Disclaimer: I don't own GI Joe, Action Force, or Battle Action Force or
any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while. I understand
that there are no comic stories that include the Skeletrons, but figures
were made. I don't own them either.
Part 4: Dr. Mindbender
Something has Cobra Commander on edge, Doctor Mindbender thought as he listened to his commander rant on the view screen. The Joes must have won a victory that was what usually set the Commander off like this. Slowly the commander started getting around to the point of his call. It was hard to pay attention to the Commander when he was like this, since he had heard so much of it before with very few changes. Wait a moment. he wasn't talking about Joes at all, but about expecting attacks from some other source.
"I expect you to have the first wave of the new Battle Android Troopers deployed at once!" Cobra Commander concluded.
"Of course, Commander. I will see to it personally." Mindbender replied just before the screen went black. If there is a new force on the field, I must find a way to use it to my own advantage, he thought. In the mean time, the Commander did not hesitate to remind him of the threat of Storm Shadow should he try and betray the Commander.
For that matter, Mindbender wished he knew more about Storm Shadow. Surely a ninja warrior as good as he was could not have the simple do-gooder background that Storm Shadow claimed. Mindbender needed as many advantages as he could get these days.
It also paid to keep the Commander happy. Mindbender walked to the main store room. "Cobra BATS, activate."
Row upon row of Battle Android Troopers came online, each with its own soft beep, and a display of red lights on their faces that gave each of them the barest hint of a human face. Mindbender found they were much more intimidating that way. Any war had to first be won in the mind, before it can be won on the battlefield.
An explosion echoed through the base. Mindbender had to fight his initial impulse to run for his escape route. He already had the perfect weapon, it would be premature not to use it. On the other hand, BATS never had very effective friend or foe recognition software.
Instead he punched up his communications screen again. "Tele-Viper. Give me a status report."
"We are being overrun by troops in Red uniforms, Sir." The Tele-Viper then punched up footage from a security camera covering the doors to the base. Six Vipers were laying dead at their posts, while scores of soldiers in red uniforms and red face concealing helmets rushed into the building.
Typical idiotic Vipers, they weren't on their guard since it was suppose to have been a secret base. At least the Joes didn't know about it, but it apparently was not secret enough. At least they received the proper punishment for their failure.
The sound of gunfire. Had they already penetrated that far into his base? Damn.
"Tele-Viper, order all troops to form a perimeter around the command room. I will be there shortly."
The Tele-Viper acknowledged, and signed off. Mindbender turned towards his Androids. "Cobra BATS, destroy anyone dressed in red! Into the corridor and Attack."
He eyed each android warily as it passed, not entirely sure they would properly follow his commands. He wished there had been more time to properly test them. Almost as soon as they entered the hallway, the gunfire really began as the BATS and Red Shadows began exchanging fire. After most of the BATS were in the hallway, Mindbender followed them, using the entire wave of them as personal bodyguards to reach the control room.
Mindbender had to admit that the men in red were skilled, but they were also too fanatical for their own good. In fact, he would go so far as to say they were suicidal. They would shout "Blood for the Baron," and then charge into the guns of his oncoming BATS without even trying to take cover. And they very seldom missed. Only his BATS extra armor prevented their destruction.
Mindbender could not help wondering just who this Baron they were willing to die for was. What kind of person could wield such unyielding loyalty?
The fighting was intense, but the BATS successfully pushed the Red Shadow troops back, allowing Mindbender to reach the Control Room, at which point, Mindbender put them into a defensive stance, unwilling to give up his shield just yet.
"All of the invading troops have pulled out, sir." The Tele-Viper reported.
Strange, Mindbender thought, They were winning. "They can't be retreating, what are they up to?"
Video screens across the control room lit up, showing various views of the grounds outside. The men in red had all pulled back quite a distance, but were still surrounding the building. Mindbender kept looking from one screen to another, until he found what he was looking for. One soldier that was apparently reporting to a superior. That camera view bothered him though, since the superior officer, who wore a uniform slightly different from the others, with a smoother face mask, was standing next to a piece of heavy artillery that he could not identify. For some reason he thought the cut of the superior officers uniform looked a lot like that of Cobra Commanders.
The enemy commander, slowly lowered the barrel of his artillery piece until it was pointed directly at their base.
It suddenly seemed to be getting hot. Mindbender realized he was sweating, and not just him, but everyone in the control room. "That cannon is some sort of laser. he is cooking us alive in here. Everybody outside the base! Send the BATS out first, and everybody forms up behind them. Tele-Viper, wipe the computer files."
The Tele-Viper punched a few commands to make sure there would be nothing left in the computers for the enemy to find should they fall, then followed Mindbender and the others outside the base. As he was leaving, he noticed the printer's paper feed catch fire.
The BATS filled out of the base and assumed a V formation, holding their rifles out waiting for the order to fire. The rest of the Vipers and other Cobra personnel grabbed their own guns and took positions behind the BATS, each one using a BAT as his or her personal shield.
The enemy's expressions were unreadable behind their red face masks, but the leader sounded smug as he spoke through a loud speaker with a distinct Japanese accent. "I am Red Laser, of the Red Shadows, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"
Mindbender grabbed a loudspeaker from a Tele-Viper, but did not move to make him self seen. "I am Dr. Mindbender, currently representing Cobra."
"Ah, good. I was hoping to meet you, and your reputed Android soldiers. This will be a fair test after all."
"You seem to have very good intelligence on us, yet I have never heard of your Red Shadows before," Mindbender replied, then thought to himself, test, what test?
"You should study your history then." Red Laser replied, and then, pulling out a remote, pressed a button. The Red Shadow soldiers backed away, allowing passage of something else. Walking skeletons.
No, not skeletons, but robots designed to look like skeletons. Actually, after closer examination, aside from the arms and legs, they really didn't come close to representing any realistic skeleton, but they sure achieved the initial shock effect. They had misshapen skull heads, with glowing eyes, and an unnatural smile, the 'ribcage' was molded onto the red colored torso of the robots. The rest of Mindbenders troops were certainly unnerved. Except for the BATS of course.
"Cobra BATS," Mindbender ordered, "Move forward and attack!"
The BATS and Skeletrons advanced and clashed with each other, neither having a clear advantage. The BATS seemed to have a greater physical strength, their punches being able to crumple the heads of the Skeletrons, but the Skeletrons were no less deadly, their bony fingers easily slicing through the armor of the BATS.
"Quickly," Mindbender turned to his troops, "While they are distracted watching the robots fight, circle around and secure their laser cannon!"
The vipers nodded, and disappeared into the woods that surrounded their once secret base. Dr. Mindbender kept a sharp eye out, both to keep track of the Vipers progress and to see which set of androids was winning. Already he could see where his own BATS could use some improving, and he got a few new ideas too, inspired by the Skeletron designs. Still, the Skeletron design of a skeleton was simply tacky. Their robotic forces were too evenly matched.
"Tele-Viper, sneak back into the base and set the self destruct charges for 10 minutes." Mindbender ordered. The Tele-viper rushed to obey, leaving Mindbender with a few officers and Cobra support staff.
The Vipers had finally reached Red Laser's laser cannon, Mindbender watched the silent struggle as the Vipers tried to first take the cannon by stealth. The first few kills were clean, the shadows went down without a sound. Then one of the other Shadows noticed, and raised alarm. The nearest Viper shot him, and all hell broke loose. Red Laser brought up a strange looking pistol which burned the next Viper in two. The next Viper brought up his own gun and shot Red Laser in the head. The man went down like a rag doll, and the fight for the cannon continued in earnest.
The fighting for the cannon continued, but Mindbender could tell it was only a matter of time before his own outnumbered forces fell to the waves of Red Shadows. Finally, one of his Vipers managed to climb into the gunners chair of the Laser Cannon. He turned it on the rushing horde of Shadows and fired, vaporizing several, burning many, and wounding others.
Mindbender stood up to shout at the Viper, "No, Destroy all the Androids!"
Instinctively, the Viper obeyed, turning the gun on the Skeletrons and BATS fighting in the space between Cobra and the Red Shadows. They sparked, and sizzled, BATS uniforms caught fire, but all the androids continued fighting. Mindbender was pleased that the first to be destroyed was a Skeletron, an not one of his BATS. First one Skeletron exploded, and then a BATS. Then, another with its shrapnel sparking a chain reaction in all of the androids, Skeletron and BATS alike.
Mindbender checked his watch, timing the action. Time to pull his men out.
"Cobra retreat to the Base!" He shouted, and led the run back into the Cobra base, his officers and support staff right behind him, while the Vipers followed in a fighting retreat. Their machine gun fire helping the others get away into the base clean, while slowing the Shadow advance down. Groggily, Red Laser sat up, holding his head, and feeling a dent in his helmet, apparently caused by a bullet. He looked over to see the ruined remains of his Skeletrons and the Cobra BATS as well. He doubted he would learn very much from examining the remains. Looking around he further noticed that the retreating Cobra slime had sabotaged his Laser Cannon before they left. It would take a while for it to be functional again. He would see to it none of them would survive this outrage.
"Shadows, after them! Bring me the living head of Dr. Mindbender!"
The Shadows obeyed, pouring into the Cobra base like a red tide after the retreating Cobra personnel.
Then there suddenly was no more Cobra base. A huge fireball enveloped the Red Shadow troops that had been charging into the base, killing them all.
Red Laser's face was completely impassive behind his facemask. The Baron would not be pleased with the outcome of this operation.
***
"Then leaving the Vipers to fight a holding action, I led the others out through my escape tunnel to safety. I'm sure the explosion took out most, if not all of the pursuing Red Shadows," Mindbender finished his explanation.
"I am not pleased with this outcome, Doctor Mindbender," Cobra Commander seethed.
"I'm sorry, Commander. It could not be helped."
"I wonder. Their leader, the Baron is gone, the Red Shadows ceased being a threat long ago. Once again, I had come to think they had finally been wiped out completely."
"Commander? What information do you have on these Shadows?" Mindbender asked hesitantly.
"Nothing!" Cobra Commander shouted. "Leave me. I must think."
Dr. Mindbender bowed and left. He had some thinking to do himself. Someone was bound to know what connection Cobra Commander had to the Red Shadows. Perhaps if he could find the secret, he could finally be rid of Cobra and its insanity forever.
Part 4: Dr. Mindbender
Something has Cobra Commander on edge, Doctor Mindbender thought as he listened to his commander rant on the view screen. The Joes must have won a victory that was what usually set the Commander off like this. Slowly the commander started getting around to the point of his call. It was hard to pay attention to the Commander when he was like this, since he had heard so much of it before with very few changes. Wait a moment. he wasn't talking about Joes at all, but about expecting attacks from some other source.
"I expect you to have the first wave of the new Battle Android Troopers deployed at once!" Cobra Commander concluded.
"Of course, Commander. I will see to it personally." Mindbender replied just before the screen went black. If there is a new force on the field, I must find a way to use it to my own advantage, he thought. In the mean time, the Commander did not hesitate to remind him of the threat of Storm Shadow should he try and betray the Commander.
For that matter, Mindbender wished he knew more about Storm Shadow. Surely a ninja warrior as good as he was could not have the simple do-gooder background that Storm Shadow claimed. Mindbender needed as many advantages as he could get these days.
It also paid to keep the Commander happy. Mindbender walked to the main store room. "Cobra BATS, activate."
Row upon row of Battle Android Troopers came online, each with its own soft beep, and a display of red lights on their faces that gave each of them the barest hint of a human face. Mindbender found they were much more intimidating that way. Any war had to first be won in the mind, before it can be won on the battlefield.
An explosion echoed through the base. Mindbender had to fight his initial impulse to run for his escape route. He already had the perfect weapon, it would be premature not to use it. On the other hand, BATS never had very effective friend or foe recognition software.
Instead he punched up his communications screen again. "Tele-Viper. Give me a status report."
"We are being overrun by troops in Red uniforms, Sir." The Tele-Viper then punched up footage from a security camera covering the doors to the base. Six Vipers were laying dead at their posts, while scores of soldiers in red uniforms and red face concealing helmets rushed into the building.
Typical idiotic Vipers, they weren't on their guard since it was suppose to have been a secret base. At least the Joes didn't know about it, but it apparently was not secret enough. At least they received the proper punishment for their failure.
The sound of gunfire. Had they already penetrated that far into his base? Damn.
"Tele-Viper, order all troops to form a perimeter around the command room. I will be there shortly."
The Tele-Viper acknowledged, and signed off. Mindbender turned towards his Androids. "Cobra BATS, destroy anyone dressed in red! Into the corridor and Attack."
He eyed each android warily as it passed, not entirely sure they would properly follow his commands. He wished there had been more time to properly test them. Almost as soon as they entered the hallway, the gunfire really began as the BATS and Red Shadows began exchanging fire. After most of the BATS were in the hallway, Mindbender followed them, using the entire wave of them as personal bodyguards to reach the control room.
Mindbender had to admit that the men in red were skilled, but they were also too fanatical for their own good. In fact, he would go so far as to say they were suicidal. They would shout "Blood for the Baron," and then charge into the guns of his oncoming BATS without even trying to take cover. And they very seldom missed. Only his BATS extra armor prevented their destruction.
Mindbender could not help wondering just who this Baron they were willing to die for was. What kind of person could wield such unyielding loyalty?
The fighting was intense, but the BATS successfully pushed the Red Shadow troops back, allowing Mindbender to reach the Control Room, at which point, Mindbender put them into a defensive stance, unwilling to give up his shield just yet.
"All of the invading troops have pulled out, sir." The Tele-Viper reported.
Strange, Mindbender thought, They were winning. "They can't be retreating, what are they up to?"
Video screens across the control room lit up, showing various views of the grounds outside. The men in red had all pulled back quite a distance, but were still surrounding the building. Mindbender kept looking from one screen to another, until he found what he was looking for. One soldier that was apparently reporting to a superior. That camera view bothered him though, since the superior officer, who wore a uniform slightly different from the others, with a smoother face mask, was standing next to a piece of heavy artillery that he could not identify. For some reason he thought the cut of the superior officers uniform looked a lot like that of Cobra Commanders.
The enemy commander, slowly lowered the barrel of his artillery piece until it was pointed directly at their base.
It suddenly seemed to be getting hot. Mindbender realized he was sweating, and not just him, but everyone in the control room. "That cannon is some sort of laser. he is cooking us alive in here. Everybody outside the base! Send the BATS out first, and everybody forms up behind them. Tele-Viper, wipe the computer files."
The Tele-Viper punched a few commands to make sure there would be nothing left in the computers for the enemy to find should they fall, then followed Mindbender and the others outside the base. As he was leaving, he noticed the printer's paper feed catch fire.
The BATS filled out of the base and assumed a V formation, holding their rifles out waiting for the order to fire. The rest of the Vipers and other Cobra personnel grabbed their own guns and took positions behind the BATS, each one using a BAT as his or her personal shield.
The enemy's expressions were unreadable behind their red face masks, but the leader sounded smug as he spoke through a loud speaker with a distinct Japanese accent. "I am Red Laser, of the Red Shadows, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"
Mindbender grabbed a loudspeaker from a Tele-Viper, but did not move to make him self seen. "I am Dr. Mindbender, currently representing Cobra."
"Ah, good. I was hoping to meet you, and your reputed Android soldiers. This will be a fair test after all."
"You seem to have very good intelligence on us, yet I have never heard of your Red Shadows before," Mindbender replied, then thought to himself, test, what test?
"You should study your history then." Red Laser replied, and then, pulling out a remote, pressed a button. The Red Shadow soldiers backed away, allowing passage of something else. Walking skeletons.
No, not skeletons, but robots designed to look like skeletons. Actually, after closer examination, aside from the arms and legs, they really didn't come close to representing any realistic skeleton, but they sure achieved the initial shock effect. They had misshapen skull heads, with glowing eyes, and an unnatural smile, the 'ribcage' was molded onto the red colored torso of the robots. The rest of Mindbenders troops were certainly unnerved. Except for the BATS of course.
"Cobra BATS," Mindbender ordered, "Move forward and attack!"
The BATS and Skeletrons advanced and clashed with each other, neither having a clear advantage. The BATS seemed to have a greater physical strength, their punches being able to crumple the heads of the Skeletrons, but the Skeletrons were no less deadly, their bony fingers easily slicing through the armor of the BATS.
"Quickly," Mindbender turned to his troops, "While they are distracted watching the robots fight, circle around and secure their laser cannon!"
The vipers nodded, and disappeared into the woods that surrounded their once secret base. Dr. Mindbender kept a sharp eye out, both to keep track of the Vipers progress and to see which set of androids was winning. Already he could see where his own BATS could use some improving, and he got a few new ideas too, inspired by the Skeletron designs. Still, the Skeletron design of a skeleton was simply tacky. Their robotic forces were too evenly matched.
"Tele-Viper, sneak back into the base and set the self destruct charges for 10 minutes." Mindbender ordered. The Tele-viper rushed to obey, leaving Mindbender with a few officers and Cobra support staff.
The Vipers had finally reached Red Laser's laser cannon, Mindbender watched the silent struggle as the Vipers tried to first take the cannon by stealth. The first few kills were clean, the shadows went down without a sound. Then one of the other Shadows noticed, and raised alarm. The nearest Viper shot him, and all hell broke loose. Red Laser brought up a strange looking pistol which burned the next Viper in two. The next Viper brought up his own gun and shot Red Laser in the head. The man went down like a rag doll, and the fight for the cannon continued in earnest.
The fighting for the cannon continued, but Mindbender could tell it was only a matter of time before his own outnumbered forces fell to the waves of Red Shadows. Finally, one of his Vipers managed to climb into the gunners chair of the Laser Cannon. He turned it on the rushing horde of Shadows and fired, vaporizing several, burning many, and wounding others.
Mindbender stood up to shout at the Viper, "No, Destroy all the Androids!"
Instinctively, the Viper obeyed, turning the gun on the Skeletrons and BATS fighting in the space between Cobra and the Red Shadows. They sparked, and sizzled, BATS uniforms caught fire, but all the androids continued fighting. Mindbender was pleased that the first to be destroyed was a Skeletron, an not one of his BATS. First one Skeletron exploded, and then a BATS. Then, another with its shrapnel sparking a chain reaction in all of the androids, Skeletron and BATS alike.
Mindbender checked his watch, timing the action. Time to pull his men out.
"Cobra retreat to the Base!" He shouted, and led the run back into the Cobra base, his officers and support staff right behind him, while the Vipers followed in a fighting retreat. Their machine gun fire helping the others get away into the base clean, while slowing the Shadow advance down. Groggily, Red Laser sat up, holding his head, and feeling a dent in his helmet, apparently caused by a bullet. He looked over to see the ruined remains of his Skeletrons and the Cobra BATS as well. He doubted he would learn very much from examining the remains. Looking around he further noticed that the retreating Cobra slime had sabotaged his Laser Cannon before they left. It would take a while for it to be functional again. He would see to it none of them would survive this outrage.
"Shadows, after them! Bring me the living head of Dr. Mindbender!"
The Shadows obeyed, pouring into the Cobra base like a red tide after the retreating Cobra personnel.
Then there suddenly was no more Cobra base. A huge fireball enveloped the Red Shadow troops that had been charging into the base, killing them all.
Red Laser's face was completely impassive behind his facemask. The Baron would not be pleased with the outcome of this operation.
***
"Then leaving the Vipers to fight a holding action, I led the others out through my escape tunnel to safety. I'm sure the explosion took out most, if not all of the pursuing Red Shadows," Mindbender finished his explanation.
"I am not pleased with this outcome, Doctor Mindbender," Cobra Commander seethed.
"I'm sorry, Commander. It could not be helped."
"I wonder. Their leader, the Baron is gone, the Red Shadows ceased being a threat long ago. Once again, I had come to think they had finally been wiped out completely."
"Commander? What information do you have on these Shadows?" Mindbender asked hesitantly.
"Nothing!" Cobra Commander shouted. "Leave me. I must think."
Dr. Mindbender bowed and left. He had some thinking to do himself. Someone was bound to know what connection Cobra Commander had to the Red Shadows. Perhaps if he could find the secret, he could finally be rid of Cobra and its insanity forever.