Cinnamon

Chapter 9

Today was making its way to becoming one of General Hawks most exhausting days within his entire career. Everything that could go wrong seemed to do just that. Leaving no time for him to catch his breath and resolve one crisis before another would spring up. Not to mention how well his video conference with the respected Heads of State went. Try as he might to make them see reason, they were resilient in their decision to detain Cheshire Cat. He wasn't in favor of the decision but perhaps it would teach Cheshire a much needed lesson in strategy and warfare. Or at least that's what he initially thought, until he was given the order to detain her and transfer her to a facility that was unknown to him. Blatantly disrespecting your superiors would never get you what you wanted. She needed to learn how to play her hand. If she hadn't been so flippant he probably could have steered the conversation in her favor. Now they were in this mess that he wasn't having much luck in finding a way out of.

He glanced at the large clock mounted to the wall above the door of his office. Ratchet and Ace should have checked in by now. He wouldn't blame them if they were dragging out the time to say goodbye or....

"General" His new Lieutenant called from the opposite side of the door awaiting entrance.

"Come in"

The door swung open and the young man straightened to attention. The General rolled his eyes lightly.

"At ease"

"Thank you sir" He said with a brief bow. "I have some paperwork for you to sign regarding the dishonorable discharge and transfer of the Joe, codename: Cheshire Cat. As well as the reports on the damaged vehicles and equipment during the recent attack. And..."

"Wait a minute! Go back. Dishonorable discharge?"

The man nodded and walked to place the documents in front of General Hawk on the desk.

He was only given a few seconds to skim over the reports when Ratchet and Ace stepped into the office decorated in bruises and looking very worn out.

"Excuse me" The young man asserted outstretching a palm to stop them from moving any closer. "You need to be granted permission t..."

"Shut up" Ace growled before shoulder checking the newbie to walk straight up to the mahogany desk.

General Hawk rested back in his wheelchair giving a firm but neutral expression.

"She escaped"

His eyes flickered to Ratchet, who was slowly easing himself into a nearby chair holding his side and displaying some nasty bruising along his neck.

Shutting his eyes tightly he rubbed at his temples trying to ease the headache that was creeping into the back of his skull.

"Great" Hawk said with heavy sarcasm.

Suddenly, there was the sound of an annoying beeping. General Hawk typed on his keyboard to bring up the message from Snake Eyes that read.

War head launched. Alpha team arrested. Terrorism.

"This day just keeps getting better" Hawk sighed. He looked back over at Ace.

"Right now, I need to make a few phone calls. Alpha team has been arrested for terrorism and it appears they weren't able to stop one of the War Heads from being used"

"What 'bout us?" Ace questioned.

"Technically, we are under attack. That takes priority over a Joe running off to save a comrade"

"Dey not gone see it dat way" Ace added.

"Well luckily I don't have time to tell them about it" Hawk responded. "We need all hands on deck and that includes you two. So you got new orders now"

"Yes sir" Ace grinned while throwing up a lazy salute.

____________________________________________

No one on the desert base was sitting still. High tech military vehicles designed similar to railway cars were filling to capacity with soldiers and secretly traveling miles below the feet of villagers and nomadic caravan travelers.

Ratchet managed to book passage among the first wave of deployments. Ace was currently in a sea of soldiers all carrying massive backpacks prepared for battle. He whistled nonchalantly while flipping an ace of spades between his fingers before tossing it into the air and catching it.

"LET'S MOVE!" A voice shouted from somewhere further in the crowd as the next wave of subway cars slowed to a stop and the doors slid open.

"You ready for this?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

Ace made no response at first since he didn't think the soldier was talking to him.

"Hey!" The hostile soldier growled shoving Ace's shoulder roughly.

Rolling his eyes to stare at the soldier with an expression that the hostile Joe translated as boredom. This only infuriated him more.

"Can I help you?"

"I said are you ready. We're going up against Cobra"

"Yes" Ace stated as if he had just asked the dumbest question imaginable. "I kind of figured dat part out mon ami"

"Look. You better do what needs to be done if it comes to it. I ain't losing no more men to some defector. Got it!"

Ace leaned away from the man that seemed to get closer and closer to his face with ever sentence flying out of his mouth.

"You and your team are always causing some kind of trouble. I don't know why they don't just black list the four of you and be done with it? Especially after Syria"

"Sounds like someone been doin' deir homework. I'm flattered but you ain't my type"

Ace watched the pale complexioned soldier go red in the face as his eyes were a light with rage. He stepped forward raising a finger to shove into Ace's chest but Ace was growing tired of their little conversation. So as the soldier stepped forward Ace moved suddenly sliding his foot out for the soldier to stumble. Ace gave him a helpful shove and the man went stumbling into an open subway car. Once he gathered his footing the car was filled to capacity and he was sandwiched in the crowd facing one of the large windows.

Ace smirked and gave a casual wave at the soldier before the vehicle went zooming down the underground tracks.

The crowd was beginning to thin and Ace guessed that this would probably be the last wave of subway trams. Giving a deep sigh he stepped aboard to watch the doors close moments later. Since the number of remaining Joes had decreased Ace didn't have to deal with being sandwiched like a sardine in a can. He comfortably took a seat and contented himself with attempting to swindle the travelers into playing a few hands in Gin. Most of the soldiers were familiar with him so they simply sat silent but there was always one that was either naïve about him or naïve in thinking they could out smart him.

"I'll take you up on that" A brown skinned soldier said with a friendly smile.

Ace's head tilted slightly to the left as he sized the man up. This soldier didn't seem to fit in either of the categories. The patch on the left-hand size of his uniform read Kimble. With a half smile, Ace motioned for the man to take the seat ahead of him.

"Long way to the North Pole. Gotta find something to do. Who knows, I may even beat you" Agent Kimble laughed good naturedly.

"Well. I doubt it...but dere's plenty a time fo you ta try"

"Hey. If someone can knock Snake Eyes on his ass then anything is possible"

Ace couldn't help but genuinely laugh at the statement and the two men started their game with Ace shuffling and dealing.