RP XCOM2: Liberation of Earth

[ZombieSplitter53]

DarkGemini24601 & ZombieSplitter53
The Innocent Criminal and the Zealous Puppet
Part Two

Morrigan howled in pain, and somehow found the strength to slowly drag herself towards Blukersey. "Please, I'll help you! Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it! I'm loyal! I'm loyal!" She was able to get close enough to place a hand on Blukersey's foot.

Ice formed on the boot of the Major, creeping over Morrigan's fingers and beginning to deep-freeze the tissue so that she would recoil. "You will learn the error of your ways eventually," the ADVENT soldier intoned.

Morrigan tightly grasped her hand, tightly holding it in an attempt to prevent losing her fingers. "Why... are you... so cruel? I have done nothing! You... you're a monster! All of you, monsters!"

"Silence until you are ready to speak something other than libel. Your blind devotion to those terrorists is rather upsetting," Major Blukersey declared flatly, tightening Morrigan's lungs. Both of her gauntlets thrummed with psionic energy now.

Morrigan wheezed, gripping her chest tightly. She looked up at Blukersey and tried to say something, but didn't have the air to speak.

Finally, Blukersey's hands dimmed in their glow, and Morrigan was given a momentary reprieve. "If you are ready now, I will accept your disclosure of criminal activity."

Morrigan sobbed lightly now that she had the breath to do so. She looked up at her torturer. "Your blind... devotion to... ADVENT is the... disturbing thing. No one is... perfect... even ADVENT. But I'm sure... you don't care if... I'm innocent. As long as... you find something... to impress... your masters... ADVENT dog..."

"You are not innocent. You are foolish and lost, and I have been tasked with showing you the way. You will learn to embrace the Path again." Blukersey's hands thrummed again, and she continued.

Suddenly Morrigan sprang forward with all the energy she could muster. "I'll embrace nathin', yer blind, eejit dag!" she screamed, rushing her tormentor.

Almost as if she had seen the charge coming, the lance officer sidestepped and then focused her biokinesis on causing Morrigan's muscles to cease up.

Morrigan crashed to the floor, skidding to a stop after a few feet. "Why?" she asked quietly, writhing in pain.

"Because you are a criminal and for the good of humanity I must use whatever knowledge you have to neutralize what remains of that terrorist organization you contacted," Major Blukersey explained unflaggingly.

"What if you're wrong?" Morrigan looked back. "J-just... humor... the thought. Would you... even care... if your were wrong?"

"I am not wrong because that was not my conclusion. ADVENT has ascertained that you are guilty, therefore you are," Blukersey replied stoically.

"But what... if they were wrong?" Morrigan coughed hoarsely. "What if you... found out... there was a mistake?"

"That isn't possible." The Major was silent. "Unless we were deceived... perhaps by the terrorists themselves trying to hurt innocent civilians. If that statistical improbability proved correct, then naturally we would re-educate you and then return you to the populace."

"Y-yes!" Morrigan nodded. "Th-that must be it! Y-you were... deceived. M-my husband, Daniel, he... mmmmaybe he works for them! And when I asked questions, he got scared I knew, so h-he tried to get rid of me! That's it! Please... I-I... I'm ready... t-to go home."

"He is a loyal soldier," Major Blukersey cautioned dogmatically. "Until we know anything for certain you must remain here. In any case, the truthseekers will arrive soon to settle this matter. So once they arrive I will not be needed to continue your persuasion."

"The... the truthseekers?" Morrigan asked nervously. "Who are they?"

"They are First Ones tasked with reading the minds of the accused and determining their guilt or innocence."

Morrigan shuddered at the thought of an alien probing her mind. Her held herself tightly, in pain all over. "W-why... is it okay... for you to torture me? Even if... I was a traitor?"

"Because ADVENT decrees it acceptable," the Major quickly affirmed.

"No one... deserves torture. I would not wish it on anyone... not even you. Just because ADVENT says it is okay..." Morrigan slowly looked up from the floor. "What is your name?"

"Major Nigella Blukersey," the lance officer answered.

"Nigella Blukersey. I... will remember that..." Morrigan crawled over to the corner. "Please... leave me alone. I don't know anything..."

Major Blukersey shook her head, and turned on her heels, exiting. "I'll be back unless they arrive early, and we shall continue."

Morrigan rubbed her hand, sobbing quietly. She curled up in the corner, again trying to be as far from the door as possible.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Haunting Regrets

A familiar scene for Morrigan laid before her. Her daughter, confined to bed, her face red and an empty look in her eyes. Even the fairly clean environment of the Avenger couldn't protect Brigid forever, and she has caught both strep throat and a particularly strong strain of the flu at the same time.

Luckily, Morrigan could be a bit more at ease then she would have been in the past. For a resistance group, XCOM's doctors were skilled, especially with the use of their biokinesis. Brigid would be fine, but she needed bed rest. Regardless, there was still a nagging fear in the back of Morrigan's mind. Instinctive almost, drilled in from years of panic whenever Brigid was ill.

A light knock came from the door, and a moment later, Jack stepped inside with a small bowl, a spoon, and a thermos. "Hey, Morrigan. How is she doing?"

"She's okay now." Morrigan smiled at him, then looked down at Brigid again, noting she had fallen asleep.

Jack gave the girl a sympathetic look, and place the items he had brought on a desk. "My own recipe. Old fashion chicken noodle. Well, almost mine. I could never get it quite right, but Cathy helped me out. Thanks to her, I'm willing to bet this is the best soup she'll ever have."

"Thank you, Jack." Morrigan sighed, and bent down, slipping on a shoe.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"To work, of course," Morrigan answered. "I start in twenty minutes."

Jack shook his head. "I'm pretty sure Dr. Shen is expecting me in twenty, not you."

Morrigan gave him a sad glance. "Jack, no. You have been working for the past ten hours. I can't ask you to..."

"You're not asking me. I did it for you... and for Brigid." He placed a hand on Morrigan's shoulder and gently pushed her back into her seat. "She needs you by her side. With our doctors, and my soup, maybe she'll be well enough tomorrow for you to go to work. If not, I have you covered."

Morrigan nodded. "Thank you, Jack." She softly ran a hand across Brigid's cheek. "It's my fault, you know. I'm sure she wouldn't have such a weak immune system if..." She sighed, slowly shaking her head.

"Of you weren't so young when you had her, right?" Jack sat on the bed across from them. "But then she wouldn't be here. Maybe another girl named Brigid would eventually be born. Maybe a boy. But not her. Whatever circumstances came to bring her, she is here because of you. And I know she wouldn't blame you."

Morrigan smiled. "Thank you. You know... you would make a good father."

Jack chuckled grimly. "Yeah, well... my wife wouldn't agree with you. That's why she left with... with my son."

The Irishwoman gave him a surprised look. "I... I knew you were married once, but you never mentioned a son."

Jack shrugged. "Not something I like to talk about. Brings doubt in my mind. I... I think, if given the choice... I would still choose to help the resistance. But damn it, I would love to see him. I... I wonder what she tells him about me. If she says anything about me. I wonder what he looks like. Who he took more after. Sometimes... I wonder if he is even still alive. With the world how it is..."

Morrigan nodded in understanding. "Maybe we can find them when this is all over."

"Yeah... maybe..." Jack smiled again, and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Morrigan. Take care of her, and yourself."

Morrigan smiled back as he walked out. She slipped her shoes off, and climbed into the bed with her daughter, wrapping her arms around her. "Mommy?" Brigid said softly.

"I'm sorry I woke you," Morrigan said. "Just wanted to share some warmth."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Brigid said with a squeak in her voice. "I'm sorry I get sick all the time. I don't mean to..."

"Don't be ridiculous, dear." Her mother gently kissed the back of her head. "It isn't your fault. I just need you to be strong. We'll beat this."

"B-because... we are away f-from the bad ADVENT doctors?" Brigid asked.

"That's right. We are going to get you fixed up right away when you get sick, and work on helping your immune system, and one day, you will be the healthiest girl in the world. Okay?" Brigid nodded, and Morrigan held her tight. "That's my brave girl. Now... are you hungry? Mr. Irons brought you some soup."

"Um... kinda." Brigid rolled to look at her mother and smiled. "M-maybe a can try a little bit."

"Good to hear." Morrigan gave Brigid a gentle kiss on the forehead, and climbed off the bed, reaching for the thermos.

 

[Dahlexpert]

The following is a collab between Dhalexpert and Zombisplitter53

On board the Avenger
Gym

Luke and Lilith were training together. "You seem a lot more aggressive Luke," Lilith noted. "Something going on with you?"

"It's that last mission. That general lady. She's one of who knows how many ADVENT lap dogs we gotta kill just to get to the Elders. That's just getting to me is all."

"Not exactly someone you want to get worked up over," Ayame warned from the nearby bench. "Could be bad for your heart." She smiled as she did another rep. "Sorry for eavesdropping. I have really good hearing."

"Hey, Ayame, good to see you, how have you been?" Lilith asked.

"I remember you," Luke said. "You were in Chile when me and my aunt were fighting."

"That's me, and I'm doing great." Ayame slowly did another rep of what looked like an impressive amount of weight. "So what do you remember most about me from Chile? My sick skills? My awesome speed? My stunning good looks, even on the battlefield?"

"I remember you being a lesbian, and I admit you are a capable fighter," Luke responded.

"Pft... men. Of course the most distinguishing thing you would remember about me is my sexuality." Ayame did one more rep before sitting up and wiping the sweat from her face. "And for your information, I am, A, bisexual, and B, anexceptionalfighter. And don't you forget that last part just because you heard the bisexual part first."

Luke chuckled a bit. "Relax. I don't care what sexuality you are. I also remember you helping me with my hunting, and teaching me a few things. I appreciate that."

"I also told him that you were looking for our people," Lilith added. "And that your grandmother found us."

"That's right." Ayame stood up and walked over. "I was glad to see at least two of you survived, though I'll admit I was a little disappointed to see you two so... distant. I'm hoping that you two being here together means you're past whatever you were fighting about."

"Yeah, me and Luke handled our problems, even though I'm the one that started it. But we're fine now."

"Yeah, we got over our old problems," Luke agreed. "Everything is fine again."

"Good to hear," Ayame said with a smile. She eyes Luke up and down as she stopped in front of them. "So what are you two working on right now? Toning up for that girlfriend of yours?"

"Oh please. I don't need toning up. I mean, look at me." Luke frowned. "Wow, I sounded like a douche right there."

Lilith rubbed her head. "Me and my boy are just training. Say Ayame, you wanted to face a true Van Dam warrior. Why not face Luke? He's about as close to our warriors were bfore ADVENT showed up."

Luke laughed. "Heh, I could use the training."

"I'm sure you could." Ayame looked him up and down once more. "Hmm... I don't know. Looks a bit soft. You won't get too pissed if I accidentally hurt him, will you?"

Luke started to growl."Oh, don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Well then, this should be a good fight," Lilith said. "Come on, you two. Let's find a nice place for you two."

Ayame nodded. "The ring over there is open. Nice, soft matts that won't hurt as much when you get slammed into them. Sound good, Luke?"

"You know, I don't beat up people that are two feet shorter then me, but I'll make an acceptation just this once," Luke countered

"Ugh this should be interesting," Lilith mumbled. "Just don't go to over board, alright you two."

"Yeah yeah, I got it."

Ayame nodded, a smile plastered on her face as she walked over to the ring. She sat on the second rope and held up the top one for Luke to climb in. "After you."

Luke rolled his eyes and got into the ring. "Don't get too mad when I beat you down."Alright Luke, she's way smaller then you, so you might have to rely more on your legs then your arms. However, just because she's small don't let your guard down.
Lilith stepped to the side of the square circle. "Alright you two, I want a nice clean fight. No low blows, no psi powers."
"Yeah yeah, fine, I get it. No powers."

"Hope you don't rely too much on your mental magic." Ayame cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. "I suggest you don't hold back. I don't want to hear any bitching about how you were going easy on me because I'm a girl or because I'm a little smaller than you or any crap like that." She took a defensive stance.

"Uh huh, keep talking." Luke charged Ayame and kicked her chest, using his height to his advantage. But instead of following up with another attack, he stayed where he was and waited for Ayame.

Ayame stumbled back a few steps, and let out a cough. "Ow..." She gave him a distressed look. "H-how can you be so violent towards me? Th-this w-was supposed to be a friendly match." She pouted, her lip quivering as she coughed a few more times.

Luke looked like he felt sorry for Ayame but stayed where he is. "Heh, I'm not stupid, even though people think I'm a brute. My aunt told me that you know about my people, so you should know how violent we are."

Ayame slowly grinned, and nodded. "Just testing to make sure you're not the kind of guy who falls for the doe eyes. You'd be surprised how many people, men and women, fall for that." Ayame sprang forward and dropped down, wrapping her legs around one of Luke's ankles and twisting.

"Aww." Luke yelled out, and drooped down to a knee. "Damn it." Luke punches Ayame since he was now on her level.

 

[Dahlexpert]

PART 2

Ayame caught his fist, and held it tightly. "You're pretty strong. I bet you can kick all sorts of ass. Just don't let it go to your head." She swung at him with her free hand.

Luke caught her other hand, and head butts several times. Luke slowly stood up and threw Ayame off of him. He fell back to a knee due to his ankle.

Ayame stumbled to her feet, wobbling a bit. She reached up and looked at the blood from a cut on her forehead. "Damn, Luke. Didn't think a little shit talking would get you so mad. You have anger issues, don't you?" She ran forward again, going for a dropkick to his chest.

Luke took the drop kick but didn''t move much. When Ayame landed she was met with a flurry of punches and uppercuts. "Heh I thought someone that knows our people should know we us ever bit of our body as a weapon."

Ayame broke away, wiping the blood from her lips. "I can... appreciate that. In more ways then you'll ever know." She ran to the side and moved behind him. She wrapped her arms around one of his arms and her legs around his chest, and started pulling him in an arm bar, her strength incredible despite her size.

Lilith watched the two and was surprised by them.Hmm you came a long way Luke. I remember you as a little boy that didn't know how to hunt and did many thing that I know you regret. But now I see you become an excellent warrior. Then there's you Ayame. She's not bad, she's pretty good. No doubt Luke is having fun.Luke grabbed his arm with his free one and started to lift Ayame before he slammed her to the ground.

Ayame let out a loud 'OOF!', releasing him and rolling away.After 500 years, you would think I'd remember how light I am...She wiped away the blood dripping in her eyes. She considered using it for a second, but decided against it. She cheated to beat Yakone. She'd avoid it here, at least as long as Luke didn't make her too mad. Jumping in the air to compensate for height, she sent several strong kicks to his arms to ware down his strength.

Luke grunted in pain, and kicked her away from him. He thought about what he could do next, and decided to charge Ayame. He knocked her to the ground, and started to attack her ribs.

"That is OOF really OOF starting to OOF hurt!" Ayame sent a flat palm directly into his chest, knocking the wind out of him, and slipped out while he was catching his breath. She jabbed her fingers into one of his elbows, pinching a nerve that sent pain from his elbow to his hand.

Luke screamed in pain. He considered being a savage and biting Ayame, but went against it. Luke used his other arm to punch Ayame's jaw so he can get some distance away from her. Luke back up into a corner and tried to think of what to do next.

Ayame didn't let up, however, a savage look in her eyes as she rushed towards him again, fist raised.

Luke stayed in the corner for a moment and decided to Charge Ayame, thrusting his whole body at her. When Ayame was on the ground, Luke reached around her waist and lifted her into a German suplex, tossing her far away from him.

Ayame landed her a heap, and needed a moment to get up. When she finally did, she let out a small cry of pain, her shoulder obviously dislocated.

Lilith stepped in and decided to stop the fight. "Alright you two, that's enough. Luke you might have gone a little overboard. Mind you Ayame is not me, she doesn't have Muton strength."

Luke nodded. "Yeah...right, I might have gone a bit far."

"No!" Ayame ran into the corner, and set her arm in place with a painful sounding pop. "I-it isn't over! I'm not going to lose to a Van Dam!" She clenched her fist tightly, muttering, "Not again..."

Lilith gave Ayame an annoyed look. "Ayame, you lost, and I'm not going to let you get hurt any further. And Luke, take it a little easy on people."

"I... do not need you... to take it easy on me!" Ayame shouted. "How dare you assume I am some fragile little girl who can't fight!? I bet if Luke was in the same state I was in, you would let him fight. But oh, poor little Ayame got hurt, take it easy on her! Damn it!" She stomped her foot and thrust her fists down, the blood on her fingers shooting down into the mat bellow her like small, red daggers.

"That's not it," Lilith insisted. "It's because your bleeding everywhere, you probably have a concussion, and possible bruised ribs. That's the only reason I'm ending this."

Luke looked at Ayame and back at his aunt. "We should probably get her to the med bay."

Ayame took several deep breaths, and shook her head. "No, I'm... I'm okay, really. It isn't that bad." She closed her eyes and concentrated, then lifted the hair from the front of her face. "See, not even bleeding anymore. I'm fine, I... I-I'm sorry. I don't take losing very well."

Luke smiled. "I like her, she's tough. One with lots of spirit."

"Luke you're not helping. Should we get Alexis to heal her? I mean, I know you don't want your girlfriend to handle your mess."

"No, I don't want Alexis in this. Besides, if Ayame says she's fine, then she's fine."

"And I am, really." Ayame took a deep breath, and walked over to Luke, offering her hand. "That was a... a good fight."

Luke shook her hand. "Yeah, that was a fun fight. I don't get to fight many people other then my aunt. It was fun to fight someone else."

 

[Dahlexpert]

Part 3

Ayame pulled on his arm so they were face to face, and with a big smile, she said, "But next time we fight, no holding back. And I plan to win."

"Good, that means I can act like a savage and bite your neck and arms. Act like a savageagain."

"Luke, no ideal threats." Lilith said

Ayame released him, and looked him up and down. "I think I like you after all. After how you were treating your aunt, I wasn't sure, but Alexis spoke so highly of you. Had to see for myself. I just hope I didn't hurt your feelings too much earlier. Something about confident men makes me want to push their buttons. But then, I'm told I'm an instigator."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Luke assured her. "It's just trash talk. Besides I would have to be a baby if I let an insult get to me."

Ayame folded her arms. "Well... yeah, but... some insults... cut deeper then others. So it is okay to get pissed off about them. You... you know?"

"Oh don't worry. The day I let my anger get the best of me is the day I accidentally burn down the ship."

Ayame laughed. "I'll be sure to stay out of your way that day." She looked down at her bloody hands. "I, uh... I better go clean up, huh?"

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "You're a mess, might want to get on that."

"Oh, thanks for that." Ayame walked to the exit, calling back, "You're a classy guy, Luke. Really know how to make a lady feel pretty. Don't ever change."

"Oh trust me, honey, I'm not changing at all. I'm staying the same until someone says otherwise, Now go clean yourself up cutey. Blood makes for terrible make up."

Ayame laughed as she left, heading to the showers.

Lilith looked at Luke, a bit surprised." Well I see that someone’s been doing some secret training. You seemed to be a little more aggressive in that fight."

"Was I? Must be from all that's been happening. Or I just have a little bit more fire under my wings. Who knows? Anyway, I'm heading out. You take care aunt." Luke left the gym, leaving Lilith there to clean up the mess.

 

[Black0ut]

Frostlich1228 & Black0ut present:
Leeches and Caretakers

Red laid in his medical bed, holding his flask, despite the doctor's protest over having it in the room. "Things can't get better, until you hit rock-bottom. Guess I got to get stronger..." Red mumbled, rubbing his sore head.

A few knocks came from the door, afterwards an young woman with brown pig-tails walked in, giving a smile, but whose tear ducts were puffy and red. "Hello! How're doing?"

"Um... are you alright, Miss? Did someone hurt you recently?" The former detective questioned, his eyebrows painfully raised.

"Oh uh... I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about." She said, brushing it off.

"Well, I'm fine. Besides, your eyes tell me you're not ok. What's wrong, Miss?" Red asked once more.

"Well... It's just that someone was being a huge jerk to me the other day and I said some bad things and now I'm upset so..." She spoke rapidly.

"Well, what did they say? Maybe if you talk it over with me, you won't feel so bad." Red offered, their roles between patient and caretaker switching.

"Well... I try to make people happy by being happy, you know? To be a source of happiness when they are upset... But she told me I wasn't helping anyone doing that... That I was a leech who didn't care about anyone but herself..." The woman explained.

"Well... I suppose your intentions could be perceived as a metaphorical 'leech', but I doubt it. Firstly, you admitted that you try to make people happy, which tells me you probably have an underlying factor of sadness that you don't want to show anybody else, which probably makes you want to cheer people up. Secondly, your ability to trust me without even knowing who I am, that gives me a rough idea that you probably don't have any malicious intent, as most people who would plan to hurt those they are connected to would never be so open. So, while it's possible that you could be a 'leech', I'd bet that you weren't." The former detective observed, a small smile appearing on his face.

She blinked a few times in quick succession, "Uh... I'm not that sad... I just like making people happy..."

"There's always a reason for why people do what they do. Hell, even the aliens have motivators for their personality quirks. So, I doubt that you woke up one day and decided to be happy all of a sudden." Red replied.

Well of course not... But well... I guess maybe you are right... Maybe I do it because of what I did to Ammy as a child..." She spoke, realization hitting her mid-sentence.

"And what did you do to Ammy as a kid?" Mark asked, being careful to hide his emotions so he didn't upset her.

"We grew up in a single parent house in London, me and my three sisters, Ammy was disabled so she took up so much of my father's time when we had him... When Dad left us and brought us to the orphanage, Mary and Sarah were so upset that they directed their hate towards Ammy for 'taking Dad away from the three of us' and... I have to admit part of me felt the same way too..." She explained, "They started picking on her and mocking her, making her miserable... At first I wanted to get back at her too but I quickly saw what we were doing and I wanted to stop... But I was scared that if I stopped Mary and Sarah would pick on me too so I went along with it... It's my greatest regret..."

That'd do it. But you shouldn't let the past dictate your feelings." Red replied quietly, before sitting up, and getting out of his bed. "After all, people like knowing why you act the way you do. Otherwise it tends to piss them off. And on that note, I think I'm done being in the hospital."

"Wait what?" The nurse said, turning around, "I don't really think you're better yet!"

"I may have a coupe broken ribs, and my head may look like I got beaten by someone with a two-by-four, but I'm not in critical condition, and the commander isn't forcing me to stay, unless she said that while I was unconscious. I think I can safely discharge myself." Red argued stubbornly.

"Just relax! You may not be in critical condition but you still need your rest... Rest is the best medicine!" She smiled.

"Then I can rest in my own bed, right?" Red retorted, as he began walking backwards towards the door.

"I'm pregnant!" The woman suddenly screamed.

Red paused, and took a step forward. "Okay. Are you upset at being pregnant? Or am I upsetting you?" The Specialist asked as gently as he could, trying to understand the woman's motives for revealing such a secret.

"I panicked and I thought it would get you to stop..." The Nurse said awkwardly, "Look, you need to stay here and get better, it's important, I'll keep you company if you like!"

"Well, I can walk right? I can talk coherently to you, and I'm not in agonizing pain. Also, if you end up forcing me to stay, I will... until you leave. Then I'll go to my room. The Commander won't mind, I'm sure." Red attempted to soothe, as he turned around and opened the door.

"I'll uh... Make you a cake?" She bargained.

Red stopped, intrigued by the proposal. "What flavor?" He asked.

"Chocolate?" She smiled.

"Deal." Red replied, as he returned to the medical bed. "Tell me... why do you want me to stay in here? You must have some reason as to why you'd want me here."

"I don't want you to accidentally hurt yourself, you could still sprain something or pull something else, you've still got broken ribs..." She stated, "I dunno, I guess I also... Want to keep talking to you... You're good conversation."

"Trust me, once you get to know me, you'll be saying otherwise. The person who did this to me thought like that, so..." Red said sullenly, before switching his tone to be more neutral, "But if you want to talk to an injured man, go ahead. Any particularly burning questions you want to ask?"

"You just said someone did this to you? Like, during training?"

"Yeah... let's go with that." Red murmured, looking away from the nurse, as he clammed up at the memory of Yakone.

"I don't think you're telling me the truth..." The nurse pressed.

"Well... ya see... I got into this fight with a bull. It kicked my ass, and trampled on me, until it got bored. That's exactly one-hundred percent the truth." Red replied, as he stared at the ceiling.

"I don't think we have cows on the ship... And if we did I don't think The Commander would like you fighting them..." She pointed out.

"Well, I may have lied about one thing... it wasn't a bull, it was a battleaxe that got me. It wiped the floor with me. Why are you so curious about knowing who or what did this to me anyways?" Red asked, yawning as he stretched in the medical bed.

"Alright, If you really don't want me to know I won't pry any further." The young lady sighed, giving in.

"No, no. Why did you want to know? I'm curious to know that answer." Red responded, his voice more friendly than it originally was.

"I guess I was wondering if you were the same guy that got beaten up by Queenie Meanie, The Commander's horrible daughter." She replied, "Everyone's talking about it."

"Nope. I got beaten up by a battleaxe, not a Queenie Meanie." Red lied, as he continued staring at the ceiling. After a few moments, he simply asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, she's been awful to me too... She said I was a leech, isn't that just the rudest thing!" The Nurse exclaimed, throwing her arms up, "All I was doing was trying to make her friend feel better and she had the nerve to say I don't care about anyone but myself!"

"Could she have been in a bad mood, not wanting to deal with someone so happy? Could someone have hurt feelings before she talked to you? Could she have been stressed out and lashed at an unknown person?" Red asked, as turned to face the nurse, "You don't know how she was feeling that day or what caused her to get upset at you. Don't rush to conclusions about a person, until you know their reasons for why they did what they did."

"Well... She approached me on my date so... It didn't seem like her feeling were hurt I... And that's not exactly a fair way to relieve your stress..." She considered, "I mean, none of that warrants calling someone you've never met a leech though..."

"And what if that's the only way she knows? Wouldn' that also mean she's hurting far worse than you, if she has to stoop so low?" Mark asked, trying to make the nurse see things from the Ranger's point of view.

"So... What you are saying is that I should try to help her?" She confirmed.

"Yeah." Red said simply, a smirk appearing on his face.

"I don't know... She didn't seem too thrilled about the way I help people..." She reminded him.

"Explain yourself in a more calm tone to her. I'm guessing you have a ridiculous amount of energy, so that might be why she's annoyed with you." Red advised, as he went to grab somethings. The Sioux man paused, before asking, "If I started drinking in here, would you be upset?"

“Uh... You'll probably be fine... But I can't say I recommend it..."

Red reached under his bed, pulling up a metal flask. He took a quick swig, before setting it down. "So... will you try my idea out, and see if your enemy can become your friend?" Red asked, inappropriately yawning from mild drowsiness.

"Well... I guess I can! Maybe she’s just grumpy, it's got to be hard being The Commander's daughter after all!" The woman considered, "I'm Cathy, by the way."

"I'm assuming you already have my patient information, so... it's nice to meet you, Cathy." Red replied, as he began to practice his new-found hobby of staring at the ceiling.

"So... Stay here while I bring you that cake... Shouldn't take me too long, I probably have one already prepared..." She smiled, sitting up.

"Alright, alright. I'll wait." Red said grumpily, as he returned the smile. I wonder why she’d have a cake already made… that does seem a bit peculiar...

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Unknown Location above Antarctica
0504 Hours, September 8th, 2038
Onboard the Avenger
Floor 2, Port Wing
Room C-207

Yakone was stirred from her sleep by the creaking of a door being pushed ajar. The tungsten light that poured in from the hallway caused the Ranger to blink rapidly. As she adjusted to the sudden influx of light into her retinas, the Inuit-Caucasian recognized Olivia standing in the doorway, frozen like a deer in headlights.

“What are you doing?” Yakone demanded, equal parts irritated and confused.

Olivia’s shoulders slumped as she let out a resigned sigh. “Heading to the armory. Commander’s got a mission for me.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Yakone breathed with frosty disbelief and fury lacing her utterance. “I told you that if you heard anything about an op-”

“-to tell you, I know,” Olivia finished for her roommate. “But I also know my orders.” Noting a lack of comprehension as to what she meant, Olivia reluctantly continued, “Atka told me to keep an eye on you, and she didn’t want you to know about this mission.”

“The fuck is the big idea?” Yakone growled, getting up from her bed - not caring that she was in her underwear as she grabbed the collar of Olivia’s air force jacket. “I’m not some little kid that needs to be coddled!” The Ambusher being held took a deep, slightly shuddering breath - Yakone mistaking the tinge of fear present there for a sliver of anger seeping through Olivia’s otherwise calm demeanor.

“Can you please let go of my jacket?” Olivia requested politely. “You don’t like it when someone messes with yours.”

Yakone did not comply. “You didn’t answer my question,” she stated through gritted teeth.

“You’re being a hypocrite! Let g-”

Yakone’s fist impacted the wall behind Olivia. “Answer my fucking question!” Yakone yelled, her anger flaring at the last statement from the Ambusher.

“S-She took you off the active roster after what you did to Mark!” Olivia stammered, no longer able to keep up a brave facade.

“That bitch!” Yakone finally let go of Olivia, storming off towards the armory. By the time Olivia had gathered her wits, Yakone had already disappeared around the corner. The furious, tidal wave of a young woman surged down the access hallway, becoming a mounting thunderhead as she ascended to the third level of the rear block via gravity lift. Once she was there, Yakone shoved the door open, marching towards her mother.

Atka saw her coming, muttering something obscene in Inuktitut. “I’ll handle this,” she told the assembled members of Maverick Squad. Stacie, Christoffer, Heinrich, Maxwell, and Adam all exchanged glances as the Commander went to confront her subordinate.

“I’m going on this mission,” Yakone doggedly demanded as a statement of fact.

“No, you’re not,” the Commander rebuffed with a calmer but no less authoritative tone.

“You need me!” the Ranger insisted. “My psionics-”

“-do not outweigh the negatives of your mental state, or excuse your assault of Mark,” the soldier’s CO cut her off.

“He started that shit!” Yakone claimed.

“From what I was told that is a white lie. You laid your hands on him for ‘not taking the project seriously enough’,” Atka shot back in a derisive way.

“I-Isn’t that a problem?” Yakone weakly attempted to counter as she thought frantically. Her expression was further clouded with anger that had now become a raging tempest. “It was Danielle that told you, wasn’t it!” She slammed a foot crackling with biokinesis against the metal floor. “I’m going to tear your to pieces!” Yakone screamed up at the Skyranger’s cockpit.

The Commander trembled more and more as Yakone ranted. These palpitations were truly born from anger. “Yakone, you are acting like an immature brat! Lay a hand on Danielle and you’ll be flying out of the airlock so fast your head will spin!”

“Y-You wouldn’t…” Yakone stuttered in surprise.

“Do you really want to test me right now?” Atka snarled threateningly.

For the first time this morning, Yakone took a step back, beginning to want to duck out as the weight of her irrational behavior began to override her will to fight.

But Atka wasn’t done with her. “What the fuck were you thinking, marching up here in your goddamn undies and looking to hurt people on your side!” Atka shook her head in utter astonishment, but her burning judgemental gaze seldom left her daughter. “Did you think that you’d get to vent all your frustrations in battle? Did you consider how much of a liability you are like this? Did it cross your mind that you should display respect and defer to the judgement of your commanding officer?!” Yakone turned her head away and down. “Look at me!”

Shakily meeting the Commander’s gaze, Yakone whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Atka was quick to shut Yakone down. “You have been acting purely on emotion without an iota of common sense, like someone a third of your age!”

Please, please stop… I get it, I… Yakone tried to silently convey.

No. “No. Do you feel ashamed? Humiliated? Because that’s how you should fucking feel, throwing a tantrum like this! It’s nothing short of absurd, disgraceful, and pathetic!”

Each word caused Yakone to grow paler still. She lowered her head in shame, frustration, and anger - not sure where to direct those emotions anymore. This time Atka did not ask her to look up again.

The Commander took a deep breath, enjoining, “Until you get ahold of yourself, you’re not hitting the field. Be grateful I’m not sending you to the brig - a place you will certainly go if I hear of a single more incident. You. Are. Dismissed.” Atka watched Yakone slowly turn and depart from the room, waiting for the doors to shut behind the Ranger before turning to the squad she had assembled.

All seven soldiers in the room were dead silent, from the five Mavericks to the pair of Rangers there. Eventually, Kevin started to speak up, “Well, i-”

“-don’t try to lighten the mood,” Atka swiftly cut her old friend off. “We have an operation to execute. We need to focus on the task at hand.” The door slid open again, admitting a shaken but seemingly unhurt Olivia that approached and reported for duty. She hurt you at all? Atka sought confirmation.

No, I’m fine, Olivia responded, maintaining a calm exterior while still clearing her head from the confrontation with Yakone.

Sorry to have put that burden on you. I’ll be having someone else watch her from now on that can properly deal with her, the Commander assured the other Canadian, even if she wasn’t sure herself who that would be. Clearing her throat, Atka gave her initial orders. “The eight of you should get into the Skyranger asap. We’re rapidly approaching our safe deployment distance. I’ll have a briefing for you during your short flight.”

***​

XCOM Mission Parameters

ADVENT T.I.U. Factory on Deception Island, north of Antarctica
0800 Hours, September 8th, 2038 [Maximum of ~45 Minutes]
Recover articles of the Thermal Insulation Underarmor

XCOM Forces

**SGT Nash, Kevin [Ranger]
*SQ Strand, Christoffer [Specialist]
SQ Belle, Stacie [Sharpshooter]
SQ Driver, Karen [Ranger]
SQ Bauer, Heinrich [Grenadier]
SQ Brown, Olivia [Ambusher]
SQ Dominguez, Maxwell [Trooper]
SQ Brock, Adam [Juggernaut]

Operation Cetacean Cinders
-> Begin Playback

If we’re going to operate on continental Antarctica, then we’re going to need proper insulation. Coupled with armor, coats would be too cumbersome. XCOM needs the gear that ADVENT has: the Thermal Insulation Underarmor. They are thin jumpsuits made of synthetic microfibers that conduct heat exceptionally well, allowing them to be easily warmed up with a few small electric batteries. We’re going to steal some of these for reverse-engineering.

The most accessible production facility is on Deception Island, a horseshoe-shaped volcanic island whose interior waters sit atop the caldera of an active volcano. Scant records of the island remain from old databases. All we know is that it served as the site of a whaling operation in the early 1900s, and that it is now the site of this ADVENT factory. The building itself should not be excessively large, but we do not have a blueprint, unfortunately.

Therefore, despite the unlikelihood of enemy forces posing too much of a threat, a good degree of caution is advised. Do not make the mistake of letting your guard down. On the other hand, do not forget that we do have the secondary objective of testing out new equipment. Nash and Belle will be using their A.I. partners with some subsystems built into their armor, allowing Strand to show his abilities as a leader. This will also be the first time we field our magnetic weapons, so this makes for an excellent field test.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Operation Cetacean Cinders, Part 1

As the briefing ended, the interior of the Skyranger threatened to fall silent once more. To Stacie’s surprise, Merlux wasn’t doing all that much moping.

Something wrong? There is an unusual lack of complaining from you, the Texan noted.

It is a serene feeling to observe my core attribute reflected in others, Merlux explained himself.

You enjoy other people being sad? That’s pretty ice-cold.

I prefer to see it as an exercise in empathy.

I guess I can see how that would make sense to you. A pause from Stacie. You ready for this?

I am prepared for further combat, her A.I. affirmed. I feel that I have a proper understanding of the capabilities of this Sonic Modulator.

You think you can make it emit destructive waves? I know Shen said it would be more effective for modifying or muting stuff, but…

The Chief Engineer was correct. I could potentially replicate an effect similar to the one created by the sonic derringers, but the battery would burn out. Perhaps when we have less… jury-rigged elerium cores for our armors this subsystem’s capabilities could be expanded.

Alright, fine. A gadget that can act as a muffler and ventriloquist can’t be that bad, even if it can’t do more showy things, Stacie conceded.

Up in the cockpit, Kevin glanced over at the pilot, who hadn’t said much the whole flight. “You alright, Dani?”

“Let me put it this way… I’m less scared by the prospect of flying into enemy territory situated on a volcano than I am by returning to the Avenger right now.” Danielle shook her head. “Yakone’s always been moody, but it’s freaky how the instant her beliefs are challenged and she’s at fault she goes into full violent denial mode. I haven’t seen anything this bad before.”

“Yeah… she needs a good talking to,” Chandra muttered.

“I don’t know, I guess we’ll have to see if Atka dressing her down did the trick or not. If it didn’t, well… I doubt any of us idiots saying shit will do shit,” Firebrand replied. Glancing at her radar, she clicked on the internal comms. “Alright, boys and girls… we’re here. I am picking up what looks like turrets on the rooftop… I can still try for an insertion there since you’re gonna want to get in ASAP due to this damn cold, but it’s a shitty choice. Possibly freeze to death, or possibly die in a crash.”

“Can turrets detect a cloaked dropship?” Maxwell questioned.

“Do you want to find out?” Danielle retorted.

“I might have an idea if you can bring us to a stop, Firebrand,” Heinrich offered, pulling the folded-up mortar off his back.

“Gonna be a little rickety due to the wind, but I can do that. Full stop!” Danielle called out in reply, pulling a lever to cause the Skyranger to angle its engines vertically.

Heinrich removed his harness and stood up - stumbling and nearly falling over as he did so. “A little?” he complained. “Can’t you do any better?”

Firebrand chuckled. “Sorry, Panzer, that’s as good as I can do. It’s a hover setting, not an adaptive engine orientation.”

Niphua flashed into existence in front of Danielle. “Perhaps I can be of assistance, Miss Slater. If you permit me access to the Skyranger’s sensors then I can automatically adjust the engines to provide further stability.”

“Alright, holographic marionette,” Firebrand replied. “Give it a shot,” she conceded, opening a channel to allow Niphua access.

Heinrich cautiously let go of a handhold, unfolding his mortar and securing it to the floor magnetically. “That’s better,” the Hispanic-German commented as the rocking lowered to a minimum, “Alamo, I’m going to need you to spot for me. I’ll need your A.I. to help me aim from this distance.”

“Aim at what?” Stacie’s eyes widened as she got up from her seat. “Are you going to shell the emplacements from this high?”

Danielle grinned beneath her flight helmet. “Now that’s my sort of crazy.” The pilot opened up the hatch, causing outside air to rush into the passenger area.

“Damn, that is chilly,” Maxwell grumbled. “Make this quick, Panzer.”

“Working on it,” Heinrich replied as Stacie looking through her DMR scope and Merlux helped the Grenadier target the turrets on the roof. The mortar’s muzzle shifted downwards, making slight adjustments until both organic mechanical operators were satisfied. “Eat shit, ADVENT,” the former of those two declared before pulling the trigger.

***​

Private Akihiro leaned over the railing of the TIU factory’s rooftop, letting out an exasperated groan. The machine gunner and other trooper near him did not respond to his bellyaching until he directly addressed one of them. “Hey, Andrews,” he said to his fellow trooper as he pushed himself back to a standing position.

“Yeah?” Andrews responded with a more resigned, bored tone.

“You ever wonder how we ended up here?”

“No. We got assigned to this base by command.”

Akihiro rolled his eyes. “I mean in a broader sense. What did we do to get such a lame assignment? Does someone up above hate us? Did we not kiss up to the right people? Or are we just plain unlucky?”

Andrews stared at his fellow soldier blankly. He began to say something in snide response, but his words were drowned out as an explosive shell impacted with the automated turret next to Akihiro, blowing apart the defensive emplacement and blasting off chunks of the unfortunate private that had been standing nearby. What was left of poor Akihiro was launched over the railing, while Andrews and the Gunner panicked.

It wasn’t long before another shell flew, flattening another turret. Then a third blew a hole in the roof. A fourth destroyed a tertiary turret. The fifth blew the Gunner to smithereens. Andrews hid under a radio tower, cowering and hyperventilating. “Ohshitohshitohshit, where the hell is all this coming from?” he mumbled incoherently. The shelling ceased, though he took a good deal of time to calm down enough to peer around. On the other side of the tower he heard the sound of boots meeting metal. “Mendez, is that you?” he asked, thinking one of his fellow guards was coming over.

There was a brief pause, and then a voice responded in Jabberwocky. “N҉o͠,̨̧ ͘b͟u̕t҉ ̵̡̕I̡͞'͟҉͘m̡͢ ̵̢f̴̴͝r̡͢i̴e͢n̶͠d́l̸y͟,̵̨̢ d҉̴͠o̢n̷͏͝'t͟ ̷͠ś͘hǫ̀ót̡!̴̢͜”

Andrews lowered his mag rifle. “Oh, thank the Elders it’s you, sir. I thought I was gonna-” his eyes widened as words left him. A woman in plated alloy armor rounded the corner, firing a pair of revolver shots into his chest - dropping the misfortunate man dead.

“Surprise!” Stacie exclaimed triumphantly, more than satisfied with the sonic modulator’s performance.

The remaining turret turned towards Stacie and the general location of the Skyranger - which was offloading the squad - and a telekinetic field was the only thing that slowed down the projectiles enough to not damage the Texan and the dropship. An anti-tank cannon cracked, and two of the three projectiles it launched impacted with the last turret and slagged the internals. “Look’s like I missed one,” Heinrich grumbled.

Thanks for warning me, Stacie complained to Merlux.

That was a lack of situational awareness on your part, Merlux contended. Additionally, running the subsystem takes away processing power to assist you with dodging enemy fire, the A.I. whined.

I’ll have to keep that in mind. Would rather not get riddled bullets because you’re busy making me sound like Morgan Freeman or something. “Thanks for the save,” Stacie told Adam.

Brock merely grunted in acknowledgement, gesturing towards the hole in the roof. “Entry point.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Operation Cetacean Cinders, Part 2

The squad started to move towards the breach. “Hold on a sec,” Christoffer ordered. “Stacie, throw a scanner in there.”

“Good idea.” The Texan gunslinger reached down to her belt, procuring a small sphere that she rolled into the cavity. “Command, what do you see?”

“Looks like a break room. Long table, chairs pushed in, drink machines against the walls. There’s a pair of Stun Lancers combing the area, and an Assassin hiding in the shadows of the top right corner,” Atka reported.

Kevin glanced over at Chris. “Any plans come to mind to deal with them effectively?”

The officer-in-training rubbed his stubble. “Well… Stacie can take one of them out silently, and you could probably handle the Assassin.”

“Not both at once, though,” Kevin pointed out. “Need to deal with the other Lancer to be sure.”

I am confident I could protect you both from them, Niphua cheerily insisted.

I know, but we have to put our faith in Christoffer now so we can make sure he can handle commanding a team, Kevin responded.

Christoffer hefted his Scorpion Battle Rifle. “Why don’t I bring one of them to us?” He nodded to Stacie to do her part and put the plan into action.

The gunslinger cautiously approached the breach with rail strike rifle in hand. Merlux, begin sound cancellation now, Stacie requested. Her footsteps were muffled, as was the slight shuffle of her body armor. Her weapon’s discharge would be equally silent when it came time to fire.

Be forewarned, reflex assist is disabled. I must dedicate my focus to the subsystem, Merlux cautioned.

Gotcha. Belle took a deep breath, and then stepped forward. One lancer was looking over the table, which was cracked by debris. The other was looking up, straight at Stacie. She shot him through the temple, and then jumped back as a high-caliber round soon flew out of the hole at high speeds - through the position Stacie had occupied half a second previously. “Damn! Snow, don’t advance! Assassin’s got our number!”

It’s time to improvise, Christoffer thought. “Brock, smoke on the edge of the hole!” The Juggernaut threw up the dense cloud of gaseous cover, and Chris advanced, tossing a flashbang into the room below. “Driver, take down the Stun Lancer while Kevin gets the Assassin,” he ordered over comms.

Taken a bit off-guard, Karen bobbed her head a bit with a hesitant, “Yessir.” She drew her laser-lined spear, and hopped down along with Kevin into the breach. The younger Ranger ran the second lancer through with her lance - an irony she reflected on in the back of her mind while Kevin ran after the Assassin.

The ADVENT soldier in sleek, jet-black armor dropped her sniper rifle when she saw Kevin coming, instead bringing out an alloy katana and parrying a slash from the XCOM soldier. Her blade glided off of the Ranger’s, and she reached to her side with a free hand.

She is attempting to toss down a poison grenade, Niphua informed Kevin. Time seemed to slow down for the Ranger as the AI shared her rapid thinking with him as best she could without overloading his PCS, allowing Kevin to kick the capsule out of the Assassin’s hand before the pin could be pulled. She is going for a slash from the right. Kevin whipped the handle of his sword into his opponent’s wrist, causing her to drop the katana.

“What the hell?” the Assassin cried out at the rapid movements a human shouldn’t be capable of making. She eyed her sniper rifle, stepping back away from the door she’d been trying to back up into previously.

“Don’t,” Kevin warned. “You won’t reach it.”

The Assassin thought for a moment, and then sighed, raising her hands in defeat. “I give up.”

“Raises the question of how to secure you,” Kevin muttered. After the sounds of gunfire above had died down - something the pair of Rangers had drowned on in the heat of brief but stressful combat - the rest of the squad dropped into the break room.

“Cleaned up some soldiers left on the roof,” Stand informed the sergeant.

“You got any of those sonic grenades? Need to subdue this soldier,” Kevin asked Chris.

The Norwegian shook his head, and instead Adam strode up, delivering a blow to the side of the surprised Assassin’s helmet - decking her. “I… guess that works,” the Specialist conceded. The XCOM squad stacked up on either side of the door into the rooms beyond, Chris being on the right edge while Olivia was instructed specifically to be on the right. “I’m going to open the door. Wait a few seconds to make sure no one starts shooting at us, and then scout ahead with your chameleon suit active,” Chris told his second-in-command.

“Roger.” Strand opened the door, and once it was clear they weren’t going to be shot at, Brown blended in with the wall and advanced slowly. “Looks like a regular hallway to me beyond this small empty room… hall is kinda like a rectangular storage container… you know, those ones prewar ships have?” Olivia whispered into comms. “No sign of enemies… wait, hold on, someone’s coming around the corner at the far end. I see… a Shieldbearer, a Scorcher…” she paused briefly, “... a Gunner, a Trooper, and some black and navy blue soldier I don’t recognize. Looks like he’s carrying a shotgun.”

“They’re using shotguns now? God help us, they’ve gotten smart,” Kevin wisecracked.

“We’ll have to kill him and the Shieldbearer first…” Christoffer glanced at Adam. “Not… you, the other…”

“Not one of them anymore,” Adam stated with a shake of his head.

“I can send my RCs to trip up the shotgunner and the flamer when they try and advance to buy us time to nail the Shieldbearer,” Olivia offered, before her eyes widened and she took cover behind a wall as the Gunner and Trooper began spraying fire in her direction. “Shit! They know I’m here!”

“Why…” Maxwell glanced up at a wall, and grimaced, lifting his rifle to shoot a security camera. “They’re watching our movements. Or were.”

“Go ahead and send your RCs, we’ll try and keep the rest of them off you!” Chris told Olivia, sending his Gremlin towards the Gunner to blast him with electricity and create a gap in the heavy suppressing fire he was sending downstream to pin Olivia. A pair of mechanical mice scurried forward, laying out a thin, durable wire between them that caused the Scorcher and his shotgun-toting ally to fall flat on their faces. Maxwell set up his HMG in the time that bought them.

The enemy Shieldbearer for her part chose not to open up with protective barriers around her allies. Instead, she planted down his deployable hybrid alloy aegis, allowing another trooper to take cover behind it while she fired wildly with his battle rifle. Peeking around the corner from behind the stunned Gunner, a Sectoid sent a mindspin Olivia’s way, causing her to panic and scramble out of her cover.

“Dammit!” Chris raised a hand, causing the fresh Trooper to go temporarily blind from an application of blackout. “Adam!”

The Juggernaut was already on it, running over to plant his shield in place. He seized Olivia’s shoulder with a firm grasp, forcing her into a safe position in front of him and behind the mobile piece of cover he’d put down. Kevin and Karen surged forward to take cover on either side of the hallway in the blank chamber between the break room and the corridor. Both fired off their shotguns as they did, the spread not doing anything to the enemies in cover but did damage the Shieldbearer slightly, causing her to reel backwards. It was Heinrich who dealt a more decisive blow, utilizing the barrage of bullets from Max’s HMG that were keeping the far corner Trooper suppressed to step out and forward. He raised his ATC, and send a blast of three projectiles that ripped through the Shieldbearer before she could get a proper telekinetic shield up.

“I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again. Eat shit ADVENT,” the Grenadier stated with a grin. His kill left the enemy forces with the Sectoid, two Troopers in good cover along with a Gunner in an equally defensible position.

“Anyone got grenades?” Christoffer requested.

Brock gave a sagely nod. He let go of Olivia as the psionic effect on her faded, and flipped out his SS-GL - firing off a shard grenade between the two Troopers and severely wounding both of them. The one behind the shield stumbled backwards, falling to his knees - and Stacie blew his head off with her rail revolver.

However, the Sectoid continued to make things difficult. The psionic sent a stream of purple-green into the bleeding body of the deceased Shieldbearer, causing her to rise up and start firing again - creating a hole in Heinrich’s armor and bruising him badly. “Mother fucker!” he cried out, falling back into the break room.

“Don’t be a baby, you’re not actually injured,” Chris joked when he got a good look at him, thankful that his friend was unharmed. “Someone take down the Sectoid, or at least the zombie!”

As the fearless undead soldier advance, it made the mistake of coming close to Karen. The Ranger swapped to her lance as it closed the distance, driving the spearhead through the dead soldier’s brain. This severed the biokinetic connection, and the being collapsed. “That worked… better than I expected.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Operation Cetacean Cinders, Part 3

Kevin scrutinized the injured Trooper and Gunner, who had both gone into high alert to try and shoot anyone that would attempt to move up. The Scorcher was dead by this point, having been gunned down when trying to get up by Maxwell’s HMG. But the shotgunner remained, and was running forward fast. “He’s getting close!”

“On it.” Olivia lifted her bolt caster, and speared the new ADVENT unit through the chest with one of its ridiculously high caliber bullets. “Don’t underestimate me, you mind-warping assholes…”

“Wow, you made the Canadian angry. That’s hard to do,” Kevin commented to the Sectoid, even if he wasn’t sure was listening to him. Niphua, get ready… we’re going in on him.

The Commander gets angry all the time, the trusting A.I. offered.

Yeah, but she’s… her, Kevin gave as a non-answer, not wanting to spoil his joke. He unfurled his modified skulljack, and rushed forward with erratic movements that prevented the two ADVENT soldiers from getting a good shot as he closed the distance with a very-frightened Sectoid. Kevin shoved the two-pronged device into the alien’s skull.

Hmm… let’s see, he knows the layout of the manufacturing room… I’ll take that data… and he’s got a low-level psionic connection to convey orders to these two soldiers. Apply a little feedback, and… The Trooper and Gunner clutched their heads as they tried to aim at Kevin, falling onto their backs and being gunned down like the prone targets they had become.

“Good work, Niphua.” Kevin smiled grimly. “Share what you found with the squad,” he requested as he let the dead Sectoid slide off his skulljack onto the floor.

Niphua laid out a basic understanding of the main factory area for them. There was an elevator that reached three levels. The upper level was made up of catwalks overlooking the production lines with a boxed room at the end where the facility overseer would be, while the second level had a grated floor and machinery for finishing touches. The third level was solid ground, being where production started and having a workshop with a garage door separating it from the factory chamber - this adjunct room being where the elevator came to on the first floor.

“Hm… so there’s a high risk of being shot through the floor on both of the upper levels,” Christoffer pointed out. “I say we go to the bottom floor - most of us, anyway. Olivia and Stacie can sneak around at the top… if we can make it safe for them to do so.”

“There is a computer terminal in front of the elevator at the end of the hallway,” Niphua stated. “You could probably disable the security feed from there.”

“Then we have our plan,” Strand decided. It was put to the test as he hacked the terminal, blacking out the security feeds while the squad headed to the bottom floor. Six of them exited into the workshop, finding that the door was closed and they were faced with nothing but terrified workers.

“Brock, make sure they don’t get shot by stray fire,” Kevin ordered the Shieldbearer, who dutifully went on civilian guard duty while the other five prepared to open the doorway, waiting for the other two to reach the top floor first.

The elevator door opened a second time on the third floor, and the pair of female Mavericks exited onto the catwalk. Across from them was a pair of Assassins monitoring the lower floors, whom they both quickly dispatched with a bolt caster shot and a pair of revolver rounds. “We’re good up here. Start the party,” Olivia informed the others below.

“Copy. Got a support grenade you can roll under to make sure we don’t get blown away while the door is opening?” Chris asked Adam.

The Juggernaut loaded a reverb grenade into his single shot grenade launcher.

“Wait, you had a sonic grenade this whole time? Why didn’t you use it on the Assassin lady?” Maxwell objected.

“Waste of resources,” Adam replied succinctly as the garage door began to lift, tossing the sonic device under it and disabling the collection of Troopers, Gunners, and Medics on the other side. This allowed the five XCOM soldiers to pour in, taking down an equal number to them in the initial charge. The Gunner and Combat Medic that remained took shelter behind a MEC Trooper each, the unaffected robots laying down heavy suppression to pin their enemies.

Christoffer grinned. “You’re going to wish you didn’t bring your robot friends. Go on.” He sent his Gremlin towards one of the MEC Troopers. His haywire protocol went awry, prompting the MEC to compensate, hijacking Chris’s comms for a moment in order to dodge some of the squad’s fire.

“Great going, Snowdrift!” Heinrich complained as their assembly line cover began to be torn to shreds, though he managed to get in a shot on the MEC that had temporarily stopped firing, shredding its armor and bringing it to its knees.

“We deal with what we’ve got.” Kevin fired off his shotgun, blowing the injured MEC onto its back and crushing the Trooper behind it. “Looks like we’re cleaning house anyway.”

The remaining MEC leaned forward, prepping its micro-missiles. “No!” Karen cried out. Being the closest nearby, she dashed forward and thrust her lance up at the MEC - damaging it but not killing it. The machine lifted a hand, and swatted her into a wall - cracking the metal from the impact.

“Light it up!” Maxwell growled, opening fire with his mag rifle and finishing off the robotic trooper with Christoffer’s help, then following up by gunning down the Gunner.

Even as the dust thrown up by battle was beginning to clear, Olivia rappled down to the others beside a bruised Stacie. “We’ve got more company. A bunch of the lion people, along with a Mogul,” Brown reported. “Looks to be the person in charge of the installation.”

A rain of flashbang grenades soon followed them. “Close your eyes!” Stacie warned. Merlux prepared to muffle the noise they would create, negating the disorienting effect for those that managed to shut their eyes in time. Nevertheless, Adam was temporarily blinded as he exited the workshop into the main factory room, and Christoffer was rendered unable to see as well.

Following the utility grenades were six Retainers, who leaped down the levels and holes in the grating as a group. Two of them fired with battle rifles, one missing Olivia while the other grazed Maxwell. The third rushed Adam, while the fourth, fifth, and six all rushed Kevin.

Two of them are not moving properly. Identified as illusions! Niphua warned Kevin, mentally designating the true enemy. Kevin drew his wavefoil, cutting into the armor of the real Retainer and following up with a killstroke. Enraged by the death of their comrade, the other two fired upon him - Niphua barely being able to keep up and keep Kevin out of harm’s way.

The Retainer attacking Adam bore down on the Juggernaut, and delivered a series of ferocious blows to him, staggering the clone and causing him to reel. It found, however, that it had picked the wrong person to get in a fistfight with. Letting out an animalistic snarl that made his lion-like foe’s ferocious growls seem like the noises of a house cat, Adam blindly swung back at the Retainer, faint yellow telekinetic glows increasing the force of his already fearsome strikes. Most of them didn’t connect, and his left arm was fractured by a swipe from his enemy, but Adam delivered a blow to the Retainer’s throat that caved in the armor there and punctured its windpipe.

“Hmph. Not bad,” a voice from the second floor commented before a rail revolver shot impacted Adam’s helmet, knocking him to the ground. The catlike Mogul in charge of the installation leapt down, slicing at Stacie. He would have taken her head off if Merlux didn’t prompt her to duck a fraction of a second before it was too late. “What the hell is it with some of you? Those reflexes are faaaar too catlike for mere humans…” he purred irritably. In a second swipe, the Mogul aimed for Stacie’s chestplate and this time sped his blow up halfway through with physical enhancement, causing Merlux to fail to compensate. His alloyed sword tore through her armor, drawing a thin line of blood on the Texan. “Got you.”

“You… talk too much,” Karen coughed through some blood in her mouth, firing off her sharn gun from the floor and ripping the back of the Mogul’s armor to pieces and causing him to bleed from numerous minor wounds.

“Ahhh! Bitch!” he whined, stumbling forward - right into Stacie’s blitz coilers.

“Surprise,” Stacie growled, before blowing countless holes in the facility’s commanding officer.

The fight from there turned back in XCOM’s favor. Olivia brought one of the remaining Retainers to its knees with her cable slinger, permitting Heinrich to finish it off while Kevin cut down the last lion. Christoffer rushed over to Adam. “Don’t tell me we lost you on your first mission with us…” he said worriedly, taking off the soldier’s helmet. Wiping away blood from the impact wound, he extracted the bullet from its resting place - flattened against Adam’s skull. “You really do have a thick skull, huh…?”

“Stupid… joke…” Brock grumbled, slowly opening his eyes. “If not for armor, I would be dead.”

“But you’re not… thankfully.” Maxwell offered him a hand. “Come on. We’ve got some looting to do, buddy.”

Adam narrowed his eyes for a moment, but even the vat-grown soldier couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly and accept the help up.

 

[MarineAvenger]

"Whatever You Do, Don't Smile"
Unknown Location above Antarctica
0032 Hours, September 9th, 2038
Onboard the Avenger

“Jaren, stop…”

“Leon… please, let me die how I was before. Don’t let me kill myself as the person who murdered his brother… please don’t let me die like that. Let me be at peace…”

Pulled the trigger, a single gunshot...

Jaren’s smile…

Leon sat up in his bunk quickly, gulping in air as his heart pounded heavily beneath his chest, the man reaching up to hold his head, blonde hair spilling out in front of him. So many times he had the same nightmare, haunting him over and over. Not a nightmare. A memory. The same memory haunting him over and over endlessly like a specter that hung to the back of Leon’s head and whispered chilling words into his ear.

There was a soft glow of light besides Leon as Psyma seemed to stand on nothing, looking at his caretaker with great concern. “A-Are you okay Leon!? Your body does is not sending out any pain signals, yet you seem like you have sustained some kind of damage…”

“It was nothing to worry about Psyma… I promise.” Leon said, rubbing his eyes slowly. “Was nothing but a nightmare.”

“A… nightmare?” Psyma asked, tilting his head slightly. “What is a nightmare Leon?”

The soldier couldn’t help but smile warmly, and he sat up more, stretching out his arms as he let out a loud yawn. “Well… a… nightmare is sort of like a dream that isn’t so pleasant. They are filled with things that make people scared, sad, or feel any other negative things.”

Psyma’s color slowly dimmed as his starry eyes turned counter-clockwise. “There is… such a thing human’s experience? I should count myself lucky us A.I.’s do not have to deal with such unpleasant things. We do not… ‘dream’ after all. If… If I could be of some help, what was it that gave you this… nightmare Leon?”

Leon was afraid of that question and he sighed. “Long before I met you Psyma, I had a group of friends I fought alongside. Things became complicated, so I had to kill one of my friends. It was for the best.”

Psyma dimmed further. “O-Oh… I see. W-Would… a thing like that… become of… me?” The artificial intelligence asked with extreme despair.

“No, of course not buddy. What happened to my friend will never happen to you. You’re a good kid. And as your partner, it is my job to keep you protected. Just as you always protect me.” Leon explained to the ‘little kid’, a small smile on his face. “Okay?”

Psyma glanced to the side at Leon and he giggled, jumping up as he put his hands behind his back. “Okay Leon! I believe you. Me and you are partners to the very end, right?”

“You’re irreplaceable.” Leon affirmed as he slowly laid down once more.

Psyma disappeared and reappeared sitting on Leon’s bare chest with an arm around his leg. “You’re a good friend to me Leon. You treat me like I matter.”

“But you do matter. You are-” Leon cut himself off when Psyma shook his head.

“Joy, Merlux, Vyssini, Phobos, Niphua, Tusgin, Tumulis, and me… we are all different in certain ways. I… I believe I am the weakest of them all. I do not deal well with negative emotions, and they seem to be everywhere. I just feel like the others can do much more with their emotional capacities. Even the ‘dangerous’ ones.” Psyma explained, shaking his head. “There is one thing I know though… I feel happy with you Leon. Like I truly do matter in a way. You give me… hope?” He asked.

“I believe hope would be a proper opposite to despair. But don’t think too much on the bad things Psyma. We will deal with them. As long as you and me are connected, you matter.” Leon closed his eyes, yawning once more. “Now why don’t you try and go into rest mode or whatever you do. I don’t need you overworking yourself when it isn’t needed.”

Although Leon couldn’t see it, Psyma smiled widely and stood up nodding. “Okay. Thanks Leon.” The A.I. whispered before cutting off the projection.

From across the room Gwen looked emotionlessly at Leon’s sleeping figure, slowly laying her head down on her pillow, her arms tightening around it.

***

Ten Hours Later

Leon looked through the closet he and Gwen shared, looking over the various clothing he had. He pulled a white shirt over his head and grabbed a light jacket putting it on and zipping it up. He slowly closed the doors and looked behind him as his sister had her hands together, looking down at them sadly. “You’re acting all depressed again”

His sister barely glanced at Leon a few moments before she got up abruptly and began going for the door.

Leon however saw it coming and ran after her, grabbed her her just before she reached the door. “Oh no you don’t missy!”

“Let me go Leon!” Gwen snapped, trying to jerk and pull her arm away. “Let go!”

“No, I’m not.” The Grenadier said as he pulled her closer and put an arm around her back. “We are going to talk about this and you are going to tell me what is wrong.”

“Let go, let go, let go!” She yelled shrilly, beating her fists weakly against Leon as he held her, but she finally stopped when he pulled her even tighter, forcing her to be right on him. Finally, Gwen relented, placing her head against Leon as she let her arms drop. “I hate you…” The French born girl complained.

“I know.” Leon reminded Gwen, rolling his eyes. “Come on, we need to talk about this.”

Gwen didn’t fight back as Leon dragged the girl towards his bed and they both sat down, the girl suddenly fiddling with her hair. Neither of them said anything for the longest time. Suddenly, the silence was broken by an unexpected voice.

“Is there… something I can do to help?” A child-like voice asked, and between the two Psyma formed and looked between the two siblings.

Gwen looked down at the shimmering blue-green creation and she sighed. “So you’re the little A.I. Leon commandeered, huh?”

“Commandeered? Uh… no ma’am. I would say he more so asked me if I wanted to follow him and I agreed. There was no unwillingness behind our meeting.” The A.I. corrected the girl.

“I see. Well… do you really want to know what’s wrong Leon?” Gwen asked, clenching her fists. “People are assholes… they toy with you, talk behind your back, and go die when they shouldn’t. I found it better to just avoid everyone. Cut all ties that matter so that I don’t get hurt anymore. I’m tired of hurting.”

Leon nodded, scratching the back of his head. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Gwen scoffed. “What sounds familiar?”

“What you said. Cutting all ties so you don’t get hurt? I did the same thing Gwen. I did it to you and everyone else in California. And you know what happened? I was miserable. I was just being selfish and stupid thinking I could handle things on my own.” His hand went and touched his sister’s and she almost winced as if in pain from remembering. “But you were there to knock me out of my stupidity. I had you Gwen.”

“It is true Gwendoline. Leon has told me the story, and he admires you oh so very much. You shouldn’t let negative emotions control how you feel. If you do, you turn into those like Phobos and his two counterparts.” Psyma said, not amused but just like he knew he was right in the way he said it.

Gwen crossed her arms, looking down. “But I-”

“But?” Psyma asked, going closer to Gwen’s face. “Why does there have to be a but? Why can’t I just be right?” The A.I. asked with wide eyes, like a little kid begging for a present.

Gwen looked at the A.I. briefly before she sighed, shaking her head. “I see you take from Leon in all the worst ways little Psyma.”

“O-Oh… is that… a bad thing?” Psyma asked, looking between the two humans in a frenzy.

“She’s teasing buddy.” Leon assured the kid like A.I. and he put a hand on Gwen’s back. “You okay?”

Gwen shook her head slowly. “I cut myself off so much? How… or where am I supposed to begin?”

Leon smirked. “I hear a certain little girl got sick and could use a friend to help her through recovery.”

The French girl couldn’t help but smirk at Leon. “I do admire your underaged girlfriend.”

Psyma looked even more confused between the two, and crossed his arms. “I have much more to learn about human relations it seems…” The laughter between the two siblings made Psyma shrink down a bit before he smiled as well, but covered his face, embarrassed the two made him join in their enjoyment like a little kid might when made to smile when angry. “Much more…” He groaned in dread and excitement.

 

[Taxor_the_First]

Courtesy Gone, Part 1

Location Unknown
12:38 PM, September 3rd, 2038


The song started with Isaac tapping his bars with a spoon. Wasn’t quite the xylophone it called for, but it’d do.

Once he’d tapped the bars enough times, he struck up a ponderous tune on his guitar, the speaker beside him spitting out a harsh electric noise that was strangely melodic. Outside, the guard turned their head slightly, but otherwise did not intervene. Having begun the introduction, Isaac drew in a breath, and began to sing, his voice sounding as haggard as the words he released.

The dawn of century, a boy born by a lake
Resettled from Karelia's plains
Grown to a man in exile as the great war came
Unleashed it's shadow on his world…

Even as he sang, his mind was turning over. He’d been in here for months. Samuel had probably already given up. Chloe would have needed to dedicate her resources elsewhere again. The Resistance had other priorities. In fact, the best hope he had for escape right now was his own captor. Azazel had already indicated that he did not like the idea of torturing Isaac to gain information. Did that extend to his prisoner’s eventual fate? He’d been kind thus far. It didn’t seem right that the Elder that had shown compassion would just sentence him to execution.

Then again, Azazel had said himself that he wasn’t in charge…

Sent to a prison, where the heroes are judged as traitors
Accused of treason by his own
Sentenced by countrymen under pressure of foreign influence
Men he once fought to free…

Isaac stopped for a moment, as the music dictated. Allowing himself to regulate his breathing in the pause, he glanced up and froze. Directly outside the cell was Azazel, watching him. The Elder inclined his head forward slightly. Continue.

The prisoner glanced at his guitar briefly, before shrugging and resuming.

Inmate in hell or a hero imprisoned?
Soldier in Auschwitz, we know his name!
Locked in a cell, waging war from the prison
Hiding in Auschwitz, he hides behind 4859!

The song done, Isaac lowered his guitar, leaning it against the wall and turning off the connected equipment. “Nice of you to wait until I’m done,” he remarked, moving to the front of his cell. “What’s the occasion?”

I thought you could bear to stretch your legs, the Inquisitor answered as his now ever-present Guru guard opened the cell. I have found myself a day with a large amount of nothing in my schedule, so I decided I could… entertain you for a while. You must be bored in that cell.

Isaac frowned, but exited the cell as instructed. “You know, part of me thinks that you’re spouting euphemisms at me,” he noted.

A mental chuckle. Nothing of the sort, Azazel informed him. You have spent months in this facility, but you have yet to see the outer areas. I thought you might want to.

Somehow the prisoner did not think he’d have a choice in the matter. Shrugging, he fell in beside the Inquisitor, making sure to keep a distance away in case the guards got nervous. Despite questions coming to his mind, he decided to keep quiet for now – the Elder would likely refuse to answer.

The two, accompanied by a small ensemble of guards and Ay, meandered out to the outer areas of the facility. They passed by multiple other cells on the way, the people within briefly registering the group before returning to whatever it was they were passing time with. Even so…

“So this is a prison facility,” Isaac murmured. “But the amount of people locked here-“

Less than you were expecting? Azazel asked.

“I knew I wouldn’t be the only one here,” his prisoner answered. “But yeah. I was expecting… more.”


I’m certain my superiors would want that, the Inquisitor returned thoughtfully. This is no simple holding facility. This place is designed for people such as yourself – those with significant intel to spare on the Resistance. People from whom my particular talents are suited to gleaning valuable information.

They passed another cell. The occupant, a Caucasian man with a balding head, lifted his gaze to watch them pass. “And what, am I your favorite pet or something?” Isaac asked, his jawline setting.

I would never presume to describe you as such, Azazel stated. You are a sentient being. The other prisoners are no different, ignoring the various degrees of compliance I receive from them. Take Mr. Rudolph Walter, who we just passed. He was mentally unstable when he was brought here. He has… only deteriorated over time. Most would have him shot.

“But you don’t. You’re a regular good Samaritan, aren’t you?”

I detect sarcasm in your tone. A mental sigh. And it is not unwarranted.

Isaac growled. “Then what is this all for? What end justifies these means?”

You haven’t seen half of it.

They arrived at what seemed to be the edge of the facility, a long corridor winding around the edges. Mostly featureless, save for the patrolling guards, the occasional bench for said guards to rest their legs while on break, and a long window about halfway up the outer wall, allowing vision to the outside world.

“Nice scenery,” Isaac remarked. “Bit muddy, but still natural.”

There were ruins here when we arrived, Azazel said. The shattered remains of a former world power.

“Really? Where are we?”


You would know the site as ‘Auschwitz’.

Isaac’s breath caught in his throat. “Ah.” He said finally.


I am aware of what must be going through your mind right now, the Elder stated, a hint of amusement bleeding through his words. Worry not. The choice of site was purely incidental. There are no gas chambers here. Not anymore. They stopped, Azazel turning to the window and gazing out. Even so, the mark of evil still hangs in the air. The history of this place bearing down upon those that know.

“The Third Reich,” Isaac muttered. He chuckled. “You know, it’s not uncommon to find people in the Resistance who call ADVENT the Fourth Reich.”

I wouldn’t doubt it. The Inquisitor’s robes swished slightly, a draught racing down the halls. For all its faults, one cannot deny the impact Hitler’s Germany had on your world. It brought a nation back from the brink of collapse. For a time, it had the strongest military in the world. It brought technological advances that were not fully realized for another few decades. And that excludes the more artistic contributions. He turned his head. The song you were singing when I arrived. What was it about?

“A Polish soldier,” Isaac answered. “Deliberately got himself captured so he could expose what was happening in Auschwitz to the world. When nobody came to get him out, he broke out himself, made his way back to his homeland. He was branded a traitor, and executed for his trouble.”

He attempts to expose a monster, and is made to be one instead. The Elder nodded slowly. Music is a curious thing, isn’t it? One might not care for the instrument or style in which a tune is conveyed, but we all have something we do like. Even species some might deem incapable of understanding music, say the Priorbus or the Balmadaar, have some preference. I have witnessed them near human nightclubs. The beat is, evidently, infectious. And then, your people choose to attach meaning to it through language. Hardly a novel concept, but no less admirable.

Isaac’s response was cut off as he spotted something. A rocky outcrop near the facility, lit by a gloomy sun. Why was my attention drawn here? the prisoner wondered. Did I notice something? There, again. Blink, and you would have missed it. A glint. Like the sun reflecting off a piece of glass. A piece of glass like-

… like a scope.

He glanced at Azazel. The alien did not seem alarmed at all. Maybe he hadn’t noticed it. Or maybe that scope belonged to an ADVENT soldier. Still, it was a little fishy. That he would be brought out here for seemingly no reason and spot this. Was Azazel trying to show him off for prying eyes? Or was he trying to show Isaac that there was no escape?

The Elder noticed his restlessness. I promised you I would answer some of your questions, did I not? He turned around, and began shuffling back into the heart of the facility. Come. Now is your chance to get some of the answers you seek. Isaac took one last look at the outcrop, not seeing the glint again. Resigning himself to the idea that it wouldn’t matter to him either way, he followed.

 

[Taxor_the_First]

Courtesy Gone, Part 2

They reached the interrogation room in short order, Ay opening the door for his Elder master and human prisoner. The majority of the guards remained outside – only Ay and another ADVENT Trooper would accompany them within the chamber, as always. Isaac sat himself down, this time not being forced into the chair like usual. Azazel remained standing at the end of the table. Ask your questions, then, he commanded. I will answer what I can. I cannot guarantee my answers will be entirely truthful, or that I will answer at all, but I suppose that’s better than what you would have gotten before.

The prisoner glanced around. The Trooper had settled themselves against the wall. Ay had crouched on the floor and was sitting cross-legged, occasionally clicking his teeth together. They were relaxed. Isaac noted this. It presented an opportunity, after all.

But for now, he’d play along. “Alright,” he said, thinking. “Where’s Samuel?”

Azazel nodded. I expected you to ask that, he murmured. The last I knew, he was still with XCOM. ADVENT has yet to apprehend him.

So he’s safe, he surmised. “Alright. How old are you?”

Eighty-two cycles, Azazel responded. Of our home, anyway. That would translate to… over a thousand years.

Isaac blinked. “You’re over a millennia old?” he asked incredulously.

The Elder shrugged. Yes.

“How long do you people live?”

Longer than you. Next question.

The prisoner frowned. Suppose just waiting for their leader to die is out of the question, then. “How’d you find me, when you first arrested me?”

Azazel chuckled. It was a case of both luck and excellent deduction on the part of some of my assistants. We were under the impression you were still the Overseer until we finally snared one of your old operatives. Once we knew where to look, it was relatively simple to locate you.

“Did you expect to catch Samuel?”

That brought a grunt from the Inquisitor. I expected to secure you, at least. Your son would have been a bonus, and as such I underestimated the cost of allowing him to escape. In hindsight, I should have sent a larger group after him. It is a… shame that he slipped away, especially considering his involvement in several attacks on ADVENT facilities. My superiors would have certainly preferred him under lock and key, like yourself.

They continued in this manner for a few more questions. The Elder was surprisingly amiable to answering most of the time, refusing only questions that dealt with his people or their motivations. A question about the Elder’s ‘Path’ only brought a laugh from his captor, who seemed to be under the impression that he would be better off asking someone in ADVENT. After a time, Isaac flicked his eyes sideways. The guards were still relaxed. “Why haven’t I ever seen you in person?” he asked.

Azazel visibly tensed. What do you mean? he countered. I am right here.

“I see robes and a helmet. I don’t see the thing wearing them.” He leaned forward. “For all I know, you could be a Sectoid wearing stilts under there. Not once have you ever brought a hand out. Not even to open the door we walk through everytime we do this. Someone else always does that for you.”

Sensing their superior was experiencing distress, the Trooper and Guru both adopted slightly more aggressive positions. Azazel himself faltered. I am able to control the world with my mind, he said roughly. I have no need to expose myself.

“Not even to get a bit of sun?” Isaac taunted.

This line of conversation is getting us nowhere. Move on.

Abruptly, Isaac lunged forward, reaching an arm beneath Azazel’s robes and drawing out one of the Elder’s own upper limbs before anyone could react. Judging by the hand, it was one of his right arms. He stared at the Inquisitor’s arm as the Trooper barked a command, raising his mag rifle, and the Guru screeched in rage. What the hell…

He wasn’t scared of the Trooper or Ay, however. What terrified him most in this moment was Azazel himself. The Elder had made no attempt to withdraw his arm, instead content to stare at the human before him. The pressure of that stare was crushing. A shadow crossed the alien’s mask, and his gaze bore holes in the pitiful being daring to touch him.

Let go. Now.

His words carried the weight Isaac would expect from two angry Elders, not just the one. The intent was clear. Murderous, even. Either Isaac would unhand him, or Azazel would do it himself, and not gently. So he did. He loosened his grip on the Inquisitor’s arm, which shot back beneath the robes like a startled snake, and took a step back just to be sure. The Elder rubbed his wrist, pushing his robes outward slightly with the motion.

I… must go, Azazel stated brusquely, turning around and stopping in front of the door. The Trooper opened it for him, and he ran out like a first date who’s just been told they’ve been stood up.

Isaac watched him go, barely registering Ay seizing his arms and forcefully restraining him. It was a question Azazel had likely not even realized he had answered that now troubled the prisoner, one that he had suspected the answer to. And now he had it.

I hate being right.



Another Location Unknown
One Week Later


Chloe blinked. It was unbelievable. Just when she’d been giving up hope.

“Where was this picture taken?” she asked.

The operative bowed. “Around where Auschwitz used to be,” he answered. “I was following a lead on a facility, and I found… well, that. Came back as quickly as I could.”

The Overseer was staring intently at the photo. “He’s still in one piece,” she noted hopefully. “I’d even say he looks healthy. But that Elder…”

The operative shuddered. “I could have sworn he was looking right at me at times,” he admitted. “Don’t worry, I made certain I wasn’t being followed. Can’t shake the feeling he knew I was there, though.”

“If he did and didn’t try to stop you, then they’re still underestimating us,” Chloe stated, turning around and moving to a communication console. “Thank you for this. Now that we know where Isaac is, we can mount a rescue. Get him out of ADVENT’s hands.” She frowned, tapping a finger on the device. “But… we don’t have the manpower. Not in that area, anyway, and I doubt one of the other Resistance cells would be willing to charge into a clandestine ADVENT facility just to save some old asshole they don’t know.” She hesitated, working through the options in her mind. “There’s nothing for it,” the Overseer decided, seating herself. “We need XCOM.”

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Dahlexpert & ZombieSplitter53
The Power of Denial
Part One

On board the Avenger
The cafeteria
September 9th, 1300 Hours

Luke was cleaning pots and pans after a long day of cooking and serving a ship full of people, Emil entered the cafeteria looking for a bite to eat when he saw Luke. "Luke, what are you doing back there?"

"I'm the ships cook, one of many. Any way Emile why are you here? "

"I was hoping to get something to eat. Um, do you know how to make a burger?"

"Of course I do, just give me a few minutes and I'll serve you." Luke started to cook some burgers he made earlier in the day, and checks to see if there are any buns around." Do you want it plain or with toppings?"

"Lettuce and a pickle on the side, and add mustard and mayo."

"Got it."

"Can you throw two more on the grill?" Alexis called out, walking up to Emil's side with her sister.

"Well well if it isn't my darling and her sister. Yeah, sure, why not?"

Emile looked at the two sisters and thought about Luke's comment." Darling, hey Luke, why did you call one of them darling?"

"Because the purple haired one is my girlfriend, and there are several reasons why I'm dating her."

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with the big breast, she has."

"Those are a bonus."

Jennifer held a hand over her mouth. "How vulgar and direct. Someone lacks in tact I see."

"Never learned it, was too busy surviving. And trying not to be seen by ADVENT, also getting used to my new arm." Emile makes a fist with his right arm.

"What happened to your arm?" Alex asked as she waited for her burger.

"This is what happens when you try facing a ADVENT MEC when you're twelve. FYI, itdoesn't go well."

"Wow, that must have hurt." Luke said while cooking Alexis and Jennifer burgers. "You three want any thing else?"

"Yeah sure give me a side of fries," Emile answered.

"Me too," the sisters said together.

"God, alright, alright. Give me a few more minutes." Luke grabbed some fries and put them in a fryer. Luke flipped the burgers, and decided to leave the kitchen for a bit. "Hey baby, how you been since we trained together, that confidence of yours back to normal?"

Alexis frowned. "No... but I'm working on it. Afraid I have a ways to go."

"Well you have me around to help you out. And to help you out in other ways to."

"Oh god, get a room you two," Emile mumbled.

"That's the Idea Emile. I'm trying my damndest to get a room with her."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Perverts the lot of you. I just hope you grill as well as you flirt. I expect Catherine-level quality on those burgers."

"Yeah yeah, I'll be sure to make your extra crispy Jenn." Luke went back to the kitchen to finish cooking the burgers.

Winter looked at the twins. Hmm, they seem strangely familiar.They look like Lockheart. Well, she she did mention that she had a family but... their dead... hmm. "Hey, do you two have a mother?"

"Nope," Alex said. "We were cloned from pure awesome. Of course we have a mother, genius."

Jennifer nudged her sister in the ribs. "Don't mind her. She's... fussy about the subject of our mother. We lost her twenty years ago, but... it's complicated."

"Umm... just out of curiosity, what was your mother's name?"

Luke came out of the kitchen with their food . "Alright, lunch is served, and somehow made myself one too. Dig in everyone, so what were you talking about?"

"Our mom, strangely enough." Alexis took a handful of fries and eyed Emile suspiciously. "That is an awfully suspicious string of questions to just be out of curiosity."

"And you sound paranoid, Alex." Jennifer smiled at Emile. "Her name was Veronica."

Emile's eyes widened a bit. "Well, that's interesting to know." So my suspicion was right, these are her daughters.

Luke looked at the three of them. "Darling, he's just curious, it doesn't hurt to ask."

Alexis grumbled, taking a big bite. "I just... don't like talking about her. Not like we know for sure she might be alive somewhere. Just the word of some random jerk I don't even know."

"Um, out of curiosity, how did you hear about your mother being alive?"

"Hey Emile, why are you pressing this. It's kinda weird."

"I'm just talking. If they want me to change the subject, I will."

Alexis started to say something, but Jennifer quickly said, "It's okay. Some of us like talking about our mother. We were told some new recruit mentioned meeting someone called Veronica Lockheart. We might... I might feel it is more likely to be a coincidence if this person didn't also mention Dr. Shen, our friend's mother who supposedly died with our mother."

"Hmm, some new recruit huh? Well thanks for that."

"Hey, you two do realize that Emile is new to this shit right?" Luke asked.

"Oh?" Alexis leaned towards Emie. "How new?"

"Um Emile's been here for, what, three weeks?"

"Also, since I've been compromised the commander, I didn't want me to mention it. But since someone already spilled the beans, I might as well say it. You two look just like your mother." Emile looked at Alexis. "Your mother raised me, from when I was twelve to eighteen."

Alexis actually looked pissed off by the prospect. "So, what, you think you're my brother or some bullshit? If... if I even believe this horseshit?"

"God no," Emile answered. "We're not family. Just want to let you know that, yes, I met her."

Luke looked at Alexis, and saw that her anger was growing. "Darling, calm down. Look, let's assume that Emile is telling the truth. That's a good thing, your mom is alive."

"To which I am telling the truth. She mentioned having two daughters and surviving the destruction of an underground base."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Dahlexpert & ZombieSplitter53
The Power of Denial
Part Two

Alexis scoffed and looked away. Jennifer cleared her throat and said, "Well... Alex's problem is she and our father remember her a lot better then myself, and it was really hard to get over losing her. Alexis is afraid..."

"I'm not afraid of nuffin'," Alexis muttered, stuffing her mouth with food.

""She's afraid... that if she gets her hopes up, and it turns out to all be a misunderstanding or, heaven forbid, something happens to our mother before we find her, she and especially our dad would have to go through all the heartbreak again. That is why she prefers denial."

"A o-osed -o ou -o e-ers ine -ope (As opposed to you who prefers blind hope)", Alexis countered, struggling to swallow.

"Hey, I was right wasn't I?" Jenn said.

"Doesn't make your blind hope any less stupid," Alex spat.

"Well I can definitely understand that. The alien war machine is quite devastating. I know that first hand and have the scar to prove it." Emile clenched his metal arm. He then took a bite out of his burger. "This is really good by the way Luke."

"Thank you, I try. And honey, I get where you're coming from. I mean, if I spent most of my life thinking my family was dead, only to find out there alive, I would be suspicious too."

"It's just... if she's alive, why hasn't she made any effort to contact the resistance? Or XCOM specifically?" Alex turned back to Emile. "I mean, if she is with Shen, wouldn't they have tried to do that as soon as XCOM reemerged?"

"Well she was with my resistance, until ADVENT showed up." Emile answered

"Also, if I can chime in here," Luke said. "Um honey, we're a cloaked ship that not even ADVENT knows the location, and we're constantly moving."

"Also, everyone thought you were dead until recently, so there's that as well."

"Yes, but they've had months to send a message through the networks," Alex insisted. "And what do you mean until ADVENT showed up? What happened?"

"What do you think I mean, ADVENT did what they do best. Kill off Resistance cells. See, I was born in the resistance in Europe. At the age of twelve, they came in and attacked, and of course killed everyone. Including my family, and taking my arm."

"Well that does make sense. Any resistance that isn't us are taken down really quickly," Luke commented

"But somehow, Lockheart and the doc, who shall remain nameless, some how survived. They patched me up and took care of me ever since, until I was eighteen."

"And how old are you now?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm twenty one. I haven't seen them for three years."

"Well, this has been very nice." Luke continued to eat his food. "So I'm sure they have more questions."

Alexis nibbled on one of her last fries, still obviously suspicious but at least not looking like she was about to pop. "And exactly what separated you from your surrogate mother?"

"Who said we were separated. Take a guess what happen to them. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happen to my family."

"Ah, the story of most people on this ship, ADVENT coming in and wiping out everyone." Luke shook his head.

"No, not your... I said your surrogate... my mother!" Alexis snapped. "What separated you from my mother?"

"Oh, nothing. I just left. They took care of me until I was eightteen, and we went our separate ways. That's the end of it."

"So you just left?" Luke asked.

"Yep, they gave me weapons and my current tact mask and I went on my way."

"Son of a bitch!" Alexis stood up and took several steps away. "Useless. Fucking... useless."

"Why do you even care if you don't even believe him?" Jennifer asked.

"Don't... just don't." Alexis folded her arms. "Just because I'm skeptical doesn't mean I don't want to try. But what the hell good is a possible relationship that ended three years ago? They could be anywhere now! They could be dead! Information... completely... useless."

Luke looked between Alexis and the others and sighed. "Emile, Jenn, give me a few minutes with my girlfriend. You two just wait here and talk."

"Yea sure fine."

Luke grabbed Alexis shoulders and took her out of the cafeteria. "This is a lot to take in. You alright darling?"

"No, I'm not alright, okay?" Alexis wiped the tears that came one after another. "Everyone probably thinks I don't want my mom to be alive, but I do. But now the best lead we have says he hasn't seen her for years, and I don't know what to do."

Luke hugged Alexis."Look darling, this is how I see it. If, and I can't stress this enough, if she's alive, she would have lived through having the XCOM base fall on her head, and the attack Emile mentioned. So if you're just like your mother, then she's one stubborn woman."

Alexis slowly nodded. "I guess. But... what if I never find her? I can't just go look for her, and this war could literally take another month, another year, or another century."

"Darling, look at it this way. ADVENT has no idea where all the resistance bases are. It will take them god knows how long to find one base. Now as for your mom, ADVENT controls the sky and the sea, so she's stuck in Europe somewhere. So all we have to do is find the country she's in." Luke started to rub Alexis head. "So have some faith, alright honey?"

"Alright. But... we need to find her. Like you said, every resistance besides this one eventually falls to ADVENT."

"Don't worry, if she lived for twenty years with no help, she will be fine. Heh, if anything, I'm more nervous that if we find her, she will look at me and probably judge your choice in men."

Alexis laughed, wiping her eyes. "I couldn't tell you, honestly. I hope we get a chance to find out."

"Don't worry, we will, Now then, want to see how your sisters doing, or do we just peek in and see how she's doing?"

Alex grinned. "Well, you know I have to go with peaking."


"I figured you would. Come, let's see how your sister is doing."

Jennifer kept her head low as she ran a dry through some ketchup. "Um... so yeah... sorry about my sister."

"It's fine, I figured this would happen. Not everyone can handle hearing their parents are alive."

Jenn chuckled. "I think you got that backwards. But I get what you mean. Just know that she is a good person. Just a little... short tempered."

"I dealt with short tempered people before, though hearing the now does make things easier."

"So... um... what is she like?" Jenn asked cautiously.

"She was nice, she treated me like her son."

"But... but what was she, you know... like?" Jennifer scratched her head. "Just... a-anything more then her being nice. I... I can't... remember her..."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Dahlexpert & ZombieSplitter53
The Power of Denial
Part Three

"Right, I mean, I did know her longer then you and your sister." Emile sighed. "Your mom was incredible smart, she would figure out things quicker than most in my old settlement. She showed compassion to others and was very loving, but she was also a tough woman. Actually, I think you and your sister, resemble her in your own ways. Probably, I mean I don't know how you both act."

"Did she... ever talk about us?" Jenn asked. "I mean... probably not, huh?"

"She mentioned having kids, she said that she loved them very much. So yes, she talked about the two of you, she kept going on about how she missed you, and her husband. Wait, is your dad here as well?"

"Mhmm. I just saw him in fact." Jenn scanned the room, and pointed a bit aways. "See the man sitting by himself, with the tired look and the cup of coffee? That's him."

"Great. Do you think I should tell him. about your mom?"

Jennifer smiled softly. "I think he would like that."

"Alright then, I'm sure he'll like it. Knowing that your spouse is alive after twenty years should make his day." Emile got out of his seat and headed towards Joseph. At this point Luke and Alexis entered the room.

"Yo green what did we miss? And where is Emile going?"

"He was just telling me about my mother," Jennifer answered. "He's going to talk with dad."

Alex folded her arms. "Well, that should be interesting."

Luke nodded. "Ugh boy, yeah, this should be interesting."

Emile sat in front of Joseph. "Excuse me, are you Joseph Chambers?"

Joe looked up from his datapad, looking Emile over. "That's right. How can I help you, Mr..."

"Emile Alcatraz. I would like to talk to you. And I'm not sure how to put this to you, so let me ask you a question. What was your wife like, or is that sensitive to you?"

"My wife?" Joseph put the data pad aside. "Well, technically, I was never married. But I did have a fiance. She was... smart. Energetic. She knew how to tell a good joke and had the greatest laugh. And to say she looked stunning would be an understatement." He shrugged. "That was twenty years ago, though. Haven't really had the time or luxury to find someone else. There was one woman, but she was unapproachable. So Vicky was the only woman for me."

"Uh huh, so what if I told you that she is alive? How will take that?"

Joe took a slow sip of his coffee. "I've heard that rumor floating around. Let me guess; you are the one who supposedly worked with her."

"It would seem unlike the other resistance I worked for, news travels fast around here. Yes, I worked with your wife, matter a fact she's the reason I'm alive. Well, she's one of the people that helped me any way."

"And exactly how sure are you it is my wife?"

"Well number one, she told me her name was Lockheart. Your kids told me that was her name. Second she had a picture in her room of a man that looked like a younger version of you with two babies, which I'm guessing are those two over there." Emile pointed at Jennifer and Alexis.

"Old photo..." Joe slowly smiled. "The old Polaroid with my hair all messy and ice cream on Alex's chin?"

"Sure, that one. Look I don't know where your wife is now. I left her service about three years ago."

"I see. Which of my girls have her trouble over that?"

"Mosley the purple haired one, she wants to believe me but she's more skeptical then the green hair one. I'm guessing there's a reason for that."

"Denial at its finest." The older man sat back. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't struggling with it myself."

"Well then you can believe me or not, point is I met your wife. She's just as you remember her, good points and all."

Joe chuckled and leaned forward. "Tell me... does she still go a little... overboard when having a drink?"

"Yeah, she tends to a little. She went overboard with her drinking from time to time, she probably still does."

"Good to hear she hasn't even changed those vices." He frowned. "She... probably thinks we're dead, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does. She thinks she and the doc are the only survivors of I'm guessing the previous XCOM."

"Right..." Joe sighed. "Well, I'm sure you have told the Commander everything you know, but if you think of anything to help us find them, come to the information department. I run things down there."

"Hmm, well, she's probably still in Europe since ADVENT owns all forms of transportation. She's not flying anywhere or swimming anywhere."

"No, she always had hydrophobia..." Chambers reached out with his hand. "It was good to meet you, Emile."

Emile used his metal hand to shake Chambers hand. "It's nice to meet you too sir."

As Emile walked back to the others, Alexis asked, "How did he take it?"

"He took it better then you two did, he's skeptical like you though."

Alexis nodded, moving a hair out of her eyes. "Look, man... I'm sorry I was such a bitch before. It's... a sensitive subject, you know?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, these kind of things are delicate to people who lost their parents. Don't worry too much about it, matter of fact, don't worry at all. And Luke, thanks for the food."

"Sure thing man any time."

"Well unless any of you have more questions for me, I'm gonna go."

Jennifer shook her head. "Thanks, Emile. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Yea, same to you two." Emile left the cafeteria, leaving with what was left of his food.

Like watched him go. "Heh, he's not a bad guy. He still needs time to get used to things but he's alright."

Alexis nodded in agreement. "Alright, Luke, Jenn and I are going to the gym. Join us when you get off?"

"Yeah, I still a few thing to clean up then I'll join you alright? And honey be nice to your sister, remember she's not as strong as you."

"Hey!" As the two walked off, Jennifer made sure to stick her tongue out at Like until they were out of sight.

"Heh I love you guys too." Luke went back to cafeteria and saw how much work he had left, which was the pan he used to cook. "Oh well, if this is the only thing, I can clean this later. Might as well join the those two. And make sure Jenn doesn't pass out again."

 

[DarkGemini24601]

“Recursion”

2009 Hours, September 10th, 2038
Somewhere over Antarctica
Onboard the Avenger
Floor 5-6, Central Block
Command Central

Atka presided over the hologlobe, watching the indicator for the Skyranger as it travelled a great distance en-route to Europe. They had one simple objective: rescue the former Overseer. Not only was he an old friend of the Commander, but one of the soldiers on the operation called him ‘father’. For what must have been the fifth time, she wondered if sending Yokolov would lead to a conflict of interest. If it came down to a choice between the lives of his teammates and that of his surrogate parent, which would you choose? she had to consider in respect to the Trooper. At the end of the day I just have to trust Olivia’s recommendation. The Maverick Ambusher had vouched for him, and knowing that the two squads spent a great deal of time together Atka had put faith in Olivia’s judgement. Sighing, the Commander leaned down slightly.

“You should really get some rest,” an old friend of Atka’s spoke calmly, walking over to her side. “Central will be up here in a bit, and I can take care of anything he can’t.”

“I know, Kevin,” Atka said, stress repressing any hints of tiredness she might have otherwise shown.

“And still you remain up here,” the original Ranger noted with a smirk. “Judgement Squad can handle themselves. It’ll be fine. And if it isn’t… Lester’ll be smart enough to call the extraction.”

Atka pushed herself off the computer terminal. “You’re probably right. Doesn’t keep me from worrying, though.”

“I think it’s good that you do. I prefer a Commander that doesn’t leave holes in her plans, even if she can be a little obsessive,” Kevin responded, crossing his arms. “Though I also prefer a rested one. You’ve been getting what, six hours of sleep a night?”

“It’s enough,” the Commander stated tersely.

“Is it?”

“Kevin…”

The New Yorker held up his hands. “Alright, do what you want. I just am advising you focus on the important things, not worry about matters that are out of your hands.” He sighed. “You’re worried about him, too.”

“I don’t know if they’ll make it in time,” Atka said sadly. “All I can do is follow his advice and have hope.”

“Isaac doesn’t seem like the type to die easily,” Kevin noted confidently. “I think it makes sense to have faith that he’ll survive this prison stint and come home on the Skyranger.”

Atka nodded, relaxing her shoulders slightly. “It would be nice if I didn’t lose another old friend.”

The hologlobe seemed to flicker, as did the lights in the entire room. “Did you just see that?” Kevin muttered audibly.

“Yeah, I did.” Atka pulled down the microphone on her headset. “Lily, did we just have some sort of brownout?”

“I… I guess,” Shen reported over the Avenger’s internal radio communications network. “Tygan’s not reporting any abnormalities with the power core though. I’m not sure…”

The power shipwide flashed on and off without any warning, this time for just under a second - long enough to be noticed by anyone that was still awake, but short enough that the emergency power didn’t kick in. “What the hell is going on?” the Commander growled.

Another voice crackled over the priority channel. “Commander!” the steely voice of Big Sky called out. “We’re under attack!”

The Inuit woman’s pupils shrank slightly. “Krystal, patch this conversation through to Command Central’s speakers.” As the intelligence staff member did so, Atka asked Slater a question. “By who or what?”

“Trying to figure that out now! It’d be helpful if Seshat weren’t flickering in and out…” the Avenger pilot complained, tapping his foot on the the ship’s pedal while his secondary monitors rebooted from the power dips.

Reappearing on one of the screens, Seshat reported “the power core is being disrupted by an electromagnetic pulse weapon of some kind.”

The Commander frowned. “ADVENT doesn’t have access to something like that, do they…” she growled worriedly.

“Confirmed. We are being pursuited by a Protectorate UFO, class-” Seshat started to explain before vanishing off the console as the power went down for two seconds this time, and the Avenger wobbled as it went off-course.

“Dammit!” Big Sky exclaimed, grabbing the manual controls and taking a right-downward course rather than trying to immediately right the ship - which would likely put it in the path of EMP cannon fire. “Commander, I can’t engage like this. No idea where they’re hitting us from. Attempting evasive maneuvers.”

“Right. Shen, shut down any power diverted to the broadsides. Put the majority into the engines, shields are going to be largely useless I imagine,” the Commander ordered.

“On it!”

Streaks of energy shot past the Avenger, several of them missing the mobile headquarters. The pursuing UFO was finally revealed by a radar pulse from the Avenger, having taken up a position behind the XCOM craft and at a slightly higher altitude to fire downwards.

“Trying to shake them, but the only safe direction to do slow involves us losing altitude,” Big Sky informed the crew. “Hold on.” He cut the vertical engines momentarily, letting the Avenger from for a few seconds as slammed on the horizontal pedal. The Avenger rocketed forward, only for Seshat to come back online briefly to report an extremely hot trail from the UFO’s previous position. “You’re getting heat signatures? What are they…?” Too late, Slater realized what had happened. Goddamn boosters, he thought to himself as the power went out again and stayed out.

The Avenger began to plummet. “We must have taken a direct hit,” Tygan’s voice came on frantically. “Many of the conduits to the power core just exploded!”

“Reporting similar damages across the ship! We’ve taken heavy damage to electronics!” one of the bridge’s crew yelled frantically. “We’re going down!”

“Lily!” Atka called out as about half of the emergency lights managed to come online.

“Working on it!” An-Yi knelt down, struggling to not be knocked flat by the forces pressing down on the crew as their ship dropped from the sky. She forced open the drawers on her worktable.

Seshat appeared on in place of the deactivated hologlobe, having disconnected herself from the ship in order to not be beholden to the offline power. An orange glow surrounded several of the monitors as she assessed what systems were online to provide the Commander with useful information. “We will impact with the ground in about twenty seconds.”

“SHEN!” Atka warned.

Lily pulled on a lever. “Got it!”

From the auxillary power cores contained in the four turbines of the Avenger, augmented jet engines roared to life - powered by spaceship fuel rather than electricity. Spreading clouds of smoke from their exhaust, the fire-spitting turbines slowed the Avenger’s fall. It started to slow more and more, and then slammed against the icy ground - sending chunks of ice and plumes of snow flying in all directions.

Atka slowly let go of the railing. “I’m assuming… by the fact that we’re still alive that we didn’t have a critical impact.”

“Hull remains at acceptable levels of integrity,” Seshat confirmed.

“Lily, get your team and Megalos’ people working on fixing all essential circuitry,” Atka ordered. “I want our power back online as soon as humanly possible. Maybe faster.” The Commander activated the shipwide PA. “All combat staff, reported to the armory immediately! Suit up in your insulated underarmor and prepare for a fight! If they were going to shoot us down instead of blow us to bits they must want the ship back, and they’ll aim to wipe out anyone they don’t want to take captive! I’ll give you further orders as soon as I can.” The Inuit woman ran towards the armory herself. I won’t let this end like it did before, I won’t let them overrun this base!

 

[Taxor_the_First]

Operation Ashen Arbiter
Recover VIP from ADVENT Facility
1400 hours (local time), September 10th, 2038

European Continent
Poland
Site of Auschwitz


XCOM Forces

Menace 1-5


CPL Lester, Matthew [Specialist]
SQ Wei, Arthur [Ranger]
SQ Delago, Holly [Sharpshooter]
SQ Brydon, Bonnie [Grenadier]
SQ Lazarus, Alan [Ambusher]
SQ Yokolov, Samuel [Trooper]
SQ Vermaak, Samara [Juggernaut]


Mission Briefing:

An agent of the Overseer, investigating a lead on a clandestine facility in Europe, discovered one at the site of Auschwitz. This is in itself worth noting, but not necessarily doing anything about. The facility is of particular concern, however, due to its contents – from the outside, the operative spotted former Overseer Isaac Anderson, still alive. Anderson was captured a few months ago by the enemy and has likely spent the intervening time being forced to assist them. The current Overseer has thus requested we mount a rescue operation, citing a desire to keep the enemy from gleaning any more intel from him than they have already.

The plan is relatively simple. Despite being in one of the more populated continents of the globe, the facility itself is a considerable distance from any kind of reinforcements. The Skyranger will deploy a signal jammer to block any requests for help. No “all clear” signal has been detected, so the Avenger will not be needing to replicate it this time as was done in Argentina. Menace 1-5 will then effect entry to the facility by any means possible – a stealth approach is not necessary, but is possible if the squad is dropped off outside the visual range of the facility. Otherwise, a vertical entry into one of the three open-roofed areas is recommended. Move through the facility until the VIP is located, secure them, then leave. If other prisoners are discovered, Menace is able to recover a small amount, but remember the Skyranger’s cargo limits. This is a rescue operation for one man, not two hundred.

Haste is necessary. An Elder is likely to be on site, and therefore a considerable force. If Menace must engage the enemy, do so without attracting the entire facility to the location. The Elder is to be avoided at all costs.

Objectives:

1) Investigate the Blacksite.
2) Locate and secure the VIP.
3) Extract before the signal jammer runs out.


Hazards:

1. Significant enemy force is present. Limit engagements to prevent being overrun.

2. The Elder Inquisitor known as “Azazel” is confirmed to be present. If he accosts Menace 1-5, the squad is to retreat immediately, regardless of the situation. Even if he is alone. No human has ever won a fight with an Elder, and very few have even survived. That is unlikely to have changed.

3. Rain is likely to begin at some point during the mission. Indoors, this will not affect anything, but outdoors it may provide challenges based on how heavy it is.


Terrain:

The area around the facility is characterized by grass and mud, interrupted by the occasional rock or two. Any sign of the previous use of the site has been swept away, replaced by a far more modern version. The facility itself is shaped like a square, within which three square shaped open-roofed areas reside in a rough triangle formation. The outside rim appears to be mostly for security – guards patrol the corridors at all times, and there are windows to the outside lining the walls. The open-roofed areas appear to be courtyards, though for what purpose is unknown. Two of these courtyards contain greenery and plants, implying that they have been utilized as gardens. The last is a simple grass patch, featureless except for a few boulders scattered around. The area lining these courtyards, the inner section, is assumed to be where prisoners are kept and interrogated. There is also a small alien craft parked on the roof of the inner section, presumed to belong to the Inquisitor. Do not attempt entry to this craft.


Civilians:

Unknown, aside from a confirmed sighting of our VIP. There are not expected to be too many prisoners – the facility is seemingly for interrogation, not prisoner storage.


Enemies:

Large number of ADVENT soldiers, the majority of which appear to be Troopers. Very few ADVENT specialists were noted by intel-gathering operations. Alien troops guaranteed, but in what numbers and composition exactly is unknown. Elder Inquisitor Azazel is present, and likely is protected by alien troops.

 

[Taxor_the_First]

Operation Ashen Arbiter - Prologue

Site of Auschwitz, Poland
2:00 PM, September 10th , 2038


The notes were slow, distorted by the mixer his guitar was plugged into. The beginning of his state, expressed in music.

Isaac looked up as Azazel, accompanied by about a dozen ADVENT soldiers of various specialties, stopped in front of his cell. Your two hours are up, he stated. The Elder wasn’t going to let him finish this time.

With a sigh, the prisoner picked up the recorder. “Finish that one for me,” he said softly into the device, before pressing the ‘stop record’ button and placing it down gently on his bunk. Straightening his overalls like it was a suit, he moved to the front. He was let out, the small army he found himself surrounded by watching him intently. They didn’t bother to close the door behind him.

Without another word, Azazel shuffled away, towards where Isaac now knew was the entrance to one of the three courtyards of the facility. He swallowed and followed, his expression and gait dejected. Behind him, he heard Ay cackling, and his expression hardened. Let them laugh. Let them see him at their mercy.

He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing him break, though.

The sun was hidden behind sombre clouds, gathered like mourners at a funeral. They’d already shed a few tears, too – the grass Isaac stepped onto was wet with drizzle, the blades stabbing at his bare feet. Azazel was standing in the center, waiting. On all sides were walls, interrupted by the occasional window.

Isaac choked back a snarl. Half the bloody facility was watching from those windows.

He was pushed to Azazel’s feet, not gently. The ADVENT soldiers, their escort completed, formed a line behind the prisoner, rifles slung over their chests. Two took position either side of him, just to ensure he was reminded of their presence. He ignored them. Instead he looked up, his gaze meeting Azazel’s, defiance clashing with neutrality.

The mask stared back, before its wearer sighed wearily. With a voice that betrayed a desire to be anywhere but here, the Elder began. Isaac Anderson, he started. You kneel here accused of treason against ADVENT and the Ethereal Protectorate. This treason includes crimes… frankly too numerous to mention. After an evaluation of the evidence, you have been deemed guilty.

So I don’t get a trial. Just an ‘evaluation of the evidence’. Isaac scowled, this time not bothering to hold it back. Your system of justice is warped and twisted. Not that I expected anything else.

The sentence for these crimes is death by firing squad, the Elder continued, either oblivious to Isaac’s displeasure or uncaring. As the Inquisitor responsible for your capture, that duty falls to me. From beneath his robes he procured a glowing plasma pistol, aiming it directly at Isaac’s head.

He stared at the weapon. It wasn’t the first time he’d stared death in the eye, but the way this was going, it would be the last. Isaac gritted his teeth, a sickly green glow bathing his face. He looked from the weapon to its wielder, his expression fierce. A question – no, a demand – glared at Azazel.

I am… sorry, the Elder said simply. There would be no mercy from the defeated, it seemed.

Isaac had made his decision. Damn everything else, there was no way he was going out without a fight. They’d made the mistake of not restraining him for this. If he could just take out the guards either side of him, he could do it. He could get out. Assuming the wall of soldiers behind him missed every single shot they took, that was.

His expression fell. No, it couldn’t be done. There was no way. He’d be gunned down before he could even get inside again. It was impossible. Hopeless.

Then the Skyranger flew over the building.

Alarmed, the ADVENT soldiers began shouting and pointing as seven figures, all clad in XCOM’s home brand alloyed armor, jumped out the back and rappelled down to the roof. The sound of shattering glass could be heard in the distance as they crashed through the roof, one after another. Azazel turned, watching the ship as it pulled away, seemingly disappearing into nothingness.

Isaac didn’t wait. He launched himself into the guard to his left, knocking them over and grabbing their rifle as they fell. Knowing full well the weapon would just explode if he attempted to fire, he instead used it as a club, striking the other guard as they switched their attention from the enemy soldiers to the escaping prisoner. They were knocked out by the impact, toppling backward as if they were a tree that had just been cut down. And he bolted sideways, running for the entrance to the courtyard.

He took a single look back as Azazel aimed his pistol. Their gazes met as the green bolt leaped out of the barrel, arcing towards him.

So close.

 

[Taxor_the_First]

Part 1


Judgement squad crashed through the glass ceiling, metal boots striking the marbled floor as each member landed. A lone ADVENT Trooper, seated at a console, was shot as he attempted to flee. Samuel was the first to land, Lester the last. The Specialist tugged on the rope and it ascended, retreating back inside the Skyranger.

“We’re in,” Alan said over comms. “You right to hang tight Firebrand?”

“Affirmative, Bandit,” was the reply. “Good luck.” The Skyranger fizzled and disappeared, the cloaking field hiding where she went from prying eyes.

Satisfied that they were alone in the room, Samuel checked his new rifle once more. “Lucifer, the cells.”

“Absolutely, Master Yokolov!” The Gremlin said cheerily, flitting over to an unmanned console. “Locking the cell doors to stop them moving prisoners, as we discussed.”

“And see if you can find him while you’re at it,” the Trooper commanded.

The others, meanwhile, had assumed defensive positions. The room they had landed in looked to be some kind of reception area, with the console Lucifer was hacking situated across from the main doors. Four statues depicting the goodwill of the Elders interspersed the front and back walls, lining the central walkway.

“Pretty place for a blacksite,” Alan noted. “You think that Elder wanted renovations done?”

“He’ll definitely want them done when we’re through,” Bonnie answered.

“No unnecessary damage,” Lester warned, looking up from his control pad briefly. “Time is of the essence. Once we have a location on the VIP, we need to move there immediately. If we take too long-“

“- my father gets killed to stop us from saving him, and all this will be for nothing,” Samuel finished. “I know.”

“We’ll get him back,” Holly reassured him. “Don’t worry.”

But he was worrying. They’d discussed their method of entry on the way. The suggestion of a stealthy approach was immediately shot down by Samara, of all people – she noted that it would be nigh impossible to sneak seven heavily armored people any further than the front door, if that. That left a loud entry. As such, they’d decided on a blitzkrieg approach. The glass ceiling Firebrand had spotted on arrival had been a bonus, allowing them to obtain a starting point further into the facility.

But that bonus was minimal. If they weren’t quick, it was entirely possible that ADVENT would realize why they were here, and simply kill Isaac before he could be recovered. To try to prevent this…

“All done,” Lucifer declared, as an alarm began blaring. “Emergency lockdown has been triggered. Cells have been locked and covered with alloyed plating, in accordance with emergency prisoner preservation routine twelve B. Further, I have activated standard ‘revolt’ protocols – access to the systems has been barred to all but the person activating the procedure and high-ranking officials.”

“That Elder could still override it then,” Samara noted. “Still, it’s a delay.”

“Unfortunately, I was not able to ascertain where they were keeping Mr. Anderson,” the Gremlin continued. “That data was not kept on that system. Further, several entryways throughout the facility have been closed as an unfortunate side effect of the lockdown.”

“Then we’ll find another way through,” Samuel commanded. “We go deeper then, and hope we can get a better idea soon. Lester, you still carrying your Skulljack?”

The Specialist brandished the glowing weapon, attached to his right arm. “Yes,” he answered. “Why?”

“I was thinking we might be able to use it to get some info from the locals, if you catch my meaning.”

Everyone’s communicators crackled. “Then an opportunity is about to present itself,” came the voice of Joy. “Response squad of ADVENT Troopers led by an Officer are about to round the right entryway.”

The entire squad swiveled their sights around as the enemy appeared, the Trooper taking point being blown away by magnetic fire. Behind them, the remaining three returned back behind the corner, deciding a re-evaluation of strategy was needed.

Holly merely grinned. “I like you already,” she said to the AI installed in her skull.

“There are three left,” Joy continued, her tone now a little giddy.

“The Captain is more likely to know something, or have access to that info,” Lester noted. “I will take him. Samuel, back me up. Alan, disable one. Bonnie, Samara, Holly, prioritize the one that’s still up, but if he dies before you get a chance to do anything, fire on the stunned one. We clear?” A round of affirmatives. “Good. Go!”

The enemy was not expecting them to charge around the corner seemingly blindly. A few reactive shots went off, but most embedded themselves in the ceiling. As his squadmates executed the two Troopers, Lester made a beeline for the Officer. He swiped their gun sideways, preventing them from retaliating lethally, and made to impale them by the chin on the active Skulljack.

The Captain lurched backwards, falling onto their back but causing Lester’s jab to miss. Samuel, who had been waiting in case something like this occurred, blasted them in the head with his Shard Gun, killing them.

Arthur was the last to fire, obtaining the killing blow on the stunned Trooper. “Did you get him?” he asked.

“No, he was too quick. Darted out of the way at the last moment.” The Specialist frowned, unholstering his weapon again. “A shame. Thought I had him there.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Joy chipped in. “There’s bound to be plenty more where he came from.”

“All at once, preferably,” Tumulis added.

The squad moved deeper, reasoning in the absence of evidence to the contrary that the prisoners would be held around the center. They had entered at what could be considered the base of the square shaped facility, at least from Firebrand’s view. Rather than go straight inwards, however, the corridors seemed to lead sideways, at least until the group reached the main hallway. This hallway, according to the intelligence operative that had been casing the area, ran all the way around the facility’s four walls, giving the impression of being an outer fortification rather than part of the facility itself. In the distance, the squad could see a branch off to the left, leading deeper within, lit by the dull light shining through a window running the length of the outer wall. A few spots along the hallway were evidently made for defense, serving as nests for those wanting to hold the line.

“Where the hell is everyone?” Alan asked, noting that these defensive emplacements were empty. “Our entrance wasn’t that impressive, was it?”

“Alan, focus,” Samuel reprimanded. Truth be told, though, he too was beginning to get a little unnerved. What if they’d already moved all the prisoners? It would explain the total lack of defenses they were running into-

He ducked sideways as a tongue lashed the space he’d once been, the Viper it belonged to withdrawing it with a hiss. Two more of the alien snakes writhed out of their hiding places, the floor of one of the two emplacements nearby, raising their plasma rifles.

Samuel immediately removed the Viper that had attacked him. “Joy, where the hell was our warning?” he demanded, taking cover on the closer emplacement like the rest of the squad.

“The Omnitracker detects motion and heat,” the AI said. “They're snakes. I… guess they just weren’t moving.”

“So we can still be ambushed?” Tumulis murmured. “Good.”

Bonnie suppressed one of the Vipers, causing it to hiss in annoyance. “Good?!” she demanded. “What’s so bloody good about that?”

“Call me a thrill seeker, but I enjoy watching you all try to deal with a situation like this.” The AI giggled. “So much could go wrong, so much could go right…”

“There’s a difference between thrill seeking and being suicidal,” Holly shot back, missing a shot on the unsuppressed Viper. “Damn it. Arthur, I’d like to extend a formal apology to you. You drew the short straw on the AI.”

The Ranger waved a hand. “It is nothing,” he said. “And I have an idea. Tumulis, if you would…?”

The AI almost squealed in delight. “Really? Well then, ladies and gents, allow me to show you a magic trick! I will now make this human…” By bending the light around him, Arthur faded from view. “… disappear!”