MASKS
BY: ROGUE DOLL

    The helicopter landed the figure cloaked in darkness ran toward it. Turning to the vipers he shot off the last of his bullets as he dived in head first into the helicopter. Barely hanging on as it took off. He made his way to one of the hard bench seats. He stared off into darkness. The extraction unit said nothing they knew this mood and knew to leave well enough alone.

    “So Flint, you thought you could win?” Dr Mindbinder walked up to him. “We have the plans and we will destroy the worlds power supplies, then government leaders will have to come to us if they want to run the countries.”

    All of a sudden an explosion rent the night. “What the?”

    “I rigged some explosions, in your lab; Mindbinder, your little game is over.”

    The lights flickered, then darkness. Flint noticed that his manacles had shorted out. Once his eyes adjusted, he noticed that Dr Mindbender had flown the coupe. “Don’t worry I’ll let my self out.” He mumbled to him self.

    In a flash Cobra Troopers began to over take him. After cracking some skulls together and relieving one of his gun. He made his way to the exit; but, A cadet about sixteen years of age, blocked his way. “N-Not so fast.” The boy told him. Flint realized that in his hands was a gun aim right at his chest. Flint aimed his gun at the boys head. “Put the gun down, get the hell out of here.” Flint told the boy.

    The Boy just shook his head. “Cobra is the way and the light. We will take over this worthless earth.”

    “Son, listen to me just put the gun down.” But the kid just stood there His trembling hand holding the gun at his chest. It had reminded him of some fucking Wild West stand off. Jesse James against ‘Wild Bill’ Hickcock He watched the boys face screw up and start to cry. “I’m so sorry. I-I- “ the boy cried. In a blink of an eye the boy fired at him, years of training caused him to fire back. He felt the bullet dig into his arm. But the kid.. the kid he didn’t feel a thing. His unseeing eyes just stared at nothing.. They never would again either. The bullet had killed him instantly.

    Whoop… Whoop… Whoop

    “Let me look at the arm Flint.”

    “Leave it be Lifeline.” He growled.

    “But It…”

    He shot Lifeline a look. “You can look at it when we get to the PIT”

    With that Flint got up and walked to the back of the Helicopter. Lifeline was at a loss at the anger in the Warrent Officer’s voice. Roadblock shook his head. “Lifeline lay off him. He’s not stupid, he’ll let you look at it back at the pit. He just has something he needs to sort out, by the look of him something happened.”

    Flint leaned against the on the wall of the chopper, his thoughts on a sixteen year old boy and the depravity of Cobra… At sixteen he was trying to get a Drivers license, trying to get money to take a girl to the movies, win the playoffs. What would make a kid get involved with group like Cobra? Family environment? No, a couple of Joes had families that had not been the greatest, he also knew of some that their family life had been down right horrifying.

    The family legacy? A family member in Cobra Dragging them in? Naw doesn’t wash though they had seen examples of that the Joe team had examples where it didn’t work. The team’s top covert ops officer was Destro’s cousin. He couldn’t think of another Joe that he didn’t trust more. It was the fact that Cobra took these kids in and offered them pretty lies.. Money, wealth, to others it was as simple as clothing and shelter… the promise of never being hurt again.

    To never be hurt again? He closed his eyes the sight of the boys sightless eyes opened. Side of his head blown off would forever haunt him. He was someone’s brother, someone’s a son. No one would know that he laid dead. No kind words would be said over his body.

    He hands shook as he heard the gun shot through his mind. He could feel himself pulling the trigger again. He had destroyed a young mans life. Some one who might have found the cure for cancer.. become president.. or just grown up in suburbia with a wife two kids and a dog. But he couldn’t stop him he couldn’t talk him from pulling the trigger.

    He silently wept for a boy that he destroyed for his own self preservation. He saw the boy pull that trigger and he was selfish. He wanted to come home and watch this weeks episode of Alias. He wanted to be able to sit behind his car and drive it again he wanted to come home and see his girl… But because of him a boy future is destroyed.

    “ETA 2 minutes Flint.” He heard roadblock yell back to him.

    He took a deep breath, pushing the emotions to the back of his head. It this little place called: ‘for use later’. For when he needed a little extra. When the adrenaline fails him, when his body begins to no longer listen. He brings a little of it out. Not too much just enough to push him forward.

    He felt the copter land. Exiting the shadows of his mind and the copter itself. He put his mask on, a lopsided grin.

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