I Was There...

[drunknmunky]

I've never really tried this so be gentle on me. I've been reading a few of the fan fiction stories and they're very interesting. It's a lot of fun to see other people's take on the Joeverse. I always have these crazy ideas of missions that certain Joes or Cobras would go on. So I figured I could start my own fan fiction and hopefully you guys will enjoy it. I also hope to add pictures to it to hopefully make it even more interesting. Let me know if you guys enjoy it, hate it or whatever else you have to say. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Enjoy!

[drunknmunky]

I was Cobra Commander's right hand man. But nobody knew it. Not Destro, not Storm Shadow. Not even the Commander's own son Billy had any idea who I was. That was the point. In Cobra, everyone is just a faceless soldier, carrying out the tasks ordered to them by another faceless superior. Cobra Commander doesn't care when he loses troops. his only objective is world domination. Everyone knows that part. People think they know everything there is to know about Cobra. In reality, they know nothing. In reality, only I know everything about Cobra. I know because, no matter what happened, I was there.

[drunknmunky]

Cobra Troops. We've all seen them. Whether it's a bottom feeding blue shirt or an elite trooper like a CG, we all know their story. They're come in off the streets and eventually are trained in different specialties, each trying to move up to the next level. Not for the fame, but mostly for the money. These guys don't care about who is next to them, just who they need to take out to get their next promotion. That's where I come in. I'm Cobra Commander's right hand man but I'm always on the front lines. I'm an Ally viper. I'm a Jungle Viper. I'm a Snow Serpent. Hell, I'm even a Drednok. I'm whatever the Commander wants me to be. i have only one task- keep the Commander safe. In order to do that, I must become whatever trooper I need to be in order to pick up intel. After many attempts on the Commander's life, he knew he had to hire someone to go undercover into his own organization. I was the perfect candidate. I had been through more being a Navy SEaL than anyone of these pussy Vipers could ever dream of. I had been trained mentally and physically for anything anyone could throw at me. After being left behind during a classified mission, I was captured by some organization I had never heard of. I wasn't sure if they were the people I had come here to eliminate, but I didn't care. I had only one enemy- the United States.

[drunknmunky]

After being captured, I was brought in front of a man wearing a blue helmet. I couldn't see his face, just my bloody face in its chrome visor. He tried to use me as ransom to the government. They didn't want me back. They claimed I didn't exist. So instead of getting mad, the Commander simply called in a guard to get me. I turned around, just in time to see a rifle coming towards my head. I later woke up on a boat with another strange man in a helmet. It was well below freezing and I was wearing nothing but my GI pants and boots, as well as plenty of my own blood. As I came to, the man stopped the boat. There was no land within sight. I knew he was going to throw me overboard. I was wrong. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it for my head. It was the last thing he would ever do. I tripped the masked man and before he even hit the ground, I had his gun in my hand. I didn't shoot him. No, I just threw him into the water. Hypothermia would get him. Much worse death than a bullet to the brain. Not knowing who this mysterious Commander was, I decided to head back to find him.

[drunknmunky]

GPS. one of the best inventions ever. That is, unless your boat containing the coordinates to your secret location is stolen. after about an hour of piloting my stolen craft through the frigid waters, I finally pulled up to the docks in which I apparently departed from earlier. A group of armed guards stood ready to tie my boat up as soon as I docked. I had nothing to worry about. "Did you dispose of that piece of shit, Copperhead?" asked one of the guards. Copperhead. Well now I know who I left for dead somewhere out there, naked as the day he was born. I said nothing to the guards. I remembered my way in from when I was being dragged through like a bag of groceries. In my Copperhead disguise, nobody seemed to question me. He must have been pretty important. As I was making my way down a familiar hallway, I seen the Commander walking. He was surrounded by guards. These were blue shirts. I had seen plenty of them around, so I knew they were likely bottom feeders. The Commander approached me. I didn't quite recognize him, as now he donned a hood instead of a helmet. "Why are you here?!" He screamed. I had no choice.

[drunknmunky]

I thought the Commander was onto me. I pulled out the sidearm I had taken from Copperhead. Six shots rang out. Six bloody headshots. Cobra Commander was running before the last soldier hit the ground. He ran into a room and attempted to close the door. I hit the door full speed, knocking it off the hinges and possibly breaking my arm in the process. The Commander screamed at me "After all I've done for you, now you're going to kill me Copperhead?!" I removed my helmet. I'm pretty sure the Commander shit himself. "I'm not here to kill you" I said. "I'm here to protect you. You're everything I want to be. But you already have everything in place. You want to destroy America and G.I. Joe. I want to make sure you accomplish this." Just then, 3 Troopers came into the room, guns aimed right at my head. "Put down your guns you fools!" the Commander ordered in a rhaspy voice. "but Sir" one of the troops began to talk, but was quickly interrupted by the commander. "You say one more word and you too will end up like those six out there! Now get a crew out there and clean that garbage up!" The Commander looked at me. He had no reason to trust me. But for some reason he did. He told me to put the Copperhead mask back on and to follow him. We walked though a huge maze of rooms and labs. This place was amazing. Bigger than any military base I had ever seen. We took an elevator down for about 10 minutes. I'm guessing we had to be well underground. The Commander never spoke. We eventually got to a large metal door. The commander waived his arm and the door opened. Inside was just a desk and tons of papers. This guy must have had files for everything. He was organized. After talking to him for hours, i realized he was much like me. Very focused, very smart. And willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. "You know why I make all my troops wear masks? Because I don't want to know who is under it. It could be a father of 3 kids. It could be a convicted killer. but it could also be you. You are obviously highly trained. You know far too much about me to let you go. But you're also far to valuable for me to kill. you have potential. From now on, you will go on every important mission and blend in as a common troop. You will then report back to me after the mission and let me know how it went. You will tell me why we won or lost a battle. You will tell me which one of my high command no longer deserves to lead. Most importantly, you will be able to tell me who is out to get me. I know that when I am finally killed it won't be G.I. Joe. It will be some low life from inside of Cobra trying to become famous. But you're going to make sure that never happens. Now, suit up. You're going on your first mission in the morning. Have you ever heard of a Range Viper?" After knowing the Commander for only a few hours, I was now the most important person in Cobra. More important than even the Commander. Because without me, he was sure to die.

[drunknmunky]

I didn't sleep at all that night. Even though I had no clue what the hell a Range Viper was, I was excited as hell to get onto the frontline again. The Commander gave me a book that was standard issue for all the troops in Cobra. It was a map of sorts. It showed all of the Cobra troops, their specialties and how to get to each rank. I learned the Range Viper was an elite wilderness trooper. Right up my alley.

Morning came and I suited up with the other Range Vipers. Our mission was to find a downed plane in the jungles of Argentina. We weren't told who we were looking for or how long we would be there. While in the air, we were briefed by Storm Shadow, a Cobra ninja that seemed to have no emotions at all. He informed us that a strange plane had been shot down near something called a Terrordrome in Argentina. We would be supported by someone called Shadow Tracker, although he was nowhere around. Jungle Vipers would be spotting us from on the mountains. These were all just details to me. I had one goal- be the Range Viper who finds the target. Storm Shadow then handed us all parachute. The back of the plane opened and we were told to jump. I was out first, trying to put my chute on as I was free falling. I got it on but it was a little late. I ended up in the canopy of the jungle, hanging by my chute. I was one of the lucky ones. After cutting my rope, I found my way down what seemed like a 300 foot tree. I was finally on the ground and ready to prove myself as a Range Viper.

[drunknmunky]

The thing I like about Range Vipers is their professionalism. They don't bitch like the blue shirts, they don't act like they're better than everyone else. They're just nasty troops with nothing but the objective on their minds. Too bad only four of us made it. We were sure we were in for a long battle out in the jungle. We were wrong. After walking for only about four hours, we came upon a river. We could see smoke on the horizon. Likely from the plane crash. We were getting ready to cross when we heard a scream. Not a scream of pain but rather one of victory. We ran as fast as we could towards the scream, guns up, ready for anything. As we came to a clearing, we found some crazy ass guy dancing and chanting. He had long black dreads and was covered in battle scars. He turned and looked at us, his face hidden behind a mask. This must have been Shadow Tracker. This was one crazy son of a bitch. He had caught who I assumed to be the man we were looking for and had him in a net hanging from a tree. He was dancing around a fire underneath his prisoner. Shadow Tracker was rubbing blood across his forehead. Crazy thing is it was his own blood. The prisoner was alive but was so traumatized that he wasn't moving. He had no clue who we were and we honestly had no clue who he was. But I knew I was gonna be the one bringing him in.

[drunknmunky]

Shadow Tracker didn't say a word. He lowered the prisoner down, just above the flames. He reached across and cut the rope. I jumped in and pulled the man out of the flames. I knew the Commander wanted him alive. A corpse doesn't speak. As I untangled the man from the net Shadow Tracker had contained him in, I noticed his uniform. Wasn't sure what unit he was from. No markings, no insignia, no flags. Just a name tag reading "Sgt. Manleh".
Shadow Tracker led us to the Terror Drome during the night. As if being surrounded by cold blooded killers and being led through a jungle by a masked crazy man wasn't enough, we kept hearing gun shots in the distance. These were extremely loud blasts that tore through the silent jungle. I was hoping these were the Jungle Vipers we were told about. And I really hope they were hitting their targets. After many hours Shadow Tracker pointed into a path. Then he just turned around and disappeared back into the Jungle. He belongs there. He isn't fit for civilization. He's at home in the jungle. We followed the pathand wound up at what I later learned was a Terror Drome. Upon arriving there, we were greeted by a group of blue shirts. One offered to pick up Manleh for me. I immediately established my dominance by beating his ass. How dare he try to claim my prize. After being dragged off of the troopers bloody body, we were brought into a hanger and loaded into a plane. We were heading back to Cobra Island. I had my trophy in hand, ready to further my status with Cobra Commander. I had no clue what I would find when our plane landed....

[niknak96]

Sounds great so far! The first paragraph really reminded me of Hearts and Minds. Keep those creative juices flowing (just not like your avatar's ;)

[drunknmunky]

Our plane finally landed on Cobra Island and I knew something was wrong. The place was a mad house. Troops just running towards the entrance, all battling to get to the front of the line. I handed over this Manleh character to one of the awaiting Shock Troopers and made my way into base. A man who appeared to be dressed like a snake was standing on a podium in the middle of a large auditorium at the end of the hallway. Who the hell was this guy? I had to find out so I tried to move closer. But Range Vipers aren't the most liked in the Cobra Legions so I had to force my way to the front.
"We are now under a new command! That useless piece of trash has perished and you shall now bow to me!" the man in the snake suit screamed. "Anyone who opposes me shall meet an even worse fate then the Commander!"
Cobra Commander was dead. I had fucked up after only one mission. My sole purpose was to protect the Commander and I had already failed. All I could think of now was what's next? The Commander was dead. Nobody knew who I was. Would I be forced to be a Range Viper for the rest of my life? Should I risk trying to tell this new leader my story, or would he kill me for being loyal to the Commander? Should I risk escaping, even with the whole base in Lockdown Level 5? A week ago I was left for dead in the jungle. Now I was left for dead in Cobra.

[drunknmunky]

I finally fell asleep just before daylight. But my sleep was short lived. I woke up to a man covering my mouth and a pistol pointed at my head. "Don't say a word. The Commander, he lives. Come now, we will meet him". The man spoke with a bit of broken English. He seemed to be of Hispanic decent. Wait a minute. It was Manleh. What the hell was he doing trying to help me? How did he escape? Why is he saying the Commander was alive? I had no time for questions. It was either follow Manleh or eventual get killed in this hell hole. We exited the room and had a convoy of guards waiting to bring us to an awaiting APC. We looked like prisoners being transported. Nobody seemed to notice, let alone care who we were. Inside the APC Manleh began to tell me why I was there.
"The Commander sent you after me. My plane not crash. Shadow Tracker bring me out there for you to find me."
Now I was confused. But then it all made sense. The Commander had taken me in because he knew his life was in danger. He sent me on a mission so he could fake his own death. If I had been there, I surely would've stopped the fake assassination. Manleh was brought back to help me break out of Cobra. The Commander was even smarter than I had thought.
We drove for hours into the frigid tundra. We eventually came to an airfield, long abandoned. But one runway was cleared. On that runway sat a transport plane. We pulled up next to it and the APC stopped. Manleh got out and escorted me onto the plane. I walked in and to my surprise, there was the Commander. He was wearing a new mask and uniform, but somehow I knew it was him. He walked over and shook my hand. "Thank you for bringing him back to me" he said, looking at Manleh.
"I'm sure you've figured things out by now. I knew they were after me. Serpentor wanted my crown. I was told every detail by informants I have throughout Cobra. I knew when and where they were going to kill me. So I drugged up one of my troops and dressed him in my outfit. Nobody knows what I look like. It could be anyone under that hood. I knew that a civil war was brewing. I had to get out while I could. I have my most loyal troops stationed in what Cobra believes to be the abandoned Terror Drome in Argentina. Manleh here is one of my commanding officers. I knew he would bring you back to me alive. I sent you there to distract you. There was no GI Joe plane shot down there. The Joes have long been disbanded. Our biggest threat is Serpentor's army."
As we landed, we were greeted by what I'm guessing were Cobra Commander's top men. I recognized Storm Shadow but the others were mysteries to me. I wasn't sure where I fit into all this, but I knew for sure that I would be the one to kill Serpentor. I owed it to the Commander to bring him that back stabbing snake's head.

[drunknmunky]

After being shown to my room, I used the time to think things over. I thought about if it was worth going into Cobra and trying to take them down. Was it really worth it? Maybe not, but at least I had a purpose in life. I actually slept great that night. First time I really felt safe. When I awoke, I found a sealed envelope that had been slid under my door. I opened it up and found a list of names and positions.

"Serpentor- Cobra Emperor
Dr. Mindbender- Scientist
Zartan- Dreadnok Leader
Destro- MARS Industries CEO
Baroness- MARS Industries CFO
Tomax and Xamot- CEOs, Extensive Enterprises
Major Bludd- Serpentor's second in command

Locations are unknown."

It was a hit list. Eight people I was assigned to kill. Cobra Commander informed me that any of his troops would be available to me at a minute's notice. I also had backup from Storm Shadow, Wraith, Firefly and Night Adder. I didn't know who these people were but as long as they were on my side, they would come back alive.

[drunknmunky]

I ate breakfast (which was brought to me in my room by some poor trooper). It was the first real meal I had had in weeks. It was eggs and bacon. It could've tasted like crap for all i know. Anything tasted better than that stuff I was forced to eat in the jungle. I left the room and Manleh was already waiting for me. He said the Commander had given him orders that we were to find and kill Major Bludd. His tracker Topson had recently spotted him in a mountainous desert somewhere in the Middle East. Storm Shadow was going to be my guide. Manleh was going to fly us out there to rendezvous with Topson. I grabbed what gear I had and headed toward the chopper. I knew it was gonna be a long flight, so I decided to nap. I dreamed of being on the battlefield, destroying everyone in sight.
I awoke hours later, sweating my ass off as we landed. We walked out and met a red bearded fellow. This was Topson, part of Manleh's command team. Manleh and Topson were speaking in Spanish. i could understand a bit of what they said, but my Spanish was very rusty. I picked up something about Bludd being seen in the mountains within the last 4 hours. Topson had already had a camp set up. We had no time for camp. If we were going to catch Bludd, we needed to leave now. StormShadow, Topson and myself headed out into the desert, not knowing where we were or who we were looking for. We should've been more worried about who was looking for us....

[jaimanstone]

interesting so far...

[drunknmunky]

What I remember most about this mission was just how hot it was. I've been to some hot places, but never had the soles of my boots actually melt to the pavement if I stood in one place to long. I didn't have much of a supply of water. I figured when we got to the town I could re-up my water canteens. We finally came upon a small town, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. A few villagers were out in the street selling camels and various other equipment. We approached one and Storm Shadow produced a photo and showed it to the vendor. He pointed towards an old shack down the dusty street. I took the picture from Storm Shadow. Major Bludd. Now I had a face to go with the name. We moved towards the house and began to look for an entrance. The door had long been boarded up. We walked to the side of the house. A single shot rang out. Topson dropped like a brick, dead before he hit the ground. I immediately turned around and seen Major Bludd, rifle in hand, ready to take the next shot. I dove to the ground. Bullet wizzed past my head so close I could've seen the barrel markings. Storm Shadow threw a throwing star (he had a fancy name for them but I could never pronounce it) and it caught Major Bludd in the shoulder. He dropped his rifle to pull out the star. I looked up from my spot on the ground. Time to take the shot. He looked across the street at me. He knew his time was up. His eye patch was my target. My rifle lets out a single deafening blow. Right on target. the patch was blown out through the other side of his head. Mission accomplished. Or so I thought. I got up and wiped the dust off of my chest. I turned around just in time to see a man in all black holding a sword to my throat. Storm Shadow jumped in and knocked the sword to the ground. "Whatever happens next, you don't get between us. Snake Eyes is mine. You go deal with Zartan". He points across the street. I see a man running into an alley. I follow him as quickly as possible, the sound of perfectly cut steel swords clashing in the background behind me. I head down the alley and make a quick right. I hear a single gun shot. As I approach another corner, I see a man standing near a body. The man appears to be one of the tribesman. The body is that of Zartan. A single gunshot wound to the head. Self inflicted. I had no idea what this guy actually looked like, as I didn't get a good view of his face. No matter though, his head was blown clean off his body. That's what a 50 caliber Desert Eagle will do to you. I let the nomad go. He was of no interest. Zartan was dead. By why did he off himself and what the hell was he doing here? Those were questions I would have to answer later. For now I had to go find Storm Shadow and help him fight this Snake Eyes fellow.

[drunknmunky]

I rushed back to where I had last seen Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes but they were nowhere in sight. I looked around but seen and heard nothing. It was completely silent. In my line of work, that's when shit is going wrong. I had no clue where to go next. The whole town had become a ghost town since the shooting broke out. How the hell did Storm Shadow just disappear? No time to think now. Just needed to find the rendezvous point. Storm Shadow would be fine on his own. Before I could move, a hail of gun fire broke out. I hit the ground as quick as possible, rifle aimed at whoever was out there. More burst fire rang out. Somebody is packing some heavy shit. It was an exchange of gun fire. They were shooting at each other, not at me. But who the hell were "they"? I know it wasn't Storm shadow. He's never strapped like that. He prefers the silent kill. I made my way towards the shooting, careful to stay out sight, more importantly out of the line of fire. I make my way through an alley way between two buildings that look about as stable as Cobra Commander. A terrifying screams pierces joins the sound of gunfire. Someone is hit. Badly. I come to the end of the alley. The shooting seems to be coming from my left. I grab a tiny mirror from inside my boot. I use it to see around the corner. It appears that some heavily armed troops are trying to gain entry to a building across the street from them. Whoever is in the building is putting up some heavy resistance. No time to deal with this. Storm Shadow isn't in sight so I just need to stay low and get the hell out before anyone sees me. While trying to turn around, I drop my mirror. Big mistake. The sun reflects off the glass and gives my position away. One of the troops spots me and opens fire. I blindly return fire. My only hope is to run back the way I came. They won't give chase. It's too risky. More gunshots around me. They're chasing me? Am I that damn important? No time to think or even look at who is chasing me. It's not important. Survival is all that matters. More gunfire. My legs give out from under me. A burning sensation begins to fill my right leg. I grab my leg in agony. My hand is soaked with blood. I'm dead. i know whoever is chasing me is going to kill me. I'm laying helpless, my gun several feet from me after the impact of the fall. I manage to roll onto my back. The sun is glaring into my eyes making it hard to see the face of my eventual killer. "Stay on the ground! Don't move!" he yells, gun at his side. Why isn't he killing me? Just get it over with you pussy. Be the hero who kills me. "Dodger to Dee Jay. I have a Cobra detained. He's been hit in the leg. Needs medical attention." Dodger huh? What a code name. Maybe if that was my codename I wouldn't have gotten shot. I laid on my back, completely helpless, my leg barely hanging on. Who is this guy working for? i glance at his arm. there's a multi colored patch attached to his sleeve. "Battle Force 2000". Really? That's who is gonna kill me? Name sounds like a damn video game terrorist cell. A few more soldiers show up, each dressed more ridiculous than the last, all wearing the Battle Force 2000 patch. As I'm loaded onto a stretcher, my hands are cuffed to the metal railings. Dodger's radio screeches "We've gained access to the building! Many Cobra are dead. We chased Zartan out the back but lost him. Over." Idiots thought they seen Zartan in that building. Zartan was dead. I seen his body. As I'm being brought to the waiting APC, I catch a glimpse of Storm Shadow on a rooftop across the way. He's gonna save me. He has to save me. Who am i kidding? He doesn't give a shit about me or the mission. I'm going to meet my death in some hell hole of a POW camp. If I'm lucky that's all that will happen. the medic in the APC begins to clean my the sand and blood out of my leg. Hurts like a bitch but I never flinch. Can't let them see my pain. The medic turns around to grab something else for my leg that's gonna hurt like hell. Then I see it. This can't be. His jacket reads "G.I. Joe".

[cerpintaxt]

drunknmunky, this is some really great stuff, I love it.

[drunknmunky]

G.I. Joe was disbanded. Everyone knew this. Must be an old jacket. There's no way this is the Joe team. They turned me down a few years ago. General Hawk himself told me the government had stopped funding them. No way they could be self sufficient. I was so pissed off that I had not even been paying attention to where they had taken me. It was a well light room, smelled of lemon cleaning products. I was still handcuffed to the railing of the stretcher. My leg was completely numb from whatever the hell he shot me up with. The bullet went straight through my leg, lucky missing not only the ligaments but also missing the bone. I would be fine. As soon as I found a way out.
The doctor left the room, his G.I. Joe logo on his jacket as clear as ever. A few minutes pass before I hear some talking outside the door. I can't quite make out what they're saying. "I know him". I swear that's what I heard. Nobody knows me here. Hell, I'm starting to forget who I am. A few seconds later the door swings open. I look up into the bright lights. I recognize that face anywhere. It's David. How the hell did he get into G.I. Joe and I didn't? We grew up together back in Virginia. I joined the Navy and he joined the Army. Haven't seen him in years. Still got his head shaved just like I remember. But he's a lot bigger now. He's built like a tank. He grabs a chair and spins it around backward. He sits down in it, facing me, his arms resting on the chair back. "What are you doing here?" he asks. I just laugh. "I'll tell you why I'm here if you tell me where you got that stupid ass shirt". He glares at me for a second, then he laughs. "When you get my size" he says "you can wear whatever you want and nobody says shit to you." We both laugh for old times sake. It's good to see a friend after all these years. He has no clue I'm working for Cobra Commander. And he's never going to find out either. we talk for a while and he explains his shirt. " 'The Right of Might' was my motto during my Army days."

[drunknmunky]

David and I shoot the shit for a while. I let him know that I was on a recon mission and was left behind by my squad. Not total B.S. I just left out the parts about Cobra. "You look thirsty man. Let me get you a drink." He goes to a mini fridge concealed under one of the many cabinets. He pulls out a Gatorade. And it's red. It was the prettiest thing I've seen in a long time. He uncuffs my arms so I can drink. We go way back, he knows I'm innocent and wouldn't hurt him. "They were about to transfer you to our holding cells. That's where you stay until we find out where to transfer you. This is just a mobile base. We pack up and move it every few days. can't let people know where we are. Gotta keep moving" he says. "We've got about 15 Cobras being held now. They're right across the hallway now. gotta get them checked out before we load them up for transport. Can't have any of them dying on the trip. Gotta make sure they're healthy, right?" We both share a laugh. Everyone knows the government couldn't care less about detainees. It's all just protocol. The laugh is short lived. A short man of Asian background bursts through the door. "Salvo, we've got a major problem!" he yells. Apparently David got a codename, something I had never had. David, or Salvo I guess, immediately jumps to his feet and runs out the door. He left me uncuffed but there's nowhere for me to go here. What the hell, let's at least see what's out there. I slowly open the door and it's complete chaos. The Cobras had somehow gotten free while being transported. They had overwhelmed the guards who were assigned to transport them and in the process had stolen their weapons. I rushed out the door, eager to join the fight. I didn't intend on killing anyone, just trying to get the hell outta here. I tried to blend in with the crowd. The troops were a mix of Cobra Commander's and Serpentor's forces, sworn enemies but fighting a common foe. Shots were being fired from both side. I took cover behind a ballistic shield I had taken from a guard who was laying on the ground. He was laying on the ground, blood spraying from his neck. it was the Asian man from earlier. I couldn't watch him suffer. I grabbed a sidearm that a guard must have dropped. I raise the gun and a single shot rings out. Not my finest moment. I take his red headband and slide it down to cover his eyes. Shots hit my shield and nearly knock me on my ass. Gotta pay attention to what's ahead of me or I'm gonna end up dead. The Cobra troops are gaining the upper hand. I watch as Joe after Joe gets killed trying to stop them. All I can do is follow them. I step over body after body, hoping not to see Salvo. I step over Dodger and a couple more guys with his Battle Force patch. A Viper is leading the charge and seems to have an idea where he's going. After a few minutes of hurdling dead bodies and dodging gun fire, we finally make it out. To my surprise, Firefly along with about 20 troops is waiting for us outside. He has already landed his gunship near us. Once we hit it we're free. We all run towards the gunship. A few troops are hit from the Joes trailing us. No time to return fire. I dive into the gunship, along with the other six or eight surviving troops. A handful of Joes come rushing out the door, firing away at the Gunship. Firefly laughs, then raises what appears to be a cellphone. He pushes a few buttons. The explosion rocks the Gunship. Joes go flying everywhere. I count at least four dead as we finally take off. No sign of Salvo. Sitting down in the Gunship feels great. Gotta rest after all that. Physically and mentally draining. Firefly is sitting across from me. He reaches over and turns on a radio. It's a G.I. Joe scanner. The voices are screaming. "We've got at least 5 Joes killed! Lock this place down! Secure every exit!" We listen to it for nearly an hour. I watch Firefly and can see his expression, even under that mask. He has a smile on his face. He enjoys this shit way too much. Then it happens. The radio announces the dead. "We've got Quick Kick, Sneak Peak, Doc, Dodger, Maverick and Dee Jay dead! Salvo, Pathfinder, Breaker, Starduster and Cool Breeze are unaccounted for." Shit. I hope Salvo made it.

[drunknmunky]

I don't know how many people I've killed in the past. I'm glad I don't know. Not really something I'm proud of. I just do what I have to do. No looking back. But on the long ride back in the Gunship I got hit with a feeling I haven't had in a long time. Grief. I didn't know what happened to Salvo. I didn't want to be the one who killed him. Hell, he could've survived for all I know. But the fact that he could be dead was starting to get to me. I looked over at Firefly. He was the perfect soldier. I just watched him take countless lives and smiled the whole time. He was working for a paycheck. But what the hell was I doing here? I volunteered to help Cobra Commander. My pay was good, don't get me wrong. But I may have just lost the only friend I've had. More importantly, I think I'm losing myself. Firefly looked over at me.He could tell my mind was racing. He reached underneath his seat and pulled out a machine gun, all while never losing eye contact with me. He put it on his lap. He was ready for me to lose it. He had nothing to worry about. I knew better than to go ape-shit while being surrounded by a bunch of people with guns. All I had was my knife and a flashlight I managed to snatch off one of the dead Joes. I turned away to avoid eye contact with Firefly. I looked left, only to see a Viper starring right back at me, my face reflecting off his chrome visor. Then he did something I've never seen a Viper or anyone in Cobra do. He took off his helmet. He stood up and got into my face. "You think you're somebody special? You try any shit on here and I'll turn your life into a distant memory" he said in a cold voice. I wasn't backing down. I stood up and got face to face with him. I'm not letting some piss ant Viper get in my face. He inched closer. I caught him with a right hook, then tackled him to the ground. I landed a few shots to the face before I was pulled off of him by some of the troops sitting near by. Firefly never moved. I think he liked watching people beat the shit out of each other. Someone from inside opened the cabin door and yelled "What the hell is going on?" Firefly glance up. "Mind your business or you're gonna end up on your ass just like Mercer." I had never heard Firefly talk and I had never heard of a Viper with a name, they were usually just called by number. No matter, he was no better than the rest of them. My hand was hurting a bit, but at least it took my mind off of Salvo. The intercom in the Gunship went off "AVAC to Firefly, we are now approaching Brazil. Two minutes to touchdown." No clue why we were going to Brazil. I figured we were going to Argentina, maybe to regroup in the Terror Drome. Guess not.

[drunknmunky]

The Gunship landed somewhere on a beach in Brazil. I was hit with a blast of fresh ocean air as the doors opened. What a nice change of scenery. This was where I belonged, between the beautiful ocean and the exotic jungle. We all gathered near the Gunship, awaiting our orders. To my surprise Manleh came out of the cockpit. I hadn't seen him since before I was captured and I had no idea he was flying the Gunship. "Everybody listen up" Manleh said with his distinct accent "we will be splitting into groups. The Terror Drome was raided by G.I. Joe. It was nearly destroyed. They now have it surrounded pretty heavily. But there is classified information in there that we cannot let get into enemy hands. Due to the Joes having control of the Terror Drome, there's no way we can fly there. So we will cross into Argentina from Brazil. We will be invisible. You three are going to be my lead team". He pointed at Firefly, Mercer and myself. Great. I now had to trek through the jungle with two guys who probably wanted me dead more than the Joes do. Manleh handed us a radio. "We will all stay in radio contact. Everyone grab a weapon." Everyone scrambled to the Gunship to get the best pick of guns. After a few minutes the ship was clear. I walked inside the doors. Only an Uzi, machete and bolt cutters were left. I grabbed a backpack, plenty of ammo and some instant noodles I found in the ammo drawer. I went out and met with Firefly and Mercer. Firefly input the coordinates for the Terror Drome into a small handheld GPS. Without it, we were just walking through a jungle without direction. "Good luck everyone. See you at the Drome" Manleh said as the teams all parted ways. We all entered the jungle, each team heading their own ways. I knew I coudn't trust the guys I was with. I also knew that when shit hit the fan, there was nobody else I'd rather have fighting by my side.

[jaimanstone]

Ha ha, I've been reading this the whole way through. I'm digging it. Want more.

[jgasbo1]

great work!

[KINKO]

One Word - Amazing - U got Talent, I'm hooked, Pics!!!!!!!!!

[drunknmunky]

Ha ha, I've been reading this the whole way through. I'm digging it. Want more.

great work!

One Word - Amazing - U got Talent, I'm hooked, Pics!!!!!!!!!

Shit. Didn't realize people were actually reading this. Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you all are enjoying it. I will be adding to it tonight. Some characters will be introduced that I'm sure everyone remembers. Things are gonna get rough in Brazil. And of course there's gonna be plenty of action. Check back in later tonight to see what happens. Thanks!

[drunknmunky]

According to Firefly's GPS, we were just north of Rio de Janeiro. We knew that if we could get there then we could probably find a truck to at least get near the border. We began the long trek into the jungle. It seemed so peaceful out. Just Firefly, Mercer and myself. It was pretty quiet while we walked. Firefly really didn't talk and Mercer was still pissed at me for whipping his ass earlier. But it was a nice change of pace. Gave me time to think about things, take in the scenery, enjoy life if even just for a while. This could be the most beautiful place on Earth. Beautiful birds were everywhere, rodents of all kinds scampered around as we marched through the jungle. We had been walking for about five straight hours. It was beginning to get dark and the jungle is not a very safe place to be after night fall. Mercer suggested we make camp soon. "One more mile and we will camp" Firefly replied. That was the first time he had spoken since we landed. We walked for another few minutes when we hit a marsh. We had to get through it and the only way to do that was to walk through it. The water came up to my waist. Nasty, muddy water, crawling with insects and who knows what else. We held our guns up to keep the crap from getting into them. But trust me, that shit got everywhere else. We were all covered in mud by the time we reached the other side. Camping by the marsh wouldn't be a good idea. Good chance there were crocs nearby, looking for an easy prey. Or maybe even an Anaconda. We kept moving for a few minutes when suddenly Firefly stopped. He put his hand up to tell us to stop. We both stopped, dropped to one knee, rifles aimed up, ready for anything. Firefly was looking up at a river ahead. He dropped down and ordered us to do the same. We hit the ground, landing in more mud. Now our whole bodies were basically covered. In the distance we could hear what sounded like a boat. The boat wizzed past us, having no clue we were there. The boat had a Cobra Sigil on it, but not a regular one. This one had a crown on the Cobra's head. That seemed strange but was nothing compared to who I seen driving it. It was Copperhead. I killed him. I know I did. Actually, I didn't know shit. I left him for dead but just assumed he died. Next time, I'll make sure to finish the job. The boat passed and after a few seconds we all stood back up, guns at the ready. "We're going to camp right here, we can't risk going any further tonight". Firefly was right. but what the hell was Cobra doing here? "That boat belonged to the Python Patrol. Their allegiance is to Serpentor" Firefly said as we sat down on the only piece of dry land we could find. "They must have heard the Joes captured our Terror Drome and wanted whatever information that was in there for themselves." Great. Now not only are we dealing with the Joes but now Serpentor's army is moving in. There's no way this could end well. the odds were totally against us. But according to Firefly's GPS, we were only about 10 miles from Rio. I'm sure I could see it if we weren't in this thick ass jungle. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I covered my face with my hat in order to try and keep the insects off me. Mercer was already asleep. Firefly doesn't sleep. He's too paranoid to sleep. I was too tired to be paranoid. I hadn't had a good sleep in a while. Wasn't sure if I would get one tonight either.

[CobraVirus]

I'm enjoying it.

It's a little harder to focus when there's an orangutan pissing in his mouth though.

[drunknmunky]

Early the next morning I was awakened by a loud explosion. I jumped out of our makeshift tent, uzi in hand, ready for anything. Well, almost anything. The sight I seen was pretty gruesome. The was a gator laying about 20 feet from our tent. Most of him was anyways. Firefly and Mercer were laughing their asses off. First time I've seen Firefly show emotion. Apparently a gator got too close to the campsite and Firefly figured the only way to get rid of him was to feed him a satchel charge. Sick, sick man. But I gotta admit, I would've done the same thing. We packed up all our gear and began the hike to rendezvous with the other Cobra teams.
After about an hour and a half, we could see the city up ahead. According to Firefly's GPS we were about to enter Rio de Janeiro. this was one of the few places in the world I had never been so I was excited, yet I was also cautious. We had no clue what we were in for.
We came in from the East side of the city. The town was pretty run down. There didn't seem to be a whole lot going on. Something was wrong. Where the hell was everybody? "They're here" Firefly said in a chilling voice "Serpentor has sent his troops here. Keep your eyes open. Don't do anything to get yourself killed." They both looked back at me. Thanks for your support, assholes. We started walking down the side of the road, trying to dodge not only the hot sun, but also to stay outta of sight from Serpentor's troops. The more we walked the worse this place got. This place was a war zone. Doors were kicked off the hinges, cars were smoldering in the road. Most of the buildings were nothing more than piles of rubble, supported only by small wooden beams. The streets began to fill with the sounds of thunder. We jumped into what was left of a building and ducked below what used to be a window. We heard a some sort of tank driving by, accompanied by several foot soldiers. When they past, we glanced above the window. We could see a Cobra Fury with about twelve Alley Vipers. This was serious. There's no way we could handle these guys. But Firefly had a plan. He sprinted out of the building, running straight towards one of the few cars that wasn't on scorched. "Go follow them. Do Not lose contact with them. I'll radio you in a few." Mercer and I took off towards the troops. We had no idea what he was up to but we knew not to question him. Firefly was a legend. that's why he had been with Cobra so long and was still alive.
We caught up with the troops and the Fury, making sure to stay out of sight. They didn't seem to be searching for anything, just patrolling the streets. We counted nine Alley Vipers on foot, plus the driver and the gunner. Eleven Alley Vipers and a Fury. No clue what Firefly's plan was but it better be good. "Where you at?" the radio screamed. Shit, that was way too loud. Hope they didn't hear it. Nope, they didn't even budge. "We're on the East side of Samba City" I replied while turning down the volume on this primitive radio. "Start shooting them. Take them out!" Firefly yelled. How the hell were we supposed to take them all out? No time to ask questions. We ran out into the streets, ready for our suicide mission. Running through the streets, we ducked into an abandoned tour bus. We raised our guns and began opened fire. Shots rang out and Alley Vipers began to drop. Two got caught in the back of the head and dropped immediately. The others turned around and began shooting back. They raised their shields and were basically bullet proof. Then the Fury's turret began to turn towards us. We were screwed. We jumped out the side window, just as the Fury opened fire. Bullets were tearing through the bus all around us. We sprinted for a short wall on the side of the street. The brick was sturdier than the bus but wouldn't last forever. I used my mirror to look around the corner. The troops were moving in formation, with the Fury following. Then we heard tires screeching in the distance. In my mirror I seen a car closing in on the Fury. I seen Firefly jump from the car as it barreled towards the Fury. "Get down Mercer" I yelled as we both hit the deck. The car slammed into the Fury with incredible force. The explosion blew the Alley Vipers into the air, most of them in pieces, shields and helmets flying everywhere. Mercer and I got up and took care of the few Alley vipers that were still moving. Firefly came running down the street, bleeding from his arms and head due to the impact of his attempted tuck and roll. As Firefly was getting closer, I noticed the Fury gunner turning the turret towards him. I ran up the half burning Fury and kicked the gunner in the back of the head, knocking his helmet off. I pulled the pin on a grenade and stuck it in the back of his flak jacket. I jumped off the Fury and ran towards safety. The gunner had panic all over his face, struggling to get the flak jacket off in time. too late. The explosion was successful in destroying the turret, as well as turning the gunner into a fine red mist. Firefly came over as debris was still falling. Before we had a chance to catch our breathe, we seen more troops coming in from the South. We took cover, only to find out it was our troops. They had heard the gunfire and explosions and came to see what happened. Storm Shadow, Manleh, Wraith and a handful of various Vipers had made it to the rendezvous point. "What the hell happened here" Wraith asked while picking up part of an Alley Vipers shield. "Long story" I replied "but let's get to somewhere we can regroup and plan an exit strategy."

[jgasbo1]

Awesome job again. This is becoming one of my favorite threads. Your writing and story skills are unbelievable.

[drunknmunky]

We gathered the troops and took shelter in an abandoned factory. It had "Estrela" on the sign out front. Apparently at one time they made action figures or something but all the equipment seemed to be missing. We began moving boxes around to block out the windows. We didn't want anyone to see us before we seen them. After a few minutes of rearranging the place, we stopped and took a well needed breather. A few of the troops took naps, cleaned their guns, ate a little. Whatever kept them occupied. Manleh, Firefly and myself looked around the room to see what kind of troops were were working with. Storm Shadow, Wraith and Cesspool were the big names. The rest were various troopers. A pair of Frag Vipers, three Heat Vipers, one Jungle Viper and six Vipers. Our numbers weren't great but we had to work with what we had. As i went to sit down on an old crate, the side door opened and a man came running in. Everyone went into panic mode, guns were being drawn faster than I've ever seen. "Don't shoot!" Manleh commanded "He's not a threat". The man looked like a beggar, torn clothes, stained from months of not being washed. He started yelling something in Portuguese and Manleh began to talk to him. The man made gestures and his eyes got huge. After a couple minutes Manleh turned to me. "Not good" he said "He says the Cobra de Aco is slaughtering people." "What the hell is a Cobra de Aco?" I asked.
"Steel Cobra" he replied.
"You mean like Destro?"
"No, he is much worse. He is mercenary. No one knows if he is man or machine. Or both. He kills everyone he sees."
Kinda sounded like me. Firefly looked at Manleh "I know who he is. Don't know much about him, but he sure as hell isn't human. Keep your eyes peeled for him."
We discussed what our next plan would be. Our best choice to get over the border from here was to find transportation. That in itself was tough, let alone trying to find something that could transport 18 of us. The local man then spoke up and began talking to Manleh again. Manleh explained to us that the man had told him that there was a Cobra base about three miles down the road. He said he sees trucks going in and out of there all day. "We can't all go, it's too risky" Storm Shadow spoke for the first time "You three come with me." He pointed at Firefly, Jungle Viper and myself. "Hold this place down" Storm shadow told Manleh "Whatever you do, don't let anyone take this factory. We will be back for you soon." I had no idea what his plan was but I knew not to question Storm Shadow. We headed off in the direction that the local had told us the factory was located. I really hope this base is small enough for the four of us to take out. Somehow i knew I was wrong.

[drunknmunky]

We headed North down the road towards where the cobra base supposedly was. Myself and Firefly on the left side of the road, Storm Shadow and the Jungle Viper on the right. After about 20 minutes of sneaking through the streets, we finally seen a large building up ahead. It was heavily guarded, but there were a few trucks that were leaving. Storm Shadow gathered us to the side and gave us the orders. We all immediately sprang into action. Jungle Viper was to get on the roof top and provide cover fire if shit hits the fan. Firefly was going to set off a bomb when the truck came down our street. Storm Shadow was going to take out the driver. My job was to take out any stragglers. The truck turned down our road. There were no other trucks following it. Perfect. The truck was a small military truck with a canvas top on the rear. Easy for us to take out without anyone noticing. As the truck approached, Firefly detonated the explosives, blowing a hole in the road. The truck swerved to miss it but nearly clipped a building. A few troops jumped out the back but I was ready to mow them down. After a few burst fires they all were down. The driver tried to jump out of the side window but was met by Storm Shadow's sword. Blood sprayed all through the cab of the truck. Storm Shadow pushed the rest of the trooper out of the driver's side. The Jungle Viper took out the two guards that were at the gate around the corner. Two shots, two kills. I jumped in the back of the truck and pulled Firefly in. Storm Shadow drove the truck to wear the Jungle Viper was. We heard a thump on the roof. We waiting for the JV to get in but he never did. Firefly looked out onto the roof to see where he was. A loud buzz filled the air, then a crack as loud as thunder. Firefly went flying off the truck. I jumped up to see what had happened. I got out and found what was left of the Jungle Viper. I looked up just in time to see a man in a chrome mask and yellow suit jumping towards me. I rolled out of the way just in time. I stood up and fired a few shots but they bounced off his armor. He was holding some sort of lazer rifle. I've never seen anything like it. I fired a few more shots but no affect. As he charged his rifle up, it made a loud buzzing. Then he pulled the trigger and it let out a thunderous blast. I ducked out of the way and it hit the back of the truck, launching it several feet forward. Storm Shadow came running around the corner and lunged at the attacker with his katana. It was a direct hit but once again, no affect. Storm Shadow noticed the rifle was hooked in to his backpack, so he cut the hose. The rifle was useless now but we still couldn't hurt him. Firefly laid motionless on the ground. I ran over to him and got his pack. I pulled out all the explosives I could find. I rubbed them in the grease from the axle of the truck. Storm Shadow was still trying to fight him. He looked in my direction and knew the plan. Storm Shadow jumped on top of the truck and the attacker followed. Problem is Storm Shadow landed on one of the steel supports for the canvas, the attacker didn't. He fell through, tearing the canvas and sending it inside the truck, covering him in the process. I threw the grease covered explosives into the rear of the truck, then Storm Shadow threw a grenade. We took off running, grabbing Firefly's lifeless body. The explosion was incredible. I swear the guys back at the factory felt it. We got Firefly to safety behind a dumpster. He was bleeding out of his mouth and ears. He looked up at me for a brief second. "Carry on my work. Don't ever let me die." Those were his last words. He had looked at me like an apprentice. I never knew that until he died. I took Firefly's mask and closed his eyes. He was gone. Storm Shadow and I made the slow trek back to the factory. We had lost a Jungle Viper. More importantly, we had lost a legend among the ranks of Cobra.

[cerpintaxt]

Geez, Drunknmunky what a twist, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love your writing and the story is going great.

[drunknmunky]

The walk back only took about 15 minutes but it felt like an eternity. I held Firefly's mask tight, wondering if I should put it on or not. He was a legend. Through those holes in that mask he had witnessed things that nobody else had ever seen. He was a mercenary, a soldier, a killer. He was destined to die this way. But somehow I was having trouble dealing with it again. Grief. I had been trained for years on how to detach myself from my emotions while on the battlefield. For the first time ever I was failing.
We reached the factory without saying a word to each other. Storm Shadow seemed to be grieving but he never showed emotion. He and Firefly had served Cobra since the name "Cobra" was first uttered. When we got through the factory doors, everyone seemed excited for some reason.
"We've picked up radio contact with Cobra! They have a chopper coming this way to extract us!" Manleh yelled as we first walked in. He took one look at us and knew something was wrong. Nobody asked anything. They knew by the look on our faces and the mask in my hand that things had went horribly wrong.
The radio squealed "We are looking to land at your location however be advised, there are hostile troops about 200 yards from your location". Shit. We needed to clear some space for the chopper to land but at the same time the chopper was going to give away our position.
"Everybody on your feet!" Wraith shouted to our makeshift Viper team "Get to the front of this building and protect that chopper! Cesspool, make sure they do NOT get in here!"
The troops were too busy getting into position to see that Manleh had signaled us out the back door. We could hear the chopper over head. Then the gun fire started. Bullets were flying everywhere out front. The chopper didn't have enough space to land so they hovered as low as they could and tossed us a rope ladder. The chopper was just far enough down to stay out of gunfire from the enemy. For now. Manleh was first up the ladder, Storm Shadow quickly followed. Wraith held the ladder steady for me then followed as I tried to climb as quick as I could. When we got into the chopper we started taking heavy fire. Bullets were ricocheting everywhere around us. I looked out and seen a G.I. Joe team was responsible for the shooting. We were only about 50 feet off the ground when Storm Shadow yelled at the pilot "What are you waiting for?" The pilot responded "what about the others?"
"F**k em. They're not important."
As we began to lift higher, I seen a Joe climbing up to the roof, missle launcher in hand. I couldn't let us get shot down. I grabbed a sniper rifle and aimed down the scope. The Joe picked up his launcher and aimed down the sight. We were eye to eye now. My trigger finger was shaking, vision getting blurred. I fired a single shot. In sniper training, they taught us that the box between the eyes, just above the nose, is the kill zone. No matter what happened, I always aimed there. My memory wouldn't let me forget how to shoot. I laid the rifle down as the Joe dropped to his knees. He was dead before he recognized me. At least I hope so. I'll never forget how to shoot. And I'll never forget the day I killed Salvo. The look on his face as the bullet took his life is forever etched into my mind.

[JoeMama]

oh. I thought this thread was about the creepy guy standing outside my window, finally fessing up, so I could finally ask you why you've been grunting all this time.

[drunknmunky]

I never cared about the people I had killed. It was my job. Sure they probably had kids and families but I didn't care. I wasn't allowed to care. Emotion has no place on the battlefield. But Salvo had a wife. And a son. We exchanged letters during our time in the service. He sent me pictures of his family. They looked happy, almost too happy. They were the perfect family. Not anymore. I just destroyed that. Shit! Get a hold of yourself. Who cares if he had a family? Nobody gave a shit when your family fell apart. My emotions were fighting it out in my head. i know I did the right thing. He was trying to kill me. I just happened to get him first.
I was so busy being upset that I had no clue where the hell we were going. I overheard Storm Shadow talking to the co-pilot. Apparently the Terror Drome in Argentina was completely destroyed so any useful items were long gone. Cobra Commander had gone into hiding due to Destro putting a one million dollar bounty on his head. The co-pilot handed Stor Shadow a rolled up piece of paper. It was our next mission. We needed to get into MARS Industries and kill Destro.
We knew MARS was located in a high rise in Miami. that was the easy part. Problem was you couldn't get within a mile of that place without one of Destro's undercover street agents notifying him. Even if we got to the building we could never get in. I had made a living out of killing high value targets that people said were impossible to get to. Destro would be no different. I knew it would be hours before we even got near Miami but I put on my vest anyways. I was ready. No, not yet. I reached into my backpack and pulled out Firefly's mask. I put it on and immediately felt invincible. NOW I was ready.

[drunknmunky]

The flight to Florida took forever. Apparently we refueled somewhere in Central America while I was sleeping. When we arrived in Florida, we landed at a small airstrip in Tampa. we couldn't get close to Miami so we would have to find our way there. No problems there. Before I joined the Navy I lived in Tampa for a few years. I knew the area well. The chopper landed and the door opened. I grabbed my bags and hopped out, ready to revisit my old neighborhood. In a sense I was home finally. Storm Shadow tossed a duffel bag to me.
"This one isn't mine" I said as I took hold of the heavy bag.
"It is now. Use it wisely. You're on your own. Destro has never seen you. He'll spot one of us in a second."
Then the blades kicked up and the chopper took flight. Once again I felt abandoned. I wondered what Storm Shadow had given me, so I had to open the duffel bag. Inside I found a laptop, a few files, a radio and tons of cash. The cash was in bundles of a thousand and there seemed to be an endless amount. I walked to a convenience store and bought a slim jim and a quart of beer. Been a long time since i had a drink and it was well worth the wait. I found a payphone and called the number of a local limo service. If I was living on Cobra's money than I was gonna live like a king. A while later the limo showed up. The driver looked at me funny as he opened the door for me. I don't blame him. I hadn't shaved or showered in weeks, I was carrying all kinds of crap and I was drinking on the curb. I sat in the back seat, champagne around me, TV's mounted on the walls. Finally, I felt like someone important.
"Where to sir?" asked the driver.
"Miami" i replied.
"Sir that will cost"
Before he could finish I threw a couple stacks of money at him through the divider.
"Wake me up if it's more than that."
I grabbed a bottle of champagne and turned on the TV. "The Hangover" was on. This was living. I fell asleep on the drive, mostly from the alcohol. I awoke as we entered Miami. Bright lights and beautiful women were everywhere. My kind of town. I had the driver take me to a beachfront hotel. When we arrived, I threw some more stacks of cash at the driver. No clue how much it was but he seemed happy. I went to the counter and got a room. this place was pricey. No worries though, it was on Cobra after all. I got into my room but refused to tip the bell hops. They figure since I'm in a suite that I tip well so they sent three guys to carry my three bags. they weren't getting any of my money. I guess I mean Cobra's money. I sat on the bed and opened up the files from the duffel bag. They were profiles on all of Serpentor's top men. Tomax, Xamot, Zartan and a bunch of others. Most importantly there was a very comprehensive profile on Destro. Where he lived, where he shopped, even what clubs he preferred. They even managed to pack in a Cobra Commander wanted poster. Nice. I now had everything I needed to get to Destro. Well almost everything. In the morning, I need to get some new clothes. Maybe Versace....

[drunknmunky]

Morning came and went. I woke up around noon. Lots of drinking the night before. My head felt a few sizes too big but I had business to take care of. I called a local rental car shop and had them delivery me a car. I grabbed my lap top and of course my duffel bag. I headed out to greet the rental car driver, produced a fake license, signed some paper work and was on my way. First on the schedule was new clothes. After heading to an upscale department store, I had a suit in hand. Black with white pin stripes. Versace. I had never even been near a suit this expensive, let alone been wearing it. Matching shoes and I was on my way. Nobody here knew me so I had to make sure that I would leave a huge impression tonight. Another call to a limo company. Had a Maybach lined up to pick me up and drive me to the club. It was time to head back to the hotel. I got cleaned up and was suited up ready to meet Destro. He just didn't know it yet. Twenty Three Hundred hours. Time for me to meet my driver. After a short ride to the club, I booked a VIP suite next to the one Destro was known to frequent. Midnight. Right on time, Destro walks in, accompanied by the Baroness. She was gorgeous. It's a shame I was going to have to kill her. After a while of having expensive bottles sent to my suite, as well as beautiful women coming and going, I had Destro's attention. Now was my chance. I approached his suite but got cut off by his guards. Destro looked over and signaled the guards to let me in. I walked over and had a seat next to Destro, trying to keep my eyes of the Baroness's cleavage pouring out of her tight black dress.
"So what brings you here?" Destro asked me, in a deep, almost robotic voice.
"Business" I replied.
"What kind of business?"
"I kill for a living" I replied, while pulling out a Cobra Commander wanted poster "I'm here to find out how I'm gonna get paid when I kill the Commander."
Destro and the Baroness both laughed.
"What makes you so sure that you can kill the Commander?" asked the Baroness in the sexiest voice I'd ever heard.
"Because it's how I make a living" I answered, hoping Destro couldn't read all the dirty thoughts I was having about the Baroness.
"So far you've done a lot of talking. Why should i even listen to anything else you say?" asked Destro.
I pulled out Firefly's mask and tossed it to Destro. His eyes got wide. I was in.

[LG]

Good read, keep it coming!

[drunknmunky]

Sorry for the delay guys. I've been extremely bust lately. I'm gonna update the story in the next night or two. Thanks again for all your support. Trust me, I'll make it worth the wait....

[Vmar72]

Looking forward to more of the story really got me hooked even gone back and re-read it all from the start. Awesome stuff!!

[jgasbo1]

Sorry for the delay guys. I've been extremely bust lately. I'm gonna update the story in the next night or two. Thanks again for all your support. Trust me, I'll make it worth the wait....

dude no prob - like I said, your writing style is a craft. It would have taken me hours to write one of your passages, and the content would be 1/10th of yours!

[drunknmunky]

"Come with me" Destro said, as he stood up, drink in hand. I stood up, trying hard not to notice the Baroness skirt slowly creeping higher as she stood up. We walked back to another door. A pair of guards stood watch. They parted as Destro approached. We entered the door and came to what appeared to be some kind of office.
"Welcome to my private quarters. This is where all the business deals are made. I need a favor from you" Destro said, smiling like a child with a secret.
"Dear, show our guest the seat". Baroness pulled out a chair for me but before I could sit, I was kicked in the stomach. I dropped to one knee, trying to catch my breath. Apparently Baroness' legs were as lethal as they were sexy. I looked up just in time to see Baroness pull a gun from her stockings.
"you know what I hate worse than a liar like you?" Destro said, as he sat down in his chair across the desk from me "I hate people who can't look me in the eyes but have no problem checking out the Baroness. If you were truly here for business, you wouldn't even notice her. And you're full of shit about Firefly. you didn't kill him. My de Aco trooper did. You are pretty pathetic."
I was screwed. I had no clue what to do. Sure I could get the gun from the Baroness but the guards would kill me the second I fled through the doors. I just had to wait and see what Destro's plans were.
Destro pulled out his cell phone, dialed a few numbers and cracked a smile.
"Yes, it's Destro. Tell Mindbender I have a job for him. I don't care if it's not ready. This subject is expendable."

[drunknmunky]

Destor hung up the phone and immediately 3 guards came in. They wore black outfits, decorated with red and gold. Very intricate designs. They looked out of place, like they were in the wrong century. One of the guards grabbed me by the back of my shirt, lifting me into the air. The others aimed their rifles at me, waiting for me to flinch.
"Take him out the back to the van. Bring him to Mindbender." Destro pushed a button and a previously hidden door was revealed. It open and the guards pushed me out, nearly knocking me on my face. I seen a black van ahead. That was gonna be my taxi to meet this Mindbender. They tossed me in and locked the doors. I was at their mercy now. I heard the doors shut, then the guards talked for a minute. The van started and idled very rough for a minute. Needed time to warm up. Then gun shots rang out. At least four shots. I dove to the floor to avoid getting hit. People were yelling, then a few more shots. The van door slammed and we took off. I had no clue what happened. The van was flying through the streets, tires screaming while we hit corners at full speed. We never stopped so we had to have blown a few lights. About ten minutes into it, the van suddenly stopped. I heard the doors open and people talking. I was in there for a good five minutes. Then the doors swung open. We weren't at Mindbender's. We were on the beach. I couldn't believe who I saw.....

[jgasbo1]

Damn cliffhanger!!!!

[drunknmunky]

"I think we need to talk. You seem to know way too much about everyone. I know they sent you here to kill Destro. I want to help you complete that objective."
I couldn't believe what I just heard. The Baroness was offering to help me kill Destro.
"Why the hell would you do that?" I asked, trying to find her angle.
"Why does it matter to you? I will pay you, the Commander won't know and he will pay you. You're only in this for money right?
She had a point. But I still couldn't trust her.
"Let's get in the car" She said, as we walked over to a parked black Maserati. We got in and began to drive.
"I am meeting Destro for dinner tonight. You will kill him when we leave. I will pay you five hundred thousand dollars. If you fail, I will kill you and look like a hero to Destro."
"I have to ask why. This feels like a set up. How do I know you're not just gonna bring me right back to him and kill me there?" I asked her as we sped through the bright lights of South Beach. The car came to a screeching halt.
"Get out now then if you'd like. Either you make the money or you get to go back and tell the Commander you're a failure. Your choice." She stared at me for a few moments. I didn't flinch. For some reason I trusted her. She smiled at me and mashed the gas pedal. The tires let out a scream as the rubber tried to grip the pavement, smoke pouring out as they begged for traction.
We arrived at the back of an upscale restaurant and parked underneath a dimly lit street light.
"Do you have a gun on you?" she asked.
"Of course not, Destro's henchmen took it from me after you beat my ass."
"Oh yes. Sorry about that. There's a nice arsenal in the trunk. Use what you would like but make sure you keep the weapon after you use it. It cannot be found."
"No problem" I said, as a grin slowly crept across my face. This was gonna be fun.
"I will go in and eat with him. He should be arriving soon. You are to stay out of sight when he pulls in. You kill him only when we leave. He will not be wearing his mask. He doesn't wear it out because he can blend in while we are out. Few know what he looks like without it. After you kill him, we will go get your money."
She handed me the keys and walked off. She opened the door and vanished. Now it was my turn to do the same. I walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk. Plenty of MARS weaponry to choose from. I grabbed an M-4 and a Glock and made my way to the roof. Time to wait for Destro.

[drunknmunky]

I sat atop the adjacent building, being sure to stay out of sight, yet still maintain a visual of the rear door. A few cars pulled up but none appeared to be Destro. I didn't really know what he looked like but I was pretty sure I would know him when he pulled up. If I didn't I would still see him leave with Baroness and be able to take him out. Almost an hour past before a black Hummer pulled up. A dark haired man got out. Very sharply dressed. He got out and tucked a gun under his shirt. This could be Destro. He opened the rear door and headed in. I hopped down onto a dumpster and got into position. I hid inside the Baroness' Maseratti, door slightly cracked so I wouldn't make noise opening it. I waited.
A few hours later it was pitch black out. All the clubs had shut down and nothing was visible in the alley. Then it happened. The door opened and I saw the silhouette of a man and woman. Baroness and Destro. They made their way towards the black Hummer. I slowly opened the door and crept towards them. I could here them talking. It was about business. Even when they go out together it is still about business. They finished talking and parted ways. Strange. No hug, not even a kiss. Oh well, he's gonna wish he had kissed her with his last moments. I walked up behind him. He turned, perhaps hoping it was Baroness coming back for him. It wasn't. It was a Glock 40, aimed right at his head. One shot to the head breaks the dead silence of the night. A second shot tears through his heart. He was already dead. The second shot was for him beating my ass and trying to have me killed. Baroness jumped into the Maseratti, I followed closely behind. Both doors slammed and we drove into the darkness. Baroness had a smile on her face the whole time. She didn't even seem to care Destro was dead. Maybe their relationship wasn't what we thought it was. Maybe it was strictly business. Everyone had assumed they were a couple. Not anymore.
"Well done" she said, first words she had spoken since we had fled the scene "now we will go get your reward money."
"You didn't even care about him did you?" I asked. Normally I wouldn't care, business is business. But this had me stumped.
"Why would I care. He was just a business associate" then she laughed "That's right, you think you killed Destro. That wasn't Destro you fool. That was Tomax. Destro and I were trying to strike a deal with Extensive Enterprises. They would hire MARS Industries to provide them with security and arms. That would then translate to other Fortune 500 companies also choosing MARS. It could've been a billion dollar move for MARS. However, Tomax was against this. So we had to have him killed. Now his brother, fearing that the man who murdered Tomax will try to also murder him, will have to hire MARS. Then the other companies will have to follow due to the CEOs being afraid to get whacked. Destro knows nothing of this plan and that's how we shall keep it. If he knew I saved you he would likely have me killed. But you will never tell and I was never there."
This was one smart bitch. She played me. Normally I was smarter than this. I never seen it coming. However I had to turn it into a positive. I was getting a half mill for doing the job.
We kept driving until we stopped behind a van parked on the side of the road. I pulled my gun, ready for a set up. Baroness laughed. "We are just here for your money, that's it. You held up your end of the deal, now I hold up mine."
She reached for the read doors of the van. I aimed my rifle inside as the doors swung open. Nothing but a briefcase inside. She reached in and grabbed it, opened it up and turned it towards me. There it was. A half million dollars.
"Now we are even, yes?" she asked. Not quite. I raised my rifle towards her and aimed at her head.
"You bastard! We had a deal!" She screamed. She knew what was going to happen next. I let off about six rounds. Blood sprayed the inside of the van. I picked up her lifeless body and shoved it into the van. Grabbed my briefcase and got into the Maseratti. We had a deal. I killed for her, she gave me the money. We both held up our deal. But I also had a deal with the Commander. I pulled my notepad from my pocket and crossed Baroness off my hit list. Now time to go back to my hotel room to gather the rest of my money and get the hell out of town for a while.

[thealleyviper]

I just read the whole thing from the beginning to your latest entry.
Absolutely epic, Drunkn. Turn it into a book!

[drunknmunky]

Driving through the streets, I couldn't help but wonder how I got tricked by the Baroness. I should've known it was a set up as soon as she said Destro wouldn't be wearing a mask. No time to think about that now. I needed to get my money and the rest of my shit from the hotel room. I hadn't heard from the Commander in days. I really hope nothing had happened. He's safe. I'm sure of it.
I arrived back at my hotel room and decided to call it a night. I threw my briefcase from the Baroness next to the case the Commander had given me. It's funny, I have all the money I could ever want, yet I'm still not happy. I'm only happy when I'm out there doing my job. I need the rush. The money just serves as a reminder as to how good I am at my job. I turned on the T.V. as I always do and went to sleep. Tomorrow was another day. Another contract.
I woke up the next morning and began watching the news. The murders were the hot story of course. Two of the wealthiest business people in the country were now murdered. Police have no leads. But they have their theories. The public was unaware of the breakup of Cobra. So seeing two of Cobra's High Command go down in the same night pointed to one thing- G.I. Joe. People had long suspected MARS and Extensive Enterprises as being Cobra supporters but there was never really any proof. MARS had so many advances in science that people were willing to overlook them dealing arms as long as it meant more medical advances. Extensive Enterprises owned charities all over the country, sending children in foreign countries to doctors. Both were just fronts to funnel money to their illegal schemes, as well as get new recruits for Cobra. It's easy to convince someone who is dying that Cobra can cure them. Next thing they know they are a brainwashed trooper or one of Mindbender's monsters. The people are not gonna stand for this. They're gonna turn on the Joe team. It's just a matter of time.
I grabbed my bags and checked out of the hotel. I left the Maseratti in the parking lot. No need to be driving in a stolen car belonging to a dead woman. I got a cab and told him bring me to the nearest Harley dealer. It was time for a change. I had to become someone else in order to stay under the radar.

[mr pawn]

a really good story,good deal

[drunknmunky]

I hit the Harley dealer with a pair of briefcases full of money and a plan. I knew I couldn't fly because I had no I.D. I needed a bike. It would be compact enough to hide and fast enough to get away when I needed to. I picked out a custom chopper, a leather jacket and no helmet. I paid cash of course, then hit the road.
It was hot as hell outside and my jacket wasn't helping. It was ok though. Soon enough I would be heading to Atlanta. Cobra had offices there. I knew I could get ahold of the Commander from there. I headed North up a strip near the Everglades known as alligator alley. Gators are known to be there all the damn time. I had my guns in my duffel bag just in case but I really didn't feeling like fighting a gator.
I rode for a few minutes, dodging the occasional gator carcass. Nobody drives on this rode. It's pretty much just me with the wind in my hair and not a care in the world.
Suddenly I heard the roar of engines. Motorcycles, maybe five of them, behind me and moving in close. I punched it, but I knew my bike wouldn't outrun them. They moved in close and I got my pistol ready. Wouldn't be able to fire my rifle from my bike. They surrounded me but I didn't fire. I wanted to make sure what was going down.
They had all kinds of weapons but none that made sense. There was a blonde guy with a damn chainsaw, some bearded guy with a torch and I shit you not one of them was dressed like a pirate. I slowed down and didn't know what to do. Were these guys for real? As I slowed, one of them threw a chain out and knocked me off my bike. My gun went flying, along with my duffel bags. I landed hard on the pavement, the impact knocking the wind out of me. I struggled to get up. I needed my gun. I glanced up just in time to see the blonde cutting my bike in half with his chainsaw. This wasn't gonna be good. The bearded guy walked over to me with a smile on his face. I could see my bloody reflection in his mirrored glasses. He kicked me in the ribs. I drop like a brick back down to the scorching pavement. Nobody would find me if I died out here. The gators would eat my corpse before anyone even knew I was dead. Not that anyone would care. Another kick to the ribs. I felt at least one of them crack. It was getting hard to breathe now.
"What are you doing on Dreadnok turf? What gang are you from?" the Blonde asked. His accent seemed British, possibly Australian. Another kick. I chose the wrong outfit to wear apparently. I tried to get up but was met with a punch to the face. I glanced over in the weeds, dazed and bloody. I noticed a gator coming out of the swamp. I'm sure I will fill him up when they leave. Suddenly more gators come out. They must know it's almost feeding time.
"Grab the shit and get out of here!" the bearded one yells. They grab one of my briefcases and take of. Son of a bitch. That was the case with my rifle and the money Baroness gave me. Who cares, I wouldn't need it in a few minutes anyways. I guess the gators scared them off. I accepted my fate and laid on the pavement. I just hope I'm dead when they eat me. I start to black out. I swear I see someone leaning over me. Can't be. I must be seeing things. The pain and the heat are too much. They're causing me to have hallucinations. I black out completely.

[drunknmunky]

Bright lights shining down in my face, barely able to keep my eyes open. That's the first thing I remember when I woke up. Then came the pain. I began to panic. The pain was unbearable. I was chained down to a table, tubes going coming from all out of my body. I was bruised and battered from getting my ass kicked by those bikers. I thought for sure I had a concussion and was just hallucinating. But this pain was too real. I tried to scream but a mask over my face prevented any sound from coming out. I had no clue where I was but I didn't care, I just needed to escape. Alive. I struggled to get myself out but it only made the pain worse. As I squirmed to get loose, a man walked in and began to look me over, almost examining me. He was a slim, bald man wearing a monocle. I screamed for him to let me go but he just smiled and walked away. Then, in came two Cobra Soldiers. One walked up to me and slammed the butt of his rifle into my stomach, taking my breath away and pissing me off at the same time. The second walked over to a panel on the wall and flipped a switch. My body instantly locked up as electricity shot through my body. I couldn't even move as every muscle seemed to have a mind of its own. It lasted for about 10 seconds then stopped. My body went limp. I was too battered to continue struggling. I wanted them to just kill me. I knew that this was only the beginning. It was going to get far worse.I looked up and could see the bald man behind a glass panel above me, watching everything with a bit of a smile. I looked up at him and cracked a smile to let him know I seen him. SMASH! The butt of a rifle collided with my jaw, I thought for sure it was broken. I began spitting up blood into the oxygen mask. the trooper ripped it off of me. He needed me alive. I looked up at the glass again and the man looked down and smiled at me. I couldn't smile back, my jaw wasn't able to move. Then he turned around with a look of surprise. Blood splattered the window and the man dropped out of sight. What the hell was happening? Gun shots could be heard outside the door. The troopers ran for the entrance to the room, only to have the door open in front of them. An arrow pierced one of the trooper's throats. He grabbed at his neck as blood sprayed and he took his last breath. Before the other trooper could even raise his gun, his head was separated from his neck. His body collapsed on top of his fellow trooper. In the doorway stood my rescuer. At least I hoped he was there to save me.

[The Delta]

need more.

[drunknmunky]

"We must go now. The Commander is waiting" Storm Shadow said as he sheathed his bloody blade. I could barely walk from the torture I had been through. He helped me stand up and assisted me out of the lab and into a waiting SUV. A trooper was driving while Storm Shadow made me up some sort of drink that he said would help reduce the pain. I hadn't slept in days. The pain was so bad and while being tortured they wouldn't let me sleep. I laid my head down on the door panel and went to sleep almost instantly.
I awoke many hours later, feeling like I was on top of the world. Whatever Storm Shadow had given me must have worked. When the SUV stopped, we all got out and followed Storm Shadow. We were at an old building that looked to have been abandoned for years. We walked through a maze of hallways before getting to a heavily guarded room. We entered the door and there was the commander. He was no longer looking like the man he once was. He looked defeated, worn down. Maybe this split in Cobra had finally gotten to him. He looked up and me and just gazed blankly at me.
"What happened down there?" he asked me.
I told him the story of how I killed Tomax on accident then I killed Baroness. I told him how I had taken the money but had been beaten and robbed by bikers.
"You idiot!" He screamed, I knew shit was gonna hit the fan "You kill the wrong person, then have the nerve to kill the Baroness? Why would you piss off the most powerful gun runner in the world? When he realizes it was you, I will deny any knowledge of you. In fact, why don't I do us both a favor and just end this now?!"
He pulled out a gun from his top drawer. He walked around the desk, gun pointed at me the whole time.
"I'm gonna kill you so I don't have to look over my shoulder wondering if that metal headed freak is gonna try to kill me for your fuck up! Then I will look like the hero again and I can start buying arms from MARS again!"
I did fuck up. I knew this. Now I was going to die for my mistake.

[drunknmunky]

As he walked over, I stood tall. Even while looking death in the face I wouldn't go out like a coward. Hell I was going to die either way. Why not just go out on my feet. As he lifted the gun to my head, a large monitor behind his desk came on.
"Commander!" a loud voice boomed. Cobra Commander nearly dropped the gun. He turned around to see Destro on the screen.
"What do you want Destro? Haven't you ruined my life enough?"
"As you know Commander, my dear Baroness was murdered by some cowardly pussy who shot her in the back and stuffed her in a van."
"Yes I heard Destro, you have my condolences"
"Shut it Commander. You know better than to interrupt me. I had assumed that it was someone form Serpentor's army. I was going to merge with Extensive Enterprises. this would allow MARS to provide personal security to Fortune 500 companies around the globe. Serpentor was against this, so he had Tomax and Baroness killed. He was afraid that if we merged than I wouldn't need his money anymore. When I confronted him he denied it of course. However, Zartan sent some of his Dreadnok goons down to my warehouse to purchase some guns and ammunition. They paid me with a briefcase of cash. I recognized the briefcase as belonging to the Baroness and when I scanned the money, the serial numbers matched the money Baroness had taken out. I lost it and had my guards kill all five of the bikers, then I sent the surveilence tape to Zartan and Serpentor. They crossed the line. They need to die for what they've done. And I need you help Commander. I will supply your army with anything you need, as long as you promise me I get to kill those bastards myself."
"You have a deal Destro!" The Commander said, with new life in his voice. The screen went blank and the Commander seemed to have forgotten that he was wanting me dead just 2 minutes before. I can't believe the Drednoks that robbed me tried to use the stolen money to buy goods from Destro. It couldn't have worked out any better. The Commander was going to have revenue flowing back in, Destro was backing us with everything he had. Plus I was still alive. Turns out getting my ass kicked by some bikers was the best thing that happened to me.

[drunknmunky]

I'm sure the Commander was all smiles behind that chrome shield of his. Destro was now back on board and the guns would start moving again. But he had no idea just how good his day would turn out. He sat down in his chair that was so ornate, it might as well have been a throne. He put his feet up on his desk and seemed to be more relaxed then I had ever seen him. That's when Darklon came through the door.
"I haven't received my payment yet, Commander" he said while he stared me down with a look that, had I gotten else where, would have resulted in an immediate fight.
"You will have the money as soon as the job is done. You know how it goes."
"The job is done. Everything fell into place perfectly."
The Commander stood up and reached for the TV remote on his desk. The TV came on and the media was all over it. There's no way this is happening. How the hell did Darklon get close enough to do it? We all watched the TV, a smile came upon Darklon's face as the reporter announced it.
"Thanks Ron. We're here at the scene now where it appears that the G.I. Joe leader, General Conrad Hauser, better known as Duke, has been killed. Details are still coming in but it does appear that the organization known as Cobra is behind it. It truly is a sad day, not just for the Joe team but also for us as a nation. One of the most decorated soldiers of our time, killed today, at the age of 51."

[drunknmunky]

Duke had been leading the G. I. Joe team for a while. General Hawk had retired many years ago, leaving Stalker in command. Stalker was a great leader, giving Cobra so much trouble that there were rumors that the Commander was almost killed by one of the many raids on Cobra strongholds. Stalker even led a team that had captured Destro. But money talks, as they say, and Destro was able to get out of jail on probation because they didn't have enough evidence to prove that James McCullen was in fact Destro. Stalker ended up being discharged from the team for kidnapping Destro and holding him captive in a secret location. It was a PR move because many had thought that Stalker's methods weren't "legal" and that he had on multiple occasions violated the Geneva Convention. Duke was the goody two shoes that the Joes knew could bring back their public image. Duke had succeeded in that, however some Joes felt that he was too weak compared to Stalker. Duke had to do everything by the book. That's how Cobra was always ahead of the Joe team. We had an insider in the Department of Defense. That's how we knew the Joe's every move before it happened. That's how Darklon knew where Duke would be. Duke was on his way to a meeting with the Oktober Guard's leader Colonel Brekhov. The security was always super tight wherever Duke went. However, we learned through our insider that Duke usually rode in a non-armored vehicle without security. He figured he would send dummy cars with tons of security out from the base, then he would be flown to another location and drive to the meetings. He had been doing this for years apparently, so it was a sound strategy. We had hit his convoys before, yet never managed to hit him. Now we knew why. Our informer told us which vehicle Duke would be riding in and where it was. According to Darklon, he found the vehicle and rigged a killswitch and GPS onto it. Then while Duke was driving on his own down the back roads, Darklon activated the killswitch. Duke immediately knew something was wrong as he ran to the trunk to get his assault rifle out. It was too late. Darklon pulled up next to him and unloaded nearly a full clip into Duke. Darklon got out and placed a piece of red fabric with the Crimson Guard patch sewn on into Duke's hand. This made it look like Duke had struggled and with his last heroic breath, grabbed a clue for his comrades. This would hopefully lead the Joes to attacking Serpentor, thus allowing us to build our arms, as well as get a plan in place to take down Serpentor once and for all.

[drunknmunky]

With Duke dead, rumors flew over who the Joes would put in command. Many were saying it would be Beachhead. He was next in line, however he was much like Stalker, insisting on getting things done by any means necessary. Some thought it could be Scarlet, but she was nearing retirement age herself. Cobra Commander seemed to think that Wet Suit would take the reins. Wet Suit was a war hero but I had my doubts. The only thing we knew for sure was Duke's funeral would be in a few days. Time enough for us to put a plan in motion. We heard through our informant that the Joes would announce their new leader after the funeral. I guess they figured it would help the team move forward if they knew they had an asked leader at the helm. We knew this would be the perfect time to hit them. Nobody would be ready for an attack. Sure they had tons of security but it wasn't the Joes. They used a team called the Steel Brigade as security. These guys were basically Joes in training. But they weren't on the level with the Joes. And they sure as hell weren't on my level. One we get passed them, it would be nothing but us against a cemetery of Joes. It seemed quite fitting. At least when I got done with them they wouldn't have to move the bodies. Just dig a hole and throw them in. I met with Destro and Cobra Commander and we went over the plan. Destro offered one of his most trusted body guards to assist me. They called him the Iron Grenadier. He was the original. Stories were told for years about how bad ass this guy was. He had to have been near his fifties if the stories were true. Nevertheless, I was happy to have him by my side as we left under the cover of darkness. Shit wad going to hit the fan tomorrow. The Joes were finally going to be destroyed.

[Trooper618]

this is friggen awesome man keep it comming.

[drunknmunky]

I packed up my shit and got ready to leave. I made sure to load my pistol that I kept in my boot. I never trusted anyone when I went on a mission. Plus I wanted to make sure that I had a last resort with me, so if I got caught I could either fight my way out or take myself out in order to not be captured.
I met the IG in the vehicle compound. He was waiting in full head to toe body armor. This guy looked like a menace. He was carrying a gun that would look more at home hanging from the bottom of a chopper. This was supposed to be a covert mission but this fucker was ready to go toe to toe with a Mauler tank... and win.
We hopped in a specially modified Steel Crusher, armored from top to bottom. We drive out under the cover of darkness, not knowing what awaited us. About an hour into our drive, we met up with a team of Shock Troopers near a truck stop.
"i was unaware that we would have support on this mission" I said as I stared at the Shockers getting their gear on.
"you don't know shit about this mission. Your orders were to go with me. That's it. You do everything I say and you MIGHT make it out alive. "
What the hell was going on? Where were we heading and why did we need Shock Troopers? I couldn't ask but in the back of my mind I just kept telling myself that this was just another mission.
We departed the truck stop, Shockers following closely behind. We only drove about 10 minutes before we stopped. We were in front of a nice two story house. The street looked like something out of a movie. Before I could even take it all in, the Shockers were moving. IG jumped out and stayed behind them. I followed close behind, not knowing what exactly was going on.
BANG!
A Shocker smashed the door down.
BANG!
A flash grenade blows up inside the house. These guys were trained better than aby SWAT team i had ever seen. They all formed a barrier in front of the door, not yet ready to enter the house. The IG moved up slowly. He walked in between the Shockers and looked around. Then he fired.
I covered my ears as he unleashed hell upon the house. The mini gun fired hundreds of rounds, tearing through walls, doors, cabinets. Pictures on the walls were falling, papers flying. This lasted a good 30 seconds. Then it stopped, the barrel still smoking, trying to slow down. I went to stand up and stepped on a picture of a man in fatigues. " Sgt. Conrad Hauser" it read. Holy shit, we were at Duke's house. That's when we heard screams coming from the 2nd floor.

[Trooper618]

more please?

[KingBiohazerd]

Dude this story is awesome

[drunknmunky]

need more.

this is friggen awesome man keep it comming.

more please?

Dude this story is awesome

Thanks for all your kind words guys. I almost gave up on it (after it had been over a month and I honestly forgot what the hell was even going on) but it's comments like this that keep me writing it. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad that people are not only reading it but also apparently enjoying it.

[drunknmunky]

We all paused for a second. Then the screams came again. I looked at the Shockers and knew I had to make my move. I ran as fast as I could up the stairs, IG yelling for me to stop and let the Shockers through. I got upstairs and made my way down the hallway. I could hear people talking. I took out my pistol, not knowing what to expect. At the end of the hallway was a closed door. I heard someone crying. Then a women talking. It was a mother trying to calm her child.
"It's ok baby. The bad men don't know we're here."
I turned the door knob but it was locked. I heard the mother tell the child to be quiet and don't move. I was debating on what to do when I noticed the Shockers were already in place behind me.
"They're in there. I'm going to take care of them" I asserted the Shock Troopers. They didn't give a shit. They didn't have to listen to me but they honestly had no idea who was in command. IG sat back and watched me, testing me to see how I would handle this. I told them I would be right out. I reached up onto the door frame. There was the tiny key to the lock. I unlocked the door and opened it slowly, not knowing what to expect. I walked in and closed the door behind me. Nobody needed to see what was going to happen. I seen the mother and her young son hiding in the corner. I knew I would regret what I was about to do but it had to be done. I cocked my pistol and fired a single shot.....

[drunknmunky]

The mother and child screamed.
"You already killed Conrad you bastards! What do you want with us?! We didn't do shit to you! Leave us.."
I covered her mouth and whispered in her ear
"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I am going to get you and your son out of here. When I fired my gun again, you open the window as quick as you can, got it?"
She just nodded, not knowing if I was telling the truth or not. But fear has a way of making people do things. I fired another shot. She opened the window. Perfect timing. I was sure the IG hadn't heard a thing.
"Now jump out the damn window. It's your only chance"
"I.. I can't. Please let my son go first. Please. I'm begging you!"
Tears were streaming down her cheeks. But time was now becoming a factor. They wouldn't stay out there forever.
"You need to jump out the window honey. Please, do it for Mommy."
"I can't Mommy, I'm scared! What about you? Where are you going to be?"
"I'm going to be right behind you sweetie. I promise"
The young boy was only about 8 or 10 years old. He was Duke's son. But he had a problem.
"Mommy I'm afraid of heights! I can't do it!"
"Yes you can! You have to. As soon as you jump, Mommy will be right behind you"
But he didn't jump. He didn't have time. The door behind us smashed open, sending wood splinters flying everywhere.
"What the fuck is going on in here?" The IG screamed. He knew I wasn't doing what I said I would. He looked at the two bullet holes in the floor, then at the open window. That's when he raised his mini gun up. I heard it start to spool. The sound was unmistakable. I grabbed the kid and we dove out the window. We hit the ground hard but had no time to slow. I heard the mini gun begin to unleash hell above us. Then I heard the woman scream. But only for a second. She was gone before we had even hit the ground. I grabbed the kid over my shoulder and begin running towards the front of the house. I knew my only way out was with the Steel Crusher.I could hear the mini gun lighting up the house behind us as we ran. I was just hoping we didn't get hit. As we made it to the driveway I opened up the door and threw the kid across the front seat. The IG had left the keys in the ignition. Who the hell would have bothered this truck? Plus it's not like he had pockets to put them in. I turned the keys, slammed it in reverse and put it to the floor, turned a 180 and threw it into drive as I tore through about four different front yards. I could hear gunfire all around us. I made sure the kid was unhurt as we sped away.
I had no clue where we were going but I didn't care. All I wanted was to get to safety. But now that I had betrayed Cobra and I had basically kidnapped the former G.I. Joe commander's son, would I ever truly find safety? I couldn't just sit around and watch them execute this kid. I just couldn't do it. I've done some bad shit in my life but harming a child pushes the boundary. I have no problem killing someone who has all the intentions of killing me but I can't harm someone who just had both parents executed within a few days. This kid had been through more shit in the last 48 hours then most go through in their life. I had to save his life. But that was a decision that would ultimately cost me my life...

[samantha]

Your story is very good. I am glad you came back to finish it. Oh, and the sig. picture is very cool. :)

[Trooper618]

hope this is not the end

[drunknmunky]

hope this is not the end

The end may or may not be far away. I want to end it soon but at the same time people seem to not want it to end. However, when it does end, I will be starting a new thread that will be basically a continuation of the story. I want to do one focusing on the Joe side, but I am still debating on who the main character will be. I'm not sure if I want to use an existing character or create a new character (like I did in this story).
I appreciate all the positive responses that I have received from my fellow Tankers. I just hope that if I do start another story that you guys will not just follow it, but hopefully enjoy it even more.

[drunknmunky]

I had no idea where to go. I just kept driving. Problem was I had no clue how to get out of this suburban hell. Every road seemed to look exactly the same as the others with no end in sight. The kid spoke up, scared as ever, probably thinking I was going to kill him
"If you're trying to get out, you need to make a left turn at the next stop sign. You already passed it but I didn't know where you were taking me, sir."
"I'm not taking you. I'm just..." Shit. I was taking him. But where? Where the hell would I bring this kid? Soon I was going to have Cobra all over me and the Joes trying to find who kidnapped Duke's son. Not to mention the cops would be here any second. There really was no safe place.
I made a left at the stop sign. The first thing to do was to get as far away as possible. I didn't want the kid to feel scared so I started some small talk.
"So what's your name kid?"
"Brent. Brent Scott."
That didn't seem to make sense but I had to do a little digging.
"So you're Duke's son huh?"
"No sir. My parents died in a car wreck when I was three. Mr. Hauser and his wife adopted me after that. They said they couldn't have kids. Mrs. Hauser was my Mom's best friend, so when my parent's died she jumped at the chance to adopt me. Well, at least that's how they told me."
Holy shit. This kid had his parents killed when he was young, now he just watched his adopted mother die and had his adopted father killed a few days earlier? What a fucked up world we live in.
"You seem to be pretty smart for your age Brent. What grade are you in?"
"10th grade sir. I just turned 15. I know, I'm small for my age. It's ok though, Dad.. I mean Duke used to always tell me that I would catch up to everyone else soon. Still waiting for that to happen."
I had to chuckle a little. This kid looked like he was 10 years old and 95 pounds.
He looked at me for a second, then turned away. He stared down at the passenger floor mat, then softly asked
"You're not going to hurt me are you?"
"Absolutely not Brent. I actually am going to take you to safety. But right now there's not many safe places for me."
"Mr. Wilkinson lives there" Brent said, as he pointed to a large two story building. The grass was perfect. Escalade parked in the driveway. I debated it for a second. My best bet would be to drop the kid off. At least that way the Joes might lay off me just a bit. I might be able to dodge Cobra or the Joes, but certainly not both.
I pulled a U-turn and approached Stalker's house. I parked parallel to the house, wheels slightly in the grass.
"Here you go buddy. You can go hang out with Mr. Wilkinson for a while. Is that ok?"
He shrugged his shoulders a bit but reached for the door handle. He opened the door, got out and shut it behind him, never even looking back. He walked slowly up the driveway, depression clearly setting in. I could see him crying, wiping the tears with the sleeve of his shirt. I've watched more men killed then I care to remember. I have killed more men than I remember. Yet this moment stands as one of the most emotional times in my life. It was at this moment that I realized that everything I had done had affected so many people. Every time I pulled that trigger, I left some kid without a father. A mother without a son. What the hell had cause me to be this way? Was it the SEaL training? Was it the money the Commander offered up? Was it my selfishness of thinking that the government hated me for not trying to rescue me? Fuck I hate moments like this. My brain gets racing and I lose track of what is in front of me. I needed to get the hell out of here as quickly as I could. Too bad I left little Brent because he obviously knew his way around the town better than I did. All I could do was point the wheel and hope it takes me to safety.

[drunknmunky]

After a few minutes I got to a familiar setting. I was only about 15 minutes away from the Cobra base. It was time to put a plan in motion. I needed to work my way back into Cobra. He needed me and he knew it. Once I was back in, I could put my plan in motion. I was going to kill Cobra Commander.
I looked for a hotel, hoping to get some sleep. I had a plan but I wasn't sure if it was as good as I thought it was, or if the lack of sleep and pure adrenaline were clouding my vision. I parked the Steel Crusher about a half mile from the nearest hotel. I didn't need that thing leading Cobra right to me.
I grabbed my shit out of the back and hobbled towards the hotel. I was pretty sure my ankle was broken from the fall out the window earlier, but there was no time for pain. If I was spotted by anyone from Cobra, I would be shot on sight.
I finally made it to the hotel, checked in and made my way towards my room. I swiped my card through the reader, it beeped and the door was unlocked. As I turned the handle I was shoved from behind. Someone grabbed me by my neck and covered my mouth with their hand. I felt a gun to the back of my head.
"Shut the fuck up, get into the room and sit your ass down"
All I could do was cooperate. He led me straight ahead and turned on the light behind him. He shoved me away towards the bed. Now was my chance. I grabbed the gun in my boot, turned and aimed right for his head. But I couldn't pull the trigger.
"Sit your ass down and shut up. We need to go over some shit."
There's no way. My eyes had to have been playing tricks on me.
"You're dead man. I seen it with my own eyes!"
"You seen what I wanted you to see." It was Firefly. He wasn't dead after all.
"How the hell did you make it?"
"I'm going to explain everything. There's going to be some shit you don't want to here.I found you here by using the GPS on your Steel Crusher. Those systems are so out of date a 10 year old with a lap top can hack them. While we were in South America, I learned there was a traitor in our ranks. I wasn't sure who it was but somehow Serpentor knew our every move. I won't lie, I thought it could've been you. Nothing personal. You know there's nobody we can trust. I faked my own death so I could uncover as much shit as I could. It took me a long time. I followed so many dead ends that I started to give up. Every mission was a set up. Cobra Commander knew we wouldn't all make it out alive. He knew that we might kill our target but he didn't intend for us to get out alive. He never authorized the assassination of Duke. That was Destro. It pissed Cobra Commander off so much but he used it to his advantage. He figured he would tell you that your mission was to hit Duke's funeral. In reality, he was going to send you to kill Duke's family and frame you for the murder. You would be shot right after the family was executed. It was to look like a murder suicide. The I.G.even had a suicide note made for you. It was some sad story about how you wanted to be a Joe so bad but Duke wouldn't let you in so you took your vengance out on him. Even I admit, the plan was pretty good. But you stopped it because you had enough honor to save a young boy. I wanted to warn you before but I couldn't track you down. Cobra Commander was using you. You were just another pawn in his game. The guy is a sick fuck. We need to take him out. We can do it. I trust you. The question is do you trust me?"
I had always trusted Firefly. The guy saved my life more than once. I couldn't believe that I had been set up and was too naive to figure it out. I thought I meant something to the organization. I didn't mean shit to them. It was time for payback.
"We hit them tomorrow, Firefly" I said as we shook hands.
He just cracked a smile under his mask
"You and me. We can kill Cobra Commander once and for all".

[jgasbo1]

Dude, once again awesome story...I will eagerly await the ending to this one and the start of your next!!! Bravo!!!

[Trooper618]

Excellent when is the end coming.

[drunknmunky]

Excellent when is the end coming.

I'm building up the suspense :)

Seriously though I really want to finish this soon. Maybe this weekend I will get around to it.

[drunknmunky]

I gathered up my guns and a knife and left the rest of my stuff in the hotel room. I only brought the essentials, only what I knew I would need. Firefly and I left the hotel room and jumped in his Hummer. He knew all the secret ways to get into the Cobra HQ. The guy practically helped build Cobra. He has been here since day one. I wasn't sure why, after all these years, he had finally turned against the Commander but I didn't care to ask. This shit was personal. Nobody puts a hit out on me, especially someone who was supposed to have my back.
We drove for a while and wound up near a small creek. Firefly was supposed to be dead so if we just walked to the front door the guards would know something was up. Firefly informed me that the creek led to a drainage system that led directly to the Cobra HQ. We were going to get there but it wasn't going to be pretty. I rolled my pant legs up and began wading through the creek towards the opening. Firefly just hopped in. He had done this before so it didn't even bother him. I followed behind him for a few minutes before we came upon a ladder. It led up about 30 feet. We climbed it and eventually reached the top. Firefly pushed open the hatch slowly. He peeked out to make sure there was nobody around. The coast was clear so he climbed out. I followed tight behind him. I had no clue where we were going so if something were to happen I wanted to be as close to Firefly as possible. As I got out, I realized we were in the boiler room. There was equipment everywhere.
"There's an A/C unit up ahead. The duct work leads right to Cobra Commander's office. I designed it that way. It was supposed to be an escape route for the Commander but as Cobra expanded and the technology got better, we kept improving on things. Now He has about 5 different ways out of there, but trust me, he's not getting out of any of them". Firefly knew his shit. I had no reason to doubt him. We both went over out gear to make sure we were ready. This could get messy if we weren't prepared for whatever was waiting for us. Well, actually I hope they aren't waiting for us.
We made our way to the air duct. There was a secret side door on the side, had to have been the escape hatch for the Commander. We open the door and climbed inside. There was barely enough room to crawl through but at least it was cool while we were in there. I closed the door behind us and we entered complete darkness. Firefly had no problem seeing in the dark, he always carried his flip down NV goggles. Me on the other hand, I couldn't see shit. I had to feel Firefly's boots in order to know where I was going. After what seemed like an eternity in the darkness, I finally seen a little light ahead. I knew the light had to be the Commander's office. As we got closer, I could hear people talking but I didn't know who it was.
At the end of the tunnel we could see quite a bit due to the light coming through the vent. The was a ladder ahead of us that I assumed dropped down as part of the escape plan. I looked down through the vent and seen the Commander talking to someone. I couldn't see who it was but his voice sounded familiar. I leaned closer and nearly let out a gasp. The Commander was talking to Stalker. But Stalker was just sitting there on the other side of his desk. He wasn't a prisoner, he looked like he was a business partner. Relaxed, hands behind his head, not a care in the world. What the fuck was going on? I whispered to Firefly
"We've got to make a move"
"Not yet. We need to see what's going on".
"Bullshit, we need to get in there and figure out what there are planning!"
I looked back down and seen Stalker and Cobra Commander standing up.
"So do we have a deal Commander?" Stalker asked as he extended his hand towards the Commander.
"I've seen enough! We've got to move" I was done waiting for Firefly. He looked back up and me, this time the pistol pointed at my face. What the hell was his problem? I grabbed the gun from him, trying to wrestle it free. He fought back and we rolled around in the duct. He hit me in the face, breaking my nose in the process. Blood was all over my face and eyes. I tried to grab something to get leverage and hopefully get up. Apparently what I grabbed was the ladder release. We both fell through the duct as the metal below us opened up. We landed on the table, splitting it in half. I was barely conscience and having trouble breathing, I know a few ribs were cracked.
The Commander and Stalker jumped out of the way before we crashed into the table. The Commander began screaming and before I knew it Stalker had hold of him. My face was covered in blood and I was struggling to stay awake but I know exactly what I saw next.

[Trooper618]

Oh yeah, this is what i am talking about.