Canada's Elite

Chapter 12

Nightingale runs her hands up Lt. Storm’s body whispering to him. “Time to wake up my darling.” She places her hands on the sides of his face gently slapping him. “Lt. Storm, wake up.”
“Get away from me.” He sneers. “You touching me sickens me.”
“Oh now, don’t be so mean, I have a treat for you today.” She says as Inserters bring in the projector and screen getting it all set up. She removes his blindfold and rubs the side of his head. “I’ll let your eyes adjust for a few moments.”
Storm looks around watching the Inserters set up the equpiment. He looks down at his naked body seeing all the cuts and burns.
“Let’s get this show started.” Nightingale says. “It’ll be a trip down memory lane.” She smiles turning on the projector. “Remember this place, 22 Wing, this is what it looks like now.” She clicks through a few slides of the destroyed base watching Storm as he struggles, obviously disturbed by what he sees. “Oh if only you knew how many died.” Nightingale tosses Targets helmet at Storm’s feet.
“I’ll rip you apart!” He growls.
She walks up to him grabbing his nuts. “Now settle down before you hurt yourself. That’s my job.”
“BITCH!” Storm takes the pain thrusting his legs up slamming his knees into Nightingale’s face making her stager back and fall over the projector sending slides flying. The two Inserters come at Storm who grips the rope around his hands swinging himself around kicking the Inserters back.
“Idiots!” Nightingale snaps as she tries to grab Storm who has gotten control of his swing and slams his feet into her sending her flying into the projector screen. “You morons didn’t secure his legs properly.” Storm feels the ropes slacken, the bracket in the ceiling beginning to give. With another swing he breaks free landing hard on the rough ground.
The Inserters advance on Lt. Storm who quickly pounces to his feat leaping back to Nightingale’s torture set grabbing a hacksaw from it. He wonders what she was planning on doing with it and hopes he doesn’t find out. He tucks the hack saw between his lower legs a grabs a knife on the table as the Inserters come at him. Storm lunges at them throwing his full weight plunging the knife into one Inserters shoulder.
Nightingale rubs the back of her head noticing Storm heading for the large heavy wooden door. “NO!” She races for the door as it is pulled shut. “I’ll kill you for this Lieutenant Storm!”
“The feeling is mutual.” Storm shouts back as he hops down the hall trying to find a place to hide. The place is dark, dank, abandoned, and sends a chill up his spine. He finds an open room to slip into and quickly works to cut the ropes and set himself free. He can hear Nightingale screaming at the Inserters to get the door open and smiles at himself.
Lt. Storm finds himself in an examination room, one he recognizes from internet searches of abandoned asylums that was also used as a jail afterwards. Something he likes to do during the Halloween season. He remembers the talk of deceases the inmates here had, Tuberculosis being one of them. “Wish I could find some clothes.” Storm makes his way carefully down the halls, his feet still tender from being in the water for so long. He ducks into a dark crevasse as a guard passes buy, thinking of jumping him to take his uniform but decides not to incase the scuffle draws to much attention.
Storm closes his eyes for a moment trying to recall other images for this particular place, he’s seen so many all getting jumbled together. He knows how dangerous the places are, some area’s having collapsed floors. In the distance he can hear Nightingale instruction her men on where to go noting the limited escape routes. Storm slips into another room noticing right away what it is.
He’s in the cremation room, the inmates bodies would typically be burned due to the deceases they carried. There are a pair of black boots and a few weapons sitting in the room. One of the Inserters must have left them behind, probably using this room as a place to rest. A rat scurries past him more frightened of his presence. “Yeah I know you’re not use to visitors.” Storm whispers as he puts on the boots and checks the pistols, no ammo. “Well, at least I have boots, and a belt.” He puts the boots tying them up tight and picks up the belt to use as a weapon if needed. Storm finds his way to a large room that was once used at the theater, inside are a couple of army jeeps that have been painted with green and brown camouflage. “Who are these guys?”
“HE’S HERE!” A guard shouts firing off a few warning shots.
Storm ducks down between the jeeps, and slips into the one with the keys still in it. “Thank you lord.” He starts it up slamming it into drive and hits the accelerator as bullets hit it. Storm breaks through the old doors and rips across the grounds.
“How did he get a jeep?” Nightingale asks as she rushes into the theater with a few Inserters. “He’s naked for Pete’s sake!”
No one answers her.
“You idiots left the keys in them!?! Morons.” She shoves past the Inserters jumps into the other jeep starting it up and taking off after him.
Storm rips through the rough terrain not looking back, the jeep has nearly a full tank of fuel, and he can’t be far from civilization. He tires to get some kind of bearing to figure out were he is, nothing looks familiar. Gun shots ring out behind him from Nightingale who chases after him. He looks around in the jeep trying to find something to use. A chain lies on the floor in the back, he reaches for it pulling it up next to him.
“Here goes nothing.” Storm says as he leans up pressing his legs against the wheel. He balls the chain up rocking himself back and forth swerving the jeep to make it harder of Nightingale to get a direct shot. He glances in the side mirror slowing up a bit to allow her to get closer. Storm heaves the chain as hard as he can into the air. It begins to separate and move like a snake through the air.
Nightingale looks up at the strange object coming at her slamming on her brakes and letting out a scream, she ducks down as the chain smashes the window breaking through. Her jeep swerves hitting the ditch. She leaps out firing wildly at Storm as he speeds away. “THIS ISN’T OVER!! I’LL KILLYOU AND YOUR TEAM!!” She screams.
Lt. Storm glances back laughing to himself barely hearing her screaming at him. “Next time we meet I’ll make you pay.” He hits a main highway reading the posted signs. “Son of a bitch.”

Canada’s Elite headquarters, moments later.
“General Singer to command center ASAP!!” Feedback shouts over the intercom, repeating the page.
The General who is in the tech lab with Athena and Afterburner rushes out of the room followed by the two women who are just as curious to find out what is going on. They rush past Fallout and Navy who decide to follow them as well.
“What is it?”
Feedback looks back at the team, Medic at his side, both of them smiling. “It’s Lt. Storm Sir, he’s on the line. He’s alright, he escaped.”
Afterburner drops to her knees in tears of joy. Athena kneels down next to her hugging her realizing she must have feelings for the team leader.
“Lt. Storm, this is General Singer, what is your position?”
“I’m not sure at the moment, I’m on a payphone in the States.”
“I’m tracing the call right now.” Feedback informs them.
“Stay where you are Lieutenant, we’ll come get you.”
“Not sure if I can do that, my captors may be after me right now.”
“Alright, I’ll send a team to pick you up, call us again from a new position.”
“Will do, oh and can you bring me some clothes?”

Nightingale returns to the abandoned building furious. The first guard that approaches her she shoves her pistol in his mouth and fires splattering his brains in his helmet. His body drops to the ground, blood pouring out of his head gear. “Gather everything, we need to leave here now. No telling if Lieutenant Storm has notified authorities yet. We are on foreign soil and I do not want to deal with the American G.I.Joe team.”
Jumper looks up at the towering man Brick who walks over to the dead soldier picking him up with one hand. “What are you going to do with him?”
“Burn the body. If she shoots any others bring them down to the cremation room.”
The blonde haired man nods hoping he’s not one she shoots next. “I’ll be glad to get out of this place, its creepy and too many cold spots.” He comments to himself.

General Singer stands out at the helipad as a CH-146 Griffon helicopter comes in for a landing. A tall well built man disembarks already dressed in the team colours, standard issued boots, pants, red elbow pads, red gloves and wearing a red and grey camo helmet. A sash of ordinance across his chest and dog tags around his neck. “Hello Kurt, it’s been a few years.”
“Hello General Singer.” The man salutes. “I go by the code name Maniac now.” He smirks.
“It suits you, I’d have you meet the rest of the team by most are off on missions right now.” The General signals for him to follow as he takes Maniac to the command center. “Feedback, Athena, I’d like you to meet Maniac. He’s a heavy weapons gunner and air defence expert.”
Both stand to salute him and shake hands.
“Chamber’s team will be landing shortly Sir.” Feedback informs.
“Well then, let’s go back out to meet them.”


Somewhere in the rural area of New York, Lt. Storm follows the lights of a chopper above as it lands in a clearing. He pulls off the road bouncing across the rough ground. Afterburner is the first out of the chopper running towards the jeep as Storm gets out, she tosses her arms around him hugging him tightly. Target follows carrying some clothes for him.
“Sir…dude your naked.” The young man comments.
Afterburner lets him go and steps back. “Oh my god, why are you naked? Oh my god.” She places a hand on his wounds.
“You have no hair on your body…you look like Mr. Clean.” Target adds.
“What did they do to you Sir?” Fallout asks as he approaches followed by Medic who opens up her medical bag.
“It’s a long story.”
Medic pushes past Afterburner and begins to examine him. She takes a few blood samples and gives him a tetanus shot. “Just to make sure.”
“That’s probably a good thing, I’ve been in an abandoned asylum for…how long have I been gone?”
“A few weeks now.”
“Really? Felt longer. Now if you all don’t mind my nakedness is not for show here.”
The team laughs and head back to the chopper letting Medic finish her examination. She swabs and cleans his wounds stitching up what needs to be stitched and bandaging him up. “It’s good to see you alive Sir.”
“I’m glad to see all of you. We’ll have to talk later, the things she did, and going to do.”
“You sound as if you know about Borden and Twenty-Two Wing?”
“She showed me slides, she also threw Target’s helmet at my feet.”
“Well as you can see he’s fine, she took it from him.”
“So, tell me why is General Singer leading my team and what else has happened?”

Canada’s Elite headquarters, the hanger bay. General Singer along with Maniac meets Chamber and his team, he introduces them to the new team member. “Was the outpost destroyed?”
“Yes Sir, it’s been leveled. We pulled the hard drives from the computers, might be useful.”
“Good, get them to Feedback and Athena.”
“Athena?”
“Yes, she’s back on the team.” The General takes Matthew leaving the team to talk amongst themselves.
“I’ll get these hard drives to Feedback.” Chamber says.
G.I., Hotwire and Snow Squall all look at Maniac.
“Hi, I’m a heavy weapons gunner and air defence specialist. I’ve served with Agent VanHousen, Afterburner.”
“Oh I see.” Snow Squall says.
“Well, looks like we have some extra muscle.” Hotwire comments. Maniac smiles at her and flexes his pecks causing the two men to laugh.
“Dude, she is not your type.” G.I. says.
Hotwire stands on her tip toes and whispers into his ear.
“Oh…damn.” Maniac says looking her over. “Damn.” He says again winking at her.
“Ugh, I’ll leave you men to talk.” She says strutting away.
“So, where is the rest of the team?” G.I. asks.
“They all went to meat up with Lt. Storm.”
“What, they found him?”
“I guess, I got here after they left.”
Snow Squall and G.I. run after Hotwire to tell her and head for the base. Maniac stands out in the hanger bay and shrugs his shoulders following after them.

Afterburner pilots the attack chopper back over the border as the rest fill Lt. Storm in on the details on the base attacks. Target acting like a kid who’s getting to see his big brother after years of being apart. Afterburner wishes she could be back there with him hugging him but knows she’ll get some alone time with him soon. Storm now dressed in the grey sweats they brought him.
“Oh here, this might keep your head warm.” Medic says finding a grey cap with a red maple leaf on it in a storage unit. “Don’t know what this was doing in here.”
“Must have forgotten one.” Storm says getting inquisitive looks from the others. “I ordered hats and some new clothes for us to wear around the base when not in uniform. It’s all in a storage locker in my office.”
“It’s really good to have you back Storm.” Target says, for about the hundredth time. “General Singer is kind of a butt head.”
“Target.” Fallout scolds. “He’s a retired general, show some respect.”
“You’re both right.”
“You’ve met him?” Fallout asks.
“Yes, I had a run in with him while visiting Athena in the hospital. It wasn’t a pleasant one.”
“Then why did he accept to lead the team?”
“That’s a good question Fallout, one I intend to get to the bottom of.”

Nightingale sits quietly in the back of a Hummer driven by Brick as they make their way through Northwestern Ontario. Jumper looks back at her from the passenger seat attempting to strike up a conversation with her. She gives him a cold look. “What?”
“I was just wondering what our next move will be?”
“First we need to get settled, regroup our force and wait for our next orders.”
“Where are we heading?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“I only asked two.”
“One too many.” Nightingale snaps. “Lt. Storm was not supposed to escape, he was supposed to become our new field leader.”
“What?”
Nightingale flicks Jumper in the forehead. “Shut up or you won’t hear the rest of the story.” She snaps. “Lt. Storm was to be broken and his mind rebuilt to serve the Liberators cause. Now that he’s back with his team he’ll be a driving force to put us down. Unfortunately he was amazingly resilient to my attempts. He has this annoying drive to protect and save others even at his own expense. Our leader felt if we could break that we could use it in conditioning other soldiers.”
Jumper ponders that. “Maybe you should have let me play with him, I’d like to have tried my hand at interrogation.”
Brick glances at Jumper.
“What?”
“You have a ridiculous code name.”
“Oh so now you are going to pick on me?”
“Yes, you need to learn how to be more ruthless, this is not a game this is war.” Nightingale stretches across the back seats closing her eyes to rest.

Athena continues her research in the tech lab picking over the piece of equipment Afterburner had pulled from the wreckage that was brought back. She opens it up finding another box inside pulling it out. “Oh wow, what a sophisticated piece of radar technology.”
“I see you are still a tech head.”
Athena looks up at her visitor. “Chamber!” She jumps up giving him a hug. “Sorry I missed you earlier.”
“No problem, I understand wanting to dive right back into work. So what do you have here?”
“It’s the most advanced radar jamming device I’ve ever seen. Whoever designed this for them is incredibly intelligent. Stuff like this is still in development.”
“Really?”
“Wait…you think someone is working with these Liberators on the inside…?” Athena puts a piece of the nearly still intact circuit board under a high powered magnifying glass. “Oh my god, Chamber you better get my father in here, you’re hunch was right, this has a DND tag on it. Someone is selling our enemies advanced technology that hasn’t even been put into military testing yet.” Athena continues to examine the piece of tech as Chamber heads out.


Lt. Storm heads through his teams new base, followed by his retrieval team. He makes his way to the command center where General Singer is with Feedback and Athena. The blonde girl is the first to notice him springing up from her seat, running up to him and tossing her arms around him.
“Athena?”
“Yeah, my dad…General Singer brought me back on the team.”
The old retired General and acting commander of the team walks up to Storm and extends his hand. “Good to have you back in one piece.”
“Thank you Sir, now if you could get me up to speed here?”
“We have lots of time to do that, why don’t you go get some sleep. I’m sure you could use a good decent rest after what you’ve been through.”
“I agree.” Afterburner says grabbing Storm by the arm. “I’ll show you to your quarters.”
“Alright.” He reluctantly agrees following her out.
General Singer looks at the others. “I want to know everything.”
“He hasn’t said much about his ordeal, but from the wounds he has it couldn’t have been pleasant. I’ll council him after he gets some rest.” Medic says.
“Fine, until then I’m still in command of this team.”
“What?” Target accidentally blurts out.
“You heard me, Medic has to give him a clean bill of health, and a psychiatric evaluation before he can resume command of this team.”
“He’s right.” Medic places her hand on Target’s shoulder.
“If that’s all for now then let’s get back to work.” The General grunts. “Since both teams are back, we’ll meet in the situation room once all the reports are in and debrief each other. Dismissed.”

Afterburner swipes Storm’s key card opening the door to his quarters. Once inside she grabs him and kisses him. “God I was so worried about you.”
He smiles at her. “Thanks.”
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
Storm pulls off his shirt, revealing the burns and cuts on his back. “Not really.”
Afterburner fights the urge to cry seeing all the marks on his body. “Well, when you are ready.”
“Thanks.” He pulls off the rest of his clothes and heads into his private washroom to start up the shower making it nice and hot. “So, General Singer, what has he been up too?”
“A lot, Chamber took a team to Saskatchewan where a hiker found a Cobra Outpost.” She watches as Storm gets into the shower, the soap stinging his wounds. “Here, sit.” She says hitting the shower to the tap. “I’ll help.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“NO YOU’RE NOT!” She shouts, tears running down her face. “I’m sorry. It’s just, my god…” She carefully touches the wounds. “You’re not I can tell and don’t try to act all tough with me. I’m tougher and I’m crying.”
Storm places a hand on the side of her face. “Okay.” He hands her the soap and a cloth. “Just be gentle.”
Afterburner smiles, laughing a bit. “I will. You look so weird with no hair, like one of those hairless cats.”
“Oh thanks.”
“A sexy one though.” She grins.
“Now that’s what I like to see, you smiling.”
“Well, now that you’re back you’ll be seeing a lot more of that.” Afterburner says kissing Storm.

Down in the Mess Hall Chamber sits at one of the tables by himself snacking on a piece of chocolate cake.
“That’s going to go right to your thighs you know.” Fallout jokes.
“Hey what’s up, you need my help with something?”
“Nope, just thought I’d come and talk with you. I noticed you’ve seen frustrated lately.” He says sitting down across from him.
“Really?”
“Come on Denziel out with it, don’t make me arm wrestle you.”
“You’d lose.”
Fallout crosses his arms leaning back in the chair.
“You’re not going to let this go are you?”
“Nope.”
“Fine.” Chamber sets down his fork placing his elbows on the table folding his hands together. “It’s General Singer, he rubs me the wrong way.”
“He rubs everyone the wrong way.”
“I know, but it’s more then that, I’ve had the urge to grab him by the head and squeeze till it pops.”
“Man.” Fallout says picturing it for a moment. “Why haven’t you talked to anyone?”
“It’s mine to deal with.”
“No it’s not. Why have you felt this way?”
“He wanted to dismiss Afterburner’s gut feelings about Lt. Storm. You don’t do that, someone has a gut feeling you go with it.”
“Yeah I know.” Fallout says with a frown.
“Oh sorry, I forgot you two use to have a thing.”
“Nah it’s okay, it was only a thing and nothing more. Yah know life and death, saved her life. I call it the Superman syndrome.” He laughs. “Storm really cares about her, I could see it from the first day she joined the team, and I felt bad being involved with her.”
“So, Dr. Phil what do I do?”
“Nothing, Storm’s back, lets be glad for that and focus on the task at hand. Finding out what these Liberators are up to and stop them. You know, you might be able to help Athena out in the tech lab, she’s found some ordinance there you could take a look at. She’s trying to figure out where their tech came from.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Chamber says looking down at his half eaten cake. “You want this?”
“No way, I actually hate chocolate.”
“What? Man Will, you are nuttier then me, who doesn’t like chocolate?”
Fallout smiles pointing at himself.

Afterburner walks down the base corridors with her hands behind her back thinking of all the lacerations on Storm. She shakes her head trying to get the visions out of her mind seeing General Singer heading towards her. “Sir.”
“Ah, just the girl I was looking for. How is Lt. Storm, resting I hope?”
“Yes he is.”
“Good. How did he seem to you?”
“Distant, he didn’t want to talk about what happened to him.”
“Hmm.” The General has a look of concern on his face.
“What?”
“I was just wondering what they did to him, they attacked bases he served at…”
“If you want to try and accuse him of…” Afterburner snaps.
“No, no not at all. I was thinking they may have somehow gotten the information out of him. They knew exactly how to get into the North Bay base, knew all the weak points to be able to blow the security doors open.”
“Any expert could do that.”
“Not so quickly, and you know him, Storm likes to know more then just how to unlock a door. I checked, he served as security at the base as well. He’d learn all the weak points and access points and whatever else he needed to protect it.”
“This could also be used to bust into it as well.”
The General nods.
“No way would he had told them.”
“He may have not had a choice. I want you to watch him closely, you’re the closest to him emotionally. Notify me of anything that may be of importance.”
“How would I know what that is?”
“You’ll just know. I’m sure Storm told you that our first meeting wasn’t pleasant, I had a lot of hostility towards him for what happened to my daughter. I let that go. I need to get to the tech lab, we’ll talk more later.” Singer says placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a smile before he heads off.
Afterburner stands in the hall watching him.
“Well, that wasn’t creepy.” Medic says coming around the corner.
“Oh god, you startled me. How long were you hiding there?”
“The whole time, I was going to ask you the same questions.”
“I’m scared.”
“What did he say?”
“Exactly what I said to General Singer, nothing. Something tells me it was bad though. We don’t even know where he escaped from, where they were holding him.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get him to open up.”
“I hope so too.” Target says coming up behind the ladies startling them. “Sorry, I went to talk to Storm but noticed he was sleeping. I’ll tell you this though, he’ll want revenge and he’ll keep it bottle up until he pops. And whoever is standing in his way better watch out.”


Southern Quebec, the village of Quyon, in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais Regional County Municipality. Nightingale and the rest of her team organize themselves in a warehouse setting up computer equipment. She sits down at a laptop looking through video tapes of her torture of Lt. Storm.
“Why are you looking at that?” Jumper inquires.
“Can you not take a hint, I told you already you ask too many questions. Your job is to follow an order, that’s it.”
“You took a liking to him didn’t you?” Brick says.
“What…no…I….did.” She looks back at the screen watching a close up on him when she had attached electrodes to his body shocking him in the water he stood in. “He was very resilient, more so than others I’ve interrogated.”
“Others?” Jumper says.
“You don’t think he was my first do you?” Nightingale laughs. “He was the most stubborn, he didn’t want to give up his secrets so easily. I’ve broken others using much less…extreme methods.”
“You hope to gain something from the videos?” Brick asks.
“Yes, a man like him also masks information, not so obviously revealing it. He did talk quite a bit under the influence of my drug, some of it was just jabber. But now, I don’t think it was.”
“What is our next course of action?”
“We’ll throw the Joe’s off, maybe attack a base here, I hate the French.”
“Hey, I’m half French Canadian.” Jumper says.
“Humph, I knew there was a reason I didn’t like you.” Nightingale sneers.
Jumper picks up a box feeling hurt by her comment heading to a large military transport.

Canada’s Elite Headquarters, tech lab, Athena and Chamber stand back looking over the pieces they have separated on the table each marked with labels.
“Thanks for all your help, I don’t think I would have ever figured some of these out.” Athena says.
“Glad to help.”
The blue eyed blonde looks at Chamber. “You don’t like my father do you?”
“What, is it written on my forehead?”
She laughs. “No, not literally, I can tell by the way you look at him. I see it a lot, it takes awhile for people to get use to him.”
“Well, with Lt. Storm back now we won’t need him.”
“Really?”
“Why, what do you know?”
“Nothing really, just that I’ve been where Storm is, I really went coo coo banana’s there.”
“You think he might as well?”
“Oh no, not like I did, I mean…” Athena stops looking down at the floor.
“Hey, its okay, we don’t know much of what happened to you. Lt. Storm wouldn’t tell us.”
Athena sighs. “I really went off the deep end.”
“Who wouldn’t after what you saw.” He says referring to the man who’s head was blown off right before her eyes in an early battle against the Serpent Squad. The very same battle where Pebbles sacrificed herself to save Lt. Storm.
“Yeah, but I’m better now. I learned how to deal with it and he never gave up on me. So we have to do the same no matter what happens.”
Chamber smiles. “I like that idea.”
“And I like it when you smile.” She says smiling back at him. “Let’s get what we have to my dad and Feedback, see where these weapons are manufactured.”
“Right.” He picks up a clipboard where they have listed their findings, and heads for the command center.

Lt. Storm rolls over in his bed slowly opening his eyes. “Yeow! Jeez Medic, how long you been sitting there?”
“Oh I don’t know, two hours?”
“What??”
“I was watching you sleep.” She says scribbling down on her note pad.
“Obviously.” Storm grabs his sheets pulling them up.
“Oh please, I’m a doctor, I’ve seen it plenty of times. I was hoping we could talk.”
“Could I get dressed first, we could go to your office or get some breakfast.”
“This isn’t a date Sir, and I want you as uncomfortable as possible.”
“Okay…why?”
“Because it’s the best way to get you to open up, get you to feel vulnerable.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking the questions.” Medic smiles. “Now, question one, where were they keeping you?”
Storm sighs looking up at the ceiling. “An abandoned asylum, I’ve seen them on the net. Not a place you’d want to visit.”
She leans forward in her seat. “What did they do to you?”
Storm looks at Medic. “She, Nightingale, that’s what she called herself.”

In the Command Center, Athena sits at a lit table placing transparent sheets over each other. Feedback enters carrying a couple cups of coffee handing her one.
“Thanks.”
“Found anything yet?”
“Yes, the schematics Chamber got me match up to what we’ve pieced together. Someone is definitely selling our weapons to our enemies.”
“That isn’t good.”
“No, it’s not.” General Singer says entering the room followed by Matthew who is now dressed in the team’s camo pants and boots, dark grey muscle sh!t and a light grey jacket with red trim. “As you can tell Mr. Sojorin has joined the team, his code name is Archaic. His primary function will be in locating the rest of the Cobra outposts and assist in research.”
“Welcome to the team.” Athena says with a smile.

Medic taps her note pad with her pen having written down some key points in what Lt. Storm has shared with her. “My god, and all that was done while you were blind folded?”
“Yes. She didn’t remove it until they showed me the slides of the attacks. When they showed the second one, that’s when I escaped.”
“Do you recall anything you may have told her?”
“No.”
“We should try some hypnotic therapy…”
“No.” Storm snaps.
“What? We need to find out what you told her.”
“I know.” Storm slips out of his bed grabbing his sweat pants and pulling them on. “I’m just not sure where my head is at right now.”
“These Liberators are targeting military bases, you are our only hope in stopping them.”
“Alright, fine.”
“Good, we’ll start right now.”
“What?”
“You heard me, back up on your bed, lie down and close your eyes, block out everything except the sound of my voice, concentrate only on the sound of my voice…”

Over in the base gym Maniac and G.I. spare, boxing with each other as Navy enters with Hotwire watching the two men. Navy whispers to Hotwire who laughs shaking her head. G.I. calls for a timeout walking over to the ropes, spitting out his mouth guard. “What’s so funny ladies?”
“Oh nothing.” Hotwire smirks.
“I just told her that I thought we could take the two of you.” Navy says.
“Really?” G.I. looks back a Maniac who laughs. “I doubt it, we out muscle you.”
“Why don’t we take it to the floor mats then?”
“Sure.” Maniac grunts. “As long as you don’t mind getting physical with a sweaty muscle man.” He boasts.
“I have no problems with that, it’ll give you the advantage of being slippery.” Navy smiles.
“Oh lady you are on.” Maniac slips under the ropes tossing his boxing gloves aside. G.I. shakes his head, steps back and flips over the ropes landing on his feet. “Show off.” Maniac grumbles.
Navy walks over to the floor mats kicking off her boots and extra gear. “First to pin the other is the winner, we’ll go first, then Hotwire and G.I.” She says to Maniac.
“Bring it on babe.”
“Oh, don’t call me babe.” She sneers taking her stance and motioning for Maniac to bring it.


In their warehouse base in Quyon, Nightingale unrolls a map across a large table taping the ends down. “This is our next target.” She says signaling Brick, Jumper and the Inserters to join her. She pulls out a laser pointer clicking it on and pointing the red dot on an area of the map. “This is CFB Bagotville Three Wing, an air base that also uses the CF Eighteen Hornet fighter, the preferred attack aircraft of Lt. Storm. Its airfield is also used by civilian aircraft, with civilian operations at the base. It sits along the coast of the Riviere Saguenay.”
“So what, now we’re mass murdering innocent people?”
“Casualties of war Jumper, do you have a problem with that?”
“No, I just wanted to make sure.” He smirks.
“Good because you will be in charge of taking out the civilian operations first. I want to frazzle the military unit on the base, let them watch as the innocent people are slaughtered.”
“Where are we going to get the weapons to do this?” Brick asks.
“That is being supplied for us. We back up and leave immediately.”
“What? Oh man we just unpacked.” Jumper whines.
Nightingale’s arm shoots out like a snapped whip, her hand grips him by the throat. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No…” He gags.
“Then get to work. I want to get underway as soon as possible. We have a two hour trip to where our aircrafts wait.” She releases Jumper letting him get back to work.
“You are rough on him.”
“I need to be, plus he likes it.” Nightingale smiles watching Jumper help the Inserters repack their equipment.

Canada’s Elite Headquarters, Lt. Storm’s room, Medic sits at his computer reading over some information on the screen while he showers. She prints off some images and picks up her note pad adding some comments to it.
“So, am I sane or crazy?” He jokes coming out of the bathroom, getting a disapproving look from her. “Sorry, I was just joking.”
“I know. Here look at these.” She hands him the images she just printed.
“This is it, this is the place they were keeping me.”
“There was a fire, part of the building burned to the ground, the fire department was able to put out the blaze.”
“They must have burned any evidence of them being there.”
“Here.” She hands him some antibiotics and other medication. “Just as a precaution. I’d also avoid sexual contact for a few days until I am finished with your blood work.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“It’s just as a precaution, you haven’t exhibited any signs of illness and you were kept there long enough that if you were we’d know. I’m more concerned with what else Nightingale may have injected you with. I’m also afraid I’ll have to recommend you remain at base until I’m finished my analysis.”
“In other words General Singer gets to keep command of my unit.” Storm growls as he takes some of the pills Medic gave him.
“Just for now and you know its better that way. I know you enough to know you’d only want to be back at one hundred percent, not twenty.”
Storm looks over at her. “Why’d you say twenty?”
“I was just picking a number out of the air. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going back to my office to make my report.”
Storm forces a smile as she heads out then sits down at his computer to read more about the place he was held.

Navy trips Maniac forcing him to fall onto his back, she springs on him like a jungle cat placing her feet on his arms and pinning his shoulders to the mat. Maniac breaths in deeply looking up at her with a grin, and Navy grinning back at him.
“You lose.”
“Damn, you are good.”
“Thank you.” She gets up offering him a hand up. “Now, Hotwire, G.I. your turn to spar.”
“This will be quick.” Hotwire says.
“What, oh no way I’ve had a chance to catch my breath.”
“Bring it pretty boy.” Hotwire circles G.I. watching his movements, he tries to grab for her as she moves to avoid him. She quickly jabs him in the groin making him bend over, quickly circling behind him kicking him in the @$$, and knocking him to the floor mat. She jumps on his back pinning him down.
“Ooo…wow that was quick.” Maniac laughs.
“That was dirty.” G.I. moans holding his crotch. “Really dirty.”
“Who said I fight fair, I’m a woman fighting against a man twice my size.”
“Well, I guess that leaves it down to you and me.” Navy smiles.
G.I. crawls over next to Maniac who pats him on the shoulder. “It’s okay dude, I won’t tell anyone you got beat by a grease monkey.”
“Gee thanks.” The two men watch the women circle each other, expecting to see a show. Instead Navy extends her hand that Hotwire shakes. The two women bow and head out. “Hey!”
“What? We both decided it was a draw.” Navy says.
“Sorry boys, but we’re not going to engage in your perverse fantasy.” Hotwire laughs as they head out of the gym.
“Dude…that sucks.” Maniac groans.
“Yeah.” G.I. moans.
“Come on.” Maniac gets up helping G.I. to his feet. “Man, she must have hit you good.”
“No, not really, she just hit the right one hard. Missed the left.”
“Wow, she is good.” Maniac snickers. “Beat by a girl grease monkey.”
“Hey, you said…”
“I wouldn’t tell anyone, not that I wouldn’t still laugh at you.”
“You got beat by a woman too.”
“Yeah a skilled fighter, not a grease monkey.” He teases heading into locker room.

On the outside helipad, Fallout and Snow Squall, sit in an attack chopper hovering just above the landing tarmac. Fallout instructs the Joe on how to properly land the chopper, pointing out the gauges.
“Now, before you actually set us down, one thing.”
“What’s that?” Snow Squall asks.
“Put down the landing gear.” Fallout winks.
“Oh.” He hits the switches for the landing gear then sets the chopper down gently. “How was that?”
“Perfect, you’re picking this up really well.”
“Good, next you’ll have to teach me combat flying.”
A call over their com comes through, requesting all Joe’s to the situation room.

Within moments the entire team has filed into the situation room including Archaic, Lt. Storm and Medic. General Singer stands at the head of the room with images of Nightingale, Brick and a skewed image of Jumper along with images of the Inserters on screen. “This is our new enemy who call themselves the Liberators. So far they’ve been successful in capturing Lt. Storm, attacked two military bases killing nearly everyone, and so far we have no idea of their motives. Why are they doing this, or who is guiding them? We need answers to these questions people, you are all the best of the best, and here for a reason. It’s time we pulled up our pants and showed them that we are not push overs…”
General Singer is interrupted by Feedback’s black berry going off. “Sorry Sir.” He whispers viewing the alert jumping to his feet. “Oh no.”
“What is it?”
“It’s an emergency call, CFB Bagotville is under attack.”
“Fallout, take a team, get there ASAP.”
“There’s no way we’ll make it there in time.”
Lt. Storm goes to stand up being held down by Medic who shakes her head at him.
“I don’t care, assemble a team and leave now. Even if they are already gone when you get there you’ll be needed.”
Fallout points to Hotwire, Feedback, Maniac and Navy. The team rushes out of the situation room for the hanger bay.
“Athena command room now, Lt. Storm if you’d join us?”
“Of course.”
“The rest of you, there are folders here with all the information we’ve compiled, memorize it.” The General says dropping the folders onto the table following Athena and Storm out of the room.
“I never served at that base, nor do I have any connection to it, this doesn’t make any sense.” Storm says.
“Are you sure?” The General asks.
“Positive.”
“There’s got to be some kind of connection.” Singer leans over his daughter reading the information she brings up on screen. “Tell me Lieutenant, what’s your favorite fighter jet to fly?”