Frontline News.

To gu61: This chapter might explain a few things for you.

To cheryl leggins: Sure they will, and here's how.


As Duke is getting the order to engage, he and Scarlett see a second Skystriker begin climbing, which is also noticed in the war room. "Who's that? Pilot, identify yourself." Colonel Sharp demands to know.

"Just everyone's favorite flying sailor; no way in hell I'm gonna let someone else have the first shot at these bastards after they killed Ripcord."

"Shipwreck, turn back ri-"

"Holy mackerel, i think i just got whiplash from that!" Shipwreck interrupts after watching the black jets pass him by faster than expected, causing all the Joe's comm chatter to overlap once they realize how outmatched they are against Cobra's new aircraft.

"What the hell?"/"-ving too fast, i can't get a lock!"'/"-ndo, watch your-Recondo and Short-Fuze have bailed out."/"Jesus Christ, are they under remote control?!"/"Support squadron 2's pulling back... what's left of them! Snow-Job, Cutter; cover their retreat!"/"All thuh Dragonflies are down an-"

"Sir, are you seeing this; those jets are tearing us apart at mach 4-what are those pilots made of?" Mainframe asks.

"I have visual confirmation, the new Cobra jets are being manned." Breaker says, transmitting a blown-up image of an enemy cockpit. It's blurry, but a person's upper torso could be seen.

"But how? Hif thay ain't after our fuel, whut's thur objective?" Beachhead asks over the screen from his A.W.E. Striker.

After a few seconds, Flint goes pale in realization. "Beachhead, fall back to the front lot! They're after the Zilveren Harpoen!"

"...Damn it; double back tuh thuh entrance, an' step on it!"

"Hold on a sec, Beachhead; our targeting systems can barely keep up with Firebats! We'll never hit these new jets!" Heavy Metal shouts from his right.

"Then way gist hope thay don't know thet!"

"Um, guys, we got another problem flying low!" Alpine says, pointing out a dust cloud in the distance. "Real low!"

"I see them, Alpine. Joe Leader 1 to inbound flight, identify yourselves." Col. Sharp demands while watching a number of jets and helicopters approaching, and gets an unexpected reply.

"Somebody who's glad he got here before his new post got wiped off the map."

"Gen. Abernathy?"

"It's me alright. I've been watching the oversea's reports like a hawk, so i brought some friends along." Gen. Abernathy said, and Dial-Tone mentions slight seismic readings coming from where the Pit Viper made it's exit after Breaker and Scarlett commandeered it. Panning a camera to the spot, they see a tunnel boring machine emerge, followed by a group of 9 H.A.V.O.C.s, three with the G.E.V.s, four with Chaparral turrets, and two with medevac carriages.

All of them are followed by the strange bikes Beachhead mentioned in his report from Cameroon.


In The Commander's lead ship, one of the Tele-Vipers calls him over. "They've caught on, Commander. Their initial ground units are doubling back."

"Ssson of a bitch; order the heli-carriers to land and deploy the armor and infantry forcesss!"

"Yes sir. Attention, attention, we have a change of plans; Phase 3 canceled. Begin Phas-" He starts to say before Cobra Commander shoots him.

"Idiot. Belay that order, Phase 3 will continue as planned while phase 4 commences ahead of schedule! Is that clear?!"

"Understood, Commander. Trawlers, extend landing gear and make your descent." Blue-shirt 2688 hears over the intercom from one of the airships.

"Finally. I'm going to kill as many of those assholes as i can for what they did to you, Bridget*." He told himself, referring to Deming, who died in the explosions at Springfield.


Back in the Joe's war room.

"Colonel, thuh flankin' carriers gist started movin' all uv uh sudden." Beachhead warns.

Dial-Tone brings up a shot of it. "He's right sir, i think Round Two just started." He says while zooming in to show panels opening on one of them as they land at a spot to the right of the base.

"Contact Los Alamos immediately, tell them it's time to the gloves came off." Col. Sharp orders.

"You're not thinking of using it, are you?" Flint asked him.

"Like hell I'm not, man; make the call."

"But sir, we've never even practiced with it!" Breaker told him, looking just as concerned as Flint is.

"Make the damn call!"

Breaker gives a quick prayer before bringing Dr. Winters on the line. "Go ahead, sir."

"Dr. Winters, I'll make this short. Cobra has four heli-carriers offloading ground forces; we need the activation code to the Zulu Hotel before they finish." Col. Sharp told her.

"So I've heard, sending now."

A few anxiety lengthened seconds later, the code was received. The Joes outside are reloading their ammo when one of them noticed a strange brightness. "Hey Beachhead; up there!" Dusty shouted while pointing to the base, which Cobra was also watching.


"Commander, the enemy base!" Storm Shadow shouts from the porthole that he and some Blue-shirts are looking out of while unknowingly making the same action Dusty was.

"What about it?" Cobra Commander asks while walking toward him before he notices what the problem is.

"...What good will that do; they know that thing is useless in their situation unless they have some way to-" Scrap Iron went on before also remembering a little fiasco during the Weather Dominator attempt, causing him to turn towards a Tele-Viper. "Abort the ground campaign! Warn the Trawlers to ascen-!" He yelled too late as one heli-carrier exploded.


"Whoo, smoked that sucker." Mainframe says outloud while Dial-Tone and Breaker high-five each other.

"Outstanding; fire again." Col. Sharp replies.

"It'll take 40 seconds for that, but okay." Breaker tells him.

"40?"

"Well, it is five or so years old."

"Damn rusty junk!" The Colonel shouted while kicking a random console, then gets to the radio. "Duke, the harpoen's recharging; we need you to run interference."

"Sorry, Col., Duke took a couple rounds to the side; I'll get Ship' on it after landing." Scarlett replies, only for another voice to speak.

"Slip-Stream here; 23 seconds, isn't it? You got 'em... Yo, Joe!" He says as he and his wingmen make a run for the lead airship.

All while followed by Shipwreck. "Hey, the lady said for me to do it!" He says, but after flying past the lead airship's "eyes", he breaks off the attempt to join them.

"Did you see something in there just now?" His co-pilot asks.

"I-I don't know, it couldn't be? Could it?" Shipwreck asked himself, uncertainty all over his face.

A question answered after a second Trawler is destroyed.


While Beachhead's Joes are cheering the vessel's destruction, the ones in the war room are seeing warning signs. "What's all this, now?" Col. Sharp asks.

"Aw, i was afraid of this." Breaker says before looking to him. "The voltage converter's been fried; it's kaput!"

Before anyone else can react, Cobra Commander appears on a monitor. "G.I. Joe, ccease your attack right now and sssurrender!"

Not wanting them to catch on, Col. Sharp speaks. "Do what? Have you not noticed that you're losing?!"

"Assk yourselvesss thisss; if you do bring down the rest of my Trawlers, will my flagssship be next?"

"You bet your life it will." Col. Sharp replied, only for Cobra Commander to chuckle at him.

"And... what if that means betting on this man's life, too, Col. Sssharp?" He asked before stepping aside to show someone tied up and restrained by Storm Shadow and Scrap Iron.

"De-Deep Six?"


Chapter thirty-three.