A Grand Day Out

"I told you that plan wouldn't work!" Mindbender said to Cobra Commander via the communications monitor. "Why did you have me send those BATS out there to catch those mutants?"

"I wanted to test their effectiveness," Cobra Commander told him. "Not to mention bug those Joes some more. If they think we are just going to forget about those mutants they have another think coming!"

"Yes well," Mindbender grumbled. "I don't see why I had to come all the way out here to test them. Can't you get the Baroness or someone else to do these petty annoyances? I still have a lot of work to do on the mutant projects. Not to mention the synthoid army and all the other projects you keep sending me every other day!"

"Cobra Commander wants you to do it because he trusts you to run the operation," Zartan appeared on the screen.

"Yes well as flattered as I am in your faith in me I…" Mindbender looked at Zartan. "What's that on your wrist? Are those…feather covered handcuffs?"

"That's not important right now!" Zartan quickly hid his wrist.

"Just find a way to capture those mutants!" Cobra Commander hissed. "NOW!" The monitor went blank.

"Capture the mutants Mindbender," Mindbender mocked. "Make me a synthoid army Mindbender. Aren't those experiments finished yet Mindbender? What do you mean you haven't found any more mutants Mindbender! AGGGGH!" He slammed his fist on the table. "It's enough to drive a man mad! I swear I have so many projects now I don't know if I'm coming or going! If I didn't know better I'd swear Cobra Commander was giving me all this work to do to keep me occupied and away from something! But what could possibly…"

An alarm sounded. "What now?" He groaned. He looked at the monitor. "Oh wonderful. The mutants I was sent to capture are now attacking the base! Just what I need!"

He pressed the intercom, barking orders. "Get those mutants! Troop A activate what's left of the BATS! Troop B! Break out the tasers! Troop C…"

"We don't have tasers sir!" A soldier cried out. "They never arrived from headquarters!"

"Well improvise!" Mindbender shouted. "Troop C! Where the hell is Troop C?"

"They got recalled back to headquarters sir!" Another solder shouted.

"What moron called them back?" Mindbender screamed.

"Cobra Commander, sir."

"Oh that's a shock!" Mindbender shouted. "Why?"

"I dunno. Something about helping the new mutant commanders move their furniture into the new headquarters or something."

"Wonderful!" Mindbender screamed. "Somebody do something before those mutants tear this base apart!"

However the kids were doing just that. "This is easy!" Lance laughed as he used his powers to tear open holes in the walls.

"Don't get cocky!" Althea called out. "Blob and Toad! Watch the General's back! We don't want him to get hurt!"

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Todd pointed out the General firing a machine gun he 'borrowed' off a Cobra Soldier.

"HAHA!" Whithalf shouted with glee. "Take that you miscreants! I love the smell of things blowing up in the afternoon! It makes me feel so alive!"

"Well you ain't gonna be General if you don't get down!" Todd yanked him down as the bullets whizzed past them.

"CHARGE!" A soldier shouted as a troop of Cobras raced towards them, guns blazing.

Wanda shot a hexbolt at them as well as Pietro using his speed to create a tornado. "RETREAT!" The soldiers screamed.

"We are getting our butts kicked!" Mindbender howled. "Break out the spare ammunition!"

"We don't have any!" Another soldier told him. "It never arrived from headquarters along with half our stuff!"

"Oh forget this!" Mindbender shouted. "I'm out of here! It's every man for himself!" He escaped down a secret tunnel.

Meanwhile the rest of the Joes arrived along with a huge back up force of Joes. "I can't believe those stupid kids!" Beach Head spat.

"It's Whithalf I can't believe!" Roadblock said. "Those kids we have to retrieve!"

"We've finally arrived at the Cobra Base," Wild Bill called out. "What's left of it."

"Holy cow," Low Light whistled when he saw the destruction.

"Hi guys!" Todd waved from on top of a broken HISS tank. "We had a lot of fun today!"

"Yeah we broke this base real good!" Fred smiled.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?" Beach Head snapped.

"Oh no they're not!" Whithalf said. "I quite enjoyed myself! Besides I ordered them to take me along. And you can't have them disobeying orders from a general now can you?"

"Uh…" Beach Head gulped. "No…"

"Roadblock tell General Hawk you've done a wonderful job!" Whithalf smiled. "You are to be congratulated! This program is a success! I will make my final recommendation immediately that you will have permanent custody of these fine young soldiers!"

"You mean we can stay?" Lance blinked. "You're not gonna take us away?"

"And we'll all be together sir?" Todd asked.

"Don't worry young man," Whithalf said. "You have my word that none of you will be split up."

"YAYYYY!" All the kids cheered. Everyone was happy.

Well, not everyone was happy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bragg screamed when he heard the news.

Next up: The kids finally come home to their new and improved house!