Disclaimer: Don't own G.I Joe! Just a crazy dream!

Author's Note: Plain italics are another language. :italics: is telepathic communication.

Night had fallen while they were driving to Colton's house. They were just a few blocks away when Snake Eyes saw Storm Shadow standing on the steel frame of an office type building in mid-construction nearby. The jeep slowed to make a turn and he took the opportunity to jump out of the jeep. He ran towards the building and when he got to it, he started climbing up the girders, dodging shurikens Storm Shadow was throwing at him the entire way. He got to the top, dodged one last shuriken while he pulled out his ninjato, and launched himself towards Storm Shadow. Storm Shadow had also unsheathed his ninjato after throwing the last shuriken and met Snake Eyes halfway.

They traded blows, the metal of their swords screeching each time the blades slid off each other. Storm Shadow managed to draw first blood, catching Snake Eyes on the upper right arm with a shallow cut. Snake Eyes concentrated on pushing Storm Shadow towards one of the corners of the building. He sliced at Storm Shadow's knee, catching cloth and ripping through it, but not doing any damage. He ducked Storm Shadow's return slash and swept his leg out. Storm Shadow back flipped to avoid it.

Unbeknownst to either man, Firefly watched their fight from a nearby alley. He didn't think Storm Shadow was going to fare any better than usual, so he had come prepared. He looked forward to holding the fact that he was the one who killed Snake Eyes over the brain-dead ninja. Not to mention the extra money Cobra Commander would be paying for the death of the long-feared ninja. He lifted up a loaded RPG launcher and aimed for Snake Eyes. A scythe blocked his view and he lowered the weapon to look at the owner of the scythe.

:Horseman, you will not interfere with their fight.:

"Well isn't that nice, standing up for your precious Grim Reaper. Isn't it against the rules to interfere when it someone's time to die?"

:It is not his time.:

"I say it is." Firefly whipped the RPG up and pressed the trigger, causing a rocket to launch directly at the assistant. Both disappeared inside the building. He loaded another rocket, aimed again for Snake Eyes and pulled the trigger. The rocket launched with a hiss and was halfway to its target when a thrown scythe diverted it, knocking it off course. He dropped the launcher and pulled out a gun, looking around. He found himself being wrenched around and slammed onto his back, gun skittering away from him on the pavement.

"Now why couldn't you have been blonde haired and blue-eyed when I was the Reaper?" he sneered.

:You know they change depending on the current Grim Reaper.:

"You could have changed them. I might have liked you better that way. Maybe could have had a bit of fun," he smirked.

She gave him a look of disgust. :Your version of fun is breaking the rules. I do not find that fun.:

"Your loss, sweetheart."

The two ninja brothers continued fighting, ignoring the passing missile. Snake Eyes had finally been able to force Storm Shadow into his current position on the corner of the structure. He blocked Storm Shadow's right sword with his left, ducked the swipe from the other sword and thrust his at Storm Shadow's stomach. Storm Shadow jumped backwards, avoiding the sword. He fell and Snake Eyes took a few steps to look over the edge. He back flipped, narrowly missed having his head sliced in half as powerful white wings pushed Storm Shadow upwards. Storm Shadow stalled for a moment and then swooped down, aiming for Snake Eyes' head. Snake Eyes flipped off the structure, grabbing the lower portion of the steel beam and swinging back up the other side, catching Storm Shadow in the chest with a kick. The man was only pushed upwards and Snake Eyes was forced to roll, dodging his next sword strike.

Storm Shadow landed on the beam and came at Snake Eyes, swinging faster and stronger than before. He pushed Snake Eyes back and one of Snake Eyes' ninjato snapped near the hilt. He dropped the useless sword and it clanged, hitting a beam as it fell. He bent over backwards as far as he could to avoid another swing aimed for his neck and when he came back up, he fired the gun he had pulled from his boot. Snake Eyes was surprised as Storm Shadow deflected an entire clip's worth of bullets. Storm Shadow came swinging at him again, and Snake Eyes made the last backward step he could. Storm Shadow had reversed the tables on him.

Storm Shadow grinned under his mask. He would finally kill the black bastard and make his master happy. He sliced towards Snake Eyes, intending on gutting him. Snake Eyes jumped backwards and Storm Shadow peered over the edge. He gave a howl of frustration when he saw his opponent, not falling to the ground, but flying. He launched himself at his target, but the bastard disappeared. He felt something behind him and tried to turn around when something else passed through his head and everything went black.

Storm Shadow's wings disappeared in a flurry of white feathers when he lost consciousness. Snake Eyes caught him as he started to fall and slowly flew them both down to the ground. He landed and turned suddenly, holding the scythe defensively as two figures moved out of the shadows. He cocked his head when he saw Firefly being shoved forward by his assistant, screaming obscenities at her.

:What are you doing here?:

:Working, M'lord.:

Storm Shadow groaned and put his hand on his head, "Whuz... Whaz goin' on?"

They pulled up and stopped on the corner of the road half a block away from Colton's house at an unfenced front yard with a large tree in the middle. The Joes got out and waited for orders.

"Alright, people, we will set up base here. I want Snake... Where's Snake Eyes?" Hawk demanded. Several people shrugged. "God damn it. I want Scarlett and Beachhead to go in and secure Colton. The rest of us will split up and secure the perimeter. Half of you go with Duke, the other half with me. Move out."

"Sir!" the Joes saluted.

Both Scarlett and Beachhead started running for Colton's house. They reached the front yard and ducked down, moving quickly to the front door. The other two groups moved into the yard and split up, each going around the sides of the house. Beachhead was about to knock down the door when someone shouted "Incoming!" He felt himself being grabbed by something and dragged, but before he could do more than twist around a little, he was let go of and behind one of the jeeps. Scarlett was beside him the next instant and other Joes started appearing, all with bewildered looks on their faces. It didn't last for long.

Several bullets started pinging off the vehicles. One of the greenshirts wiggled underneath one and then wiggled back out. "Sergeant Major, Cobra is attacking!"

"Yeah, Ah already figured tha' out." He popped up and started firing his gun over the hood of the jeep.

"Is everyone accounted for?" yelled Duke over the noise.

"I don't see Tun- Never mind, he just appeared," shouted Stalker.

"Snake's still missing and we never got to Colton!" shouted Scarlett.

There was a loud boom and the ground shook. Both sides stopped shooting for a brief moment and looked at Colton's house. Or rather, half the house. There was another explosion that engulfed the rest, flames and black smoke pouring out of the remaining openings. Cobra cheered and then resumed firing on the Joes.

By time the two ninjas, the assistant, and a still swearing Firefly arrived at the base, the fighting was over. The vipers were dead, the sounds of emergency vehicles were drawing near, and Lifeline was attending to the injured. The assistant roughly shoved Firefly at some of the Joes and they quickly put him under guard. She followed Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow as they went to where Lifeline was, working under the tree. Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow stopped, but the assistant walked over to one of the greenshirts. Lifeline finished bandaging Tunnel Rat's arm and hurried over.

"Lifeline's arguin' with whuzzit about giving 'im a chance," Storm Shadow slurred.

Snake Eyes nodded, not surprised the medic was arguing. It was his job to try to save lives, after all. Hawk walked up behind the two ninja and put his hand on Snake Eyes' shoulder. Snake Eyes shook his head and Hawk patted him twice before moving on.

The assistant listened to what the medic had to say while she was watching the greenshirt. He was trying very, very hard to convince her to let his patient live. She kneeled down at the greenshirt's side, so they were face to face.

"I don't want to die," he whispered.

:I know.:

"When does it stop hurting?" he said, his head dropping.

She stood up, changing into a skeleton, scythe and robe materializing around her. She cut down with the scythe, passing it through his body and cutting his soul free from it. The body gave a last breath before dying and the soul drifted up nearby as a softly glowing ball of light.

:Do I have to go? Can I stay here? Can I be like you? Death need's more assistants, right? I want to be able to do what you do. I-:

:Only the Grim Reaper is actually alive,: she interrupted, looking over at Snake Eyes. He nodded. :We will allow you to try it out for a week, IF you follow all of the rules,: she said as they both faded and disappeared.

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. The week sort of got away from me. I keep thinking it's early in the week and it's Thursday (I haven't gone to sleep yet, so it's still Thursday to me). RPG is a rocket-propelled grenade. One more chapter after this! There is a pun in what Firefly says. Free internet cookie to anyone who can guess what it is. ^.^