ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
In the shimmering glow of twilight, the small group of Joes stood together before the graves of their friends. Some of the bodies, such as those of Hawk, Gung Ho, Beach Head, and Low Light, could not be recovered. Their fresh graves bore their names all the same.
One month had passed since the disastrous battle with Cobra. The G.I. JOE team, under Scarlett's leadership, maintained itself in a state of readiness, to the extent that it could. New recruits had come in and training had begun, but all the surviving Joes knew that their deceased friends could not be replaced. The strange thing was that Cobra had been completely silent and inactive. Scarlett could not find a single trace of Cobra activity anywhere in the world. They were waiting. They were planning something. She could not possibly know for sure, but she felt this instinctively.
"Flint died for nothing," Lady Jaye said, walking up to the grave stone, which bore the name
Faireborn, Dashiell R. "Flint"
"All of our friends died for nothing," she said.
Behind Lady Jaye, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Stalker, and Falcon watched solemnly. Jinx would have come along, but she had elected to use her leave time to pay a visit to her family in Japan. Each of the Joes present had different memories of their friends. Different ghosts who haunted them. Falcon vividly remembered the way Sergeant Slaughter had busted his chops, making him into a better soldier. Snake Eyes looked back to the day when a young colonel named Clayton Abernathy had come to his cabin with Stalker to recruit him for G.I. JOE. Scarlett thought of the missions she had shared with her old buddies, Rock 'N Roll and Breaker.
Lady Jaye was consumed with painful thoughts of the love of her life. The wounds were still fresh.
"Flint," Lady Jaye moaned miserably, "why did you have to leave me? How could you leave me like this? There's no honor, no glory. We were tricked. They trapped us and destroyed us. You didn't even die for your country. You died for nothing but a dirty trick."
Stalker put a hand on Lady Jaye's shoulder.
"It's just not fair," Lady Jaye said.
"I know," Stalker said. "We know you and Flint loved each other. We know it's not fair. It's all right. Let it out."
Lady Jaye's defenses broke down entirely, and she began sobbing inconsolably. She turned around and clutched at Stalker, and Stalker gently put his arms around her.
"We were a family," Lady Jaye cried, "how could they tear us apart like this? How?"
"Let it all out," Stalker said.
* * *
AMTRACK RAIL STATION – WASHINGTON, D.C.
The train station was completely empty. There was not a soul in sight.
Running through the spacious concourses, Scarlett's shoes echoed loudly on the floor as she looked in every direction.
"Anybody here?" Scarlett cried out.
They were all supposed to meet at the train station to take the train back to the Joe headquarters in Staten Island, New York. But now, not only were her teammates not there, the rest of the general population seemed to have disappeared.
By now, Scarlett had forgotten where she was. She stood in front of a restaurant and bar and bent down, striving to catch her breath. Soon, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.
Looking up, Scarlett found Snake Eyes.
"Snake Eyes, thank God I found you. Where you been?"
"Looking for the others," Snake Eyes signed.
"Everyone just disappeared all of a sudden. Where'd they all go?"
Snake Eyes shrugged.
"I don't like this," Scarlett said, walking up to him. "This is freaking me out."
"Look," Snake Eyes pointed to a television at the bar that had been left on. The television was silent. It was on mute, and the captions were turned on. On the television screen, Scarlett and Snake Eyes watched the horrifying footage of people running and screaming. Some were bleeding. The camera was on the move and chaotic, as if the person filming was trying to run from something or someone.
"What is this?"
The television captions flashed across the screen.
HUNDREDS OF INNOCENTS HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED KILLED HERE AT CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA
Scarlett and Snake Eyes stared in shock.
AT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ROUTINE NASA SHUTTLE LAUNCH, TERRORISTS HAVE ATTACKED WITH FULL MILITARY FORCE
The camera fell to the ground, and someone wearing black boots came running toward the camera.
SEIZING THE LAUNCH GROUNDS. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE LAUNCHED SOME KIND OF SATELLITE
It was a Cobra trooper.
The camera went dark.
"This is pretty heavy," Scarlett said, astonished.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"We gotta call headquarters."
"That's funny," Scarlett said as she listened into the pay phone. "No one's answering. Someone is always supposed to be monitoring this line. What could have happened?"
Scarlett and Snake Eyes, deciding that their best bet was to try and find a car to drive back to New York, wandered through the empty streets of Washington, D.C.
A black BMW pulled up. The window opened and the driver, a nervous looking young man in his twenties, peered out.
"What the fuck is going on?" the young man said. "Can you tell me?"
"I was hoping you could tell us," Scarlett said.
"I was just cruising in my office, doing my work, when I suddenly notice everyone get up and leave. And I thought, what the fuck is this?"
"Then what?" Scarlett said.
"All the people, all over the city, were headed somewhere. They looked all weirded out. They looked like fucking zombies."
"Did you see where they went?" Scarlett said, thinking of her missing friends.
"Me? Fuck that! I wanted to get the hell out and find some real people!"
* * *
Scarlett and Snake Eyes sped down the New Jersey Turnpike toward New York. Occasionally, they would see other drivers on the road, meaning that they weren't the last people left. Still, the highway was unusually traffic- free.
"We've got to find out what's going on," Scarlett said to Snake Eyes. "Whatever is happening, it must have something to do with that attack on the launching grounds and the launching of that satellite. Cobra is up to something."
"Whatever it is, it's working," Snake Eyes signed.
* * *
It was late at night when Scarlett and Snake Eyes arrived at G.I. JOE headquarters in Staten Island.
Scarlett and Snake Eyes took out their pistols and slowly walked into G.I. JOE headquarters.
There was no one there.
"Where is everyone?" Scarlett said as she and Snake Eyes entered the control room.
Suddenly, Snake Eyes tensed into battle position. Scarlett noticed right away and aimed her pistol at the door through which they had entered.
A squad of Cobra Vipers charged into the room.
"Cobra?" Scarlett said.
She and Snake Eyes immediately opened fire.
"Take them alive! Take them alive!" one of the Vipers shouted.
Five Vipers fell before the enemy troops managed to encircle and surround the two Joes. Realizing they were outnumbered and outgunned, Scarlett and Snake Eyes dropped their weapons.
"Excellent work," a voice said. Scarlett felt a chill at recognizing that voice.
The Baroness strolled into the room flanked by Zartan and Dr. Mindbender.
"Two of our missing Joes have finally decided to join us," the Baroness said with sinister glee.
With a snap of his fingers, the Baroness ordered the Vipers to seize Snake Eyes. They led him away in handcuffs. Snake Eyes looked as if he were trying to cry out to Scarlett. He would have screamed her name if he had a voice to do so.
"Snake Eyes!" Scarlett called out to him.
"Where are you taking him?" Scarlett demanded.
"Easy, my impetuous friend. He's going to be re-educated."
"Re-educated? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"By now, you must know about our attack and hijacking of the satellite launching grounds," Dr. Mindbender said.
"We have launched a satellite into orbit that is capable of transmitting brainwashing signals over all of North America," Dr. Mindbender explained.
"But the signal does not work on everyone, for some unknown reason," the Baroness explained. "5% of all people in this country have been unaffected."
"That's why we are now seeing to it that Snake Eyes will join the other 95% of his brainwashed fellow Americans," Zartan said.
"You bastards!" Scarlett cried, indignant. "How dare you!"
"Leave us," the Baroness said to Zartan and Mindbender. The Baroness faced Scarlett, in the company of a dozen armed Vipers.
"Frisk her and tie her up," the Baroness ordered. One of the Vipers, after finding Scarlett clean, proceeded to bind her in handcuffs and ankle chains.
"What are you going to do to me?" Scarlett whispered, afraid for the first time.
"We know that you are the leader of G.I. JOE," the Baroness said. "You are the commander of G.I. JOE by default, since all of the other senior officers have either been killed or have left."
"Yeah? So what?"
"The rest of the world is wondering what happened down in Florida today," the Baroness said.
"At least two hundred, maybe more, were disposed of."
"You people are cold blooded murderers."
"They got in the way," the Baroness said with ruthless indifference.
"Okay, sure," Scarlett said.
"As leader of G.I. JOE, you are responsible for the conduct of the men and women under your command."
The Baroness paced back and forth in front of a bewildered Scarlett.
"It is therefore your DUTY to go on television and let the world know that G.I. JOE was responsible for everything."
"You're out of your mind!" Scarlett exclaimed.
"If you cooperate, I'll go easy on you," the Baroness said.
The idea of letting G.I. JOE claim responsibility, insane as it sounded, was repugnant to her. Scarlett could hardly imagine standing up in front of a television camera and saying such a horrible lie. It was demeaning. It was worse than demeaning. It was the most utterly degrading, soul abasing, wretchedly humiliating thing she could imagine.
"Never," Scarlett said.
"Have it your way," the Baroness said as she left the room.
Immediately, a Viper punched Scarlett in the stomach. Caught by surprise, Scarlett doubled over, the breath knocked out of her. The Viper stood before her, rubbing his fists, hungry for more.
"Hey pal," Scarlett breathed. "Didn't your mama ever tell you it's not nice to hit a lady?"
The Viper kicked her in the chest, and Scarlett flew backward.
Scarlett felt blood on the back of her head. Her chin and left cheek was bruised. She stood up in chains and defiantly stared at her attackers.
Another Viper, standing by, said, "Listen, all you gotta do is say yes and it will stop."
"Go to hell, asshole," Scarlett growled.
Two Vipers grabbed her by each side and threw her through a glass window. The glass shattered as Scarlett fell through, cut and bruised.
* * *
Where am I?
Scarlett awoke from a momentary state of unconsciousness and realized that she was in a detention cell. She was no longer in chains, but she could hardly move.
"Oh," she groaned, feeling pain even in the act of speaking.
Scarlett had no idea how long she had been tortured by the Vipers. Probably as long as a full hour. They had punched, kicked, and thrown her around, hoping to break her, but she refused to yield.
The price had been great. Scarlett could no longer stand up. She touched a bloodied hand to her chest and felt something moving. It was her ribs. Maybe three or four ribs had been broken. One of her arms was broken as well, and one of her ankles was swollen. It was probably sprained.
And her face…
Scarlett felt her face gingerly. Still in one piece, no major lacerations. A few minor bruises.
Why had they spared her face?
So she could go on TV, she realized.
"I feel like home made shit," Scarlett whispered in agony.
If they tortured her any more, she did not know how much longer she could hold out. She was mentally weakened, and any kind of chemical coercion could easily force her to make the hated statement. Escape was out of the question. The other Joes could not be counted on to rescue her. At this moment, even Snake Eyes was probably being brainwashed into serving Cobra. The very thought made her skin crawl. Even if she did get out, in her condition, she would not make it very far.
That left either torture, or…
Scarlett felt a shard of glass in her hand. It had come from one of the windows the Vipers had thrown her through. Now, Scarlett held the shard of glass in her hand. She weakly held the piece of glass in the light and reflected on it.
They'll torture me, she thought to herself. They'll torture me until they break every bone in my body, or until I'm dead.
"I won't let them," Scarlett said weakly as she held the sharp edge of glass to her neck and cut her throat.
Immediately, Scarlett collapsed to the floor. Her head landed on the floor with a resounding thud, and everything went black, even the pain faded away…
* * *
The next morning, a STUN drove to an empty road, not far from G.I. JOE headquarters.
"Get rid of her," the STUN driver ordered two Vipers who were riding in each of the two compartments.
The two Vipers leapt out of the vehicle. Walking around to the back, they grabbed Scarlett out from the gunner's seat, where she sat limply and quietly.
"That's all?" one of the Vipers said. "We're just gonna throw her away out here?"
"Fucking girl cut her own throat. She's fucking useless now. She'll be dead by sundown."
One Viper held Scarlett by the armpits, while the other held onto her feet. Together, they heaved her unconscious body over the side of the road. Scarlett felt nothing as she landed in a field of tall grass and weeds.
"That's it, man," one of the Vipers shouted. "Let's get the hell out of here."
The STUN drove away.
Half an hour later, a figure approached Scarlett through the tall grass. Stopping and checking for enemies periodically, it finally reached Scarlett.
"My God, what did they do to you?"
After a cursory examination, Mainframe pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around Scarlett's neck. He slowly and gently hefted Scarlett over his shoulders and carried her away to safety.
In the shimmering glow of twilight, the small group of Joes stood together before the graves of their friends. Some of the bodies, such as those of Hawk, Gung Ho, Beach Head, and Low Light, could not be recovered. Their fresh graves bore their names all the same.
One month had passed since the disastrous battle with Cobra. The G.I. JOE team, under Scarlett's leadership, maintained itself in a state of readiness, to the extent that it could. New recruits had come in and training had begun, but all the surviving Joes knew that their deceased friends could not be replaced. The strange thing was that Cobra had been completely silent and inactive. Scarlett could not find a single trace of Cobra activity anywhere in the world. They were waiting. They were planning something. She could not possibly know for sure, but she felt this instinctively.
"Flint died for nothing," Lady Jaye said, walking up to the grave stone, which bore the name
Faireborn, Dashiell R. "Flint"
"All of our friends died for nothing," she said.
Behind Lady Jaye, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Stalker, and Falcon watched solemnly. Jinx would have come along, but she had elected to use her leave time to pay a visit to her family in Japan. Each of the Joes present had different memories of their friends. Different ghosts who haunted them. Falcon vividly remembered the way Sergeant Slaughter had busted his chops, making him into a better soldier. Snake Eyes looked back to the day when a young colonel named Clayton Abernathy had come to his cabin with Stalker to recruit him for G.I. JOE. Scarlett thought of the missions she had shared with her old buddies, Rock 'N Roll and Breaker.
Lady Jaye was consumed with painful thoughts of the love of her life. The wounds were still fresh.
"Flint," Lady Jaye moaned miserably, "why did you have to leave me? How could you leave me like this? There's no honor, no glory. We were tricked. They trapped us and destroyed us. You didn't even die for your country. You died for nothing but a dirty trick."
Stalker put a hand on Lady Jaye's shoulder.
"It's just not fair," Lady Jaye said.
"I know," Stalker said. "We know you and Flint loved each other. We know it's not fair. It's all right. Let it out."
Lady Jaye's defenses broke down entirely, and she began sobbing inconsolably. She turned around and clutched at Stalker, and Stalker gently put his arms around her.
"We were a family," Lady Jaye cried, "how could they tear us apart like this? How?"
"Let it all out," Stalker said.
* * *
AMTRACK RAIL STATION – WASHINGTON, D.C.
The train station was completely empty. There was not a soul in sight.
Running through the spacious concourses, Scarlett's shoes echoed loudly on the floor as she looked in every direction.
"Anybody here?" Scarlett cried out.
They were all supposed to meet at the train station to take the train back to the Joe headquarters in Staten Island, New York. But now, not only were her teammates not there, the rest of the general population seemed to have disappeared.
By now, Scarlett had forgotten where she was. She stood in front of a restaurant and bar and bent down, striving to catch her breath. Soon, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.
Looking up, Scarlett found Snake Eyes.
"Snake Eyes, thank God I found you. Where you been?"
"Looking for the others," Snake Eyes signed.
"Everyone just disappeared all of a sudden. Where'd they all go?"
Snake Eyes shrugged.
"I don't like this," Scarlett said, walking up to him. "This is freaking me out."
"Look," Snake Eyes pointed to a television at the bar that had been left on. The television was silent. It was on mute, and the captions were turned on. On the television screen, Scarlett and Snake Eyes watched the horrifying footage of people running and screaming. Some were bleeding. The camera was on the move and chaotic, as if the person filming was trying to run from something or someone.
"What is this?"
The television captions flashed across the screen.
HUNDREDS OF INNOCENTS HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED KILLED HERE AT CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA
Scarlett and Snake Eyes stared in shock.
AT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ROUTINE NASA SHUTTLE LAUNCH, TERRORISTS HAVE ATTACKED WITH FULL MILITARY FORCE
The camera fell to the ground, and someone wearing black boots came running toward the camera.
SEIZING THE LAUNCH GROUNDS. THEY APPEAR TO HAVE LAUNCHED SOME KIND OF SATELLITE
It was a Cobra trooper.
The camera went dark.
"This is pretty heavy," Scarlett said, astonished.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"We gotta call headquarters."
"That's funny," Scarlett said as she listened into the pay phone. "No one's answering. Someone is always supposed to be monitoring this line. What could have happened?"
Scarlett and Snake Eyes, deciding that their best bet was to try and find a car to drive back to New York, wandered through the empty streets of Washington, D.C.
A black BMW pulled up. The window opened and the driver, a nervous looking young man in his twenties, peered out.
"What the fuck is going on?" the young man said. "Can you tell me?"
"I was hoping you could tell us," Scarlett said.
"I was just cruising in my office, doing my work, when I suddenly notice everyone get up and leave. And I thought, what the fuck is this?"
"Then what?" Scarlett said.
"All the people, all over the city, were headed somewhere. They looked all weirded out. They looked like fucking zombies."
"Did you see where they went?" Scarlett said, thinking of her missing friends.
"Me? Fuck that! I wanted to get the hell out and find some real people!"
* * *
Scarlett and Snake Eyes sped down the New Jersey Turnpike toward New York. Occasionally, they would see other drivers on the road, meaning that they weren't the last people left. Still, the highway was unusually traffic- free.
"We've got to find out what's going on," Scarlett said to Snake Eyes. "Whatever is happening, it must have something to do with that attack on the launching grounds and the launching of that satellite. Cobra is up to something."
"Whatever it is, it's working," Snake Eyes signed.
* * *
It was late at night when Scarlett and Snake Eyes arrived at G.I. JOE headquarters in Staten Island.
Scarlett and Snake Eyes took out their pistols and slowly walked into G.I. JOE headquarters.
There was no one there.
"Where is everyone?" Scarlett said as she and Snake Eyes entered the control room.
Suddenly, Snake Eyes tensed into battle position. Scarlett noticed right away and aimed her pistol at the door through which they had entered.
A squad of Cobra Vipers charged into the room.
"Cobra?" Scarlett said.
She and Snake Eyes immediately opened fire.
"Take them alive! Take them alive!" one of the Vipers shouted.
Five Vipers fell before the enemy troops managed to encircle and surround the two Joes. Realizing they were outnumbered and outgunned, Scarlett and Snake Eyes dropped their weapons.
"Excellent work," a voice said. Scarlett felt a chill at recognizing that voice.
The Baroness strolled into the room flanked by Zartan and Dr. Mindbender.
"Two of our missing Joes have finally decided to join us," the Baroness said with sinister glee.
With a snap of his fingers, the Baroness ordered the Vipers to seize Snake Eyes. They led him away in handcuffs. Snake Eyes looked as if he were trying to cry out to Scarlett. He would have screamed her name if he had a voice to do so.
"Snake Eyes!" Scarlett called out to him.
"Where are you taking him?" Scarlett demanded.
"Easy, my impetuous friend. He's going to be re-educated."
"Re-educated? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"By now, you must know about our attack and hijacking of the satellite launching grounds," Dr. Mindbender said.
"We have launched a satellite into orbit that is capable of transmitting brainwashing signals over all of North America," Dr. Mindbender explained.
"But the signal does not work on everyone, for some unknown reason," the Baroness explained. "5% of all people in this country have been unaffected."
"That's why we are now seeing to it that Snake Eyes will join the other 95% of his brainwashed fellow Americans," Zartan said.
"You bastards!" Scarlett cried, indignant. "How dare you!"
"Leave us," the Baroness said to Zartan and Mindbender. The Baroness faced Scarlett, in the company of a dozen armed Vipers.
"Frisk her and tie her up," the Baroness ordered. One of the Vipers, after finding Scarlett clean, proceeded to bind her in handcuffs and ankle chains.
"What are you going to do to me?" Scarlett whispered, afraid for the first time.
"We know that you are the leader of G.I. JOE," the Baroness said. "You are the commander of G.I. JOE by default, since all of the other senior officers have either been killed or have left."
"Yeah? So what?"
"The rest of the world is wondering what happened down in Florida today," the Baroness said.
"At least two hundred, maybe more, were disposed of."
"You people are cold blooded murderers."
"They got in the way," the Baroness said with ruthless indifference.
"Okay, sure," Scarlett said.
"As leader of G.I. JOE, you are responsible for the conduct of the men and women under your command."
The Baroness paced back and forth in front of a bewildered Scarlett.
"It is therefore your DUTY to go on television and let the world know that G.I. JOE was responsible for everything."
"You're out of your mind!" Scarlett exclaimed.
"If you cooperate, I'll go easy on you," the Baroness said.
The idea of letting G.I. JOE claim responsibility, insane as it sounded, was repugnant to her. Scarlett could hardly imagine standing up in front of a television camera and saying such a horrible lie. It was demeaning. It was worse than demeaning. It was the most utterly degrading, soul abasing, wretchedly humiliating thing she could imagine.
"Never," Scarlett said.
"Have it your way," the Baroness said as she left the room.
Immediately, a Viper punched Scarlett in the stomach. Caught by surprise, Scarlett doubled over, the breath knocked out of her. The Viper stood before her, rubbing his fists, hungry for more.
"Hey pal," Scarlett breathed. "Didn't your mama ever tell you it's not nice to hit a lady?"
The Viper kicked her in the chest, and Scarlett flew backward.
Scarlett felt blood on the back of her head. Her chin and left cheek was bruised. She stood up in chains and defiantly stared at her attackers.
Another Viper, standing by, said, "Listen, all you gotta do is say yes and it will stop."
"Go to hell, asshole," Scarlett growled.
Two Vipers grabbed her by each side and threw her through a glass window. The glass shattered as Scarlett fell through, cut and bruised.
* * *
Where am I?
Scarlett awoke from a momentary state of unconsciousness and realized that she was in a detention cell. She was no longer in chains, but she could hardly move.
"Oh," she groaned, feeling pain even in the act of speaking.
Scarlett had no idea how long she had been tortured by the Vipers. Probably as long as a full hour. They had punched, kicked, and thrown her around, hoping to break her, but she refused to yield.
The price had been great. Scarlett could no longer stand up. She touched a bloodied hand to her chest and felt something moving. It was her ribs. Maybe three or four ribs had been broken. One of her arms was broken as well, and one of her ankles was swollen. It was probably sprained.
And her face…
Scarlett felt her face gingerly. Still in one piece, no major lacerations. A few minor bruises.
Why had they spared her face?
So she could go on TV, she realized.
"I feel like home made shit," Scarlett whispered in agony.
If they tortured her any more, she did not know how much longer she could hold out. She was mentally weakened, and any kind of chemical coercion could easily force her to make the hated statement. Escape was out of the question. The other Joes could not be counted on to rescue her. At this moment, even Snake Eyes was probably being brainwashed into serving Cobra. The very thought made her skin crawl. Even if she did get out, in her condition, she would not make it very far.
That left either torture, or…
Scarlett felt a shard of glass in her hand. It had come from one of the windows the Vipers had thrown her through. Now, Scarlett held the shard of glass in her hand. She weakly held the piece of glass in the light and reflected on it.
They'll torture me, she thought to herself. They'll torture me until they break every bone in my body, or until I'm dead.
"I won't let them," Scarlett said weakly as she held the sharp edge of glass to her neck and cut her throat.
Immediately, Scarlett collapsed to the floor. Her head landed on the floor with a resounding thud, and everything went black, even the pain faded away…
* * *
The next morning, a STUN drove to an empty road, not far from G.I. JOE headquarters.
"Get rid of her," the STUN driver ordered two Vipers who were riding in each of the two compartments.
The two Vipers leapt out of the vehicle. Walking around to the back, they grabbed Scarlett out from the gunner's seat, where she sat limply and quietly.
"That's all?" one of the Vipers said. "We're just gonna throw her away out here?"
"Fucking girl cut her own throat. She's fucking useless now. She'll be dead by sundown."
One Viper held Scarlett by the armpits, while the other held onto her feet. Together, they heaved her unconscious body over the side of the road. Scarlett felt nothing as she landed in a field of tall grass and weeds.
"That's it, man," one of the Vipers shouted. "Let's get the hell out of here."
The STUN drove away.
Half an hour later, a figure approached Scarlett through the tall grass. Stopping and checking for enemies periodically, it finally reached Scarlett.
"My God, what did they do to you?"
After a cursory examination, Mainframe pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around Scarlett's neck. He slowly and gently hefted Scarlett over his shoulders and carried her away to safety.