Categories > Cartoons > G.I. Joe > The Synthoid Conspiracy
Chapter VII
0 reviewsDuke escapes and steals a Zaku. Scarlett gathers GI Joe and the Knight Sabers for an unsanctioned mission.
0Unrated
Chapter VII
Duke regained consciousness as he was being carried off by the Crimson Guards, he had to do something either warn GI Joe or escape off this island. Attacking his captors even though still handcuffed, wrapped the chain of his cuffs around one of the Crimson Guards’ necks, while kicking the other in the head. He raced down the hall, first order of business find a place to hide. Next he had to find a means out of his restraints, then find some weapons and/or contact GI Joe.
Zipping up her black one-piece full body riding suit, Sylia reached for a black Kevlar and novex vest. “Boss, are you sure you wanna go alone? What if Scarlett ends up stabbing you in the back?” Priss asked leaning against the wall of the support truck
“It’s a possibility.” Sylia answered Priss as she checked her SOCOM before placing it into a hip holster and two extra magazines of ammo. “I trust Scarlett, but I always take precautions.”
“I know Boss.” Priss smiled, watching Sylia attach a sheathed combat knife to her boot. Then she reached into a cubbyhole for a black riding helmet.
“Sylia!” Nene called out from her computer terminal
“What is it?”
“Nene found something, it could be something or nothing.” Linna responded, “Apparently, Franks has been busy.”
Sylia walked over to Nene and leaned over her shoulder to look at the monitor. Nene managed to hack into Franks’ database. Looking at the data, Franks has been issuing a large volume of transfer orders throughout every Army command, she could surmise that Howe and Ledger could possibly be up to the same thing. “I don’t know many of these names but look at the date the orders take effect.”
“Yeah, I see that too, 12 hours before the President’s State of Union.” Linna answered
“What could it mean, Sylia?” Nene asked with a worried look on her face.
“I don’t know, sometimes transfers are issued to shake up the commands get some fresh blood in, but nothing on this scale.” Sylia said before glancing at her wristwatch. “I got to get going.”
Pressing a button, at the back end of the support truck, the rear doors opened and a ramp extended as Sylia climbed on her Silver Mirage Motorcycle, sporting a midnight blue paintjob. The Knight Sabers and Cover Girl watched as their commander sped off into the night. “Come on girls, I kick your asses at poker.” Priss grinned.
Arriving at the rendezvous point, Sylia brought her motorcycle to a halt, taking a cautionary look at her surroundings; she was in a very rough section of New York City, the waterfront. Keeping her hand on her holstered SOCOM, she approached the seedy dive and wondered why Scarlett would choose a dump like this to have a meeting. Entering the bar, Sylia made her way through the smoky haze and rough customers who were giving her a chorus of cat/wolf calls and indecent remarks to the back of the bar. She found Scarlett quietly sipping a beer, her hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail, and her black ball cap was nearly pulled over her eyes, sunglasses. Also she wore jeans, a white t-shirt and a beat up leather bomber jacket.
“Ok Scarlett it’s your dime, what’s this all about?” Sylia asked as she sat down.
“I’m putting GI Joe back together, Sylia and I need your Knight Sabers.” Scarlett said.
Sylia lifted an eyebrow in surprise; she was willing to defy General Franks. “How many support you?”
“I have almost half of the team’s direct support.”
“Half, huh?” Sylia noted. “If Cobra is behind this, and I wouldn’t doubt it, we will have to act fast.”
“Why?”
“We’ve been breaking into Franks’ computer and found something disturbing.”
“Disturbing?”
“Yeah, he’s been making a lot of personnel transfers all which take effect before the President’s State of the Union.”
“Strange, Breaker monitored a transmission from ‘Franks’ office.”
“Hmm.” Everything was starting to add up, but still it was circumstantial evidence, not enough to place Franks, Howe, Ledger or Sharp under arrest, but enough to go after Cobra.
“Sylia I really need your Knight Sabers, meet me and the others at the old bunker 10 miles from the Pentagon at 2200 hrs tomorrow night.”
“We’ll be there.”
The blackness lifted from Mutt’s eyes like a curtain, he saw his dog Junkyard stirring nearby, whatever Destro shot into them was wearing off. “Where are we?” Last thing Mutt remembered being confronted by Destro outside GI Joe headquarters, now he didn’t know where but it wasn’t friendly. “Looks like Destro dumped up right in a nest of Vipers.”
Waiting for their Lt. to return, to pass the time, Linna was meditating, while Priss and Cover Girl were teaching Nene the game of poker, or as Priss was put it, fleecing a pigeon. “Couldn’t we play gin instead?”
“Gin, kid’s game, or would you rather play hearts? Besides since we’re not going to get paid for a while, you won’t have worry about your IOUs.”
“It’s when we get paid again I’ll have to worry. I think I’ll ask the Lt. to teach me to play the piano, it’ll be cheaper.”
Then they heard the Lt. pull up. “Hey, el-tee!” Nene exclaimed as Sylia pulled off her helmet.
“Hey, what’s our next move?” Priss asked as the Knight Sabers surrounded their CO.
“Well, Scarlett is reassembling the GI Joe team. We’re going after Cobra, but it won’t be sanctioned by the United States if you know what I mean.” Sylia evilly grinned.
“Oh yeah, Boss!”
He continued to sneak around Duke followed a Viper. He watched his target headed for a sealed door with an optical scanner. Waiting for the Viper to complete the sequence to open the door, he grabbed him and dragged the Viper through the door.
Struggling against Duke, the Viper drew his knife and stabbed Duke in the hand. In a fighting stance, the Viper grinned at taking advantage of Duke injury.
With his knife ready, the Viper charged at Duke.
Even though injured, Duke ripped a hard right cross to the Viper’s head, knocking him out. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, Duke made a makeshift bandage for his hand. Looking around, he saw the wall lined with Zakus of different variants (High Mobility, Marine, Recon) as well as Zakus in freestanding charging booths. If he could find a Heat Hawk, he could get these handcuffs off, then he could steal a Zaku.
At the old bunker, Scarlett, the Knight Sabers and the assembled Joes, they knew their careers and their lives were riding on their decision. “The Joes who couldn’t make it, stand by any decision we make tonight.” Scarlett told the assembled team.
She yielded the floor to both Cypher and Breaker. Revealing the personnel transfers and the transmission from Franks’ office to a location in the Atlantic.
“Only two possibilities then…” Flint opened up
“A ship…” Stalker theorized
“Or an island.” Recondo added
“Both very logical suppositions, I surmise a island to be the strongest.” Sylia said
“But…if we fail, or if we’re wrong…” Scarlett tried to get out but she did not want anyone to dwell on failure.
“I say go for broke,” Ace stepped in, “We need our Skystrikers!”
“And fuel to fly them.” Wild Bill added.
Scarlett revealed the fact, working close on Franks’ staff, that there were still active Skystrikers and a Medea transport plane. She spoke to Lt. Ajan who can get her hands on some ammo for the 20mm’s and at the Navel base she’s at, she’ll be waiting at headquarters.
“First, we gotta spring Quick Kick from the stockade!” Gung-Ho exclaimed, his Marine mentality of never leaving a buddy behind. “We can’t just abandon him.”
“That’s exactly what we’ll do.” Fox spoke bluntly. Everyone looked at her varying from wide-eyed shock to anger that she would suggest leaving a comrade behind. “It’s a luxury we cannot afford.”
“You call Quick Kick a luxury?!” Gung-Ho angrily shouted.
“Yes and we will, we cannot risk our objectives or the lives of the unit for one person. My brother and General Hawk are being held on suspicion of treason. Would I like to rescue them? Yes. But logically, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”
The assembled Joes looked to Grey Fox with anger and disappointment, but she was willing to make the admission of her desire of saving her brother and General Hawk, but also state the futility of such an action. Cypher looked at her commander with disappointment because Fox was being somewhat callous to not only Quick Kick, but to her only living family tie and to her mentor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cypher caught a small glimpse of ‘Duke’ exiting the bunker. “Wolf, why would Duke leave something this important?”
“Had to take a piss, I suppose?” Wolf shrugged.
“”Maybe, or maybe I’m just a bit jumpy.”
“Kid, we’ve been getting the shit kicked out of us in all directions, you ain’t alone.”
Fox overheard the interchange between Wolf and Cypher, odd ‘Duke’ would leave at this moment, but given ‘Duke’s’ odd behavior, she continued to make mental notes on her observations.
After a few minutes Scarlett realized that ‘Duke’ has been silent. “Duke, you haven’t said anything.” The ‘Duke’ entered through the door returning to the Joes. “Oh, there you are.”
“Look, I’m with you all the way, guys!” ‘Duke’ exclaimed, which Fox gave a very cursory glare at ‘Duke.’ ‘Duke’ shot a nasty glance back at Fox; he was starting to suspect the suspicious nature of the Knight Saber commander.
“All right, there’s no turning back. We’re outlaws.” Scarlett said with determination in her voice. “Fox, what about you and the Knight Sabers?”
Grey Fox turned to her friends and teammates, wanting their decision on this, in or out. “Wolf?”
“I say, let’s go out on a blaze of glory, boss. Kick some ass!” Fox expected nothing less from Wolf.
“Dagger?”
“I will lay down my life for you, Sylia, but I bring dishonor to my family heritage, if I sit back and do nothing. I’m in.”
“Cypher?”
Silence came from Cypher, Fox could tell she was scared, with a slight tremble in her voice, she began to speak up, “Sylia, I’m scared, but I don’t who said this but, having courage is being scared and saddling up anyway. I’m in.”
“It’s was John Wayne, Nene,” Fox smiled.
Cover Girl also told Fox she was in.
“Fox, your decision?” Scarlett asked.
“Alea Iacta est.” Fox simply said in Latin. Everyone looked at her, because none of them knew Latin, with the exception of Doc, but that was only in regards to medicine. “When Caesar with his army approached the Rubicon River to commit an invasion of Rome and begin a civil war against the forces of Pompey, he said ‘The die is cast.’ I’ve reached my Rubicon and I cast the die. There’s no turning back.” She explained before turning to her Knight Sabers. “Knight Sabers, prepare for combat!”
Duke regained consciousness as he was being carried off by the Crimson Guards, he had to do something either warn GI Joe or escape off this island. Attacking his captors even though still handcuffed, wrapped the chain of his cuffs around one of the Crimson Guards’ necks, while kicking the other in the head. He raced down the hall, first order of business find a place to hide. Next he had to find a means out of his restraints, then find some weapons and/or contact GI Joe.
Zipping up her black one-piece full body riding suit, Sylia reached for a black Kevlar and novex vest. “Boss, are you sure you wanna go alone? What if Scarlett ends up stabbing you in the back?” Priss asked leaning against the wall of the support truck
“It’s a possibility.” Sylia answered Priss as she checked her SOCOM before placing it into a hip holster and two extra magazines of ammo. “I trust Scarlett, but I always take precautions.”
“I know Boss.” Priss smiled, watching Sylia attach a sheathed combat knife to her boot. Then she reached into a cubbyhole for a black riding helmet.
“Sylia!” Nene called out from her computer terminal
“What is it?”
“Nene found something, it could be something or nothing.” Linna responded, “Apparently, Franks has been busy.”
Sylia walked over to Nene and leaned over her shoulder to look at the monitor. Nene managed to hack into Franks’ database. Looking at the data, Franks has been issuing a large volume of transfer orders throughout every Army command, she could surmise that Howe and Ledger could possibly be up to the same thing. “I don’t know many of these names but look at the date the orders take effect.”
“Yeah, I see that too, 12 hours before the President’s State of Union.” Linna answered
“What could it mean, Sylia?” Nene asked with a worried look on her face.
“I don’t know, sometimes transfers are issued to shake up the commands get some fresh blood in, but nothing on this scale.” Sylia said before glancing at her wristwatch. “I got to get going.”
Pressing a button, at the back end of the support truck, the rear doors opened and a ramp extended as Sylia climbed on her Silver Mirage Motorcycle, sporting a midnight blue paintjob. The Knight Sabers and Cover Girl watched as their commander sped off into the night. “Come on girls, I kick your asses at poker.” Priss grinned.
Arriving at the rendezvous point, Sylia brought her motorcycle to a halt, taking a cautionary look at her surroundings; she was in a very rough section of New York City, the waterfront. Keeping her hand on her holstered SOCOM, she approached the seedy dive and wondered why Scarlett would choose a dump like this to have a meeting. Entering the bar, Sylia made her way through the smoky haze and rough customers who were giving her a chorus of cat/wolf calls and indecent remarks to the back of the bar. She found Scarlett quietly sipping a beer, her hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail, and her black ball cap was nearly pulled over her eyes, sunglasses. Also she wore jeans, a white t-shirt and a beat up leather bomber jacket.
“Ok Scarlett it’s your dime, what’s this all about?” Sylia asked as she sat down.
“I’m putting GI Joe back together, Sylia and I need your Knight Sabers.” Scarlett said.
Sylia lifted an eyebrow in surprise; she was willing to defy General Franks. “How many support you?”
“I have almost half of the team’s direct support.”
“Half, huh?” Sylia noted. “If Cobra is behind this, and I wouldn’t doubt it, we will have to act fast.”
“Why?”
“We’ve been breaking into Franks’ computer and found something disturbing.”
“Disturbing?”
“Yeah, he’s been making a lot of personnel transfers all which take effect before the President’s State of the Union.”
“Strange, Breaker monitored a transmission from ‘Franks’ office.”
“Hmm.” Everything was starting to add up, but still it was circumstantial evidence, not enough to place Franks, Howe, Ledger or Sharp under arrest, but enough to go after Cobra.
“Sylia I really need your Knight Sabers, meet me and the others at the old bunker 10 miles from the Pentagon at 2200 hrs tomorrow night.”
“We’ll be there.”
The blackness lifted from Mutt’s eyes like a curtain, he saw his dog Junkyard stirring nearby, whatever Destro shot into them was wearing off. “Where are we?” Last thing Mutt remembered being confronted by Destro outside GI Joe headquarters, now he didn’t know where but it wasn’t friendly. “Looks like Destro dumped up right in a nest of Vipers.”
Waiting for their Lt. to return, to pass the time, Linna was meditating, while Priss and Cover Girl were teaching Nene the game of poker, or as Priss was put it, fleecing a pigeon. “Couldn’t we play gin instead?”
“Gin, kid’s game, or would you rather play hearts? Besides since we’re not going to get paid for a while, you won’t have worry about your IOUs.”
“It’s when we get paid again I’ll have to worry. I think I’ll ask the Lt. to teach me to play the piano, it’ll be cheaper.”
Then they heard the Lt. pull up. “Hey, el-tee!” Nene exclaimed as Sylia pulled off her helmet.
“Hey, what’s our next move?” Priss asked as the Knight Sabers surrounded their CO.
“Well, Scarlett is reassembling the GI Joe team. We’re going after Cobra, but it won’t be sanctioned by the United States if you know what I mean.” Sylia evilly grinned.
“Oh yeah, Boss!”
He continued to sneak around Duke followed a Viper. He watched his target headed for a sealed door with an optical scanner. Waiting for the Viper to complete the sequence to open the door, he grabbed him and dragged the Viper through the door.
Struggling against Duke, the Viper drew his knife and stabbed Duke in the hand. In a fighting stance, the Viper grinned at taking advantage of Duke injury.
With his knife ready, the Viper charged at Duke.
Even though injured, Duke ripped a hard right cross to the Viper’s head, knocking him out. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, Duke made a makeshift bandage for his hand. Looking around, he saw the wall lined with Zakus of different variants (High Mobility, Marine, Recon) as well as Zakus in freestanding charging booths. If he could find a Heat Hawk, he could get these handcuffs off, then he could steal a Zaku.
At the old bunker, Scarlett, the Knight Sabers and the assembled Joes, they knew their careers and their lives were riding on their decision. “The Joes who couldn’t make it, stand by any decision we make tonight.” Scarlett told the assembled team.
She yielded the floor to both Cypher and Breaker. Revealing the personnel transfers and the transmission from Franks’ office to a location in the Atlantic.
“Only two possibilities then…” Flint opened up
“A ship…” Stalker theorized
“Or an island.” Recondo added
“Both very logical suppositions, I surmise a island to be the strongest.” Sylia said
“But…if we fail, or if we’re wrong…” Scarlett tried to get out but she did not want anyone to dwell on failure.
“I say go for broke,” Ace stepped in, “We need our Skystrikers!”
“And fuel to fly them.” Wild Bill added.
Scarlett revealed the fact, working close on Franks’ staff, that there were still active Skystrikers and a Medea transport plane. She spoke to Lt. Ajan who can get her hands on some ammo for the 20mm’s and at the Navel base she’s at, she’ll be waiting at headquarters.
“First, we gotta spring Quick Kick from the stockade!” Gung-Ho exclaimed, his Marine mentality of never leaving a buddy behind. “We can’t just abandon him.”
“That’s exactly what we’ll do.” Fox spoke bluntly. Everyone looked at her varying from wide-eyed shock to anger that she would suggest leaving a comrade behind. “It’s a luxury we cannot afford.”
“You call Quick Kick a luxury?!” Gung-Ho angrily shouted.
“Yes and we will, we cannot risk our objectives or the lives of the unit for one person. My brother and General Hawk are being held on suspicion of treason. Would I like to rescue them? Yes. But logically, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”
The assembled Joes looked to Grey Fox with anger and disappointment, but she was willing to make the admission of her desire of saving her brother and General Hawk, but also state the futility of such an action. Cypher looked at her commander with disappointment because Fox was being somewhat callous to not only Quick Kick, but to her only living family tie and to her mentor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cypher caught a small glimpse of ‘Duke’ exiting the bunker. “Wolf, why would Duke leave something this important?”
“Had to take a piss, I suppose?” Wolf shrugged.
“”Maybe, or maybe I’m just a bit jumpy.”
“Kid, we’ve been getting the shit kicked out of us in all directions, you ain’t alone.”
Fox overheard the interchange between Wolf and Cypher, odd ‘Duke’ would leave at this moment, but given ‘Duke’s’ odd behavior, she continued to make mental notes on her observations.
After a few minutes Scarlett realized that ‘Duke’ has been silent. “Duke, you haven’t said anything.” The ‘Duke’ entered through the door returning to the Joes. “Oh, there you are.”
“Look, I’m with you all the way, guys!” ‘Duke’ exclaimed, which Fox gave a very cursory glare at ‘Duke.’ ‘Duke’ shot a nasty glance back at Fox; he was starting to suspect the suspicious nature of the Knight Saber commander.
“All right, there’s no turning back. We’re outlaws.” Scarlett said with determination in her voice. “Fox, what about you and the Knight Sabers?”
Grey Fox turned to her friends and teammates, wanting their decision on this, in or out. “Wolf?”
“I say, let’s go out on a blaze of glory, boss. Kick some ass!” Fox expected nothing less from Wolf.
“Dagger?”
“I will lay down my life for you, Sylia, but I bring dishonor to my family heritage, if I sit back and do nothing. I’m in.”
“Cypher?”
Silence came from Cypher, Fox could tell she was scared, with a slight tremble in her voice, she began to speak up, “Sylia, I’m scared, but I don’t who said this but, having courage is being scared and saddling up anyway. I’m in.”
“It’s was John Wayne, Nene,” Fox smiled.
Cover Girl also told Fox she was in.
“Fox, your decision?” Scarlett asked.
“Alea Iacta est.” Fox simply said in Latin. Everyone looked at her, because none of them knew Latin, with the exception of Doc, but that was only in regards to medicine. “When Caesar with his army approached the Rubicon River to commit an invasion of Rome and begin a civil war against the forces of Pompey, he said ‘The die is cast.’ I’ve reached my Rubicon and I cast the die. There’s no turning back.” She explained before turning to her Knight Sabers. “Knight Sabers, prepare for combat!”
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