G. I. Joe Fan Fiction ❯ A Snake with a Temper ❯ Chapter 2: Weapons and Traitors ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 2: Weapons and Traitors

Snake Eyes walked into the sparring room just as Scarlett finished explaining what they were doing for the day. Everybody made a big circle and sat down as Scarlett called off two names. Both people came to the center and fought until the other tapped out. Snake Eyes leaned against the wall and watched. When Temper's name was called he paid close attention to the way she hit and blocked. She handled herself well, but he had to remind himself that the man she was fighting was a grunt and she probably would not hold up against a more experienced fighter.

Temper walked out of the sparring room and to Hawk's office like she was told to. Upon arriving she sat in the chair and waited for him to finish typing.

"I got word from Snake Eyes that you are to be advanced into the next class," Hawk said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know anything of this," she tried to explain.

"I agree with him." Temper looked at him in shock.

"Huh?"

"If Cobra attacks and you can't defend yourself because you're rusty, I don't want to be the one to blame."

"But-"

"You'll be advanced through the classes, probably asked to join the teams on missions. I think it's time we showed Cobra that we have you. You can't hide here forever."

She nodded in understanding. After all, he was right, she could not stay there forever. She left without being dismissed. She knew Snake Eyes was watching her closely, but she did not think anything of it. Certainly did not think that he would advance her and she cursed at herself for being so careless.
***
As Temper walked into the mess hall she ran into Scarlett and Snake Eyes. Temper felt anger come over her whenever Scarlett was put into the mix, ever since she met her.

"Watch where you're going grunt," Scarlett warned.

Temper tried to calm down and stepped to the side to let the two out. She's higher ranking and will give you hell, even if you can beat her in a fight, Temper reminded herself. Snake Eyes grabbed her elbow, which put her attention on him. He could see fire in her eyes, and feel her body tense with rage.

I'm sorry for her behavior, he signed, not sure if she would understand sign language.

"I'm sure a lot of people are sorry for her behavior," Temper shot. She ripped her arm from his grasp and left without getting food.
***
Her first day in the advanced class began with an introduction to a few other people while they all waited for Snake Eyes to arrive. The first man introduced himself was a heavily built black man with a British accent, his codename was Heavy Duty. Heavy Duty introduced her to a Moroccan man busy on his laptop dubbed Breaker. She knew who they were, they were on the Alpha Team, everybody knew who they were. Snake Eyes walked into the sparring room just as the class before theirs, with Scarlett, left.

Pair up, Snake Eyes signed. Heavy Duty leaned over to her.

"He signed-" Heavy Duty started.

"Pair up, I know sign language, but thank you," Temper interrupted. She did not really know anybody so she got paired with Breaker who did not get asked to be partners either.

"Looks like we're the odd ones out," Breaker pointed out.

"Looks like it," she agreed.

Snake Eyes demonstrated a move with a volunteer and signed for them to do the same. They learned three moves and three blocks by the time class was over. She had to admit that, though Breaker was probably in front of a computer all day and had almost no balance, he was a quick learner. Multitasking between doing drills and watching Snake Eyes sign to move on was going to be difficult, but she would learn to manage. Snake Eyes came up to her after class.

If you need any help don't be afraid to ask, he informed.

"I won't be," she said defiantly, "though, I am curious: With your strict training don't you think it's a little unorthodox to pull me into this class when most of your students are halfway to moving on to the next class?"

I'm not sure who you trained with, but looking at the way you fought these past few weeks, I can tell you were trained. I'm sure you can handle being in this class, he replied.

Temper stormed out, cursing at herself all the way to her room.
***
The first few weeks were spent sparring with Breaker. Heavy Duty stayed close, as he was not sure what to think of the young woman.

"So, I hear nobody's really met you for the time that you've been here," Heavy Duty interrogated.

"I try to keep a low profile," Temper replied, keeping a straight face.

"But it seems even Snakes didn't notice you," Breaker interjected.

"I was asked to attend hand to hand classes two months after Snake Eyes left training the beginners to Scarlett." That at least, was the truth.

Snake Eyes, who was near by signed, You didn't go to hand to hand class before that?

"Nope. General Hawk didn't make me. I guess since Cobra is on the rise he doesn't want to take any chances that we won't be prepared for an attack," she answered smoothly. That was, at least, half the truth. After drilling, Temper found herself on her bed and slowly falling asleep.
***
Temper rolled onto her side and grabbed her phone from off the floor. 8:46, missed dinner, she thought to herself as she pushed off the bed and onto her feet. As Temper walked out the door she looked back to the bed. Dreamless sleep, haven't had one of those in a while. She walked down the hallway, coming to Snake Eyes' room just as he was coming out. He nodded to her in acknowledgment, a gesture which she returned.

"You miss dinner too?" she asked. He nodded again and she stopped trying to make conversation.

"Again Temper?" Roadblock questioned as the two came into the mess hall.

"Yeah, sort of over slept," she tried to explain.

"You too Snakes?" Roadblock asked.

Snake Eyes nodded and stood with his arms crossed. Roadblock handed them two trays of food and they both left to their rooms.

You don't eat in the mess hall? Snake Eyes asked.

"Oh, so now you want to talk? And no, I don't."

Is there a reason?

"People," she summed up.

People? Is this the reason people don't know you?

"Nobody really knows me so it isn't like I have someone to sit with, so I just eat in my room."

Have you been on any missions since you've been here?

"No," she lied, "and I've been here for three years." She realized her mistake as soon as the word slipped out of her mouth.

You've been here for three years?

"Yep. Three years." This is exactly what she was afraid of.

And you haven't been to a hand to hand class?

"Until you left most of the training to Scarlett. Like I said, I wasn't asked to." Snake Eyes stopped when he came to his room while she kept walking. He watched her as she turned the corner, leaving his line of sight.
***
"You called for me?" Temper questioned as she sat down in the chair across from General Hawk.

"I need you on another solo mission, reconnaissance." Hawk handed her a file with her departure time and what she was looking for. "You are dismissed." She left to pack and get ready for the next day.
***
Somewhere in Kazakhstan
Temper snuck from tree to tree, keeping an eye on her target. She stopped when she found a good place behind a tree to look over the entire terrorist base below. Temper looked through a scope she had on hand and watched for any suspicious activity like she was ordered to do. So far all she has done is sit in the shade, munching on Twix, waiting for something to happen so she could get back to base and the Alpha Team can come and blow the place sky high.
***
In the debriefing room
"The mission is to apprehend one of Cobra's weapon messengers and get him to tell us where he's getting the weapons. Snake Eyes and Heavy Duty will knock on the front door while Scarlett and Roadblock will introduce themselves to the guards at the back. Breaker will be telling you where to go from there. Ace will make sure no air support comes close to the building. Get in, get the target, get out. You will leave at 0800 hours, Ace will be your transport. Dismissed," Hawk ordered.

The Alpha Team left to gather weapons of their own and met at the loading bay, under the entrance to above ground.
***
Somewhere in Ukraine
Scarlett leaned against the wall with her rifle in hand. Roadblock gave her a nod which she returned. He put his hand on the knob to the building. She looked down the alley to see if anyone had seen them yet, though it was almost midnight she knew to be cautious. As soon as Roadblock opened the door, she entered, holding the gun up, ready to shoot. Roadblock watched her back while she put a bullet in the enemies' head. The two came across Snake Eyes and Heavy Duty and the team worked their way up the building. The four of them burst into the top floor to see it empty. A dumbwaiter was in the wall to their left. Scarlett reached up to her earpiece.
"Ace, search the ground for our target. He's getting away."

"Correction," Breaker said, "he got away. A vehicle came to get him, we couldn't shoot. They entered civilian areas. We couldn't get a clear shot."

"Find where this guy is going," Scarlett ordered.

The team raced down to the ground and were lifted up by the plane.

"They wouldn't have taken the chance of him climbing out the window and to the roof for air support, so he used a dumbwaiter to slip by us," Scarlett informed Hawk.

"Do you know where target is heading?" Hawk questioned.

"He's heading to a terrorist base in Kazakhstan," Breaker piped in. Hawk's body tensed.

"We're heading there now to-" Scarlett started.

"No," Hawk interjected quickly, "your orders are to come back to base."

"But sir," Heavy Duty said incredulously.

"That's an order." The screen in front of them went blank.

"Hawk seemed pretty distressed with the information," Scarlett pointed out, looking to Snake Eyes for confirmation. Snake Eyes nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Roadblock defended.

"Roadblock's right. Hawk has his reasons, he gave us an order," Heavy Duty said.
***
Back at the Pit
Hawk opened the vault in his office and took out an ear piece, turning it on with his tablet he stuck it in his ear. "Who can get the most angry?" Hawk asked. A female voice came over the line.

"The one with the temper," Temper answered.

"What's the situation?"

"Recon finished. You're not gonna like this."

"Where are you?"

"Packing up. I was actually about to radio you for pick up."

"Change of plans. Cobra's weapons dealer is heading to the base you're at. I need you to stay out of site, apprehend him, and take down anyone that comes in your line of sight." He waited for a reply.

"Yes sir. I'll get back to you on that pick up."
***
Somewhere in Kazakhstan
The sun was setting when a jet came soaring through the sky and landed on a small strip of grass off to the side of the base. Through the scope, Temper positioned her sniper rifle as she saw a white man in a business suit exit the plane. He looked tired and roughed up. She looked around the area for all of her targets and radioed for Hawk to start sending her pick up. She put her finger on the trigger and pulled it. A familiar feeling swept over her as she moved the scope to her next target. She missed a man in all the chaos that ensued below, but anybody who dared come outside was shot down. As soon as the tanks started to roll out she grabbed her bag and slung her rifle to her back. Temper ran around a small village of houses to a clearing where a jet dropped down. She hopped into the open door and it took off, leaving the terrorist to deal with the aftermath.
***
The Pit
"We could have easily followed him and taken him out!" Scarlett said in outrage. Hawk remained stoic.

"Do all of you share her opinion?" Hawk asked, "that you should have wasted resources to follow a man who could have, and was, dealt with by a soldier on the ground at the base where the weapons dealer was heading?"

Scarlett looked shocked. "Man on the ground?" she asked.

"Yes, man on the ground. Seems you don't have all the facts," Hawk pointed out. She could feel blood rush to her face in embarrassment.

The door opened and Temper stepped in, looking around. "Is this a bad time?" she asked.

"No," Hawk started, "the team was just leaving." When the door was closed she sat down in her usual spot and put the manila folder on his desk.

"The pictures you asked for," she explained. He took the folder and emptied the contents.

"Did you run into any trouble?"

"No sir."

"You took out the weapons dealer."

"Brown hair, business suit, Caucasian?"

"That's the one."

"He's been dealt with," she assured. As Hawk came to the last picture he was not sure what to think.

"It seems as if you completed the Alpha Team's mission." She was not sure what he meant by that.

"Sir?" Hawk looked up from the picture to her.

"You took out the weapons dealer and you found the weapons supplier."

"He's one of the world's leading weapon's manufacturers. How do you suppose we go about this?"

"If he slips up, we'll be there."

"The McCullen family is known for dealing to both sides. It's not all that surprising that he's doing the same. Why don't we take him now?"

"We could use him to our advantage. For now, we wait."