Part 7:

"Hostile Takeover"

Snake Eyes saw no choice. He knew what was coming. And as he leapt towards the Crimson Guard about to hand over the computer tablet to Xamot, he knew the possible consequences before him, but if his suppositions were right, he'd prevent a dangerous circumstance.

But when he moved, he was pounced on by three other guards that pinned him down, outnumbering him. He struggled against them, but knew he was no match for their collective strength. One of them even twisted him right arm behind him, forcing him to submit.

For a moment, at least, the situation seemed frozen in time, as he looked up at the guardsman with the tablet in hand, with Xamot looking down at him. "Foolish mistake, Joe. The last grasp of a desperate man, no doubt." And Xamot finally took the tablet in hand.

"No!" Scarlet shouted. "Don't—!" But her attempt to also intervene was short-lived as a guardsman grabbed her tightly and pulled her back away from the twins.

"Don't—what, Joe?" Tomax answered.

"Don't talk to him!" Scarlet finally got out. "The Interrogator! He's—"

Snake Eyes was hauled to his feet. He tried desperately to break free. For once, he wished he could scream out why he had tried to lunge forward, but all he could do was croak out a harsh low noise from his throat. Xamot looked at him, but then ultimately looked down at the tablet.

The Interrogator spoke in his baritone voice to him. "Ah, I hoped it would me you, Xamot," he said. "Now things can proceed according to plan."

"Proceed? What are you talking about?" Tomax asked, stepping over.

Snake Eyes saw Xamot's face as he looked down at the tablet, and there seemed to be a blankness in his eyes, something within his sub-conscious thoughts was being re-ordered. He was right, somehow the Interrogator had managed to get to Xamot.

It was then Xamot pulled back, and shoved Tomax away, and pointed his gun at his brother. Tomax's eyes went wide with shock and awe.

"Xamot! What in god's name are you doing?"

"Consider this a hostile takeover," Interrogator said from the tablet. Xamot was completely under the villain's control. "I have your brother, Tomax. You see, you two may be twins, but no one can resist me when I turn on the charm."

Tomax seemed to chew over Interrogator's intentions. Then he said to Xamot, with his hands up in the hand in a gentle surrender, "Brother, resist him. Put down the laser."

"He's mine, Tomax," Interrogator's voice chimed in. "I'd call this a crimson crises, wouldn't you say?" He laughed. "Tragedy always brings out the best in people, especially when they have 'deep' scars, and they're so much more easier to manipulate."

Snake Eyes knew Interrogator was speaking in the literal sense when it came to Xamot. The fact that he was "second" to his brother and had the scar on his right cheek went to prove Interrogator's point. Tomax and Xamot were twins, but with Xamot's scar, they were no longer identical, and however Tomax felt about it, obviously to Xamot, it was more than just physical.

Snake Eyes knew how Xamot felt, his own scars made him feel just as self-conscious, which was why he rarely went out in public, and when he did, he wore a cap pulled it down to cover his face. Scarlet didn't care, but he couldn't help how he felt. They were scars of war, but still.

Snake Eyes wondered how the Interrogator survived his battle with the Brainwave Scanner, but obviously it had not worked on the villain. Was he immune to its effects, or had there been a malfunction? Regardless of what had had happened, they were at this point. Interrogator had planned things out well in advance—first, with Scarface, and now with Xamot.

"What do you want, Interrogator?" Tomax said through clenched teeth bitterly, staring at the traitor on the tablet screen with a deep look of loathing.

"Ah, a direct question, very apropos for a man in your situation," Interrogator said. "Simply put, I want control of Extensive Enterprises."

Tomax looked shocked, then livid. "Absolutely not! My brother and I have worked tirelessly to built Extensive Enterprises. How dare you do this to us!"

"And yet, you're willing to throw it all away working with a terrorist organization like Cobra?" Interrogator let out a short laugh. "Yes, tyrants can profit those who see the value of their contribution, but your law practise is much more profitable than you think with its global reach, and I intend to market it to its maximum potential."

Tomax was silence for a moment, and Snake Eyes thought he was weighing his options.

"While you maul it over, let me speak to that insufferable blonde-haired himbo," Interrogator demanded.

Scarface stepped out from the crowd, now released, and took the tablet from Xamot. Xamot didn't seem to mind. Xamot kept his focus on his brother, laser in hand.

Scarface turned the tablet and Interrogator's image faced Snake Eyes directly. Scarface was under the villain's control. The guardsman held Snake Eyes at bay, but he felt their grip loosen slightly more, they, too, under the Interrogator's influence.

"Greetings, once more, Snake Eyes," the Interrogator said. "First, I must applaud you. You managed to turned my efforts against me. But I thought ahead. Despite it being next to zero for the Brainwave Scanner to be used against me, I programmed it to immediately shutdown when it detected my neuropathy. Thus, even after the initial shock of it attempting to re-write my conscious thoughts, it didn't affect me as it would another—if you were wondering. And then, I was freed. Not one of my finer moments, I must say."

Snake Eyes's eyes narrowed, as if that's all that needed to be said. Interrogator was like a villain, who suddenly escaped a deadly fate only to come back and taunt the hero once again.

Snake Eyes looked up from the screen momentarily and caught Tomax's gaze.

Tomax was just as much a prisoner here, the Crimson Guards were no longer under his command, since none of them were helping him. The Interrogator had, indeed, thought ahead.

"Now what?" someone finally asked. It was Scarlet.

"Ah, another direct question," Interrogator addressed. "Yes, what now," he added. "I still wish to convert Snake Eyes to become my willing and obedient slave. I could always use a ninja enforcer. And, with you, of course, a concubine. A man has needs, you know."

"I'd rather throw myself off this building than be your slave, you rat bastard!" Scarlet spat.

Snake Eyes held his anger. He didn't have a way out his predicament yet. But the Interrogator had to be dealt with. If he could end the conversion, maybe it could end his control here.

"Nevertheless, you shall both me mine!" the Interrogator declared. "Scarface, take the prisoners to the secret cells within Tower 1, I will need to make preparations. And Xamot, bring your brother to me, and I'll deal with him personally. You shall soon see the value of true leadership, Tomax, unlike within Cobra."

The Crimson Twin appeared to have enough. "Never!" Tomax suddenly said. And with a high kick, he knocked the laser out of his brother's hand, and then delivered a hard right cross to Xamot's face, knocking him out cold. "Sorry, brother," he said, with true sympathy.

Snake Eyes took his own cue and kicked the tablet out from Scarface's hand, then delivered a side, high kick to the villain's body, and knocked him flat off his feet. He then rendered three Crimson Guards unconscious with similar kicks, with Scarlet knocking out a fourth.

Tomax picked up Xamot's laser and prepared to fire on the last two. Snake Eyes figured if they would so easily betray Tomax, then they were no longer of no use. But Snake Eyes quickly stopped him, grabbing Tomax's arm up high, as Scarlet took out the other two with her brand of force, kicking them where it would hurt them most while not harming them otherwise.

"Why?" was all Tomax said, looking around, then eyed Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes gave him a determinate stare, holding Tomax at bay.

"Because," Scarlet said instead, "they were not of their right minds, even your brother. The Interrogator had managed to brainwash them under your nose."

Tomax ceased struggling and Snake Eyes relieved him of the laser. "I shall make that traitor pay for what he's done," he said, looking down at Xamot. He crouched down. "I had no idea Xamot was so troubled," he said, feeling his own right cheek. "I'll make an effort to understand him better in the future. We may be brothers, but we're also individuals. We all suffer from scars no one else could ever understand, be them physical or emotional."

Snake Eyes gave Tomax a pat on the shoulder, then looked around as Scarlet picked up the computer tablet Scarface had dropped after Snake Eyes had kicked it out of his hands. But the screen was blank and cracked. "Seems like the fox as escaped the hen house," she said.

"The Interrogator's treachery shall be dealt with," Tomax replied to her with a sneer. He shouldered his brother with a huff. "You're a formidable enemy, you two, and one day, we shall meet again, but I know when it is time to cease hostilities and cut one's losses."

"Smart business choice," Scarlet said.

"Take two Trouble Bubbles and depart through the bay doors at the other end of hanger before I change my mind," Tomax said with a nod. "As for the reason of your escape, I'll blame it all on the Interrogator. Cobra Commander will be furious, but let the serpent fume."

"Nobility is not restrictive to just some," she said with a smile.

Snake Eyes turned and embarked one of the Trouble Bubbles. They were small aerial vehicles with jet boosters on the back and transparent bubble shields. Scarlet took another one.

Powering up the vehicles, pulling back on the yokes, the hanger bay door opened in the wall automatically, and they were able to leave without further incident, leaving Tower 1 behind them.

And they flew through the winding urban landscape of Enterprise City unabated.

But out of the corner of his eye, Snake Eyes saw something blast off from the roof of Tower 1 using what he swore was a Cobra Claw—another small aerial but winged flight vehicle, easily manoeuvrable within the confines of the city.

If he didn't know better, he swore it was the Interrogator. The villain would flee to fight another day, but he would be hunted by Cobra for his actions.

Good riddance, Snake Eyes thought.

Later, when they returned to GIJOE Headquarters, and told their tale, Snake Eyes added a notation to the Trades Commission in his report about Extensive Enterprises manipulation of stock market values. But he left it to the experts.

And as he climbed in bed with Scarlet after their candle light dinner to celebrate their freedom and love for each other; so exhausted, they both fell asleep instead of the "thereafter".

FINIS