eyes fit in at the Joes? And no Dragon Tongue, it is not so, Snake Eyes and I fight on each terrain to the death. By the last test, there is only one survivor. You have much to learn, now what is your answer, you both will die if you don't give me one answer."
Halle sighed, "You win, I will train, but I will not call you sensei, and only if you quit Cobra completely. I won't quit the Joes, but I will train with every spare time I have. And any contact with Cobra, well you've felt my drop kick haven't you? Or Snake Eyes and I can die, and you can watch your only chance at reclamation of honor slip away."
Storm Shadow smirked, and said, "I agree to your terms, of course, you must agree to mine, you will train with me every free moment you have, nobody will find out of this, and you will train till I believe you are ready. You will refer to me as Storm Shadow, not as Stormy, and you will train at my signals. Do you agree?" Halle hesitated, before she held out her hand, and Storm Shadow shook it with a vise grip. Halle glanced down, she hoped that their lives were worth it.
"Welcome apprentice," Storm Shadow smiled, and Halle avoided his gaze. He handed her something, and she saw was Snake Eyes' cowl. She nodded slightly, and found Snake Eyes' blue gaze locked onto hers. Halle smiled softly, and placed his cowl in his lap. Suddenly the plane sloped downward and it landed on a sand dune. Storm Shadow opened the ramp, and Halle got up. Gently as she could, she put Snake Eyes' arm around her shoulder and limped down the ramp. Exhaustion, pain, and simply Snake Eyes weighed her down. Once Halle stepped on the sand, the ramp closed. Snake Eyes looked at her dully and Halle looked down, "Snakes, if we die, it's his fault."
Snake Eyes shook his head, and Halle looked at him in concern, "What the heck Snakes? The entire time you have been 'no' without telling me why."
Snake Eyes shook his head again, and Halle groaned. "It would be so much better if you stopped sneaking cake at night," She told him, and Snake Eyes glared at her. She looked ahead, avoiding his gaze when a voice rang out, followed by motors, "Corporal Halle Jackabae and Snake Eyes, halt!"
Halle stopped and smiled weakly in relief when she saw Heavy Duty and General Hawk with soldiers coming over the hillside. Scarlett, Ripcord, Duke, and Heavy Duty spilled out. Halle tried to walk toward them, but Heavy Duty caught them. Halle's eyesight started to get blurry, and she and Snake Eyes were being separated. "No wait, don't hack- or break. They'll explode…" Halle closed her eyes, and let sleep overcome her pain, problems, and worries that had happened over the past two days.
HEHEHE. i've updated again, god it feels good to get back in the groove again (i have had a writers block for a bit) and Halle is now Storm Shadow's apprentice! *gasp*! R&R, and there will be Haywire in the next chapters :D vale!
