GI Joe/Marvel universe crossover.
I don't own Marvel or Hasbro.
Silence
Chapter 20: The Other Side of the Fence
Time: 11:30 local time, Saturday
Location: Extensive Enterprises, Enterprise City, California
Tomax Paoli gave a satisfied smirk as he poured two glasses of expensive merlot. His brother took the offered wine and the two men stood and stared out of their office windows. It had been a good day. The Dreadnoks had successfully interrupted an anti-mutant rally in their usual, barbaric manner. Some of Magneto's forces had also recently clashed with Cobra's new mutant recruits and been quickly repulsed.
And then there was Warren Worthington III.
"To success brother," Xamot said, raising his wine glass. The two brothers clinked glasses and drank.
"Yes, to our winged friend," Tomax replied mentally. "And new business associate."
It had been a perfect combination of Cobra technology, funded by Extensive Enterprises of course, and the twins' own mutant abilities. Both twins had low range empathic abilities. They were only able to feel emotions within a small room and had never been able to telepathically reach into anyone's mind, save each other's. Tomax had also manifested an ability to blend into and manipulate shadows. He was capable of making his body intangible when in a shadow and traveling through it. Tomax could also control shadows and make them somewhat solid or contort their shape.
Xamot, on the other hand, possessed the additional ability of hypnosis. The twins had discovered that while Xamot had to have skin to skin contact the first time he manipulated a victim, afterwards however, no physical contact was necessary. Hearing verbal commands from the scarred Corsican was sufficient.
That's where Dr. Mindbender had come in.
While Xamot had shaken hands with Archangel and implanted a hypnotic suggestion, Tomax had used the distraction to insert tiny nanomachines into the blue mutant's body. A shadowy hand had reached up behind Worthington's ear and opened a tiny vial inside it. The inserted nanomachines would not only allow Cobra to track the X-Man's location, but also make it possible for Xamot to secretly give the mutant verbal commands. The tiny nanomachines also transmitted nearby sounds, which allowed Cobra to eavesdrop on conversations.
Xamot had been forced to reveal that he was capable of implanting hypnotic suggestions, but that had been a calculated loss. Cable had easily discovered the implanted suggestion and destroyed it; however, the telepath had no idea of the rest. Like the rest of Cobra's top members, the twins had telepathic blockers implanted into their cerebral cortex. Mindbender had modified their implants slightly to allow them to continue to be able to read each other's minds, but it prevented other telepaths from peeking.
"What shall we do about our two Joe 'brothers'?" Xamot asked.
Cobra had learned that the two mutants in GI Joe were going to Charles Xavier's school for training. The Corsican twins had become intrigued with the two men and had yet to decide on how to deal with them. Lifeline and Beach Head were of course enemies, but they were also fellow members of Homo Superior. Neither of the twins was blind to the anti-mutant bigotry around them. They were ruthless businessmen and Cobra associates, but they were also freedom fighters.
The American government of course considered them to be terrorists. The twins knew they couldn't expect anything else from an over bloated bureaucracy of fat politicians and double standards. The United States government promoted itself as the scion of peace, democracy, and tolerance, even while many of its own citizens went hungry or hid in squalid ghettos to avoid persecution.
It was the twins' intention to create a better world under Cobra domination with themselves among the ruling echelon…and of course to make a hefty profit along the way.
"Perhaps we can persuade our Joe friends to join the cause," Tomax suggested. Of course, they would need the help of Mindbender or even Sinister to help 'convert' the two American soldiers.
"Was bringing in Sinister a wise decision?" Xamot asked, a note of hesitation in his voice. Neither brother had met the man in person yet, but Mindbender had expressed dissatisfaction with him. The twins had discovered from Mindbender that Mr. Sinister was not only a telepath, but was also able to bypass the telepathic blocks that the Cobra scientist had created.
Tomax shrugged. Sinister had a brilliant and twisted reputation. He was already proving to be an asset to Cobra. However, both twins were somewhat wary of the man. Neither of the brothers completely trusted Sinister and suspected that he had his own agenda for joining Cobra…an agenda that may or may not coincide with Cobra's goals.
"As we always do brother, we will keep an eye on him as we do our other associates," Tomax finally answered. His brother nodded and didn't voice any more of his concerns, though Tomax knew they were still present.
"Perhaps we should move on to other business," Tomax suggested. "There are a couple of senators in need of 'financial persuasion'."
"I believe in the common vernacular, that's known as a 'bribe', brother," Xamot smirked. "How much are they asking?"
"A paltry three million, transferred to an account in Zurich," Tomax answered. "In return, they have pledged their undying support for Cobra."
Time: 12:23 local time, Saturday
Location: Houston, Texas
Somewhere in the streets of Houston, a small biker gang was loitering in a rundown section of town. Among them sat a man garbed in red and black. Two katana swords hung from his back and his mask was pulled slightly up to reveal grotesque lips. The man tipped back a can of grape soda and chugged it.
Deadpool gave a satisfied belch as he threw the now empty can behind him, which elicited roars of approval from the nearby Dreadnoks. Two empty donut boxes and numerous empty soda cans littered the street. Thrasher and Ripper laughed as the mercenary patted his stomach.
"Hits the spot," Deadpool said, belching again. The nearby Zarana rolled her eyes and the mercenary grinned. She was hot as hell. The mercenary debated making a move on her, but the last time he'd tried it, she had threatened to castrate him. Her hulking boyfriend was around too and neither Roadpig nor Donald DeLuca seemed to like the Canadian mercenary.
"Don't you have places to be?" Zandar asked. Deadpool gave him an innocent look, which was of course hidden by the red and black mask. His uncovered lips gave a 'charming' smile.
"But I like it here," the mercenary protested. He waved his hands at the Dreadnoks. "It's like I've found a long lost family."
"Yeah," Monkeywrench protested. "It's like we've found a long lost brother we has."
"He's a right good bloke," Torch added. "Did you see the way he cut up that guy with the bad mustache?"
Deadpool beamed at the praise. The guy with the bad mustache had been some Texas politician. He'd gotten in the way of the mercenary's slicing and dicing, so Deadpool didn't figure he was really responsible for the guy's death. Besides, that mustache had been a fashion tragedy. Anyone willing to wear something like that deserved to die.
Zandar sighed. The mercenary grinned as he picked up an unopened can of grape soda.
"Here Zandar boy," Deadpool said. "This'll fix all your problems." Zandar gave him an annoyed look and walked over to join Zarana
"What'd I say?" the mercenary asked. He'd actually tried to be nice. It wasn't his fault that Zandar wasn't friendly and had absolutely no fashion sense. Seriously…pink hair. Now that was a tragedy!
Though it was rather hot on Zarana.
Mmm…Zarana….
He wondered what size her bra cups were. Actually, what size did the Baroness wear? Now those were some big…
"That was fun mate," Ripper said, giving the mercenary a friendly punch. "We should do it again."
"Hey…let's go out tonight and party!" another of the Dreadnoks suggested. "We can celebrate our new member!"
Deadpool perked up. New member? Did they mean him?
"That's up to Zartan to decide," Buzzer pointed out. The blonde haired man studied the mercenary for a moment before shrugging. "But I can't really see him saying no," the man added.
There was a cheer. Even though Zartan hadn't even met the Canadian yet, the Dreadnoks seemed to have decided that Deadpool was already a 'member.' Neither Zander nor Zarana seemed too pleased by it. Buzzer seemed to be neither pleased nor displeased. Rather, he had adopted a neutral and somewhat friendly expression.
"I think we need more grape soda," Deadpool grinned. "And beer….lots of beer. We can't party without beer."
He was answered by several loud cheers. The mercenary smiled cheerfully as he and several Dreadnoks headed off to raid a convenience store. Since he didn't have a motorcycle, he hitched a ride with Ripper. The group zoomed down the street and disrupted traffic. Pedestrians ran screaming as they sped by.
Deadpool hummed merrily as they stopped at a gas station. He and his fellow Dreadnoks rushed inside and began to grab snacks, beer, and soda. Thrasher made his way over to the cash register and liberated the money. Within minutes, they all exited with their new booty.
"This is the life, ain't it boys?" Thrasher asked. Deadpool grinned in reply. The biker gang ran a red light and headed back towards the rest of their group.
Beer, motorcycles, junk food, hot women, and random acts of chaos and wanton bloodshed? Deadpool couldn't think of a place that he'd rather be.
Time: 13:00 local time, Saturday
Location: Extensive Enterprises, Enterprise City, California
A purple haired woman looked up as two identical men walked by. One of them was speaking to someone on his cell phone and continued walking. The other, a man with a scarred face, paused to look at her.
"Another appointment, Mr. Paoli?" the secretary asked.
"Yes," Xamot said. "Neither of us will be back for the day, Ms. Ackov. You are off on Monday, yes?"
The secretary nodded and explained that she wanted to take her children on a field trip, as it was the younger one's birthday. The two children, like their adoptive mother, were mutants. The secretary was forever grateful that the Paoli brothers had hired her despite her physical mutations. Xamot had also begun to fund a private tutor for the children, as neither of them would be well received in a public or private school with non-mutant children.
"Very good, Ms. Ackov," Xamot Paoli replied. The secretary watched in astonishment as her boss pulled a fifty dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to her. "Use this to buy your daughter a birthday present." Ms. Ackov stared at the money and began to stammer, but the Corsican waved it off and headed towards the elevator, where his twin was waiting.
"You spoil her too much brother," Tomax thought once his brother arrived.
"It's good to treat our employees well," Xamot answered. "Its good business practice…and it creates sympathy for Cobra's cause." His brother shrugged, agreeing with the logic.
The two men walked out of the Extensive Enterprises building and into the car waiting for them. Twenty minutes later, they were aboard a Cobra transport plane heading to Alaska. Once there, the brothers changed into their Crimson Guard uniforms and exited the aircraft.
A few minutes later, they were entering a large meeting room. Cobra Commander greeted them as they took their seats. Mystique and Dr. Mindbender were already seated. Destro and the Baroness walked in soon after, followed by Mr. Sinister.
The Crimson twins studied the tall, pale man curiously. Mr. Sinister paused and turned his head to look at them. A pair of red eyes stared intently at the twins and they had the sudden sensation of 'something' prying their minds open like an orange.
"Most curious," the pale scientist murmured. "You are both barely empaths, yet you have such a strong telepathic link."
"We would appreciate it," Xamot said icily,
"If you exited our minds," Tomax finished.
"Or there may be dire consequences," both men stated. The man known as Mr. Sinister gave them a chilling smile and they both realized that he didn't feel the least bit threatened. The red eyes continued to bore into them, and the twins shared an uneasy feeling.
Suddenly, as if a switch had been thrown in his mind, Xamot felt the telepathic link with his brother shut off. Panic seized him when he could no longer feel his twin. He swung his chair around to check on Tomax, only to find his twin staring back at him with an equally shocked expression.
"What?" Xamot asked, still too shocked to move. He felt lost, as if a piece of him had been ripped away. The disoriented Corsican didn't know what to do.
As he continued to sit frozen in his seat, his brother stood up and aimed a weapon at the pale faced man watching them. Shadows crept from the walls and sat poised to attack the red eyed man. Mr. Sinister continued to study them with a clinical gaze. The others in the room watched the proceedings with a mix of curiosity and wariness.
"Interesting," the man muttered.
"Put it back," Tomax snarled. Xamot suddenly understood. Sinister had somehow removed the telepathic link between them. The Corsican felt a flash of fear. Who was this man that he could do such a feat so easily? It was a violation of personal…
The telepathic link was suddenly put back in place and Xamot breathed a sigh of relief and felt his brother do the same. With surprise, he realized that while Tomax had also felt panic, he hadn't frozen mentally in the same way he had. Xamot wondered why.
"Would someone care to explain what's going on?" the Baroness asked sharply. Mr. Sinister gave a small smirk as he sat down, though he continued to eye the twins thoughtfully.
"I briefly removed the telepathic link between them," the man explained. "I was curious to see how they'd react."
"You had no right," Tomax seethed. Xamot glared as well. At the moment, he wanted to do nothing more than kill the man smirking at them.
"Fascinating," Destro said. "I did not think that something like that could so easily be removed." Sinister didn't reply and the Scotsman dropped it. A shared feeling of anger and a residual sensation of fear continued to float between the two twins.
"Enough of this," Cobra Commander said. "As much as I'm enjoying this, we have work to do. How is Worthington doing?"
"Fine," Xamot answered, turning his attention back to the task at hand.
"As is to be expected," his twin added. "We are already seeing results."
"We now have access to his business files and passwords," Xamot continued. "And we'll soon have access to the X-Men's codes."
"Excellent," Cobra Commander replied. "Keep me posted.
"Of course, Commander," both twins replied simultaneously.
Xamot felt another presence in his mind again and hissed. Both men instantly realized that Sinister was still scanning them telepathically. However, neither of them was strong enough to stop him or to even know what he was looking at.
His brother gritted his teeth and a flash of anger shot through both men. Uneasiness mixed into it, as well as the desire to disembowel the pale faced man in a typically Mediterranean fashion. Once the meeting was over, both twins resolved to get as far away as they could from the scientist. Only then could they think of a way to deal with the telepathic invasions.
Throughout the rest of the meeting, Xamot felt as if a knife were slicing their minds open.
Time: 15:46 local time, Saturday
Location: Cobra Headquarters; Alaska
"…and so, we will topple the world's governments by…"
Mr. Sinister listened with half a mind as Cobra Commander explained some grand scheme to his subordinates. The geneticist had made an appearance for show, though he had no actual interest in Cobra or its goals. Cobra's leader had offered him resources and a place within the organization. Nathaniel Essex had accepted and so far was content to let Cobra Commander think that he had a vested interest in Cobra affairs.
Sinister hid an amused smile as Dr. Mindbender eyed him warily out of the corner of his eyes. The bald scientist amused him. He had some talents, true, so the geneticist was willing to tolerate him for now. Destro and the Baroness also seemed slightly wary of him, but the couple had given no signs of it. It was only through telepathy that he'd picked up on their suspicions.
"…once mutants are incited to rise up against the government…"
Yes, Mr. Sinister mused, Destro might be useful as well, but he also needed watching. Cobra Commander was an oily snake…a wily one, but still a snake. So long as Cobra Commander believed he was in control, he would tolerate Sinister's actions if they helped further his ambitions. Destro on the other hand, was a man of honor beneath his steel mask. The Scotsman still had some vestiges of morality within him and might try to intervene at some point.
However, if Destro could be made to take an oath of allegiance, he would stick by it even if he hated it. That was how men of honor worked.
Sinister turned his attention back to the identical twins. The one with the scar shifted uneasily and the other one sent him a warning glare. Their psionic ability was pathetically low, but it was enough that they were at least able to detect a telepathic scan. Curiously, even though their empathic abilities were very weak, the telepathic link between them was incredibly strong.
He was intrigued. The scientist had studied many telepaths in his lifetime, telepaths who were far more powerful than the Corsican men. However, he had never encountered a situation of twins having shared psionic abilities. It was fascinating, but the men's minds seemed to have merged as a result of the telepathic link between them. It was difficult to see where one man's mind ended and the other began.
When he'd broken the link, he'd wanted to see just what would happen. The scar faced twin had immediately become extremely disoriented while his brother, while confused as well, had reacted with aggression. He'd also been more clear-headed than his brother.
It was an interesting puzzle. Nathaniel Essex theorized that Tomax might possibly have the more dominant personality, which would logically have the most control in the mind link. Once removed, Xamot hadn't known what to do.
At least, if his theory was correct. If it was, then much of Xamot's own personality traits were dormant because of his brother. All of this would of course require observation and testing to prove. The two brothers seemed to have a semi-symbiotic mind. While they were obviously capable of operating separately and thinking independently, a great proportion of their mental activity was shared. It was a phenomenon that Sinister had never really encountered before.
He mused on how to approach it. He was curious to see just what mental processes belonged to which twin. With the merging however, it was difficult to see. The scientist finally came to the conclusion that if he wanted to solve the puzzle, he needed to take it apart and examine it piece by piece.
Mr. Sinister wondered how the two men would react if the telepathic link was shut off longer. Would they be incapable of functioning after years of their minds merging? Or would the separation allow previously dormant but distinguishable personality traits a chance to surface in each brother?
Fascinating. Even though they were weak empaths, perhaps using them as research subjects would have some merit after all.
Mr. Sinister paused his thoughts as the meeting's conversation began to turn in his and Mindbender's direction. Cobra Commander wanted to know how some of his pet projects were doing.
"I would like to take genetic samples of Cobra troops. Mutant and non-mutant DNA are necessary," Mr. Sinister said. Cobra had already amassed a sizable number of mutants in its ranks. The scientist wasn't going to let an opportunity for data collecting pass him by.
"I will need some 'volunteers' for the first phase of one of my experiments," Mr. Sinister added. "I've improved upon Dr. Mindbender's genetic splicing and would like to test it before we use it on our own troops."
Nathaniel Essex watched in amusement as Dr. Mindbender turned his head to scowl at him. The Cobra scientist had begun to feel threatened by Sinister's presence and didn't want to risk losing his place in Cobra's hierarchy.
"Small improvements only," the Cobra scientist added quickly. "And no guarantee that they will work."
"Which is why experimentation is necessary," Sinister replied smoothly, willing to play along for now. Mindbender was fully aware that Sinister's improvements were more than 'small' and that they weren't likely to fail. The man wasn't a complete fool.
"Of course," Cobra Commander replied, apparently pleased by the Sinister's announcement. "We have plenty of prisoners. You may take your pick."
The topic of conversation turned towards deciding how to infiltrate a place called the 'Pit.' Sinister gathered that it was the base for some secret military group. He had no actual interest in taking down GI Joe, as they had yet to prove to be more than a nuisance to him. There were two mutants on the Joe team, however, which did interest him a bit. Cobra Commander had expressed a desire to capture both men. Nathaniel Essex of course wasn't against such an operation, as it would be two more subjects to examine and experiment on. The two mutants were going to be training with the X-Men as well, which meant that Sinister should at least be aware of their activities.
"We still need to discover what the extent of their abilities is," the Baroness pointed out. "Even though they'll be absent for the Cobra assault, we should…"
"Beach Head is apparently a telekinetic and telepath," Xamot said. "According to the intelligence we've covered, he's also been having trouble controlling his powers." Sinister listened with slightly more interest. He had yet to meet a mutant with comparable or greater psionic abilities than Xavier or the Grey-Summers bloodline, but he still made it a habit to examine mutants with even an inkling of mental powers.
"Evidence also suggests that Lifeline possesses superhuman strength and speed," Tomax added. "The sentinel attack clearly showed these, as well as the ability to fly." That peaked the geneticist's interest as well.
"It's the doctor I'm worried about," the Baroness said. "I don't care if he's supposed to be a pacifist. The plan is to insert a team to extract Major Bludd and das Chagas, as well as capture Hawk alive if possible. The first assault is to begin after that…but if one of the Joes has superspeed, it won't take long for him to arrive with possible reinforcements."
"That's why cutting off their communication is key," Cobra Commander said.
"And what about Iron Man?" Destro asked. "Even if the Joe's communications are cut off, he may still be able to contact the Avengers."
Sinister listened curiously. Whoever these Joes were, they apparently were in contact with the X-Men, the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D. If they kept such company, then perhaps he should start paying a fraction of attention to the military unit.
"Stark will be dealt with," Cobra Commander replied. "Mystique, the twins, and Zartan will be part of the initial insertion team. One of them will deal with him."
Mr. Sinister's attention wavered as the group began discussing battle plans. He paid enough attention to give the appropriate responses and to be aware of what was going on. In his mind however, he was already mapping out what kind of tissue samples he needed. He also thought about what to do with the Corsican puzzle sitting so near to him.
Cobra had a wealth of human resources and he intended to use it.
Time: 18:11 local time, Saturday
Location: Cobra Headquarters; Alaska
"Do you think this is wise Commander?" Destro asked. He carefully watched as the man under the blue hood chuckled in answer. The Scotsman had tried expressing his doubts about Cobra's newest scientist, but Cobra Commander had waved them off.
"I don't care if Sinister has another agenda," Cobra Commander answered. "As long as he's producing experiments that will benefit Cobra, why should I care what's going on in his head?"
"It matters a lot," Destro pointed out stiffly. "You saw how easily he toyed with the twins." The Cobra leader gave a snort.
"Tomax and Xamot?" Cobra Commander asked snidely. "Why should I care if he messes around with their heads? If he can get them to stop finishing each other's sentences…I'll give him his own damn country." There was a pause. "Maybe not his own country," he amended. "But I'd still give him some kind of reward."
"Of course," Destro replied dryly. "And what of the sentinel program Cobra is secretly helping to fund? I don't think our new mutant recruits would be too happy if they ever found out we're behind it." Cobra was funding the project through several puppet companies, but there was still the chance that a paper trail could be discovered.
"The Baroness, the twins, and Mystique all know," Cobra Commander pointed out. "And they're all mutants."
"They agree with Cobra's ending goal, that it's a way to 'push' mutants towards Cobra," Destro answered. Truthfully, the Baroness wasn't 'fine' with the sentinels. She only tolerated them as a 'necessary evil' that should be gotten rid of as soon as possible.
"The sentinels are necessary," Cobra Commander stated firmly. His tone clearly showed that he wouldn't allow for any disagreements. "They're powerful weapons Destro. Why should I get rid of something like that?"
"I'm only suggesting that we err on the cautious side," Destro replied. The sentinel program was supposedly being overseen by a small, unofficial group of generals and politicians. Three of the generals were members of the Jugglers. So far, however, Cobra had managed to keep its financial backing a secret from the Americans involved in it.
So far.
"Destro, Destro…" Cobra Commander said, shaking his head. "You're always such a worrywart." Destro nearly replied that not being cautious had been the cause of some of the Commander's previous endeavors failing, but he decided against it.
"Has my son been located?" Cobra Commander asked after a moment. Destro expertly hid his slight unease. After all, the Scotsman had helped the young Billy after he'd escaped from Cobra. James McCullen Destro had provided him with starting capital and had spent the last several years looking in the other direction. If Cobra Commander ever found out that Destro in fact knew exactly where Billy was, he could possibly be killed for treason.
Possibly, anyway. Destro knew full well that he was still too valuable for Cobra Commander to kill. That didn't mean he wouldn't find other ways to seek revenge, however.
"No," Destro replied easily. "Your son does have mutant powers as well as ninja training," the Scotsman pointed out. "He could have gone underground anywhere. If and when he's found, it'll take more than your average Viper to bring him in."
Dr. Mindbender had discovered a long time ago that Billy was a mutant. However, it was only during the young teenager's escape that his latent powers had finally manifested themselves. Destro doubted that Storm Shadow even knew of his protégé's mutation. Billy had never been told that he'd had the X-gene. He'd only discovered it when he'd tried to avoid being put back into the Brainwave scanner.
"Fortunately I have more than the 'average Viper' at my disposal," Cobra Commander answered. "I want my son and my pet ninja back Destro."
"It's only a matter of time," Destro said. "Between Sabretooth and the nanomachines we planted inside Mr. Worthington…we'll find Storm Shadow."
The Scotsman just hoped with all his might that Cobra at least wouldn't find Billy. If they did, his own involvement would be discovered.
Time: 00:09 local time, Saturday
Location: Cobra Headquarters; Alaska
The nearly two hundred year old scientist sat in contemplative silence, with a cup of tea at side. Nathaniel Essex was not the same man that he'd once been, but even as Mr. Sinister, a tiny piece of him was still an Englishman.
And he did enjoy his tea.
Mr. Sinister took a sip of the hot drink as he telepathically swept the Cobra base. Several of the Cobra leaders had by now gone to sleep, including the two Corsican twins. He easily reached across the compound and entered the minds of the sleeping men.
Curious…they even shared their dreams.
The scientist picked and poked at the telepathic bond for a long time. He finally came to conclusion that his initial hypothesis had been correct. Judging from the men's memories, they'd been very close growing up, but had also exhibited independent personality traits that had disappeared once they'd reached their adolescent years. It was at that time that their mutant powers had kicked in and created the telepathic bond between them. Sinister somewhat suspected that a proto-link had existed previously, but had fully manifested itself when the Corsicans were teenagers.
Once that had happened, their minds had begun to blend. Now the two men shared thoughts, dreams, and sensations. In Sinister's mind, it must be quite the nuisance to feel the other's pain. Obviously, however, neither man seemed to mind.
He'd also been correct about Tomax. The man had the more dominant control in the telepathic bond, even if he was unaware of it. However, Sinister also expected that a few of Xamot's own traits had merged in as well. Growing, up, Tomax had apparently been the slightly more temperamental one. If the link was cut off and the twins' minds separated, that tendency would probably reassert itself.
Mr. Sinister continued to examine the telepathic bond. When he was satisfied that he'd examined it to the extent that he could in its present condition, he looked for the weakest point in the link. With surgical precision, he telepathically made a tiny cut. With a self-satisfied smirk, he examined the link again before exiting the minds of the sleeping twins.
Time: 01:52 local time, Saturday
Location: Cobra Headquarters; Alaska
Xamot woke up with a start. Something had awoken him and he couldn't push away an odd feeling in his mind. He looked over at Tomax and was surprised to see his brother snoring blissfully away at the opposite end of the room.
For years they had fallen asleep and woken up at the exact same time. This was the first time in a long time that Xamot remembered not waking up with his brother. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was barely two in the morning. He sighed and stared across the room.
Why had he woken up? And why was Tomax still asleep? If it had been a bad dream, surely his brother would have woken up as well. He finally stood up and padded silently out of the shared bedroom and into the small kitchen.
He couldn't shake the odd feeling in his head as he poured a glass of water. Xamot could still feel his brother easily through the mind link. Tomax was beyond the point of dreaming, so there wasn't really anything to feel at the moment.
But there should have been. Xamot should feel sleepy, hell, he shouldn't even be awake. Yet here he was, standing wide awake in the kitchen. The Corsican thought about going back to bed, but figured he would probably toss and turn. He'd rather not do anything that might wake Tomax.
Xamot finally wandered into the small living room and stared at one of the bookcases for a while. If he wasn't able to sleep, he might as well get some reading done. The Corsican stared in indecision for a long time. He finally pulled a book on marketing out of it and settled into an armchair.
After about half an hour, he closed it with a frustrated sigh. The book was boring as hell. Xamot couldn't understand it, he and Tomax had specifically picked it out with the shared desire of reading it. He went back to the bookshelf and stared at it again. The Crimson Guardsman pulled out a recent issue from an international finance journal he liked, only to become bored with it as well.
Growing more annoyed, he nearly threw the journal across the room. He stopped himself and brought himself back under control. With a sigh, Xamot walked back to the bookcase and put the journal back where he'd found it. After another moment, he made a random grab and ended up pulling a leather-bound copy of the 'Odyssey' off the shelf.
He settled back into his chair and read for a long time. After a while, his eyes finally closed just as Odysseus and his crew approached Ithaca. Xamot dreamt for a time that he and his brother were sailing on the Mediterranean Sea and battling monsters that looked suspiciously like the Dreadnoks.
For the first time in years, he dreamed not in English or French, but in his native Corsican.
When Tomax woke up the next morning, he was shocked to find his brother asleep in an armchair. A half read copy of a Greek epic lay open in his lap.
Author's note:
Well, this chapter was shorter than usual, but it covered what I wanted to cover. The next chapter will be Beach Head and Lifeline at the X-Mansion.
Also, I've come up with a story challenge for whoever wants to take part. I decided to go with a character challenge so that lesser known or used Joe characters would get the spotlight. For this challenge, Recondo must be either the main character or one of the main characters of the story.