CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Old Friends Settle Old Scores

"You want me to what?"

A few days passed since Snake Eyes and Thalia fled the G. I. Joe base, escaping death by friendly fire as the President ordered the organization's violent termination. Sporting a close cut mop of dark blue hair, Thalia had been lounging on one of the beds when Snake Eyes walked over and handed her a couple of bags and a roll of bills with the request of her leaving the motel and crossing the street for groceries. From what Thalia knew, they were still in Arizona camped out in a small town just off the highway; a look outside the window showed a small diner, a gas station, and a 7-11.

Thalia reached up and rubbed a burn mark just below her ear, glancing down at digital clock beside the bed and spying her reflection. Snake Eyes stood at the foot of the bed in a T-shirt and sweat pants, Thalia convinced him earlier to remove the hat, but he seemed anxious for cover. Frowning, she lifted a finger and pointed at her face and the dark marks descending below the neckline of her shirt.

"I can't go out, everyone's going to stare at me," she argued with a glare.

"And they wouldn't stare at me?" to accentuate his point, Snake Eyes tucked his finger behind the black surgical mask to rub his nose.

Thalia threw up her hands and slid off the bed, stalking towards the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind her. Pacing on the cool floor, she let out an aggravated scream and opened the door again, nearly bumping into Snake Eyes as she planted herself on the bed and pulled on her shoes. Avoiding him again, she grabbed a thin sweater from the closet and retrieved Snake Eyes's brown scarf, tying it around the lower half of her face. She held out her hands for the bags and cash, catching sight of a list, before stomping towards the door. As her hand fell over the doorknob, Snake Eyes pressed himself to her back and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Don't touch me, I'm not happy with you."

A definite chuckle escaped his lips and Thalia left the motel. Warm air blasted her face, she picked at the scar over her nose and took a deep breath. Their room was on the second level, so she turned towards the stairs and saw her first hurdle. A man came out of the room in front of the stairs with a cart full of fresh towels and cleaning supplies; he saw her and started coming towards her. Thalia could've died but she put on a pleasant look and ambled over to meet him.

"Good morning." She said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Morning to you too, I'm glad you're awake." The man replied in a slightly accented voice.

"Oh?" she wondered, staring absently at the stacks of fresh towels.

"You were unconscious when Shizu brought you in, and this is my first time actually seeing you up and about." He folded his arms over his chest and gave her a smile that made her more uneasy than relieved.

Of course, it didn't help that his eyes seemed uncannily red. Or that he almost seemed to pick up on that thought, causing him to push back his thick black hair from his face so she could get a better look.

"All natural, darling." He said confidently, Thalia could only smile awkwardly. "I take it he's sent you out for food?"

"Yeah, uh, Shizu doesn't feel up to it." She said carefully as he turned the cart around, and followed him to the elevator. "Um…you two know each other well then?"

The man glanced down at her and nodded, eyeing the elevator as another couple stepped out of it. They toddled over and the man kindly directed them to their room before guiding the cart into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he turned and held out his hand.

"In these parts, my name is Dren. If you guys get in any trouble, call me Erebus."

After picking up all the items on Snake Eyes's list, Dren offered to treat Thalia to lunch at the local diner. He sent Snake Eyes a quick text letting him know about the arrangement, and the ninja vaguely answered that he'd be over soon. In the meantime, Dren and Thalia took a seat by the window, sipping on water and lemonade respectively. Thalia felt so much better after finding out Dren and Snake Eyes were old friends, and after the waitress delivered their food she wanted to press him a little more. The diner was mostly empty save for a few elderly couples at the back of the establishment, she glanced at Dren.

"So…you guys worked at the same place?"

Dren raised an eyebrow. "That place? No, Japan was our playground. We had mutual acquaintances there and did odd jobs."

It was Thalia's turn to raise an eyebrow and she chewed on the end of her straw thoughtfully, wondering if Dren was also an Arashikage ninja but he didn't seem so. Shrugging, she pushed that thought aside – what did she know about ninja anyway?

"What about you? Can't say Shizu mentioned anyone fitting your…particular appearance?" he was smiling again in that weirdly off-putting way, it made Thalia think of a line in one of Shakespeare's plays: "Look like the innocent flower/ But be the serpent under't."

Thalia swallowed. "He got wasted one night and crashed at my place, I haven't been able to get rid of him since."

Dren's smile turned pitying and he scanned the road outside, frowning instantly. Thalia followed his gaze as the roar of several motorcycles rumbled past them; Dren abruptly slid out of his seat and hunkered down beside her, forcing her up near the window. The row of bikes rolled into the parking lot and a large group of tattooed, muscle-bound thugs strode into the diner. They started chatting up the head waitress with sick grins and judging by the sudden paleness of her skin, Thalia guessed these guys weren't friendly, let alone welcomed.

"Quit staring," Dren hissed, pinching her thigh. "Just keep eating."

"But who are they?" another waitress shuffled over and guided the men around three of the larger tables, watching muting as the pushed the table together.

"Devil Arms, small time thugs but they've been building up their crew in the last couple of months. This town is almost like HQ, they have full reign here and outsiders aren't exactly welcomed." He explained in a harsh whisper, placing an arm around her shoulder. He reiterated the need for her to remain as unnoticeable as possible, but with her new hairdo that was going to be very difficult. Dren promised they could escape out the backdoor quickly enough because he knew the owners well. The bikers ordered a round of beers, anyone who was finished their meal discreetly left the diner while the others tried shrinking into their seats.

Thalia was almost done her meal, and Dren just finished texting Snake Eyes when one man looked over in their direction. Thalia swallowed thickly and looked down, she couldn't catch what Dren did but whatever it was got the attention off. The next second, Dren's phone buzzed and in the great silence of the restaurant, it sounded like a fucking car alarm. Dren cursed and leaned back in his seat, putting on an air of confidence as one burly man came sauntering over.

"Afternoon," the biker said in a Southern drawl.

Dren tipped his head and Thalia offered a grimace.

"That's some lovely arm candy, D. What happened to the other one?"

Thalia didn't need to look up at Dren to see how angry he was. The arm around her shoulders clenched and shook, and the biker laughed.

"Look at me, forgetting something like that. I remember now, she died about two years ago right? Sweet thing, let's see if I remember her name…"

The door to the diner opened again, there was a quiet murmur in the air and Thalia pushed her plate away. She peered at Dren's phone as it buzzed again, reminding them of an unread text, and Thalia reached out for it. The biker grabbed onto her wrist.

"I don't think you want to do that, babe." She looked up at him and opened her mouth, biting down on her tongue when Dren pinched her leg again. The biker smiled and released Thalia's arm, Dren was stiff as a board as a loud thump! drew the other man's attention. Standing in the midst of a pile of bodies, was Snake Eyes. Dren let out a tiny laugh and the biker turned to glare, the dark-haired man then lifted himself out of his seat and kicked both his feet into the biker's face. He moved aside so Thalia could get out and she jogged over towards Snake Eyes, Dren followed behind rather sheepishly and grinned.

"You know there's more of them, right?"

"That's never stopped us before, one got away."

"I'll get everyone out, what about her?" Dren looked over at Thalia.

"What? What did you do?"

Snake Eyes rolled his eyes as Dren disappeared into the kitchen, they could hear him yelling for everyone to get out.

"Erebus and I have a history –"

"He alluded to that."

Snake Eyes sighed and took Thalia's arm, leading her into the kitchen as Dren examined a few of the kitchen knives, he tossed one towards Snake Eyes as he tied back his hair. Snake Eyes gave his friend a tired look and pulled off his jacket, putting it around Thalia's shoulders and cracking his knuckles.

"I owe Erebus a debt," he signed vaguely. "In return for a place to lie low, we're going to settle an old score."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Won't this, I don't know, blow our cover?"

"These guys are relatively harmless, nothing like Cobra." Dren assured her. "Besides, the two of us are very good at disappearing."

Snake Eyes made another funny face before they locked down the building, leaving only the front door open. They shut off the lights and pulled the blinds over the windows. Thalia stayed hidden inside the kitchen, peering out of the small window at the vague shadows of Snake Eyes and Erebus. The codename became that much more poignant as Erebus was a son of the first god Chaos, in Greek mythology, and considered darkness incarnate.

Thalia sighed and stepped back from the window, crouching down under a sink and waiting. A muffled revving came from somewhere outside, a loud crash followed –

Snake Eyes knelt near one of the booths by the window as Erebus crouched behind the bar. The ninja knew how important this take down would be but still had his reservations; Erebus was skilled but volatile, especially when it came down to matters of the heart. Two years had passed since his young wife was gunned down by the Devil Arms gang, Snake Eyes learned later that she was also carrying their child at the time. He'd never properly met her as Erebus moved her around a fair bit to protect her from all the enemies he was very good at making. Still, this was at least one chapter Erebus could close and Snake Eyes would see it done.

When the first biker crashed through the window, Snake Eyes knew Erebus had vaulted over the bar and sent a fist into the man's face. The biker collided hard into a table, dead before his body hit the ground. A second man came flying through the front door on a motorcycle, Snake Eyes surged out from his hiding place and drove the kitchen knife into the neck of the biker, twisting it around and pulling the man off the vehicle. Together, Erebus and Snake Eyes tossed the bikes outside, fading into the shadows as enemies poured into the darkened space. Whatever happened next was not spontaneous by any means, only instinct as the two men danced around their foes as silent as fog moving over water. Never a ripple, never a sound.

Snake Eyes ducked low under a blind punch and rammed his fist under the jaw of a biker, lashing out with his feet as two others tried to corner him. Erebus was a series of primal snarls, bucking off attackers and then dashing between them. Spurts of blood flew out in all directions, Snake Eyes wondered briefly why Erebus hadn't shared his weapons. In the few spots of sunlight within the diner, Snake Eyes could see bodies splayed out against tables, a pile slumped over in front of the bar and he went rigid as the door to the kitchen swung freely. He dropped the man he'd been choking and moved into the kitchen, grabbing a knife from the rack and throwing it into the back of a big man.

It didn't seem to puncture and the man turned around very slowly. Snake Eyes recognized this one as the leader of the Devil Arms, going by the name of Devin.

"I don't know you," Devin said slowly. "And I know that fucker in the front doesn't roll with anybody, so what's your deal? A hitman, maybe? Whatever he's paying you is shit, boy, and ain't worth what's gunna happen next."

Snake Eyes rolled his eyes, he knew someone was behind him and moments later, Devin likely wished to take back what he said as Erebus slid into the room and promptly killed the other guy.

"Alright, tough guy," Devin drawled. "What whore did I kill to get you so pissed off, eh? You gunna kill me now to make yourself feel better? You gunna torture me? I've heard it all. I admit you and the mute did a bang up job out there but I'm a different story."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Erebus sneered and he lifted his hands up. Two coils of wire dangled off each hand, two spiked balls hung off each cord.

Snake Eyes frowned behind his mask.

"Wait till we're out."

"Check the fridge."

Snake Eyes nodded and left Erebus, moving over to the large fridge and peering inside. Thalia sat on a small container with a butcher's knife in her hands. She didn't appear afraid but she certainly wasn't coherent. He bent down and shook her lightly, exhaling when she grimaced up at him. He pulled the hood of his jacket over her head and led her out the kitchen, out the backdoor. Moments later, there was a loud scream.

"Sorry for all the damage, Bill." Dren said rather lamely, clasping his hands behind his back just as Snake Eyes passed him a wet towel.

"It's…It's OK. I think you've cut back a little, only one window is busted up and the chairs can be replaced."

"I'll help cleanup, really."

Snake Eyes watched Dren discreetly toss his soiled towel into the trash and lead Bill back into the diner. With Thalia teetering at his side, he looked up at her and gently pulled her onto one of the bikes beside him.

"What about the bodies?" she whispered.

"Taken care of."

"How, exactly?" Snake Eyes gave her look. "OK, maybe I don't want to know that."

Snake Eyes sighed, scanning the crowd of people gathered outside. They looked over at Snake Eyes curiously, murmuring behind their hands and the ninja rolled his shoulders.

"You weren't hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"You're certainly grumpy." Thalia got off her bike and slid in behind him, massaging his shoulders. A very quiet moan came from the man and she giggled, immediately getting up and walking back towards the motel. Snake Eyes rolled his eyes and started after her, tapping her shoulder and turning her around.

"Weren't our groceries in there?"

Thalia gasped. "I didn't even think about it, shit."

Snake Eyes merely laughed, like, actually laughed. Thalia raised an eyebrow as Dren exited the diner with containers of extra food. He held them up in the air and grinned like a little kid, eyes closed and teeth gleaming.

"I think we'll be fine."

Hello to my new readers :) and hello to the newest addition of the plot, Erebus/Dren.

If you've read MustangLover97's Caged 2: Ghost Runner, this is the same character (I've also got two oneshots in regards to that fic). This version is younger than the one I let MustangLover97 use though, and his personality's a touch different for this story's purposes.

And yes, Theresa is now Thalia James, in case some get confused.

Here's hoping you enjoyed the chapter!