Merry sighed, she was sipping some rum as she waited for Andros and Carlos to stop by, to get their latest report on Cobra, eight years they, Brian, Malcolm, and Maria had been undercover and it had proven to be a wise move indeed. Cobra was now a world-wide organization and a dangerous threat, Cobra had been clashing with the Brethren ever since it came into being nine years ago, while Malcolm and Brian had managed to get into GI Joe, an elite military unit created to combat Cobra's threat. Things hadn't changed much where everyday life was concerned, though Malcolm had found himself a sweetheart among the Joes, Snake Eyes, a nice woman, who was a real-life ninja of all things, but then they didn't have much room to talk, they were pirates after all. Malcolm had ended up bringing Snake Eyes to the Cove to see if Tia Dalma could heal her of some horrific injuries on her face that had left scars that no amount of modern medicine could get rid of, so he had taken a gamble and told her the truth and brought her to the Cove. She had handled Malcolm's secret rather well and Merry knew they were happy together, but she was left feeling a little jealous, she, Tora, Carlos, Andrew, Will, and Janice were still single and after so long she wondered if she would ever find herself a man who could love her like her father did her mother.
Sensing someone enter the bar she glanced up at the door and found herself entranced by the man who had just entered, he was Asian, or at least had a Asian heritage, black hair cut short and blue-black eyes, the odd thing was he was dressed almost completely in white. Upon realizing that he had noticing her staring she instantly blushed and dropped her gaze to the scarred wooden tabletop in front of her, this bar was a pirate watering hole and the bartender knew exactly what she was and who her family was. She glanced up as old Amos walked from behind the bar and gave her a refill, "Be wary of him lassie," he warned her, he called her and Tora lassie from the moment they had met centuries ago, "He likes his women and he ain't much for settling on just one woman from what I hear, it would take a real special someone to get him to settle down. 'Course, given who your parents are, you might be just what he needs," by this point Amos's eyes were twinkling merrily at her, "I knew your dad before your mother managed to do what we thought was impossible and make Jack a one woman man, he'd chase anything in a skirt, if your mother got your dad to settle down, you can do the same if you find yourself a player." "Amos," Merry wailed quietly in sheer embarrassment, but was saved by Andros and Carlos walking in the bar and heading over to her, "I better get their drinks," Amos said quickly and went back to the bar to fetch a couple mugs and started to pour the rum.
"Alright cousin," Carlos teased her as he and Andros sat down at her table, both looking a little tired, "What has you so red in the face," "Nothing," Merry murmured, her eyes cutting over towards the man in white for the barest of seconds. It wasn't much, but it was enough to tip them off and they turned to see who it was that had caught her attention, they both gaped as they realized who it was, "Of all the men that would catch your attention Merry," Andros groaned loudly. "You had to pick Storm Shadow," Carlos sighed, "He's alright and he's never hurt a woman, but he's a player and involved closely with the Cobra High Command, we don't want you involved with that sort of thing Merry, its better to not get involved, you know that." "I guess," Merry agreed, "Though you might like to know this though, Tia asked Aunt Belle and Uncle Bryce to take in a kid about Sandra's age as a favor for her, said they grew up at the same time and were good friends, then he did some stupid things. One of those stupid things got him killed and his foster brother pulled some strings or something and now he has a second chance to be a real kid, but that everyone but for his foster brother keep throwing his past actions in his face constantly. He was smart enough be prepare to pull a runner when it got to be to much, since he didn't want to become what he was before and if he stayed that would be exactly what would happen," "His name," Carlos asked warily, "Loki," Merry answered, knowing from the look in the twins eyes they had filled in the blanks.
Tommy had noticed the woman right away when he entered the slightly run-down bar, that she had noticed him was surprise, he was a master at blending in and remaining unnoticed, despite his tendency for wearing white. Yet she had not only noticed him, but had sensed his arrival, she bore watching, from the bartender's reaction it looked like she was a regular, which was a surprise, since he would have thought a woman like her would prefer a place a little more refined. The woman had long black hair that reached her waist and was kept out of her face by a gold bandanna and emerald eyes, she was dressed strangely though, she looked like she came out of the seventeen hundreds, black leather pants, black pirate boots, a white linen pirate shirt, a tightly fitting black vest that greatly resembled a corset was worn over her shirt, and a gold sash was around her waist. However that wasn't the end of it, there was a leather sash over the gold one, in it was two old fashioned flintlock pistols and a sword, but he was willing to bet she had other weapons hidden on her as well. There was just a shy air about her and a gentleness which was totally at odds with the regular clientèle of this bar, which was pirates, smugglers, and only god knows what else, but the shock came when Mako and Hammerhead walked into the bar and headed straight for the woman. He shamelessly eavesdropped on the conversation, he was surprised to find that they were cousins with the woman, everything he knew about the twins said they didn't have any family, but then he could understand that they could have 'forgot' to tell anyone at Cobra that sort of information. Frowning slightly he wondered what was going on, he knew there was off about the woman, not to mention Mako and Hammerhead, they were all sharply aware of their surrounding to the point that if he didn't know better he would think they were ninja trained.
Amos chuckled as he set the twin's drinks down in front of them, he thought that Miss Merry was just what the man in white needed, and vice versa, of course he was something of a hopeless romantic and a rather successful matchmaker probably had something to do with it as well. With that in mind he headed for Storm Shadow's table, he knew who and what the man was, he also knew that he was a good man, out of all of Cobra he and Zartan were the only ones that could be even remotely trusted. He knew this would be a bit of a gamble, but he had a gut feeling about this, "You're interested in the lassie, but I think you need fair warning," he told the surprised ninja, "She has a large family and they will not take kindly to anyone hurting her, but if the lassie chooses you, well, you will have gotten yourself a powerful ally that very few could claim." "Why are you telling me something like this," Tommy asked, honestly wondering what was going on here, Amos chuckled, "Might be that I have a bit of matchmaking in me," he admitted, "But I think you could do with someone like the lassie in your life and the lassie could do with something like you in her life, just go over and introduce yourself, won't hurt nothing to try." "Thanks," Tommy nodded to the man, before getting to his feet, "I think I will," he slipped over to the table that held the woman, Mako, and Hammerhead, "Mind if I join you, Hammerhead, Mako," he asked, siting down with them.
"Not at all," Carlos shrugged, "Don't call me Hammerhead when I'm off duty like this though, the name is Carlos," Tommy nodded, "So long as you call me Tommy what about you Mako," "My name is Andros, but I'm sure you already knew that," Andros snorted. "Tora this is Tommy, also known as Storm Shadow," Carlos preformed the introductions, "Tommy this is our cousin, Merry," "Merry huh," Tommy looked at her, "Not really, my given name is Meredith, but everyone has called me Merry as long as we can remember," Merry corrected him. "Nice to meet you then Merry," Tommy grinned at her, Merry felt herself start to blush again, Andros and Carlos exchanged looks, realizing they would have to have a little talk with Tommy the first chance they got, he wasn't going to love and leave Merry like all the other women in his life. Both Tommy and Merry spotted the look that passed between the twins and realized what it meant, they both heaved a sigh, surprising them both and making them grin at each other, but that sigh broke the ice between them and it wasn't long before they were talking like old friends.
"Maybe I'll see you again Tommy," Merry waved goodbye to Tommy who grinned at her and nodded, "Maybe," he agreed and watched her walk out of the bar, "Alright Tommy," Andros said sternly, "We need to step outside and have a little talk." Tommy sighed but he walked out to the ally with the twins, "I'm not going to warn you about hurting Merry," Carlos told him, "If you hurt her, she will be the one to make you bleed for it," "Really," Tommy murmured, "I have noticed that you two and her hide much." Andros and Carlos both hummed a moment, exchanging looks, they knew that Tommy was a good man, that he could be trusted, "Let me put it this way, my family, they are no friends to Cobra," Carlos told Tommy softly. "And who are they," Tommy murmured softly, thinking he might have found some allies, in answer Andros and Carlos started to hum the tune to Hoist the Colors, they knew Tommy would recognize it. He came from a ninja clan that was three thousand years old, he would know about the Brethren of the Seas, hell, knowing the Arashikage, they had probably worked with the Brethren before in some form or another.
"You belong to the sea," Tommy stated, they nodded, "Our last name isn't Gripper, but rather Barbossa," Andros revealed softly, Tommy recognized that name instantly, he inhaled sharply, "You belong to the Black Fleet of the Brethren, the immortal ones," he breathed. Carlos and Andros nodded, "Aye we do," Carlos smirked at him, "Merry's last name is Sparrow, so you better think twice about hurting her, Uncle Jack might be a fool, but he is an enemy that very few can afford to have and that's not counting Aunt Willa, Tora, Brian, the crew, and the rest of the family." "I know the stories," Tommy agreed, "But why are two of the Brethren legendary elite doing in Cobra, you are there as spies," "We are," Andros nodded, they knew that Tommy really wasn't happy to be working for Cobra, but he had signed a contract, given his word, he would not go back on his word until Cobra did something that violated their agreement. "I can assume that you have people in the Joes as well can't I," Tommy said after a moment, figuring that what the Cobra Command didn't know wouldn't hurt them, "Two, well really three if you count Snake Eyes," Carlos smirked.
"What," Tommy sputtered, he hadn't been expecting that, "Deep Six is one of yours as well," "His last name is Norrington," Andros shrugged, "And Wet Suit is Merry's younger brother, Brian's wife works with the CIA, all to keep an eye on Cobra." "Impressive," Tommy had to admit, "Cobra is no friend to the Brethren and if push comes to shove I will side with you against them," Carlos and Andros nodded, surprised by that, but they had gotten more than they had expected from Tommy. "How did you hide this," Tommy couldn't help asking, "The Joes do extensive background checks," "Of course, we have hackers and such ourselves," Andros shrugged, "But it wasn't there work that gave our people their fake identities, I believe you know of the name Tia Dalma, though she is better known as Calypso." Tommy gulped, he knew exactly who that was and he had no intention of getting on the bad side of a goddess, "I won't move against the Brethren, not when she has involved herself in such a manner," he muttered.