Frontline News.
After hearing Breaker's words, anxious expressions are all over the room. "It seems now, we have no time to waste." Col. Sharp says, once able to again. "Duke, round up the flyers. Two nearby airbase's are sending support, so keep Cobra busy. Beachhead, head to the motor pool, don't let them get the fuel depot. Flint and i will coordinate the defense while you take position; understood?"
"Yes sir!"
As the first two are stepping off the podium, Ace stands up. "Let's yank the forked tongues outta those s.o.b.'s for what they did to Ripcord." He says aloud.
Wild Bill, Airborne, and Lift-Ticket stand and are about to agree when another person speaks from the door. "What, ya ain't gonna give 'em one for me, too?"/"Awk; no fair, no fair."/"I saw some stuff about the snakes on the news, so i borrowed a jet so i could get here first."
"Shipwreck? How's 'bout we let yawl pull thuh fursd punch, hombre?" Wild Bill offered.
"Hmm... sound's fair to me, pardner!" Shipwreck replies with a big smirk as all the Joes welcome him back.
"If you're all finished, i suggest we get a move on before the big show starts." Col. Sharp tells them before adding a parting statement. "Yo, Joe!"
The Joes stop before reaching the door, look at him in unison and glance around. "Did the Colonel just..."/"No way."/"Ha, he said it after all; pay up, doll."/"...Here. And don't call me doll; stupid rhymer." Short-Fuze, Bazooka, Roadblock, and Scarlett all say once in the hallway with the latter scowling after getting mocked by her roommates.
Cobra Commander has finished speaking with Scrap Iron about the lead ship's repairs when a voice on the intercom is heard. "Cobra Commander, Major Bludd's squadron has entered the enemy's radar range."
"Undersstood; keep the Joe fighters occupied so the Night Ravens can reachhh sufficient altitude to do the same for phase three. Cobra!" He says into a wall panel, then thinks to himself. "The Joes have a nassty habit of sssstaying alive no matter what i throw at them. With that in mind, if i somehow fail again, they will atleast be crippled enough that the other project Desstro is working on at Sea Station 18 will remain sssecret until it's too late."
At the same time in the Joe's monitor room, Col. Sharp and Flint are watching the Cobra planes on one of the screens. "Must be how gramps felt in '41." Breaker says to himself.
"It wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't tossed out my simulations the other day." Dial-Tone adds.
"Your simulations? That's why, right there... you keep trying to-"
"Clam up, both of you. If this gramps of yours survived Pearl Harbor, then we will through this one, Breaker." Flint tells them, being reminded of the last time Cobra launched a direct attack.
Down in the hanger, Duke and Scarlett are watching the other Joes and their flight crews give the occasional glance to Ripcord's empty spot as the latter load the ordnance and chaff. "Knowing there's one less friend keeping your six clear is getting to them, Duke; think it'll break our winning streak?"
"Hard to say, Scarlett. We've been shorthanded before, but never because we los... never for a reason like this." He replies while folding his arms. Noticing the doubtful look she has, he covertly reaches out with his right hand's fingers and brushes her left arm. "But we've made it out each of those times, haven't we."
"You don't seem too convinced of it." She told him.
"What makes you say that?"
"Not that i don't mind, but it's the fourth time you did that just now."
Further back, Shipwreck is heading to his Skystriker when his Green-shirt copilot speaks up. "You sure going along is a good idea... after what i heard about what i heard about-"
"About what? You think I'm gonna go all Capt. Ahab on 'em? I'll have you know I've had therapy out the wazoo for what that faceless freak did to me." Shipwreck replies, and plops down in his seat thinking about how many rusty nails he wants the bat to have if he meets Cobra Commander again.
"Right sir, sorry sir."
"No need for the sirs with me, kid. But good to hear... Starbuck." He quips as the canopy finishes closing.
In the motorpool, Beachhead is directing everyone from the Mauler he's standing on as Joes and Green-shirts assist their mechanics to load S.A.M.'s and anti-air shells. "As yawl know we're bout tuh face an air raid, so send out thuh Armadillo's with thuh AA guns, an anythin' with missiles on them fursd; them snake's ain't gonna send in armor till thur flyboys tear us up fursd, so ours gonna stay put." He tells them before thinking to himself. "Say how yawl lahk them apples, Warrant Officer know-it-all."
After pulling up to one Armadillo, Cover-Girl leans out of a Snowcat and points a thumb back. "What do you say about that, Brownie?" She shouts over the engine noises, referring to Beachhead's speech.
"Eh, Flint could do better in his sleep; but it did the job!" Lady-Jaye replies.
"Ah guess; seein' as yer such an expert on thuh former at bedtime!" Cross-Country says next over the radio, causing Lady-Jaye to flinch and blow a raspberry.
"...You're one to talk; don't think i haven't guessed about that recruiting mission in Puerto Rico you two volunteered for!"
"Um... Porta Whatco? Ohlookatthuhtahmgottarun! Yo, Joe!" Cross-Country says while Cover-Girl gives a mocking "bye-bye" wave.
"Why you! This is so not over, you hear me?!"
Beachhead's group waits at their positions outside the rear fence. He looks right to see Cover-Girl and Lady-Jaye facing away from each other, Dusty checking over his M202 again, and Heavy Metal, Roadblock, and Flash are chatting about something. Then left, where Gung-Ho is leaning against the wheel in his V.A.M.P. "Beachhead tuh Duke."
"Duke here; make it quick."
"You've been at it fahwar ate minutes, raht?"
"...What about it?" Duke asked after downing his ninth Rattler before looking up. "Col. Sharp, magnify the view to the sun."
Inside, Col. Sharp passes the request to the tech Joes. "The what? Er... Mainframe, point a camera at the sun and filter out it's glare, will'ya please?" Breaker asks.
A few seconds later, some specks appear.
Everyone goes wide-eyed when they realize what they're seeing. Flint turns to The Colonel. "Sir, are those..."
"Damn right they are. Duke, Beachhead was right. Cobra has bombers in a holding pattern above us, break off and intercept!"
In the lead airship's war room, Cobra Commander sees a small blue icon climbing towards a few red ones and slams a fist against the console before turning around and points at a Tele-Viper. "You there, warn all Ssstrato-Vipers that they've been ssspotted; take out the Joe's main weapon on the double!"
"Yes sir. Anaconda One to all Night Ravens, you have incoming. Commence phase-Bogey's approaching from 4 o'clock low!"
"What?!" The Commander shouted, and ran to a screen to see fighter jets similar to those described by the survivors of the gerbil bomb fiasco. "Why now? Order the Firebats to disengage and intercept, do not allow them to sstop my Night Ravens!"
"Yes sir. Attention, all remaining Firebats; we've sighted unknown aircraft that just appeared from below radar level. Presume them hostile and head them off before they interfere with Phase 3."
"Cobra!"
Chapter thirty-two.
