Silence
Chapter 31: Uninvited Guests
Sunday morning. Seattle.
"And so we come to the story of the man born blind. As Jesus and his disciples were walking, they asked him 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Lifeline stood silently in the back of the church, angling himself so the man on the pulpit couldn't see him. At the front of the church, lecturing on sin and redemption, was his "father"…the man responsible for not only siring him, but mentally and physically abusing him before finally kicking him out of the house at the first sign of his son's mutant powers. Edwin Steen had only been twelve at the time.
"Jesus answered, 'Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him…"
Funny, his father said the words, but didn't seem to understand them. The elder Steen was remarkably blind to the moral of the story he was preaching. Rather than seeing mutant abilities as God's will, the man chose to see them as the work of Satan.
Edwin, of course, hadn't realized just how anti mutant his father was until his sister had reluctantly told him a bad piece of news. His father was involved with the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant hate group that was one of the largest lobbyists behind the Mutant Registration Act.
The medic cast his eyes around his father's church. There were probably other members of the Friends of Humanity sitting in the church pews, learning how to be good "Christians", if the word could actually be applied to them.
"So must we too, accept God's will in all things, the good and the bad," his father preached. "So that his light might shine on the world."
The hypocrisy made Edwin sick to his stomach. The GI Joe medic turned and walked quietly out of the church. He didn't care if his father saw him or not. If Edwin was willing to admit it, deep down he hoped that his father did see him leave. Lifeline was a pacifist, but he wasn't a saint. He somewhat took pleasure in sullying his father's church with his mutant presence.
Besides, even though he considered himself a Christian, Lifeline couldn't stay in his father's church another moment. He'd done his filial duty of at least finding his father. Lifeline felt rather nauseous about it. It had taken years for him to even work up the courage to look at the man from a distance. His sister, Stephanie, had attempted to play the mediator between them, but had given up after several disastrous efforts.
He walked for several blocks to clear his head. Psyche Out had suggested that the medic return home, but now Ed was questioning the wisdom of that. He had only been home for barely a day and it was nice to visit his sister. However…
Was Seattle really his home?
An ambulance siren blared in the distance, reminding Lifeline of when he'd worked as a paramedic in the city. Despite his long bouts of absences, the city continued to move on without him. Life went on. It suddenly struck Ed that even though he considered Seattle his home in a sense, the only "place" he'd ever really considered home was with the Joes. Even then, it had been a struggle at first to be accepted because of his beliefs, which had left him as a bit of an outsider, and now his mutant abilities had further strained that. The Joes were growing more accustomed to having mutants in their ranks, but the sheer power of Lifeline's mutation made many of them wary.
Even Psyche Out had expressed mild concern that Lifeline's powers could potentially make him lose touch with his "humanity" or alienate him. Ed was secretly grateful for having met the X-Men and the Avengers. Among them, he was just another person who happened to have superpowers. When there were people like Jean Grey, Rogue, Quicksilver, Miss Marvel, and Thor, the medic felt that there was nothing particularly special about himself when he was with them.
Lifeline mused that the world he lived in now was a completely different one that the one he had grown up in. Of course, that world hadn't entirely been "normal" either.
His pocket vibrated. Lifeline looked at it a moment before pulling out his cell phone to see that his caller was Dr. Donald Blake, the alter ego of Thor. The medical doctor, who oddly shared many of Lifeline's pacifistic ideas in his mortal form, reminded Ed of another scheduled training session with Thor after he answered the phone.
The irony of it made Lifeline shake his head slightly.
"Of course," Edwin told the man. "I'm in Seattle at the moment visiting my sister, so…"
"Ah," Blake replied. There was a pause before the man continued. Lifeline often wondered how the Thor/Blake dynamic worked. Was it two personalities in his head, or was only one in control at a time? "Well…Thor and I would be happy to come your way."
Wait a…what? Lifeline knew he was faster than the god of thunder, even if not necessarily stronger, plus he didn't need a hammer to fly. It made more sense for him to go back to New York for the unwanted training session that Scarlett and Snake Eyes had inflicted on him.
"That's not necessary," Lifeline answered quickly. "Thor doesn't need to…"
"Nonsense," the man replied. "Neither Thor nor I have ever been to Seattle. Besides, Hawkeye's been even more annoying since Storm Shadow bested him in that archery contest. That's all Clint keeps talking about, so…"
"So you want an excuse to get out of the Avengers mansion," Ed finished, sighing. Deciding not to be impolite and argue the issue, the medic reluctantly accepted it. After all, it was Sunday, so it would be unchristian to say that the man (men?) couldn't come to Seattle. Again, Lifeline recognized the irony of being a good "Christian" when dealing with a Norse "god" who had invited himself to Seattle.
When they finally hung up, Lifeline belatedly realized that he should ask Stephanie if the Avenger could come to dinner. His lips twitched up in amusement at the thought. The world he was living in now certainly was a different world than the one he had grown up in.
Florida Everglades
Swamp, he was knee deep in swamp. Muddy water clung to him as Short Fuze waded around a clump of sawgrass. The mutant warily eyed a couple of alligators that were lazily floating a mere twelve yards away. They were much too close for his comfort, even though any of the three other mutants he was with were, without a doubt, far deadlier. It didn't help that Gambit had to occasionally offer commentary as to how exactly one would cook alligator.
"…so you just t'row a bit of cayenne pepper and rosemary on dem 'gator tails, then toss dem babies on de grill and…"
Short Fuze hid a sigh of relief when Beach Head and Bishop both shot glares at the Cajun and warned him to shut his mouth. Gambit shrugged his shoulders, but complied. As much as the man seemed to love the topic of cooking, he could occasionally shut up when necessary. Occasionally.
"They've definitely come this way," Beach Head said quietly. The ranger had his eyes closed, probably searching for a telepathic sign. "Ah kin feel the stink of Dreadnok, plus Ah just caught a memory of Roadpig's."
"Anything useful?" Bishop asked. The largest man kept a visual lookout while they talked. Beach Head gave a slight shake of his head.
"No, but it does prove that they're active around here," Wayne Sneeden continued. He nodded his head towards the west and added, "Ah kin feel a large group of people in that direction. Ah think it's them, but we ain't close enough for me to tell who they are yet."
"So, what's the plan?" Short Fuze asked. He caught himself before adding, 'Please tell me we have a plan.' However, the sergeant major cast him a glare anyway. Wayne silently rebuked him with the empathic version of 'Of course I have a plan, you damned pogue.' Short Fuze rubbed his temple in an attempt to clear away his sudden headache.
"We'll split up," Beach Head replied. He levitated a clump of mud and roughly shaped it into a building. They didn't know exactly what the Dreadnok hideout looked like, but based on Short Fuze's visions and the terrain, they had made an educated guess. The ranger pointed to one end of the model compound.
"Gambit and I will enter from the southwest," Beach Head continued. "While you and Bishop come in from the northeast. Between my telepathy and Short Fuze's abilities, it's best that we split up."
The others nodded their heads in agreement, as the two Joes were the ones with the long range perception. Short Fuze briefly wondered why the ranger had paired himself with Remy LeBeau, especially since he liked to complain about the Cajun. However, as much as the two men mocked each other, they actually seemed to make a good team. Beach Head, regardless of what he actually thought about the X-Man, was a professional. He knew how to take advantage of strengths and weaknesses. Besides…Short Fuze wasn't one to argue with a Top.
"Understood," Short Fuze replied, immediately sliding into combat mode. He was a Joe and this was just another mission. Well, except for the fact that he was on an all mutant team and that one man was a former thief while another was from the future. That, plus…
A brief image of an unconscious Hawk floated into his mind. Short Fuze clenched his fists and hardened his resolve. Zartan was going to pay dearly for what he'd done. That was what he told himself, anyway. A sliver of one of his recent visions popped back into his memory. In his mind, he could see Zartan and Storm Shadow fighting back to back. Arrows flew from their fingers while a battle raged around them.
There was a snap of Beach Head's neck when he jerked his head around to stare at the other Joe. Short Fuze hid a groan. He hadn't told the ranger about his other visions. Now, however, Wayne Sneeden was staring at him with piercing intensity. The mortar soldier had the unpleasant sensation of his mind being cracked open like an egg.
"You should have told me about everything," Beach Head silently rebuked him. "I don't care if Zartan was only in one of those visions. The fact that he was…and was alive, possibly changes things."
Short Fuze sighed, but reluctantly admitted that the other man was right. To be fair, both of them had been so caught up in revenge that the mortar soldier hadn't even thought to relate the rest of his visions. Now, however….
A tall, raven haired man stood next to Cobra Commander. Green eyes flashed mischievously in his face while the mysterious man silently laughed at Short Fuze.
"Not now," Beach Head told him. "We'll talk about the rest later. For now, we have to get Zartan. Besides, for all we know, what you saw are just 'possible' futures. Bishop said this timeline has already changed from the one he knows," the ranger silently reminded him. "I think it's safe to say that what you saw are just possibilities."
Gambit interrupted them with a loud cough. The Cajun gave them a knowing look, but didn't ask if they were having a private conversation. Bishop also seemed to suspect it, but didn't ask. Even though the man hadn't been happy about being dragged along, Lucas Bishop had since 'fallen into rank' and was following Beach Head's commands without any argument.
"Okay, let's go," Beach Head told everyone. "We'll meet up in the compound."
Utah
Forge quietly tinkered with a piece of machinery while a couple of Joes chattered nearby. So far the new Pit was coming along, with new upgrades planned to give it more offensive and defensive power than the old base. The equipment he was currently working on was a carbon dioxide micro generator that could more efficiently power the base, plus it produced oxygen as a byproduct. He prided himself on building things that were environmentally conscious.
"So…uh…has Forge talked to anyone?" One of the Joes whispered quietly. It was Breaker, if Forge remembered right. There was a pop of chewing gum as the man continued to talk quietly with Lady Jaye. "I mean…beyond explaining things and giving orders?"
The Cheyenne mutant pointedly ignored the conversation. People tired him out. Machines? They made so much more sense. Machines only did what they were programmed to do. It was people that took them and made them do horrible or illogical things. They couldn't discriminate, back talk, or exclude you. They were just there.
It wasn't that all people were like that, of course. Forge himself had good friends and associates. That still didn't change the fact that he found it time consuming and tiring if it was a social engagement with more than two people. Besides…he'd never been one to make friends easily.
Psyche Out had tried to examine him and get the mutant to talk about his issues and supposed PTSD, but Forge had told him to fuck off. He wasn't a Joe. Forge had passed the psyche exam for the contractor position. There was no other reason for the Joes' shrink to pester him further, as far as he was concerned.
"Any reason that he keeps refusing to train Spirit?" Breaker asked 'quietly.' His female companion gave a shrug. Forge cast a brief glare in their direction and debated chucking his wrench at them, but decided against it. It wasn't a good enough excuse to possibly damage one of his tools, especially his favorite wrench…even though his refusal to teach Iron Knife wasn't any of their damned business.
Besides, Psyche Out might interpret wrench throwing as him having inner anger issues.
Stupid, nosy shrink.
"Uh…Breaker?" Lady Jaye murmured quietly. "I'm pretty sure Forge can hear you…and he's not too happy." As if to emphasize that the female Joe was correct, Forge very purposefully banged loudly on a nonessential part of the tiny generator. Breaker jumped slightly.
The male Joe shut his mouth for a long while and worked silently on the Pit's new communication system. Forge felt grateful at first, but then started to feel slightly annoyed and out of place by the awkward silence. He reached out and flipped some music on. Johnny Cash's voice immediately filled the silence, making him feel a little more at ease.
The day seemed to drag on. Forge supervised the installation of some new equipment and installed the holographic projector to hide their work at the Pit. He sat through a dull meeting with Duke and spoke briefly with Tony Stark over the phone. The Avenger was apparently planning to visit them the next day to help contribute to the new base.
Forge reflected on his decision to help out GI Joe. He had been hesitant at first, as he'd very nearly had his fill of dealing with government bureaucracy and corrupt military officials. The fact that the government had just passed Mutant Registration didn't help either.
However…Nick Fury and Charles Xavier had both vouched for Hawk and the Joes. There were also mutants serving openly on the team, despite opposition from certain people in the Department of Defense. The Cheyenne mutant would also have to be blind if he didn't notice the threat posed by the combined power of Cobra and Hydra.
"Hawk's a one of a kind," Fury had told him. "They don't make generals like him anymore. If you give him a reason to trust you and if you have his back, he'll charge into the gates of hell for you. That's the kind of man Clayton Abernathy is. I trust him completely…and I don't say that about many people."
And Cobra had very nearly assassinated that man. The would be assassin hadn't even been a mutant, although he was possibly a mutate, from what Forge had heard. Zartan had managed to get past a base full of SHIELD agents and Joes, plus the few mutants serving on the Helicarrier.
No, Forge knew he had made the right choice to take on this job. Regardless of how irked he was at being asked to test Iron Knife for magic, he had done it as a favor to Nick. As long as no one expected him to actually teach the Joe, who seemed nice enough, Forge was quite happy to build things and contribute to the cause his own way.
Besides…if the military was willing to provide him with additional tools and supplies that he didn't have to pay for himself, who was he to argue? As long as he got to tinker and build, Forge was happy.
"Hey, that looks cool, what're you working on?"
Forge looked up, somewhat displeased that his train of thought had been disrupted. A dark haired Joe was looking at him with a curious, lopsided grin. He had an unshaven look, which Forge knew would never pass in a normal military unit, and was covered in grease and engine oil. What was this one's name again?
"A micro generator," Forge answered, figuring he should be polite. Besides, it was a reasonable question. He held up the fist sized piece of machinery. "It produces oxygen as a byproduct. This will also produce enough power to run the whole base, but I'm going to build two more as backup."
The man scratched his head a moment. Forge finally put a name to the face. Clutch. If he remembered right, the man was a driver and a mechanic for the Joes.
Clutch finally bent over to peer at the nearly finished generator. The man honestly seemed intrigued by it.
"Could it boost the performance of a multi-fuel Cat in one of our VAMPs?" Clutch asked. "Those Cat engines are great, but better on power than performance, you know what I mean?" Forge nodded his head, completely understanding. The military's deuce and half trucks and armored vehicles all ran on multi-fuel engines.
He remembered from his own days in Vietnam that he'd often gotten irked at the vehicles they'd been issued. Forge hadn't quite realized at that point that his innate gifts with mechanics were a mutation, though he had suspected something. He'd once modified a captured Vietcong gun truck into a light tank, which had left his first unit in awe.
"This will do more than boost the performance of the Cats," Forge replied. "I can modify this slightly into an engine and completely replace the current ones. It will be faster, more powerful, and more efficient."
Clutch looked positively elated. He kneeled down and scrutinized the tiny generator. The driver poked at it slightly with curiosity.
"How does it work?" Clutch asked eagerly, poking at the machine again. "I mean, I know you said it produces oxygen, but how does it operate?" Forge hesitated a moment before answering the man honestly.
"I'm not entirely sure yet," he replied. The Joe gave him a confused look, so Forge went on to explain his mutant powers. "I can create any machine I want, all it requires is imagination. That's how my powers work," the mutant explained. "However, I often have to disassemble and reassemble my creations to figure out the principles behind it. I can also identify how any machine works or can potentially work just by looking at it."
His mutant powers confused people sometimes. While Tony Stark could create things too, he had to work them out step by step while that process somehow took place subconsciously within Forge's own mind. His technological prowess was much more instinctive than it was theoretical.
"That's….fucking awesome!" the other man exclaimed. Forge blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that response. However, Clutch looked positively giddy at the thought.
"You….really?" the mutant asked, not quite sure what to say. He was even less sure how to respond to the look of envy on the other man's face.
"Of course!" Clutch responded, poking the generator again. "Are you kidding? I'd love to have a power like that! To hell with telepathy and super strength…I'd take a superhuman ability to invent any day if I had a choice of powers."
To his surprise, Forge found himself relaxing. The other man's unexpected enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on him a bit. The two men spent the next half hour chatting about military trucks, engines, and weapons. They also spent a fair amount of time complaining about inconsiderate jerks who routinely ruined their precious machines and then brushed off the mechanics who took care of the said machines.
"And it's like 'Hey Clutch, so sorry we totally destroyed the transmission in three vehicles and blew up another truck, get them fixed by tonight, would you?' Are you fucking kidding me?" the Joe ranted, waving his arms theatrically. "I mean, those guys wouldn't even have a working fleet if not for us!"
They were still on the topic of inconsiderate jerks when they walked over to the cooler to get more water. There might have been some stares at the sight of Clutch and the normally taciturn Forge chattering away like a couple of school boys.
"Exactly," Forge replied, enjoying the chance to vent his frustrations with someone else who understood them. "I had once spent a whole day upgrading the Blackbird and the X-Men destroyed it in less than three minutes the next day! And don't get me started on Wolverine; he has a bad habit of sticking his claws into things I've built when he's pissed."
That irked him like nothing else. It had gotten to the point that Forge was in the process of trying to Wolverine proof his stuff. God damned Canadian. He had been so pissed the last time that Logan had destroyed something that Forge had actually used his magic to zap the Canadian's ass out of the X-Men's hangar and face first into a cow pasture.
"See, see?" Clutch asked. "I HATE it when people do that! It's like…hey, I worked hard on this for you, treat it well and…..fuck….now it's destroyed."
The two men continued on their rant, oblivious to the fact that Duke was sighing heavily at the exchange. The top sergeant watched as they disappeared inside the temporary motor pool. While he was pleased that Forge had finally opened up to someone, the top sergeant hadn't expected that the first person would be Clutch. In retrospect, Duke was forced to admit that Forge had more in common with Clutch and Covergirl, in some ways, than the rest of them.
Duke turned his head when he noticed that Spirit had now joined him. The two of them watched and listened as two very enthusiastic men began to play around with a VAMP engine in the motor pool. Clutch revved the engine a few times before he and Forge popped open the hood to peer inside.
"He still won't teach you, will he?" Duke asked the other man. Spirit shook his head.
"He seemed very angry the first time I'd asked," the tracker answered. "I think it's unwise to ask Forge again at the moment…at least not until I know him better." Duke nodded his head in agreement. The top sergeant didn't know the whole back story, but Professor Xavier had mentioned that Forge had stopped practicing magic after a bad experience with it in Vietnam.
There was a sudden clatter from the motor pool when a tool fell on the floor, drawing Duke out of his thoughts.
"Seriously, Forge, we can just as easily make it go twice as fast!" Clutch shouted over the sound of the engine. Rock music was now blaring in the background.
Spirit and Duke looked at each other. There was a similar expression of wary dismay on each of their faces as the two mech heads continued to play around in the motor pool. Forge said something in reply, which Duke didn't catch.
"Five times?" Clutch shouted gleefully. "You can make it go five times faster? And it won't blow up?"
There was an audible groan from Spirit, which was echoed by Duke. It wasn't that either man was unhappy with more technologically advanced armored vehicles, but there were possible downsides to that happening.
"I'm not getting involved in this," Duke sighed. "Please tell them that I don't want to hear any explosions." As if on cue, there was a loud crash as something went awry. Forge could be heard yelling 'It's fine, it's fine, just let me adjust the fuel intake…'
"With all due respect," Spirit replied uneasily, staring in the men's direction. "I don't really want to go near them at the moment."
"Understood," Duke replied. "If Clutch and Forge blow themselves up, it's their own fault. They had just better not take the rest of us with them."
Still oblivious to the fact that their fellow comrades were in fear for their lives, Forge and Clutch proceeded to dismantle a VAMP engine while the strains of a Bon Jovi song blasted in the background. Duke debated on whether or not to order the two men back to their previous duties, but decided against it. If Forge could increase the efficiency of their vehicles, he wasn't going to interrupt. The Cheyenne mutant was likely to tell him off anyway and remind him that 'he wasn't a Joe' and couldn't be ordered like one.
Besides, regardless of the potential migraines involved, the top sergeant wanted Forge on good terms with the Joes. Duke left the two men alone for now, who were both quite happy to tinker around with the VAMP.
Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Flint gritted his teeth as he parked his car. Losing his temper wasn't going to help. However, he'd been woken up by a phone call that morning. Cyclops had informed him of a missing X-Men jet and four missing mutants…two of whom happened to be Joes. According to Scott Summers, the men had disabled the GPS tracker in the stolen jet.
As if he didn't have enough things to deal with, Beach Head had, of course, decided to give the warrant officer yet another headache to deal with. Hawk in a coma, GI Joe in transition, sharing a base with SHIELD…and now trying to track down an idiotic and annoying ranger.
Flint slammed the door of the borrowed government car shut and looked up at the X-Men's mansion. It wasn't that he didn't want to visit the school, but he had too many things on his plate at the moment. The warrant officer sighed and walked quickly up the steps to the school and let himself in. Three minutes later, he ran across another headache…this time in the form of an arrogant, blue prissy boy with wings.
"Hmph, what are you doing here?" Warren Worthington III asked snidely. The blue mutant looked down his nose at him, further souring the warrant officer's mood. Flint bit back a snarl and felt totally justified in blaming Beach Head for Archangel's appearance as well.
"Funny, I thought I was welcome any time," Flint replied with equal snide. "You know…helping human-mutant relations and all that." The other man's face darkened slightly. Good. Even in his best moods, the Joe disliked Archangel and found him to be arrogant and full of himself. Flint had even less patience now to deal with the man.
"You here about Beach Head and the others?" the mutant asked. "Funny…you can't even keep track of the men under your command…" Flint flexed his fingers and felt his face warm up. Condescending blue peacock….
"They were under my command too, Warren," Scott Summers interrupted, coming up behind the man. The warrant officer felt a sudden flash of gratitude. He'd been two seconds away from strangling the blue mutant. Flint looked at Archangel, who was now fuming silently. The rich mutant opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and backed off.
Cyclops shook his head at the scene. The man may have rolled his eyes as well, but Flint didn't notice. The warrant officer cast one more dark look at the departing Archangel before turning his attention back to more important things.
"And I thought Logan and I didn't get along," Scott Summers shrugged. He gave Flint an apologetic look. "It's not that I expect everyone to like each other…but I wish the two of you would at least learn to tolerate each other enough to work together." Flint gave a snort in reply. He'd be willing to work with Worthington if the man didn't have a stick shoved up his ass.
Besides, as far as they knew, Xamot still had hypnotic control over the man…which meant Flint trusted him even less. The X-Men had found and removed the nanomachines that were allowing the Crimson Guardsman to communicate with Archangel, but Professor Xavier hadn't yet managed to break the hold. The telepaths were apparently able to detect and remove a hypnotic suggestion, but they couldn't remove the actual link between Xamot and Archangel.
Flint had been of the belief that Tomax had possessed the more powerful mutation. However, if Charles Xavier wasn't able to remove Xamot's hold over Worthington, then the scarred twin's ability was more dangerous than he'd thought. The Joes were now concerned that Xamot may have infected others in GI Joe in the past, without any of them realizing it. For all they knew, the Corsican had members of Cobra under his control.
"Have you guys found our missing men yet?" Flint asked. He couldn't worry about Worthington or Xamot right now.
"The professor is in Cerebro at the moment, trying to locate them," Cyclops answered. "He knows that Beach Head and Short Fuze were upset about Hawk. So…"
"So… they might have gone after Zartan?" Flint finished. Cyclops nodded his head, causing the Joe to mutter a curse. He'd heard from Nick Fury that the ranger had been set on tracking down the Dreadnok and finishing the job. However, the SHIELD director had ordered Beach Head to settle down and finish his leave. If Sneeden had found a way to disobey an order, then….
Flint sighed. He disliked Wayne Sneeden, but he respected the man on a professional level. Beach Head was never reckless and he never disobeyed orders. This was out of the ordinary. The warrant officer, however, understood how angry the man was over Hawk's near death. He himself wanted to hunt Zartan down, but other duties came first.
"If the professor finds them," Flint said. "I can spare a few Joes to go on a search and 'drag their asses back' mission." And, of course, he was going to let Sneeden have it when he got back. The Joes had better ways to spend their manpower than chasing after a revenge seeking ranger and his companions.
"Understood," Scott Summers replied. "I'm already putting together a small team. Wolverine has insisted on going. Apparently he feels that he's the only one who can 'babysit' Gambit and the others." There was a small smirk on the man's face when he said that. Flint somehow doubted that Wolverine had phrased it exactly that way.
"Is that so?" Flint asked dryly. "I suppose I can send Storm Shadow along. He works well with Wolverine anyway and the Joes need to learn to how to work with both of them." Of course, the ninja was still recovering from some injuries, but the man claimed he was fine. Henry McCoy had also stated that the Arashikage ninja had recovered well with rest. That was good enough for Flint. He could send Snake Eyes, but he'd rather give Thomas Arashikage a trial run first.
Even though news of Storm Shadow's brainwashing was now common knowledge, that still didn't erase past memories of fighting against the ninja….not to mention memories of the soldiers he'd killed. Wolverine was still a stranger to most of the Joes, who only knew him through reputation. This would be a good 'training' mission for everyone involved. That, plus…Flint wouldn't lie, he had a satisfying image of the Canadian mutant and the ninja dragging a quartet of renegades back. Hopefully there would be some bruised egos and bodies involved.
Flint and Cyclops spent the next few minutes putting together the outlines of a mission while they waited for more information. When Charles Xavier finally informed them that he'd located the missing men in the Florida Everglades, the two men finished their planning. Twenty minutes later, Scarlett, Storm Shadow, and Low Light had joined them at the X-Mansion. Five minutes after that, the three Joes boarded the Blackbird with Wolverine, Psylocke, and Kitty Pryde.
The warrant officer rather hoped that Beach Head would come back with some bruises.
Florida Everglades
Beach Head crouched down in the swamp and closed his eyes. They were drawing nearer to the hideout. A hint of a fading memory flashed through his mind. It was Thrasher's memory of him plowing joyfully through the mud in his Thunder Machine. They were definitely at the right spot.
Ahead of them, looping around the opposite end of the compound, were Bishop and Short Fuze. Wayne didn't feel he had to worry about them working together. Both men had hot tempers, but they were also professional soldiers. The ranger didn't know much about Bishop's past, but he'd obviously had some kind of military training.
A soft 'flip' of a finger running through a deck of playing cards broke his concentration slightly. Gambit leaned casually against a tree trunk while he waited for the ranger to finish his empathic sweep.
"Don't worry, mon ami," the Cajun told him. "No one knows der way 'round a swamp like Gambit." Beach Head felt his lips twitch up slightly into a faint smirk.
"This ain't the bayou, Remy," the army ranger replied. "We're neck deep in Dreadnok territory." Gambit smiled charmingly and flipped through his playing cards again before pocketing them.
"Good 'ting I brought these, no?" the other man asked. "And since when do you call me 'Remy'?"
"Shut it, LeBeau," Wayne Sneeden barked. Gambit grinned cheekily and held a finger to his lips to hush him.
"Shh…dat's more like it, Grumpy Bear. Remy thought you was getting soft on him."
Beach Head hid a groan. The other man was infuriating as hell, but Wayne knew that he'd made a good decision with his choice of teams. Like it or not, he'd trained with Gambit enough to know how the other man fought. They could work well together, if necessary.
The two men spoke little after that, except in hushed whispers. The majority of Dreadnoks were idiots and Zartan was likely unconscious. However, that still left Zarana, Zandar, Buzzer, and Zartan's brat, Zanya. Zartan had likely invested in a good security system as well.
Wayne felt two men approach before he and Gambit heard them. The ranger held a hand up and both mutants froze. Gambit motioned at a clump of tangled bushes. Wasting no time, Beach Head ducked down behind the cover. He and Remy lay flat on the muddy ground and waited.
"….telling you, Thrasher, it's right strange it is. It's like the twins have gone bonkers, especially Xamot."
"I'm glad they've gone bonkers," Thrasher replied. He and Ripper walked obliviously through the swamp. Both Dreadnoks were munching on donuts. "Xamot at least took the stick out. Buzzer and Deadpool have actually gotten him to play poker with us a few times. He even asked me if he could see the new Thunder Machine."
"Yeah, I gotcha," the other Dreadnok replied. "And he and Weasel took apart Destro's engine. Me and Roadpig are wonderin' if we should buy 'em a beer for that. The new Xamot's a lot more fun. Tomax is still a prick though."
Beach Head and Gambit looked at each other. The ranger pondered what they should do. They could knock out the two men, which could potentially alert everyone to their presence. Then again, they were Dreadnoks and it would entirely be possible that they got drunk and passed out.
The Cajun mutant made a hand chopping motion with his hand and Wayne shook his head with a smirk. He had a better way, one that Jean Grey had taught him. Beach Head concentrated on the two Dreadnok minds, which were wonderfully simplistic. He inserted a couple of empathic suggestions.
Thrasher yawned suddenly and blinked his eyes. Ripper swayed unsteadily on his feet while he also cracked a yawn.
"Hey, Ripper, I'm feelin' ready for nap…" Thrasher fell on his face a moment later, fast asleep. There was a loud squelch as Ripper's body also hit the ground. After being certain that no one else was there, Beach Head and Gambit silently exited their hiding spot.
"Would have been more fun to hit dem," Gambit complained quietly. "Dat's okay though." The Cajun bent down and dragged Thrasher's body over to Ripper. The X-Man hummed softly to himself while he rearranged the slumbering Dreadnoks. Thrasher's head was placed on Ripper's chest, tucked just under his chin. The larger man's arms were placed around Thrasher so that they looked like two lovers taking a nap. Beach Head covered his mouth to muffle a sudden snort of laughter.
He'd been planning to ditch the men in the weeds, but this was better. Wayne telekinetically unzipped Ripper's pants and pulled them off. Catching on to the fun, Gambit cheerfully removed some of Thrasher's clothing. Beach Head levitated the clothing up into the trees, until they were well out of sight and reach. The Cajun snickered quietly and gave him a thumbs up sign.
"How long until they wake up?" Gambit whispered. Beach Head smirked back.
"About five hours or so. You don't happen to have a camera, do you?"
Gambit cheerfully produced a small camera from one of his pockets. The Cajun snapped a few pictures before the two men finally crept away. Wayne felt immensely pleased with himself. His mood improved when they finally found the Dreadnok compound. It was covered with camouflage, making it difficult to spot through the trees and from the air.
It was the Cajun who spotted the infrared perimeter beams. Despite Beach Head's long experience as a ranger and a Joe, he was only able to locate the security system after Remy showed him where it was. As much as Wayne might bitch about Gambit's past life as a crook, the man's skills were handy to have.
"Ohhh….."
Gambit's whispered intake of breath drew the ranger's attention. He turned his head slightly to see what the Cajun was staring at, which happened to be a trio of motorcycles. Remy's eyes were fixed longingly on one of the three.
Wayne wagged his finger at the other man and muttered a 'no.' The X-Man stubbornly shook his head in disagreement. In a mixture of bad sign language and lip reading, Gambit conveyed his intention to steal the bike.
"You already have a motorcycle," Beach Head mouthed, growing slightly annoyed at the delay. "You're not stealing it." He really wished that the X-Man wasn't immune to telepathy. It would make it so much easier to communicate silently.
"It's for you, dummy," Gambit replied back. The ranger gave him a dumbfounded look, especially when the Cajun went on to explain with typical Remy LeBeau logic. "Look, you're claustrophobic, which means driving in a car must be hell. A motorcycle isn't enclosed…plus you get to steal it from a Dreadnok. We'll probably need a getaway vehicle. What's de problem?"
"I….what?" the ranger whispered. He shook his head 'no' again, but Gambit continued to silently insist that they take the bike. Not wanting to delay any further, Beach Head finally caved and gave in. Besides, LeBeau had a point. They might need a getaway vehicle, plus there was a bit of satisfaction in stealing one of the Dreadnoks' bikes.
The ranger gave a start when the ground quaked suddenly underneath of him. It shook again before growing still. An eerie silence seemed to settle over the swamp, broken only by the cacophony of birds screeching and flying away.
Remy LeBeau and Wayne Sneeden crouched frozen in place for a long moment. They stared at each other a split second before scanning their surroundings. As far as either of them knew, Florida didn't have earthquakes. Either Bishop and Short Fuze had run into trouble, or something else had happened. Beach Head reached out with his mind and found that the other two mutants were just as surprised as they were.
Trees began to crunch in the distance and the sound gradually grew louder. More trees cracked and splintered, this time closer to their position. Time seemed to slow down when Beach Head saw something large and metallic gleam through the swampy forest. No, no, no….not now, not this…..
"SURRENDER, MUTANTS."
"Aw fucking hell, not again," Beach Head groaned. Sweat trickled down his neck as vivid memories of his first encounter with a sentinel came rushing back. Metallic fingers crushed against his body, as if he were just a twig. Large red eyes flashed at him. He couldn't breathe, everything was closing in.
Gambit cursed in French and slapped the ranger's face. Beach Head snapped out of it. He couldn't afford to freeze up, not now. Their lives both depended upon it. Zartan would have to wait. The ranger forced his heart rate to slow down. He ran through a simple breathing exercise that Snake Eyes had taught him.
"We're blown, mon ami," Gambit said quickly. "We've gotta fight or run…'n runnin' probably ain't an option." The ground thundered again and more trees snapped. Surprised shouting and slamming doors could be heard as the Dreadnok compound suddenly came on alert.
Beach Head and Gambit, however, paid no heed. When the first sentinel came crashing through the swamp, they were already on the move. Glowing cards flew from Gambit's hands while Beach Head telekinetically launched all of his grenades at it. The sentinel blew apart. However, it was already repairing itself when the second one arrived.
"What the fuck are sentinels doing here?" Someone shouted. "And who the hell are they?"
Wayne Sneeden ignored the Dreadnoks now running in their direction. He threw up a TK shield just as the second sentinel discharged its weapon at him. The shield crackled and Beach Head had to strain himself to keep it together. Gambit threw a card at the sentinel, but it exploded harmlessly a few feet away from the robot.
Shit, they had already adapted. The second sentinel had thrown up a shield to protect itself.
"We're in trouble," Gambit muttered. "Remy exploded one de last time by touching it, but he may not be able to get close enough dis time."
"We'll find a way," Beach Head promised. The two mutants dodged another energy blast. Wayne concentrated on feeding telekinetic energy to his muscles. He'd been working with Cable recently on using telekinesis to enhance his physical abilities. It was harder than the other man made it look, but the ranger was gradually getting the hang of it. He wasn't anywhere near Ed's level, but Beach Head was at least able to double his speed and strength.
A blast of bioenergy took out one of the sentinels. Beach Head didn't know how long that would last, but at least Bishop had joined in the fight. Short Fuze couldn't be far away. Sudden worry hit the ranger. Short Fuze didn't have any offensive powers. It was questionable if the man even had enough control over his precognition to evade attacks.
He could still send Short Fuze after Zartan, but then that would be sending one man against a compound of alert Dreadnoks. GI Joe or not, the man wasn't a ninja or a ranger. Bishop's ability to absorb energy was put to better use against the sentinels, but….
A weapons discharge knocked Beach Head back into the side of the Dreadnok compound. Stars danced in his eyes, but the ranger immediately got to his feet. He heard a couple of safeties click. Beach Head telekinetically ripped the semiautomatic rifles from Monkeywrench and Zanzibar's hands. In the moment he was distracted, a metallic rope coiled itself around him and lifted him up into the air.
Beach Head ignored a stab of panic. He'd gotten away from the sentinels the first time. He knew they could be destroyed, even if though they could repair themselves. It was just incredibly hard to do it.
The ranger snapped off the metallic coil and threw it as far away as he could with his mind.
"Short Fuze!"
Wayne didn't have to look to know that a sentinel had gotten the blonde haired Joes. Bishop's shouted warning and the Joe's flash of fear had been all that the ranger needed. Beach Head raced towards his fellow Joe. Bishop was already there, trying to destroy the sentinel without hurting the blonde mutant.
"Bishop!" Wayne bellowed. "Handle the other one. Gambit and Ah will help Short Fuze!" Bishop immediately jumped to obey. He attacked the second sentinel while the other two mutants ran to help the captured Joe.
Beach Head ripped open the sentinel's hand and pulled Short Fuze from its grasp. The moment he did so, Gambit threw a charged card at the sentinel. Like the last robot, this one also blocked the attack with an energy shield.
"Merde!" Gambit swore. "Remy needs someting bigger!" The Cajun scurried out of the way just before some sort of metal net hit him. The sentinel retracted the trap, which was crackling with energy. Wayne took a moment to examine Short Fuze while Bishop teamed up briefly with his fellow X-Man to handle the two robots,
The Joe was out cold. Beach Head reckoned that the sentinel had either knocked him unconscious or had used sleeping gas on him. Regardless, the man was out of the fight and was now an extra body to carry around.
A sudden scream and flash of terror jolted the ranger, causing him to look around for the source. One of the sentinels had an unknown Dreadnok in its clutches.
"Road Rash!"
The rest of the Dreadnoks suddenly erupted. Whereas they'd previously been content to let the robots take care of the Joes and X-Men, one of their own was suddenly threatened. Zarana called out uselessly for Thrasher and his Thunder Machine, not knowing that the man was still unconscious. Wayne briefly wondered if he and Ripper had been squashed by the sentinels.
Several Dreadnoks fired uselessly on the robot. Beach Head seriously debated not helping. After all, they were the enemy. A moment later, however, he reluctantly ripped the man away from the machine and deposited him near Zarana. Sentinels apparently didn't distinguish between Dreadnok mutants and other mutants, which somewhat surprised him. Wayne would have thought that Cobra would have prevented sentinels from going after their own people.
Whatever. He didn't have time to contemplate that at the moment. The ranger had his own people to worry about. To hell with Zartan, he'd get the bastard later.
"Bishop!" Wayne shouted. The dark skinned mutant spared him a glance while he was absorbing a sentinel's energy. Beach Head indicated the unconscious man in his arms.
"Get Short Fuze out of here!"
"But…"
"Do it!" the ranger snapped. Bishop was physically the strongest out of their small team. His powers also automatically absorbed and protected him from energy attacks, which meant the man was able to focus less attention on defense. Short Fuze would be the best protected with him.
Bishop instantly complied. Wayne did the best he could to help Gambit until the other X-Man took Short Fuze and draped the smaller man over his massive shoulders.
"Get out of here," the ranger ordered him. He knew that Bishop wanted to argue with him and on some level, Beach Head agreed with him. They would sorely miss the man's powers, but as the team leader, it was up to him to make sure that at least one or two of them escaped. If he and Remy could distract the sentinels long enough, that should provide enough time for the other two to escape….provided no other robots showed up.
Gambit rolled out of the way to escape a sentinel, but part of his trench coat became trapped under the robot's foot. The Cajun wriggled out of the coat and charged it with his powers on the way out. Wayne mentally pulled the man his way with a hard jerk. He threw up a shield around the two of them just before the coat exploded and took off one leg of the sentinel.
"Fuck," the ranger muttered. Gambit rolled to his feet, clutching a banana in his hand. The X-Man must have saved it from breakfast that morning. The Cajun raised the fruit to charge it.
Beach Head had no idea why he yelled it. However, years of poverty had made him against wasting food. The sight of Remy about to charge and throw away a perfectly good piece of fruit hit a hidden soft spot.
"No!" Wayne yelled. "Not the banana!" Remy stared at him as if he'd grown two heads and a set of horns.
"What the dang heck are you yellin' about?" Remy asked. "Ah'm out of cards and de weren't workin' anyway! What de hell am Ah suppose t'throw? It's us or de banana!" The Cajun threw the fruit at the sentinel's feet. The ground exploded, causing the machine to topple over onto the ground.
"Mon Dieu, you're weird," Gambit groaned while Beach Head telekinetically tugged off the sentinel's head and launched it at the other one. "Want to hold a funeral for poor, Monsieur Banana?" the Cajun continued. "We can have Kurt do de last rites."
"Shut up, just shut up," Wayne growled. However, despite the situation they were in, the Cajun mutant wasn't done mocking him.
"No!" Remy screamed suddenly, waving his arms dramatically. "Not de banana!"
Wayne suddenly realized that Gambit was never going to let him live that down.
A large boom blew a hole through part of the compound. The second sentinel was now going after a retreating Bishop and Short Fuze. The mutant Dreadnok was tagging along with the other two, apparently having decided that there was safety in numbers. Judging from the lack of attacks, the other mutant apparently didn't have any offensive capabilities either.
"Think we'll be lucky and have the sentinels take out Zartan for us?" Gambit asked, starting to breathe heavily. The Cajun's stamina had increased since he'd begun training with Beach Head, but the fight was starting to wear both men out.
"Ah doubt it," Beach Head replied. "But we can hope."
They needed a plan. The ranger knew that he and Gambit couldn't hold on for much longer. A light bulb clicked in his head. Wayne tugged on the other man and pointed to the motorcycles that he'd been admiring before.
"You still want to steal one?" he asked. Gambit perked up slightly before growing cynical.
"We can't outrun a sentinel in that, especially not in a swamp," the Cajun pointed out. Beach Head gave him a humorless smirk.
"Ah only said steal, not outrun. Didn't you say you needed a bigger explosion?"
He and Gambit quickly made their way over to the motorcycles, which were still untouched by the battle exploding around them. They had to knock out a couple of Dreadnoks on the way. None of them seem to have realized that two of the intruders were Joes, which was probably for the best. Since none of them had ever seen Beach Head without his mask, the biker gang seemed to be running on the assumption that they were all X-Men.
Remy got behind the wheel of the motorcycle. The ranger didn't argue, as the man was more experienced. Beach Head climbed on behind Gambit and held on. He levitated the other two motorcycles and launched them at the sentinels. While he did that, the Cajun revved the engine and zoomed away from the compound.
"Gonna try to build up speed first," Remy grunted. "Do more damage that way." Wayne didn't argue. He instead concentrated on covering them with a protective shield. While the X-Man pushed the motorcycle as fast he could navigate it, the ranger heard Zandar screaming bloody murder in the background.
"My bike!"
The shield crackled around them when a sentinel managed to clip them with a blast, but it didn't break. Sweat poured down Wayne's face as he held on to Remy. He mentally strained to hold the shield together. The ranger didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep it up.
"Get ready!" Gambit shouted. The X-Man zoomed between the legs of one sentinel and headed towards the one attacking their teammates. The Cajun reached out and brushed the side of the sentinel with his fingers, sending a charge of energy through it. Beach Head closed his eyes as he concentrated. The speedometer was on maximum while Gambit struggled to put as much distance between them as the machine as he could.
It was as if a large bomb went off. The heat of the blast pushed the motorcycle forward. Beach Head's shield fizzled as the heat seeped through. He tightened his grip on Gambit and willed the shield to stay together. It did, but just barely.
"Hang on!" the driver shouted, but his voice was largely lost in the wind. The motorcycle zipped around the burnt out remains of trees, sending mud splashing everywhere. It hit a patch of dry ground and picked up speed. Wayne cracked open an eye to see a small ramp just ahead, which the Dreadnoks probably used for their amusement. Catching wind of the Cajun's plan, Beach Head braced himself and waited.
The engine began to sputter as it began to overheat. Gambit continued to push it and drove it up the ramp. Seconds later, they were airborne and heading towards the remaining sentinel. Knowing that his part of the plan had come, Beach Head dropped the shield. He grabbed Remy and jerked the two of them off the motorcycle. As he pulled them off, the other man charged the motorcycle and turned it into a flying bomb.
Beach Head gave it a telekinetic nudge towards the sentinel. A massive explosion erupted when it hit the robot, causing chunks of machine and dirt to blow over the swamp. Wayne and Remy hit the ground hard. Shrapnel pelted down on the two men before the ranger was able to throw up a weak shield. The shield lasted a mere few seconds before finally breaking. The dazed and fatigued Beach Head wasn't able to put up another one.
The two men lay on the ground, panting. Neither of them were able to move for several minutes. Stars danced in Beach Head's eyes as he struggled to breathe. He blinked his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision, but all he saw was a fiery haze. The whole world seemed to be on fire.
"Shoulder's…dislocated…" Gambit grunted. "Tink Ah've got a broken rib too." Judging from the way the other man was wheezing, the ranger believed him. Wayne's own head throbbed when he finally struggled to get up. He himself probably had a concussion.
Something heavy landed on the two men. Before the ranger could comprehend what it was, a jolt of electricity ran through him. Wayne felt his body contort and his mind went blank from the pain. He barely detected the greenish mist that had also descended upon him.
Everything went black after that.
Bishop groaned slightly after the second explosion rocked the swamp. He rubbed his head when he sat up and looked around. Huge chunks had been blown out of the ground. The Dreadnok compound was largely destroyed, except for what looked to be a bunker underneath of it. Bodies of dead Dreadnoks, caught in the two blasts, littered the area. As the mutant watched, the roof of the hidden bunker opened. Two helicopters lifted out of the bunker and drifted high up into the sky. Other Dreadnoks who had survived also began to beat a hasty retreat.
The X-Man ignored them for the moment while he looked around. The first sentinel that had exploded looked as if it were down for the count. The second, however, was already starting to repair itself. Bishop sincerely hoped that Gambit and Beach Head had survived.
A soft groan drew his attention. Bishop looked down to see that Short Fuze was starting to stir. The larger man had thrown himself over the Joe once the first sentinel exploded. His body had largely absorbed the discharged energy from the two sentinels, but he still had some bruising.
The dark skinned mutant picked up Short Fuze. Beach Head had ordered him to get the smaller man out of there. Bishop hesitated slightly. He spotted two figures lying motionlessly a good distance away while the second sentinel was repairing itself. If he was going to escape with Short Fuze, now was the best time. However, Bishop had been taught to never leave a man behind. They could escape now, but then that left Beach Head and Gambit to the mercy of the surviving sentinel.
Bishop wavered. He could almost hear the irate army ranger bellowing in his ears, telling him to get his ass in gear.
"God fucking dammit," Lucas Bishop swore. He cast one more look back at the sentinel, which was about a quarter repaired. He sent one more blast of energy at it and scattered it again. That should buy the other two some more time. Making his decision, the X-Man picked up Short Fuze and raced towards the departing Dreadnok vehicles. Hitching a ride was his best option at the moment if they were to escape. Their borrowed X-Men jet was too far away.
The mutant first tried the remains of the Dreadnok compound, hoping to find a useable vehicle. Bishop found an armored Humvee that only looked slightly damaged. He threw Short Fuze inside and set about trying to figure out how to start the damned machine. A screech of metal told him that the surviving sentinel was repairing itself again. If he blew it up again before it repaired fully itself, perhaps that would give him enough time to grab Beach Head and Gambit as well.
A jolt of pain lanced up through his chest. Bishop looked down to see a crossbow bolt sticking through his torso. He whipped around to find his attacker, but the hidden Zandar was faster. The pink haired Dreadnok struck his head with a metal pipe. The dazed Bishop attempted to lash out, but the other man nimbly avoided him. A couple of fingers struck a pressure point in his neck.
Bishop coughed and felt his eyes water. The Dreadnok struck him again, this time hitting a different pressure point. The X-Man finally lost consciousness.
Zandar looked down at the large mutant. He calmly debated leaving the two mutants for the sentinels. After a moment, however, he dragged Bishop into the Humvee and shut the door. His brother and sister had nearly been killed by the explosion and his motorcycle had been used as a bomb. The quiet Dreadnok figured that he was due some reimbursement from Cobra.
He stepped on the gas and navigated the armored vehicle away from the devastated compound. In the rear view mirror, Zandar watched as a nearly repaired sentinel dropped an electrified net over the other two mutants. The machine blew a greenish gas out of its other hand at them. Faint screams of pain reached his ears, followed by silence. Using the distraction, the Dreadnok stepped on the gas.
The surviving sentinel didn't follow him and his mutant captives. Apparently satisfied with its catch, the machine rose into the air and blasted off into the sky.
Author's note: A couple of thanks are in order. Willwriteforfics helped me with the Clutch/Forge scene. One bit of dialogue I used was actually her suggestion, which was: "Could it boost the performance of a multi-fuel Cat in one of our VAMPs?" Clutch asked. "Those Cat engines are great, but better on power than performance, you know what I mean?"
Also, TinySprite suggested the name of Road Rash when I needed a name for an OC fodder Dreadnok.
I was going to include a scene from the Dreadnok POV this chapter, but it seemed like it would disrupt the flow a bit. I've decided to move a modified version of it to the next chapter. I also apologize for the lateness of this update.