Teaching the Unpredictable

Hello readers, if I get any. This is my first GI Joe story so try to be gentle okay. I'm not too familiar with the series besides the newest movies…

Ah well whatever I suppose, I'll give my idea a whirl and see how it goes.

Enjoy!

~o~ Grendel ~o~

In all my life I had never been more appreciative of my ability to run like a scared rabbit on crack. That said ability was being put to good use at the moment. Just like every other time I pulled a prank, I found myself running from a man codenamed Light-Up as he chased me through the corridors with a Bo-Staff stuck to his palm and thumb.

While we're on the topic of code names mine is Ghost Girl.

Anyway…

Light-Up was usually very friendly and patient with people but right now he was beyond pissed with me right now. I could clearly hear the rapid footfalls hitting the linoleum floor as my instructor tried to catch me.

To clear up any confusion I am part of the Delta level tech squad. To be put simply we were the inventors for the technology used by the Delta level soldiers and sometimes, yet very rarely, the Beta or Alpha soldiers. When I wasn't inventing with my squad, doing grunt work, or training with Light-Up I was usually causing mischief…little pranks and stuff to keep me occupied. Usually none of the little occurrences or jokes was brought up to my commanding officer Staff Sergeant Baker.

My father used to be on the same team as my commanding officer and they had become great friends over the years. Sarge Baker had known me since I was a baby yet I knew I wasn't going to get any sort of leniency for that. What that personal level of growing up with him around got me was greater skepticism and noticeably more frequent trips to his office for a scolding because he expected better of me so that'd I'd one day honor my father by being the best soldier he'd seen in a while…

If anything he was harder on me for that very reason of knowing him so well. I still considered Baker to be a part of the family though and had since I was little. However now that he was my commanding officer I now had to remember to call him sir instead of Uncle BB…BB as in Barnet Baker.

Whatever your opinion is about that I was never actually that terrible or so I assumed. Though…as far as super gluing Light-Up to his personal Bo-Staff goes I was positive that my future was going to consist of an extensive stay in the Hospital Wing then directly to Staff Sergeant Baker's office for a severe scolding.

Yup, this was just another normal day for Corporal Grendel Whimsker of the Delta team's inventor's unit. That would be me if it wasn't clear.

~o~

It took two full hour of running from Light-Up before Staff Sergeant Baker broke us up and ordered me to detach Light-Up from his Bo-Staff. When I finished with that he ordered for me to go wait in his office until he got there.

I sighed, knowing full well I was to be scolded when he got there. I couldn't help but cause trouble. My squad was in the middle of the building process for our latest creation. This one was actually going to be put to use by the Alpha Team. However I was restricted to creating blueprints, supplying the ideas, creating the virtual demonstrations, and the building of the smaller devices like a standard hand gun.

My squad had two others a woman near my age whose name was Shannon, codename Upstart, and then a boy older than both of us named Leonidas, codenamed Booker for some reason.

While Upstart was the head of the building of the heavier and bigger projects as well as the science behind the invention, schematics, and discussion of adjustments really. Then Booker was more of a newer addition to what used to be just a team with me and Upstart. So far he was mostly only allowed to do things relevant to tech support and troubleshooting. If the device isn't working right when a soldier uses it he'll tell you exactly what you're doing wrong and show you the right way it is to be used.

Anyway the point I was trying to make was that the device in building now was too big for me to be allowed to help. I was also clear out of smaller projects to work on and nothing needed fixing either. Combine the boredom with ADHD and add a dash of delinquency, mix well, bake, and out pops my situation.

In a nutshell I was bored, hyperactive, and had absolutely nothing better to do.

I began fiddling with the Newton Balls on Baker's desk before I snorted at my situation. "I'm twenty-two, almost twenty-three, and yet I still manage to get sent to the "principal's" office." I hummed amusedly.

Finally the door opened and my commander walked in. I watched as Staff Sergeant Baker walked to the opposite side of the desk and took his seat. He proceeded to put his head in his hands and sighed. For about four to five minutes he stayed that way before he eventually looked up at me with a tired and weary look.

I knew that look. I almost slouched in my seat from knowing I was in for a big rant.

"You know you're in trouble Grendel." He stated.

"Since I can't say I didn't do it…yeah I know I'm in trouble." I agreeably joked as I attempted to lighten the mood.

It didn't really work.

My commander just sighed with annoyance and glared. "Grendel you're about to turn Twenty-Three and yet sometimes you act more like your five. Is that something we commend here in the GI Joe base of operations?" he asked and in a way rebuked my actions.

"No sir it's not…I'll try-." I began to claim to try harder to stay out of trouble when he interrupted me.

"If you keep this up I'll have to discharge you from the Joes." He interrupted flatly.

"WHAT?!" I cried and abruptly stood, knocking my chair over in the process.

"Sit DOWN Corporal!" He thundered.

I scrambled to do so. "Yes sir…" I mumbled as I frantically righted my chair and sat down with my head downcast submissively. There was yet another sigh.

"Knowing you personally Grendel," my commander spoke so I looked up, "You've struggled to control yourself since before grade school and to this day you continue to struggle. Maybe you should take into consideration that you might not be ready enough to handle being a Joe. We're looking for soldiers, not children. We chose you for your incredible ideas and skills in creative inventing. You're making me regret it." He said bluntly.

"I CAN DO IT!" I raised my voice not caring about the consequences, "I just need to find something to focus on when I've got down time or free moments!" I argued my case stubbornly.

"Then you'd better find something fast," my commander glowered, "As punishment you'll mop all the corridors on every level beginning at 0200 hours."

~o~

Please don't be too judgmental on my first story though I appreciate constructive criticism and any tips you'd care to offer. Then again this is only the intro chapter. Things will get better next chapter.

Thanks and please review!

Songbird 0.o