Cobra Fortress
Cobra Commander was seated on an elevated throne backed by an ornately carved marble snake head. Two large flags bearing the Cobra emblem were displayed on the wall and flanked the maniacal leader whose face was again hidden under his blue hood. He clenched his hands together tightly. "Is that something you can accomplish?"
"Cobra Commander, for the fee I charge, anything is possible. You've seen evidence of my handiwork before - many times, in fact, so why doubt me now?" Zartan asked with a devious smile.
A subtle sound of revulsion slipped from the hooded figure. "Maybe I doubt you because Pythona is still alive." He rose to his feet and looked down at the man. "Or maybe, I doubt you because I know how easily your allegiance can be bought."
The master of disguise offered no argument. "I can assure you, my leader, that I will not be dealing behind your back in this affair. Since Serpentor seemed to have little work for me or my men, he is a risk to my bank account. I also know what a potentially deadly enemy he can be and how important it is to have him out of the way." Zartan smiled slyly, "The one thing I value more than riches is my own hide. As for Pythona, you requested that to be done discretely, need I remind you."
Cobra Commander simply nodded. "You have one week to prepare and one week to carry out whatever action you choose to handle Serpentor. Do not lose sight of your mission. You are there for one reason and one reason only – to kill Serpentor. Anything less will be considered a failure." He lowered himself to his throne once more and the duo of Crimson Guardsmen stepped closer to his sides. "However, any added chaos may earn you a bonus."
"Two weeks total. An easy enough task," Zartan remarked as he turned to leave.
Cobra Commander called after him as the Dreadnok leader reached the entryway. "I do not recommend failure at this point, Zartan. When Cobra is once again under my complete control, I will no longer stand by and let dissension and traitorous behavior go unpunished. A new era of Cobra is on the horizon - I can feel it deep within my very soul."
"Are you certain that the mutation process is reversible?" Tomax asked.
Dr. Venom looked up from his work and glared at the image of the twins on the screen. "I have stated time and time again - to multiple people - that it IS reversing. How hard is that to understand?"
Xamot adjusted the crisp collar on his business suit and spoke up, "You will have to forgive us, Doctor, if we are ready to see results considering how much funding we have sent your way."
The scientist's eyes narrowed. "Results? What results would you like to see? Would you like to see him not look like a giant snake? Oh, wait, you have. Would you like to hear him speak and make meaningful requests? He has done that as well! Do you wish to see his face?"
The Crimson Twins stayed silent. The only sound to be heard was the squeaking of leather as they both shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.
"Have either of you ever seen his face?" Dr. Venom asked, his voice dropping lower.
Still, there was no response from either twin.
"Interesting," Dr. Venom chuckled. "I never expected the two of you to be at a loss for words. If you have any qualms with my methods or results, speak with the Commander directly. If there is nothing else, farewell."
He clicked the monitor off before allowing either man on the other end to respond.
"What about when you said you were a citizen of Cobra La?"
Cobra Commander leaned his head back. "I grow tired of rehashing this madness. Just because I was allowed to be a part of their society does not ultimately make me one of them. I would suspect that someone who has spent the majority of their life trying to overthrow governments would understand that."
The image of the Baroness flickered slightly. "That Golobulus creature seemed to be very familiar with you and even took credit for your creation."
"Baroness," the man in the cloth mask replied, "I want you remember what happened there. I went along with his story because my life was at stake! And still, you saw what he did to me."
She seemed to consider this for a moment before responding. "Did you have any knowledge of this Cobra La before they showed up and demanded our help?"
Cobra Commander leaned forward at his desk and got closer to the view screen. "I don't have time to get into this right now. Have I kept secrets from you? Of course, just as I am sure that you have kept secrets from me - or Dessstro. What I will say is that, yes, I have had previous encounters with their civilization, but not all of what Golobulus claimed was true. If you have any questions about whether or not I am truly a human, ask Destro - he's seen me without my mask and knows that much is true."
The Baroness seemed satisfied with that answer and simply nodded. "Very well, but I wish to know more about this sooner, rather than later. For now, what are our next steps?"
"Your next step is essential. It is up to you to convince Destro to stop playing both sides and return to me. Without his resources, reclaiming full control of Cobra will be a long battle."
"I will see that it is done. I know he grows weary of the uncertainty."
"See to it he comes to his senses soon," Cobra Commander said. "I have plans in motion to speed this process along and he needs to decide before it is too late."
"I understand," Baroness replied and ended her transmission.
I will have to tell them something of my encounters with Cobra La, but first, Pythona must be eliminated. That story is mine, and mine alone to control.