Acupuncture, Small Talk, and Sneakiness

Disclaimer: Same as before. The character of Commander Mick Brumby from the JAG franchise isn't mine.

The Pit, Ninja Dojo
Conrad Hart, Caitlin Todd, and Todd Tolansky
1 March 2002, 0933

"Where did you go?" Kate asked Conrad as they walked up to the Ninja dojo.

"They say confession is good for the soul," Conrad replied evenly.

"It is a sacrament," Kate replied, regarding Conrad with a knowing look.

"This hasn't been an easy case for me," Conrad replied.

"Todd's story hit a nerve for you, I know," Kate replied, a lump in her throat, "It did for me too."

"In any case I still haven't a single compunction towards killing Mystique if I ever run across that shape changing, blue skinned sociopath," Conrad said as they approached the dojo's front steps.

"Conrad, listen," Kate replied, "I agree Mystique did a horrible thing to Todd but killing her is playing with beyond the pale territory."

"I believe, mademoiselle, agreeing to disagree is the best course of action," Conrad replied.

"No argument here," Kate replied, "I know it's kind of a weird way to look at it, but Mystique and Magneto unwittingly did Todd a service."

"Because if they hadn't done what they did he wouldn't have found his way here," Conrad replied. It still doesn't change the fact that I'd kill either of them for what they did to Todd. And speak of the devil.

Conrad and Kate both spotted Todd lying in the shade of a tree, napping lightly in the morning sun. The boy hastily scrambled to his feet when he heard their footsteps.

"Sorry about that," Kate replied, "we didn't mean to startle you."

"I know that," Todd said awkwardly, dragging his right foot in an arc along the grass in front of him, back and forth.

"On a break?" Conrad asked.

"Well, actually, y'know I was supposed to be meditating but I kinda fell asleep…" Todd half muttered.

"We won't tell Stormshadow," Kate replied with a smile.

Despite himself Conrad couldn't help but smile himself. Note to self, let Kate take the lead in interactions involving Todd for the time being. She's a natural with kids.

"How's your training going?" Kate asked.

"It's hard and intense. And Stormshadow has high standards. But at least he doesn't hit me or anything if I make a mistake," Todd replied glumly, "Like Magneto or Mystique did."

Conrad blinked briefly, glancing over at Todd. The boy still showed some signs of tiredness, as if he hadn't slept well. Given the nightmares he's had, it's pretty obvious.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Todd asked.

"Sure," Conrad replied.

"Can you guys not tell Althea about what I'm going through right now...it...it's kinda personal and…" Todd sniffled slightly.

"Think nothing of it," Conrad replied.

"Todd," Stormshadow said as he stepped out of the dojo, "We're ready for you now. Agent Todd, Agent Hart, we'll see you in a few minutes."

Todd hopped a couple steps towards the dojo's entrance before standing upright and walking inside.

"So now what?" Conrad asked.

"I guess we wait outside," Kate replied before turning her head, glancing over Conrad's right shoulder. Conrad turned as well, as he heard the sound of a car approaching. Both agents saw a beige government Ford sedan stopping in the gravel parking lot across the road from the dojo.

After the car parked a man stepped out of the vehicle. He was a tall, lanky fellow, wearing a white hat with a sheaf of papers under his left arm.

As he got a bit closer Conrad remarked, "That's a naval uniform he's wearing. British or Australian as far as I can tell."

"I can tell it's a navy uniform, but how did you guess he's British or an Australian?" Kate asked.

"The last bar on his shoulder boards. It's got that loop in it. British and Australian Navy officers have that. Ours don't."

"Very astute," the stranger said as he neared them, a slight grin on his face. As he took the final few steps, he extended his hand, "Commander Mick Brumby, Royal Australian Navy."

Conrad was first to reply as he shook hands with the Australian, "Agent Conrad Hart, ACME Detective Agency."

Brumby turned to face Kate afterward, after releasing the ACME Agent's hand.

"Agent Kate Todd, U.S. Secret Service," Kate replied.

"Charmed," Brumby said before releasing Kate's hand and slightly shifting the sheaf of papers under his left arm. He regarded them for a few moments before he said, "You must be the two agents everyone's been talking about."

"That's us," Kate replied, "I didn't realize we were that famous."

"Well you are dealing with the Tolansky lad," Brumby replied, "And that's the talk of the base rumor mill, at least in the few weeks I've been here."

"Oh," Kate replied, with a slightly sheepish expression, "I guess that's the reason for it."

"Can we help you, sir?" Conrad replied, noting Brumby's recognition of Conrad's former military service by the Australian's facial expression.

"Have you seen Roadblock? I've been meaning to deliver the signed copy of Todd's adoption paperwork," Brumby said as he shifted the sheaf of papers under his left arm again.

"He's inside, I think," Kate replied, "We're supposed to meet him in a few minutes and…"

Kate's words were interrupted by a high pitched scream. She let out a slight gasp before managing to say, "What was that?"

"It sounded like Todd," Conrad replied.

"What's going on in there?" Mick asked.

"I don't know, but it certainly doesn't sound all that pleasant," Conrad asked before noticing Kate starting to head for the dojo's front door.

"Where are you going?" Conrad asked as he followed Kate up the dojo's front steps, noticing Brumby taking off after them with a couple long legged strides.

"Where does it look like I'm going?" Kate snapped back.

"I highly doubt they're torturing him in there," Conrad countered.

"Whatever they are doing doesn't sound pleasant," Brumby added as the three of them entered the dojo's front door as yet another high pitched scream echoed.

The two agents and one lawyer rounded a corner and headed towards the back of the dojo. Pushing aside a beaded curtain door they entered just in time to see Todd lying face down, shirtless, on top of a leather cushioned table. Roadblock was sitting in a chair by his side as Stormshadow was preparing several tiny needles.

Roadblock was currently holding Todd's hand, speaking softly to the boy, "It's not going to hurt, Todd, it's okay…"

"Acupuncture," Stormshadow calmly explained as he saw the two agents and one lawyer enter the room.

Todd flinched as Stormshadow deftly placed one needle and then another at different points along Todd's back.

"Told you," Conrad said as he turned to Kate.

"H-hey, that didn't hurt at all," Todd said.

"You seem surprised by that," Stormshadow said as he stuck several more needles into Todd.

"I-I hadn't had the best experiences with needles," Todd replied.

From your story I know that to be true, Conrad replied, jaw clenching as he recalled the orphanage that had really been some sort of lab from Todd's story. Conrad blinked slightly, remembering those same Cobra labs he uncovered in Africa. Of the dying experiments barely recognizable as human. Of shooting any Cobra scientist discovered on sight.

"Not much of a fan of sharps either," Brumby said with a smirk, before turning to address Roadblock and Stormshadow "Sorry for the interruption."

"Think nothing of it," Stormshadow replied.

"I've some papers for you, Roadblock," Brumby said, as he handed the sheaf of papers to Roadblock.

"I'll get these to you no later than tomorrow morning, sir," Roadblock replied.

"That will work," Brumby replied, "By your leave."

Brumby, Kate and Conrad left the room and made their way out of the dojo. As soon as they were outside it was Brumby that broke the relative silence.

"Poor kid," Brumby said.

"He's lucky to be alive," Kate replied in agreement.

Conrad asked, "So how did you come to be involved with this case, sir?"

"All the legal paperwork for Roadblock's adoption of Todd," Brumby said, "That's been one of a dozen things I've been busy with on the legal side."

"Let me guess, the other eleven things involve Shipwreck," Kate replied.

"While he's responsible for a fair share and then some of the legal paperwork I have to sort out, he's not responsible for all of it," Brumby deadpanned.

"For better or worse it's a good thing Todd found Shipwreck and his family," Conrad observed.

"Certainly might mean more paperwork for me," Brumby replied, "But he's certainly in a better state here than he was when they found him."

"That we can all agree on," Kate replied.

"I hadn't been here a week when Roadblock's patrol brought Todd in," Brumby replied, "A mate of mine was on the patrol that found Todd."

"What's his name?" Kate asked.

"Sergeant Dave Sedgwick," Brumby replied, "A fellow Aussie actually."

"Some kind of military exchange program?" Kate asked.

"Yes," Brumby replied, before glancing at his watch, "I'd best be going."

As both Kate and Conrad waved a swift goodbye to Brumby, Kate turned to Conrad and said, "We do have an interview with Sergeant Sedgwick by coincidence."

The Pit, Mess Hall
Conrad Hart and Kate Todd
1 March 2002, 1142

"I still think we're playing the gastrointestinal equivalent of Russian Roulette," Kate began as she and Conrad walked up to the Mess Hall.

"Our food supply is getting a little low, and dinner is definitely a to be avoided," Conrad replied, "I saw BA heading out on the road when I went out for a run. We're running a bit late for our interview with Sergeant Sedgwick."

"Ugh, good point, and we can head for the grocery store after the interview," Kate replied as they approached the Mess Hall entrance, passing Althea Delgato who was dropping her sisters off for their KP duty.

"Hey," Althea asked Kate, "Is everything alright with Todd?"

Althea's point blank question caught Kate slightly flat footed. This could be awkward, after all Todd said he didn't want to see her just yet.

"He's doing alright," Kate replied noncommittally. Not really a lie, but not the whole truth either.

"Okay," Althea said, disappointment clouding her features, her voice almost small as she replied, "C-can you tell him I miss him and that I hope to see him again."

"I'll do that," Kate replied.

Shipwreck sauntered out of the mess hall with a plastic bag with to go food, "Ok, kiddo, time to go. You'll be late for your chemistry lesson with Airtight."

"Okay, Dad," Althea replied.

God I feel terrible lying to Althea like that, Kate thought. But at the same time Todd asked us not to tell Althea about his condition…

"Penny for your thoughts?" Conrad asked softly as they fell in line.

"They're actually free," Kate replied, "I just feel terrible lying to Althea."

"I wouldn't say you lied to Althea, mademoiselle," Conrad replied, "You might have told a half truth, but I wouldn't say you lied."

"Still it just feels rotten to lie like that," Kate replied.

"I know how you feel about that, but frankly such painful truths are more Shipwreck's purview than ours."

With a sigh Kate replied, "You're right. But it doesn't make it any easier."

"But Todd did ask us to not let Althea know just what he's going through," Conrad replied, "Let's not forget that request."

It had been a few minutes at the table when they saw a man wearing the camouflage of the Australian Army approaching them. He had a thin sort of beard matching his tousled blond hair, and the sand brown beret of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment was tucked in on his belt.

"Agents Todd and Hart?" The man said as he approached, carrying his own tray of food.

"Yes," Conrad replied, "And you must be Sergeant Sedgwick."

"The Australian accent gave it away?" The man replied with a wry grin.

"That and the Auscam pattern," Conrad replied.

"Auscam?" Kate asked.

"A combination of the words Australian and Camouflage, Auscam," Sedgwick said as he set his tray of food onto the table.

"I swear military slang is like a totally different language," Kate commented before taking a sip of water.

"That it is," Sedgwick said, "I hope you don't mind my electing to do the interview a tad early."

"I don't, personally," Kate replied.

"Commander Brumby talked to me a while ago," Sedgwick replied, "I thought it best to talk to the pair of you when I saw you."

"Alright," Kate replied, as she reached for her PDA, noticing that Conrad had his notebook out as well, "What can you tell us about when your patrol first encountered Todd."

"We were in the Western Training Area in the woods outside of base, just before a rather nasty rainstorm…" Sedgwick began.

The Pit, Western Training Area
Roadblock, Sedgwick, Todd Tolansky
31 January 2002, 0932

"Did you hear that?" Sergeant Dave Sedgwick said as he stopped.

"The jet engine?" Roadblock asked from behind and to the right of him as they walked through the woods in a single patrol file.

"Yeah, sounded faint, like it's fading away," Sedgwick replied.

"Dialtone," Roadblock said, turning to another G.I. Joe with a radio on his back, "Call to base and see if they have any flights over this area."

A clap of thunder sounded just then, "Looks like rain."

Then rain began to fall.

"Great," Dialtone remarked, "Rain. It's like a monsoon out here."

"Quiet!" Sedgwick hissed back.

"What is it?" Roadblock asked quietly.

"There, over there," Sedgwick whispered, pointing at a silhouette of a crouching human figure. Almost as soon as Sedgwick pointed, the figure turned and a scream issued. Then the figure began to hop away.

"What the hell?" Sedgwick commented, "He's hopping like a bloody frog! Mutant?"

"Mutant or not the kid's gonna catch his death of cold," Roadblock said and took off running.

Sedgwick started running as well, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the rest of the team following.

"We're not going to harm you," Sedgwick shouted.

As they continued to run after him, Sedgwick noticed that the kid's leaps were covering a lot less ground. And suddenly the kid fell face forward into the mud. By the time they reached him, the boy lay face down on the ground, his face turned to one side.

As he got closer Sedgwick could hear the boy mutter the words, "I...can't."

Tears streamed down the boy's face as he shut his eyes. Roadblock went to the boy's side, kneeling and gently squeezing his shoulder.

"Hey kid. Are you okay?" Roadblock asked.

The boy continued to cry, body shaking.

"Easy, easy. We're not going to hurt you. We just wanna help. Who are you? What happened? Who did this to you?" Roadblock asked.

The boy flinched, as if expecting Roadblock and the others to gun him down.

"Listen, you don't have to be afraid of us. It doesn't matter that you're a mutant. We aren't going to hurt you. We just want to 're safe now. Okay?"

"It looks like he's in shock," Sedgwick said as he approached, removing his backpack and setting it to one side.

He unzipped an outer pouch on his pack, withdrawing a poncho, "Dialtone, give us a hand here."

Dialtone approached the boy as Sedgwick laid out the poncho. Roadblock and Dialtone rolled Todd onto the spread out poncho and wrapped it around him before Roadblock lifted the boy off the ground.

"It's okay, it's okay," Roadblock said softly, trying to reassure the boy as they headed for a nearby clearing.

As they walked Sedgwick could hear Dialtone on his radio contacting the Pit about the teenage mutant they found in the swamp...

To Be Continued...