Operation Tigeress Trap

Disclaimer: Same as always.

~ ~ ~ ~

The Baroness drove in the back seat of a late model 2003 Lincoln Navigator as the helicopter flew alongside her. "Keep driving." She said to the viper at the wheel. She was unnaturally calm for a COBRA about to be captured. She didn't know, couldn't know that a Gamma operator had been following her whereabouts for three days and chose this day to spring the trap.

"Ma'am?" the viper replied.

"Just follow my order." Baroness ordered.

In the helicopter Hedaya tapped Bilby on the shoulder. Bilby squeezed off a single round from his telescopic rifle which punctured the engine block of the Lincoln. On her communicator the Baroness said, "All is going as planned Commander."

She smiled seductively as several GI Joe and Gamma troopers surrounded the vehicle and carted off the occupants.

~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile Akima sat with Gune and Stith on the front porch of Shipwreck's house. Bilby, Hedaya, and Fetterman were on a mission in the Bahamas where Falk had spotted the Baroness leaving a COBRA R&R facility. Cover Girl and Low Light were also on the mission. Thankfully Stormshadow, Jinx and the Blind Master were able to cover for them. Akima, Gune, and Stith were preparing class schedules for the next three days. Akima was going to work with a GI Joe named Ace and teach basic flight skills on both the simulator and the trainer. Gune was teaching science and technology, and Stith was teaching weapons handling.

Dave Morgan and Stoney Brown joined the trio on the porch. They were tasked with pulling roving guard duties on the house and the dojo where Lance and Spirit were doing some one on one training together with Goofy and Donald.

"Who's in charge of training this morning?" Stoney asked Akima.

"I think Link is." Akima replied, "They were doing some sort of mountaineering training."

"Oh God! I feel sorry for those kids. Link is a fanatic about cross country skiing, mountaineering, and general physical conditioning. Put it this way, he makes Beach Head look like a prissy dance instructor in a pink tutu." Dave replied.

"Is he really that bad?" Stith asked.

"Yes!" Both Stoney and Dave replied. In the Gamma Unit, each soldier had an opportunity to lead the troop on some sort of training exercise in his area of expertise. Whenever Linkovich Chumovsky, who was by far the best mountaineer in the Mountain Troop, was in charge of the evolution in question, it could be guaranteed to hurt.

The first of the Misfits came staggering in, some of the X-men were dragging their arms along the ground. "I don't see what's so hard about it. It was just a little mountain climbing." A familiar Slavic voice sounded.

Stoney and Dave rolled their eyes, "Link, what did you do?"

"I just took them on a simple ten mile hike through the mountains." Link replied, the training had begun the day before yesterday.

"Simple hike!" Wanda glowered, "Simple hike! More like two five mile forced marches with sixty pound backpacks."

"We're in a better state than the X-Geeks though." Toad smiled, indicating the X-men who looked like they had been run over by a dozen semi trucks a piece.

"Well, look on the bright side, you have flight training tomorrow." Akima replied, "Which one of you is Kitty Pryde?"

Kitty half raised an arm, "I am."

"Well, it looks like you're first to fly tomorrow." Akima replied.

"Are you insane?!" Misfits and X-men alike shouted.

"It's only a simulator. Next week you guys will train with the Cessna trainers..." Akima began.

"We're gonna die." Bobby Drake groaned, "I know it, we're gonna die."

"It's not fair." Pietro clamored, "There's so many people I haven't annoyed yet."

"Trust me Pietro, the list isn't all that short." Lance groaned.

"Well, you've got Gune teaching you how to invent things." Akima replied, with a mock yawn, "Then you've got Stith here teaching you how to handle all sorts of futuristic weaponry...."

"You're letting those kids learn to fire a gun?" Roadblock moaned, "I'll help you pick up all the debris, and it isn't gonna be fun."

"You said that you wanted us to teach them our areas of expertise." Akima protested, "Mine is flying fighters, Gune's is inventing things, and Stith's is blowing them to teeny tiny bits."

"Great, an alien version of Firefly with a Low Light personality transplant on some severe steroids in the legs." Shipwreck moaned.

"Care to repeat that." Stith said, holding Shipwreck upside down over a bucket filled with live crabs.

"No." Shipwreck replied.

"Oh well." Stith replied and dropped him in anyway.

"No, that's being an amateur." Ororo said, summoning lightning to fry Shipwreck's behind she added, "THIS is how you sock it to Shipwreck."

"If Cover Girl saw that she'd be very upset with you." Akima said, "At least she is somewhat civil when she brushes off Shipwreck, which is more than I can say for you."

Offended, Storm said, "Are you implying I am some kind of...."

"Cruel, high riding, snobby..." Akima replied.

That was about as far as Akima got before Storm lifted her airborne with a gust of wind, "Not so tough without your Australian beau are you?" Storm replied angrily.

Stith turned blood red and leaped at Storm who quickly launched a barrage of lightning at the kangaroo like alien.

"Bad choice Weather Bitch!" Stith replied, "All lightning strikes do to my race is make us really really mad...."

Stith proceeded to kick Storm into a tree and catch Akima before she hit the ground.

"Nice save Stith." Akima replied.

Goofy and Donald showed up to grab a quick bite to eat. Kitty turned towards them and asked, "How's Lance doing?"

"Probably being ground into the dust by all that intensive ninja training." Peter smirked.

"Peter, you are such an IDIOT!" Kitty snapped and stomped back into the house, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Gawrsh Peter, for someone who loves Kitty so much, you sure weren't considerate about her feelings." Goofy replied.

"I still don't see what she sees in that hood, Lance." Peter replied.

"I heard you two have been duking it out over Kitty for a long time now." Goofy replied, "If really love Kitty, you'll let her go. If she really loves you, she'll come back. If you love somebody, set them free."

Goofy and Donald got back into their jeep, "I'll drive." Donald said, "I don't want us to get killed before the Keyblade wielder is ready."

~ ~ ~ ~

"Nice man, very smooth." David Falk said, as Jose Hedaya handed him his rifle. Falk was wearing civilian clothing, loose fitting baggy pants, a gray t-shirt and a cargo vest as well as Oakley sunglasses. He looked a lot like a civilian journalist riding a bicycle around the island, which wasn't unusual.

"Single shot through the engine block." Bilby bragged.

"That's a shame, that was a nice Lincoln." David Falk replied.

"Are we ready to go?" Flint replied.

"We're all good to go." David Falk indicated with a thumbs up to accentuate his words.

"Trinity, take us home." Flint said over his radio and the helicopter flew out over the ocean only to vanish into thin air as it flew over the horizon.

~ ~ ~ ~

As Goofy and Donald left to return to the dojo another jeep pulled up with Bilby and the others in it. Akima practically jumped down the steps leading off of Shipwreck's porch and ran towards Bilby, who folded his arms around her.

Fetterman and the rest of the Gamma unit saw how Bilby's entire demeanor changed when Akima had been rescued. Where he was once abrasive, withdrawn, and cynical, his spirits were now lifted, his morale improved, and he was more optimistic.

Kitty Pryde watched the scene through tears, if only her love life could be that simple. It seemed that Bilby and Akima had eyes for only each other. Ironically, it was thanks to that Keyblade that made choosing between two guys so much easier. Lance literally had the weight of countless worlds upon his shoulder and for the past week she had barely been able to even see him but whenever he returned from the dojo he looked tired, more tired and care worn than she had ever seen him before. Why had she treated him so wrongly all this time? Why did she start going with Peter and causing him all the heartache when he needed her the most? Why did she push him away when he needed her care and affection the most?

She was so distracted that she didn't see the mysterious old man behind her until he spoke. The man's features were obscured by a ragged, hooded cloak and he was hunched over, relying on a crutch, yet he exuded an aura of great knowledge gained at a terrible and horrific price. Just looking at him made the hair on the back of Kitty's neck stand on end.

Just then Akima and Bilby walked into the kitchen where Kitty was standing and froze. "The storm is on the horizon." The old man said, "The Reckoning is at hand and now that the Keyblade has chosen its wielder, the clash of arms shall resound in the City of the Angels."

The man pointed at Akima, "You will learn, child, who you truly are."

He walked up to Bilby, "This Reckoning will require from you a great sacrifice. Only then shall the Keyblade manifest itself. Your heart will be pierced...but your mind uninjured."

He pointed to Kitty, "Your beloved will be tested beyond anything he has yet endured and you will be powerless to come to his aid. Love him and cherish him, for his strength lies with you."

The old man walked away, fading into the shadows with the suddenness that he had appeared.

~ ~ ~ ~

"AAGGHH!" Lance growled in frustration, "I can't stand it! Why did this stupid blade choose me!"

"Gee I don't know, maybe it sees something in you that even you don't realize." Said a not so mysterious voice.

"Oh no. Don't YOU start commenting on my life! You're the LAST person I want to hear from!" Lance replied.

The coyote appeared from behind the dojo's climbing wall. "Actually as your spirit guide, I should be the FIRST thing you want to see. I'm not a person idiot!"

"I just want to know how on earth some timeless mystical blade thinks I'm this person pure of heart when that's not what I am." Lance replied.

"Hello. Do I need to show you how pure of heart you are? Well it looks like I'm gonna have to." The Coyote with Pietro's voice replied, "First, how you stood up to Magneto when you were being abused by him. Second, how you've reformed since you've joined the Misfits. Third, even your lame attempts to win Kitty's heart qualify you. Satisfied?"

"No." Lance replied, "What makes Goofy and Donald think I can do this? What makes them think I'm the savior of worlds?"

"Very often, heroes come from the most unlikely of places." Said Spirit, walking into the gym with a plate of food, "You need to keep your strength."

"I'm not hungry." Lance replied.

"I know, it is much to take in. But have faith in your comrades. All of us, as well as Goofy and Donald stand by to do anything on your behalf." Spirit replied.

"Yeah, but what if I fail? What if everything that has been done was for nothing?" Lance asked.

"You are afraid." Spirit replied, "I know this. But know this. You are not going through this alone. We are with you to the end."

Lance started to pick at his food as Spirit draped one of his muscular arms around the boy's shoulders. He really did carry a lot on his back, but the boy was ready to face it, he had to be if the world was to survive against a foe far more sinister than even COBRA.

~ ~ ~ ~

"What did that old man mean?" Akima replied.

"I don't know, but these Prophesies, whenever they are told, invariably come true." Bilby replied.

"Martin, if it means I have to die to save this world and any other from the Heartless, I'll do it." Akima replied.

"Don't talk like that. It's not gonna mean you're the one. The great sacrifice could well be my own life." Bilby replied.

"Whatever it is, don't be afraid to make it when the time comes." Akima replied, "Don't let any more worlds suffer what we have lost."

"Don't worry Akima," Bilby said, holding her close, "I won't."

Inwardly, Martin Bilby was a mess of worry. If this ultimate sacrifice was Akima, would he be willing to make it? He hoped he would, for the sake of many worlds he hoped he would have the strength to make the sacrifice required of him in they cryptic prophesy.

~ ~ ~ ~

In her cell the Baroness grinned mischievously. Everything was in order. Now that she was captured, all that had to happen was that a post hypnotic command would be triggered in the mole that was buried deep into the GI Joe base and all would fall into place.

~ ~ ~ ~

What is COBRA planning? What sacrifice will Bilby need to make? Will Lance have the strength to carry out his mission?