Some distance away on the coast of the island, a motorized raft carrying
Flint, Spirit, Alpine and Quick Kick. Quick Kick notices that he's carrying
a lot of camera equipment for a simple rescue mission. Alpine points out
that it wouldn't hurt to bring back Ripcord and some "nice snaps
of Cobra installations." Flint reminds them to keep some noise discipline.
They start burying the raft in the sand, hoping to finish before the sun
comes up.
At the island's airfield, a Cobra Rattler jet has landed and one of
the Cobra troopers is angry that the pilot's landing was unauthorized.
He quickly realizes that the plane isn't carrying two Cobras -- it's carrying
Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes. But they are too fast for the guards and make
quick work of them.
Inside the Terror-Drome launch base, Crimson Guardsman Professor Appel
is showing off his new Firebat jet to Cobra Commander and the twins, Tomax
and Xamot. He explains its highly sophisticated technology and Cobra Commander
thinks Appel is going on about it like it's his child. That prompts Appel
to ask the Commander about his daughter, Candy. The Commander explains
that facilities for families are of low priority on the island. After Appel
goes off on a recon patrol of the beach, the Commander tells the twins
to get them to start an investigation in Springfield as to what happened
to Appel's daughter. They're a bit surprised to discover Cobra Commander
hasn't told Appel she's missing.
On the sheer cliff side of the island's central volcano, Alpine and
the others are climbing the steep slopes. Alpine complains that volcano's
are supposed to be easy to climb, but this particular mountain is different,
since it was just thrust up out of the ocean. Quick Kick tells him to cheer
up. At least the bad guys won't think we'd be stupid enough to climb it!"
At Fort Wadsworth, Clutch and Hawk arrive in a Vamp II. Hawk tells Clutch
to slow down. "You want the MPs to get on your case?" Clutch tells him
they'll never mess with them now that Hawk has been promoted to General.
Hawk disagrees. "These stars are so new, the varnish hasn't worn off them
yet." Clutch points out, "A star is a star, Hawk. It's age don't count,
you just salute it!" The hydraulic lift lowers the Vamp into the Pit and
the Joes there are waiting at attention with a salute for "General" Hawk.
"At ease, Joes," Hawk says, "I just traded in my desk for a new set of
battle togs! I'm back in the harness again, and glad of it!"
Back on Cobra Island, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes arrive at the flight
control tower in a stolen Stinger jeep. A well placed kick from Snake-Eyes
takes out two of the Cobras. Snake-Eyes runs up the stairs, taking one
trooper out with his Uzi. Storm Shadow shoots an arrow through the tower's
window, making certain the officer inside doesn't sound the alarm. Snake-Eyes
gives his friend the "all clear" signal.
Out near the beach, Prof. Appel's patrol comes across the unconscious
and wounded Ripcord, believing it's Zartan. Appel orders Zartan back to
the launch base and tells the troopers to search the area and move from
intruder alert to full defense mode.
Up on a ledge on the volcano, the rescue team has the island under surveillance.
Alpine and Quick Kick are taking photos of everything of interest. There's
an aircraft on the airfield covered by a tarp. It looks "big" and "fast".
Some heavy construction is underway. It looks like they're building a small
city, according to Alpine. "Cobra condos?" Alpine notes that the circular
structure (the launch base) is just as mysterious up close as it was on
the aerial recon photos (last issue). They notice Appel's jeep pull up
carrying a wounded "Zartan". "Well, we sure didn't shoot him," Quick Kick
says. Alpine takes a guess who did: "Ripcord!" From the airfield tower,
Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow spot "Zartan", too. "That was Zartan! The man
who killed Hard Master... the man I have sworn to kill!"
Appel quickly hurries Ripcord/Zartan into the medical ward of the launch
base, while the Cobras are sealing off the base. One reminds Appel to watch
out for blast shields being tested. They may be popping up anywhere. While
watching over Ripcord/Zartan, Appel finds the pocket Ripcord tore off of
his own uniform. Inside it is a photo of Candy. He finally notices that
the man is really Ripcord. Ripcord wakes up when he hears Candy's name.
Ripcord tells Appel that Candy escaped from the Joes on Staten Island.
He just assumed Buzzer had brought Candy to the island.
Back on the volcano's ledge, the Joes spot Zartan, disguised as Ripcord.
They also notice a Cobra patrol about to stumble into him. Alpine quickly
rappels down the mountain to set up a diversion as the other Joes -- less
skilled in climbing -- take the longer way down.
At the launch base, a Cobra trooper checks above ground before he closes
the hatch and gets a kick in the face from Storm Shadow for his trouble.
He and Snake-Eyes fight their way through the base. One of the technicians
tells the others to take cover behind the blast shields, but Storm Shadow
uses Snake-Eyes shoulders to vault over the shields. "Cover? There is no
cover... when you deal with ninjas!"
Back near the volcano, the Cobras find Zartan disguised as Ripcord and
are about to open fire when Alpine starts firing on them. Zartan hits the
ground and changes color to blend in with the sand. Flint was watching
through the binoculars and doesn't know what he saw. "I thought I had Ripcord
spotted there... but he seemed to disappear! Like he dissolved right into
the sand..."
Inside the launch base, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes seem unstoppable
as they make their way towards Cobra Commander's quarters. The Commander
sees them on the surveillance monitor and knows immediately that Storm
Shadow knows who killed his uncle and is out for vengeance. The twins order
the Crimson Guard to form a human shield around the Commander. The door
is blown open and the two ninjas step in through the opening. Storm Shadow
has little to say. "I want him. Give him to me."
Meanwhile, back at the beach, Alpine and Quick Kick fight it out with
the patrol of Cobras while Flint and Spirit grab Zartan/Ripcord and make
their way to the raft they arrived in.
Inside the Terror-Drome, the Siegies' machine gun fire sends Snake-Eyes
and Storm Shadow back out into the hallway. The Commander knows he's not
their target. Storm Shadow asks the Commander why he killed Zartan. "Did
you
order him--" he asks. "No," the Commander answers. "He did it -- to prove
he could!" He than quickly tells them they can find Zartan in the
medical ward. "Selling out a wounded man?" Tomax asks. He and Xamot than
race out into the hallway but find the two ninjas are already gone. Just
outside the medical ward, Appel helps Ripcord along as troopers race to
find the intruders. Now that he knows the Commander lied to him, he intends
to send Ripcord off in the totally computer controlled Firebat. He figures
that he has little time to spare and that Storm Shadow would kill Ripcord
because he's dressed as Zartan. Even his face wouldn't save him. After
all, Zartan is a shape shifter. Appel readies the Firebat for launch
at the nearby control panel just as Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes fight their
way into the launch chamber. Storm Shadow is about to cut "Zartan" down
as he sits in the cockpit, but Appel tries to stop him. Storm Shadow cuts
down Appel with his sword, but before he can get "Zartan," Snake-Eyes knocks
his friend out of the way to save him from the blast of the Firebat's launch.
If Storm Shadow's sword didn't kill Appel, the blast surely did.
Just off the coast of Cobra Island, the rescue team's raft is waiting to
be picked up. They see the Firebat launch up into the sky. Alpine worries
it may come back and strafe them. Flint tells him "that thing is gone!"
Spirit is checking to see how "Ripcord" is. he notices something strange.
His wound and the hole in his uniform don't match up.
TO BE CONTINUED.
