The darkened sky looms ominously above the horizon, transforming the floor-to-ceiling windows into mirrors. The somber reflections of Tombstone and Onesi stare back at them, their emotions carefully in check as they battle to suppress any flicker of emotion that may bring on the Commander's wrath.
Before them, shrouded in black and shadow, sits Cobra Commander. His sinister figure radiated palpable anger that sent icy chills down their spines. Fury simmers beneath the surface of his mask, a barely contained rage that leaks into his voice, "How did this happen?" he growls just above a whisper. His gloved palms pressed flat against the cold, polished surface of his desk. Each finger splayed as if to anchor him in a moment of outrage. His gleaming mask creates a warped reflection of the two men, amplifying the tension as they struggle to find the words to respond.
Onesi gathers his courage to speak, swallowing hard, his throat dry. He takes a small step forward, "Commander..."
Before he can finish, the Cobra Commander interrupts with an evil edge to his voice, "First, an attack on my illustrious city. Then, the loss of multiple HISS Tanks. And you dare to return, tails tucked between your legs like beaten dogs. I've lost countless troops, five Stingers, and now," he stands suddenly, pushing his chair back as he slams his hands onto the desk, startling them. Tombstone instinctively takes a small step back. To his credit, Onesi manages to stand his ground, but his body betrays him with a visible flinch. "You come back here and tell me not only did G.I. Joe escape but that several hostages escaped with them."
Cobra Commander goes eerily quiet. He fixes his faceless glare upon the pair. "EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!!" The sudden eruption of his voice cuts through the room. His wrath threatened to boil over.
The heavy oak door to his office swings open with a bang. In a swift, coordinated movement, the Shadow Guard fills the room. Their obsidian uniforms mirror the Commander's. The butts of their weapons pressed firmly against their shoulders, all sights trained on Tombstone and Onesi.
Tombstone and Onsei drop their carefully controlled masks as their faces reveal the stark fear twisting in their guts. Their eyes dart nervously over the weapons of the Shadow Guard, betraying the facade they had desperately worked to maintain.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you killed where you stand."
Again, Onesi speaks, "Commander, sir, it was a trap..."
"You think I don't know that!?" the Commander's icy voice makes the hair on Onesi's arms stand at attention.
Onesi stammers, "Of course you do, Commander. " He clears his throat, standing taller. We were going to crush the Joes under our boot heals," he squares his shoulders. They were all but beaten, and then another one of those Transformers showed up."
"Go on," the Commander says more as a threat than a request.
"It was huge, it slaughtered our troops, it looked like an A10, it stood at least 60 feet tall. It laughed the whole time it was killing our men." He falls silent, waiting for the Commander's response.
With a wave of his hand, the Shadow Guard silently exited the room, closing the heavy door behind them.
"It looks like an A10, you say?" the Commander pulls his chair under him as he sits, "Interesting." He leans back, steepling his fingers in contemplation.
The silence causes the room to feel claustrophobic despite the high ceilings.
Tombstone stands motionless while Onesi tries uselessly to control the slight shaking of his joints.
The seconds tick on.
After an eternity, Cobra Commander declares, "Get me, Wild Weasel."
In unison, both men snapped to attention, their military bearing taking over, "Yes, Sir!" their reply echoed in the office. They executed sharp salutes before quickly turning to exit the room. As they moved, it was not lost on them that the threat to their lives had been genuine.
Outside, they quickly noted that the Shadow Guard was nowhere to be seen. Once again, a chill ran down their spines as the realization that the arrival of the Commander's elite guard had been pre-arranged, not for protection, but for a far darker purpose. They had been scheduled for execution.
If not for Onesi's report piquing the curiosity of the Commander, their fate would have been sealed, and their corpses would be lying in a pool of cooling blood as they waited for the Cleansers.
The incessant buzz of fluorescent lights filled the long, stark hallway as Tombstone and Onesi escaped from the Commander's office.
As they turned the corner, Onesi suddenly stopped, his temper flaring. He turns on Tombstone, grabbing him by the collar of his tactical vest. In one swift motion, he slams the larger man against the wall and slams him against the wall, hard enough to force the air from Tombstone's lungs.
A smirk crept across Tombstone's face, only further enraging Onesi, "There's that legendary Onesi we've all heard so much about," he remarked with an air of mock admiration.
"Fuck you," Onsei spat, his voice low as he tightened his grip, his knuckles turning white. "You could have said something in there. Just one word. Anything. The whole damn thing was your fault."
Tombstone's smile twisted as he tried to push away from the wall, "That's precisely why I didn't say anything. I expected I'd never walk out of that office. That's why I insisted on going in with you."
Onesi slams Tombstone into the wall, the impact echoing through the corridor. "We could have both been killed!" he shouts, frustration filling his voice.
Tombstone matched Onesi's intensity, "But we weren't," he replied. "And that's the key. Now, if we don't find that reckless hotshot Wild Weasel, we might not stay so lucky."
Reluctantly, Onesi begins to loosen his grip before suddenly stopping and stepping closer, "If you ever pull that shit again," he warns, his voice low, "I'll kill you myself."
"I'm sure you would."
Onesi releases Tombstone, stepping back, "Let's find Wild Weasel."
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