CHAPTER TEN: Cobra Venom

Snake Eyes sat in the briefing room with his arms crossed tightly over his chest as Scarlet stood across from him against the wall, a concerned look on her face as everyone started filing inside. Everyone instantly took notice of the tension in the room, looking from Scarlet to Snake Eyes and trying to decipher what the issue was. When everyone was assembled, it was Duke who spoke on everyone's behalf.

"Storm Shadow's alive, isn't he?" Duke watched Hawk for a reaction and grimaced when the older man nodded.

"Yes. Very much so." He cleared his throat. "Four days ago, he kidnapped Theresa Amhel and we suspect he's pushing her for information. We've been trying to track them down but they've managed to cover up their tracks."

Duke opened his mouth to say something but Hawk lifted a hand for silence.

"We've also received intel that Storm Shadow is planning to break Cobra Commander out of prison and retrieve the Baroness. Security at the prison has been more than doubled, so I don't want any of you to worry about that."

At that moment, the door opened again and Roadblock entered the room with a small nod to his cousin before he took a seat beside Duke. General Hawk continued.

"It'll be a three-pronged mission, you can bring anyone else into your individual assignments if you need to. Duke, I want you to take the Alpha Team and intercept Cobra forces before they get to the Baroness."

General Hawk turned to Snake Eyes. "Snake Eyes, your mission is to retrieve Theresa Amhel, I don't need to tell you how important it is that you bring her back alive."

Snake Eyes nodded firmly and left the briefing room, already aware of the details within the mission. Duke looked around at his team and General Hawk turned to Roadblock.

"We know Cobra's on the move, so I want you to manage a team in the Middle-East. They're retrieving some highly dangerous explosives, and I don't doubt Cobra might want in on the action. If the Alpha Team finishes quickly, they are to join you in Tel Aviv…"

Theresa was writhing on the floor as dozens of fireflies latched onto her skin, leaving clean little burn marks all over her body, save for her face. The man, only known as the Faceless Master, sat a few feet away watching her intently; there was a ring on his finger equipped with a small dial to increase the amount of heat the fireflies could use. They had already been at this for a while, breakfast had already been brought in a few times and Theresa eyed the untouched bowls of rice with equal parts of distain and hunger. He said she could eat whenever she wanted but whenever she moved, the fireflies came. If she wasn't fast enough, the fireflies came still. And if this was just the test run of his bugs, anything more violent might cause her to puke.

Faceless Master removed himself from his seat and walked around her in a wide circle, stretching his arm out to rub a freshly given burn. Seizing her chance, Theresa kicked his knee and flinched as he buckled and fell backwards. The two of them shared a look of surprise and she jumped to her feet, throwing herself into the glass doors. The coolness of the glass cancelled out the heat of the burns but only for a second. With her arms still bound, she couldn't reach the doorknobs but if she tried hard enough, she might break the glass. Listening to the Master stand back up, she backtracked and stepped around the examination table, keeping it between her and her pursuer.

"Alright then," he said with a chuckle. "You've got a little more fire today, I'm glad. I thought I'd be bored out of my mind by now."

She glanced to her side and saw another door and this one was partially open, she dashed towards it as Faceless Master vaulted over the table. She skipped into the door and shoved it open with her shoulder, running down the darkened hallway and sliding around a corner that opened up into a much larger testing facility – great tubes filled with greenish liquid housed various aquatic life, and large cages lined the wall.

It was oddly quiet inside, Theresa stared over her shoulder quickly and descended a set of stairs before bending to look inside the nearest cage. It looked like a wolf but there were too many mechanical parts: a cybernetic eye, the teeth were coated in metal, and the top of its skull was removed to show a completely robotic brain. There were other large animals as well, the smaller ones sat out in the open, metal brains displayed. She turned her attention to a central table where a yet unenhanced grey wolf lay.

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

Theresa froze and slowly turned her head as Storm Shadow leaned in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and pushed off the wall, taking his time as he came down the stairs.

"What are you doing to them?"

"Improving them, apparently." Said Storm Shadow. "Wild animals are so volatile, tame animals are so domestic, so the Commander decided to get rid of both, making them compliant."

Theresa and Storm Shadow stayed on different sides of the table, circling around it slowly.

"Cobra's in prison, how has he been doing this?"

Storm Shadow shrugged. "I don't know and I do not really care, his pet projects aren't my main concern right now."

"I already told you, I don't know where he is." Theresa said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I know but I don't suppose he gave you some sort of contact?" Something must've shown in her face because Storm Shadow narrowed his eyes and jumped over the table, pushing her against one of the cages. Something curled around her legs and Theresa released a high-pitched moan as two boa constrictors slid in between the bars and around her legs. She thrashed angrily, trying to lift one leg to stomp on the snake confining her other one. It hissed and snapped at her, its fangs grazing her foot and slicing it open. Theresa cursed as Storm Shadow leaned in towards her.

"Don't worry, that one isn't poisonous. Its spine has been reinforced with augmented steel though."

"Oh, is that all?" Theresa wheezed, noticing the uninterrupted pattern of stitches on the snake's back.

She glared up into his face defiantly and spat in his face, he raised his hand as if to strike but paused, waving his hand over her feet. The snakes retracted and he grabbed her arms, pulling her back into the room with the Faceless Master and then out the door again. They were back outside and it was raining, Theresa's heels squealed against the rock as Storm Shadow opened the cage and threw her inside. Her shoulder collided with the wall, making her body turn midair and she landed on her bum. Groaning, she looked up at Storm Shadow and watched him close the cage door, allowing the rain to flow freely from above.

Well…that could've been worse.

Theresa snorted, sighing and pushing herself into a corner, hoping the rain wouldn't fall as hard from that vantage point. Her shoulder was burning and she awkwardly jutted it out, a red welt was starting to appear, and at least the rain helped cool it down along with all the burn marks.

She had to be realistic for a moment: what could she honestly lose by telling Storm Shadow about Snake Eyes? Sure she couldn't quite remember the web address or password but she was more than willing to bet she would if the right amount of pressure was involved. She grimaced, trying for another look at the rash.

You know he's got more than lightning bugs in that torture chamber, right?

"Snake Eyes is a ninja, he could take it." She whispered aloud.

Maybe but everyone's got a breaking point.

"His friends would find him, they're good at that." She peered up though the rain. "Besides, what use am I really?"

Dude, how much of this place have you seen? There's no way in hell they're just gonna let you go, seeing so much of that stuff.

"So, I'm dead then, is that it?"

…Snake Eyes will find you.

Theresa laughed and leaned her head against the wall.

"Snake Eyes doesn't even know I'm here."

Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, I know this is a little shorter but it just a big set up for plot. Big set up.

Thanks again!