GI Joe/Marvel universe crossover.
I don't own Marvel or Hasbro.
Silence
Chapter 15: Ranger Problems
Time: 05:00 Zulu, Monday; 09:00 local time, Monday
Location: Somewhere in Vermont
Storm Shadow watched the scenery roll by as the car continued to drive north on Interstate 87. Logan, currently behind the wheel, quietly listened to the radio. The mutant had rented a car under a false name and both men were driving to Montreal. Once there, they were going to catch a small plane to British Columbia.
Tommy looked down at the fake passport in his hands. For the duration of their trip, he would be Scott Fukoda from Boston, Massachusetts. He put the passport away and pulled out a small, wrapped gift. Hank McCoy had given it to him before they'd left, with the order to not open it until they were on their way.
"What'd Hank give you?" Logan finally asked. Tommy shrugged.
"Some kind of book," he answered. A thin one at that, judging from the width and size of it. The ninja finally opened it to reveal The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. He opened the front cover to see a small note inside, scrawled in the careful, neat cursive of an academic.
Thomas, I hope this helps you. You're beginning a new journey today. May you find new discoveries, healing, and enlightenment. Learn from the past, but don't let it imprison you. Despite the pain around us, there are too many wonderful things in this world to miss out on. Of all the things in life, nothing is greater than family and friends. Meeting new friends is always a pleasure and it is an honor for me to consider you one.
Have a good time with Logan.
Best regards,
Hank McCoy
Tommy felt a small lump forming in his throat. He thought about what family he had left. Even though most of his clan was gone, there was still a small part of it thriving in both Japan and in the ninjas serving in GI Joe. A part of him was gladdened by that.
There was one 'family member' in particular that he was worried about though. Billy had been under Mindbender's mind control as well. Professor Xavier had promised the ninja that the X-Men would help to track down his former student if GI Joe didn't know his whereabouts.
He looked down again at the message Hank had written him. Tommy couldn't put into words how much gratitude he felt towards the blue mutant.
"Hank's a good man," Logan said, looking over at the ninja. "I don't know what he wrote to you and you don't have to tell me, but whatever it is…"
"He gave me some good advice," Tommy told him, though he didn't explain the details and Logan didn't ask. Storm Shadow was learning that the mutant was a man who respected other people's privacy. He'd ask questions if he felt it was necessary, otherwise he never pried.
"How long to Montreal?" the ninja asked.
"About three hours," the other man answered.
"Want me to drive at all?" Tommy asked.
"Naa, I'm good," Logan answered. "Driving helps me to unwind. I'd be bored to death if I didn't do it."
The ninja shrugged and looked down at the book in his hands. He turned the page and began reading. The words of a long dead Roman emperor spoke to him from across the centuries.
Time: 05:00 Zulu, Monday; 09:00 local time, Monday
Location: GI Joe Pit
Beach Head felt the first beads of sweat when he walked into one of the interrogation rooms. Major Bludd was restrained and sedated while Psyche Out and Flint both sat at the lone table in the room. Wayne's eyes drifted over to the door, relieved to see that it was still open. He relaxed and turned his attention back to the Cobra mercenary.
Flint gave him a curious look, noticing his absence of crutches.
"Stark made me a brace," the ranger explained. "I can move around like I usually would as long as I wear it." Tony had apparently stayed up late to work on it. Wayne had wanted the brace as soon as possible, but he hadn't expected nor needed the man to pull an all nighter to make it. Stark had waved it off, telling him that it wasn't a problem.
Flint shrugged, though he was curious that Tony Stark had gone out of his way to make something like that for the ranger. Beach Head decided not to tell him that the two men had also gone ahead and spray painted the crutches green, just to annoy Lifeline when he returned from the mission. Pepper Potts had rolled her eyes when she'd seen them and had walked away, muttering something under her breath.
"Guess you'll be doing PT again," the warrant officer noted, pleased that he no longer had to help with it.
"Good thing too," Beach Head drawled. "At least it'll be done right." The other man shot him a glare, but decided it wasn't worth the effort of arguing about it. Psyche Out cleared his throat to draw their attention.
"Shall we begin?" the psychiatrist asked. "The implants have been removed." Wayne nodded and pulled up a chair next to the unconscious Major Bludd. He heard a click as the door shut and he froze. Something that suspiciously felt like panic shot through him.
"Why'd you shut the door?" he asked. Flint gave him a strange look.
"Why shouldn't I?" the warrant officer asked. "What you find is classified information that not everyone needs to hear."
Beach Head stared at him then at the closed door. He was right, of course. What did it matter if the door was closed? The ranger turned his attention back to Bludd. Wayne did his best to ignore how uncomfortably small and constricted the room had suddenly become. It wasn't a problem, it wasn't.
"You okay?" Psyche Out asked, watching him curiously. Wayne realized that his breathing was becoming slightly ragged.
"I'm fine," he replied tensely. He felt the other two men give each other puzzled looks. Wayne ignored them as he pulled off the balaclava, which had become hot and itchy.
"You're sweating," Flint noticed.
"I said I'm fine," Beach Head repeated sharply. "I just…have a bit of the flu, I think. It feels hot in here to me." His stomach was starting to feel a bit nauseous, so it wasn't really a lie. The ranger couldn't think of another explanation unless it was something he had eaten for breakfast.
Flint seemed to buy it. Psyche Out, however, was studying him with a sudden intensity.
"You didn't start breathing odd or sweating until after Flint shut the door," the psychiatrist noted. "Which you didn't want him to do in the first place."
Wayne chose not to reply to that. It had nothing to do with it. He was just coming down with something, that was all.
"Do you feel like it's hard to breathe in here?" Psyche Out asked after a moment.
The walls were closing in. He was going to run out of air. He'd be trapped…
"No," Beach Head lied. The man's gaze sharpened and even Flint was watching him closely now. Wayne swore when he read the psychiatrist's mind. Psyche Out thought that he might be a god damned claustrophobic. As if something like a stupid room would bother him.
"Fine," Psyche Out said mildly. The ranger turned his attention back to Major Bludd. Wayne reached up and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. His heart seemed to be beating faster as well. His vision blurred slightly.
"Flint, would you mind opening the door a bit?" he heard the psychiatrist say. "It is getting a bit hot in here." It was an obvious lie. Beach Head knew that neither he nor Flint was hot or finding it hard to breathe.
He was just getting the flu, that's all it was. Even so, Wayne felt himself relax when the warrant officer opened the door a few inches to let some air in. Breathing suddenly became easier and the ranger hid a sigh of relief.
Wayne ignored the suspicious looks both men were giving him and plunged deep into Major Bludd's mind.
Time: 06:00 Zulu, Monday; 10:00 local time, Monday
Location: the Pentagon
Clayton Abernathy hid all emotion as the other generals took their seats. Thurston Crowther looked his direction, and then looked away. Hawk felt as if his stomach was tied in knots. This meeting would determine the fate of two Joes and possibly even his own, if the Jugglers decided to try to remove him from command of GI Joe.
"I call this meeting to order," General Crowther ordered. The room became silent.
"We're here to discuss," the man continued. "The fact that two mutants snuck into GI Joe, as well as the fact that their commanding officer knew and said nothing." All eyes turned to look at Hawk.
"I saw no reason to pass on the information," Hawk explained calmly. "They would have been open about their mutations previously, if not for fear of persecution. Lifeline and Beach Head are two of the best soldiers I have ever had the honor of serving with. They did not 'sneak' into GI Joe. Both men are there because they deserve to be."
"They withheld their powers Clayton," General McClean told him. Short and stocky, the man spoke with a slight North Dakota accent. "Powers that would have been useful," he continued. "Sneeden and Steen failed to perform to the best of their abilities and withheld information from their commanding officers."
Hawk hid a growl. Howard McClean was one of the generals he couldn't afford to alienate. McClean was often sympathetic towards him and Hawk was usually able to get the man to support whatever actions he wanted. If Clayton wanted to help Beach Head and Lifeline, he needed McClean on his side.
"They did use their powers," Hawk pointed out. "Lifeline used his invulnerability to protect his patients from enemy fire. When he could, he used superspeed to destroy enemy weapons. Beach Head used his empathic abilities during missions to help track down the location of the enemy. He also used it to keep tabs on the men and women under his own command."
"Even so Abernathy…" McClean started to protest.
"And," Hawk added. "Once their mutations were made known to me, I have used their abilities when they could be of assistance. Beach Head has been instrumental in scanning prisoners for information. Lifeline was sent on a mission today and will use his powers if necessary."
"If necessary?" General Clarke barked. "Clayton, he's a god damn powerhouse! Of course he's necessary!"
"He's a medic, a noncombatant," Hawk replied. "His MOS has nothing to do with combat."
"I don't care, he's a soldier in the United States military," Clarke replied. "If we want to use his powers, he hasn't got a damn choice." Hawk carefully hid a scowl. Clarke wasn't a man he got along with anyway. He was a butcher, who had no moral quandaries about needlessly sacrificing soldiers.
"The fact remains they're still mutants," the Jugglers' leader finally said. All eyes turned to look at Thurston Crowther. "If they would ever go AWOL, we couldn't stop them. There's no way to know if we can trust Sneeden and Steen."
"Agreed," another one of the generals said. "Personally, I'm not comfortable with mutants training our soldiers or treating them for injuries."
"There hasn't been a problem yet," Hawk retorted angrily. "They're the best that…"
"Honestly Abernathy," General Crowther said, "Do you really want a doctor that can crush solid steel poking needles into your soldiers? One tiny slip and you'll be wheeling the poor soul to the emergency room."
Hawk felt anger growing in his chest. All he wanted to do was throttle all the men in the room, which was hardly productive. Clayton honestly hated being a member of the Jugglers, but knew that if he hadn't joined, then the other men would have caused more problems. Even so, it was all that Hawk could do to rein them in.
"They both have exemplary service records," Hawk replied with forced calmness. "Beach Head is the best drill instructor in the entire military. If you want GI Joe to be on top if its game, you'll keep him where he is. As for Lifeline, he's probably saved the lives of every man and woman on the team at least twice. I need both of them on the team."
"Even so," another man said. "I'm afraid of how the presence of two mutants will affect discipline and morale."
"If you remove them, you'll have even more of a problem," Hawk pointed out. "My soldiers won't take kindly to two of their own suddenly being forced out just because they're mutants."
"Not forced out," Crowther said calmly. "Their powers are too valuable to lose. It is simply that other methods may be necessary to control them, even if that means removing them from GI Joe."
"What?" Hawk asked, slight horror creeping into him. "What do you mean, 'other methods'?"
"I mean that they both should be kept under heavy surveillance," Crowther answered. "And steps should be taken to block their powers if they ever decide to turn rogue."
"I won't allow it," Hawk said forcefully. Crowther narrowed his eyes.
"Careful Abernathy, you can always be replaced," he warned.
"I wouldn't advise that," a new voice spoke up. Hawk froze when he recognized the voice. Everyone in the room spun around to see a man leaning casually against the wall, dressed in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and smoking a cigar. A patch covered one eye.
"Fury!" Crowther bellowed. "How the damn hell did you get in here?"
Nicholas Fury stood up and walked to the center of the room. He stood silently for a long moment as all the generals gaped at him. Many, like Crowther, fumed that the S.H.I.E.L.D. director had somehow slipped into a secret meeting without being noticed.
A couple generals shot Hawk suspicious looks, but Clayton was as puzzled as they were. He hadn't informed Fury about the meeting. Hell, he'd never informed Fury that he was a member of the Jugglers. Hawk supposed he shouldn't be surprised however, that Nick Fury knew of the group's existence.
"You remove Hawk and you'll have a lot of trouble on your hands," Nick Fury finally growled. "From both the men and women under his command…and me."
"A new director for S.H.I.E.L.D. could also be found Fury," General Crowther pointed out. Fury smirked at that. He sat on the edge of a table and took a long puff of his cigar. A cloud of smoke floated out his lips and into the room.
"Who?" he finally asked. The general opened his mouth, but Nick Fury cut him off.
"Let's say hypothetically that you do remove the two of us," Fury said, leaning forward to peer at Crowther. "You're worried about controlling two good soldiers. What makes you think that they'll be willing to take orders from a general you choose?"
"Steps will be taken…" Crowther began. Both Nick Fury and Clayton Abernathy sent him a glare and the man closed his mouth.
"Cobra is recruiting mutants," Fury pointed out. "Which means GI Joe will be fighting them. Do you really want to remove two mutants from the team or to remove someone that you know they will trust?"
"He's right," Hawk said. "It would be better if…"
"There's still the problem of controlling them," General Clarke said sharply. "They snuck off of base without permission, caused damage to the civilian and economic areas, and one of them exposed his face to the public, despite being a member of a top secret military unit."
"They went off base because…" Hawk started to say, ready to admit to giving them unofficial permission.
"Because they couldn't just ask to go with bastards like you around," Nick Fury growled. Clayton groaned. The man had absolutely no tact. Pissing off the most powerful men in the military wasn't going to get them anywhere, even though Hawk had wanted to say the exact same thing.
"Fury!" Thurston Crowther shouted. "You're stepping over the line and you're not even supposed to be here!"
Nick Fury continued to puff calmly on his cigar while the leader of the Jugglers continued to curse and threaten him. After about a minute, he walked over and slammed his hands down on the table in front of Crowther. Fury brought his face up to within inches of the man's face and sent him a hardened glare.
"Crowther," Nick Fury warned dangerously. "I've been protecting this country since long before you were in diapers. I don't care who you are, you son of a bitch, but you're not going to tell me what I can or can't do."
Hawk was secretly pleased when a brief shiver of fear crossed Thurston Crowther's face.
"The sentinels attacked my men," Hawk finally said, breaking the silence. Nick Fury stepped away from Crowther and the man let out the breath he'd been holding. "My men didn't intentionally cause trouble."
"And what happens if they're on a mission and a sentinel shows up?" another Juggler finally asked quietly.
"All the more reason for us to find who's responsible for the sentinels and shut them down," Nick said. The generals looked at each other uneasily and for the first time, Hawk wondered if any of them had anything to do with the sentinels.
"You don't have to worry about my men," Hawk said quietly. "I personally vouch for them."
"So do I," Fury added.
"Fine," Crowther spit out. "But if your mutants step out of line and misuse their powers even a little bit Abernathy…"
"They get to join S.H.I.E.L.D.," Nick Fury said happily. He received several sets of astonished stares. Hawk bit back a snort of laughter. The man was certainly brazen.
"Fury…" General Clarke gaped. "What makes you think we'd remove them from one military unit to your agency? That defeats the whole purpose."
"Oh yeah…" Fury said slowly, making a show of thinking. "I guess Captain America wouldn't mind a couple of new Avengers then, if that's the case…I'm sure Thor, Hulk, and Miss Marvel would love to have Lifeline for a new sparring partner…"
Hawk shook his head. Fury was just needling the generals now, which was a risk he shouldn't be taking. Clayton figured that the man was probably too old to care who he pissed off.
"Do we have anything else to discuss?" Hawk asked, finally cutting Fury off. Nick had to gall to smirk at him.
"No," General Crowther said after a moment. "But we will discuss this matter further Abernathy. We'll let you know of our final decision concerning those two in a few days."
"Thank you gentlemen," Hawk lied. "I await your decision. Good bye."
"Goodbye," Nick added. "I always enjoy having such fine, pleasant company. I'll bring some diapers next time I come, maybe tell you a few war stories about the times Cap and I fought the Nazis…"
"Shut up Fury. I'm court marshalling you the next time you sneak uninvited into one of our meetings."
Hawk and Nick Fury left the room and walked silently through the Pentagon's hallways. Neither man spoke until they were outside. The hot and humid summer air of Washington brushed against them, making them both sweat.
"Thank you," Hawk finally told him.
"You're welcome," Fury grunted. He wiped some sweat off his face before pointing a finger to a vending machine. "I'm getting something to drink, want anything?"
"I'll just take a water," Clayton answered. Fury left and returned with two bottles of water. The two men sat on a nearby bench and watched the clouds roll by for a few minutes.
"You didn't exactly make any friends today," Hawk pointed out after a while. The other man snorted.
"Somebody had to have your back," Fury said. "It's hard to find anyone who's willing to publicly stick their necks out for mutants these days. They're more concerned with covering their asses and protecting their careers than their country."
Hawk nodded his head in agreement. Fury pulled out another cigar, eyed it, then decided against lighting it up.
"You've got more patience than me, dealing with that bunch," Nick Fury told him.
"I don't really have a choice," Hawk admitted. "I joined the Jugglers with the intention of keeping tabs on them."
"I wondered if that was the case," Fury said. "You're too honorable to have joined those miserable dogs unless you had a damned good reason."
"Too bad I feel like putting a bullet through my brain after every meeting," Clayton muttered. Fury laughed.
"Don't waste a bullet Abernathy," Nick smirked. "Aim for Crowther."
"What…and risk someone worse taking charge?" Hawk asked. A slight frown crossed Nick's face. He rubbed his chin slightly, deep in thought.
"Sometime when you get a chance…you should come over and visit me at S.H.I.E.L.D.," the other man said casually. He gave Hawk a significant look. Clayton immediately realized that Fury wanted to speak with him in private, somewhere where they could avoid unwanted listeners.
"Of course," Hawk answered. "If only to see what kind of hell you want drag Beach Head into."
"Two weeks, just two weeks Clayton," Fury said, using Hawk's first name for the first time.
"I'll think about it," Hawk finally promised him. Fury grinned, pleased at that small victory.
"When are you giving them leave?" he asked suddenly.
"As soon as I can," Hawk answered. "And at least for two weeks."
"Make it at least three and start it next week," Fury suggested. "I'm serious…get them out of the Pit and to Xavier as fast as you can. It's hard to say what the Jugglers are going to do and they may not have another chance."
"Alright," Hawk agreed. The man had a good point.
"You need a ride back to New York?" Fury asked. Hawk shook his head. It'd be a good chance to speak with Fury, but it would be too suspicious if he suddenly made a change in plans.
"Thanks though," Hawk said, standing up. He held out a hand to the older man.
"See you around Nick," Clayton Abernathy said. The S.H.I.E.L.D. director reached out and grasped his hand tightly.
"Don't worry, I've got your back," Nick Fury promised him.
"And I've got yours."
Time: 09:45 Zulu, Monday; 13:45 local time, Monday
Location: GI Joe Pit
James Rhodes gasped for breath as they reached the seventh mile. The Marine had thought he was in excellent shape, but the greenshirts were proving him wrong. Rhodey had made it through the morning PT out of breath and more exhausted than he had ever been. Afternoon PT was killing him.
Morning PT had been supervised by another Marine named Gung Ho. Thanks to Tony though, Beach Head was back in charge for the afternoon session.
"Hurry up Rhodes!" the army ranger bellowed. "This ain't a damn Girl Scout parade!"
Rhodes forced himself to pick up the pace. The men and women around him were breathing easier and much less tired. If this was what the greenshirts' PT was like, what the hell did the Joes do?
Eight miles, nine miles…after the tenth, they came to a stop near the firing range.
"Alright you dang maggots…take ten then head to the obstacle course!" Beach Head barked. Rhodey felt his knees tremble from exhaustion, but he forced himself to stay on his feet. The ranger looked at him knowingly and the Marine belatedly remembered that he was a telepath.
"Hanging in there Rhodes?" Beach Head asked. He nodded. Rhodey forced himself to walk around slowly to cool down. The ranger watched him a moment before nodding his head.
"Good…see you on the obstacle course," the mutant said. Rhodey hid a groan. His body felt like collapsing and dying right then and there.
Ten minutes later, the Marine was struggling through the meanest obstacle course he had ever seen. With agonizing slowness and a great deal of pain, he hauled himself up over an A-frame. Mud and leaves clung to every inch of his body. Jim Rhodes didn't want to know how long it would take to wash off.
A Southern accent continued to scream at him as the ranger in question chased after him through the obstacle course. The Marine pushed on, partially because he wouldn't give up, no matter how exhausted his body was, and partially out of fear.
Rhodey climbed through a tunnel and found himself falling face first into another pit of mud. Beach Head was suddenly right next to him, bellowing his lungs out.
He was going to die. After all he'd been through...he was going to die in a pit of mud, with his last image on this earth being a screaming maniac in a balaclava.
James Rhodes gritted his teeth and with great effort, forced himself to his feet. After what seemed like an eternity, it was over. The Marine collapsed as the ranger glared down at him.
"Too slow Rhodes," Beach Head told him. Rhodey looked up at him. With great willpower, he forced himself to stand up. His muscles screamed in agony.
"I'll work on it," the Marine promised him. He saw the man smirk underneath his balaclava.
"Of course you will," the ranger told him. "In fact, you can do it again."
Rhodey stared at him. Beach Head wanted him to run it again? The man was insane!
"Now?" he asked. The man's smirk widened.
"Now Rhodes."
Not thinking it was possible, James Rhodes sloshed through the obstacle course a second time and collapsed on the grass. The ranger screamed at him again for taking a break. The Marine had thought his body couldn't possibly do anymore.
He was wrong. After fifty pushups, then his body finally died.
Time: 11:17 Zulu, Monday; 15:17 local time, Monday
Location: GI Joe Pit
"He was hyperventilating?"
Duke stared at the two men sitting in his office. Flint and Psyche Out both nodded their heads.
"He wouldn't admit to it though," Flint told him. "He kept claiming that he had the flu."
"You don't start hyperventilating when you have the damned flu," Duke said. "And you say it's after you shut the door?"
Conrad Hauser sighed as he listened to Psyche Out explain what had happened. The psychiatrist suspected that the ranger had somehow developed claustrophobia. The idea seemed ridiculous to Duke, as Beach Head and phobia didn't really fit well together.
"Are you sure that's why?" he finally asked.
"Not entirely," Psyche Out admitted. "As this is just a judgment based off of one observation. However, I think we need to consider it as a possibility and to keep an eye on it. You know Beach Head will never admit to having a problem. We'll have to watch him…"
"…And see how he reacts under similar conditions?" Duke finished. The other man nodded.
"He has been keeping his office door open," Flint observed. "Usually he keeps it closed, but now he's either been doing that or working down at the library." Duke paused at that. He'd noticed that as well, but hadn't thought anything of it.
"How long has he been doing that?" Psyche Out asked.
"Only since yesterday that I've noticed," the warrant officer answered.
"You mean after the whole incident at the harbor?" Duke asked. "You don't think something happened that triggered this, do you?"
"If it is claustrophobia," Flint added. "Which don't know for sure yet…he may just be having a bad day. I'm sure he's been under a lot of stress since his mutation became public."
"Regardless, I'd like to do new psychological evaluations of him and Lifeline," Psyche Out said. "They are both under stress, from both their powers and their environment."
"Agreed," Duke said. The incident between the two mutants and the cook in the mess hall had been brought to his attention. Corporal Alexander Huntington was currently on temporary suspension from his duties, save for having to clean the motor pool floors. Flint had also had to intervene when an angry Roadblock had cornered the man in the kitchen for insulting the two Joes.
"Any word on how Hawk's meeting with the Jugglers went?" Flint asked. Duke shook his head. Hawk was supposed to be back in an hour. The general hadn't said much, other than that Nick Fury had shown up to help him.
"Fury showed up," Duke told them. "We'll need to pass on what Beach Head found to him."
What the ranger had found in Bludd's mind was disturbing. Cobra Commander had apparently been secretly building a hold on power in Hydra over the years and was now working to merge the organization with Cobra. The Baroness and the Crimson twins were also mutants, which had slipped GI Joe's notice. The X-Men had passed on information that at least Xamot was a mutant, but as probably should be expected of identical twins, both men carried mutations.
As for Stark's weapons, Bludd didn't know many details, other than that Cobra had a secret cache of Stark Enterprises' weapons in two hidden locations. One was a secret base in Columbia and the other was somewhere in Arkansas, though Bludd didn't know exactly where.
Stalker's team was currently on their way to Brazil to investigate Cobra activities in the Amazon. Intel had suggested that Cobra Vipers had been spotted with a prominent drug lord.
"We should send Stalker and the others to Columbia after Brazil," Flint said, thinking the same thing. "Depending on how that mission goes. They're already in the neighborhood." Duke nodded his head in agreement.
"Stark and Rhodes want to help," Duke said. "Stark was mad as hell when he found out that Cobra has some of his weapons."
"I don't see why we shouldn't accept their help," Flint told him. "As long as they understand they're operating with GI Joe and have to follow orders."
"I'll talk to them later," Duke said. "I'm interested to see how Rhodes survived PT with Beach Head anyway."
"He survived," Flint grinned. "And made it farther than I thought. He never gave up once. With training, he could probably keep up with the greenshirts and maybe even the Joes."
"Too early to say," Duke said. He looked suspiciously at the warrant officer.
"Wait…are you actually suggesting inviting Rhodes to join?" he asked. Flint shrugged.
"Only if he can cut it," he answered. "We could always use another good pilot. He wouldn't even have to be on the active duty roster, just reserve status."
Duke thought about that. It was something worth considering. James Rhodes had a good service record and had proven himself capable of dealing with dangerous situations through his time in the Marines and the Avengers.
"We'll see how things go," Duke finally said. "We've got a lot on our plates right now. We'll see how well Rhodes does if he and Stark help with any of the missions."
"And Beach Head?" Psyche Out asked, bringing them back to the original topic of discussion. Duke sighed.
"Keep an eye on him," he ordered. "We need to find out for sure if there is a problem or not. I'll talk to Snake Eyes too and have him look for problems. A ninja would notice things we wouldn't and be able to get away with it. What kind of areas would bother Beach Head if he is claustrophobic?"
"Any area that's small and enclosed," the psychiatrist answered. "Elevators, closed rooms, basements, tunnels, vehicles, crowded areas…"
"Great," Duke swore. "That's practically describing the Pit."
"Shouldn't take us long to find out for sure then," Flint remarked. The warrant officer seemed torn between honest concern and hidden amusement at the idea of Sergeant Major Hardass having a meltdown because of a phobia. Duke sighed again.
Cobra, Hydra, stolen Stark technology, sentinels, the Jugglers, the mutant situation, and now a possibly phobic army ranger that just happened to be named Beach Head…Conrad Hauser just couldn't get a break.
"I swear," Duke muttered. "Some days I wonder why I'm not an alcoholic."
Time: 17:40 Zulu, Monday; 21:40 local time, Monday
Location: GI Joe Pit
James Rhodes yawned tiredly as he put a few quarters into a vending machine. The Joes had taken him up on his offer to help around the base and were putting him to work. The Marine was covering guard duty for a greenshirt that had come down with a cold. He was still exhausted from PT and if he was going to cover guard duty, he needed caffeine.
Fortunately, working the night shift exempted him from morning PT. By afternoon though, a certain ranger would be chasing him through an obstacle course again.
"Rhodes, right?" a voice asked. He looked over to see a man waiting for the vending machine.
"Yeah…James Rhodes," he said. "Though you can call me Jim, Rhodey or even War Machine." The man grinned.
"War Machine…cool code name," he said. He stuck out a hand.
"The name's Tunnel Rat," the Joe said. "The name's classified, but if you stick around long enough, I'll tell you my real name." Rhodey grinned at that.
"Tired?" Tunnel Rat asked. He nodded.
"PT…with Beach Head," Rhodey explained. Tunnel Rat laughed, as if that was all the explanation he needed.
"Congrats man," the Joe told him. "You haven't been formally welcomed until you've sloshed through one of his mud pits."
"Is that so?" Rhodey asked dryly. He was starting to like the other man.
"Yep," Tunnel Rat answered. "Some places have hazing, we have Beach Head."
James Rhodes smiled at that. PT had been hell, but on some masochistic level, he had enjoyed it. The ranger had pushed him past his threshold to a level that Rhodey hadn't believed himself capable of doing. Even though he had fallen short of the other soldiers, James Rhodes wanted more. He wanted to be on the same level as the others.
He was starting to realize as well how much he missed military life. Rhodey loved working for Tony and with the Avengers, but he also missed being a soldier. The more he saw of the Pit, the more he wanted to be a part of it.
"Nice meeting you," Rhodey told the other man. "But I've got to get going. I have guard duty."
"Guard duty?" Tunnel Rat asked. "You're a glutton for punishment if you volunteered for that. Anyone who's smart tries to get out of it when they can."
Rhodey only grinned as he waved goodbye to the soldier. Yeah, guard duty was monotonous and usually boring, but it was still an important duty. Just being a part the Pit, even if only a small part, put him in good spirits.
"From the halls of Montezuma…" he sang softly. "To the shores of Tripoli…"
Time: 19:01 Zulu, Monday; 23:01 local time, Monday
Location: GI Joe Pit
Beach Head tossed and turned in his bed, trying in vain to go to sleep. The ranger had tried everything. All of the lights were on and a fan was going to help circulate the air. He'd opened his closet to try to make the room feel bigger, but it had only helped a little. Wayne had also tried opening his door a crack, but felt uncomfortable with the idea that anyone could just walk into his room while he was sleeping and had shut it again.
He hadn't slept well the night before either. Tonight, however, was proving even worse.
"What the hell's wrong with me," Wayne growled. He gripped his bed sheets until his knuckles turned white. His breathing quickened and he was soon gasping for air.
The room was squeezing him in. He couldn't breathe, couldn't escape. He'd be trapped here forever. Cold, metal fingers encircled his body and held him tightly. The sentinel was going to take him away to rot in some prison…
"Oh Gawd…" Beach Head moaned. His body began to tremble and his heart felt as if it was going to jump out of his chest.
He couldn't breathe. Air, he needed air!
In a panic, he jumped out of bed and raced to the door and flung it open. Wayne stood in the doorway and stared out into the corridor, heart racing. He took several long, deep breaths.
"I'm not claustrophobic," he told himself. "I'm not. It's just stress."
No it's not, a tiny voice jeered at him. Wayne Sneeden ignored it as he debated what to do. He needed sleep, but for some reason, he wasn't able to relax in his own room.
Beach Head finally decided that he was just too wound up. He should go down to the R&R level and find a nice place to read for a bit. The ranger left the door open and turned around to retrieve a book. After a moment of thought, he folded a blanket and grabbed his alarm and glass of water to take with him.
The ranger walked quietly down the corridor to the elevator. He stared at it a long moment before turning right to head to the stairwell. His heart quickened slightly when the door slammed shut behind him.
He walked two levels down, heart pounding as he continued to descend. Wayne opened the door, feeling relieved when he walked through. The ranger paused a moment in puzzlement when he felt Snake Eyes nearby. He shrugged, as ninjas always showed up in odd places in the Pit, at odd hours of the day. It wasn't anything unusual.
Still, the ninja seemed focused on something, as well as a little concerned. The ranger tried probing, but Snake Eyes was too far away to read too closely.
He decided to ignore the ninja and closed his eyes. He stretched out with his mind to find which of the lounge rooms had the least amount of people. As to be expected, more people were in one of the rooms with the big screen televisions.
Wayne walked into the other lounge room, which only had one occupant. It was large and spacious, with several couches and arm chairs. It also only had one TV, which was smaller than the television in the other room. Beach Head realized that the presence he had sensed in the room was none other than Tony Stark. The man was sitting in an arm chair and glaring tiredly at a tool in one of his hands.
"Don't you ever sleep?" Beach Head asked, walking up to him. Stark looked up at him with some surprise.
"Too angry," he replied. "Cobra's got my damn weapons."
"You still need to sleep," the ranger pointed out. "You look like hell Stark and you feel like it too."
"Look who's talking," Tony Stark countered. "You don't look so well yourself."
"Insomnia," the ranger told him. "I came down here to relax a bit, seeing as I can't sleep."
"Join the club," the man told him. Beach Head sat down on the couch next to Stark's armchair. He stretched out and covered himself with the blanket and opened his book. The ranger felt himself relaxing.
He frowned suddenly when he felt pain from Stark. Wayne looked over at Tony and concentrated.
"What's wrong with your chest?" the ranger asked. The man was having chest pain. "You need to go to the infirmary?" Tony Stark shook his head and gave him a weak smile.
"My heart's not very good," the Avenger admitted, figuring that there was no way he could lie to a telepath and get away with it. "Sometimes it bothers me."
"Is that why you're really awake?" Wayne asked. "Don't you have any pain medication?"
"I do, but I don't like taking it if I don't have to," Tony told him.
"That feels pretty bad Stark," Beach Head frowned. "Should you even be operating that Iron Man suit if you feel that shitty?" Stark sighed, looking even more exhausted.
"I'm on the waiting list for a heart transplant," he finally admitted. "Don't know when or if I'll get one though." Wayne looked at him curiously. Tony Stark was rich enough to buy off someone to get a new heart immediately, but he apparently was more honorable than that. He'd rather wait his turn and not make someone else wait.
"What happened to your heart?" Beach Head asked. Tony explained how it had been injured with shrapnel when he was captured by terrorists. He opened his shirt and showed the ranger the device that was still keeping his heart pumping.
The ranger growled when he heard the story. Even though Stark was actually happy in a way to have had the experience, as it was a wake up call, the fact that a civilian had been injured and tortured by terrorists made him angry.
"How's the brace working by the way?" Stark asked. Beach Head looked down at his foot. The brace was so light that he sometimes forgot that he was wearing it. He kept having to remind himself that his ankle was still actually broken.
"Great," the ranger said. "Thanks. I really appreciate it Stark."
"You can call me Tony, you know," the man replied. Beach Head smirked when he looked over at him.
"I can't call 'me' Tony," he drawled. "I ain't Tony."
"Ah…a smartass," Tony Stark grinned. "I already get enough damn lip from Pepper…I don't need any from you."
"Sergeant Pepper?" Wayne asked. Stark laughed. The ranger realized that he had just given the red haired woman a new nickname.
"What's your real name anyway?" Tony finally asked. "It isn't Beach Head."
"It's classified," the ranger said.
"Aww …come on…don't make me hack into the database to find out."
"Wayne," Beach Head sighed. "Wayne Sneeden." He didn't want the man to get into trouble for hacking in the Joes' database, though he could probably pull it off without being caught.
"See?" Tony grinned, "Was that so hard?"
"Like pulling teeth," Wayne replied.
"Want to test that out, just to see?" the other man asked. He pulled out a pair of pliers from his tools and held it up.
"Want me to use that to beat your head?" the ranger threatened.
"Hey…I've got an awesome suit that can shoot missiles and plasma discharges…just watch it," Tony retorted.
"And I have TK and telepathy," Wayne drawled. "And grenades. You watch it."
"I have Pepper," Tony said. "She'll protect me."
Wayne pondered that. Angry females tended to be a phenomenon that he avoided when necessary.
"Potts doesn't scare me," he replied. Tony grinned.
"Just wait, she's like a red haired, freckled she dragon when pissed. With lots of lip."
"I know someone like that," Wayne said. "Except she's naturally blonde except when she dyes it. She also throws a mean wrench."
"Girlfriend?" Tony grinned. His smile faded when he saw the look on the ranger's face.
"No," Wayne answered a little quickly. Stark's eyes twinkled as a light bulb suddenly went on in his brain.
"Kreiger?" he asked. "You got a thing for Kreiger?"
"Shut it Stark," Wayne sighed. "I'm tired."
"You do have a thing for her!" Tony repeated. Wayne groaned slightly.
"She's with Shipwreck," he answered. "And even if I did…have feelings for her, it's against frat regulations."
"Which everyone in this unit breaks," Tony smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed."
"I'm going to bed," Beach Head said, changing the subject. "Good night." He rolled over on the couch and closed his eyes.
"So…what you going to do about it?" Tony asked, not wanting to drop the subject. Wayne ignored him. Tired of being ignored, Stark threw a pillow at the ranger.
"I'm trying to sleep dang it!" Wayne shouted.
"If you wanted to sleep, you'd be in your room," Tony pointed out. "Now what're we going to do about hooking you up with Cover Girl?"
Beach Head sat up to stare at the man. What the hell was he…?
"We?" the ranger asked, surprised. "What do you mean 'we?'?"
"Oh come on Wayne," Tony snorted. "If you love her, don't wait around. That's how I lost Pepper." Beach Head stared at him again. He had felt that Stark had feelings for the woman, but…
"She's married?" he asked. Tony nodded. Wayne felt a flash of pain from him and it wasn't physical pain from his heart. Beach Head sighed.
"She's with Shipwreck," he repeated. "I don't like that dang sailor, but I'm not low enough to try to steal a guy's girl."
"So don't," Tony said. "Just show her that you're interested but don't make any obvious moves. If she's into you, she'll drop the sailor."
"Then what?" Beach Head asked. "I don't know anything about women or dating."
"That's where I come in," Tony grinned. "When it comes to women, I'm an expert. I'll help you out." Beach Head raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. Knowing Stark's reputation, he probably was. He certainly knew more than Wayne did about the subject.
"Fine," he finally agreed. Wayne lied back down and shut his eyes.
"Night Tony," he mumbled sleepily. After a few minutes, the ranger was finally asleep. Tony looked down at his tools and the piece of armor he was fixing. He decided that the ranger had a good idea. The Avenger found another empty couch and fell asleep on it as well.
About twenty minutes later, a ninja slipped silently into the near empty recreation room. Snake Eyes padded over to look at the sleeping ranger.
Both Beach Head and Tony Stark were sleeping soundly. The ninja noticed how the ranger had brought a blanket and an alarm with him, as if he'd been intending all along on sleeping in the recreation room instead of his private room.
A flash of guilt shot through him. He was the one that had persuaded the two mutants to go with him to visit Storm Shadow. If not for him, they wouldn't have been chased by sentinels or forced to reveal their mutations. If Beach Head really was claustrophobic, it probably had something to do with that night.
He knew it wasn't his fault, but Snake Eyes couldn't help but feel that it was.
Time: 20:25 Zulu, Monday;
Location: Scotland; Castle Destro
A small cargo plane landed on the runway next to a large castle. After it came to a halt, the doors were opened and Scottish guardsmen began unloading crates from the Cobra transport.
Several men prepared to move one of the crates onto a trolley, but a sudden voice inside the crate yelped when they tried to move it. All of the men jumped when the lid lifted up and a masked face popped out.
"Where are we?" the voice asked sleepily. The men stared at the mask, which was red and black. The hilts of two swords could be seen sticking up from behind his back.
"We have a stowaway!" One of them finally had the sense to yell. "Inform Laird Destro!"
"Laird!" the strange man asked, perking up. "Cool! We're in Scotland?"
Several weapons pointed at the stowaway. The man held his hands up and tried and failed to speak to them with a Scottish accent.
"Don't you wee boys worry, I'm just a humble merc catching a ride," he explained. "The name's Deadpool."
"And you're about to be dead," one of the Scotsmen said. He fired his weapon, but the mercenary only ducked back down into the crate. The guardsman swore. The crates were full of weapons and it wouldn't do to fire at them.
"Take me to your leader," the mercenary said, still crouching inside the box. "If you don't, I'll kill you all as dead as Mel Gibson in Braveheart."
"What do we do?" one of the men asked. The one who had fired at the mercenary shrugged.
"Tell Destro and have him decide," he answered.
"Whoohoo!" Deadpool yelled. "Oww…" he muttered a moment later, having banged his head on the lid.
The men sighed and waited for their leader to show up. They didn't have to wait long. James McCullen Destro stormed onto the plane and glared at the mercenary peeping out of the crate.
"What the hell do you want?" Destro growled. "You have three seconds."
"Can I have a job?" the man asked. Destro blinked in surprise.
"What?"
Author's note: Thurston Crowther is the second known leader of the Jugglers in canon. Other than the first leader, I couldn't find the names of the other generals. Generals McClean and Clarke are my creations.
Next time: Jungle Trouble