G. I. Joe Fan Fiction ❯ A Snake with a Temper ❯ Chapter 7: Temper's Past, Alpha's Predicament ( Chapter 7 )

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

Chapter 7: Tempers Past, Alphas Predicament

Snake Eyes caught up to Temper on her way from the rec room. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

You tensed, on the plane, he signed, when Ripcord asked why I don't speak.

"So?" she asked.

What do you know? She took a deep breath and let it out.

"That you aren't mute," she stated simply. He was surprised at this revelation.

And how do you know that?

"I've heard of you before, that you took a vow of silence when your master died."

From who?

"People that I considered family. That's all I know Snake Eyes. Your vow of silence, the death of your master, and your training."

Very few people know of that. His body language told her he was angry, beyond angry, pissed. Snake Eyes pinned her to the wall, his arm pressing into her throat. How do you know Storm Shadow? When she did not answer he pressed his arm into her throat more. How? he asked again.

"He helped me," Temper admitted, "a long time ago."

How do I know you aren't still with him?

"Snake Eyes," she pleaded.

He pressed more until she was choking and gasping for air. Suddenly, she dropped to the ground and was able to breathe. Snake Eyes grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to his quarters. Once inside, he pointed to the bed and she sat down. He stood where he was.

Explain. He crossed his arms and waited.

"When I was younger and had completed my training, one of my masters asked Tomisaburo to help me find work. He complied and took me in. I did assassination jobs with him. I didn't know I was really working with Cobra until I met the Cobra Commander. Tommy was one of the two people that I considered a brother, the ones I told you about. When the second brother died, Tommy got upset and disowned me. I didn't know any other life so I took jobs from people who were willing to pay a lot of money for my service.

"I was working when I realized my target and employer were working for Cobra. The mission was a trap, apparently to them, I knew too much. General Hawk, who was a Colonel at the time, barged in to retrieve a package, a file containing vital information. A fight went down, and the only people to survive were the two of us. He took me to G.I. Joe headquarters, was yelled at, and stated that my life was more important than the package. I was put in his care. He sent me out on missions that didn't involve Cobra, making sure that I would be safe from them."

Is that why you stayed a grunt?

"Yes, if I moved through the ranks or showed my specialties that would mean I would be put on missions that involved contact with the enemy. Why did you let go?" Snake Eyes tilted his head to the side in confusion. "You could of killed me in the hall, gotten rid of a traitor."

When I pinned you, you didn't struggle even though you could have easily gotten out, he explained. One more question.

"What is it?"

Who were you trained by? She looked at him, uncertain.

"Arashikage," she stated. He tensed and snuck a glance at her forearm. He did not find what he was looking for. Temper gave a small smile, knowing what he was trying to find.
"I was never given the tattoo because my heritage was not with them."

You were from a different clan?

"Yes, and my mother trained with the Arashikage as well. She didn't get the tattoo either from what I heard."

Heard?

"This is a lot more than one more question," Temper pointed out and smirked. "She sent me to the Arashikage at the age of two. I never knew her. Never met her. Dont remember her." Temper shrugged. "Now, I have a question for you." She leaned forward and edged off the bed to a standing position. "Do you trust me?"

Not entirely.

"Well, that will just have to do for now." Temper left without another word.
***

*Will Temper report to General Hawk's office. I repeat, Temper report to General Hawk's office* Cover Girl's voice rang out over the intercom. Duke silently laughed and Ripcord nudged her.

"Someone's in trouble," Ripcord taunted. Behind Ripcord, Heavy Duty laughed as well.

"I haven't met you since before you got into the same sparring class and we got these two chuckle heads, but I have to say, I will miss you," Heavy Duty said his farewell.

"I'll miss you too," Breaker said, appearing behind Heavy Duty's arm. Temper rolled her eyes.

"I'm not getting tossed or dying," she informed.

"You're not?" Breaker asked. Temper nodded in confirmation.

"Well then, I'll see you later," Heavy Duty said.

She smiled at the four of them, picked up two trays full of food, and left. She balance the two trays in both hands as she lifted her foot and expertly turned the knob, opening the door to Hawk's office.

"Temper," Hawk greeted.

"General Hawk." She set a tray in front of him and sat down in a seat across from his desk. They both ate and shared small talk.

"Are you sure you approve of Duke and Ripcord?" Hawk asked.

"They're determined, I admire that. Yes"

"And what's your situation with Snake Eyes?"

"We've come to an understanding."

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm starting to wonder why your code name isn't Mother Hawk," Temper joked. The General chuckled.

"I'm just looking out for you."

"I know. And yes, everything's fine."

"You told him didn't you. I watched over the surveillance footage. Saw you go into Snake Eyes' room."

"Yes, I told him."

"Was that the wisest decision? You could've just pointed him to my office and that could've been avoided." She finished off the last of her food and set the tray aside.

"I wanted to tell him, him knowing could get me out of a lot of trouble later on."

"You didn't tell him everything though?"

"No."

"And what about your relationship with the Baroness?"

"Sir?" Temper was shocked that he even noticed. She tried not to tense when the Baroness' name was brought up in the intelligence room, but clearly she should not have been so worried about Snake Eyes and made sure Hawk had not seen her either.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I know her," she admitted.

"Do you know her enough to know what she's planning?"

"No."

Hawk nodded. "Dismissed."
***
Temper stepped into the Alpha Team's rec room to see how the two new Joes were doing. Ripcord was trying to beat Scarlett in an arm wrestling contest and Duke was watching a chess match between Breaker and Heavy Duty. Probably trying to figure out how to play, Temper thought to herself. Suddenly sirens went off.

*All Joes the intruders are going to the loading bay. I repeat the intruders are going to the loading bay* a man's voice came over the intercom system.

"Warheads, Rip, c'mon!" Duke shouted and got up.

Scarlett took Ripcord's distraction as an advantage and pulled his arm down, winning. They all jumped up and ran out of the room. The Alpha Team raced toward the heart of the pit as that was the only way in or out. Temper stopped as she got out the door and ran in the other direction. The General is the only one who could give the order for the alarm to sound, she thought to herself, so either he will be targeted because he has the warheads or he pulled the alarm himself.

Temper rounded the corner and saw Cover Girl lying dead with a knife through the heart. She saw General Hawk, still breathing, near an opened safe. Temper removed the knife from Cover Girl's back and moved her from the doorway. She then went over to Hawk and hoisted him up. He groaned in pain and did what he could to walk, but she did most of the work. She brought him to the medical ward and went out for the next man she saw that needed medical attention. She did this throughout the battle that was going on. Going back and forth without being spotted by the enemy and taking injured soldiers to the Joe's 'hospital.

All the Joes were told what happened to Hawk and that he was recovering from surgery. Temper stopped walking in front of an open door and eavesdropped on Ripcord's and Scarlett's conversation.

"My father taught me to win," Scarlett said.

"Look, I don't see how you could teach anybody to win everything, every time. I mean look at you, you're still here right?" Ripcord asked. "You get knocked down, you get back up. Maybe that's what he wanted you to learn." Temper smiled. "Then again, that would be an emotional response," Ripcord mocked her about an earlier conversation in rec room, "one that can't be explained or quantified." The two in the room laughed and Ripcord left not noticing Temper.

When Ripcord went around the corner she stepped inside.

"What are you doing here?" Scarlett questioned. Temper just smiled.

"You like him," Temper sang tauntingly.

"I'm going to let that slide, Grunt." No matter how much Scarlett tried to glare at Temper, Temper saw a playful glint in Scarlett's eyes and a smirk on her face.

"Admit it, I know you want to."

"Admittance is the first step to recovery," Scarlett quoted.

"That may be true with addiction, but in love, admitting it is like jumping of a cliff into enemy territory: You get yourself in deep."

"Fine." Scarlett turned away from the mirror and looked Temper dead in the eyes. "I like him."

Temper grinned. "I knew it."

Scarlett passed her and playfully jabbed at her side, earning Scarlett a small squeal of laughter from the young blonde.
***
Temper and the Alpha Team were in the intelligence room, looking at the Baroness. "Her name is Anastasia Decobray," Breaker informed, "Baroness if you're feeling formal."

"Baroness, wow, she really traded up huh?" Ripcord looked to Duke who was glaring at him. "Financially of course," Ripcord clarified.

"Who's he?" Duke asked about the other man in the photo.

"Daniel DeCobray, scientist, runs a lab in Paris," Breaker replied.

"Lab? What kind of lab?" Scarlett questioned.

"Particle accelerator," Breaker answered.

"Oh my God. They're going to use him to weaponize the warheads," Scarlett realized.

"Well, that's where she's going," Duke stated.

"I like croissants," Heavy Duty said.

"Temper," a man called. She look at him, expectantly. "The General wants to see you."
***
Temper walked into Hawk's medical room. "Sir?"

"I heard about the mission to go to Paris," General Hawk informed her.

"How you manage to stay where you are and find out these things the moment they happen astounds me, General," Temper said,smiling.

"I don't want you going."

Temper's smile slipped off her face. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to go on a different mission, do what you do best: Reconnaissance."

"Recon and hand to hand combat," she stated in outrage, "field work."

"This is not an option. It's an order." Temper could not argue with that. Hawk handed her a file. "A pilot will be ready in thirty minutes." She turned and stormed out of the room, going to her room to get ready.
***
Duke and Ripcord went flying up the glass building. Ripcord on a mission to get the warhead, Duke was supposed to get the kill switch. The Baroness started to shoot at Duke, but ran out of bullets and pulled out her blaster. The blue wave knocked Duke through the building. Fortunately he grabbed on to a gutter pole and climbed to the roof. Meanwhile, Ripcord was fighting Storm Shadow and tomato sauce. Chaos ran all throughout the streets of Paris as nanomites ate through anything they touched.

Storm Shadow ran through a window and caught the edge of a plane that took him to the roof. The Baroness hopped on before Duke jumped in and hit the kill switch.

*Disarmed* a mechanical female voice rang from the device at the Baroness' hip. Storm Shadow looked out to the Eiffel Tower and saw the green cloud disappear.

"Congratulations Duke, you just saved Paris," the Baroness declared. Storm Shadow struck Duke, successfully knocking him unconscious. "Or at least most of it," Ana finished.

On the ground the Alpha Team was arrested; all but Duke, who was captured, and Snake Eyes, who sent word to General Hawk of the team's arrest.