Frontline News.
Three months later, Col. Sharp is in the war room with Duke, Flint, Beachhead, and Stalker. They are looking at some photos of a dock, and Col. Sharp looks to the latter Joe. "Is this information accurate, Stalker?"
"Yes sir, just deciphered it a few moments ago. Cobra is sending a disguised ship here to confiscate a shipment of Dylcon 98; the tanker carrying it'll arrive in 18 hours."
"Any idea what they intend to do with this substance?" Col. Sharp asks next, but Stalker shrugs.
"All Airtight said is that it's a bio-hazard."
After having Stalker dismissed, Col. Sharp looks to the other three; the second of which nods to himself. "Recommendations?"
"My idea is that we place some troops among the ship's crew when it enters a fogbank, sir." He suggests.
"Hmm, what do you two think?" The Colonel asks the other two.
"I'd send sum W.H.A.L.E.s tuh intehcept them so we can minimize collateral damage." Beachhead recommends.
Duke looks at some of the pictures before picking one up. "I think this'll be be a good opportunity to test out that new armor treatment i mentioned; so lets alter Flint's plan. I could lead a few tanks hidden in this warehouse, say... two Maulers, four Armadillos." He suggests, handing it to The Colonel.
"Do you two agree?" He asks, but both shake their heads.
"Sounds risky tuh me, sir."/"I agree, we haven't even tested it against small arms yet."
"So we're deadlocked?" Duke asks them.
"No, the last word is mine." Col. Sharp says, then turns to the 2IC. "And i say we go with Duke's plan."
Reluctantly, Flint and Beachhead nodded before saluting and parting ways.
A while later at the Texas City bank, two men walk into one of the offices. "An-anything i can do for you two?" The person at the desk asks them, taking a moment to check his glasses.
"We are here with..."
"...a proposition for..."
"...one of your clients, Mr. Smiler."
After a few seconds, 'Mr. Smiler' asks which one they are referring too.
"The one we mean..."
"...is this man here."
"We understand he's part of G.I. Joe." They say, and the un-scarred one pulls out a picture.
Mr. Smiler takes the photo. "Mrs. Tadur's son's not a bus driver?" He asks next.
"We've been following..."/"...their progress for some time."
"Oh, well i can hand you some contact information from one of his mother's medical bills; she's got some respiratory illness, you see." He says, and heads for a filing cabinet.
After reading the paper, they speak again. "Thank you, Mr. Smiler; and inform Mr. Tadur..."
"...to meet us tonight at the Stumble Inn."
After getting back from Texas City, Dusty heads to Col. Sharp's office, only to find Duke inside. "Duke, wheres the Colonel?"
"He's out; said he has to oversee the final phase of some big project overseas, so what do you need?" He replies as he reclines in his old chair, and Dusty explains after sitting down.
"Those twins from Extensive Enterprises, they showed up at this bar while i was on that furlough you gave me."
Duke stands up at this, under the impression they're holding Dusty's mother hostage. "How much do they want in exchange for her?" He asks, thinking back to the crystal incident.
"It ain't a ransom, Duke; they-they offered to transfer some funds in exchange for the armor treatment." Dusty answered. "Enough to pay it all off a dozen times over."
"So it's not a repeat of that time; you're not planning to accept, are you?" Duke asked next, expecting the reply.
"I... I don't know; i want to pay off the debt... but if i do, it'd be with who knows how much blood money. What am i supposed to do?" Dusty asks while holding his head in his hands.
Duke sat back down and thought for a few seconds before looking up. "I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."
Upon Shipwreck's discovery in the forest near the chemical plant, Alpine is pulling down another one of the decoys. "Aren't you a familiar lil bastard?" He asks himself, thinking back to the time Bazooka was K.O'ed on the rollercoaster/shooting gallery, as well as the rescue mission at the gamesmaster's island. He glanced over to his right at Lady-Jaye, also reminded of how concerned he was for her both times, and drop-kicked it in frustration just before hearing helicopter blades above him.
Inside the oilrig, Spirit and Torpedo are checking around a random room. "Nothing so far in this rustbucket." Torpedo tells himself.
"Only anxiety; yours and the others." Spirit says in response.
"Heh, can't tell if I'd like some of that crazy native stuff of yours or not right now." Torpedo replies, then yelps and fires at the floor when he feels something hit his foot.
A few seconds later, Rock & Roll and Zap burst in. "Hands up, you son of-" The first one starts to say, but stops due to the lack of a dead teammate.
"If both of you are still standing, then what was the shooting about?" Zap asks them both.
"Tissue, anyone?" Torpedo asks sheepishly, then tosses it and raises his rifle. "You weren't thinking i was the traitor, now were you... buddy?" He asks with a sneer.
"Okay, fine, i got antsy, so sue me. Now, ya gonna quit pointing that at me?" Rock & Roll tells him menacingly.
"No way, Jose."
"Drop that rifle before i drop you, Torp'."
"Not happening, Rocker."
While Spirit and Zap tried to defuse the situation, Duke's voice was heard over their walkie-talkies warning about the bombs, and all four dropped their rifles and fled.
Scarlett has just gotten past the firewall of Beachhead's mile* when an announcement comes over the loudspeaker. "Attention, Joes incoming; Med team to landing area, Charlie 2-1." Knowing that Charlie 2 means an injury while 1 is for how many it happened to, Beachhead shuts it off so she can climb out and go to the landing area. When they, along with Thunder, Airborne, and Heavy Metal see Duke on a stretcher, she gasps and runs over. "What happened out there?"
"That camel-humping piece of shit sold us out, and Duke nearly died because of it!" Stalker informs her while seething.
"Wha... Dusty did this; how?" She asks next, feeling like she had been punched in the gut.
"Cobra ditched the joint after stuffing a store room with a ton of explosives that had it's switch rigged up to some C4; Duke was thrown overboard after the rest of us jumped off." Short-Fuze explains.
"That... he wouldn't." Scarlett replies, thinking about how Dusty's too much of a softy to do this.
"We heard it frum Duke himself gist before he passed out; raht Shipw... whayer'd he go?" Gung-Ho tells her before they all notice Shipwreck missing.
While looking around, a warning is heard over the intercom. "Emergency in Lab-5, this is not a drill; fire suppression team respond immediately!"
At the same time Flint, Spirit, and Roadblock are driving over, Alice was replacing a Skystriker's pivot bearing when she saw movement out of the corner of her left eye. "Hmm? Hey Kate, doesn't Dusty know that Mauler is off-limits till it's oil change?" She asked a fellow mechanic.
"Guess not... hang on, I'll call it in. Cpl. Fisher to Flint, there seems to be a mix-up since Dusty just took off in Heavy Metal's Mauler."
"Is it armed, Cpl.?"
"I'm not sure, sir."
"...Where's he heading?"
"He's moving, uh, northwest toward the fence."
"10-4."
Meanwhile, Col. Sharp is outside the "Watchdog" fortress having a smoke-break** when a Humvee stops next to him. "Sir, Mainframe sent me; said you have a call from someone named Flint." The driver tells him. The Col. tosses his cigarette before getting in.
Once in the control room, Flint tells him about the current situation. "Understood; have a plane sent to pick me up as soon as you can." The Col. says to him.
"With respect sir, Beachhead and i can handle the situation-" Flint replies, only for Dr. Hamler to scoff from somewhere offscreen. "-on our own." He continues.
Col. Sharp pauses for a second before nodding. "Very well. Just keep that formula out of Cobra's hands; and when the chance presents itself... take the shot." He orders.
"Yes sir." Flint replied, wishing he had agreed with Beachhead's interception plan earlier.
Chapter three.
*Made up.
**Smoking is bad.
