Disclaimer: I DO NOT own G. I. Joe. Hasbro and Image do. Marvel once
did, but I don't know about now. So, don't sue me. The only thing I do
own is the Pharaoh Onawa, whose name I made up.
Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a G. I. Joe fic. My Joe lineup consists of Duke, Sgt. Slaughter, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Lady Jaye, Roadblock, and Jinx. My Cobra lineup includes Cobra Commander, Destro, the Baroness, Dr. Mindbender, Zartan, Zarana, and Storm Shadow. I may throw in other characters here and there.
The Pharaoh's Treasure
By Jason Adams
At the Terror Drome, Cobra Commander was sitting on his throne. Destro was expected to meet him soon with reports on Cobra's financial situation. The organization had just spent a fortune on new weapons. He had a gut feeling that Cobra was probably going to be needing more money. Not that you could tell by the look on his face. His hood hid his face completely except for his eyes.
Destro soon walked into the room. "Cobra Commander," he said, "I am afraid I have bad news. Cobra is on the brink of bankruptcy. We barely have enough money to pay the Dreadnoks' fees. We need money and fast."
The Commander pondered the situation. "Mindbender!" he called. Dr. Mindbender approached him.
"Yes, Commander?" asked the scientist.
"I want you to begin searching the globe. See if you can locate possible locations for long-lost treasures."
"Yes, sir," said Mindbender as he left the room.
*Hours later*
"Commander, I have discovered something," said Mindbender as he approached Cobra Commander with a printout of map. "Within the sands of Egypt, buried underneath the Great Sphinx, lies billions of dollars worth of gold. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, Onawa, the richest Pharaoh who ever ruled buried it deep in an underground chamber."
"Excellent work, Mindbender," said the Commander. "We shall leave for Egypt at 08:00 hours tomorrow morning."
"But, sir," said Mindbender. "There's one problem. Over the years, many have searched underneath the Sphinx. The underground chamber is said to be heavily booby-trapped. All who have tried for the treasure have perished."
Cobra Commander pondered Mindbender's story. Finally he said, "This is indeed a problem. But I know how we can get the treasure."
"How?" asked Mindbender.
"Simple," replied the Commander. "We'll get G. I. Joe to lead us right to it!" He laughed as Mindbender looked at him confused.
"How are you going to do that?" asked the scientist.
"That's not your concern. Right now, I want you start preparing Cobra BATs. Also, send Zarana and Storm Shadow to Egypt to search for where we can set up a base."
"Yes, Commander."
*Egypt*
As dawn was approaching in Egypt, Storm Shadow and Zarana were searching for a place to set up a temporary base. They came upon one of the pyramids. The city they were in was a tourist city and was heavily guarded. They came upon one of the pyramids that was near the Great Sphinx. Two guards were there. They had an idea of how to get them out of the way. They were far enough away from any other guards that this could be done without getting their attention. Zarana blended in to the wall while Storm Shadow approached the guards. It was still a little dark, so it was hard for the guards to tell who it was. One of them said, "Hey, you, you can't enter here, tourists hours won't begin for another four hours." Storm Shadow then drew a knife and quickly slit the throat of the guard that had spoken.
The other guard watched in shock. "What the?" He then pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to call for help but a machine-gun sound stopped him. He fell dead.
Zarana walked out of the shadows, a hand-held automatic machine-gun in hand. She said, "Sorry, boys, but you have something we want." She then pulled out her communicator and said, "Zarana to Cobra Commander, we have occupied a pyramid. We can set up base here."
*The Next Afternoon*
Sgt. Slaughter was training the Joes at the Pit. Many of them were worn out after more than an hour of exercise, while Sarge had barely broken a sweat. Even Duke was having a hard time keeping up. Snake-Eyes and Jinx were the only ones who didn't seem tired. "Come on, ya pukes," said Slaughter. "My grandmother's in better shape than you!"
"Duke," said Scarlett, "can't you just tell Sarge to end this session?"
"Sorry, Scarlett," said the Joe leader. "But once Sarge gets started, even I can't stop him."
The workout session ceased when a nearby monitor came on. The Cobra logo was seen, and soon replaced by the hooded face of Cobra Commander. "Attention, citizens. Earlier today, Cobra forces occupied the Great Sphinx." The view then changed to show several people tied up. "Many innocent civilians, as well as a few of Egypt's government representatives, are being held for ransom." The view then switched back to the Commander. "The United Nations have 24 hours to pay one billion dollars in exchange for their safety . . . .one billion dollars from each U. N. representative!" He laughed like the madman that he was as the transmission ended.
At Cobra's temporary base, Cobra Commander approached the Baroness. "Well, did the transmission get through?"
"Yes, Commander," answered the leather-clad villainess. "We can expect G. I. Joe to attempt a 'rescue' at any moment."
"Excellent."
Back at the Pit, Duke said, "Well, Joes, it looks like duty calls. To Egypt, on the double! Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" cried the other Joes in unison. Each member of G. I. Joe that was present began boarding Skystriker jets and Tomahawk helicopters.
When the Joes arrived in Egypt, they set down near the Great Sphinx. They approached it and noticed that there was an opening with a monitor attached above it. "Why would Cobra just let us enter?" asked Jinx.
As he looked at the monitor, Duke said, "I have a feeling we're about to find out."
Duke was proven right as the monitor came on, revealing Cobra Commander's hooded face. "Hello, G. I. Joe. This is Cobra Commander, and I'm sure you're wondering, 'Why would Cobra just let us enter?' It's simple. We just want you to know how dangerous your rescue mission is. You will find that along the course of your journey, you will find several booby traps. No one has ever survived a trip underneath the Great Sphinx. Until today when Cobra forces took the hostages through. So you can either have the U. N. pay the ransom, or you can try to rescue them. Have a nice day." He laughed as the monitor turned off.
"Something doesn't feel right here," said Scarlett. "It doesn't make sense that Cobra would just tell us what we're up against. What if there really are no hostages and Cobra is just playing us for the fool?"
"That's a good point, Scarlett," said Duke. "But we can't take the risk of the possibility that there are hostages. Sarge, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, and Jinx, you're all with me. Lady Jaye, you have command. Keep an eye out for the snakes. And, Roadblock, you contact headquarters and have Mainframe research this underground chamber. Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" cried the others. Duke and his team then set off on their mission.
Back in the pyramid, Cobra Commander and Destro kept watch. "Your plan didn't work so well, Commander," said Destro. "Only five Joes are headed underneath the Sphinx."
"Not only that," added the Baroness, "but they could figure out what we're really up to!"
"I anticipated that," the Commander said coolly. He pressed a button, revealing a dish that had been unseen by the Joes. It was cleverly hidden inside the eye of the Sphinx. "This jammer dish that Mindbender installed shall cut off all communications. And as for the other part of our plan. . . ." He went over to a spot in the center of the pyramid. He pressed a button on a remote and a hidden door slid open. "Zartan and some of the Vipers bore this tunnel into the ground earlier this morning . That way we can follow the Joes underground without being spotted by the Joes on the surface. Now if you'll excuse me, I must change into my Battle Armor. Zartan and the others are waiting for me." He then left to get ready.
Back at the Sphinx, Lady Jaye approached Roadblock. He seemed to be having trouble getting through. "Have you contacted Mainframe yet?"
"Negative, Lady Jaye," answered the heavy machine gunner. Then using the poetry that ran in his family, he said, "I don't know why, but I can't get by."
Jaye started to wonder if there was more to what was going on than met the eye. "Keep trying, Roadblock," she said before leaving. She wanted to think this situation over on her own.
In the underground tunnel, Duke and his team began trekking through it. "I got a bad feeling about this place," said Jinx.
"And you ninjas call yourselves night stalkers," said Slaughter. "With everything I've seen, almost nothing surprises me anymore."
"I wonder when we'll come across some booby traps," wondered Scarlett aloud.
A few moments later, the five Joes found an old torch with no flame stuck in the wall. "Hey," said Jinx, "this should give us some extra light." As she tried to pull the torch out, Snake-Eyes snatched his old student away. However, she kept her grip and when the torch came out, acid sprayed from the wall. Luckily, Jinx was out of the way. The five Joes watched for almost a minute until the acid finally stopped spraying. When it was done, Jinx turned to her old teacher and said, "Thanks. I'd have been melted if you hadn't pulled me away." Snake-Eyes nodded.
"How'd you know that this was a trap?" Scarlett asked her fiancé. Snake- Eyes pointed to the torch that Jinx held. Scarlett wasn't sure what that meant.
"I think what he's trying to say," began Slaughter, "is that the torch was supposed to keep intruders away."
"Of course," said Duke. "Whoever built this chamber must have known that someone would need light in order to get through the tunnel to the treasure."
"Maybe we should get going," said Scarlett. "We don't have a whole lot of time to find those hostages that we're hoping to find."
Unbeknownst to the Joes, someone in the shadows was watching them. The figure stepped out, revealing himself to be Zartan. He smiled and evil smile. He then pulled out his com and said, "Zartan to Cobra Commander."
The Commander, clad in his Battle Armor, responded, "Report, Zartan."
"The Joes have just passed the first trap. All five are still alive and looking for the 'hostages.'"
"Excellent. Continue to follow them. Report to me again when the Joes pass the next trap. Or if they die. Cobra Commander out." He then turned to his vipers and several Cobra BATs. He and three other Dreadnoks, Torch, Ripper, and Buzzer were in tanks small enough to maneuver through the caves, but big enough to transport the treasure. The engines were also silent for this occasion. "Cobra forces, follow me!" They then set off to steal the Pharaoh's treasure.
Back outside the pyramid, Lady Jaye was on her laptop attempting to research the tunnel underneath the Sphinx. It had been almost an hour since Duke and his team left. Something then caused her to look worried. "Oh no," she said. She quickly pulled out her com and cried, "Duke, come in, this is Lady Jaye. Over." No response. She tried again. "Duke, come in, please! I repeat, come in! Do you read me?" Nothing. She then began to think. She went over to Roadblock and asked, "Roadblock, have you contacted Mainframe yet?"
"Still negative," answered Roadblock. "I really hate it when I get frustrated."
"Something must be blocking us," Jaye finally concluded.
However, Lady Jaye's forces were still being spied upon. A viper called, "Destro, sir!"
"What is it?" asked the silver-masked man.
"The Joes are on to us. They're searching for our jammer dish."
"Keep an eye on them," Destro ordered. "Contact me if they find the dish."
"Yes, sir."
Destro then approached the Baroness. "Come, my love. We must prepare for battle."
During the course of this hour, Duke and his group had managed to get past all of the booby traps. One of the traps was wooden spikes that came from the wall and met in the middle. They were deadly enough to stab anyone to death. Another trap was a seemingly bottomless pit. All this time, Zartan stayed with them unseen. After every trap, he contacted Cobra Commander, and told him of what happened.
"How much further?" the Commander asked of a Viper.
"According to Dr. Mindbender's map," he answered, "the Joes should be approaching the last trap after Zartan's last report."
"Excellent!" declared the Commander. He then opened his com and said, "Cobra Commander to Zartan. When the Joes pass the last trap, stay put. We will join you shortly. I want all of us to be there when we hand the Joes our little 'surprise.'" He laughed as he finished. The vehicles picked up speed and headed to where Zartan was, the Vipers and BATs close behind.
Duke and his team finally reached the end of their journey. They were in a large room with pillars all around. A door was straight ahead of them, about 200 yards away. "Wow," breathed Jinx. "This place is huge."
"But where would the hostages be held?" Scarlett asked.
"Fools!" said a familiar, evil voice. "There are no hostages!"
The five Joes turned to see Cobra Commander, Zartan, his Dreadnoks, and several Vipers and Cobra BATs.
"You fools fell right into our trap," declared the Commander.
"But what about that transmission?" asked Sgt. Slaughter.
"Ha!" said Cobra Commander. "That transmission was completely fake. We simply made it to lure you in. And I must congratulate you. You five are the first ones to survive a trip underneath the Great Sphinx."
"But what's so special about this place?" asked Duke.
"Well, since you won't live to tell anyone, I might as well tell you. This underground chamber holds billions of dollars worth of gold and treasure. And we must thank you for leading us right to it." He noticed Scarlett reaching for her com. The Commander simply stood there and said, "Don't bother, my beauty. All communications have been cut off. And now, the time has come for your demise. Cobra!"
With that, every Cobra minion began firing. All five Joes moved and hid behind a pillar. Vipers and BATs charged into the room, firing away. From behind their pillars, the Joes tried to fight back.
Back outside, Ace was in a Skystriker with Lady Jaye, trying to find what could be blocking communications. His radar then picked up something. "Lady Jaye," he said, "it seems that what we're looking for is right in the eye of the Sphinx."
"Open up my canopy, Ace," LJ ordered as she loaded her spear gun. Ace did as he was told. When they got close enough to the Sphinx, she took her shot. Her aim was true as the spear hit its mark.
This was noticed inside the pyramid. A viper said, "Destro, sir! They've destroyed the jammer dish!"
"Then we must act fast," said Destro. He then turned to several Vipers and BATs, as well as the Baroness, Storm Shadow, Zarana, and several other Cobra members. "Cobra forces, attack! Cobra!"
"Cobra!" yelled the others in unison.
The Cobra troops then charged from the pyramid. They attacked either on foot or with Cobra Invaders or Power Fighters.
Back outside, the Joes saw the attack coming. "Here they come!" yelled Roadblock. "Yo Joe!" Roadblock led the ground attack along with several G. I. Joe Infantry soldiers. Ace, with Lady Jaye, led the air attack.
Back underneath the Sphinx, Duke's team was trying to stop Cobra Commander's squad. There were several dead Vipers and destroyed BATs, but unless some kind of miracle happened, this was going to be a losing cause.
"Zartan," ordered the Commander, "You stay here and keep the Joes at bay! The other Dreadnoks and I will seize the treasure!" Zartan nodded. He, the Vipers, and BATs hid behind other pillars, covering the Commander and the Dreadnoks as they made their way to where the treasure was held. "Dreadnoks," ordered the Commander, "destroy this barrier!"
Torch started blasting the stone door with his flame-thrower. Buzzer attempted to cut through it with his chainsaw. Ripper used a bladed weapon that looked like a hand-held "jaws of life" to cut through it as well. They finally succeeded. Cobra Commander looked at the treasure in awe. It was one of those rare moments in which he was actually speechless! Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and said, "Start loading."
The Joes noticed the Commander and the Dreadnoks loading the treasure into their small vehicles. Being outnumbered and low on ammo, there was nothing they could do accept hope to survive. When the treasure was loaded, Cobra Commander ordered, "Cobra, retreat! We have what we came for!" The Commander then sped out of the chamber, followed by the three Dreadnoks. Zartan jumped onto the side of Buzzer's vehicle. The Vipers and BATs kept firing away until their superiors were out. They then followed suit. When they were gone, Duke said, "Come on, we've got to follow them!"
As Cobra was escaping, Cobra Commander, using the com-link on the helmet of his Battle Armor said, "Cobra Commander calling Destro!"
On the battlefield, Destro, in his Dominator, said, "Destro here! We're in the midst of battle!"
"We have the treasure!" said the Commander. "Try and get your Dominator ready to transport it back to base!"
"I will activate my tracer," Destro responded. "Meet me where it leads you. That way we can load the treasure safely."
On the battlefield, there were several dead vipers and deactivated BATs. G. I. Joe's casualties included several infantry soldiers. Rock n Roll, Heavy Duty, and Gung Ho were among those who were severely injured. Gunfire was everywhere as each side continued to duke it out.
The vehicles that Cobra Commander and Dreadnoks piloted exited the pyramid. They headed west of the pyramid. Apparently, the signal from Destro's tracer was coming from that way. A pod opened up on the Dominator. The treasure was quickly dumped inside. Once it was done, Cobra Commander joined Destro and the Baroness in the cockpit of the Dominator. Zartan approached the Commander's vehicle as he ordered, "Zartan, you and the Dreadnoks have our remaining forces cover our escape! When we're clear, retreat!" Zartan nodded. Normally, he didn't like taking orders from Cobra Commander, but he knew that his Dreadnoks were being paid enough money that they wouldn't need to perform another job for a long time. The vehicles charged toward the battlefield, firing away. After the Dominator was out of sight, Zartan ordered via the vehicle's com, "Cobra forces, retreat!"
When they were gone, Lady Jaye pulled out her com. "Duke, do you read me?" There was nothing but static for a few moments. She was about to try again when a voice broke through the static.
"Duke here. Is everything okay? What happened to Cobra?"
"They got away, sir," LJ reported with regret. "Are you hurt?"
Duke then stepped out of the pyramid with the others close behind. This surprised everyone. "Physically, we're fine," said the Joe leader. "But Cobra has taken the treasure."
Slaughter then said, "That means Cobra now has enough money to become more powerful than ever. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And when Cobra strikes again, we must be on our guard and better prepared."
"Our mission failed today, Joes," said Duke. "There's nothing we can do now but go home and wait." And with that, the Joes grabbed their wounded and dead and prepared to head for home.
Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a G. I. Joe fic. My Joe lineup consists of Duke, Sgt. Slaughter, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Lady Jaye, Roadblock, and Jinx. My Cobra lineup includes Cobra Commander, Destro, the Baroness, Dr. Mindbender, Zartan, Zarana, and Storm Shadow. I may throw in other characters here and there.
The Pharaoh's Treasure
By Jason Adams
At the Terror Drome, Cobra Commander was sitting on his throne. Destro was expected to meet him soon with reports on Cobra's financial situation. The organization had just spent a fortune on new weapons. He had a gut feeling that Cobra was probably going to be needing more money. Not that you could tell by the look on his face. His hood hid his face completely except for his eyes.
Destro soon walked into the room. "Cobra Commander," he said, "I am afraid I have bad news. Cobra is on the brink of bankruptcy. We barely have enough money to pay the Dreadnoks' fees. We need money and fast."
The Commander pondered the situation. "Mindbender!" he called. Dr. Mindbender approached him.
"Yes, Commander?" asked the scientist.
"I want you to begin searching the globe. See if you can locate possible locations for long-lost treasures."
"Yes, sir," said Mindbender as he left the room.
*Hours later*
"Commander, I have discovered something," said Mindbender as he approached Cobra Commander with a printout of map. "Within the sands of Egypt, buried underneath the Great Sphinx, lies billions of dollars worth of gold. Legend has it that thousands of years ago, Onawa, the richest Pharaoh who ever ruled buried it deep in an underground chamber."
"Excellent work, Mindbender," said the Commander. "We shall leave for Egypt at 08:00 hours tomorrow morning."
"But, sir," said Mindbender. "There's one problem. Over the years, many have searched underneath the Sphinx. The underground chamber is said to be heavily booby-trapped. All who have tried for the treasure have perished."
Cobra Commander pondered Mindbender's story. Finally he said, "This is indeed a problem. But I know how we can get the treasure."
"How?" asked Mindbender.
"Simple," replied the Commander. "We'll get G. I. Joe to lead us right to it!" He laughed as Mindbender looked at him confused.
"How are you going to do that?" asked the scientist.
"That's not your concern. Right now, I want you start preparing Cobra BATs. Also, send Zarana and Storm Shadow to Egypt to search for where we can set up a base."
"Yes, Commander."
*Egypt*
As dawn was approaching in Egypt, Storm Shadow and Zarana were searching for a place to set up a temporary base. They came upon one of the pyramids. The city they were in was a tourist city and was heavily guarded. They came upon one of the pyramids that was near the Great Sphinx. Two guards were there. They had an idea of how to get them out of the way. They were far enough away from any other guards that this could be done without getting their attention. Zarana blended in to the wall while Storm Shadow approached the guards. It was still a little dark, so it was hard for the guards to tell who it was. One of them said, "Hey, you, you can't enter here, tourists hours won't begin for another four hours." Storm Shadow then drew a knife and quickly slit the throat of the guard that had spoken.
The other guard watched in shock. "What the?" He then pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to call for help but a machine-gun sound stopped him. He fell dead.
Zarana walked out of the shadows, a hand-held automatic machine-gun in hand. She said, "Sorry, boys, but you have something we want." She then pulled out her communicator and said, "Zarana to Cobra Commander, we have occupied a pyramid. We can set up base here."
*The Next Afternoon*
Sgt. Slaughter was training the Joes at the Pit. Many of them were worn out after more than an hour of exercise, while Sarge had barely broken a sweat. Even Duke was having a hard time keeping up. Snake-Eyes and Jinx were the only ones who didn't seem tired. "Come on, ya pukes," said Slaughter. "My grandmother's in better shape than you!"
"Duke," said Scarlett, "can't you just tell Sarge to end this session?"
"Sorry, Scarlett," said the Joe leader. "But once Sarge gets started, even I can't stop him."
The workout session ceased when a nearby monitor came on. The Cobra logo was seen, and soon replaced by the hooded face of Cobra Commander. "Attention, citizens. Earlier today, Cobra forces occupied the Great Sphinx." The view then changed to show several people tied up. "Many innocent civilians, as well as a few of Egypt's government representatives, are being held for ransom." The view then switched back to the Commander. "The United Nations have 24 hours to pay one billion dollars in exchange for their safety . . . .one billion dollars from each U. N. representative!" He laughed like the madman that he was as the transmission ended.
At Cobra's temporary base, Cobra Commander approached the Baroness. "Well, did the transmission get through?"
"Yes, Commander," answered the leather-clad villainess. "We can expect G. I. Joe to attempt a 'rescue' at any moment."
"Excellent."
Back at the Pit, Duke said, "Well, Joes, it looks like duty calls. To Egypt, on the double! Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" cried the other Joes in unison. Each member of G. I. Joe that was present began boarding Skystriker jets and Tomahawk helicopters.
When the Joes arrived in Egypt, they set down near the Great Sphinx. They approached it and noticed that there was an opening with a monitor attached above it. "Why would Cobra just let us enter?" asked Jinx.
As he looked at the monitor, Duke said, "I have a feeling we're about to find out."
Duke was proven right as the monitor came on, revealing Cobra Commander's hooded face. "Hello, G. I. Joe. This is Cobra Commander, and I'm sure you're wondering, 'Why would Cobra just let us enter?' It's simple. We just want you to know how dangerous your rescue mission is. You will find that along the course of your journey, you will find several booby traps. No one has ever survived a trip underneath the Great Sphinx. Until today when Cobra forces took the hostages through. So you can either have the U. N. pay the ransom, or you can try to rescue them. Have a nice day." He laughed as the monitor turned off.
"Something doesn't feel right here," said Scarlett. "It doesn't make sense that Cobra would just tell us what we're up against. What if there really are no hostages and Cobra is just playing us for the fool?"
"That's a good point, Scarlett," said Duke. "But we can't take the risk of the possibility that there are hostages. Sarge, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, and Jinx, you're all with me. Lady Jaye, you have command. Keep an eye out for the snakes. And, Roadblock, you contact headquarters and have Mainframe research this underground chamber. Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" cried the others. Duke and his team then set off on their mission.
Back in the pyramid, Cobra Commander and Destro kept watch. "Your plan didn't work so well, Commander," said Destro. "Only five Joes are headed underneath the Sphinx."
"Not only that," added the Baroness, "but they could figure out what we're really up to!"
"I anticipated that," the Commander said coolly. He pressed a button, revealing a dish that had been unseen by the Joes. It was cleverly hidden inside the eye of the Sphinx. "This jammer dish that Mindbender installed shall cut off all communications. And as for the other part of our plan. . . ." He went over to a spot in the center of the pyramid. He pressed a button on a remote and a hidden door slid open. "Zartan and some of the Vipers bore this tunnel into the ground earlier this morning . That way we can follow the Joes underground without being spotted by the Joes on the surface. Now if you'll excuse me, I must change into my Battle Armor. Zartan and the others are waiting for me." He then left to get ready.
Back at the Sphinx, Lady Jaye approached Roadblock. He seemed to be having trouble getting through. "Have you contacted Mainframe yet?"
"Negative, Lady Jaye," answered the heavy machine gunner. Then using the poetry that ran in his family, he said, "I don't know why, but I can't get by."
Jaye started to wonder if there was more to what was going on than met the eye. "Keep trying, Roadblock," she said before leaving. She wanted to think this situation over on her own.
In the underground tunnel, Duke and his team began trekking through it. "I got a bad feeling about this place," said Jinx.
"And you ninjas call yourselves night stalkers," said Slaughter. "With everything I've seen, almost nothing surprises me anymore."
"I wonder when we'll come across some booby traps," wondered Scarlett aloud.
A few moments later, the five Joes found an old torch with no flame stuck in the wall. "Hey," said Jinx, "this should give us some extra light." As she tried to pull the torch out, Snake-Eyes snatched his old student away. However, she kept her grip and when the torch came out, acid sprayed from the wall. Luckily, Jinx was out of the way. The five Joes watched for almost a minute until the acid finally stopped spraying. When it was done, Jinx turned to her old teacher and said, "Thanks. I'd have been melted if you hadn't pulled me away." Snake-Eyes nodded.
"How'd you know that this was a trap?" Scarlett asked her fiancé. Snake- Eyes pointed to the torch that Jinx held. Scarlett wasn't sure what that meant.
"I think what he's trying to say," began Slaughter, "is that the torch was supposed to keep intruders away."
"Of course," said Duke. "Whoever built this chamber must have known that someone would need light in order to get through the tunnel to the treasure."
"Maybe we should get going," said Scarlett. "We don't have a whole lot of time to find those hostages that we're hoping to find."
Unbeknownst to the Joes, someone in the shadows was watching them. The figure stepped out, revealing himself to be Zartan. He smiled and evil smile. He then pulled out his com and said, "Zartan to Cobra Commander."
The Commander, clad in his Battle Armor, responded, "Report, Zartan."
"The Joes have just passed the first trap. All five are still alive and looking for the 'hostages.'"
"Excellent. Continue to follow them. Report to me again when the Joes pass the next trap. Or if they die. Cobra Commander out." He then turned to his vipers and several Cobra BATs. He and three other Dreadnoks, Torch, Ripper, and Buzzer were in tanks small enough to maneuver through the caves, but big enough to transport the treasure. The engines were also silent for this occasion. "Cobra forces, follow me!" They then set off to steal the Pharaoh's treasure.
Back outside the pyramid, Lady Jaye was on her laptop attempting to research the tunnel underneath the Sphinx. It had been almost an hour since Duke and his team left. Something then caused her to look worried. "Oh no," she said. She quickly pulled out her com and cried, "Duke, come in, this is Lady Jaye. Over." No response. She tried again. "Duke, come in, please! I repeat, come in! Do you read me?" Nothing. She then began to think. She went over to Roadblock and asked, "Roadblock, have you contacted Mainframe yet?"
"Still negative," answered Roadblock. "I really hate it when I get frustrated."
"Something must be blocking us," Jaye finally concluded.
However, Lady Jaye's forces were still being spied upon. A viper called, "Destro, sir!"
"What is it?" asked the silver-masked man.
"The Joes are on to us. They're searching for our jammer dish."
"Keep an eye on them," Destro ordered. "Contact me if they find the dish."
"Yes, sir."
Destro then approached the Baroness. "Come, my love. We must prepare for battle."
During the course of this hour, Duke and his group had managed to get past all of the booby traps. One of the traps was wooden spikes that came from the wall and met in the middle. They were deadly enough to stab anyone to death. Another trap was a seemingly bottomless pit. All this time, Zartan stayed with them unseen. After every trap, he contacted Cobra Commander, and told him of what happened.
"How much further?" the Commander asked of a Viper.
"According to Dr. Mindbender's map," he answered, "the Joes should be approaching the last trap after Zartan's last report."
"Excellent!" declared the Commander. He then opened his com and said, "Cobra Commander to Zartan. When the Joes pass the last trap, stay put. We will join you shortly. I want all of us to be there when we hand the Joes our little 'surprise.'" He laughed as he finished. The vehicles picked up speed and headed to where Zartan was, the Vipers and BATs close behind.
Duke and his team finally reached the end of their journey. They were in a large room with pillars all around. A door was straight ahead of them, about 200 yards away. "Wow," breathed Jinx. "This place is huge."
"But where would the hostages be held?" Scarlett asked.
"Fools!" said a familiar, evil voice. "There are no hostages!"
The five Joes turned to see Cobra Commander, Zartan, his Dreadnoks, and several Vipers and Cobra BATs.
"You fools fell right into our trap," declared the Commander.
"But what about that transmission?" asked Sgt. Slaughter.
"Ha!" said Cobra Commander. "That transmission was completely fake. We simply made it to lure you in. And I must congratulate you. You five are the first ones to survive a trip underneath the Great Sphinx."
"But what's so special about this place?" asked Duke.
"Well, since you won't live to tell anyone, I might as well tell you. This underground chamber holds billions of dollars worth of gold and treasure. And we must thank you for leading us right to it." He noticed Scarlett reaching for her com. The Commander simply stood there and said, "Don't bother, my beauty. All communications have been cut off. And now, the time has come for your demise. Cobra!"
With that, every Cobra minion began firing. All five Joes moved and hid behind a pillar. Vipers and BATs charged into the room, firing away. From behind their pillars, the Joes tried to fight back.
Back outside, Ace was in a Skystriker with Lady Jaye, trying to find what could be blocking communications. His radar then picked up something. "Lady Jaye," he said, "it seems that what we're looking for is right in the eye of the Sphinx."
"Open up my canopy, Ace," LJ ordered as she loaded her spear gun. Ace did as he was told. When they got close enough to the Sphinx, she took her shot. Her aim was true as the spear hit its mark.
This was noticed inside the pyramid. A viper said, "Destro, sir! They've destroyed the jammer dish!"
"Then we must act fast," said Destro. He then turned to several Vipers and BATs, as well as the Baroness, Storm Shadow, Zarana, and several other Cobra members. "Cobra forces, attack! Cobra!"
"Cobra!" yelled the others in unison.
The Cobra troops then charged from the pyramid. They attacked either on foot or with Cobra Invaders or Power Fighters.
Back outside, the Joes saw the attack coming. "Here they come!" yelled Roadblock. "Yo Joe!" Roadblock led the ground attack along with several G. I. Joe Infantry soldiers. Ace, with Lady Jaye, led the air attack.
Back underneath the Sphinx, Duke's team was trying to stop Cobra Commander's squad. There were several dead Vipers and destroyed BATs, but unless some kind of miracle happened, this was going to be a losing cause.
"Zartan," ordered the Commander, "You stay here and keep the Joes at bay! The other Dreadnoks and I will seize the treasure!" Zartan nodded. He, the Vipers, and BATs hid behind other pillars, covering the Commander and the Dreadnoks as they made their way to where the treasure was held. "Dreadnoks," ordered the Commander, "destroy this barrier!"
Torch started blasting the stone door with his flame-thrower. Buzzer attempted to cut through it with his chainsaw. Ripper used a bladed weapon that looked like a hand-held "jaws of life" to cut through it as well. They finally succeeded. Cobra Commander looked at the treasure in awe. It was one of those rare moments in which he was actually speechless! Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and said, "Start loading."
The Joes noticed the Commander and the Dreadnoks loading the treasure into their small vehicles. Being outnumbered and low on ammo, there was nothing they could do accept hope to survive. When the treasure was loaded, Cobra Commander ordered, "Cobra, retreat! We have what we came for!" The Commander then sped out of the chamber, followed by the three Dreadnoks. Zartan jumped onto the side of Buzzer's vehicle. The Vipers and BATs kept firing away until their superiors were out. They then followed suit. When they were gone, Duke said, "Come on, we've got to follow them!"
As Cobra was escaping, Cobra Commander, using the com-link on the helmet of his Battle Armor said, "Cobra Commander calling Destro!"
On the battlefield, Destro, in his Dominator, said, "Destro here! We're in the midst of battle!"
"We have the treasure!" said the Commander. "Try and get your Dominator ready to transport it back to base!"
"I will activate my tracer," Destro responded. "Meet me where it leads you. That way we can load the treasure safely."
On the battlefield, there were several dead vipers and deactivated BATs. G. I. Joe's casualties included several infantry soldiers. Rock n Roll, Heavy Duty, and Gung Ho were among those who were severely injured. Gunfire was everywhere as each side continued to duke it out.
The vehicles that Cobra Commander and Dreadnoks piloted exited the pyramid. They headed west of the pyramid. Apparently, the signal from Destro's tracer was coming from that way. A pod opened up on the Dominator. The treasure was quickly dumped inside. Once it was done, Cobra Commander joined Destro and the Baroness in the cockpit of the Dominator. Zartan approached the Commander's vehicle as he ordered, "Zartan, you and the Dreadnoks have our remaining forces cover our escape! When we're clear, retreat!" Zartan nodded. Normally, he didn't like taking orders from Cobra Commander, but he knew that his Dreadnoks were being paid enough money that they wouldn't need to perform another job for a long time. The vehicles charged toward the battlefield, firing away. After the Dominator was out of sight, Zartan ordered via the vehicle's com, "Cobra forces, retreat!"
When they were gone, Lady Jaye pulled out her com. "Duke, do you read me?" There was nothing but static for a few moments. She was about to try again when a voice broke through the static.
"Duke here. Is everything okay? What happened to Cobra?"
"They got away, sir," LJ reported with regret. "Are you hurt?"
Duke then stepped out of the pyramid with the others close behind. This surprised everyone. "Physically, we're fine," said the Joe leader. "But Cobra has taken the treasure."
Slaughter then said, "That means Cobra now has enough money to become more powerful than ever. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And when Cobra strikes again, we must be on our guard and better prepared."
"Our mission failed today, Joes," said Duke. "There's nothing we can do now but go home and wait." And with that, the Joes grabbed their wounded and dead and prepared to head for home.