RP XCOM2: Liberation of Earth

Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Memorial
2 months post Liberation

The weather always seemed terrible here.

Drizzle pattered the stones, wetting the grass beneath. Maybe they just wanted a drink. Or maybe someone up high was always shedding tears. It’d make sense.

Samuel sighed, shifting in position in an attempt to bring his jacket even tighter around him. The cold air still nipped at his body even through this article of clothing, however. Didn’t help that there was a slight breeze, too. Dour weather for a dour place.

They seemed to be the only visitors today. Not entirely surprising - the vast majority of humanity didn’t know these people, or had thought of them as little more than organized bandits once. Now they were being named ‘heroes’, people who gave their lives so that the rest of humanity could decide their own fates. This memorial, this graveyard, was a trifling tribute… but it was a tribute, nonetheless.

“Could I have done anything?” Lester asked, abruptly. “I never asked if you thought we could have done something differently.”

The Russian turned his gaze away from the stones. “No.”

“You didn’t think about that for long.”

“Did all my regretful thinking two months ago. Came to that conclusion. Decided to never consider the subject again.”

“... probably best.”

“Only if you want to stay sane.” Samuel crouched, placing the pair of aviators (in a small wooden box to protect them from the elements) beneath Holly’s gravestone. “What’s done is done. Both sides did their best to overcome the other, and we came out on top.” He exhaled. “Might’ve cost us, but we did it.”

Lester chuckled grimly. “An arm and a leg, in my case.”

“... yeah. Sorry about that.”

A shrug from the man with four bionic limbs. “It’s fine. You could’ve killed me instead.”

“I nearly did.”

“But you didn’t.”

Not the only thing that day I nearly did, Samuel thought. “It… could have been worse,” he agreed aloud, turning to the next grave. Samson’s. Another box, this one containing a single shotgun shell. “Could it have been better? Maybe. No use dwelling on it now. Not when the answer isn’t obvious.”

“You’d rather focus on the present, then.”

“Yes.”

Lester nodded slowly, looking off into the rest of the memorial. “How is your present?” he asked. “Still sticking with XCOM?”

“For now, and not in a combat role. Had enough of that to last me a while I think.” The Russian chuckled. “Besides which, Stacie would probably kill me.”

“And how is she?”

“... you know I proposed to her a few weeks back, right?”

“Samuel, please. I work very closely with Chloe, of course I know.”

Samuel smiled. “You mean she works closely with you,” he noted. “Though I can’t imagine she’s adjusting to the professional atmosphere well.”

“If I’m going to run a business left in tatters by ADVENT, I think I’m going to have to let a few unprofessionalisms slide in the name of efficiency, don’t you?”

The Russian smirked. “Not like anyone’s going to question her. Not the boss’s girlfriend.”

Lester folded his arms. “You’re getting off-track. You never answered my question.”

One more wooden cube, containing an eyepatch. Samara’s. “Eh?”

“How is Stacie?”

Samuel was quiet for a moment. “... you already know,” he accused.

“Potentially. Boy or girl?”

“We don’t know yet,” the Russian admitted, a sort of dazed grin appearing on his face. “I don’t care, honestly. Either’s good for me.”

Lester allowed himself his own smile. “Nervous?”

“Of course. Between that and the marriage, I might be more scared than I was facing anything we did during the war.” A chuckle. “Even Carolus was less intimidating than the concept of settling down.”

The devil’s advocate took on a grave expression. “You never told us what happened down there,” he said quietly. “And naturally the footage is classified. Did you want to-”

“No.”

A pause. “... ok.”

Samuel placed the last box, this one containing a bandana on which was a skull design. Alan’s. Lester grimaced. “You can’t say this one wasn’t my fault,” he stated glumly.

“Oh, don’t start that. You weren’t in control.”

“I pulled the trigger!”

“At the command of an enemy. Did anyone blame Yakone for the shit she pulled as Ember? What about Marx lopping off his girlfriend’s arm?”

“I…” Lester hesitated. “Well no, but-”

“No buts,” Samuel interrupted. “Alan died because of Carolus. Not you. Just like you refuse to blame me for tearing off your limbs. Situation left us little choice.”

The two were silent, gazing at the now-decorated gravestones. Rain continued to patter down, water sliding off the blades of grass when the weight became too much. Samuel cleared his throat.

“Can’t believe Alan had it in him, though.”

A raised eyebrow from Lester. “Hmm? What?”

“Bonnie told you she’s pregnant too, right?”

“Oh. That.” The devil’s advocate shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, I’m well aware. Offered to help her in raising it, actually, since I’ve got the money to lend a hand.”

Samuel looked at him, surprised. “You did what?”

“It’s my fault the baby will be without their father. I should be the one to lessen that impact.”

The Russian chuckled, clapping his friend on the back. “And to think I thought you were a selfish dickhead back when we met.”

“I did point a gun at you.”

“Ancient history.”

After a short walk, the pair reached the center of the monument to death, a statue of an unknown soldier in Warden armor holding the world in one hand and a rifle in the other. There were no identifying marks about them save for the logo emblazoned on their shoulders - the XCOM symbol. The two examined it for a time. “Reminds me of the statues we used to knock down,” Lester noted.

“You think they based this one on anyone in particular?”

“No. Helmet’s one of the standard issue ones.”

“Damn. Wouldn’t have minded one in my likeness.”

It was here Samuel procured the final item. He held the image, framed and protected from the elements, in his hands. And he waited for a moment, analyzing it. The whole squad, together for a brief moment before first one was taken, then three more. Now few remained.

He placed it at the base of the statue. Lester let loose a weary sigh. “We were lucky to capture that when we did,” he said quietly.

Samuel didn’t answer. “I’m keeping mine,” he said at last, patting the original copy in his pocket. “I know half of them are gone, but seeing their faces, smiling like that…”

“They’re not gone,” Lester responded. “Just not around anymore. So long as we remember them, their names, their faces, their personality, they’ll never be ‘gone’.”

“Not much of a consolation prize for someone who died for the cause is it,” the Russian noted a little dryly.

“This might sound cold, but the dead don’t need prizes.”

A pause. “... no, you’re right. They definitely get shafted in the deal.” Looking up, Samuel glimpsed a flash of brown and white feathery wing, perched atop the statue, but it was gone as soon as he noticed it. He watched the space for a moment, wondering if he’d imagined it, before shrugging. “Alright, that’s enough gloom for one day. Let’s get out of here. You drink coffee?”

The two left the graveyard, talking and laughing, high-spirited even after visiting the ghosts. For that was what the ghosts demanded - not mourning, not sombre pondering of the brittleness of life, but enjoyment of what time was left to the living. Celebration that those ghosts had been alive at all.

As Samuel stepped back out into the new Old World those ghosts had brought about, he smiled. The future might be terrifying in its own way, but it was a good terrifying. And no one, no police state, no alien, no psionic god, was going to take that away from them.
 

Dahlexpert

Well-Known Member
The fallowing is a colaberation between Dhalexpsrt & Zombiesplitter53

Old friends meet new family

Mathorn 7 months after the war.

Lilith and the chamber entered Luke and Alexi’s apartment, them still in shocked of how glorious it is." You know I will never get tired of seeing this place, hay Alexis how's been being married?"

"Well... I'd say it is everything I dreamed of, but I never thought it would happen as a kid." Alex laughed. "So let's just say it is the best thing I've ever experienced." She placed a hand on her visibly bulging belly.

Lilith noticed Alexis swelling stomach." Ou I see Luke quickly got to work on the baby making, it's nice to see that you both did everything that you set out to do. I'm so proud of you both, it's a shame Luke is in Texas right now."

"Yeah, well, he said he had unfinished business with old friends, and I wasn't about to stop him. Not when he's worked so hard to take care of me." Alexis sat down, needing to get off her feet. "Mom, do you mind checking on dinner?"

"Of course," Veronica answered, walking off to the kitchen.

"When Will Luke be back?" Jennifer asked.

"Not sure." Alex shrugged.

"Hum it's been two months, I know he has a personal vendetta against the bandits there but to hunt them all down I think he might be going overboard."

"I hope he doesn't get hurt." Joe folded his arms. "He's strong. But he had a tendency of over estimating his strength."

"I'm sure he's fine, Luke can handle himself just fine." The door opens and Luke came into the apartment, with two people behind him. One was a man with blond short hair the same age as Luke, but clearly with a smaller figure and a few inches shorter then him.

Next to him was a woman with blond long hair, though the lower tip being green and above it was a dash of blue, the woman was the same height as Alexis and with a bigger bust.

"So this is my home."

"Jesus Luke, I know you been gone for years but when did you get this high class taste?"

"Ou come on Jess, this place is amazing nice going Luke with an upgrade."

Alexis pushed herself up from the sofa, with her sister's help, and hobbled over to her husband. "Luke... I told you to call before you got here. When did you get back?"

"A few days ago." Luke wrapped his one of his hands around Alexis waist, and the other on her stomach." I'm sorry baby but my friends wanted to see the city, so I showed them around."

"Wo big man who is this beautiful woman right here?"

"Ou right, Jessy Edda this is Alexis my wife."

Both the blond’s eyes widen and shouted. "Your wife!" The blond woman approached Alexis and offered her hand.

"Hi I'm Edda, an old friend of Luke so I couldn't help but notice that you're pregnant. Is it Luke's by any chance?"

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "I'll choose to not read into that question too much. Yes, it's Luke's. Your friend is both a husband and soon to be a father."

Jessy wrapped his arms around Luke. "Well hot damn Luke, you got a smoken hot wife and a baby coming. When I spared you you took the ball and ran with it."

"Right um Alexis this is my old friends, the guy is Jessy and the woman is Edda." Luke whispered in Alexis ear. "The woman was that blue hair girl you saw in my dreamscape."

Alex slowly nodded, and shook each of their hands in turn. "It is my pleasure. Will you be staying for dinner? It might be a little crowded, but I always make extra food." She patted her belly. "Especially lately."

Jessy looked at the mouyian of food on the table." Sure thing, not like we have an we're elese to go eat."

Both Edda and Jessy grabbed a chair, and sat next to Lilith. Edda looked at Alexis and smiled. "Soooo how long have you two been a couple?"

"Oh, over a year and a half now," Alexis answered. "We met in XCOM of course. Had good chemistry from the start. He proposed shortly before our victory, and as soon as I was sure I wouldn't have to fight anymore, we put a bun in the oven."

"Like, immediately." Veronica added. "The Van Dams are quite fertile it seems. I'm sure she was pregers the first night."

"Guys meet my mother in-law, Veronica chambers. and yes she looks as young as she acts, it's a long story."

"Well it's nice to meet you Miss Veronica, I must say you look well for a mother. You look so young it's incredible."

"I'll say, are you sure Luke didn't propose to you to? Jesse said joking. Luke punched his friends back out of embarrassment. “Why must you always try to embarrass me?"

Joe laughed. "Joseph Chambers, father-in-law. And this lovely girl is Alexis' sister, Jennifer."

"How long have you two known Luke?" Jenn asked.

Jess looked at Jennifer up and down." I've known Luke most of my life, knew him when he was six then after he went on a bandit raid lost contact with him until recently."

"And I knew Luke, when I was twelve when he saved me. I ou Luke my life he saved me from raiders trying to sell me off." Edda blushed a little. "He looked so heroic, I didn't think there such things as heroes until he rescued me."

"Thanks Edda but I was just being nice, and doing the right thing."

"See that's the thing Luke you were doing the right thing, not many people had that attitude back then. I mean sure you had a hiccup but you saved me because you wanted to and i'm eternally great full to you." Edda looked at Alexis. "You’re very lucky to have him, please treat him right as i'm sure you do."

"I try to. I have after everything he has done to make me happy." Alexis smiled at Luke. "So how did things go in Texas?"

"Great, took out the main bandit tribes established some trade roots with the surroundings settlements and the magacity."

Lilith smiled at Luke, her skin returned to it's natural color. "Great job Luke, how about the old neighborhood?"

Jesse raised his hand. “I can answer that, after Luke killed the bandit queen several years ago the bandits went nuts. They were trying to establish territory, I took over the settlement we kicked them out. And after years of hard work were one of the biggest settlements for trading."

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Dahlexpert

Well-Known Member
Part 2

"That's excellent news." Jennifer took a small bite of some salad. "Even after the war, people have been reluctant to travel beyond the confines of the secure megacities. It is work like that which will make them see the world is safe beyond what the Elders left behind."

"Yea, that's what I’m working on." Luke said eating some of his steak, he then looked at his friend then back to his wife. "Hay hon, did you make this?"

Alexis blushed. "Um, well... y-yeah. I've been reading some cook books since you've been gone. Wanna... you know, be able to bake my children a nice meal like their father can. Um... do you like it?"

Luke smiled at Alexis and sat next to her. He then looked at her stomach and how big it's gotten. "I'm sure that our kids will love both our cooking, heh they will be arriving soon huh I can't wait." Luke kissed Alexis."

"Alright Romeo that's enough, you don't want to go full lovey dove with your friends watching?" Lilith said.

Jesse and Edda looked at Luke in surprise. "Wow Luke your being loving, never thought I would see the day you actually love a woman like this. Jesse looked at Alexis. "Um Alexis do you know about Luke's past by the way?"

Alexis slowly nodded, her smile fading, but only a little. "Yes, he told me all about it. It was really hard to accept at first. But I decided he was serious about wanting to better himself and be a kinder person, nothing like who he once was. So I stayed with him... and haven't regretted it for a moment since."

Jessy smiled at Alexis. "You found yourself a fine woman Luke, your a good woman Alexis."

"Agreed, I have to say though you're sister is cute just as cute as you are." Edda leaned forward her cheats being the first thing to touch the table. "So Jennifer was it, what are you like?"

Jennifer's eyes darted down for a second. "Um, I... my sister used to word the brainiac to describe me. I'm big on science. Genetics, biology, the like. I'm a bit... introverted, but I've come out of my shell a lot in the last year or so."

"Ou a scientist I never met one before, so that means you must be a genius tell me have you ever been with a woman?"

Jessy slapped Edda butt. "Edda come on now we're here on Luke request, not to get laid."

Jennifer giggled softly. "It's okay. After knowing Luke for so long, I'm used to it. And to answer your question... yes, I have been. I'm with one right now, actually."

Edda looked at Luke." Heh I knew some of my charm would rub off on you, my dirty little Psion."

"Speaking of Psion." Jessy looked at Alexis." So Alexis, I heard you’re a Psion to so are you the same as Luke?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. In fact, you could say I'm the opposite of him with green psionics. They're mostly used for healing and support, though... I do have one pretty cool power..."

"Healing psion never thought that existed, only saw the violent ones. But what is this power you have?"

"Well... to be honest, I have been keeping up with my practice, just in case..." Alexis picked up a glass of water, as well as an empty glass. Holding out her hand, she pour the water, which passed through her hand and into the empty glass. "Neat, huh?"

Both Jessy and Edda looked surprised." Wow, that's amazing ghost powers that's really cool. Edda said.

"Yea that's cool, you psions are amazing never thought that could be a power."

"Well, neither did I before I got it." Alexis took a drink of the water. "So neither of you got lucky with a little space magic? Must have been something special to see Luke with it then."

"Yea no kidding, I've seen Luke clear out entire raider camps with that. So yea it was amazing."

"Well, I would actually like to hear a bit about you, Lilith," Veronica said. "It's been so long. Nice to see you have some color back."

"Right, I forgot this is the first time you guys seen me without the gray skin. Heh it feels nice to be hole again, had scarlet praising me saying that I finally grew a spine."

Scarlet appered right next to Lilith.Well yea, I've been telling you to change your skin for months. And not only do you have your skin back your the head of security here.
Jesse
and Edda look at the reflection of Scarlet and both shout. "What the fuck is that thing?!"
Luke looks at his friends, and realized that this is there first time seeing a reflection. Luke cleared his throat. "Um Jesse Edda, this ghost is called a reflection and it's also my mother Scarlet."

"Your mom!?" Both shouted in surprise.

Jennifer couldn't help but chuckle. "You know... we've been around so many weird things, like aliens, spirits, vampires, people that can super enhance their bodies, people who can manifest fire birds, the most advanced in technology, sentient A.I., and so much more that I sometimes forget how weird it must be for anyone outside our circle."

"To be fair, I had the same reaction the first time I saw her," Veronica stated.

Jesse and Edda looked at the group. and finally Jesse spoke up. "You are bye far the weirdest people I have ever met, ever Luke you marred into a weird family."

"But it's his family, Jesse it's weird and there a little cooko well to us but. They seen so much shit that this is normal to them it's not to us."

"Yea sorry about that guys, you would also like to know that I’m a fantastic cook."

Jesse looked a Luke and surprise, and ate some of the food. His eyes widen from how good it it. "This is amazing, I never tasted food like this."

Alexis chuckled. "So tell me, Luke, where to now? You have more things to wrap up or... perhaps you'd like to hang out here for a while?"

"Ou i'm staying here, you can pop at any moment. And I will not miss the birth of my kids, besides I can use a few months off so i'm staying."

Edda looked at Alexis and her stomach. "So.. how many kids are you expecting or better yet what the doctor said."

Jesse looked at Alexis as well. "Yea how many kids did the doctor say you will have?"

"Well, um... I... was going to keep it secret until they're born, but..." Alex rubbed her belly. "I have twins. A boy... and a girl?" She smiled lovingly. "Like my mom said; Van Dams are fertile."

Luke eyes winded and he grew a smile. "Twins were having twins." Luke kissed Alexis. "I'm so happy, guess we are very firtal.

Jesse smiled at the couple. "Congratulations Luke I never thought you would have kids, but congrats my friend."

"I do hope these aren't the last of them," Alexis stated.

"Well, make sure you're settled with the two before you start popping out more," Joe warned with a laugh.

Edda looked at Alexis and smiled." Wow you're first set isn't even out, and your planning for more. Luke I think you married a sex addict."

Alexis blushed and rapidly shook her head. "No, no, I-I... it isn't... I-I just want to have kids, I... n-not that I... don't enjoymakingthe babies, I... I-I..."

Edda smiled at Luke. You got yourself a winner Luke, cute and blushes easily."

"Edda please don't make fun of my wife, she's not a sex addict. She just wants to have a lot of my kids, wich we played for anyway."

Jennifer giggled. "I don't know. Can't she be a sex addictandwant kids."

Alexis blushed fiercer, and leaned against Luke. "Hey, I... how can you help it when... you have Luke." She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "By the way, I've been missing you, if you know what I mean."
 

Dahlexpert

Well-Known Member
Part 3

"Ou I've been missing you to, and you would be happy to know I have not cheated on you the past seven months."

Jessy looked at the couple and gave a loving smile. "You know Luke, I don't think I eye ever seen you this happy."

"Yea it's surprising to see you smile so much."

"Well I never had someone to make me this happy before."

"So, how long are you two going to be in town?" Jennifer asked, trying to change the subject before her sister and brother-in-law started making out on the table.

"A few weeks, my chief of security is currently running things. Don't want him in charge for to long."

"Well, this is a good place to have a vacation," Veronica agreed. "Joe and I are taking some time off with our work with XCOM. Especially with our grandchildren coming soon."

"Same here, the city is still in bad shape since the seige. But we don't have to worry about anything like that again."

"Not with the Elders gone. Well... most of them anyway." Alexis smiled. "Though... it really is sad. In the end, so much death could have been avoided if they had just swallowed their pride, got off their cloud, and asked for help."

"That war honey, why ask for things from an "inferior species." When you can just take it, that was there mistaken and they payed for it."

Alexis nodded, and grabbed a glass. "I... I know this is a bit cliche, but... with family and friends, old and new, I want to make a toast." She frowned. "I can still do a toast if I drink water, right?"

Luke poured himself a drink of water, so Alexis wouldn't be by herself." It is to day."

"Well I don't know about you Luke, but I'm gonna raid your liquor cabinet since you raided my bar."

Here here.

Both Edda and Jesse went to Luke liquor cabinet, Lilith also joined them.

Luke looked at his friends raiding his liquor cabnit and just shocked his head. "You three done, because I have my own toast to make."

Edda, Jesse, and Lilith looked at Luke. All holding a different types of alcohol,Jesse finally spoke up. "Fine Luke, what do you have to say?"

"I would like to toast my friends, both Jesse and Edda. If it wasn't for you two Jesse sparing my life, and you Edda constantly pushing me to save others just like you. So thank you my friends for pushing me to be better, even when I was in a bad spot."

Edda and Jesse put down there drinks. Jesse shakes Luke's hand, while Edda hugged him. Jesse looked at Luke eyes. " Any time Luke, I knew you would be great even when you were in a bad spot."

Edda let's go of Luke." That's right, we made have helped you out a bit. But this was all you, and you deserve every single bit of this congrats Luke and good Luck being a father."
 
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