'GI Joe: Penthesilea's Breastplate": Rated V: Chapter Four."

[Fallout Three Fanboy]

MP44 smiled at Roxton while he worked. "How I ended up as armorer here, that's a story I'll relate."

"Do tell." smiled Roxton.

"COBRA attacked my family's house last year, they were looking for my father's computer disks: I threw gasoline on Serpentor and set him on fire."
Serpentor's guardsmen used me for bayonet practice afterwards." MP44 smiled. "They forgot to shoot me, when they were done."

"I crawled to a G.I. Joe position nearby, they took me to the hospital. " He paused to recheck the head spacing on the other pistol. "I scored .'master armorer'. on a vocational exam; I've been a gun nut since I can walk."

"MP44, my code name; it's the name of Hitler's WWII assault rifle." MP44 glanced at his wristwatch, another armorer walked in. "Clock out time for me.
Want to head over to the firing range?"

"Why not?" Roxton took his new pistols and joined MP44.

COBRA Island... A ghastly wretch pushed his walker forwards, only his determination-and massive COBRA medical aid-kept Emperor Serpentor alive; he was now an 88 pound weakling. He wore the Hitler Youth-style uniform, of the Cobra Youth Corps; his armor would never fit him again. Besides, it was the only Cobra uniform he could wear without screaming in agony.

A Luger automatic pistol was his sole weapon; the fire which had burned him has left him with a very serious case of skin cancer. Serpentor looked like
Moshe Dayan combined with Freddy Kruger, sans the metal glove and hat.

But his Royal Guardsmen were still loyal to him, Cobra Commander used them for mass suicide charges; 'Useful idiots'. as Lenin would say. Destro had simply wanted to shoot Serpentor, as in forever; Cobra Commander simply kept Serpentor as a scapegoat.

.'I... will... prevail'. his mind rattled to himself. Meanwhile, Arthur Summerlee
was preparing a report on Penthesilea's Breastplate. Iron Grenadier Osborne
reported a daily summary to Destro.

"Lord Destro."

"Yes, Guardswoman Osborne?" "Thus far, Summerlee has decoded part of the chants used to activate this artifact."

"I see. Allow him to work at his own pace, our victory does not the require the death of this scientist. Update me daily, Destro out."

Destro's ruthlessness, not his humanity; he spared Summerlee out of need only. Brenda Osborne was one of his best Iron Grenadiers, she more often than not succeeded.

Guardswoman Osborne helped Summerlee to his quarters, he was examined by a MARS doctor. "You should be able to keep working, provided you get rest."

"Thank you, Doctor." Summerlee ate a light meal, showered; he went to bed afterwards.

[badlands]

I wonder how the commander would react when he finds out what happened to poor Destro?