Hey guys! Omen here. Okay, so like OMG, it has been forever in a day since the last time I updated this story. BUT DO NOT FEAR! I have not forgot this story...my muse is just not what it use to be. Work and raising a puppy is so hard T^T (that's and uber sad face btw) But here is a wonderful new chapter, edited and rightfully approved by the wonderful, Shakaka.
As usual, here is the disclaimer :)
I don't own any part of G.I. Joe or any of its characters...but if I did, Snake Eyes would be helping me write this. I do own any Oc's or random people or things in the story.
Thoughts will be in Italic and underlined...and Sign Language and things written on paper will be in Bold and Italic.
~Normal POV~
Snake Eyes sat in his room, meditating with incense and candles burning on a small table to his left, to help calm his mind and body. As he sat there, inhaling the scent of forest from the incense and river water from the candles, he thought about a few upcoming missions, trying to develop a few tactical plans that might help the team. Should he go in low under the radar? Maybe a frontal attack to take out any, or all, guards in his way? He had so much on his mind that he was having a hard time deciding what to do, so he guessed he would just have to see what everything looked like when the time came, and choose accordingly.
Shaking his head, Snake Eyes broke from his calming trance and looked around his room, trying to think if there was anything else he needed to do. Seeing that there wasn't much—having a day off from training students and no missions for the day did that—and the team were doing their own things since it was close to bedtime, he sighed, stretched his arms and legs out, and then stood. Continuing his stretches, he did a few first-rate simple yoga moves, and once his body was completely supple, he walked over to the small-yet-furnished kitchen to make some mint herbal tea with fresh mint from a small herb garden on the counter.
"I wonder if Jade is still up to do some sparring? Maybe even some late night training?" he wondered to himself as he put a kettle under the faucet to fill with water, feeling jittery with the want to train with someone. He knew that Scarlet was in her room for the night, probably reading in her bed or brushing up on different weapons and what they did—which made sense, considering she was the weapons specialist.
Sighing quietly, Snake Eyes moved toward the stove, setting the kettle on a burner and turning it on. Just as he did, however, the alarms blared overhead, carrying throughout the base as Breaker yelled through the intercom system. Setting the kettle aside and turning off the burner, he flew out of his room, grabbing his swords on his way. Running down the hallway, he saw Scarlet up ahead, sprinting down another corridor, as he tried to catch up with them. Increasing his speed, he managed to reach her before she got too far, and glanced at Scarlet as they ran; wondering what was going on and wanting to know. He could hear Heavy Duty, Duke, and Ripcord somewhere behind them.
"Jade spotted an intruder and gave chase. She's in pursuit now, and we're trying to reach her. Breaker has been using the security cameras to follow her," Scarlet said as they kept running down several more hallways and stairs.
The two of them eventually saw Jade up ahead, maybe a few yards down the hall from where they were. Snake Eyes spotted the figure ahead of her, knowing that only one person could have gotten in the base without detection up to now. Pushing those thoughts out of his head, he focused on the task at hand, trying to catch up to Jade to help confine the intruder.
After running a few more feet, closing some distance between him and Jade, he saw her turn a corner and sprint down a hall. Picking up their speed again, Snake Eyes and Scarlet tried their best to catch up to her, not wanting to lose sight of Jade...but they didn't expect what happened next. Reaching the hallway, Snake Eyes hesitated and froze, nearly colliding into Scarlet, as the time slowed down and hit him full force. The intruder before them gracefully spun around and, thrusting forward, cunningly slid a sai between Jade's ribs. Snake Eyes could hear the boys and Scarlet yelling behind him, but it sounded muffled as he watched the intruder disappear down the hall and round another corner with Heavy Duty, Duke and Ripcord in hot pursuit. Scarlet meanwhile had stopped by Jade and Snake Eyes slowed down with her.
"JADE!" Scarlet yelled, spotting the sketchy smears of blood on the floor and walls. Jade was sprawled on the ground, clutching her chest as she mumbled incoherently. Scarlet kept repeating her name as she knelt by her, checking her pulse, smoothing back her hair. She tapped Jade's cheek and spoke quietly to keep Jade's attention.
Snake Eyes ran over and knelt down at Jade's side, applying pressure to the wound. Scarlet was murmuring quietly to Breaker through an earpiece, demanding for the medics as well as Doc, before she turned back to Jade, resuming the quiet orders to pay attention and stay awake. Breaker obviously had already called the medics when he saw the attack happen moments ago through one of the cameras, so help wouldn't be too far away. Snake kept his hands to her chest, trying to slow the bleeding as Jade's eyes finally closed, Scarlet's voice raising in volume as she continued talking.
Doc and the medics arrived promptly, taking over and effectively stealing his spot as latex gloves replaced his hands.
"Snake, go. Catch up with the boys, help them. I'll stay with Jade." Scarlet ordered, snapping more forcefully when Snake Eyes didn't move. Nodding, the black-clad ninja stood to leave. Taking one last look at Jade, he moved off down the hallway like a bullet. Though the boys were farther up ahead, he kept running, rage and sadness fueling him as he sped through the halls. "Why did this have to happen? She's still new, she wasn't ready for this!" he thought furiously.
Finally, as he caught up with the three men, he saw that they had cornered the intruder. Slowing down, he stood next to Duke, the three of them pointing their pistols at the intruder's back. After taking a closer look at the man now that he could see him better, Snake Eyes felt his eyes widen as his earlier suspicions about the intruder's identity were confirmed. "It isn't possible, he's dead... I killed him myself!"
Before him stood none other than Storm Shadow, his sword brother in the flesh.
Storm Shadow turned then, unsheathing a katana and sai as he stared straight at Snake Eyes. Looking down to his sai, Snake Eyes saw it stained with fresh blood. Jade's blood.
"Hello again, brother." Storm Shadow drawled haughtily. "Surprised to see me?" He had a smirk on his face as he spoke. Snake Eyes tensed slightly, both out of shock that he was here and because the person who had hurt Jade and possibly killed her, stood before him now, acting like it didn't even happen. "Sorry for your friend...but even you should understand, brother, that I couldn't just let you all catch me this easily." His voice was hiding something, as though he knew of a plan that would help him escape, but Snake Eyes wasn't prepared to let him go. Not easily, at least.
Darting forwards, Snake Eyes drew his swords, ignoring Duke and Heavy Duty's attempts to slow him down. Storm threw a smoke bomb to the floor, but Snake Eyes' visor allowed him to spot the heat signature from Storm Shadow's body through the thick cloud of smoke. Jumping before of him, their swords clashed, loud metallic clangs echoing through the air. While the two ninjas fought, Snake Eyes tried to ignore the others' coughing fits and yells for him as they tried to find him in the smoke-filled room.
Leaning back, Snake Eyes dodged the end of Storm's katana, which narrowly missed his neck. Shifting, he spun around and struck out at his fellow sword brother, trying to wound him, but Storm tracked his movements with ease, blocking his attack. Snarling, he shoved him back with his sword, twirling it in his hand as he stared at Storm, the smoke slowly evaporating away.
"I wonder how your little friend is doing. Dying perhaps?" Storm taunted him, trying to craft his anger to threaten his downfall. To make him slip so he could cut off his head. "Probably suffering terribly..." he faded off and spun, lunging out a few kicks aimed at Snake's sides, only to be blocked and re-countered with a sword. "Trust me, brother, you won't get me this time." He smirked behind his white mask as their swords clashed, both of them pushing against each other to get the upper hand. What Storm didn't know was that since the smoke was dissipating, Duke and the others were sneaking up behind him.
Just as Duke was preparing to knock Storm on the head with the butt of his pistol, the white-clad ninja saw spotted reflection in Snake's visor and kicked back, hitting Duke in the chest and sending him to the ground. He moved away from Snake with a few back flips, swords at the ready as he took up another stance.
"Perhaps we are to finish this later, Snake Eyes." He spat with disdain, throwing down a small flash bomb, effectively blinding the four men as he made his getaway through the ventilation shaft where a repelling cable awaited him.
The men turned away from the light, shielding their eyes for protection, and when the light dissipated, they looked back to find nothing.
"DAMN IT!" Duke yelled in frustration, striking at a crate against the wall.
"Calm down, man. He was more prepared than us. We'll get him next time. "Rip soothed, trying to calm his buddy down, to no avail.
"He's right, Duke. All we can do now is to try and figure out why he was here to begin with, and to see if Jade is alright," Heavy said, placing a large hand over the soldier's shoulder to stop him from pacing. "Snake..." he looked over to where the ninja had been standing, but paused when the person he was addressing was found to no longer be there. "Come on, let's report to the General, then see about Jade, hm?" he suggested lightly, receiving a nod from Duke and Rip, who followed Heavy back the way they had come.
.~:*:~.
Snake had heard Duke raging from the fact that Storm got away, but he was too concerned about Jade's health status, so he slipped out of the room and sheathed his sword. Heavy and the others could report to Hawk while he went to go check on his friend. This shouldn't have happened. Storm is supposed to be dead! Guilt slowly began to settle in the recesses of his mind, that if Storm was dead, Jade wouldn't practically be on her death bed right now.
Through the short time Jade had been at the Pit, her and Snake had become good friends and great sparring partners, only because she could hold her own for more than five minutes, unlike the other soldiers he trained. But what bothered him the most was seeing someone who was so confident, carefree and brave, become so broken and weak.
Picking up his pace, he quickly made his way to the infirmary, though upon entry he saw Scarlet sitting a chair, staring at the blood on her hands with a solemn look. Walking over, she lifted her head to look at him.
"How is she? Is she going to make it?" he signed quickly as she stood to meet him.
"She's been rushed back to surgery. Doc said that she lost a lot of blood, but her injuries, he wouldn't know the extent of the damage until he got her into surgery..." she whispered, pausing to take a breath and calm herself. "How could this have happened? I thought Storm was dead?" she asked, looking up into the ninja's visor, only to see a shake of his head.
"I don't know...but all we can do know is wait and see what Hawk wants us to do," he tilted his head to the side a little, looking down at the red head. "Go. Wash up and rest, I'll stay and wait."
She shook her head, not wanting to leave. "I'm fine..." she looked over towards the doors leading to the surgical rooms.
Snake put and hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Hearing her sigh, she looked back at him and nodded a little.
"Fine. I'll go, but promise you'll notify me of any changes," she received a nod as his answer. Smiling a little, she walked out of the infirmary to go wash up and rest. She didn't like the fact that she was going to leave Jade, but Snake was there so she supposed it would be good that someone from the team was around.
Snake sighed and sat down, knowing he had a long night ahead of him waiting for news of Jade, the youngest of the team. A friend who shouldn't have been in that room.
Please, Please, Please.
Leave a review for me. I would love to hear if I still have my muse for some of you readers and to see if I did well on this chapter for being away for so long.
Thank you.