Chapter Eighteen: Turned Traitor
Avery awoke in the morning when Snake Eyes moved her from him so that he could get out of the bed and return to his own room. He needed to shower and change before his morning class began. Once the door closed behind him Avery stumbled over to it and turned the lock. She took several slow and deep breaths because she felt nauseous. When she realized it was futile she ran to her bathroom and turned the faucet on as she violently vomited into the porcelain toilet.
It didn't take long for her stomach to settle and when it did she knew it was just left over unease from the other night. Still she shoved the thermometer under her tongue as she went over to her duffle bag and found clean clothes. just as she turned on the water and plugged the tub the thermometer beeped and taking it out she rolled her eyes. 98.9 now, better than last night but not even close to her ideal temperature. She needed to take it easy today and tomorrow.
From below her sink she drew out bubble bath and pour it in. Sure she was an adult but she enjoyed soaking until they were all gone. Then she pulled out her med kit again. due to her having knowledge in medicine hers was immensely more stocked than any normal or sane person would keep there's. Gel's and ointments for every ailment (including ones strictly for males and others for females), multiple stitching needles of various sizes along with syringes, there was a staple gun and a remover, stitches of different types. She could have been a hospital all on her own with the multitude of tools and medicines she had. But it was one specific tool she wanted now.
Taking out a gloves she pulled them on before getting syringe and needle ready. Then she dropped her pants and sat on the toilet. Looking closely at the wound she made a face. Pus had began to refill. She felt the urge to vomit again but knew that she needed to do this. The needle effortlessly entered her skin and she pulled back n the plunger and watched and the greenish yellow liquid filled the barrel. Then when it seemed only to be red blood left she removed the needle, put a cap in it, and set it to the side to dispose of after she cleaned up. Taking the gloves off she pulled on a new pair then grabbed another syringe and needle and a vial. Sticking the needle into the vial she made sure to take only two milliliters. After making sure there was no air in the barrel she stuck herself on her shoulder with the vaccine.
Once she took care of that needle too she finished undressing and got into the tub to relax. She hadn't been in there for a minute when the bathroom door flew open. She squeaked and raised her hands to show she wasn't going to fight. "Out, into the room." Reaching to the back of the toilet she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her as she stood. The man lead her to the room and when she passed her still open first aid kit she grabbed a scalpel that was on top.
"Well, well, well." A sickeningly familiar voice said, "this time you can't say no, now can you?" When Webster reached in front of her she watched him intently with a sneer on her face. He just smirked at her and reached for her towel, that's when she attacked. Her right hand swiped at him and he had lifted his own right hand to protect his face. But the force and deadly precision she had wielded her instrument with left his fingers bleeding profusely. The scalpel had sliced through the skin and muscle and for the pointer and middle fingers the ligaments too while slicing to the bone on the ring and pinkie.
He screamed in pain as his fingers dangled from his hand and the skin hung loosely from the other two. Grabbing his damaged hand and holding tightly with his good hand he ordered the Viper to kill her as he ran from the room. Avery threw the scalpel and hit her mark, his carotid artery began bleeding freely when he reached up and pulled the medical tool from it.
Not even ten seconds later his legs gave out then when the time hit the twenty second mark his body slumped. When she reached him the thirty second mark hit and his eyes rolled back. Taking the scalpel from his relaxed hand the forty second mark hit. Standing back up and turning around the forty-five second mark hit. After wiping the scalpel on the towel the fifty second mark hit and he was dead.
She dropped her towel and pulled on a pair of pants and a sports bra. Her feet slipped into her boots and she took off out of her room, medic bag over her shoulder with a scalpel in her left hand and a gun in her right. Just as she exited her room a Viper stood in front of her only to have a bullet fly into one side of his head and burst out the other. Looking to the right, where the shot came from, she saw Snake Eyes. he was dressed for battle and the dark visor of his gave a brief nod at her.
He saw her hand swing out and something fly his way. He leaned back just as her scalpel passed inches in front of him where his head had been. Looking behind him the man fell dead clutching at his throat. Snake Eyes took the tool from the mans throat and a shiver ran through him. He never did like going to the doctors.
He handed her the scalpel back and together they got ready to fight off more if they so happened to cross paths. The Vipers they did encounter all ended up the same way; dead. Together Snake Eyes and Avery formed an impenetrable team. Viper after viper they fought off, until a certain enemy showed up. Storm Shadow. His white clothes like a beacon against a dark sky. In the dreary colored base with the dark clad people and enemies he was a single entity that really stood out.
And like moths are drawn to a light, Snake Eyes was drawn to him. He focused solely on his rival. Though if it benefitted Storm Shadow then they could be allies, but it seems that during this attack they were opposing forces. Snake Eyes raced to Storm Shadow and barely managed to save a Joe. It seemed that through the mask they made eye contact and then their battle began.
Avery on the other hand was left to deal with multiple Vipers at once. Silently she cursed Snake Eyes for taking off without any sort of warning. She had only realized he had left when a weapon cut her shoulder blade. It was a small cut, a paper cut was worse, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that she knew she had her back and her back alone from now on. In any future fights she would cover both her front and back even if she had a partner covering her. Of course she would cover them too though.
She held no blame for Snake Eyes, honestly. The only thing on her mind now, beside relief that the moment her back had been open she hadn't been killed, was the battle. Seeing that she was getting closer and closer to a Joe she didn't know she kept track of him and they met back to back. Her four eleven was nothing compared to his six five or so. She was really getting tired of the tall people around here.
Her and the man shared a quick glance and then went back to fighting. though he had her back she still kept a close eye. As a viper jumped the guy in front of her she spun around so that they fell to the floor and she put a bullet in the guy's head. Having seen the attack coming she braced herself for the slice of the knife that caught her shirt. A thin line of red formed across her abdomen but she just fired the gun at him and dodged another guy.
The Joe she had saved fired at someone that had been trying to sneak up behind her and returned the favor of saving her. Once again they stood back to back but it seemed with his last shot the enemy had been defeated. No more attacked them but something tickled at avery's mind, "Above us!" She cried and they rolled away from each other just as a viper with a sword landed where they had been.
He ran off though and didn't attempt another attack. The two was instantly back to back again and they watched for anymore of Cobra's team. When they were sure no more they relaxed. "Thanks for that," he said and held his hand out for her, "they call me Roadblock."
"No problem," Avery said and took his hand, "I'm-" she hesitated. Grunts like her didn't have code names like them. but she wasn't a grunt anymore, "Avery. Alpha Teams medic." He looked at her slightly shocked and confused.
"When did we get a medic?" He asked her and she just shrugged, nearly as confused as he was. He gave a short laugh; he liked this medic that was supposedly part of Alpha Team now, "come on, we'd better regroup." He threw an arm over her shoulders and dragged her along even though he cold feel her trying to resist. His forcing her made her stumble a few times before she gave up and just concentrated on trying to keep up with him. One of his long strides were almost three of her own steps.
Snake Eyes landed in front of them and Roadblock stopped short. The only thing that had kept Avery from running into Snake Eyes, literally, was the arm that was still holding her. Snake Eyes gave a short nod to Roadblock before he grabbed Avery and held her close.
Returning the hug Avery allowed her shoulders to relax and sighed. She had been worried about him the entire time. Though that worry had been at the back of her mind due to the fight. "Now what is this?" Roadblock taunted. Avery couldn't see the hand Snake Eyes removed from her back but the single second it took for the large man to laugh she had guessed Snake Eyes had given him a single finger salute.
Pulling back from Snake Eyes she looked him over. He was no worse for the wear so she gave him a short nod and excused herself. She was a medic and this was a battle field. Not everyone could have made it through the fight as well and him and Roadblock. Even she had some battle damage. Speaking of herself she rested a hand against her forehead and she was sure her temp had risen again.
"How you doing, Duke?" She asked as Duke held a hand to his bicep. he whined at her pathetically, joking with her as his friend. She rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh as she puled his sleeve out of the way. A tiny trickle of blood leaked from the paper cut. It really was a paper cut sized injury and she slapped it. He yelled at her in shock and discomfort, "man up," she chastised, "it's a freaking paper cut."
"Yeah, well, those are the most painful injuries." From her bag she withdrew a small bandaid. She opened it and put it on. Then, for good measure, she slapped it. "Son of a bitch!" he hollered at her and she stood up and walked to another injured soldier.
Duke rubbed his arm, it hurt more now than it did before. But he learned not to joke about having n injury with her. He knew that had it been serious she would have joked back and been carful but it wasn't so she joked back violently. "Did little Dukey-wokey get a boo boo?" Someone called out to him and looking up he smiled.
"Roadblock, my man, when did you get back? Is Flint and Lady Jaye here too?" he greeted his friend and they locked hands before bumping shoulders.
"Yeah, soon as we landed they attacked. What happened here?"
"That's what I would like to know." General Hawk said with a grim look on his face. One of his eyes were turning a nasty purple color. Flanking him was Sargent Stone and the mechanic known as Cover Girl. The six of them left the large room to go to a more private location and speak of this. There had been no sign of Cobra attacking. Nothing had led to any clue as to why either. Hawk currently had Breaker going over footage of the base to see if he could figure anything out.
Other than that there was nothing they could do but wait for the techie it seemed. Their wait wasn't long. Five minutes later, ten at most, Breaker came in. "Remember back when Avery first joined Alpha Team how her commanding officer had tried to pull the silk under our feet?" Duke let his head fall to his hand and mumbled 'wool over our eyes', "well he was here. I saw him entering Avery's room this morning right after," only Snake Eyes saw Breakers eyes flash to him, "after she woke. Five minutes later he was fleeing clutching a bleeding hand then the attack started."
"Son of gun turned traitor?" Duke asked looking at Breaker who nodded.