Note: I've continued Storm Shadow and Wolverine's story in a separate fic, entitled 'Ninja Walkabout.'
GI Joe/Marvel universe crossover.
I don't own Marvel or Hasbro.
Silence
Chapter 18: Slithering Tensions
Time: 10:08 local time, Thursday
Location: Cobra Headquarters
"How feasible is it to take Washington?" Cobra Commander asked. He looked around at the other members of the Cobra High Command. Also present were three top Hydra leaders.
"At this point, that would be ill advised," the Baroness pointed out. "Our intelligence shows that GI Joe has begun to coordinate with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. We can also be certain that the X-Men and the Fantastic Four would become involved."
"Steps are being taken to address those issues," the Cobra leader stated. The Baroness had voiced valid concerns. If he wanted her continued loyalty, he needed to prove that they were only temporary annoyances.
"Anti-mutant hysteria is growing," he continued. "And there is a strong movement in Congress to go on a witch hunt. Several senators are currently working on a bill known as 'Zero Tolerance.' If passed, all mutants in any sort of government position would be forced out…including GI Joe."
Of course, there was the real possibility it wouldn't be passed. However, the Commander was confident that all the bill needed was a few nudges in the right direction.
"Zartan has also infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.," Zarana added. "Once he gathers more Intel, we can decide what to do about it."
"Neither Fury nor Hawk are in good standing with the Jugglers," the Baroness said. "We should exploit that."
"All in good time," Cobra Commander told her. "Our intelligence suggests that tensions are brewing in the Pit over the mutants there. The Jugglers are also unhappy with one of the mutants, so they may take action even without our influence."
It had taken a long time, but Cobra now knew the location of the Pit. They had been planning to insert a couple of Vipers, but had decided to delay until they found out what kind of powers the two mutant Joes had. The one known as Beach Head had displayed telekinetic skills while fighting one of the sentinels, which meant that it was entirely possible that he was a telepath as well.
There was a knock at the door. Cobra Commander smirked as the Baroness turned to frown at it. The door opened to reveal General Hawk. Several people gaped while the Cobra leader hummed to himself. The 'general' suddenly shape shifted into a blue skinned woman with auburn hair and yellow eyes.
"Mystique," the Baroness greeted coolly. The blue mutant smirked as she took a seat at the table.
"Baroness," Raven Darkholme replied. "I trust you are well?" The former scowled darkly and pushed up her glasses. The Cobra terrorist turned slightly to face away from the other woman. Mystique's lips twitched a moment before she turned to face the Cobra leader.
"Victor is willing to do as you asked," she told him. "He just wants to confirm that you want the ninja alive." Cobra Commander smiled. In addition to being a murderous psychopath, Sabretooth was an excellent tracker. The Cobra leader wanted Storm Shadow back in his possession and Victor Creed was the perfect man for the job.
"Yes, I want him alive," Cobra Commander repeated. "Preferably undamaged. However, injuries are allowed as long as they are ones that can be healed. I have no use for a dead ninja." Mystique nodded, as if expecting that answer.
"Shall we continue with the meeting?" the blue mutant asked. The Baroness glared, but said nothing. Cobra Commander smirked again. It would be amusing to play the two women off against each other…when the time came. For now, however, he needed both of them. In fact, Mystique's experience and mutant abilities were far more useful to him than the Baroness.
"Yes, let's continue," Cobra Commander said. "According to the Crimson twins, Worthington Industries has contacted them to arrange a meeting. We should make sure that Mr. Worthington receives a warm greeting."
Time: 07:30 Zulu, 11:30 local time, Thursday
Location: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
General Hawk rubbed his temples, trying to soothe away the murderous migraine that was growing. He had taken two Advil, but the real cure for it involved bullets and a gun. However, the GI Joe leader wasn't sure if he could get away with murdering a whole cadre of generals.
"I say shoot them all and be done with it," Nick Fury suggested. The man had never been known for his subtlety.
"Then I'd be no better than them," Hawk replied tiredly. Not to mention he'd be thrown into prison and have a new set of corrupt generals take the current Jugglers' place. He at least knew how to deal with these ones. The general had joined Nick Fury in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier to discuss the possibility of them taking over the Jugglers. They both had to be careful to avoid suspicion.
Hawk had been understandably worried when General Crowther had called him on his cell phone.
"So what're you going to do?" The S.H.I.E.L.D. director asked. Hawk sighed.
"Give Beach Head emergency medical leave and get him the hell out of the Pit," the general answered. "I'm not letting them put one of those damn collars on him or Lifeline."
The Jugglers' had heard about the damage that the ranger had done to the elevator, as well as the potential risk it had posed. Beach Head's claustrophobia attack had provided fuel for the already bigoted generals. General Crowther had called to inform him that the Jugglers' wanted an inhibitor collar on the ranger to avoid further 'incidents.' He'd implied that they wanted one on Lifeline as well.
"I'd already cleared for him and Lifeline to start a month's leave on Monday," Hawk added. "But Beach Head is going to have to go to Xavier's a little sooner." The general hadn't informed anyone of that yet, however. Even Duke and Flint didn't know about the newest orders, as Hawk had just himself heard them a mere ten minutes ago.
"How did his first session with your shrink go?" Nick Fury asked.
"Complete disaster," Hawk groaned. "I'm going to have to order him to cooperate." Beach Head had apparently decided that while he'd been ordered to see Psyche Out, he hadn't been ordered to actually talk to him.
Fury chuckled at that, apparently finding that amusing. Sometimes the man really did seem to be an older version of Wayne Sneeden.
"Some of the Avengers are going to the Pit tomorrow to introduce themselves," Fury smirked. "At least let Sneeden hang around until after that. I want to see how he and Rogers get along." Rogers of course being Steve Rogers…otherwise known as Captain America. Tony Stark had arranged for the meeting.
"Twenty dollars says that he has Rogers doing pushups," Hawk said. "Thirty says that he punches him." He was sure that the ranger would find some reason to justify it.
"Forty dollars says that Danvers and Sneeden try to kill each other," Nick Fury smirked.
"Fifty says that my ninjas completely embarrass Rogers," Hawk grinned. Fury thought about that a moment.
"Deal," the older man agreed.
"You're going to be there?" Hawk asked with some amusement. "Don't you ever work, or do you justify hanging around to annoy me as S.H.I.E.L.D. assignments?" Nick Fury snorted, not taking offense at the joke.
"Of course I'm coming," Fury smirked. "I want to see the sparks fly."
Time: 09:00 Zulu, 13:00 local time, Thursday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
"I'm still not sure if this is wise, Warren," Scott Summers said. Warren Worthington III ignored the X-Men's team leader. Instead, he took a sip of coffee and continued to examine the financial profile of Extensive Enterprises. It was fascinating how two men could start from nothing and build up a global company.
"Extensive is the corporate face of Cobra," Archangel pointed out. "We need more information on them." Armies and despots couldn't function without capital. From what the mutant could tell, the Paoli brothers had their noses in a variety of business ventures…both legal and illegal.
"GI Joe already has a large file on them," Cyclops pointed out. "I doubt you'd find out anything they don't already know. It's too a big a risk." Archangel conceded that point. Xamot and Tomax Paoli worked for Cobra and had participated in the attack on Storm Shadow last week. They had to know that the owner of Worthington Industries was an X-Man.
"GI Joe is a military unit," Warren pointed out. "Which means they take their orders from the government. Do you think that they would be authorized to share secret military files with us?" He swiveled his chair around to look at the other man. Scott Summers didn't seem too convinced with his argument.
"They've already shared some information with us," Cyclops pointed out.
"They shared unauthorized information with us…how long can they do that before the Pentagon catches on?" Archangel asked. "We need to gather our own intelligence. If GI Joe does share more information with us, we can always cross check it with ours to make sure it's valid. And there is a chance that I would find something they don't already have."
"And what if you're walking into a trap?" Cyclops asked sternly. "I want you to at least take Cable, Jean or Kitty with you for back up. We know that Xamot and Tomax are both mutants." Warren thought about that. It would be good to have back up, but he had a feeling that the two Corsican twins would be expecting it.
"Fine," he finally agreed. "But only if they stay out of sight." Cyclops's face tightened, but he finally relented. He was pleased that Archangel had at least compromised and agreed to the back up.
"When do you meet them?" Scott Summer asked.
"Tomorrow morning at 9:30," Archangel told him. "Now if you excuse me, I'm scheduled to meet with a group of my stockholders."
The winged mutant gathered up his computer and briefcase. He felt Cyclops's eyes watching him as he exited the room.
Time: 13:00 local time, Thursday
Location: Cobra Headquarters
Zarana scowled as she waited for Cobra Commander to finish speaking with red garbed imbecile at his side. Ever since she'd walked into the room, Deadpool hadn't stopped leering at her. If Cobra Commander noticed, he gave no sign. Undoubtedly the bastard was amused by it.
"Ah…Zarana," Cobra Commander said with mock surprise, as if he'd suddenly noticed her. "I'd like you to meet Deadpool. He'll be working for us from now on."
"At least while the pay's good," she couldn't help saying.
"Hey, this job has slice and dice action and hot women," the mercenary said, "The Commander even said he'd give me a week's supply of free grape soda."
Grape soda? Had this idiot already met the Dreadnoks without her knowledge or did he just happen to have that particular gene that was addicted to sodas and doughnuts?
"I'd like for you to take Deadpool out for a test run," Cobra Commander said. Deadpool made 'vroom vroom' sounds in the background. Zarana felt herself becoming angry. She didn't want to be paired with this walking sexual harassment case. Not that she couldn't take care of herself, of course. However, she'd heard that he had healing factor, so shooting him in the gonads wouldn't prevent him from spawning children.
"Test run?" she asked carefully.
"Yes, yes," the Cobra leader told her. "A news media mogul is hosting a large anti-mutant rally in Houston. I want you to disrupt it. Take a couple of our new mutant recruits with you as well."
"Understood," Zarana replied. She mentally groaned. While the mission itself sounded enjoyable, bringing Deadpool along didn't exactly appeal to her. The mercenary, on the other hand, seemed as pleased as punch about his assignment.
"Do I get to slice and dice anyone?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes," Cobra Commander answered with obvious humor. "You'll get to slice and dice. If you perform well with this assignment, you can kill even more people on your next one."
"Then what're we waiting for?" Deadpool asked eagerly. "Let's go!"
Time: 10:23 Zulu, 14:23 local time, Thursday
Location: GI Joe Pit; infirmary
"You painted my crutches!"
Lifeline gaped at the two pairs of crutches in front of him. Tony Stark proudly wielded a pair of camouflage crutches while a smirking Beach Head held up a green pair, which had 'Lifeline 360' painted on the side. James Rhodes was standing behind the two men, as if trying to put distance between himself and the irritated medic.
"Aren't they great?" Stark asked.
"You painted them?" Lifeline repeated. Iron Man's grin widened as he turned to look at a certain ranger.
"You didn't tell me he was an art hater," Stark quipped. Beach Head's eyes glinted with obvious humor.
"Just wait until he finds out about the modifications," the ranger smirked. Lifeline felt his eyebrows rise slightly.
"Modifications?" he asked warily. Lifeline thought back to the conversation that had apparently started all of this. Stark had threatened to turn his crutches into weapons. "What the hell did you do?"
"I don't know…" Tony Stark said slowly, "Why don't you tell him Rhodey? You haven't said anything yet." The Marine shook his head. Beach Head gave a snort.
"Wuss," the billionaire said, still grinning. The Marine scowled, but refused to rise to the bait.
"Just for the record, Rhodey helped," Beach Head added. "The camouflage and missiles were his idea. The hidden knives were mine." Lifeline stared blankly as the ranger slid his fingers over a hidden switch. Three long trench knives popped out of one crutch. It vaguely reminded him of a trident.
"It's a giant taser too," Beach Head added proudly. "There's a neural stunner in the other pair."
"A…what?" the medic asked, still too much in shock to be angry. The ranger explained how it temporarily paralyzed a person's nervous system. Tony Stark piped in to explain the rest of the modifications. Apparently one crutch had been turned into a flame thrower while the last one, one of the 'Lifeline 360' ones, was capable of firing miniature missiles.
Lifeline gaped wordlessly at the three men. He counted silently to three in an effort to calm himself. A brief thought of murder crossed his mind, until he remembered that he was a pacifist.
"You turned my crutches into WEAPONS?" he finally screeched. "God damn it Stark!"
"Hey! Beach and Rhodey share equal blame!" the Avenger protested. Lifeline glared at the three men. Rhodes seemed to be the only one that looked remotely apologetic. Of all the…they would dare…
The red faced medic continued to fume and uttered a few swear words, which only made Stark and Beach Head all the more cheerful.
"My crutches! What the hell?" Lifeline continued angrily. "I'm gone for a few days and you idiots…!"
"What's going on here?" a new voice asked. Four heads swiveled to see a stern faced Duke standing in the infirmary doorway. The medic pointed an accusing finger at the others. Stark and Beach Head shared an air of innocence while only Rhodes had a guilty look on his face.
"They painted my crutches and turned them into weapons!" Lifeline complained. "They made one a flamethrower…a damn flamethrower!" Duke's eyebrows shot clear up into his blonde hairline. The Joes' second in command turned his head to fix a disbelieving stare on the three culprits.
"Is this true?" the man asked.
"Yes," Beach Head and Iron Man answered. War Machine nodded his head silently. Duke gaped as he listened to the men explain what they'd done to the four crutches.
"Oh Lord…" Duke moaned. "Just what I need. What the hell possessed you three to…?"
"Actually, he likes them," Beach Head told Stark. "He thinks they're brilliant." Tony Stark laughed while Duke sputtered wordlessly at them. Even Jim Rhodes seemed amused.
"Damn telepaths!" Duke finally yelled. "And it doesn't matter what I think of them, it's still…"
"Of course he likes them," Tony said cheerfully. "These babies are the most badass crutches in history."
"I'm confiscating those," Duke told them, visibly calming himself. "And all three of you get to wash the mess hall floors tonight."
"What?" Beach Head asked irately, "Why?" Duke leveled a glare at the ranger.
"You three made unauthorized…modifications… to government owned medical equipment and…" he explained.
"Want me to buy them?" Stark asked. "They'd be private property then."
"Shut it Stark," Duke ordered. Tony raised an eyebrow, but didn't say another word.
"You can't take them," James Rhodes said suddenly. "We gave them to Hawk." There was a long silence as every pair of eyes stared at the Marine.
"We did?" Beach Head asked in confusion. The ranger blinked as he suddenly understood, probably via telepathy.
"Of course we did," the ranger said, turning to Duke. "That's Hawk's property now. You'll need his permission before they can be confiscated or destroyed."
"Brilliant," Tony Stark muttered. Lifeline and Duke gaped at the three men, gave each other a 'what the hell?' look, and returned to staring in confusion. It was a flimsy escape at best, but it was so gutsy that the medic had to admire it.
"Does Hawk know these 'belong' to him?" Duke asked dryly.
"Not yet," Beach Head smirked.
"You can't just pre-gift these…these…" he stuttered.
"Weapons?" Tony asked innocently. "Wait…is 'pre-gift' even a word?"
"Shut up Stark," Duke snapped. "You're in enough trouble as it is. I'm betting this was all your idea."
"Actually, half of it was originally mine Sir," Beach Head volunteered. Conrad Hauser groaned and rubbed his forehead. Lifeline shifted uneasily. He'd been angry about the weapon modifications, but the last thing Edwin wanted was for the three men to get into trouble.
"They didn't cause any real problems," the medic finally said. "Crutches don't cost that much and now GI Joe is in possession of four new weapons." Now it was everyone's turn to stare at him.
"You're defending them now?" Duke asked irately. "Doesn't this whole thing go against your beliefs?"
"Um…" Edwin answered.
"Oh Lord…" Conrad Hauser groaned again, rubbing his forehead again. "Some days I just shouldn't get out of bed. I'm getting a damn migraine now."
Tony Stark opened his mouth to say something, but Beach Head elbowed him in the side. The billionaire closed his mouth. However, he wasn't able to wipe the smirk from face. Duke gave a long suffering sigh as he took the crutches from two of the conspirators.
"Mess hall floors…tonight," Duke repeated. "Yes…even you Stark. As long as you're in the Pit you follow our rules." He then fixed a glare on the sole ranger in the room. "And I better not hear from Psyche Out again that you're not cooperating," he added. "Is that clear Beach Head?"
"Crystal," Beach Head muttered. Duke gave him a stern look before readjusting his grip on the crutches.
"I swear, if these things blow up while I'm carrying them…" he warned.
"Don't worry, we have a medic right here," Tony grinned. "He's even got superspeed."
Duke sent another glare towards Iron Man, who gave the CO an innocent smile. The blonde soldier gritted his teeth and left the infirmary, grumbling under his breath as he left. About a minute past before Iron Man and Beach Head began to snicker. A few seconds later, the two men plus Jim Rhodes were laughing.
"You're a genius Rhodey," Tony Stark snorted. "I never would have thought to pre-gift them to Hawk to protect them from Duke." The three men continued to laugh and Lifeline rolled his eyes. However, even the medic found himself grinning at the ploy.
"That was good quick thinking," Beach Head added. "You just might be future Joe material Rhodes." Jim Rhodes looked embarrassed by the praise.
"Duke's not too happy right now," Rhodey pointed out. "I didn't exactly agree to help so I could wash floors. I didn't want to piss off one of the Tops." Beach Head snorted.
"I'm a Top too, or did you forget?" he asked. Rhodey froze a moment before giving the sergeant major a sheepish grin.
"Like I said," the ranger continued. "Yer Joe material. Pissing off Duke, Flint, or I seems to be common practice around here, isn't it Lifeline?"
"Sadly, yes," Lifeline answered. "They say we're a top secret, elite military unit…but we're actually an asylum for mentally unstable crackpots."
"Tony should fit right it," Rhodes grinned. "He's about as mentally unstable as they come."
"Did I just get insulted or complimented?" Stark asked.
"Both," Beach Head smirked.
Lifeline listened as the other three continued to banter back and forth. In the short time he'd been gone on his latest mission, Beach Head had apparently gotten to know both men pretty well. The medic found himself smiling as he wondered what Hawk was going to do about the crutches.
"By the way Beach," Tony Stark said awkwardly, "Sorry about the elevator thing. It's mine and Mainframe's fault that the power went out." Beach Head froze slightly at that. Lifeline covertly eyed the billionaire, who was watched the ranger cautiously.
"It ain't your fault," Beach Head drawled. "Ah was the one dumb enough to get on the damned thing. It's also mah fault fer havin' got claustrophobia in the first place."
"You don't know that," Lifeline told him sharply. "I don't know why you have it now, but it's not your fault."
"Yes it is," the ranger repeated miserably. "If I wasn't such a damned coward…"
The medic felt as if a bolt of electricity had run through his body. Never before had he ever felt so shocked or angry. Wayne Sneeden was many things, but coward wasn't one of them…and it was certainly the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from the man's own mouth.
Edwin slammed his fist down on a metal, medical cart, too upset to pay attention to what he was doing. He paused in surprise when he saw the other three men staring wordlessly at him. The doctor looked down to see that the cart had crumbled and shattered into tiny pieces of metal. Edwin decided to ignore it for the moment, as there were more important things to deal with.
Wayne Sneeden stared wide eyed as Lifeline marched up to him and crossed his arms.
"You're not a coward," Edwin Steen told him sternly. "Now stop moaning about it and suck it up. If you want to get over this, then get this through your thick skull…you're as human as everyone else. Whatever happened, it was obviously out of your control."
There was a long silence as the ranger digested that. Tony Stark and James Rhodes stepped back, either out of caution or to give them some space. After a moment, Beach Head's back straightened and he sent the medic a fierce glare.
"Ah ain't moanin' about nothin'," the ranger growled. "Ah ain't gonna let some stupid phobia ruin my life."
"Good," Lifeline told him calmly. "Then you won't mind cooperating with Psyche Out." The ranger snorted.
"Ah don't need a damn shrink…Ah can work through this myself," Beach Head said. Lifeline sighed, not believing that for a moment. He'd already spoken with Psyche Out earlier and the psychiatrist had told him that the longer the ranger avoided the issue and tried to handle it himself, the worse things would likely get.
"In case you didn't notice Wayne, you're on a team," the medic pointed out. "We all work together and we all help each other."
"Ah don't need help," the ranger growled. He sent one more glare at the medic before turning around to stalk out of the infirmary. Lifeline sighed again and rubbed his eyes. He was worried about the man. Why did Beach Head have to be so damned obstinate all of the time?
"He's wrong," Tony Stark said quietly. "Things like that…you just can't work out on your own. I know from personal experience."
Lifeline gave him a questioning look.
"I'm an alcoholic," the man explained. "It's something I'll struggle with the rest of my life. There's no cure for it except for abstinence. I know it's not the same thing as a phobia, but…"
"He'll figure it out eventually," Lifeline said after a moment. "I'm just worried about how long it will take. When Beach Head doesn't want to listen to you…he won't."
Stark frowned at that. The man stared at the door a long moment before sighing. He chuckled to himself and muttered something under his breath. It was probably too quiet for Rhodes to catch, but Lifeline's sensitive ears clearly heard it.
"I always pick the strangest people to like," Tony Stark muttered. Lifeline tactfully pretended he didn't hear the comment. However, Stark apparently saw through the act.
"You heard that, didn't you?" he asked wryly. Lifeline shrugged. It wasn't his business.
"I meant that comment about you too," Tony Stark grinned. "You're one of the strangest guys I've ever met."
Lifeline stared as the two Avengers exited the infirmary. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Despite his best efforts at achieving a peaceful level of 'normalcy', Dr. Edwin Steen always seemed to end up in an environment of barely controlled chaos and lunatics.
If he was willing to admit to it, it was the only place he truly felt to be home.
Time: 14:36 local time, Thursday
Location: Cobra Headquarters
Dr. Mindbender hid a twinge of annoyance as his new 'coworker' bent over to examine a set of blueprints. The Cobra scientist had been working on upgrades for the Battle Android Troopers. He had installed a mutant detection system in the androids, as well as doubled their physical strength. The B.A.T.'s artificial intelligence had also been upgraded, reducing the possibility of them accidentally shooting Cobra troops.
"Adequate," Mr. Sinister said.
Dr. Mindbender balled his fists angrily. The man had some nerve. Sinister had been hired to assist Dr. Mindbender, but yet he'd consistently criticized or just plain ignored many of Mindbender's projects.
"Adequate?" the Cobra scientist repeated. Mr. Sinister gave him a chilling smile.
"Adequate," the man repeated. "At least if you're fighting underpowered children with hand guns." That did it. Mindbender felt his fury grow. He'd worked years on the androids. It was he who had engineered Serpentor's creation; it was he who had…
"You created a clone from the discarded remains of long dead conquerors?" Sinister asked curiously. He fixed his red eyes on the scientist. "Interesting…you're not as inept as I'd thought."
Dr. Mindbender stared. Sinister had read his thoughts. How was that possible? The Cobra scientist had placed telepathic blockers into his own cerebral cortex. Telepathic intrusions should be impossible.
Apparently not. If Sinister had found a way around it, others could.
"Yes…" Mr. Sinister mused, studying him curiously. "You may have some use for me after all."
Mindbender stepped closer to the taller man, trying to appear threatening. Inept? He might be of some 'use' for him? It was time to remind this man just who was in charge.
"Enough child," Mr. Sinister laughed. "Take your foolish games elsewhere…I have no interest in them."
The tall man turned around and walked away from him. Dr. Mindbender felt a twinge of fear deep within his rage. He watched as the man known as 'Sinister' proceeded to look through his files and disparage the brainscanner as 'semi-operable rubbish'.
Dr. Mindbender didn't like his new predicament. He didn't like it at all.
Time: 14:40 Zulu, 18:40 local time, Thursday
Location: GI Joe Pit
"Jeez Beach Head…first you get scared by a teeny wittle ewavator…then you destroy it…and now you're cleaning floors?" Snow Job asked. "What's next?"
Beach Head glared at the arctic trooper. He'd already gotten enough flak from other people about his claustrophobia. Coupled with the fact that many people were still distrustful of his mutation as well as the fact that the Jugglers wanted to put an inhibitor collar on him, the ranger wasn't in the mood for this. He'd learned from Psyche Out that some people were afraid that other soldiers might be hiding mutations as well. Suspicions were still running high in the Pit.
"What's next?" the ranger repeated. "How about I shove this mop down your throat?"
"I dunno Beach," Snow Job replied smugly. "You'd be pulling guard duty next. The Pit's corridors get pretty cramped you know…lots of small spaces."
Wayne Sneeden growled, but kept his temper in check. He wasn't going to rise to the bait. He wasn't going to give the Jugglers any more excuses to crack down on him and Lifeline.
"Go away Snow Job," he snarled. "Just remember that you have PT tomorrow." The arctic trooper gave an insolent shrug. Beach Head almost hit him with the mop…almost. He told himself that as satisfying it would be, it wasn't worth it.
"PT hasn't killed me yet," Snow Job said. "I'm sure it won't be any different under a drill leader who has to see a shrink…"
"That's no way to speak to your sergeant major," James Rhodes said angrily. The Marine was currently wiping off the mess hall tables. Tony Stark had also stopped with his own mopping to watch the exchange.
"Butt out Rhodes," Snow Job told him. "You ain't even a greenie…Hawk's just letting you train with them until Stark's done here."
"As long as Rhodes trains with the greenshirts…he's a greenshirt," Beach Head said angrily. It was bad enough that he was being targeted. He wouldn't stand for any of his greenies being attacked.
"Maybe we should all just calm down," Tony Stark finally said. The billionaire stepped between Snow Job and Beach Head, despite the fact that he was no physical match for either of them. Beach Head felt his irritation grow. Stark was right, but Wayne Sneeden also didn't need any help dealing with low lives.
"Calm down about what?" Shipwreck asked. The sailor had decided to butt into the conversation. Beach Head and Rhodes both sent him a hardened glare. He eyed the two men warily, but didn't retreat.
"You busted an elevator and put three of our guys plus Junkyard in danger," the sailor pointed out angrily. "What happens if we're on a mission? Are you going to panic again? I don't want to be riding a transport plane if you're on it…I might not live to go home."
Beach Head felt his face pale underneath his balaclava. He was pissed…hell yes he was pissed…but he also shared some of the sailor's fears.
"That won't happen," the ranger growled. He'd make sure it wouldn't happen…even if he had to avoid the situation to do so.
"And what about Cobra's mutants?" Snow Job added. "How do we know you'd be willing to fight them? We already know the pacifist won't. They are your own kind."
"I'll do my job," Beach Head snarled, getting in the man's face. "What about you? Can you work with a mutant?"
"I can if he's not blowing shit up and getting scared by a few walls," the arctic trooper replied hotly. "You always ride our asses if we lose control…"
"I heard we got some kind of mutant suppressor collars in," Shipwreck said. "I'd feel a lot better if you wore one of those until you got rid of your claustrophobia." Beach Head felt his blood freeze. The sailor was actually serious. God dammit, he'd served with his teammates for years and they actually wanted to put such a demeaning prison onto him…
"An inhibitor collar?" Tony Stark asked angrily. "What's next…you going to throw him into a jail cell?"
"That's not what I said!" Shipwreck yelled. "If he wears one of those collars, he can still do his duties and not potentially hurt anyone!"
"You ever thought about Beach Head?" Rhodes asked. "You don't think one of those collars would hurt him?"
Beach Head felt his anger flash. He didn't need any damn help! He could handle these two maggots on his own. A nearby table cracked and shattered while several chairs were thrown to the ground. The mop in his hand also cracked from an unintentional burst of telekinesis. Snow Job and Shipwreck backed up a few steps and eyed him warily.
"See!" Shipwreck yelled, pointing at the destroyed table. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! And you're not even having a claustrophobic attack!"
"Enough!" Beach Head snarled. Without realizing it, he went into the two men's minds and sent a pulse of fear into them. The two men froze with terror as they stared at the irate sergeant major. Snow Job's face was almost as pale as his white, winter clothing.
"I always knew you were insane," Snow Job finally stuttered. "I don't even know why Hawk's letting you stay on the team. You people really are dangerous…"
James Rhodes punched the man in the face. The stunned arctic trooper quickly recovered and kicked one of the Marine's shins. Within seconds, the two men were brawling on the mess hall floor. Snow Job slammed Rhodes into a table, but the Marine responded by kneeing the other man in his stomach. Shipwreck jumped in to help Snow Job, but Beach Head pulled the sailor off of them with one hand.
The ranger was about to end the whole mess when a gunshot made him pause. All eyes turned to Tony Stark, who had a handgun aimed at the ceiling.
"Glad I got your attention," Iron Man said evenly. "Now why don't we behave like civilized gentlemen?"
"Son of a bitch…" Shipwreck swore, struggling against Beach Head's grip. "You're armed?" Tony Stark snorted.
"I'm a weapons maker and Iron Man…of course I'm armed," the billionaire replied. "Now let's have everyone calm down."
"That would be wise," Flint said sternly. The warrant officer had heard the gun shot and had run towards its direction. The Pit's defense system had also detected the gun shot, so Flint would have known within seconds anyway. He'd luckily been on his way down to the mess hall when the gun went off.
"I want an explanation," the warrant officer said sharply. "And I want it now."
Time: 14:52 Zulu, 18:52 local time, Thursday
Location: GI Joe Pit
James Rhodes found himself standing in Flint's office. The warrant officer had hauled them all into it, not even waiting for any of their injuries to be treated. The man had reasoned that they'd all had worse before and since they'd done it to each other, they could all suck it up until he was done with them.
"Shipwreck and Snow Job…you're both dismissed," Flint finally said. "You're both relieved from duty until further notice. You also have extra PT for the remainder of this week."
"What?" Shipwreck replied. The warrant sent him a withering look and the sailor shut up. Flint turned his glare onto Stark.
"Stark…you fired a gun in the Pit," he said.
"I didn't fire at anyone," Tony replied seriously. "I was trying to break up the fight…which I did, by the way." Flint sighed at that.
"I know," the warrant officer said tiredly. "But don't do it again…unless it's a damned good reason, like a Cobra attack."
"Understood," Tony said stiffly. Rhodey could tell that his friend was still angry, though he was hiding it well. Flint dismissed the billionaire, leaving just Jim Rhodes and Beach Head.
"I know you didn't start the fight Beach Head," the warrant officer said. "But I am concerned with how you lost control of your powers."
"That's why I'm going to Xavier's…sir," Beach Head replied reluctantly. "Hawk already told me that my leave is starting Saturday instead of Monday."
"I'm…sorry," Flint said quietly. The army ranger stared at the warrant officer, stunned for some reason.
"Why?" Beach Head finally asked. "You didn't do a dang thing."
"I'm sorry that you have to put up with crap like that," the warrant officer shrugged. "You shouldn't have to." There an awkward pause. Even Rhodey could see that both men were uncomfortable.
"The damage to the mess hall is coming out of your paycheck," Flint finally said. "I'm not assigning any PT since the incident was provoked and you're going on leave in a couple of days anyway."
"Understood," Beach Head said.
"Good. Now get out of here," the warrant officer told him. "And try to learn something at Xavier's."
"Stuff it Flint," Beach Head replied. "Ah'll be sure to learn something…and Ah'll test it out on you when Ah get back."
The ranger left, leaving just a Marine and an army warrant officer. James Rhodes shifted uneasily. He didn't understand why Flint had left him for last. He should have been dismissed with Tony or the other two Joes.
"You threw the first punch," Flint finally said. "That fight should never have happened."
The Marine felt his heart sink. Ever since setting foot in the Pit, he'd begun to dream of becoming a Joe. Rhodes had been elated when he'd been allowed to join the greenshirts for PT and weapons training. A part of him had been hoping that it might become permanent.
He wasn't under any illusions, however. He'd been stupid enough to help Tony modify the crutches and then claim they'd given the weapons to General Hawk. As if that wasn't brazen enough, Jim was sure that picking a fight with a Joe was grounds for him getting kicked out.
Rhodey didn't regret any of it. Beach Head was a god damned sergeant major…and a good one. He hadn't deserved any of the verbal abuse. The two disrespectful Joes had been way out of line.
"I'm sorry sir," Rhodes told him. "But they had no right to insult Beach Head like that. They should be helping him, not mocking him."
"Beach Head's not good about receiving help," Flint replied, smirking slightly. "I'm sure you've noticed. He's been a holy terror at his therapy sessions."
"I wasn't going to stand by," Rhodey said. "I know I screwed up…I'm sorry."
"You didn't screw up," Flint replied. Rhodes blinked in confusion.
"What?" he asked, not understanding.
"You stood up for a fellow soldier and your sergeant major," the warrant officer explained. "That shows you have loyalty and will never leave a teammate behind. You also picked a fight with a seasoned Joe. While it was a bit hot headed, it shows you have guts. You also held your own in that fight."
He was being complimented? Shouldn't he be in trouble?
"I'll be honest with you Rhodes," Flint said seriously. "You have an excellent service record. You're a good pilot and Captain America also vouches for you. But your physical condition needs work and you need to watch your temper."
There was a pause.
"Sir?" Jim asked. He wasn't sure what the warrant officer was getting at.
"I want you to stay," Flint told him bluntly. "So does Beach Head. It's not official yet, but you may be getting an offer soon to stay on with the greenshirts. If you can meet the physical requirements, you might be a potential candidate for the Joe team…are you interested?"
Rhodes felt his heart skip a beat. This was what he'd wanted to hear, but he hadn't expected that it would ever happen.
"I'd like to stay sir," he said quietly. Flint smiled at that.
"Good," the other man replied. The warrant officer picked up a stack of papers and eyed them briefly.
"You can go Rhodes. By the way, you have extra PT for the rest of the week. You also have KP duty."
"Th..thanks," the Marine replied. He saluted the warrant officer and left the room.
He was going to get to stay.
Time: 17:02 Zulu, 21:02 local time, Thursday
Location: GI Joe Pit
Beach Head sighed as he stared at the ceiling. He was too agitated to sleep and felt too vulnerable to relax.
He was currently in the empty Pit dojo. Snake Eyes had found a futon mattress somewhere and had offered to let the ranger sleep there. Beach Head had initially refused, but then had reluctantly taken the ninja up on the offer. It was clear that he couldn't sleep in his own room because of his damn phobia.
The other Joes had also caught on to why he'd been sleeping in one of the rec rooms. Clutch and Lift Ticket had wandered into the recreation room the night before to pester him. When an irate ranger had ordered them to leave, the two men had smugly pointed out that the rec rooms were for everyone. If Beach Head wanted to be alone to sleep, he should go back to his room.
Damn it, this was humiliating.
Wayne sat up when he felt a presence approaching. He groaned slightly when he realized that it was Tony Stark. It wasn't that he disliked the man…quite the opposite. In fact, they were dangerously close to becoming friends. He supposed that wasn't really a bad thing either. However, if someone had told him a few months ago that he and Stark might become friends...he'd have laughed in that person's face.
"I'm not in the mood Tony," Beach Head barked. He'd had a bad day and didn't really feel like talking to anyone. Several Joes had tried to approach him to talk to him, or rather, to get him to talk about his problems. Wayne felt a little guilty about brushing Gung Ho off, as the man had helped him in the elevator. People like him, Dusty, Snake Eyes and a few others had also been trying to help him as well.
"Just because you're not in the mood doesn't mean you can't talk," the Avenger replied. "At least hear me out."
"Go away," Wayne glared. "I want to be alone." To his surprise, Stark held his ground. The Avenger nonchalantly held out a mug of hot chocolate. Beach Head considered ignoring or throwing it, but then it would be a waste of good chocolate.
Beach Head reluctantly took the drink. However, he didn't offer the man a seat. Not to be deterred, however, Tony Stark sat on the floor. The billionaire took a long sip of the chocolate. After a moment, Wayne did as well.
It was pretty damned good.
"Like it?" Tony asked. "There's real Belgium chocolate in there."
"It's alright," Wayne replied. He was too annoyed to concede more than that.
Stark didn't say anything for a couple of minutes. He sat silently and admired the weapons on the dojo walls. Wayne listened to the man's thoughts. Tony seemed to realize that Wayne wanted to be alone. He also seemed to think that he knew how the ranger was feeling.
"You can't possibly know how I'm feeling," Beach Head replied. Tony looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm an alcoholic," the Avenger told him. "Would you rather be that or a claustrophobic?" Beach Head looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected the man to admit to something like that so easily.
"It was hard," Tony continued. "I didn't want to admit that it was a problem. It took me a long time to. Even after I finally did, I convinced myself that I didn't need help. I thought I could handle it on my own."
He took a long sip of hot chocolate before continuing.
"I couldn't," the man admitted. "And it destroyed my company and drove everyone that I cared for away…hell…it nearly destroyed me."
Beach Head didn't say anything for a while. He could feel the obvious pain radiating from the other man.
"It's not the same thing as having claustrophobia," the ranger finally said. Tony gave him a wry smile.
"Isn't it?" he asked. "Both are destructive…both can ruin your life," the billionaire pointed out. "Do you think life's going to get any easier if you keep refusing to get help? I hate to say it, but that sailor had a point. What if you're on a mission somewhere? You could jeopardize yourself, your teammates, and your mission."
"I know that," Beach Head admitted reluctantly.
"So what's the deal?" Tony asked. "The Pit's full of small spaces…are you really telling me that you're functioning okay?"
The ranger chose not to respond to that. However, the other man knew from Beach Head's silence that the ranger wasn't 'functioning okay.'
"There's no shame in you getting help Wayne," Tony said, using his real name for the first time since he'd walked in. "I was humiliated too. I was afraid that people would look down on me…and some did. But I'm doing what I have to do to stay out of trouble…even though that includes Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and seeing the occasional therapist."
"You don't understand," Beach Head said stubbornly. "I'm Beach Head. I can't be…"
"And I'm Iron Man," the other man replied. "And frankly, I don't care if either of us is Saint Peter. Sometimes we've got to swallow our pride and make sacrifices. If we don't, we hurt ourselves and the people around us."
Beach Head sat silently, thinking about what Tony had said. He was too stubborn to relent and agree that the other might have a point. However…
"Just think about it," Tony Stark said, finishing the rest of his hot chocolate. "You don't have to listen to me; you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. But there is a reason that Hawk is having you meet with Psyche Out."
"Fine," Beach Head finally promised. "I'll think about it." Tony gave him a faint smile.
"That's all I want you to do…think about it," the Avenger responded. He stood up and stretched his legs.
"There is one more thing," Tony said. Wayne lifted an eyebrow when he read what was in the man's mind.
"You want to do PT?" Beach Head asked. "Tony…Rhodey's a Marine and he's struggling through it. What the hell do you think you can do?"
"Fail miserably," Tony admitted. "But I still want to do it. I know that a lot of people around here still think I'm just a rich boy in a fancy suit. They put their lives on the line all the time without special powers or armored suits. They get through their missions through their own sweat, muscles, and wills."
"And good weapons," Beach Head pointed out.
"That too," Tony conceded. "But a weapon's worthless if the person operating it is a washout." Beach Head agreed with everything the man had said. He was glad that Tony felt the same way too.
"What about your heart?" Beach Head asked. Tony shrugged.
"It's a problem and I need to be careful…I know," he admitted. "But I need to know what my limits are. The Joes won't respect me unless I can prove that I'll give my all."
"Fine," Beach Head agreed. "But I'm having Lifeline stand by in case you decide to have a heart attack. You can do afternoon PT with the greenshirts."
"Thanks," the other man said.
"Try not to die tomorrow," Wayne smirked. "I don't need any more paperwork."
"I like you too Wayne," Tony replied.
"Go away Stark…I need my beauty sleep."
"I don't think that will help," the Avenger quipped. Beach Head threw a pillow at him.
Tony Stark chuckled as he left the dojo, taking two empty coffee mugs with him. The ranger shook his head.
How the hell had a poor boy from Alabama gotten mixed up with a rich kid from California?