*Disclaimer: I own none of these fine characters. They all belong to Marvel, Image, Sunbow, Hasbro, Devil's Due, and if there are any others, I STILL don't own any of these guys! This is just a work of fun. I have no intention of making money off of this story. I'm just a penniless fan.

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By the time the Joe team was reunited, Low Light had become a Legend. The Joe who shot THROUGH the Tomahawk to kill the three assassins he struggled with ("Just one with Hawk," Low Light tried to correct.) from 2000 yards ("More like 400.") amidst hurricane force winds ("It was a cloud burst!") with one bullet! ("There were THREE I shot in all! Count them! I needed THREE bullets, one for each!")

Well, what exactly happened didn't matter to the Joes. Low Light was now a part of the Team Mythos, right up there with Gun Ho and the time he lifted a whole Cobra Hiss tank with his bare hands!

"Rip off one sportscar door and suddenly it's a tank. Go figure," Gun Ho told the sniper with a shrug. He slapped Low Light on the back. "Don't worry, mon frere, you'll get used to it."

"Yeah. Great," Low Light muttered.

The Greenshirts were in too much awe to notice Low Light's discomfort, and the Vets merely chalked it up to the sniper's quiet nature unused to the admiration. And if anyone at all noticed the tension between Low Light and Hawk...well, even if Low Light only shot Hawk under orders to save his CO, he still SHOT the man.

By early afternoon, Lady Jaye and Low Light were ready to present Hawk a preliminary report.

Clean, bandaged, and sticking to green fatigues and black spy-jumper respectively, Hawk and Duke both shunned painkillers, knowing they needed to stay clear headed for this meeting. Lifeline protested mightily at first, almost refusing to discharge them from the infirmary. He finally capitulated when Hawk agreed to wear a sling and ordered Duke into a wheelchair. "If they're going to insist on being miserable, at least they're not going to strain themselves," Lifeline grumbled to McDowel as they left to perform autopsies on the assassins.

Over the com, BeachHead breathed a sigh of relief. He was excused from the meeting to help Flint oversee the team while on alert status. To him, ANYTHING was better than being in a small room with BOTH Hawk and Duke breathing fire.

Flint, on the other hand, marched right into the infirmary to face Hawk, flatly refusing to be brushed aside so easily.

"I do not want the majority of the Command Chain involved in this while I am in someone's crosshairs," Hawk snapped as Lady Jaye helped him struggle into the sling. "God forbid, but if something should happen to us all, do you want BeachHead to be running this outfit by himself?"

Flint shot Jaye a quick, pained look. "Sir, I really don't think---"

Lady Jaye touched her husband's elbow. "'There are more things under Heaven and Earth, Horatio...'"

That brought Flint up short. "Dammit, Jaye---"

Her chin raised. "You agreed, Flint," she told him sharply. "You promised me---"

"I KNOW," he shouted. He quickly lowered his voice. "But it's my people this time, and dammit, I should be doing something to help!"

"You can help by keeping the snakes down," Hawk told him. "I refuse to let this take up all of our time and attention while Cobra is slithering around out there. Like I asked before, do you want BeachHead to be running this outfit by himself?"

"No, sir," Flint sighed. A sudden crash on the other side of the room caught his attention. "Maybe I better help Low Light get Duke into that chair," he said.

When Flint was out of earshot, Hawk turned an amused eye at Jaye. "Shakespeare?"

"A code phrase between us," she explained. "That's our way of telling the other to back off from an issue. We both knew we'd be doing sensitive work and there'd be things we wouldn't be able to discuss." She frowned slightly. "I'll be honest, though, Hawk, I don't like keeping secrets from my husband."

"Nor I my Commanders. Both Flint and BeachHead are able leaders. I respect and value their frankness. But this situation requires...a subtle touch."

"For his sake," she asked, her eyes flicking to Low Light.

"Partially," Hawk admitted reluctantly.

She sighed with aggravation and pushed back her short brown hair. "Hawk, I'm an Intelligence Operative, not a psychic. I need all the information you and Light can give me in order to do my job. You want to know who these guys really are, who really sent them? I need to know everything you two do."

His lips thinned. "I...can't tell you everything, Jaye. But..." He closed his eyes and turned his head away. "...there ARE some things I need to tell you. Things...I wish I didn't have to discuss..."

"Hawk?" He felt her fingers brush the corner of his lids. He opened his eyes to see her concerned face. She looked at her moist fingertips, then back to him. "Bad?"

Hawk settled his sling more comfortably, trying to compose himself. "Last chance to back out," he said harshly.

She leaned over, pretending to check the gauze around his neck, her posture relaxed. But Hawk could see her green eyes flashing. "Respectfully, sir," she hissed into his ear, "I didn't come back to Joe to sit on my hands. Besides, if I didn't abandon you in Borovia, I'm certainly not going to abandon you now."

He managed a small smile. "I was hoping you'd feel that way." He reached out and gripped her shoulder. "Thank you."

Hawk's wrist-com beeped. "Hawk here."

"We didn't send them, Abernathy," a woman's voice stated.

He frowned, motioning for Jaye to give him room. Wordlessly, she stepped out and pulled the privacy curtain shut, making a great show of exasperation over the General's modesty. "Who is this," Hawk demanded.

"Spy vs. Spy, who do you think? Raven told me to tell you straight, it wasn't us."

"And I should believe you why," Hawk asked.

"If we wanted you dead, Raven could have done that this morning. While you were sound asleep. You and that two-faced guard of yours."

"I don't know what---"

"Save it," she said curtly. "The blonde doesn't go to the brain cells. If he hasn't told you everything yet, he will. I know my own men."

"Now you listen to me, you---"

"'---officious, high handed young lady?' Please, just call me a bitch and get it over with."

"If you insist," he mocked.

"Oh, but I do," she cooed. Her voice hardened. "As a gesture of good will you get to keep the bodies, for now. My Agent has been authorized to assist your team's investigation. We want to know who's behind this as badly as you do. My people have been compromised and used. No one does that to us and gets away with it."

"Except for you," Hawk remarked sarcastically.

"Pot calling the kettle black, Abernathy. But I guess that's OK. Less for your people to get used to when they become my command. Spy out."

Hawk swallowed back a roar of rage, opting instead to overturn the gurney he had been sitting on and kicking it viciously.

Lady Jaye ripped the curtains open. She took in the scene rather more calmly than one would expect when seeing their CO on the rampage. "Cut on your chest stings," she asked mildly.

Before he could answer her, his wrist-com beeped again. "WHAT," he roared.

"...um...t-there's an Army Captain out here, sir," the guard outside the infirmary told him. "H-he said he has your eagle feather?"

"Send him in," Hawk ordered, signaling for everyone to head for the door.

A huge blonde man wearing Army battle dress fatigues and a full pack on his back entered the infirmary. Sliver Captain bars gleamed from each collar.

"YOU," Duke exclaimed, glaring at the Captain. "What are---"

"IT'S ABOUT TIME," Hawk roared. "What the hell took you so long? Never mind. Fall in. Everyone gets debriefed about everything in one shot and DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, JAYE?"

Lady Jaye tore her shocked eyes away from the Captain. "No problem, sir." She grabbed Duke's wheelchair from her husband and pushed the Second out the door. "No problem at all."

"Jaye? Would that be the Lady Jaye the General's spoken of," the Captain asked politely, falling in step next to her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet."

"Likewise," she nodded, trying not to appear flustered.

"Is that a slight Gaelic lilt I hear?" He grinned, cocking his head. "Can't quite place it. My parents were from Dublin themselves, but their accent never rubbed off on me. Where did you---"

"I'm sorry," Flint said through clenched teeth, shouldering his way between them. "Everyone seems to know you but me. Honey, why don't you introduce us?"

"FAIRBORNE!"

"Yes, sir," both Jaye and Flint responded.

"You," Hawk said, pointing to Flint. "You have your assignment, Joe. Dismissed. You two," he said pointing to Jaye and the Captain. "Muzzle it."

Flint glanced at Jaye, who shrugged. He scowled, fired off an ill-tempered salute to Hawk and stormed off, deliberately bumping into the Captain as he left.

Jaye glared daggers at her husband's back.

It was a long walk to Hawk's office.

The silence lasted until Hawk angrily hit the locking controls for the heavy steel sliding doors. Once the doors were safely closed, Duke turned on the Captain. "Just who the hell ARE you? Yesterday you're a Private, now you're a Captain? Fort Killington's got a hell of a promotion system out there."

"Killington? He is NOT from Killington," Jaye said stoutly. "Hawk, tell him."

No response.

"Hawk?" Everyone looked over to see Hawk leaning his forehead against the doors.

"General Abernathy?"

A very different Hawk turned to face them. "Captain," he said softly, extending his hand. "Please forgive the shoddy welcome. I am truly grateful you made it here at all, let alone so fast."

"I was worried," the Captain admitted, gripping his hand warmly. "Your message didn't tell me a whole lot. So if you'll forgive an old warbird's bluntness," he gestured to Hawk and Duke, "what in blazes happened to you two?"

"I did say everyone gets debriefed about everything at once," Hawk sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not even sure where to start."

Duke jabbed a thumb at the Captain. "How about REAL introductions."

The Captain smiled. "Tenacious, aren't you?"

"The teeth goes with the tags."

"I'll remember that."

Jaye clapped a hand over Duke's mouth. "Hawk," Jaye said loudly. "The introductions if you please?"

Duke shoved her hand away. "Jaye----"

"Trust me, you'll thank me later," she hissed. "Hawk?"

Hawk turned his head towards his guest. "With the Captain's permission?"

Eyebrows around the room raised at this deference.

The Captain nodded.

"Captain, I'd like to introduce you to some of my best Joes. My Second, Duke, you've met. Lady Jaye, my top Intel Op. Low Light, my night spotter. Joes, this is---" Hawk suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "This is Captain America."

Jaye smirked as Duke gaped. Low Light merely raised his goggles, smiling slightly.

"GI JOE! Atten-HUT," Duke barked, struggling to stand without wobbling.

"Whoa! Easy there, son," the Captain said, giving Duke a firm hand back down. "All of you, at ease. Please. Don't stand on ceremony for me. I'm just here to help." He looked hard into the younger man's eyes. "Concussion?"

"Mild, it's nothing," Duke told him. His expression turned sheepish. "Wish I could use it as an excuse for my behavior---"

"Don't feel embarrassed." The Captain shook his hand. "You were just looking out for your General." He gave Jaye a tolerant grin. "As your husband was just trying to look out for you."

"Yes, but his wife doesn't require 'looking out for' in this case," Jaye said smoothly, offering her hand. "I'm sorry for my husband's rude behavior, Captain, there is simply no excuse. And I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for that letter Hawk had me send to you all those years ago. I was terribly embarrassed. It was much cooler than you deserved."

The Captain blinked, clearly charmed. "On the contrary, ma'am," he said, bowing over her hand. "It was much nicer than a lot of rejections I've gotten from this man's Army. And your husband, ma'am? Don't be too hard on him. If I were in his shoes, I think I'd react the same way."

"You're too kind, Captain. And please, call me Jaye."

"Well. I'd like it if you called me Steve. All of you."

Jaye dimpled. "Steve it is then."

Steve shook his head as he let go of her hand. "Your husband's a lucky guy."

"Yes," she said wryly, "he is."

Steve chuckled.

"Captain," Duke said after the man shook hands with the silent sniper. "Steve. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but you said you were here to help? Help with what? No offense to Hawk, but this is hardly the first assassination attempt on him. This is nothing we can't handle ourselves." He paused significantly. "Or is there something you're not telling us, sir?"

"General Abernathy? You did say you'd debrief us," Steve reminded Hawk.

"Hawk. Just Hawk," he told him. He sat heavily behind his desk. "Have a seat everyone. This might take a while. Wait!" He stood up and shoved his chair in front of the desk. "Gather around. Don't need that damned thing." He ran a hand through his hair. "There's no way I can stay formal during this talk. I'll just make it worse if I try."

Puzzled glances were exchanged. Jaye pulled up a chair to sit across from Hawk, wheeling Duke over to be next to her. Low Light sat between Jaye and Hawk. Steve set his pack down and sat between Hawk and Duke.

It was very quiet in that room.

"Is this how you start all discussions, Hawk," Steve finally asked.

"Sorry. This is hard for me." He rubbed his bandaged neck. "Still not sure where to start."

"Maybe...maybe I'd better start then, sir," Low Light said.

Hawk nodded. "Maybe you better, son." His eyes glinted unpleasantly. "I understand you've been... AUTHORIZED to assist in any way."

Low Light winced.

Silent comprehension dawned in Steve's eyes.

Hawk leaned forward. "Help me understand WHY, solider."

Low Light pushed his knit cap off his head and sighed. "I've told Jaye about some of this, for the investigation. But not everything. I was too...afraid." The last word came out as fragile as a leaf skeleton on the wind.

Fear was the last thing anyone expected Low Light to admit to feeling. No one knew what to say.

Low Light continued into the silence. "After Joe disbanded, you all know I went to work for the Criminal Investigation Division. I started out doing the same things I did in Joe, except less action, more red tape, less cooperation. I had to do some things myself if I wanted them done at all. Then the higher ups found out I was doing my own digital image enhancements for cases, made my own vision intensifiers for fieldwork. Thought I'd get busted for some reg or another, but they were impressed. Impressed enough to keep me off the field and more in the labs assisting other Agents with their cases. When I protested they told me to count myself lucky. They said..." His mouth twisted. "They said considering my psyche profile, they felt better with me in front of a computer or with a soldering iron than behind a gun. If it wasn't for your recommendation, Hawk, they never would have taken me in at all." He held up a hand. "I'm not bitter, not at you, sir. At them, yes, I'll admit it. But not you." He twisted his cap.

"Tell them what happened next," Jaye prompted.

Low Light nodded. "SHIELD approached me. Said my talents were being wasted." He huffed self-depreciatingly. "And like an idiot, I agreed. I signed on. I was still with CID, but every once in a while I'd get The Call. Then I'd suit up and head for the SHIELD Helicarrier."

"Not how SHIELD usually handles their Agents," Steve frowned.

Low Light's gray eyes looked lost in thought. "I was a very Special Agent," he said softly, unhappily. "What I did required my ID to be classified." He shook his head. "After meeting my teammates the first time, I was glad. They were not the kind of guys I'd want to knock back brews with." He fiddled with his cap. "After a few missions, some went around unmasked, let slip their names." His lips tightened. "Fury was pissed, but he said it was our heads. I was the only one who kept under cover. Least," he sighed, "I thought I did." He shook himself. "Anyways, when Duke dropped word that Joe was back, I transferred out of CID no problem. SHIELD on the other hand...Carter wanted to talk. I was one of her best. She didn't want to lose me, but nothing could get me to stay on when Joe was calling me home. Then she made a different pitch. She said that she knew that Joe had been plagued by a group of corrupt Pentagon Brass called the Jugglers in the past. She said she wanted to take them out. She needed all the information she could get against them and GI Joe was the only group known to have attracted their attention. But she couldn't get past Duke. He wasn't letting anyone even smelling like a double Agent into the Greenshirts. So that meant she needed an old Joe. Like me. It...sounded good when she was saying it. I swear to you, I thought I'd be helping Joe!"

"Oh. NO!" Duke moaned and buried his face in his hands. "Low Light, tell me you didn't do what I think you did!"

"Wish I could, Duke," Low Light whispered. "I found out that Hawk had blackmailed his way into the Jugglers. And I told SHIELD. To reassure them. I know you, sir. You had a plan. I told Carter that. I figured since you had everything under control, I could get out of SHIELD." He shook his head. "But Carter doesn't trust you, Hawk. She thinks you're just another Juggler. She asked me to steal your files on them." He crossed his arms, jaw set. "I told her to go to hell."

"And that's would be when she recruited me," Steve nodded. "Sharon wanted me to get the information out of Hawk by whatever means necessary. I almost told her to go to hell myself." He grinned at Hawk. "After all, I can't be undermining a fellow warbird's operation now, can I?"

Hawk looked away. "I wish SHIELD saw it that way."

Steve's smile slipped from his face. "What ELSE did they do? Was it Nick? He said he wanted to talk to you."

"Fury did come by early this morning," Low Light told him. "He told me the same thing, that he just wanted to talk to Hawk. About something that would benefit Joe." He clenched his fists. "I shouldn't have trusted that lying SOB---!" His shoulders slumped. "But I did...I let him in while Hawk was asleep."

"WHAT," Duke roared, trying to get to his feet.

"Oh, Light," Jaye groaned, covering her eyes.

Steve held Duke back. "Easy, son. This isn't helping."

"I've got every right to be upset," Duke said flatly, jerking his arm away from him. He never took his eyes off the sniper. "Nick Fury is just this shy of being a raving psycho. I can't believe you let him by."

For the first time, Steve's eyes began to burn. "Nick is NOT a 'raving psycho.' He's a good man trying to do a difficult job---"

"And rules are blurring for him with each passing year," Duke snapped. "You used to work for SHIELD too, Captain. Why'd you quit?"

"Stop it! Both of you," Jaye snapped with icy irritation. "Whether he's a psycho or not is moot to this discussion." She dragged the conversation back on track. "Low Light. You let Fury into Hawk's home. What happened next?"

Low Light twisted his cap. "Well, actually, then Fury tranqed me. He wanted to keep my cover intact. I don't know what happened next."

Everyone turned expectantly towards Hawk. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fury wants Joe. I told him no. He threatened to take the team. I told him I'd fight him every step of the way. Then..." Hawk took another deep breath. "Then he told me if I didn't co-operate, if I raised hell over this...he'd let...certain information about me leak out."

The silence became stunned.

"He's..." Low Light swallowed hard. "He's BLACKMAILING you?"

Hawk nodded.

"With what," Steve demanded. "There's nothing ON you! I checked you out before I tried to join Joe and again before I met you at the airport. Every questionable thing you ever did was either done under orders or pardoned. Even THOSE things were done for the good of the country!"

"He found something," Hawk said grimly. "The worse part is...I'm not sure if its true or not."

"What do you mean, Hawk," Jaye asked softly.

"Doesn't matter. It's not relevant to the investigation."

"Hawk," Jaye said, frowning, "this could matter more than you think---"

"DON'T PUSH ME," he thundered. He pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke quietly into the stunned silence. "I'm sorry, Jaye. Before we leave this room, I will tell you...just...please. Tell the Captain the rest about SHIELD first."

"'The rest?'" Steve sighed. "What else did they do?"

Lady Jaye held up a thin manila folder. "Well, apparently, they tried to assassinate Hawk."

"WHAT?!" Steve was on his feet, fists knotted.

"What do you think of your friends now," Duke asked bitterly.

"I," Steve said through grit teeth, "am going to KILL them myself!"

"Take a number," Duke growled.

Hawk slammed the flat of his hand onto his desk. "ENOUGH! Jaye. Report. Don't tease."

Jaye flushed. "Sorry, sir. Early this morning, at 0510, GI Joe split into two groups to run the Obstacle Course near the Mad River. The Vets took the Course first. Hawk was warming the Greenshirts up in the glen. Just prior to the split, Hawk gave Duke his aviator jacket, which Duke then wore.

"After examining the grounds around the course, Spirit believes that there was originally a single group of attackers lying in wait along the Course, with spotters at certain points. When Duke jogged past one of these spotters, we believe that the jacket Duke wore and the physical similarities between Duke and Hawk confused them. Some mistakenly thought that Duke was their target. Others noticed just enough differences between our two blondes to doubt. I'm sure that's why they split up. Better two dead bodies, one wrong and one right, than just one wrong one."

"Very...efficient," Steve winced.

"One group headed Duke off. The others backtracked to the glen to find the real target. At 0530, an enemy sniper winged Duke. The Joe Vets got him under cover and exchanged fire with the enemy. At the same time, our own sniper took out two assassins climbing down from the trees intent on attacking the real Hawk. A third managed to reach the General and separated him from the others. The Greenshirts were then kept occupied with an attack by a small group of the enemy. Low Light and one of the Greenshirts, Lt. Paige Adams, went after Hawk. There was a storm, it was dark, and Hawk was struggling too close with his attacker for Adams to shoot. But Low Light could and did. From---?"

"400 yards in a cloud burst," Low Light said quickly. "That's IT."

"In a forest?" The Captain gave a low whistle. "Still quite a shot, son."

"Don't know the half of it," Low Light muttered as Hawk's shoulder twitched.

"Of the five enemy bodies recovered, Low Light recognized them all as members from his old team in SHIELD."

"Which team was that," Steve asked.

"Good question," Jaye said, looking pointedly at Low Light. "NOW will you tell me?"

Low Light bowed his head. "An assassination team."

Everyone fell silent.

"This wasn't a standard op," Low Light said. "They did go in without ID, and since none of the radar records indicate a thing and those tree-assassins came out of nowhere, I'm going to assume at least one cloaked Hovercar was used. So far, standard op, yes. The team that attacked Duke, a hit and run, engaging only to retreat, that sounds like a standard op too. But the team in the clearing..." Low Light looked at his teammates uneasily. "They were the kind of Agents that did a job...messy...to send a message. They would know a decoy when they saw one. Duke wouldn't have fooled them. But," he said, slapping his cap against his thigh, "those Agents never engage a guarded target without cover fire!"

"But they thought they had the cover," Jaye pointed out logically. "You."

Hawk nodded thoughtfully. "That would explain why one of those Agents said, 'McBride you traitor.'"

"But they didn't even know my real name. They shouldn't have even known I was still alive! I faked my own death on my last official SHIELD mission. Only Fury and Carter knew the truth. I had no clue about this," Low Light said earnestly. "You have to believe me!"

To his surprise, Jaye nodded. "Oh, I believe you, Light. You could have killed Hawk easily, or not done a thing, and called the whole thing an accident or a crying shame without anyone being the wiser. Instead you saved his life, even if you did kill your old teammate to do it."

"I...didn't know it was him at the time..." Low Light's face turned grim. "But I wouldn't have done a damned thing different even if I did. He didn't give me a choice."

"Sounds to me like they were set up," Duke said. He squinted as he thought out loud. "Someone exposed you to set up the 'messy' Agents to kill Hawk, but wrote them off as disposable...all to pin the blame on SHIELD."

"Carter did call me earlier," Hawk said thoughtfully. "'My people have been compromised and used. No one does that to us and gets away with it.' Her very words. And---I can't believe I'm saying this---but Fury blackmailing me actually speaks in favor of his innocence. Why blackmail me when he has no qualms about killing me?"

Steve suddenly banged his armrest with a fist. "SHIELD's been infiltrated!"

"AGAIN," Low Light exclaimed.

"'Again?' How often does this happen," Jaye questioned, a little horrified.

"Too many times," Steve said, running his hands through his hair. "If I know Sharon, she's ready to spit nails. Probably trying to find the culprits from the SHIELD side herself," Steve mused. "And it sounds to me, since Joe has ample motivation to track them down fast, she's letting you see what you can find from this side."

"A clandestine joint investigation." Duke snorted and shook his head. "My old 'Department' has worked jointly with SHIELD before. To say they don't play well with others is an understatement. Why are they putting this much trust in GI Joe when they don't trust our CO?"

Hawk laughed bitterly. "Don't forget, to their thinking, Joe WILL be SHIELD within the week. And I'll be either dead, destroyed, or just...quietly shuffle back to the Pentagon. Sit behind a desk, be just another Juggler in the shadows---"

"You are NOT just another Juggler," Steve suddenly roared, rising up. "You are the Poised Tomahawk, waiting for the right time to strike! The Snake-Eating Warbird that guards these warriors from the vultures who defiles our nation's fighting arm! And if you ever, EVER make another petulant, defeated whine like that again, I will throw you over my knee and spank you like the brat you just sounded like! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, YOUNG MAN?"

Four pairs of eyes looked at Captain America in utter shock.

Hawk gave a nervous bark of laughter. "Crystal clear, Captain." He ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you. I need a kick in the rear sometimes."

Steve relaxed and grinned. "My boot is always available, sir."

"JUGGLERS," Low Light abruptly blurted out, his dry voice crackling with rare excitement. "That's it! It's them, it has to be! They have the motivation, especially if they heard SHIELD was questioning Hawk about them. More if they knew Fury was blackmailing him! They'd be afraid he'd crack, or cut a deal to keep Joe!"

Hawk frowned. "Can't be them. Out and out assassination isn't their style. That's more Cobra's."

"Sir, if you can shoot holes in my reasoning, I'm more than willing to say I'm wrong," Duke told him.

"What if," Jaye began, tapping her lips in concentration, "What if it was BOTH the Jugglers and Cobra?"

Dead silence.

"Explain," Hawk ordered her.

She nodded, visibly gathering her thoughts. "Everyone has made valid points here. The Jugglers certainly have the motivation to see Hawk dead, especially if they caught wind of SHIELD's involvement. No, I'll take that a step further, they MUST know of SHIELD's involvement. That's why the assassins are from SHIELD. What better way of neutralizing SHIELD and illiminating a potential stool pigeon than to use SHIELD to kill the bird? AND," she said, jabbing a finger at Low Light, "making sure there was a witness, a way to prove it?"

"Evil," Duke said. "But no holes so far. You're scaring me, Jaye."

"Go on," Hawk encouraged.

"Obviously, to pull one over on SHIELD, you have to be damned good. Now the Jugglers have pulled their little power games on Joe, but they've never been able to infiltrate Joe. To give SHIELD its credit," she nodded ironically at Low Light, "they're one up on the Jugglers."

Low Light winced.

"So its safe to assume that the Jugglers don't have a chance in hell of infiltrating SHIELD themselves." She paused. "But we all know that they've patroned Destro's services before."

"And Destro works with Cobra," Duke added, catching on.

"And Cobra has Zartan and his family," Jaye nodded. "They can get just about anywhere unnoticed, their disguise skills are that good."

"They've waltzed in and out of Joe so many times, its damned embarrassing," Duke told Steve with frustration.

"So if this Zartan and his family can infiltrate Joe..." Steve said.

"It's a safe bet they can do the same to SHIELD," Low Light concluded grimily. "They might even have been able to disguise themselves as Fury, Carter, or even myself. That could be how my old team got their orders, why they thought I'd cover them."

Jaye steeled herself. "And...Hawk? I hate to say this, but if they could gain access to a Classified file like Low Light's...both Cobra and the Jugglers might know about your...dirt."

Hawk's face turned paper white. "Dammit," he whispered, running his hand over his face.

"Wait, it might not be that bad," Steve cautioned. "Nick's got a good dose of paranoia. He wouldn't keep sensitive Intel right within easy reach of Classified personnel files. Cobra and the Jugglers might not even know this dirt exists."

"But they might," Jaye said.

"I have to assume they know," Hawk snapped, rubbing his forehead.

"Why," Low Light asked. "You don't even know if Fury was lying to you."

"What," Hawk frowned.

"He's right," Jaye said carefully. "Hawk, you pretty much admitted that Fury could have lied about that dirt he has on you."

"I want VERY much to believe he lied through his teeth," Hawk agreed. "But I can't take that chance."

"Why not," Duke asked. "Hawk...what is it?"

Hawk closed his eyes. For a long moment, everyone was silent and still. "My wife," Hawk finally said. "Fury told me that my late wife was really a Viet Cong spy."

Jaye inhaled sharply.

"Wife," Duke hissed, unbelieving.

"No, there's no records," he told his Second. "It...wasn't an official marriage. In fact, I married her against direct orders," Hawk admitted. "We had to keep it a secret while I tried to get my CO to change his mind and give his official permission." Hawk rubbed his eyes. "In the end it didn't matter."

Jaye knelt in front of Hawk and gripped his arm. "Are you sure? Sure that she was a spy?"

Hawk gave a bitter bark of laughter. "Fury's pretty sure."

"But are you," she pressed.

"NO, dammit. But I'm biased. My opinion can't be trusted."

"Wait just a minute," she said sharply, her Gaelic accent starting to come out strong. "You're believing that git against your own instincts?"

"I have to," Hawk snapped. "I'm responsible for GI Joe, and my personal life has just left Joe wide open for a coup! I cannot afford to let my emotions direct my---"

"Can I speak freely, Hawk," she interrupted.

Hawk eyed her suspiciously for a second. "Granted."

She stood and shoved her face mere inches from Hawk's. "Then begging the General's pardon, but HA!"

"FAIRBORNE," Duke roared. "You're out of line!"

Hawk raised a hand. "No, let our cheeky jay bird speak freely." He looked at her coolly. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that your emotions are the ONLY thing that's been directing you! You've been trying to stay impartial about her, trying to tell yourself that it doesn't matter what you think about her, but guess what, Hawk? IT'S NOT WORKING!" Her accent rolled out of her throat like the skirling of battle pipes. "What YOU think matters more to me than anything Fury says. We're supposed to TRUST him? Why? He has an ulterior motive! He wants US! If half the things I've heard about him are true, he's not above straight out lying for his own purposes!" She turned her green-fire eyes at Steve. "Go ahead. Call me on that," she dared.

Steve, wisely, raised his hands. "Can't. He has."

She turned back to Hawk. "Just look at what he's done to you, sir. He's found a way to twist you around until you don't know what to feel. For that alone I will never fully trust him...nor ever accept him as a CO." She drew herself up straight. "We are not losing you to anyone without a fight," she promised. "For our sake, don't you be rolling over for any of them. You were in the 101st Airborne, weren't you, sir?"

Hawk blinked at the sudden change in subject. "Yes. What does THAT have to do with THIS?"

"Everything," Steve said, catching on. "Your old Division has a fine traditional response to surrender demands, dating back to my day." He grinned widely and held out a fist. "Nuts."

"Nuts," Duke repeated firmly, putting his hand over Steve's fist.

"Nuts," Low Light echoed topping Duke's hand.

"Nuts," Jaye said with relish, placing her hand on top. She lifted her chin and looked haughtily at Hawk. "So what will it be, General? Are you our Snake-Eating Warbird, or are you just a turkey waiting to get stuffed?"

Hawk slowly got to his feet and towered over Jaye. She glared back at him defiantly.

Hawk broke out into a warm smile. "Nuts," he said softly, putting his hand over hers. "GI JOE!"

"YO JOE!"