First off, I'd like to thank Miss Tiamatv for all of her editing help; she did SO much I feel like the story is partially hers, too! She took my decent story and made it absolutly tremendous to read. Hopefully, you'll like it, too!

I'd like to think is is a realistic story and not too out there in fantasyland, with a reminder that the G.I. Joe team is still a group of elite soldiers... the best of the best. I'd love positive or (constructive!) negative feedback if you so desire.

Chapter One: Origins

NSA. CIA. FBI. Homeland Defense. America was renowned--or notorious--for the number of agencies it had devoted to its secrets, its covert operations. But now, by order of the Secretary of Defense, there was a new agency to add to the list--one so top-secret that the public wouldn't even be made aware of its existence. At least, not anytime soon. The world had changed overnight, and terrorism seemed to be spreading at an alarming rate. The protection and defense of the United States was more crucial now than ever; the President of the United States had agreed: a new military unit had to be created for this purpose, and this purpose alone.

At least, that was what the country's leaders had in mind when they formed the team. But if any of the specialized soldiers specifically hand-picked to participate on the team had been asked, the answer might have been very different.

Snake-Eyes, like the some of the others, wasn't sure if he belonged in the unit. It was too odd a group to "fit in" with. In fact, in his opinion, the higher-ups of the organization were a little too hush-hush; he often felt out of the loop since they weren't always given all of the information he believed they needed in order to accomplish the mission. Sure, back when he'd been overseas, fighting in the sandbox, there'd been all the chaos, IEDs, and firefights that a soldier could handle... but at least their orders had been clear-cut and specific.

For what that was worth.

In frustration, he bowed his head and closed his eyes as memories of the Middle East resurfaced, sharp-edged in relief. He'd lost too many friends over there. In fact, if it hadn't been for his friend Lonzo, he wouldn't have joined this secretive group at all. Lonzo—codenamed Stalker—had been the head of his unit during his second deployment, and they had history that went far back... and a friendship that went deeper than that history. They'd shared and lost some of the same friends: Wade, Ramon, Dickie. All killed in an ambush. They'd been following a lead on a known terrorist, clearing out a building room-to-room, when all hell broke loose. It was nothing short of a miracle that he, Lonzo, and Tommy Arashikage had made it out alive.

Tommy. He and Tommy went back further than even him and Lonzo. They'd been the only survivors of his first unit overseas. During the first week of the war, when combat had been the heaviest, their unit had been sent to the front lines to destroy the enemies anti-aircraft missile systems. It was a job that someone had to do, in order to give the fighters and bombers a higher chance of success. And in the end, they'd been successful, but the price... two survivors.

Whoever had said that lightning never struck twice had never had to go into battle, Snake-Eyes thought: when it came to the fog of war, all proverbs went out the window. And lightning hurt just as much the second time as the first. Clenching his hands into fists and trying to refocus, Snake-Eyes buried those memories of Tommy and his time in Japan.

In some ways, that story was worse than his two Middle East deployments.

But that was all in the past. He had to keep telling himself that in order to stay sane--it was all in the past. Stalker had joined this group and recommended him for the job, and here he was, with this supposedly elite team. With too little information for the job, and decidedly odd comrades.

What was he doing here? But… whether or not he belonged, he'd been chosen.

Chapter Two: The Third Mission

"Gentlemen, a situation has been brought to the attention of the higher-ups," Colonel Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy's deep voice preceded him into the room; everyone present sprang to attention as the man followed the echoes of his statement into the briefing room. They might have been deep in the Pit, buried in the Utah desert, but they still kept to protocol.

This was the way the briefings had always gone, so far. They were called in from their different corners of the Pit, and told that those in the offices had decided they were needed. This was only the third mission for the team—once again, time to prove that they were a worthy tax expenditure.

"At ease. This mission will be Stateside, and we will depart in four hours. Once you are dismissed, I suggest you pack for a thirty day-plus trip." Even as Colonel Hawk spoke, the lights in the Command Center dimmed, screen sliding downwards, and the mission briefing flashed up onto it.

Everyone sat back down again, slowly, carefully taking mental notes as he spoke.

"A terrorist organization suspected of operating in the United States has recently reappeared on our radar. We suspect they have been assembling a nuclear weapon in our own country—piece by piece, bolt by bolt. Intel believes they've discovered the location of one of the group's hideouts—quite possibly a location where they're keeping some of the parts. Slide."

Well, at least we're getting this much, Snake-Eyes thought.

The slide shifted to an overhead map view. Hawk explained what Intel had gathered about the fifteen-story building—points of entry, contingency plans, back-up plans and escape routes.

Everyone looked surprised, though, when Hawk explained that the entire local area within at least a one-block radius was riddled with the terrorist operatives. Snake-Eyes blinked, trying to imagine just how many members of a known terrorist organization could gather in one area without risking exposure, or even arrest. Not a good sign.

The building's blueprints flashed onto the screen. "The name on the building is 'Ring-Halasp Technologies.' As far as we can tell, it's billed as a legitimate software corporation, but obviously the latest information contradicts this. We have several people working on getting us more information, which we'll hopefully have before you're deployed. Right now, we suspect that they're using the 10th and 11th floors as their Command Center, so that's where they're most likely keeping the parts of the weapon."

"Stalker, you will take Rock n' Roll, Short-Fuze, and Snake-Eyes into the building at these points," Hawk tapped the screen with a fingertip, his hair tinted green by the projection. He met each of their eyes again, in turn. "Short-Fuze, it's up to you to dismantle and destroy the nuclear device. That's our primary goal, but be on your lookout: keep in mind that there could be other traps before you even get to the device. The other three will be there to keep you alive."

Hawk turned and fixed his gaze on the two other members sitting at the table. "Breaker and Flash, you're responsible for jamming their cameras, radar, and interrogation systems, so Stalker's team can access the building without discovery."

For all his misgivings about the way their superiors dealt with information, Snake-Eyes didn't doubt that Breaker and Flash would be able to do just that: he'd seen them work on previous missions. If anyone could get them in without running them into mechanical resistance, they were the ones.

"We're taking in two vans. Grand Slam, you're the getaway driver for the primary team. Zap, you're driving Clutch, Steeler, and Grunt—you men are serving as backup." Hawk faced them squarely. "Your job is just as important as the primary team's, don't forget that. If things start going south, it's up to you to get Stalker's team out of there, and get all of you back to safety."

"Of course, our secondary goal is to take down the opposition, but keep in mind that there are still civilians in the area. Make sure you know who the bad guys are."

Snake-Eyes grimaced. That wouldn't be easy, especially after getting the information that the area around the building was riddled with enemy operatives.

He glanced over as Rock n' Roll leaned over the Stalker, Hawk's deep voice still booming across the room. "So… lemme get this straight. We're doing all this because the spooks suspect there might be part of a nuclear weapon in this place? As in, part, not even complete? I mean… shouldn't we be going after guys trying to sneak in the assembled nukes? Not that I know how terrorists think, but seems like that'd be easier."

"Not necessarily," Snake-Eyes kept his eyes fixed on the screen, but still caught 'Lonzo whispering back. "Post 9/11, we've got a lot more safeguards on hand: it'd be almost impossible to smuggle a nuke into the U.S. in its completed state. Besides… if they're working this hard on assembling a nuke, don't you think they've probably got a plan for using it?"

Snake-Eyes' lips tightened as Rock n' Roll nodded. Stalker's logic was sound… and the fact that people on American soil were coming up with nuclear solutions to problems, and they didn't even know what the problems were, didn't sit well with him.

The lights flicked back on and they all blinked in the sudden brightness. "And that concludes the mission brief. Any questions, men?"

After a brief moment of silence, Snake-Eyes raised his chin and met the Colonel's gaze. "Sir, I understand we're going to be stateside, but… where?"

"That isn't need-to-know information, Snake-Eyes," he said it firmly, but Snake-Eyes thought that Hawk didn't look any happier about it than he felt. "You have everything you need."

Snake-Eyes dipped his chin in a brief acknowledgement of the order. True, in the Middle East, they'd often had to go in with less information than Hawk was giving them now… but the Middle East wasn't Stateside. And generally, they'd been at least told where they were going.

"If there are no other questions, let me remind you again of one last thing: there are still many innocent civilians in the area. Do what you have to do, but be careful. We don't need the press finding out about this. Carry on."

They all rose to their feet as Hawk stepped out of the room. And the moment the door closed behind their Colonel's back, Snake-Eyes let out the quiet, angry breath he'd been holding.