Author's Notes": Will be rated PG-13 for now.later R for adult themes, violence and language.

Out of Control

By Angelina

Prologue

"Hey Beach Head, you'd better get down here." Lifeline gazed up the tall expanse of the cargo netting strung more than thirty feet from the sandy ground at his feet. The mesh of thick ropes comprised one of the more rigorous sections of the obstacle course not-so-fondly referred to as "The Tower". The medic shielded his eyes from the glare of the harsh desert sunlight, even though he was wearing his ever-present dark sunglasses. Squinting, he was finally able to distinguish the dark shape, for whom he had been searching, delineated against the brilliant sky.

The shadowed figure simply disregarded Lifeline's shouted request and maintained his focus on the new recruits traversing the various physical challenges around him. If he hadn't been raised to not take the Lord's name in vain, Edwin Steen, Army Sergeant.medic.aka Lifeline, would have had a few choice words for the Army Ranger instructor perched twenty feet or more above his head. He stood there silently for a moment, hearing the grunts, sighs and curses emanating from instructors and trainees alike.

"Sergeant.Beach Head.I know you heard me." Steen called up in the Ranger's general direction once again. He had better things to do with his time than to be sent out here as a messenger boy, even if it was at General Hawk's request. Not to mention, most everyone on the base liked to stay out of Beach Head's path. Most especially recently. The usually irascible sergeant had been particularly out-of-sorts as of late.

Smiling to himself, Steen realized that Sergeant First Class Wayne R. Sneeden, hometown Auburn Alabama and known to his fellow Joes as Beach Head, had finally deigned to give his full attention to the medic standing at the bottom of the Tower. Unable to read Sneeden's full facial expression, hidden as it was behind the favored balaclava despite the oppressive heat, Lifeline could read the other soldier's eyes loud and clear. The message they sent him wasn't a happy-to-see-you one.

"What the hell do you want?" Beach Head snarled.

Lifeline knew that Sneeden didn't have the highest opinion for him, as a pacifist who refused to bear arms against the enemy and was pledged to help anyone in need; however, the Ranger had always treated him fairly when it came to his status as a fellow Joe and qualified medical personnel. So Edwin didn't take the irritation personally. "Hawk needs to see you in his office. From what I gather, I think it's important."

"It'd better be. I've got more important things to deal with than to be traipsin' off across the base to meet with the general." Wayne's soft Southern accent became more pronounced the more he became agitated. The word 'more' came out more like 'moh', not to mention his liberal dropping of the finishing 'g' off of most words. Not that anyone, even General Hawk, would dare tease or even bother to point out the Ranger's accent. The Ranger shouted out a gruff command at the recruits before attempting to descend from his vantage point.

Several of the newbies held their breath as their astonished eyes followed his form as Beach Head simply released his grip on the cargo net and committed himself to a gravity-induced freefall towards the hardpack below. Lifeline simply rolled his eyes at the controlled maniacal behavior of his fellow Joe. At the last moment, Wayne reached out and grabbed one of the thick ropes at the bottom to slow his momentum and landed with an innate agility on the balls of his feet. When he finally stood upright before the medic, the Army Ranger stood a few inches taller than his counterpart. A brief round of applause from the awe-struck trainees was quickly squelched with a single look from their instructor.

"Are you done showing off?" Lifeline asked with just slightest bit of bored irritation. He was getting tired of fixing the breaks and lacerations that was inherent with living and working on an ego-filled GI Joe military installation.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," the sergeant admonished blandly. "I hate to remind you once again. But I don't showboat.that's for rookies. I know what I'm doing and I'm complete control." Beach Head turned from Lifeline and headed off towards General Hawk's office with efficient strides.

"One of these days you won't be in control..I wonder what will happen to you then," Lifeline murmured softly to himself as he watched the Ranger's retreating form.

To be continued..