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The Joes and green-shirts all glance around after Gen. Abernathy's request. "They haven't been told yet?" He asks Duke and The Col.
"I'm afraid not, sir; we were too busy with the Mullaney incident and with finding that Deep Six had been duplicated." Col. Sharp explains. The Gen. nods before watching as rubble and bodybags are moved around before asking for Dial-Tone.
Once he arrived, The Gen. takes the handset and starts speaking. "I realize that this will be sudden... but effective immediately, I will be taking Col. Sharp's place as your commanding officer for his medical reasons." He says first, pausing to see the uncertainty on their faces before continuing. "As i stand here, i can see that dealing with the losses you've taken won't be an easy thing to deal with for either of us; but standing up and dusting ourselves off will, so if you please, hand me an extra shovel. We'll use 'em for snake bashing the second we're done here. Yo, Joe!"
It takes the Joes and Green-shirts a few seconds to realize the new C.O.'s offer before full-heartedly accepting. "Yo, Joe!"
"Yippee ki yay, I like this new sheriff already."/"Darn tootin'; any higher-up willing to get his hands dirty is one for whom I'm rootin'."/"Youze guys can say that again!"/"This is your old boss, huh?"/"Yep; he always hated being behind that desk." Wild Bill, Roadblock, Cutter, Scarlett, and Lady-Jaye all say as Leatherneck and Low-Light drive up.
Gen. Abernathy notices and calls for them and the other two who arrived with him. "One other thing of note is how you noticed by now that i didn't come alone; As of now, G.I. Joe will have seven new men: Leatherneck, Low-Light, Lifeline, Wet-Suit, Sci-Fi, Slip-Stream, and Hawk." He tells the crowd while pointing.
"No new roommate for us? That stinks."/"Whoever picked those names must be from snores-ville."/"Yeah. Wait, hold the phone... he only pointed at six of 'em." Scarlett, Alpine, and Torpedo say next.
"Torpedo's got a point, sir; where's this Hawk you mentioned?" Duke asks while he and everyone else look around.
The General smiled before answering. "He's standing right here, son. General Hawk, straight from... snores-ville, wasn't it?" He told them, giving a glance to the climber and diver, who both clamped a hand to their mouths and hid behind Green-shirt Perry.
At the same time, Dr. Mindbender is out on a Manta-sub's deck with a few random eels watching the two remaining craft limp back to Cobra Island's direction while speaking with The Commander over a radio. "Vhat do you recommend ve do now, Commander?"
"We let the Joesss think they have us on the run for now." Cobra Commander replies. "What is the sstatuss of operation: Neptune's ire?"
"As uff now it iss at 41%. Schall i inform Destro to speed up ze pro-Vhat iss i-Lass mich sofort runter!" The Dr. screams while panic and rifle fire is heard in the background. (-Put me down, this instant!)
"Dr. Mindbender? Answer me, Mindbender! Dammit, get a visual on his possition, hurry!" The Commander orders, and the screen shows a giant octopus is shown waving the mad scientist and one of the eels before being struck with teargas and releasing them. "Can someone exxplain what jusst happened?!"
"My-my apologies, Commander. One uff my ozzer prochects decided to follow me again." Dr. Mindbender told him while scratching a welt on his neck before kicking one of the creature's tentacles.
"...Whatever, jussst get back inside before sssomebody discovers our transmissions."
Back at Joe H.Q., the casualties are being tallied. "-nd while Flint iz inside takin' thuh final count; whut we do know izzat Zap, Flash, Frostbite, an' 39 Grane-shirts are dead, Nurse Simmons lost uh forearm an will need uh lung transplant, Short-Fuze lost his left eye, an 74 Grane-shirts are wounded." Beachhead informs General Hawk, Col. Sharp, and Duke.
While they discuss who should be in charge of the letters nobody likes, the other Joes are sitting around when Recondo watches the man called Lifeline walking over to a Blue-shirt after placing a yellow tag on Quick-Kick. "Got a live one? I'll handle that." He tells the medic while cocking his rifle, once again ready to knock one off for Marrisa, only to see Lifeline turn and stand in between them. "Do you mind, it's kinda hard to shoot a guy when i can't see him."
Lifeline only shakes his head. "You keep that thing away from my patient."
"Get outta my way, four eyes." Recondo says in a low tone, too angered to acknowledge the medic being unarmed, only that he won't budge.
As a crowd forms, the commanders start to head over before Gen. Hawk stops them. "Are you crazy, sir. Recondo'll tear that man to pieces!" Duke warns. "He's... has he been going around without a sidearm this whole time?!"
Again, The General smiles before answering while Beachhead folds his arms and looks the other way. "No need to worry about Lifeline." He said as Recondo stepped forward and raise his rifle's buttstock, only to have his wrist grabbed and have a leg swept out from under him. "He doesn't exactly need one."
Once that is over, Lifeline turns back to the Blue-shirt, who had been watching the whole thing. "You-you must be off your rocker or something!"
"No, just because Cobra's the enemy doesn't mean I'll abandon the number one rule... do no harm." Lifeline says while patting the Blue-shirt on the shoulder. The prisoner doesn't know why, but he knows that the person talking to him can be trusted, and breaks down sobbing as Recondo and the crowd stare in disbelief.
Elsewhere, Deep Six is sitting against a Mirage after being told of the deaths of Mallory and Ripcord... the promotions of Blais, Nash, and Sikorski... and every other thing he missed out on, then thinks back to the last time he spoke with the former.
Flashback.
Deep Six was in his usual spot when he heard the door opening. "Beat it." He said, only for it to continue. "I said get lost..." He says next after stomping over to find nobody there. After mumbling to himself, he sat back down, only to jump in his seat as two hands holding little figurines pop up at the end of the table. "Wha-How did you two get in here, and what are you holding?" He asked while noticing one was of him, while the other was of Snake-Eyes, thus answering the diver's first question.
The latter hand dropped it's copy and scribbling was heard before it came back with a notepad. First part: not telling. Second part: Not dolls, actions figures.
Deep Six raised a brow. "When did i call it a... you know what? My first part: I couldn't care less. Second part: Aren't we supposed to be a top secret agency? How did some corporate bigwigs get permission to make us join the latest scam?" He asked before wondering which of the Joes bought the things.
The other person then spoke up. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the sea-bed again." Mini Deep Six said, causing Mini Snake-Eyes to be tilted forward three times.
"Yes i did; you gonna leave now?" Real Deep Six asked next while trying not to think of how much his taxes were being wasted on that junk.
But he was ignored. "G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring, highly trained, special mission force. It's purpose, to let kids be a toy's r' us kid." Mini Deep Six said, making the real one give a huff.
"Whatever, McCabe." He replied, causing her and Snake-Eyes to poke their heads up.
"Okay then, what did ye do when growing up?" McCabe asked while Snake-Eyes put his figure in a shrugging pose.
"...All i ever needed was my dad's tools and his old comics."
No wonder he's such a grump.
Deep Six was about to reply when Breaker made the announcement for the Massey mission.
End flashback.
He looks up at the sky and mumbles something under his breath before looking over to the crowd.
Chapter Thirty-six.
