P1
Splash page.
He, Pathfinder and Mercer are in the briefing room of the camp headquarters in Sierra Gordo.
Grid-Iron's face shows the determination of an agitated man. "Just exactly what kind of retaliation can we expect?"
P2
Pathfinder does not believe a word Mercer is saying. He points a finger accusingly at him. "Just how do you think Cobra is going to do that? Their forces are scattered, their Terrordromes have been taken down, we managed to pound them to being just insurgents now."
Putting up his hands in protest, Mercer replied, "Insurgents can still cause a lot of damage. I thought you'd have learned that by now." This angered Pathfinder who gets ready to put up a fight. "What? Why you son of a…"
Stepping in before it gets out of hand, Grid-Iron barked, "Stop it you two!"
Mercer pulls out an envelope the size of a letter paper out of his vest. "What I'm about to show you does not go beyond this room." He hands the envelope to Grid-Iron.
P3
"What's this?" Grid-Iron asked while opening the envelope. In that envelope are documents and some papers. He reads them with deep interest but his face indicates he is reserving judgment on this one.
There was a long silence that passed through and, so, Mercer is the one to break it. "Proof positive that Cobra is in possession of an extremely virulent flesh-eating bacteria. This is your new assignment, Captain. Recapture the sample in Cobra's possession and stamp out any incidental outbreaks."
Grid-Iron just stands by silently thinking. Pathfinder, however, is not one to remain calm for long and demands of Mercer, "How do we know you're not just yankin' our chains? You claim to be a Joe, we don't even know who you are. We don't take orders from just anybody."
Mercer just smirks and says, "Really? For an anti-terrorist unit used to taking orders from top secret higher-ups, your team is one of contradictions."
"Yeah? Contradict this!" Pathfinder tries to land a punch on Mercer's face.
P4
Mercer quickly avoids Pathfinder's fist and with deft speed goes to his side and uses his knee to kick him in the belly. Pathfinder lands to the floor on his knees and feels like vomiting. "Hhhuuuhhh!"
"I said both of you knock it off!" screamed Grid-Iron.
Mercer faces Grid-Iron, "So, what's it going to be, Captain?"
"I don't know who you are but if what you say is true, I can't take any chances."
P5
The hilly ranges of Sierra Gordo, normally silent but now alive with the turbine sound of the G.I. Joe Skyhawk VTOL plane. The pilot, Altitude, is the one assigned to monitor this sector. He scans his monitors for any unusual activity with all sorts of sensors, infrared, radar, and some such. He speaks in to his microphone, "This is Grasshopper-3 to Gulf Home. I still see no sign of the supposed hidden hole. I can't just think how it's possible to hide something as big as a Terrordrome. It's got to be the size of a small hill."
"Oh, yeah? Didn't Cobra once hide it under a lot of ice?" Dee Jay's voice crackled from the other line.
"Even camouflaged, a careful eye would've picked it out from all these greens."
The Skyhawk passes over a ridge. The bright morning sun shines over the Skyhawk's canopy as it flew over. At that point, Altitude saw something that made his face wrinkle in terror. "Oh, my god…"
P6
The Skyhawk is hovering over the village of one of Sierra Gordo's indigenous tribes. Below it is a scene of death and its stench. Several bodies are strewn around the village. Those still alive look up at the Skyhawk. Some of them pointing up at the Skyhawk while others glare with anger and fear. All of them, their bodies sport welts and bloody patches.
Altitude says to his comrade, "I think it's time to break out the hazmat team."
At a distance, an observer is hidden behind the bushes and ferns. He is careful not make reflections with his binoculars. As we draw for a closer look, it is Copperhead.
P7
A G.I. Joe Tomahawk transport helicopter quickly came to the scene. Airtight, Clean Sweep and Stretcher got off. All of them are wearing protective suits designed against hazardous materials and bio-chemical weapons. A quick diagnosis by Stretcher is given, "I see no evidence of deliberate scalping or burning. If I didn't know better, I'd say they're suffering from a form of flesh-eating bacteria."
Responding back at base camp, huddled in the communications room are Dee Jay, Grid-Iron and Mercer. Grid-Iron could only clench his fists in frustration as the Sierra Gordan campaign is becoming more complicated. "Are you sure about that? The flesh bug?"
"Well, I have to run some more tests to confirm that," Dee Jay replied, "It could be a bug or could be chemical. I'm sending you a video feed of the site."
Mercer joined in the conversation, "That's it. The symptoms are identical. That village will have to be cleansed before the bug starts spreading."
"Cleanse?" Grid-Iron asked, "What do you mean by cleanse? You're not suggesting…?"
"You've read the dossier. This thing is not a picky eater. It's going to eat anything. We bomb that place, fire will destroy it."
"Extreme…" commented Dee Jay.
P8
Unable to take in the only option he is forced to choose, Grid-Iron shook his head. "No! There has to be another way! This is wrong. Surely, we've got some countermeasures for this sort of thing? I won't be responsible for the death of those villagers."
Mercer tells it to him in a matter-of-factly way, "They are already dead."
Grid-Iron's hand is shaking. He wants to punch Mercer in the face. The man was so smug and it is starting too irritate him. "Tell Pathfinder to assemble a containment team immediately. Increase the hazmat alert level. Give them a cart blanche authority to do whatever it takes to help those villagers…"
He is interrupted by Mercer who says, "You do that, you're going to have a bigger problem in your hands."
"Oh?"
"Your reporter girlfriend. Once she finds out what is going on, it won't be long before the rest of the world begin to think the US have anything to do with the flesh bug. Think of the damage it would do to this campaign's PR. All that hard work to free the people of Sierra Gordo, wasted."
"You can't tell me what to do," Grid-Iron gritted his teeth.
"You're right, I can't. All I can do is ask you to do your duty as a soldier… for your country."
Grid-Iron couldn't say anything back.
P9
More Tomahawk helicopters are flying back and forth, from the base to a southwest direction. Normally, this sight is not unusual but the frequency and activity will get attention such as that of Lisa Bornwell's, reporter. "Freddy," she talks to her cameraman, "Something's going on southwest and no one's talking."
"So, what do you want to do, Lisa?" asked Freddy.
"What else, you ninny? Find out what's going on." She starts running after a G.I. Joe Warthog that is operated by Heavy Duty. "Hey! Hey! Heavy Duty, right? Howsabout giving us a lift!" She had to shout to be heard over the noise of the engine.
"Sorry, can't do that," Heavy Duty hollered back.
"Why not? You let me have rides before!"
"Orders," was all Heavy Duty would tell her. He didn't say more and he didn't look back at her. He simply sped away.
"That's swell."
"I thought you were friends with the Joe field commander?" Freddy asked her.
"Yes, and this is his way of letting me know something is going on."
"But you were with me the whole day, I didn't see you talking to your captain boyfriend."
"Of course not, you ninny! It's called intuition." Looking around, Lisa spots a local pickup truck leaving. "C'mon, I got a plan."
P10
Meanwhile, Cobras on the ground start to notice the number of Tomahawk helicopters headed along their direction. Their eyes roll over every direction. Each one is worried that they would be discovered and there will be bombs raining on them.
Tele-Viper #1 shot the question, "Umm, should we shoot them down?"
"Don't be stupid, Tele-Viper #1," a Range-Viper chastised him, "It will get their attention and they'll swarm all over us."
Flak-Viper #1 is thinking. "I'm pretty sure I could pull it off. One fast baby is all it takes and then we scoot the hell out of here."
"You're psychos! All of you!" cried Toxo-Viper. He pulls out one of the vials and tells everyone, "Need I remind you what I'm carrying here?"
Everyone is horrified at the sight. Techno-Viper #1 had to say something, "You're just as nuts. Put that away before you get all of us infected."
"So what? I'm just as much at risk as all of you. The equipments you give to all Toxo-Vipers are faulty. This meter isn't working. This gauge isn't reading right and I know there's a leak in my suit somewhere. How do I know I'm not already infected?"
Techno-Viper #1 is at a loss for words. "Ummm…"
P11
"What! I knew it! You've been putting us in danger all this time! I'm gonna kill you!" An angry Toxo-Viper lunges at Techno-Viper #1, aiming for his throat and trying to strangle the latter. In the heat of anger, Toxo-Viper dropped the vial which was cause for concern for everyone.
"Oh, no! The vial!" cried Range-Viper.
Only Tele-Viper #1 is able to catch it but even then, it was bouncing about from his grips. "Ack! Ack! Ack!" Everybody holds their breath in suspense. As Tele-Viper struggles to get ahold of the vial, he ends up walking towards Python Officer.
Python Officer panics and struggles to run backwards away from Tele-Viper. "No! Stay away from me, you idiot! Stay away!" He ends up tripping backwards and hitting Flak-Viper who accidentally releases on of his anti-aircraft rockets.
"No!"
P12
In an incredible twist, an unintentionally fired missile actually hits a target, the rotor of a G.I. Joe Tomahawk. The Tomahawk goes down. The squadron reacts to the situation. One Tomahawk pilot screams, "Holy ----! We got snakes in the ground!"
"We're under fire!"
"Engage! Engage!"
Down on the ground, Tele-Viper #1 was able to catch the vial. "Whew!"
Python Officer is angry. "You fools! Look what you did! They'll be all over us now!"
P13
On the road headed to the same direction as the Tomahawks, Lisa and her cameraman Freddy witness the downing of a Tomahawk. They are riding on the pickup truck they hitched on. "Did you get that on camera, Freddy?" she asked.
"Sure did."
She tapped the farmer-driver on the shoulder, "Can you get us in the direction of the crash?"
"No señora, it a war zone out there. I'm not going to risk my life. I have a family," replied the farmer.
"How's this? Enough to cover all your troubles?" Lisa flashes a wad of US dollar bills in his face. The farmer's eyes opened wide.
The pickup sped its way towards the crash.
P14
Back at base camp. Grid-Iron gives instructions to Dee Jay as to what to tell the Tomahawks pilots. "Tell the Hawks on the way back to take an alternate route. Also, inform them reinforcements on the way. Now that we know where the Cobras are, we can stop them before we have to resort to any drastic measures." He turns his head to address to Mercer only to find the man gone. "Mercer?"
Outside, the Retaliator helicopter is prepped up to leave. The Badger jeep is carried by its hook. Pathfinder has just boarded the Badger when he notices Mercer running towards him. Mercer shouts to him, "Wait! I'm coming with you!"
By the time Grid-Iron, Hit & Run and Rampart went out to look for Mercer, he is gone. "Dammit! Where did he run off to?"
P15
Joe forces start to rappel down the Tomahawks to engage the Cobras down below. Repeater gives them cover fire. "Go get them, boys! The sooner we get those snakes, the sooner we end this, uh, crisis!"
The Cobras start panicking. They foolishly start firing back at the Joes. Their muzzle fire flashes, giving away their position. Flak-Viper gets out of his cover in an attempt to shoot down another one of the Tomahawks.
Salvo is among the Joes who are rappelling down. He immediately spots the Flak-Viper. He knows what the enemy is up to. "Oh no you don't!" At great risk of putting himself out of balance, he brandishes his large missile launcher and fires away all five of his rockets. A series of explosions reverberate through the jungle.
P16
Tele-Viper #1 is screaming into his mic. "Wriggler to TD-1! We need immediate assistance! Heelllpp!"
"Good lord, man! Make yourself intelligible. Even I could hardly understand what your saying and I'm only a couple of feet from you," Techno-Viper #1 chastises him while laying some cover fire.
"Flak-Viper is dead! We must avenge our comrade!" SAW-Viper screams. He manages to wound several Joes with his high-powered machine gun.
Salvo managed to land on his feet after his attempt to defend his teammates. He was about to start reloading his launcher when SAW-Viper managed to shoot him in several places. "Ungh!"
P17
"Give me some cover fire!" Recoil shouted. He is followed by Ambush and they make their way to their way to the fallen Joes.
Behind some bushes, Lisa and Freddy are filming shots of the action. Lisa is giving her comments, "Despite the major defeat the Cobras received the other night, they are still willing to fight till the end. US Forces are engaging them as we speak. There are still no sign of Sierra Gordo forces participating in this firefight…"
Ambush is pulling Salvo to safety. He assures his friend, "Don't worry pal. You're gonna make it."
"What's that sound? Is that what I think it is?" Salvo asks. They both hear the sound of a jet engine in the air. "That had better be on our side."
Ambush looks up in the air. "Uh uh. I don't think so." It is a Cobra Hurricane fighter jet.
P18
One of the Tomahawk pilots panic. "Holee…! We're no match for that bogey. We've got to break off. We're too vulnerable!" There are still six Tomahawks in the air. Each one is about to maneuver away. Unfortunately, they are easy targets for the Cobra Hurricane and one of them is taken out with a missile.
"Mayday! Mayday! Bogey on our tails!" cried one of the Tomahawk pilots. A hail of gunfire from the Hurricane brings down another Tomahawk. "Nnnnoooo!"
The Hurricane pilot gets set for another strafing maneuver. "Ha! You're all just sitting ducks to me."
At that moment, a G.I. Joe Skyhawk places a few shots at one of the Hurricane's wings. The Hurricane pilot is taken completely surprised. "What the…!"
The Skyhawk's pilot, Altitude, cried, "Yeah! Why don't you take on somebody your own size!"
P19
The shots were not enough to shoot down the Hurricane. The wings' structural integrity is still more than sufficient to keep it in the fight. "Grr! You're going to pay for that! Yes, you will!" vowed the Hurricane pilot. He and Altitude both prepare for another confrontation.
A worried look appears on Altitude's face. "Damn. I'm completely outgunned by this bugger. I've gotta bring him down fast."
He decides to take the risk and the Skyhawk speeds up in what looks like an attempt to play chicken. Instead, the Skyhawk's dorsal clips the Hurricane's left wing. The engine connected to the Skyhawk's dorsal is ripped off. The Skyhawk loses control and spins down to the ground.
The Hurricane pilot is also losing control of his plane. "Damn you, Joe! I'm gonna make sure I crash this jet down on you groundpounders. Yessirree. I'm gonna… huh!" As he is flying down, one of Tomahawks turned to its side. Inside, Backblast aims his anti-aircraft rocket exactly in the Hurricane's direction and fires.
P20
The Hurricane explodes in midair and the Joes were able to avert a great amount of casualties. The Joes on the ground shout cheers of victory.
Below, Lisa Bornwell and Freddy the cameraman marvel at the shots of video they are getting. "Oh, my god!" cried Lisa, "Did you get that? Did you get that? I swear to god I'll kill you if you didn't get a shot of that jet fighter blowing up."
"Yes, Lisa, I did," Freddy assured her. "I'm getting all of them. You don't have to worry a thing…" That was when he saw the Range-Viper looking at him. And there isn't a sign of any of the Joes nearby.
"You. Don't move you," Range-Viper said in a threatening tone.
Freddy decided to play hero and he and the Range-Viper struggled. A shot is fired and Freddy slumps to the ground. "You're coming with me. You're going to get me out of this mess," Range-Viper tells Lisa as he grabs her arm and forces her to run with him. All she could do was just cry with a, "No!"
P21
With overwhelming support, the Joes have defeated the Cobras. The Cobras are routed out and put up their hands to surrender.
Despite the defeat, some still attempted to escape the Joes' grasp. Among them is Toxo-Viper. "Gotta get out of here. They're coming for me for sure. Gotta…" he tells himself as he ran. He has already removed much of his hostile environment protective gear in order to let him run faster.
Whuck!
A fist slammed into his face and he slips to the ground. He looks up and it was Pathfinder who knocked him down. The Joe was carrying his rifle and aimed it squarely at the Cobra. "C'mon. Don't tell me you're still going to try? Are you?" Pathfinder asks him and Mercer joins in.
"I know what you're thinking," Toxo-Viper tells him, "But I don't have it. I swear."
"Now, why should I listen to you?"
P22
"I was down to my last vial when you guys came down in on us. It… it was Tele-Viper! Tele-Viper #1 has it! He was the one who got the flesh bug. He still has it!" Toxo-Viper tried to convince him. "And there's a Hammerhead hidden behind Pagsara Falls. You'll find the rest of the stock in it." He rambled on.
"Hush," Pathfinder tapped his communicator, "Static Line, can you confirm for me if you got a Tele-Viper as prisoner?"
"That's a negative. No Tele-Vipers here," replied back Static Line.
"Alright, be back with you." And then he notices Mercer knocking the Toxo-Viper unconscious. "What the…? What in heck are you doin'?"
"My job," was Mercer's reply. And out from his hand, a pistol, and he fires it at Pathfinder.
P23
Pathfinder is shot on his right shoulder, the same arm he is holding his rifle with. Before he could make any reactions, Mercer gives him a right hook to the jaw followed by a left uppercut. Pathfinder is knocked out flat.
"I'm sorry I had to do this but I do what I have to do," Mercer tells the unconscious Pathfinder.
To be continued.
