Ronin Toad: Redux

[Nace Bilby]

Getting to Know BA, Part Two​

Disclaimer: Same as before. Major Timothy Kerry, or Tim, appeared in the pilot episode of NCIS, Yankee White.

Author’s note: Warning, inspired also by watching Jurassic Park III.

----

The Pit, The Mess Hall
Flint, Lady Jaye, Kate, Conrad
14 February 2002, 0640

"Looks like our guests are having a lovely literary debate." Flint remarked.

He and Lady Jaye had been assigned to keep an eye on the two agents, to ensure they didn’t get into more sensitive areas of the Pit. And they were sitting a table away from where Conrad and Kate set their respective trays of food on.

“That’s pretty morbid that you found the fact that the one guy got eaten by the Spinosaurus funny.” Kate commented.

“Correction, there, mademoiselle,” Conrad replied, “I didn’t find the fact that the unfortunate Mr. Nash met his end at the hands, or rather jaws, of the Spinosaurus funny. I found it funny that the satellite phone was consumed along with him.”

“Ok, it still entailed the fact that Mr. Nash was eaten by a dinosaur and by extension you’re finding his death funny.” Kate argued.

“No, first off, if you recall the film adaptation of Dr. Grant’s book.” Conrad said, holding up said book in his left hand as he spoke, “The rather annoying advertising jingle played and was a sign that the Spinosaurus was hanging around the area. A bit like the crocodile from Peter Pan and eating the clock.”

“That story freaked me out as a kid.” Kate replied.

“And there was also the fact that they had to do that search for the phone.” Conrad chuckled, “Digging through a big pile of dinosaur…”

“Conrad!” Kate admonished, nearly shouting, “We’re eating…”

“Ok, then I present my concluding argument as I wasn’t laughing at Nash’s death, I was laughing about the two incidents afterward involving the satellite phone, the annoying ring tone, and the….aftermath of the Spinosaurus’ meal.” Conrad replied.

“That is still really morbid that you find that funny.” Kate replied.

“Au Contraire mon amie.” Conrad replied, “There is some form of humor to be found in that incident.”

“Yeah, really sick humor.” Kate countered.

Meanwhile Flint and Lady Jaye headed over to the table, drawn in by the lively literary debate the two agents were having. It was a perfect way to keep a close eye on them, without quite seeming like doing so.

“Mind if we join you two?” Lady Jaye asked.

“Certainly.” Conrad replied.

“Go ahead.” Kate replied.

“We couldn’t help but notice that you guys were having a rather lively debate about Dr. Alan Grant’s account of Isla Sorna.” Lady Jaye began.

“So did half the Mess Hall.” Flint replied.

Lady Jaye gave her husband a ‘be nice’ look before asking, “So what did you think of the book?”

“I never read the book,” Kate replied, “I did see the film adaptation though. And its those two scenes that Conrad is laughing at.”

“So I gathered.” Flint said, “As far as morbid goes, I can see your point, Kate.”

Kate fixed Conrad with a triumphant grin before Flint added, “I can also see Conrad’s point just as well. In its own way the search for the phone and its location is funny in a grotesque and crude sort of way.”

Lady Jaye chimed in, “I did read the book, and I found it a decent read, though I don’t quite see the humor Conrad found in the whole satellite phone debacle.”

The conversation later turned to the food, after Kate had commented, “These gingerbread flavored pancakes are pretty good.”

“If BA sticks to more conventional menu items he tends to have a fair amount of success." Flint observed

"Sadly he has a tendency to experiment." Lady Jaye remarked.

"Yeah," Kate replied, "We saw the firsthand result of that this morning, with the giant scorpion made of gingerbread."

It was around then that BA wandered by the table, "Well Thomas Edison did say genius was ninety nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration."

"Well you certainly had Quick Kick, Short Fuse, and Todd perspiring." Flint quipped.

At this, Conrad began to laugh. Unfortunately he was in mid sip of a cup of coffee and started coughing and choking. Kate promptly whacked him on the back several times to clear his airway.

"Thank you." Conrad replied, slightly red faced, "I must say that was a well delivered joke Flint."

"So why create a giant scorpion made of gingerbread?" Kate asked, "That's my question."

“Did you notice the large empty place, near the serving line?” BA said.

“Yes, we did.” Conrad interjected, “I gather it was for the scorpion.”

“What possessed you to think that a scorpion would make an appropriate edible display for breakfast?” Kate asked, incredulous.

“Well, scorpions are the trendiest display for breakfasts according to Wanpire Veekly…” BA said as he held up a magazine.

“Wait, what magazine again?” Kate asked.

“Wanpire Veekly.” BA said, before Kate promptly snatched it out of BA’s hand.

“You mean Vampire Weekly.” Kate countered, as she read the label, “With a post office box in Romania?”

“They have great ideas for recipes.” BA protested.

“Yeah, and with quite a few other articles such as Practical Impalement, Exciting Exanguinations, Seven Steps to a Better Dungeon, and Gypsy Curses for Beginners.” Kate replied.

“Its recipe section has provided quite some inspiring reading.” BA replied.

Kate turned to the appropriate page, after reading through the table of contents, “BA, you were right, it is edible. But weren’t you supposed to put a special glaze on it to prevent it from forming itself into a scorpion and chasing everyone around?”

“Uh, I think I missed that section of the article.” BA replied.

“I’ll say.” Kate replied and handed BA his magazine. How you can do that when its labeled in large bold font and in a big red box is beyond me? And it has the recipe for said glaze in it, and explicitly states in two languages that the glaze is to be prepared FIRST? Heck, I noticed all those things when I turned to that page.

Once the chef was safely out of earshot, Kate asked, “Where did you dig up this guy?”

“An underwater COBRA base.” Flint replied, “It had been abandoned for some time and BA had been abandoned with it.”

“I wonder why?” Kate quipped as she stuck her fork into a couple pieces of the gingerbread pancake.

“BA survived because of his own creativity. However it does mean he does indulge in the odd culinary experiment or two.” Flint continued.

“He’s certainly got the odd part down.” Conrad quipped, “My sort of person.”

“Don’t tell me you had weird mess cooks in the French Foreign Legion.” Kate began.

“We didn’t, at least none on the same level as BA.” Conrad replied, “But then again he’d have been driven stark raving mad by our breakfast menu. A baguette, coffee and cigarettes tended to be how we started our mornings.”

“He’d probably invent exploding baguettes.” Kate commented.

“Don’t give the man any more insane ideas.” Flint replied, with a warning tone, “Knowing BA, he probably would create something to that effect.”

Kate looked at her watch, “Seven thirty. And a little over four hours to noon. I wonder what else he’s going to create?"

“As long as it’s not his Seaweed Surprise, I’ll be happy.” Lady Jaye replied.

“I hate to be rude, but we do have our first interview with Roadblock in half an hour.” Conrad reminded, as he glanced at his own watch.

It was around then that Kate’s cell phone chimed. Reaching into her purse and taking a look at the display she gave the others a small smile and said, “I have to take this.”

---

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, Outside the Mess Hall
Kate Todd
14 February 2002, 0733

Kate stepped outside, heading out to the side of the Mess Hall and opened her phone. She smiled as she said, “Hey Tim.”

After a brief hello, she said, “I miss you too, and Happy Valentine’s Day.”

She listened a little more, letting out a slight girlish giggle, “You are too much sometimes, you know that...Hmmm..."

They had been going out for about six weeks by now, half of the time they had known each other while on this Presidential Detail. It was also expressly against the rules for two people on the same detail to date one another, so they had to keep their entire relationship under wraps. Still, stolen little moments like this couldn't be beat.

Kate smiled at the sweet little nothings Tim was saying on the other end of the line in DC and briefly interjected, "I miss you too, baby."

Kate blushed and her smile widened, "Oh I'd love that. I definitely am looking forward to the delayed Valentine's Day celebration you've got planned..."

Hmm, what a perfect little moment. Too bad we're miles apart and everything. I am so looking forward to that Delayed Valentine's Day...Kate thought just before her train of thought was derailed by a shout.

"And Action!" Quick Kick shouted as he, Short Fuse and BA stood outside of the Mess Hall.

Kate cupped her hand over the mouthpiece of her phone to yell, "What the Hell are you guys doing?"

"Filming Part Two of Know Your Joe's episode on BA." Quick Kick replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Didn't you cause enough damage, oh say, over an hour ago when you filmed part one?" Kate asked back.

She lifted her phone back up and said, "Sorry, Tim, just our local idiots filming their base television show. Called Know Your Joe..."

Damn you Roadblock. Kate thought. Now I start rhyming when speaking.

Kate hadn't realized, however, that she had hit the speaker phone button when she had angrily clenched the phone to yell at Quick Kick and thus Tim was being treated to an impromptu audio show of the second part of Know Your Joe's episode on BA.

"So BA, what is your favorite recipe?" Quick Kick asked.

"That's easy, it's called BA's Fifteen Alarm Chilli." BA said, proudly, "To be served at noon today."

"Can you two film this somewhere else, please?!" Kate snapped at them, "Somewhere else as in far, far away!"

"We couldn't get a visa there." Quick Kick countered.

"Ok, " a vaguely disembodied voice coming from Kate's cell phone could be heard, "I am officially curious, what do you mean by fifteen alarm chili?"

"Who's this?" Quick Kick asked, and to Kate's chagrin the camera was now pointed straight at her.

Stupid speaker phone button. Kate thought.

"Major Tim Kerry, US Marine Corps." The voice said, "So how do you get fifteen alarm chili?"

"Easy," BA replied, "Fifteen warnings issued by fifteen different fire departments across the country."

"That explains it." Tim replied, as Kate's complexion reddened yet again, this time due to embarassment.

"So what are the ingredients?" Quick Kick asked, and Short Fuse pointed the camera towards BA again, causing Kate to sigh with relief.

"Beans, chili peppers, red peppers, fire hot chili peppers, onions, seventeen different kinds of meat..." BA replied.

"Where do you get seventeen kinds of meat?" Quick Kick asked.

"Easy, the freeway provides ample amounts and varieties of meat." BA replied.

Kate visibly gagged as she heard this. I am definitely glad I decided to pack snacks and other things in my bag, because I am skipping lunch for certain.

As she stepped away from the scene, turning off the speaker phone mode of her phone as she did so, she raised the phone back up to her ear, "Happy Valentine's Day, Tim, I'll call again later tonight."

She hung up the phone just in time to hear BA say, "I also add two teaspoons of gunpowder to the Fifteen Alarm Chili to give it just that little extra kick."

---

To Be Continued...

 

[Julie Justice]

Very good. But I have to say...I would DEFINITELY stay away from that CHILI, though!!

 

[Ororo Munroe]

Very good, Agent@Nace Bilby. Yes, I would stay away from that chili as well. Not even MY cooking is that EXPLOSIVE!! Hahaha. I look forward to reading the end pf this story.

 

[Julie Justice]

Earlier today, I watched a 2-part episode of "X-Men: The Animated Series" called "Reunion" (Season 2, Eps. 12 and 13 Hulu and Hulu Plus)
"After events in at the end of Season 1, when the X-Men return to find the mansion destroyed, and Professor Xavier is nowhere to be found...and out of contact with the X-Men...the X-Men believe that he is dead.

Meanwhile, Professor X and Magneto find themselves in the Savage Land, a tropical island, complete with rain forests and dinosaurs, in the middle of Antarctica as a refuge/paradise for mutants (only these mutants were created by Magneto himself). Eventually for reasons we don't exactly know, Magneto decided to leave the Savage Land, leaving the Mutates without a leader.

Now, Magneto and Professor Xavier find themselves in the Savage Land, and of course, Magneto knows how everything works there, and has to explain how he knows that. Only the Mutates in the Savage Land can use their powers; other mutants' powers will not work there. This means that Magneto has temporarily lost the power of magnetism; and Professor Xavier has lost his psychic abilities...but has regained his ability to walk.

In Magneto's absence, another mutant enemy of the X-Men, Mister Sinister, has taken over as Master of the Mutates of the Savage Land. Another Mutate forces Professor Xavier to send a message to the X-Men, luring them to the Savage Land, so that he can steal...and combine...all their powers, to make a race of super-mutants that will follow only Mister Sinister.

The other X-Men arrive in the Savage Land in the Blackbird. Since Beast's main mutant powers are his intelligence and his physical strength, he does not seem to be as severely affected. Wolverine does not have his mutant healing abilities, but still has his strength, and his ability to use his claws is not affected!! It is the other X-Men who notice that they can't use their powers. Cyclops (Scott) can now "see" like a "normal" person. And when Storm (Ororo Munroe ) is confronted...literally...by a giant talking toad, she says,"I do not need the power of the elements to deal with a toad like you!!" And of course, I laughed...and laughed!! And then I thought of this story.

 

[Ororo Munroe]

Hahahaha!! Yes...I remember that!!

 

[Nace Bilby]

First Interview and Whispers of Moreauseau​

Disclaimer: Same as before.

---

The Pit, Headquarters Building Conference Room
Kate Todd, Conrad Hart, Roadblock
14 February 2002, 0756

"A legion tune?" Kate asked Conrad as the latter was humming a tune as he was making notes in a field notes style notebook.

"Actually no." Conrad replied, "It's a 1942 song from America, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition, about a chaplain on a ship that's under attack and manning a gun turret."

"You are probably one of the most eccentric people I've ever worked with." Kate said to the ex-Legionnaire.

"If I were to ever write a book about my time in the French Foreign Legion that would probably be its title, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition." Conrad replied, "The sentiment more or less describes my last tour of duty in Africa."

Kate was about to ask what he meant by that when Roadblock walked into the small conference room.

The powerfully built heavy machinegunner took a seat in the conference room across the table from Kate and Conrad.

"We're glad you could join us, Roadblock." Conrad said, "Can you tell us about when you first encountered Todd?"

Roadblock nodded, "We were on patrol in the swamp when we heard before we saw him. He was saying something about being in a lot of pain, and then when we got closer we could see he was just a kid, a teenager. He let out a scream, one we all knew just spoke of pure terror."

Roadblock paused to compose himself and then continued, "He tried to get away from us with that fast hopping gait you've seen. But even from a distance of a few feet away we could tell he was wounded, and after a few hops he couldn't go any further and collapsed into the mud. You weren't there when he just whimpered wordlessly, as if he was expecting us to just gun him down right where he lay..."

Roadblock's hands knotted into large fists, "And as I got closer I could see the damage that they did to him."

"Who?" Kate asked.

"The Brotherhood." Roadblock spat, "Some brothers."

The statement hung in the air momentarily as Roadblock slid a manila folder with several photographs inside toward Conrad and Kate.

The photographs were from the medical ward, shortly after Toad had been brought in. Bruises were the least of what they saw. There were distinct lacerations, looking like the poor kid had been flogged.

"For the love of God." Conrad exclaimed. Such violence towards a kid.

Kate asked, "So you took him back to the Pit for treatment."

"And we saw definite evidence that he'd been beaten severely. If we had arrived any later, Bree, our nurse, said the kid might've died." Roadblock continued.

Roadblock continued, "After he'd collapsed in the swamp, I picked him up and carried him. It was like cradling an infant...that was about as helpless as the kid was."

Kate looked through the photographs and reports, the ones Conrad wasn't reading. The report Bree had submitted on her chat with Toad had emphasized the point that the Brotherhood had beaten him rather savagely.

Baer would classify him as a terrorist, and its true, he did work for Magneto. But still he's a kid. Kate thought to herself. She saw the one photograph of Todd lying on his back, an IV in one arm, the EKG electrodes attached to his chest. Imagining those beeps as the EKG spikes counted the beats of the lad's heart.

She glanced over at Conrad, noticing the ex-Legionnaire's features shifted between anger, horror, and what looked like recognition.

I am not fit to be judge, jury and executioner in this case. Conrad thought to himself. Remembering many battles in Africa against various COBRA backed militias. Militias that used kids as soldiers. Recalling one encounter with one he'd killed with a handgrenade during a firefight, an audible gulp from the lump in his throat, for doing what he had to do.

Despite that, or likely because of that, Conrad found such violence against children to be disgusting.

"So after he had been there for a week he regained consciousness." Roadblock continued his tale, "He was just a mess, hardly spoke, didn't eat anything. If you want to define 'broken' you would have to have seen him after he was healing."

"Brothers would not do that sort of thing to one of their own." Conrad added, cold menace in his tone, "Despicable, gutless cowards. I'd line them up and shoot them for it."

"You'd have to get in line." Roadblock replied.

"My brothers might be practically psychotic," Kate agreed, "But I know they wouldn't do something like this."

Kate held up a photo of Toad's back, with the stripes of lashes across it. She found Conrad's anger to be understandable but still quite unsettling.

"I saw a look in that kid's eyes, like the will to live had nearly been extinguished." Roadblock continued, "And it was only through a miracle I was able to connect with him at all."

"Thank you for your statement." Kate replied as she made some more notes on her PDA, hoping that her businesslike facade was holding.

As Roadblock left the room Kate turned towards Conrad, "What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" Conrad said.

"What you said about lining up and shooting Toad's abusers?" Kate asked.

"Well I find crimes committed against children to be especially reprehensible." Conrad replied, "Some of the worst to suffer in war are children. Often starving, wretched, separated from their parents. Forced to flee from homes destroyed and if they're lucky they wind up as refugees." Conrad replied.

"What's worse than that?" Kate asked.

"Being impressed into service as child soldiers." Conrad replied, "No soldier wants wasting a kid on his conscience."

After that Conrad stood up, getting ready to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked.

"Just going to the commissary here on base. I think some cold cuts and the like are needed since I intend to avoid lunch." Conrad replied.

"Especially with BA and his Fifteen Alarm Chili...ughhh..." Kate winced.

"I'll tell you what, let me know what you want and I'll go get your list as well and you can pay me later." Conrad offered.

"Deal." Kate replied, "Do you have a PDA? I can beam you my list."

Conrad held up his notebook and a pen, "My PDA."

Kate couldn't help but give Conrad a wry smile, "Someone's stuck in the last century."

"Well my PDA doesn't run out of battery charge and isn't susceptible to an EMP or anything of that sort." Conrad replied.

Kate sighed and turned on her PDA, showing Conrad her list. And after copying down Kate's list he said, "I shall return presently."

"Thanks." Kate replied.

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, the Commissary
Conrad Hart and Gung Ho
14 February 2002, 0845

Conrad Hart had walked through the commissary, the small on base grocery store, buying bread, condiments, various lunch meats and snack foods on both he and Kate's grocery lists. It was then that he passed by a bald Marine, with a mustache.

"Bonjour." Conrad said simply, as he greeted the Cajun Marine.

The G.I. Joe Marine nicknamed Gung Ho stopped in his tracks as one of the two 'suits' as Beach Head had called them, who had come to the Pit to find out more about Toad. It took him a moment before he recognized the man, who he had last seen a few years ago back when he was still with the French Foreign Legion.

"Bonjour." Gung Ho replied.

"Ça fait un certain temps que nous nous sommes vus l'autre, mon ami." Conrad replied. (Translation: It's been some time since we last saw each other, my friend.)

"C'est vrai." Gung Ho replied. (Translation: This is true.)

"Oui, ce était au Commando Depuis en Afrique." Conrad replied, solemnly. (Translation: Yes. We met at Commando Depuis in Africa.)

"Mes condoléances pour vos camarades." Gung Ho replied. (Translation: My condolences for your comrades.)

"Les morts enterré. Puissent-ils reposer en paix." Conrad replied, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a medal, a red and white ribbon with a bronze cross, the French Cross for Military Valour. (Translation: The dead lay buried. May they rest peaceably.)

"Oui. Et peuvent-ils reposer avec honneur que Légionnaires." Gung Ho replied. (Translation: Yes, and may they rest with honor as Legionnaries.)

"Merci, mon ami. Je ai reçu une médaille pour survivre. Ils ont reçu leurs médailles pour mourir." Conrad nodded and spoke softly. (Translation: Thank you, my friend. I was awarded a medal for surviving. They were awarded medals for dying.)

Conrad stuck the medal back into his pocket, and then withdrew his hand in a closed fist. He opened it, revealing eight French military dogtags.

Conrad intoned, "Il se agissait de huit bonnes Légionnaires. Puis-je concevoir le mémorial comme ingénieur ne les honorent." (Translation: These were eight good Legionnaires. May the memorial I design as an engineer do them honor.)

"Honorez-les en action ainsi que dans les mots." Gung Ho replied. (Translation: Honor them in deed as well as in word.)

"Toujours." Conrad replied. (Translation: Always)

The two men parted ways as Conrad made for the checkout counter to pay for his purchases.

Gung Ho remembered the mission that the team would always remember as The Road to Moreauseau. It had been an intelligence coup that the men of Commando Depuis and the company of local militia they had trained had discovered.

It had led to a very dark chapter in G.I. Joe's history. One he and the others on that mission would not soon forget.

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, The Mess Hall
BA, Big Lob, Tunnel Rat, Cross Country, Toad
14 February 2002, 1105

"Welcome back to the kitchen." BA said as Toad arrived for round two of still more KP duty over the incident with the tank the day before.

Toad recognized Cross Country, the mechanic from the motorpool, mashing potatoes. Beside him was a tall African American fellow, wearing a red basketball jersey with a yellow 14 on it and green combat fatigue pants and black boots. He was chopping onions.

There was also a short man, washing pots and pans that Toad noticed as BA told him, "Go help Tunnel Rat with the pots and pans."

Toad nodded as he headed over to the sink, washing the pots and pans next to the man. After a few moments Tunnel Rat asked, "So what are you in for?"

"I kind of wrecked a tank." Toad replied, sheepishly.

"Is that all?" Tunnel Rat asked, "I put superglue in Beach Head's shorts. I'm Tunnel Rat."

"Tunnel Rat?" Toad asked.

"My specialty is bomb disposal and clearing out tunnels and the like. I guess the name stuck." Tunnel Rat replied, "As you've no doubt seen everyone's got a codename around here."

Tunnel Rat indicated the fellow chopping onions, "That's my buddy, Big Lob, over there. He accidentally set Beach Head's desk on fire. Hey, come over here and meet the kid we've heard about."

Big Lob wipped a tear from his eye and sniffled, "Aw man, I hate doing onions! They make Big Lob cry!"

"This is the kid we heard about." Tunnel Rat repeated to his friend.

"Nice to meet you." The crying Joe said, "'scuse me while I get a tissue. I haven't cried this much since the NBA playoffs."

"He's sort of sensitive to onions." Tunnel Rat explained.

"Oh, ok." Toad replied.

Meanwhile Cross Country headed over to them, and Toad said, "I'm sorry about trashing the tank and..."

"Don't sweat it, kid." Cross Country said, "It happens. You're not the first soldier to trash a tank in a joyride around here."

"Heck, Shipwreck has that record by a more than considerable margin." Tunnel Rat.

"Who's Shipwreck?" Toad replied.

"Shipwreck is the saltiest sailor to have sailed the Seven Seas. He and trouble go together like peanut butter and jelly." BA said as he walked back into the kitchen, "I'll never forget the time he mooned a bunch of generals that came here to the Pit. That was nuts."

"Speaking of nuts," a female voice echoed from the dining area, "What are they doing in the Jell-O?"

"It's called trying something new." BA shot back, "Sometimes I think it's the most thankless job in the world, cooking for the lot of you. Sometimes I think I was better off with COBRA...no wait, what am I saying, at least no one throws knives at me here."

BA headed back to one of his array of stoves further back in the kitchen, muttering and grumbling a bit more.

"BA used to cook for COBRA, until they left him in an abandoned base at the bottom of the sea." Tunnel Rat explained.

"I wonder why." Big Lob smirked, "I swear the field by the Mess Hall still smells like gingerbread thanks to that giant scorpion thing BA created this morning."

"What's COBRA?" Toad asked.

"A terrorist organization run by a guy that makes Stalin look like Little Lord Fauntelroy." Tunnel Rat explained.

"Worse than Magneto?" Toad asked, eyes wide.

"Ten times worse." BA chimed in, "Never met the man in person myself, but I have known other's in COBRA just like him. That horrible Moreauseau Island was one place I'll never forget."

"What's Moreauseau Island?" Toad asked.

"Nothing kid. Forget I said anything." BA said before he walked back to his cooking.

 

[Nace Bilby]

The Pit, The Mess Hall
Kate Todd and Conrad Hart
14 February 2002, 1135

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this." Kate began as they stood in line in the Mess Hall.

"Well, after I made the shopping trip I noticed that BA's Fifteen Alarm Chili was no longer on the menu." Conrad remarked, "And thought it would be a good idea to husband our sandwich supplies for any of his other experiments in the kitchen."

"I still am wondering if that's either prudence or playing the gastronomical equivalent of Russian roulette." Kate countered as they walked by a display of a Jell-O mold with almonds in it.

As she spoke she could hear BA explaining to someone about a mischevious fellow called Shipwreck and an incident where he had mooned several generals that had come here to the Pit to have a word with General Hawk, the commanding general of G.I. Joe.

"Speaking of nuts," Kate called out, "What are they doing in the Jell-O."

"It's called trying something new." BA's counter could be heard as both she and Conrad got their respective lunches and headed for a table. Kate very scrupulously avoided taking any of the Jell-O.

"Well, it seems a rather harmless repast of ravioli, mashed potatoes, and garlic bread was the available food." Conrad replied.

"With BA I don't think anything he cooks is harmless." Kate quipped as they sat down, "And I still can't believe you decided to take some of the Jell-O."

"It can't be that bad." Conrad replied, "Aside from putting nuts in it, how is it possible to screw up Jell-O."

Kate rolled her eyes, "I'll be sure to have the nearest plumber on speed dial tonight."

"Ye of little faith." Conrad quipped.

With BA's cooking I'm probably going to lose a few pounds or my sanity or God forbid both. Kate thought.

Earlier in the day Kate had overheard a couple hushed conversations in the Headquarter's building after their talk with Roadblock and she had meant to compare notes with Conrad about it. The conversation had been something about Moreauseau Island.

"Hey Conrad?" Kate asked.

"Hmm." Conrad said, in mid chew of a ravioli.

"I overheard a couple people talking in the HQ building after we did our interview with Roadblock." Kate replied, "I remembered they mentioned a place called Moreauseau Island..."

At this Conrad gulped down the bite of food he'd eaten and promptly dropped his fork. He sat up, a stony look on his face.

"What's going on?" Kate asked.

"May the dead rest peacebly." Conrad replied cryptically.

At Kate's quizzical expression he leaned forward and motioned her to do so as well, "When I was in the Legion my unit uncovered the intelligence that enabled G.I. Joe to find a COBRA laboratory called Moreauseau Island. The veritable charnal house where we uncovered that information was the antechamber of Hell as it stood. I can only imagine what G.I. Joe found when they got onto the island was Hell itself or damned close."

Kate took in Conrad's words as she thought to herself. Moreauseau Island. I've got to ask Baer if he knows anything more about that when I write my report tonight.

---

To Be Continued...

 

[Nace Bilby]

Earlier today, I watched a 2-part episode of "X-Men: The Animated Series" called "Reunion" (Season 2, Eps. 12 and 13 Hulu and Hulu Plus)
"After events in at the end of Season 1, when the X-Men return to find the mansion destroyed, and Professor Xavier is nowhere to be found...and out of contact with the X-Men...the X-Men believe that he is dead.

Meanwhile, Professor X and Magneto find themselves in the Savage Land, a tropical island, complete with rain forests and dinosaurs, in the middle of Antarctica as a refuge/paradise for mutants (only these mutants were created by Magneto himself). Eventually for reasons we don't exactly know, Magneto decided to leave the Savage Land, leaving the Mutates without a leader.

Now, Magneto and Professor Xavier find themselves in the Savage Land, and of course, Magneto knows how everything works there, and has to explain how he knows that. Only the Mutates in the Savage Land can use their powers; other mutants' powers will not work there. This means that Magneto has temporarily lost the power of magnetism; and Professor Xavier has lost his psychic abilities...but has regained his ability to walk.

In Magneto's absence, another mutant enemy of the X-Men, Mister Sinister, has taken over as Master of the Mutates of the Savage Land. Another Mutate forces Professor Xavier to send a message to the X-Men, luring them to the Savage Land, so that he can steal...and combine...all their powers, to make a race of super-mutants that will follow only Mister Sinister.

The other X-Men arrive in the Savage Land in the Blackbird. Since Beast's main mutant powers are his intelligence and his physical strength, he does not seem to be as severely affected. Wolverine does not have his mutant healing abilities, but still has his strength, and his ability to use his claws is not affected!! It is the other X-Men who notice that they can't use their powers. Cyclops (Scott) can now "see" like a "normal" person. And when Storm (Ororo Munroe ) is confronted...literally...by a giant talking toad, she says,"I do not need the power of the elements to deal with a toad like you!!" And of course, I laughed...and laughed!! And then I thought of this story.

Glad to see that an unrelated X-men series somehow inspired reminders of my work.

 

[Julie Justice]

Hello Nace.

That "seemingly unrelated episode of X-Men series" reminded me of your story because of what Storm (Ororo Munroe ) said when she was confronted by the giant mutant toad,"I do not need the powers of the elements to deal with a toad like you!!" Even though in that episode she was talking to a different toad..not Todd Tolansky. And the description of the episode (on Hulu/Hulu Plus) really wasn't very good...which is why I had to explain why I found it funny. I guess that happens a lot..I crack myself up...thinking that something is funny...but when I try to tell other people...they don't always agree!! LOL!!

Anyway, I really like your story so far...it just keeps getting better and better.