Life through Snake’s eyes

Chapter 2: Distractions

Strata circled. She stepped forward making herself known to her opponent. “You can do this!” Duke said “Watch him close.” She didn’t respond to Duke’s orders. Snake-eyes moved slowly. “Do something he’s not expecting …something out of the box.”

“Out of the box…” She uttered and turned Twisting her body around slowly making for his feet. He jumped and she rolled beneath him and twisted reaching out behind to grab his feet. Snake toppled but landed on his hands. He kicked her and then pushed himself up walking away from her on his hands. Snake-eyes flipped backwards onto his feet and turned waiting for him.

“Show off.” Sergeant Stone laughed. “Again …get him Strata.” She stood and turned looking at the soldier before her. She made a tired effort to steady herself, this would be the 10th round with Snake-eyes today.

“Scissor kick him that’s what I did.” Duke uttered quietly.

“He’d be prepared for that now.” Stone said and looked again. “It’s like watching cats…look at them circle…” Snake and Strata circled one another until finally she Jumped flipped over and tried to catch him off guard once again going for his feet. Snake easily avoided her. He spun and kicked her feet out from under her, putting her down on her nose. “Ouch…that had to hurt.” Stone smirked “That’s enough.” He said walking forward “We’ll try again in a few hours.”

Snake-eyes looked down and reached a hand to Strata. She took it and he helped her up. “Breaker you want in on this?” Stone asked pointing to snake-eyes.

“No thank you …I’ve got a meeting with Hawk.” He said turning away from the training field.

“Alright that’s enough for today…LUNCH!” Stone smirked and turned to Scarlett “Come on…let’s get something to eat.”

“You’re impossible” She laughed “Always eating.”

“I’m a big guy!” he said and tapped his chest “Need fuel…Good Joes are Fueled Joes I always say.”

“You never say that!” Breaker argued as he made his way to the opposite exit.

“Well I’m going to start now.” Stone smirked “Come on let’s move!”

[Would you like to eat?] Snake eyes looked to Strata. [Everyone seems to be headed for the mess hall.]

“No thank you…I’ll be going back to my dormitory.” She said. Strata turned and left out the door. Snake-eyes shook his head he didn’t know what was up with that girl. He moved and grabbed up his sword from the side deck and holstered it behind himself.

“Snake-eyes!” Scarlett was waiting behind “Let’s go!”He turned making his way toward Scarlett and the mess hall. He turned and made his way to follow reaching down grabbing his dark hooded sweatshirt. He would get out of his armor and relax for a bit.

When he walked into the mess hall it was a mess. There were Joes everywhere, the volume was through the roof. He zipped his hooded sweatshirt up and walked in slowly. His face covered by just a black ski mask and dark glasses. “Snake!” Scarlett again, he shook his head and motioned at her to wait. He moved over to the far side of the mess hall and grabbed up a cup and made short work of making tea. He needed something right now.

Strata entered in behind him but made for the coffee pot. Strata had changed out of her fatigues and was in just black pants and a black top. She poured the coffee from the pot into a tall coffee container and then twisted the cap on and turned leaving again. Snake had noticed her but had pretended not to, save himself from the ridicule of his team mates. He knew they did it in fun, but he didn’t want to exactly hear it at the moment.

Snake made his way to the table and sat with his tea and just looked at the others quietly. “So I say to him….No you can’t cause I just used up the last one!” Stone was telling jokes again. He didn’t hear it all and he was kind of glad he hadn’t.

“So do we have anything coming up?” Duke asked looking around.

“Not to my knowledge no…” Scarlett cut in and looked at Snake. “Snake had a mission but it was outside our norm, but as a team ….alpha has nothing on the books.” Snake eyes merely shrugged at her mention of his name and looked down and played with the string attached to the tea bag in the little cup of hot water.

Duke leaned over to Snake-eyes “You’re awful quiet even for you today.”

[I’m not as entertaining as Stone I’m afraid] Snake’s hands motioned to stone.

“I’m just telling stories.” Stone said and then looked down and started in on his modest meal of two trays of food. “And he’s right you haven’t” Stone made a jumble of his hands “Said two words today…well save for what you just said…”

“What’s going on with you Snake?” Scarlett now protested.

[Nothing is going on….please don’t start with me …not today.] Snake stood and snatched up his tea and decided he would find somewhere more serene to enjoy it. He waved a hand at them.

“I think we hurt his feelings.” Duke said turning his head giving each of them a look.

“What feelings?” Ricochet said, but earned a slap in the back of the head from Stone. “Ow sorry…” he shook his head and looked at Duke “You gonna go talk to him?”

“Nah…I don’t think he’d be in much of a mood to listen.” Duke mused looking to Scarlett “You know him better than anyone …”

“Just leave him be a while…let him cool off.” She said and shook her head and lifted a muffin and began to peel off the muffin cup from around it. She shrugged “he gets this way.” She said and took a bite of the pastry.

Snake was cool and calm as he made his way to the upper scaffold to be alone, it was one of the few places on base he could be and hear everything but no one would see him. He strode over to a crate and sat cross legged on it and holding his tea.

He reached up slowly lifting the ski mask and took a sip of the warm liquid. He looked down to the training floor below and let out a silent sigh. He was alone. Laying his head back against the wall he slowly let his mind quiet. He reached up and took another sip and then pulled the mask back down over his face.

“I didn’t know anyone was up here.” Snake eyes’ head lifted and he turned to the voice. Strata. She stood before him and started to move away. “I’m sorry I’ll leave you be.” She said and began to back away.

[No…it’s fine.] Snake-eyes was mentally hurting himself for not letting her just leave. [stay…the quiet is nice here.]

“Nice quiet huh?” she sort of missed what he said. She looked at him curiously.

Snake-eyes nodded and motioned a hand for her to sit before him. Strata reached a hand up into her short dark hair and did as he asked. She sat on the deck plating looking up to him as he sat on the crate above. Snake-eyes put a hand up to motion her to stay and moved off the crate to sit on the floor across from her.

She clutched her silver coffee canister with two hands. He reached forward slowly taking it from her setting it up on the crate with his tea. [Close your eyes…be silent …be still…and listen.]Snake-eyes smiled under his mask quietly.

“Meditate?” she asked. He nodded. “Very well…as you wish sir…” She said and closed her eyes. At least like this snake could try to keep his mind off her even if she was right in front of him. He closed his eyes as well and sat back against the wall behind himself and kept as quiet as possible, which for him was almost easy.

Strata didn’t know what to think of the Joe before her, quiet and controlled. She kept her eyes closed thinking on him for a moment. They would sit for an hour quietly together until she stood. Snake-eyes looked up at her. “Same time same place tomorrow?” she asked.

Snake eyes nodded [Would be my honor.]

“The honor is all mine.” Strata turned “Sword play tomorrow 0800 yes?” She asked and the dark ninja merely nodded. He hadn’t seen her name on his training schedule but he would look again. “Until tomorrow.” She said and grabbed her cold coffee and silently made her way down off the scaffolding.

Snake-eyes tilted his head he wasn’t sure what to think anymore about her. He just closed his eyes and continued his silent meditation. He had spent nearly two hours up there and then had moved to the training floor. He did pushups, sit ups, he ran a few laps, and even tackled the rookie obstacle course twice. “Snake-eyes.” A voice broke his concentration halfway up the rookie wall for the third time.

He finished and looked down from the 20 foot wall. General Hawk stood below looking up at him. Snake moved a hand and reached down grabbing the rope in his hands and then backed himself down the wall quickly. He found himself toe to toe with general Hawk and saluted waiting for any orders.

“At ease.” Hawk said and gave him a look over “not your normal training garb.” He said of the hooded sweat shirt and dark mask.

[Was bored.] Snak-eyes motioned quietly.

“I see…Scarelett and the others are pretty worried about you…they say you’re distracted.” Hawk crossed his hands over his chest. “What do you think?”

[It won’t happen again sir…]

“I would hope not…” Hawk said “You are fond of her are you?”

[Not in that way sir…we just keep bumping into one another] Snake motioned and then looked in his direction.

“Ah…well…we’ll see I’ll be auditing your Sword Session tomorrow at 0800.” Hawk said and turned slowly “I’ll see you in the morning.” He glanced at Snake who only saluted as Hawk turned and walked away. Suddenly snake felt like a child in the dojo. He shrugged off the feeling and turned moving to the far hall to make his way to his private room.