Silent Interlude
Bubblegum Crisis is property of AIC/Youmex
Toshimichi Suzuki and Kenichi Sonoda created Bubblegum Crisis
GI Joe is Property of Hasbro and Marvel/Sunbow entertainment all rights reserved.
Issue #21 originally written by Larry Hama
This is going to be experiment in doing a piece of work without any dialogue there will be internal dialogue made by the characters but none spoken.
Note: This is a one-shot outside of my series even though I make references to previous stories
Approaching the Silent Castle in the Trans-Carpathian Mountains; Storm Shadow carried his precious cargo for Cobra Commander. The Silent Castle was a major Cobra installation on same level as Cobra Island or Solomon. It was mainly used for Eastern European operations and given its location it had a strong defensive advantage.
In the main courtyard, Cobra Commander stood on a raised dais with two massive cauldrons afire and a large Cobra emblem behind him. His aide Caroline stood ramrod straight with her hands behind her back off to the side as her Commander addressed his troops. Suddenly Storm Shadow swooped in within inches of the Commander before touching down. Caroline frowned at the ninja's bravado, if wasn't for his skillset Storm Shadow would have been dead.
The Commander on the other hand was annoyed but became intrigued as to this gift Storm Shadow had wrapped up in a tarp and tied with rope. Taking his sword, he performed a slash with such skill that it only cut through the ropes and tarp revealing a bruised and battered Cypher. The Commander smiled at this little development as to the intelligence that they can get from the Knight Saber in a single interrogation. Unlike Grey Fox, Dagger or Wolf; Cypher wasn't trained or able to resist interrogation. Ordering his troops to take her down to the dungeons of the castle and prepare for interrogation.
Inside Cypher's new cell, Storm Shadow took her shackled hands locked them onto a chain affixed to the wall. Just as he finished securing the Knight Saber in a last futile act of defiance bit the ninja's hand. In a surge of anger, Storm Shadow starting his long sword but soon discipline and training calm him down and allow the sword to drop back into its scabbard.
With the door to her cell slamming before her, Cypher slid down to the floor but she found sitting to be uncomfortable as her hands were above her. Tears began running from eyes as she feared that after her interrogation they will kill her. I shouldn't cry, Sylia would never abandon me. I need focus on what she taught me and try to escape but where? I'm in the middle nowhere. Closing her eyes, Cypher began to mediate as Dagger taught her. Sometime ago, Dagger gave Cypher instructions in mediation; to teach the younger Knight Saber to clear her mind of doubt, panic and worry; to focus. Her breathing grew slower as her heartrate slowed to a more normal rhythm. That it's Nene, mediation can give you clarity of thought; when your mind is quiet of fear and doubt you can focus on the task at hand. Dagger's words echoed in her mind. You're right Linna.
Onboard a lone C-130, Dagger, otherwise known as Linna Yamazaki, stood near the boarding ramp preparing for her jump. In her mind she thought back to when Cypher was captured; Cypher was sent on intelligence gathering mission with Dagger as her back-up only to encounter Storm Shadow. She also remembered the argument she had with Grey Fox.
Linna, you know the rules. We don't act on a personal grudge.
This isn't personal, Lt. We both know Nene cannot withstand an interrogation. We bust her out.
The closest Cobra facility in Europe is the Silent Castle; not exactly the easiest place to launch an assault to rescue one person. With narrow mountain roads, multiple chokepoints, all advantage is to Cobra in that region.
What about one-person?
Suicidal?
I'm not looking at dying anytime soon, Sylia. Remember you survived Tselinoyarsk by yourself. Nene survived Cobra Island. One person can do more than an entire army at times.
Dagger was glad that Fox reluctantly granted her permission to try. She knew Storm Shadow, had fought him before; Cypher could not fight him. Before she left, Lady Jaye approached her offering to go with her and that she shouldn't face this alone. Allie, I'm going in I don't want anything holding me back; Nene's my friend, she rescued me on Cobra Island and I intend to repay that debt. Cypher was more than friend, she was a little sister than Dagger never had. Even Scarlett offered to join her but Dagger refused.
Her loadout was light, several knives and daggers, her long sword and a SOCOM pistol along with a grappling hook and rope. Suddenly the light switched from red to green and the boarding ramp opened before her. Here I go!
Inside his chambers, Destro was examining a chess board each piece was crafted to look like GI Joe and Cobra. Such as the King piece was modelled after Cobra Commander and the Queen after Grey Fox and so-on-and-so-forth. His attention was drawn to the alert on his computer terminal as an intruder was detected. Monitor showed:
Factors: Altitude of Intruder Aircraft:
High Wind Velocity, Darkness:
Lack of Landing Zones….
Probability
Successful Air-
Borne insertion: .000018%
Destro stroked his masked chin at the information provided; given the low probability of a successful insertion and infiltration of the Silent Castle let alone exfiltration. It was more than likely the intruder will probably land on a mountain or die on landing. But there was that X-factor that can never be accounted for in any calculation… dumb luck.
Pulling her ripcord, Dagger silently prayed to whatever god there was, despite the fact she was a Shinto Buddhist and had some exposure to Zen that she was on target. Floating down she landed on the highest tower of the Silent Castle which was crowned with a coiled red cobra statue. Ditching her chute, she fixed a grappling hook to a fang in the cobra's mouth to rappel down the tower.
Cypher reached into her hair searching for a hairpin. Fox and Dagger weren't the only ones who taught Cypher; Scarlett taught her a few tricks; like using a simple hairpin as a lock pick. Sometimes kiddo, the simplest item can be your best tool; don't rely on high tech all the time and use whatever is at your disposal. Using the hairpin clenched in-between her teeth she worked at lock on her shackles.
As she descended down the tower, Dagger observed a Viper standing sentry armed with AK-47 and wearing either night-vision or thermal goggles. Pushing off the tower, Dagger swung around enough to where she can slam into the sentry feet first.
Destro, not concerned with information on his computer given low chance of success, turned back to his chess set. Chess was game of calculated risk, picking up a fallen piece modelled after the Baroness, he wished that the Baroness wasn't a piece to be sacrificed as she was now in custody of the United States Government but in this type of chess game any piece can be sacrificed but can be placed back on the board until that piece has been killed.
Storm Shadow headed back to Cypher's cell under the Commander's orders to take her to interrogation. The ninja was about to ask about taking addition guards but the Commander would dismiss the request has he had no worries about Cypher given she was the weakest of the four Knight Sabers; if it were Wolf not only he would demand additional guards but all of them to be heavily armed and armored. Before he could walk in, a chain snapped around his neck as Cypher yanked him to the ground. Even though she was the physically the weakest of the four, she could still use physics against him. Just as she made it out of her cell, Storm Shadow tried grab her only to get the cell door slammed on his hand. Sylia. Linna. Shanna. Thank you. She thought to herself as she ran from Storm Shadow, the next order of business was to get out.
First rule of covert-ops: never leave a body to be found. Dead or otherwise. Because it will tip off the enemy. The raven-haired Knight Saber was about to dispose of the unconscious Viper, she turned to see two more who either heard the commotion or were relief. Either she was exposed. Shit! Drawing a throwing knife, she threw it at the Viper on the right. The knife flew into the Viper's mid chest. Noticing his dying comrade, in a rage, the Viper charged at Dagger before she could draw her suppressed handgun wrapped his hands around her throat. Grabbing the Viper she threw him over her shoulder and over parapet.
The sound of the Viper's screaming past his window distracted Destro from his work; how is this possible? All computer projections indicated low probability of success. He figured he would get his answers upon capture of the intruder.
In his chambers, Caroline reported to the Commander that an intruder has been detected in the Castle. The Commander was looking over reports and research of his nemesis: Grey Fox. Looking to his faithful aide, he merely told her to let Destro and Storm Shadow handle it.
Destro led a squad of Vipers up the tower, his broom-handle Mauser drawn, instead of finding the intruder he found the fallen sentry who was pointing in the direction to the other set of stairs down the tower. Discarding her disguise, Dagger breathed a small sigh of relief as she had to quickly disguise herself but also dispose of the body which she had hanging from the parapet.
Once escaping from the cell that held Cypher, Storm Shadow headed for another chamber within the Castle. He approached this darken chamber where from the ceiling were figures hanging literately like bats in a cave. But with a mere but indecipherable gesture of his hands, three red ninjas dropped from the ceiling before him. One armed with a long sword, another with a pair of Sais, the last hand a Kusarigama with a weighted spiked ball on the end. Their orders were to either find the intruder and kill him or find the prisoner and bring her to Cobra Commander alive. Failing in either order, their lives were forfeit.
Dagger looked around the dungeon, walking into a cell she knelt down and found a hairpin. Hmm, there is the possibility she could have escaped. Good work Nene. She smiled as she exited the cell.
Watching from the ceiling, the red ninja quietly prepared his long sword as he swung down to stab Dagger. Without even looking, she simply bent over allowing the ninja to swing past her missing his target. Drawing her own sword, she made a quick but deep slash into the ninja's back. One down, an unknown number left. She thought to herself, soon her exit out of the dungeon up a short flight of stairs was blocked by a second red ninja armed with a pair of Sais; with grandiose flourish of his Sais, goading Dagger into fighting him. Even though she had her sword drawn, she pulled out her SOCOM and shot him in the head. Even though she hated guns, she once told Cypher, because I prefer using blades or my own hands. I hate guns. She also remembered the advice Fox gave her during the formation of the Knight Sabers Linna, despite what you're personal feelings are. In a firefight you will have to rely on your side arm.
On the other side of the entry to the dungeons was the third ninja with his Kusarigama and Storm Shadow on either side to ambush the Knight Saber. The red ninja, swung the spiked ball at Dagger, only for her catch it; with the sickle, he could tear into the Knight Sabers stomach for a killing blow, but she grabbed for his wrist while looping the chain around his neck. She hated herself for having to kill but her intensive training was in full force. Swing the red ninja in front of Storm Shadow, Dagger used him as a human shield against the White Ninja's long sword. Storm Shadow regrouped for another attack as Dagger leapt over the dying ninja only to his sword tear into the right wrist of her black bodysuit. She landed feet first into the side of head using the precious moments of her dazed opponent to escape. The wrapping on Storm Shadow's right wrist started to unravel.
Cypher, quietly thanking the training both Fox and Dagger gave her, quietly made it into what appeared to be a hanger where two Vipers were carrying a CLAW flight pack. Waiting for the pass by, Cypher swung her chain weapon around the two Vipers' necks slamming their heads together. Looking at her handiwork, she took some amusement that she can finally tell that gorilla Wolf that she take care of herself. Strapping on the CLAW she took off.
Cypher swung around the Silent Castle, she smiled seeing Dagger on a terrace. Looks like I'm coming to her rescue. But then an angry Storm Shadow emerged from the Castle with his sword still drawn. He raised his sword next to his head ready to throw his sword like a spear at Dagger who had drawn her sword again. If she had to she would duel Storm Shadow.
Cypher saw was going down and she couldn't see her friend getting killed. I must be crazy! She thought to herself as touched down in front of Dagger just as Storm Shadow threw his sword. Closing her eyes as she felt the death clock ticking the last few seconds of her life. Opening her eyes she saw the tip of the sword just inches away from her body; Linna caught the blade with her hands?! And here I thought Priss was badass!
Swinging her arms Dagger tossed the sword over her head and the Castle walls. Holding onto Cypher, the tattoo of the Arashikage peering through the hole in her bodysuit, as the redheaded Knight Saber took off. Storm Shadow looked on as his adversary escaped, the wrapping on his wrist fell off revealing his own tattoo of the Arashikage.
Waiting for the extraction transport, the two had a chance to rest and to catch their breath. Nene looked to best friend and smiled. In response Linna hugged her friend. No words given, there were none needed to be given, the affection was enough to say thank you.