To Rule the World

G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring, highly trained special mission force. It's purpose, to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined

To Rule the World

Part 4

Under the Cover of Darkness

By Nick Maro

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The sky turned to a hazy gray. Car engines died, but they still continued going forward. The drivers tried applying brakes, but they were slow to respond. Trucks and cars crashed into each other. Drivers got out of their cars to help passengers or other injured drivers. Thankfully, there were very few fatalities in the city of Amarillo, Texas.

A helicopter that was flying over the traffic, was now on it's way down. The pilot pulled back on the stick trying to slow its decent. The helicopter began wobbling. The pilot tried not to panic. The gray haze started to flicker. It vanished seconds later. The rotors of the helicopter began spinning and the helicopter leveled off. The pilot found a clearing in a field near the highway. He landed the helicopter in the soft grass.

Opening the canopy a crack, Ace waited for the blades to finish spinning. He looked down at the passenger. The passenger adjusted his cowboy hat a little and looked up at Ace. "That was some mighty fine piloting you done there, Ace. But it looks like Cobra is having a bit of trouble with their Pyramid of Darkness. Only stayed operational for thirty seconds."

The helicopter blades stopped and Ace opened the canopy fully. He hopped out and grabbed the two first aid kits. "I noticed. Let's try to help some of the people who are banged up a bit. Then I want to get going before Cobra fixes the Pyramid. Last thing I need now is to try and pull out of a nose-dive again. Let's go, Wild Bill." The two Joe team members ran to the highway. They found an off duty paramedic and gave him the two first aid kits.

Ace and Wild Bill ran back to the helicopter. Wild Bill got into the pilot's seat of the Dragonfly after Ace had insisted. They took off and headed for G.I. Joe base. They arrived eight hours later without further trouble from the Pyramid of Darkness.

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Cobra Commander stormed into the command room and went right up to Destro. The Commander still wore his silver battle mask. "Just what the hell happened to the Pyramid of Darkness, Destro? I was in talks with potential backers when the lights went out. They were convinced that I could do this. But then less than thirty seconds later, the Pyramid went down. What went wrong?" The Commander's voice was full of rage.

"One of the cubes malfunctioned. It's being taken care of as we speak. We didn't see it until the Pyramid was erected. The current estimated repair time is one day." Destro stood over Cobra Commander watching the leader of Cobra shake in rage. "Think about it this way, Commander. What is one day compared to a lifetime of ruling the world?"

Calming down, Cobra Commander put his arms behind his back and paced the command center. "You have a valid point, Destro. This will also allow the world to know that Cobra has returned. There's nothing like a blessing in disguise." He left the room a moment and returned in his blue hood. On the way back, he stopped a Tele-Viper. "In five minutes I want the Russian space station to send a pirate signal to any communication satellite in the area."

"Yes, Cobra Commander!" The Tele-Viper saluted and rushed to the communication center of the command room.

"If you send your broadcast only to satellites in the area of the station, you won't reach the entire world. I fail to see the logic behind this, Commander." The Baroness asked from a chair near Destro.

"The idea is for the entire world to fear Cobra. Think about it. Only part of the world gets the broadcast. The other part is stuck to wonder what had just happened. Reports begin to spread from areas that received the broadcast to the areas that didn't. The reports will slowly begin to turn into outlandish rumors. Since the only form of communication will be by mouth or in print," Destro explained understanding right away what Cobra Commander had planned. "It's so simple that it's ingenius."

Cobra Commander smiled behind his hood. "You're correct, Destro. This will also help convince our potential backers into helping our cause. For you see, I'm not sending the broadcast near their country. Instead I'm letting them hear it through word of mouth. Much like the attack and slaughter of the October Guard. I learned in my time away how to turn a negative into a positive."

The Tele-Viper the Commander had order to establish the signal, announced they were ready when he was. A second Tele-Viper stood before the Commander with a camera. Cobra Commander stood straight and cleared his throat. "Citizens of Earth. I am known as Cobra Commander. The temporary loss of electrical power you experienced was caused by a new and improved Pyramid of Darkness. Cobra has been gone for a year now. We're back and stronger than ever. I am giving the nations of Earth twenty-four hours to prepare for the permanent establishment of the Pyramid.

"In case you hadn't noticed. The Pyramid prevents electrical reactions to happen. This means no more lights, no more cars, no more trains, no more planes, no more computers. In fact, in a way I'm helping the environment by doing this." The Commander let out a small laugh. "If a country decides to house and protect Cobra, they will be given their electricity back. Remember, you only have twenty-four hours to prepare for life without electricity. COBRA!" Cobra Commander thrust both arms out, his hands in fists. He stood like that until he was given a clear sign.

"No demands, Commander?"

The Commander looked at the Baroness. "The demands were there. Just had to know where to look." He turned back to the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Destro, you're still in charge. See that the Pyramid is up in twenty-three hours. I want it up before the world has a chance to prepare for it. The chaos going of it up early will help our cause." He left the command room to meet his private boat.

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General Hawk shut off the monitor and turned to the team of G.I. Joes he'd gathered. He walked up to a podium and put his hands on each side of it. His voice was low and calm. "First, I want to thank those who decided to lend hand in defeating Cobra. You were explained the risks involved and have joined us anyway. Are there any questions before I begin?"

Several hands shot up. Hawk called on Cover Girl. "I was wondering where Duke was."

"I knew someone was bound to ask that." Hawk laughed to himself. "I tried tracking Duke down in his new command, but it's apparently classified. I pulled all the strings I could and came up empty. Any other questions?" No one else raised their hands. "Let's get started then."

Hawk turned on a projector that showed a map of the world. Four locations were highlighted. He turned a laser pointer on and pointed at the first location. "I first want to say that we don't have permission from any of the following governments to find and destroy the control cubes. The first cube is in a temple on Sundar, a mountain in Himalayas mountain range. The Nepalese government is currently in a state of confusion with the recent events in the royal family. So there should be no involvement from their military. Snow Job will head this mission along with Iceberg, Alpine and Bazooka."

General Hawk pointed at an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. "The next cube is located here. It's an island some ninety miles southwest of Manua Islands of Samoa. Cutter will head this mission on the water. Once you hit the beach, Stalker will take command. Torpedo, Gung-Ho and Low-Light will help disable the control cube.

"The next cube is located off the coast of the African continent." Hawk pointed to a small island off the western coast of Africa. "Boa Vista, Ilhas de Barlavento. It's controlled by the Brazilian government. Reports show that it should be easy to get on and off the island without being detected by the Brazilian military. Keel Haul will take Roadblock, Leatherneck, Wet-Suit and Shipwreck to the island on the USS Flagg. Roadblock has command of this mission."

Shipwreck shifted in his seat. "Well, that's not a surprise."

Hawk shot Shipwreck a silencing glance. He highlighted the last control cube. "The last cube resides here. In Oxtotipac, Mexico. It's deep in the jungle atop an old Aztec pyramid. I don't need to tell you not to damage the pyramid. Flint is charge of this mission. I'm also assigning Recondo, Lady Jaye and Wild Bill for this mission. The Mexican military security is tight, so a good luck is in order.

"Now, as for Scarlett and Cover Girl." Hawk highlighted an island off the Russian coast. "I want you both to get as much information as you can about this island. We can't attack it outright because of the Russian government. I want to know everything there is to know about it. Dial Tone and Mainframe will assist you in anyway possible."

Mainframe stepped forward holding a small electronic device. "I was lucky enough to capture the wave length the Pyramid operates on. I made four devices that will block the frequency of the Pyramid. This will allow you to use any kind of electronic device within a hundred foot range. It's the best I could do on short notice."

General Hawk took the podium once Mainframe left. "Great work, Mainframe. The four will do for now." He glanced at his watch for a moment. "We have about fifteen hours to get to each control cube. So no more wasting time talking about it. Yo Joe!" The Joe members seated before him shouted the familiar battle cry.

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Scarlett paced her quarters. It was a little past ten in the evening. She looked at the phone for what seemed to be the hundredth time that minute. Mentally, she debated calling Snake Eyes in Japan. She felt he really should there helping the G.I. Joe team out. Scarlett picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the Arashikage Clan.

The phone rang on the other end a couple of times before it was picked up. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. "Arashikage Dojo. Hiro Bayushi speaking. How can I help you?" the man asked in a Japanese accent trying to sound professional.

"Uh, my Japanese isn't as good as it used to be. Do you speak English?" Scarlett asked continuing to pace.

The man switched to English quickly. "Yes. How may I help you?"

Scarlett cleared her throat. She thought his English accent had a slight Los Angeles dialect. "My name is Shana O'Hara. I was wondering if Hebime or Tommy Arashikage were available. I'm an old friend of theirs from the United States."

"Do you have a video phone monitor?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Turn it on and hold on a second." The man put her on hold while she turned the monitor on. A few seconds later she was greeted by a face she hadn't seen in almost a year. A young man with wild green hair and an equally green goatee smiled at her. "Hebime and Tommy aren't here right now, Shana. They're in town with some of the new recruits. Care to leave a message?"

Scarlett hung her head and looked up a second later. "No, just let them know I called. By the way, what's with the new look and name?"

David Gabor laughed. "I'm just taking time off from the band and everything. Kyoko, Yukio and I decided to get out of the States for a bit. At least I'm not faking my death this time." He winked and laughed at his own private joke. "It's a long story. I'll let them know you called, Shana."

"Okay. Thanks, David. Take care now." Scarlett turned off the video call and left her quarters. She headed for the intelligence room where Cover Girl was busy doing research on the new Cobra Island.

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The four teams of G.I. Joe members had left early the previous afternoon. General Hawk sighed to himself and dialed the number for Vladamir Volkov's office in New York. The phone rang once and was answered by woman's voice. "Representative Volkov's office. How may I direct your call?"

"I was hoping to talk with Mister Volkov. It's a matter of urgency." Hawk set the phone on speaker phone as he paced his office in nervous anticipation.

"I'm sorry, sir. But Mister Volkov has stepped out for the day." Hawk swore quietly to himself. He forgot about the time zones. "Could you call back tomorr—. Hold on, sir. He just entered the office. Please hold while I transfer you to his desk. Whom may I say is calling?"

Hawk cleared his throat. "General Clayton Abernathy of the United States Army. Tell him it's a matter of urgency." He watched out the window while he waited for his old friend to answer.

"This is Vladamir Volkov. What can I do for you, General?"

"Vladamir, I'm glad I got a hold of you. I'm sure you saw the broadcast that Cobra made. I was wondering if the Russian government was aware of it." Hawk finally sat down in his chair.

"Yes. I contacted them immediately. Thank you for your concern, General. Now I must bid you good day." The Russian man hung up the phone. Hawk just stared at the phone in disbelief. He reached over and hung up the phone.

A soft knock from his office door brought him out of his thoughts. "Come in."

Cover Girl opened the door and handed Hawk a report folder. "That's what Scarlett and I have been able to get so far. Something the matter, Hawk?"

Hawk looked up from the report. "Hm? Oh. Nothing. Just confused about something." He scratched his forehead and pushed out from behind his desk. He got up and paced the office again. "I just tried calling my old friend Vladamir Volkov. I wanted to ask him if he knew about the broadcast that Cobra had done. He acted like he didn't know me. It was the oddest thing."

"I don't know what to tell you, Hawk. Maybe he's under pressure from the Russian government not to talk about it. A lot of governments do that." Cover Girl shrugged her shoulders.

"No, I got the feeling he didn't know who I was. Like he was a different person." Hawk stared at a picture of him and the Russian man together. "You don't think Cobra could be involved? Using synthoids again? I wouldn't put it past them to try something like that again."

Cover Girl was about to answer when the lights in the office started to flicker. Hawk and Cover Girl stared at the ceiling for a moment. The lights' flickering quickened then finally stop. The lights went dead. All the other electronics went out as well. Cover Girl sighed to herself. "Cobra Commander made good on his promise." She looked at the light gray haze out of the window.

Hawk swore under his breath. "Why am I surprised that he's an hour early? Get Scarlett, Mainframe and Dial Tone. Meet me in the war room. We have to discuss what you've uncovered so far." Cover Girl saluted and left the office. Hawk looked at the picture again then left the his office and headed to the war room.

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The light gray haze formed around the four figures that were scaling the side of the frozen mountain. Alpine reached the top of the mountain and helped Bazooka up. Bazooka looked around at the gray haze that was all around him. "Looks like Los Angeles," he said in his gravely voice.

Alpine helped Iceberg and Snow Job up. He stood next to Bazooka and looked around. He waved his hand in the air. "Nah. LA is much worse. Your lungs would get filled with this garbage." Alpine glanced over his shoulder at Snow Job and Iceberg. "Let's go help them set up camp, Dum-Dum."

Snow Job started to hammer the serrated stake into the rock for the tents. Iceberg was looking at the map. He pulled out a red grease crayon and marked their location. "If we leave at dawn, we can make it to the control cube in a half day. Now who has cooking duties?"

"I'll take it. I don't think I can take Bazooka Surprise again. Alpine, keep the tent stiff while I tighten this all up." Snow Job waited for Alpine to hold it steady. He then hit each stake a final time and tied the strings supporting the tent. "Okay, one more and we're finished." Snow Job looked over his shoulder to Bazooka. "Hey Bazook! Go gather some wood wouldja?"

"Nuh-uh." Bazooka shook his head.

Snow Job looked at Bazooka somewhat confused. "Why not?"

"Cobra might see the smoke." Bazooka smiled.

"We're a half a day away from them, Dum-Dum! Go get the wood. I'm hungry and freezing little Alpine off." Alpine held the support pole for Snow Job on the next tent.

Bazooka shrugged and disappeared into the thinly wooded forest. Iceberg looked up from the map. "That was unusually smart of Bazooka to think of the smoke giving away our position. Maybe we should err on the side of safety just this once."

Snow Job finished with the fourth and last tent. "After we cook some food. We'll put the fire out. We do have the counter measure device for the Pyramid so we can use the silent generators and the electric blankets." Alpine and Iceberg slowly agreed with Snow Job.

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The old jeep bounced over the rocky terrain. The passengers inside held on to it's sides tightly. Recondo drove the jeep over the smaller rocks that were sticking out of the dirt road. Wild Bill and Flint held the crate in the bed steady. Lady Jaye carried the jammer that Mainframe had given her. The jeep bounced over a large rock in the road and landed hard. A loud thud sounded from under the vehicle.

Recondo got out and looked under the jeep. He slowly stood up and brushed the dust off of his pants. "Well, that does it. Engine fell out after that last boulder. Flint, Wild Bill let's unload the crate and get moving." Recondo walked to the back of the jeep and helped pull the crate off the back of the dead jeep.

"I think you can turn the jammer off now, LJ," Flint said opening one end of the crate. "We won't need it till later and I want to save the battery power. Who knows what Mainframe rigged up to power that thing." He cleared out some of the packing material and put it in the back of the jeep. He pulled out a brand new mountain bike, then three others.

Wild Bill tipped his hat up a bit and scratched his forehead. "I don't like these things, Flint. They ain't natural like riding a horse or flying a copter. They're flimsy as all heck too." He scratched his mustache while frowning at the bikes.

Lady Jaye put the jammer in her backpack and started inflating the tires on her bike. "Right now Bill, it's the only transport we have. The jeep is totaled and walking isn't an option here. Now I'm sure Recondo packed a pair of training wheels in there for you." She handed the pump to Flint and adjusted the tension on the spring for the rear tire.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, LJ. I grew up riding bikes as a kid," Wild Bill said after looking his bike over. "How do you think I learned to ride a motorbike?" He smiled and started inflating his tires. He tested the tension on the shocks.

Flint looked at his watch. "Okay Joes, let's can the talk and get moving. We're ahead of schedule, but not by much. Recondo, you lead the way." Flint and the other Joes made a quick check of the weapons and supplies. Once ready, they got on the bikes and coasted down the hill.

Recondo led them down a path that was freshly cut. It was steep, but still level enough for them to ride safely down. Near the bottom of the hill, Recondo stopped his bike and held his hand up for the others to stop. They stopped just silently. Recondo hopped off his bike and disappeared into the dense jungle.

Lady Jaye opened her mouth to question where Recondo went. Flint held up his finger to his mouth. The sound of a brief struggle caused them each to turn in the direction they heard it come from. Moments later Recondo appeared and motioned them to follow him. They did slowly at first then quickened their pace. They found Recondo standing in front of an unconscious Cobra soldier he had tied up.

Each G.I. Joe member looked at Recondo confused. "It's a Cobra soldier. So what?" Lady Jaye said bluntly.

"No, it's not." Recondo took the helmet and pulled the scarf covering his mouth down. Each Joe recognized the blonde man in front of them. "It's Duke."

TO BE CONCLUDED IN "HOLLOW VICTORY"

PART 5 OF TO RULE THE WORLD