RP XCOM2: Liberation of Earth

[DarkGemini24601]

Black0ut, Dahlexpert, DarkGemini24601, and ZombieSplitter53: “Operation Sinister Savior” - Part 7

“Alright,” a voice said from the darkness behind him as a fist - unseen to the dogmatic alien - collided with his back. The force was nullified by his plating, but it staggered him and allowed Blue World to wrap its arms around the Muton and hold him fast. “Rip this bastard’s armor to shreds however you can!”

Tomislav nodded to Mark and Adam. “Grenades, now.” A viper and shard grenade flew, and while their damage didn’t go through the Muton’s armor, the blasts weakened it a bit. Atka followed up with a slash with her microknife, the heat waves melting slightly further into the alien’s armor. By this point it had enough, and flexed muscles containing monstrous strength, forcing the invisible thoughtform off it.

“Telekinesis… you are a blasphemer to obstruct the Path with psionics!” the Muton growled, lifting his left arm and firing a blaster bomb in the general direction of where Atka had attacked.

The Commander was forced to immediately recall Blue World, and draw the Reflection around herself to prevent the blast from blowing her to smithereens. It still battered the projection and her to some extent, and she was blown back - her chameleon suit shutting down and revealing her. “And you’re… a blind fool…” she growled, “...if you think that’s what held you fast.”

“Light him up!” Tomislav ordered, his eyes burning with determination. “Don’t give him a second to recover!” His Augerrifle tore into the Muton Elite, rupturing his armor on the side.

A strong voice spoke, its body unseen, yet it’s presence felt. Atka! You who dares hurts my charge… I think I might rip your head off. With that a powerful psionic storm swirled around the Elite Muton. Broadcasting to the XCOM soldiers, Charon growled, Hit him now! I can’t hold him in my storm for long...

Adam slammed his ravaged shield into the ground, and slapped his HMG down on it. “With pleasure,” the Enforcer grumbled. He began firing with abandon, sending a volume of fire into the Muton Elite that stood in the way of XCOM. One burst, then a second, and finally a third all hammered away at the high-ranking Heavy Honor Guard soldier, blowing away chunks of the regal red plating.

Ayame followed suit, blasting away more armor with her shard gun and exposing the now-bloodied flesh underneath, “We’ll strip you bare if need be!”

Alexis lifted her hand as the Muton Elite tried to retreat to cover, causing it to be stopped by a telekinetic barrier. “You’re not going anywhere!”

“Hmph. So be it. I may die here, but I shall take plenty of you with me!” the alien Champion roared. It lifted up a pair of alien grenades, only to be held fast by a thrown slurry grenade from Atka. With a grimace, the Elite let go of the bombs - but not before activating them. They blew up with a resounding explosion, doing minor damage to the Ambusher and Phantom near him - while only doing minor damage to the Muton - instead destroying the substance coating him. With his left arm, the Muton activated his Aegis Barrier again to block gunfire from Alexis, and picked up the plasma minigun with only his right. Before their eyes, the alien’s flesh began to mend rapidly.

“What is with this guy?” Ayame said in frustration, lifting herself off the ground and picking up her blade.

“I am the sword and shield of the Path! Its might and dealer of its justice!” The Elite thundered in response, placing its shield in the direction of the two closest to it while pinning down Tomislav and Jaime with lockdown suppression.

You might be reducing the effect of my gun from this angle, but not my mind, Atka thought, sending a mindfray the Muton’s way - only to find her potent mental attack quite literally laughed off. “What the fuck?”

“Only the Elders may touch my mind, heretic,” the alien declared. Tomislav lifted his modified assault rifle, sending a barrage at the braggart. “What do you intend to do with that?” the Elite taunted, Tomislav’s shots nowhere close to hitting the actual Muton - going far above its head.

“As the old cliche goes, I wasn’t aiming for you,” Tomislav replied as some of the machinery from above - along with part of the conveyor belt - crashed down on the Muton, not harming him all that much but making him a prone target.

Ayame rushed to its side, lifting her blade and driving her blade into its gun arm. “You talk too much,” she muttered.

Tomislav strode forward, lifting his heavy weapon arm for one last blast of flames. He noticed Luke coming over out of the corner of his eye. “Just in time, Van Dam. Time for cooking with Kasun.”

Luke - looking exhausted - shook his head. “Yeah, best give it my all here.” A stream of pyrokinetic fire out of his hands. A column of superheated flames from Tom’s gauntlet joined the red psion’s attack, and can together they lit the Muton Elite alight through the gaps in his armor. Despite the heavy genetic modification, the skin remained flammable, and with a final howl and incoherent plea for forgiveness from his slaver gods, the Muton Elite died.

Atka slowly pushed herself to her feet. “Anyone else?” she questioned, almost daring the facility to send something else at them. Only silence met her question, and as the dust settled she allowed herself to release a sigh of relief. “Guess it’s over then.” The Commander glanced towards a chamber across a catwalk over the literal genetic pool, in which a golden vial sat. Approaching cautiously, she entered the subsidiary room, and retrieved the fruit of the Blacksite’s labors. “I have a guess as to what that is… but we’ll need to take it back to the Avenger to confirm. Let’s get the hell out of here, Menace 1-5.”

“Great we won...we… I’m going to sleep now Commander.” Luke passed out on the cold floor due to exhaustion.

Red stumbled out of his cover, his skin far paler than it typically was. “Thanks, Charon. I always love being a conduit…” The specialist murmured before tumbling back into his cover, the man out cold.

Atka’s gaze flitted between the two unconscious soldiers, and then back at her Reflection. “Good grief…” the Inuit woman groaned.

“Is this… typical for the conclusion of XCOM operations?” Tomislav questioned with a raised eyebrow - and a wry smile now that the danger had passed.

“Unfortunately, that seems to often be the case. And we’ve still got that other security checkpoint that will harass us on the way to the hanger.” Atka had Blue World scooped up the two men on either shoulder while she reloaded her EM caster. “What a hassle.”

 

[Dahlexpert]

The fallowing is a colabe between Dhalexpert and Marineavenger

Gwen strode down the halls of the Avenger, a look of cold disposition on her face as dread slowly was a cloud over her head. Apologizing was hard. Apologizes to large egos was harder. Gwen knocked on Luke's door and waited.

"Just a minute, be there in a second." Luke open the door, wearing a red tee shirt and jeans." Yes can I help?" Luke eyes start to glow out of anger. “The fuck do you want women."

"Came to seduce your aunt. Why the hell you think I am here?" Gwen asked back snapping back with a not too pleased look as she crossed her arms.

Luke eyes starts to twitch, and he slammed the door. "The weak is not welcome her, beat it women."

"Wow, shouldn't talk about yourself like that. Putting yourself down to much ages yourself horribly."

Luke open the door." The hell do you want?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "To apologize to youasshole.Or if you prefer I could just go tell Lilith you refused to play nice." The French girl threatened in a passive, pleasant voice.

"Apology not accepted, now leave before I decide to shoot you." Luke threatened.

"Luke why are you threatening someone, Hello Gwen how are you? Lilith said from behind Gwen.

"One sec Lil." Gwen said, crossing her arms. "Okay Luke. You'll get your chance. Hit me right now with anything. A fireball, a bullet, your fist. If you can hit me with anything I will leave. Deal?"

Luke clenches, his fist but before he can throw it Lilith stops him.

"Luke, remember what I told you years ago?"

"Sigh if you want to forgive yourself you must learn to forgive others." Luke said in a defeated tone

"Right." Lilith looked back at Gwen. "Gwen I hope you have a good rest of your day." Lilith said while walking away.

"Hopefully..." Gwen said with a roll of her eyes. "So, now that she's gone, where were we? Gonna swing or not?"

Gwen can hear a loud growl from Luke. "Get your sorry blond ass in here." Luke opens the door and invites Gwen into his room.

"Damn... and I was hoping to one up you." She noted, striding into the room gracefully.

Luke though about tripping Gwen, but choice not to do that. Luke sat on his bed. "So blonde what do you want, the last time we talked it didn't end well."

"I said I came here to apologize knucklehead." Gwendoline chastised the man with a sigh. "I am sorry for what I said about your parents Luke."

"ugh huh, now why should I forgive you Gwen. After all you said it yourself we were never friends, we were friend because you had a dumb crush on me."

"Because I'm adorable and cute and you can't say no to puppy dog eyes?" She fluttered her eye lashes.

Luke kept his cold expression."Ugh huh, yea life doesn't work that way Gwen. You don't get by because you’re cute."

"Oh trust me, if it was that easy I would be empress of this world right now. But more seriously, I mean it Luke. I am sorry. It was..." Gwen looked uncomfortable, pouting. "Wrong of me..."

"Did Leon put you up for this, this has him written all over it?

"Tiny bit. So are you going to be a complete cunt or will you accept my apology so we can be friends?"

"According to you we weren't friends, now tell me why would I want to be friends with someone who's opinion of me constantly changes?"

"Because I know you well enough to know deep down you want to be friends still." Gwen said with a sly smirk.

"You're right I do want to be your friend, me wanting to be your Friend is not the issue here. The question is do you ever want to be friends, or is this me wasting my time?"

"I wouldn't have come here if I was just wasting your time. So stop being a hard head and accept my apology already." Gwen stated authoritatively.

"Ou I accept your apology, the question is do I want to be friends with you."

"Luke if we keep going round in circles I am going to kick you so hard in the crotch you won't be able to tell your testicles from your chin. Just say we'll be friends again and this can be over, alright?"

Luke rubes his head. "Fine, we’ll be friends again, but if you pull the same shit you did last time. Don't bother coming to me outside of a mission, am I clear."

"The same rules apply to you buddy. This isn't a one sided thing." Gwen warned in her own right.

Ou please but it's sometimes fun to mess with you, even though you're still hot headed."

"Coming from the literal hot head. Speaking of which, are you going to try and hit me already? I am getting bored here." Gwen moved over to Luke's bed and sat down with a smug face.

"Why do you want me to punch you so damn badly? What, have you become a masochist now?"

"Do it and you will find out why I am the strongest now."

Luke rolled his eyes and went in for a halfhearted punch.

A screen of glass with honeycomb like features sprang up in front of Gwen and his hand hit the solid object, causing a slight clunk noise.

"What the, you're psionic? When did that happen?"

"During the Chilean operation. Blocked a tank shell by accident and my power has gotten stronger ever since I embraced my powers. So far I only have my shield, but it is strong." The French girl explained, smiling as her shield cracked and shattered.

"So you're psionic, great still doesn't mean you're stronger then me though. Sure you have a shield, but I'm still a walking talking weapon so I'm still stronger."

 

[Dahlexpert]

Part 2

"A weapon ain't shit if it can't hit its target. And you would never be able to break my defense."

"Really, tell me can psionic bullets do it?"

"Nope. Nothing physical as far as I know."

Luke pats Gwens head." Look at you getting all strong, I'm very proud of you Gwen." Luke said smiling at her

She smacked his hand away lightly with a sour look. "Luke, don't do that. It annoys me when Leon does it, but he is my brother. Don't pat me on the head.

"But that's why I do it, would like me to hug you instead? Or do you want me kiss your forehead." Luke says joking with Gwen

"Neither. Honestly how anyone puts up with you is a mystery." Gwen noted with a roll of the eyes.

"Yeah well Alexis finds a way, heh it's a good thing we're not dating. Because if we were, I'd be teasing flirting more then I already do being all lovey dovey. You would have gone insane within a week."

Once again Gwen rolled her eyes. "Well I am glad I came to my senses and realized I am way out of your league. Honestly, there is little to like about you. But beggars can't be choosers I suppose."

"Well you must like something about me, because you came here to apologize. So I must have something you like, mind telling me what it is?"

The girl remained silent for a small time before answering, "You're loyal. Stupid, arrogant, an ass... But loyal."

"Yeah well growing up in the wilderness, that's one trait I had over most people."

"Yeah, yeah mountain boy. We all know you like to play the Tarzan impersonator." Gwen taunted before signing with a frown. "I miss my home."

"Relay, you know I could say something relay terrible to you. But I know you’re talking about your home with Leon and the resistance. Isn't that right."

"Not really. I am talking about my real home. Not the fucking Advent city I fled from. You really are dense, huh?"

"Your prewar home, come on Gwen your better off without that place. I mean didn't your maid mostly raised you, why would you miss that place of all things?"

"Because I never got to appreciate it." Gwen said in an annoyed tone, "When I was younger I was told where to go, what to do, and expected to do it. We lived in a large home. Not a mansion so to say but when I was five it was huge. You would walk through the front doors and be in a large foyer. All the bedrooms were upstairs, there was a large living area past the stairs with paintings lining the walls. The kitchen was gorgeous, with a chandelier in the dining room that would out sparkle any diamond."

The French girl smiled widely though soft, continuing on. "Then there was the summer home! Oh I adored that place. It was secluded by a big mountain we would hike. There was a large lake out back we would swim in. The whole home was made of wood, and it was like a second home to me when I was a kid. That's what I miss Luke. I miss all the things I didn't get to have because I was so young. I want to sun tan, and to clean up my own room again. To sit by a warm fire with some cocoa in the winter. I want to...Liveagain."

Luke tried to think about what to say. Luke walked to Gwen and sat next to her and brought her close to him. "Garentey I'm going to fuck this up but, why don't you do that here? I mean yea it's not the perfect place, but. You can suntan on top the avenger, were still in the anartica so you can have a snowball fight with Leon. And yea I may not be a perfect fireplace, but I can make a small fire and surve you some hot coco." Luke rubbed his head. "Your probably not happy with that aren't you, and I'm just making a fool of myself huh?"

"Yes you are. But the sentiment is noted. I know I could do all that stuff here but I want to do it at my real home. Not someplace that won't be eventually. You get what I am saying? It is like saying just pay for a prostitute instead of doing it with your partner. Sure it is sex and it would be good but it just isn't the same."

"Yea I get what you're saying, who knows maybe once this war is over you can go back there. Assuming it's still their of course."

"Hopefully..."

Luke got off his bed."Alright blonde, I'm sure you have a lot of things to do, I have to go back to the cafeteria and prepare dinner for everyone. Unless you want to help me?"

"Nope. I suck at cooking. I'll talk to you later Luke." Gwen said with a wave of the hand.

After she left Luke fell on his bed. "Sigh that woman, every time I talk to her I need to lay down. But were friends again, well friends is pushing it more of people that know each other. Sigh I can rest for a bit before going to work."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Unfortunate First Impressions
Part One


Onboard the Avenger
Infirmary
0230 Hours, September 21st, 2038

"Whoa..." Alexis stepped away from Ayame, staring down at her hand. The pair were being checked over for injuries, and Alexis had question Ayame about her powers. After a short demonstration, she felt like she could use some caffeine. "That is wicked. I..." Ayame reached out to take Alexis' had again, and the busty woman slapped her hand like a mother disciplining a child. "No! Bad Ayame."

Ayame pouted. "I just wanted a little more." She smiled and closed her eyes. "The essence of a biokinetic... so wonderful! Your powers automatically respond to my drain, flowing in fresh, rich energy that... that... how can I even describe it? It's like... drinking the very first tall, refreshing glass of lemonade from a pitcher that was freshly squeezed and made to perfection!" She opened her eyes, realizing she was gushing. "Sorry."

"You better be, and not just about that." Alex wagged an angry finger in her face. "How could you keep this from me? I thought we were friends, or at least allies."

Ayame sighed. "Come on. Try and put yourself in my place. Though it looks like Tom was right. A lot of people are just rationalizing this is just another form of psionics."

"Why? The Chinese vampire zombie thing is so much cooler!" Alex narrowed her eyes. "So who knew before the whole... arm loss thing?"

Ayame thought about it. "Well... the Commander confronted me on it, so she and Yakone were the first, and then..."

Alex grabbed Ayame's shoulders and shook her, yelling, "Yakone knew this cool secret and didn't tell me! How could she? I'm going to kick her ass!"

"Relax," the petite Phantom insisted. "I didn't want her to say anything to anyone. Besides, Atka ordered us not to let this get out."

Alex turned around and folded her arms, pouting. "Her mother telling her to be quiet should have been all the more reason to tell me..." She glanced back. "Who else."

Ayame shrugged. "Just Red Hawke after he witnessed me using my powers, and, um... Catherine."

"The chef?" Alex turned again. "How did that happen?"

Ayame waved her hands. "Oh, no. That one is too embarrassing. Sorry."

The violet haired engineer tapped her lips in thought, and smiled. "Tell me... and I'll let you have more of your precious essence."

Ayame's eyes widened a bit. "And I can take it... the way that makes it the most potent?"

Alex shrugged. "Sure. As long as you don't need to cut me to do it, and you don't completely drain me."

"Deal!" Ayame laid back. "Well... about three weeks ago..."

-------

Three Weeks Ago

Marx sat up in bed, awoken by another nightmare, somehow more tired than when he went to bed. He had been practicing his new abilities much since they were awakened, usually coming back to his room a few hours after midnight. Marx found, however, that training these new powers as much as his other skilled is taking a toll, he had been frequently having nose bleeds at the end of training. While he didn't ignore the bleeding, he didn't see it as such a big deal until he passed out the day before yesterday during training. A few of the other soldiers called the doctors up, who quickly brought him in, explaining to him that he had been putting much stress on his mind, and heavily suggested laying off the training for a few days at least. Marx begrudgingly agreed, however he continued his daily weightlifting, he had to be ready at any time now.

He looked around, the first thing catching his eye was unusually Cathy, who after a day of keeping to herself, a feat that Marx couldn't believe she could even manage, she seemed as though she had cheered up. She seemed to be writing something, pausing to think once every few minutes, then continuing, she also still managed to greet her other bunkmates as they walked past. Marx was curious as to what had happened, but didn't feel like the hour long, peppy conversation his question would cause, was worth the information. A solid knock came in the door of their room, Ayame calling out, "Hey, Marxy! You home?"

Cathy perked up, "Marxy? Is that a girlfriend I'm sensing?"

Mark just sighed, pulling himself up and out of bed as he walked towards the door, swinging it open.

"Hey, how's my favorite sense of touch-lacking Ruskie?" Ayame asked with a big, sky grin. "Heard you over did it."

"You did? I've heard the headaches stop most people before too much damage is done, that's why pain is so important, but it's so taken for granted..." He stated, "It's also the fact that this is mostly new to us, well, the common people, that is."

"Well, you gonna live?" Ayame looked him up and down. "You don't look like you're falling apart but you sure look like you need more sleep."

"I haven't been able to get enough sleep in days..." He replied.

Cathy smiled, joking playfully, "You just need to drink more milk!"

Ayame peeled through the door. "Hello hello? And who is this now?" she asked with a curious smile.

"Please don-"

"I'm Cathy! Mr. Grumpy's roommate!" She smiled, putting down her pencil.

Ayame stepped inside. "I've seen you before. You work in the cafeteria, yeah? You're the one who's always giddy, right?"

"That's me! I'm also the one who makes all the cakes, you can never have too many cakes." She responded.

"Cakes?" Ayame scratched her head. "I... guess? Not much of a cake person myself. I prefer a good almond cookie myself. Maybe some chocolate if I'm feeling adventurous."

"Well, everyone likes something different, whatever suits you!" She sat up, "What's your name?"

"Ayame." The Asian woman held out her hand. " Ayame Kasagi, Ranger."

Catherine stretched out on her bunk, reaching down to take her hand, "Ayame huh? You I've heard some crazy things about you, it's funny where people's imaginations go when they're stuck on a ship for so long."

"Is that so?" Ayame grinned. "I can say the same about you. But you first. What are some of the things you've heard? I always like to hear these."

"Well, while I was working in the cafeteria, I overheard this guy, talking to his friends about how an engineer told him that he overheard a medic that said he heard the Commander faintly through a wall say, that you... Are a Zombie!"

Marx shook his head, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard..."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Unfortunate First Impressions
Part Two

Ayame laughed. "My, my, you really have an ear for word of mouth. You must tend the grape vine yourself. But you don't actually believe such things, do you?"

"Well, I haven't seen you eat any brains... But you never know..." She chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure if she was a zombie someone would've figured it out by now, there isn't too much privacy around here..." The Russian stated.

"Well..." Ayame shrugged. "Lets humor the girl. Lets say someone does know. Like... the Commander herself. They would want to keep a lid on it, right? After all, people might not want to work with me, right?"

"Are... Are you actually humoring her?"

"I dunno, I think working with a zombie would be pretty cool! Undead strength!" Cathy spoke, flexing her arms after rolling over onto her back.

Ayame winked at Marx, and said, "But what if I am a zombie... and there a certain crew members you didn't notice have been disappearing?"

"Dun dun Duuuun! What should we do next I wonder!? Check security cameras? See if anyone's fired a bullet recently?" Cathy kid, "Good thing Zombie's aren't too smart, now you will be the prime suspect!"

Ayame's smile faded a bit. "Yes. Not so smart. And they smell really bad too, huh?"

"Well, I've never smelled one so, I wouldn't know!" She answered.

"Right. But... stupid, huh?" Ayame shrugged. "Of course... I'm not stupid, so I must not be a zombie... unless you think if I am one, I must be stupid... right?"

"Well... I mean, I guess there are smart zombies... You know, sort of like vampires..." Cathy said slowly.

"No one important thinks you're a Zombie Ayame..." Marx interrupted.

"Well I-" The cook started, but was cut off.

"No one important..." He reiterated.

"Says the guy who does nothing but train all day..." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Says the girl who does nothing but cook all day... We have a war to win..." He countered.

"And I'm helping!"

"Alright, alright." Ayame shook her head. "You guys always bicker like this?"

Cathy opened her mouth, but Marx spoke first, "Yes, but I try to avoid her when I can..."

Ayame tapped her lip. "Hey, Marx... can I talk to her alone for a minute or two?"

"I... Suppose so..." He replied.

Cathy's grin popped back, hopping off her bunk and onto the ground.

"Come on... let's go for a walk. It won't take long..." Ayame held the door open, and motioned for Cathy to step out.

"Sure!" She said as she began to follow, sticking her tongue out at Marx when Ayame wasn't looking.

Marx simply rolled his eyes, before Cathy replied with a soft, "Nyeh!"

The Russian shrugged with a confused 'what' gesture.

"You know," Ayame started as they walked down the hallway, "Marx thinks of you as a pain to be his roommate... but I can also see how someone as cheerful as you would find dealing with mister room and gloom a pain yourself."

"Yeah, it can be, but you should meet my boyfriend, I can handle it." She stated.

"Oh?" Ayame grinned. "You have a boyfriend, huh? Who's that?"

"Have you met a mopey little man named Artyom?" She asked, smirking slightly, "That cutie's with me..."

"Oh, spider guy. Um... interesting match up to say the least." Ayame stopped in front of a supply room. "You... wanna hear a secret, Catherine?"

"Uhh, Sure, I mean, I just met you, but if you trust me, go ahead!" She said, a little caught off guard.

When she walked into the closet, Ayame stepped in after her and shut the door. "You see, Cathy... all that stuff you heard about me? It's all true."

"Wat..." She replied, dumbfounded, "Oh I get it, you're pulling my leg aren't you?! That's pretty funny, getting me alone this and trying to scare me..."

"Not pulling anything." Ayame gave her a wide smile, and cracked her neck. "Of you don't believe me... take my hand and I can prove it." She casually held out a hand.

"Uhh... Okay but... I am not that gullible you know..." She stated, grabbing her hand slowly.

After a moment, Catherine could feel the energy draining from her body, Ayame's eyes glowing softly as her smile only widened.

She momentarily panicked, but quickly fell to the ground, limp.

30 minutes later

As Marx walked into the lunchroom and immediately noticed the line at the counter was packed, much longer than usual, it was strange, the cooks were usually never this slow... Instead of standing in line, he instead sat near the back to wait the crowd out in his usual spot. As he waited, he overheard a few of the conversations, the other crowds had noticed something even stranger than the line, the peppy server was nowhere to be seen, during peak the breakfast shift no less. Marx could never stop overhearing the things she said about herself to their other bunkmates, she truly was an open book, so open that he was well aware that she always made a point to be there during peak times, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The only other place she could be was the med-bay, but not only were there not much injured, she usually put her cooking duties first. If she was sad, she'd be here, he thought, he knew all too well this was her way of cheering herself up.

Why wasn't she here? He asked himself, running through his head where she could be, mostly to sate his curiosity until he considered that Ayame was the last person he saw her with. They had both left to talk alone and never came back to the room, what's even more strange is that this was the first time they had ever met, you don't often talk privately with someone you've only met for a few minutes...

Marx sat up, something was certainly wrong here, no, someone... His eyes widen slightly, then his gaze sharped to points as he took off out the cafeteria door. As soon as he was free of the public eye, he picked up his pace.

Ayame. She was always a strange one... So skilled, yet so young... So strong, but yet so small... Strong enough even to match him... There was only one way someone like that could match him like that... Augments...

It all made sense... It all fit together in his mind... A small Asian girl... Not many would pay much attention, even less would think... would suspect her of being...

An Advent Spy...

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Unfortunate First Impressions
Part Three

As he reached the woman's door, he put a hand on the knob. He wasn't going to bust it down, after all, he may be wrong, a huge coinsidence, but he owed it to the project to investigate, bring her before the Commander himself, if she was a spy, she couldn't be allowed to escape, they'd probably be expecting someone to report their suspicions to Atka first.

He was unarmed, but he had his new, secret weapon, just in case... He brought his fist to the metal, and slowly, steadily, knocked.

It took a minute, but eventually it opened, the Asian firecracker yawning as she greeted him. "Hey, Marx. Short time no see. Sorry, I always get a tad sleepy after a meal. Ever happen to you?"

He raised a eyebrow, "It's morning... Besides, I didn't see you in the mess hall, when did you eat?"

Ayame shrugged. "I have other means of getting sustenance. I just hope you're not here to lecture me on not sleeping in too much. Um... why are you here? Shouldn't you be getting some rest yourself?"

"You know, the mess hall was really busy this morning, strange right?" He said, squinting.

Ayame chuckled. "Okay... weird comment to randomly come out with. Do you want me to... help out? Isn't that your roommate's job?"

"It is..." He said, taking a few steps forward, "It turns out she wasn't there though, it's pretty unlike her..."

Ayame took a step back. "Oh, yeah. Heh... guess she got lost on the way there, huh?"

"And if I recall... You were the last person to speak to her..." He stated, readying himself, "You left with her for a 'private conversation'... Thirty or so minutes ago?"

Ayame sighed. "Okay... you got me. Truth is, I am a zombie. I'm afraid I ate her brains to get her to be quiet, and dumped her off the ship." She grinned. "Gonna have to do the same to you. Don't worry. For you, at least, it won't hurt."

"Oh that's funny... I wasn't aware any of you could make jokes..." Marx quickly pulled back his fist, slamming it into her face with a large amount of force, "Advent scum..."

Ayame held her face tightly. "Argh! Damn son of a bitch! Are you crazy?!" Ayame wiped the blood from her nose. "I don't work for ADVENT, dummy."

"That's for the Commander to decide... But personally, I don't believe you..." He stated, "If you were really innocent, then why the threat, then where's my roommate?"

Ayame held up a hand. "H-hold on now. I-it was a joke. Just... I-I'll help you find her, okay? I'm good at tracking people down."

"So, where do you think she could be?" He asked, still obviously suspicious.

"I don't know. Maybe she... feel asleep somewhere. Tell you what..." Ayame cautiously stepped past him and into the hallway, pointing left and right. "You searched that half of the ship, and I'll search that half. If we don't find her, we'll switch sides, and if that doesn't work, we'll comb the place together. If we still don't find her, I will willingly go to the Commander with you. No... cheep shots to the face needed... dick."

"Do you really think I'll let you leave my sight?" He gazed daggers at her, "We search together... but if you expect me to believe she simply passed out in the hall somewhere, you must think I'm an idiot... Or, why don't we just go straight to the commander? If she's really fine, we can contact her over the intercoms..."

"Fine, geez..." Ayame stared walking in the direction of Marx and Cathy's room. "You know... I got this idea that you and I were friends. Either I was wrong, or you've never heard of giving a friend the benefit of the doubt."

"Yeah... Maybe I got that idea too... But this project and my family come first, hell, maybe this is all just a big fucking misunderstanding, if so, then I fucked up, but at this point... I doubt it..." He said, walking behind her, "I don't know why you're still playing this game with me... Where do you think this stalling is going to get you?"

Ayame turned around and walked. "Let's, for a moment, pretend I really am hiding something from you. Do you honestly think I'm hiding the fact that I'm a spy? I hate ADVENT for what they put me through, and I've contributed so much to the resistance." She slowed as she approached where she left Catherine.

"The information you could be handing them would be worth more than one person could ever contribute... Whatever's going on here, I don't think it's good for this project... And who knows, maybe they took the real Ayame who was supposed to be here and simply replaced her..." He replied, "And for someone so innocent, you sure do seem like you want to avoid the Commander..."

Ayame scoffed. Because she'll have my ass if she finds out I chewed on Cathy a little when she told me not to, jackass. "Look, I was down the hall when Cathy and I parted ways, and she walked in this direction. I'll check these doors over here, and you check over there." She pointed to three doors on the right, knowing Marx should find Cathy in the center room.

"No, you stay here while I check the doors..." Marx said, slowly walking towards the left room and opening it, making sure to keep an eye on Ayame while he opened it,however, he found nothing but an empty room.

Ayame folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, knowing it was only a matter of time but anxious all the same. "Nothing yet?" she asked as Marx walked up to the right door. "Keep looking. Wish I could help."

Marx wrapped his hand around the knob of the middle door, pulling it open to reveal the young cook, curled up on the floor, out cold. Marx stepped in, taking a look at her before turning back at Ayame, his expression barely changing.

Ayame gave him a curious expression. "What? Is she in there?" she asked as she stepped forward to look.

"She is... But it looks almost like someone may have knocked her out and left her here, no one just sleeps in a supply closet..." Marx pointed out.

"Yeah, good point." Ayame stepped in past him and leaned next to her, checking her pulse. "She seems stable enough. Knocked out or not, it looks like she's just sleeping. Wanna carry her back to your room?"

"You understand that you're still my prime suspect, right? Everything points to you..." He crossed his arms.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not going anywhere. Now you going to carry her or should I?"

"You do it... But I swear if you try anything, I won't hesitate..."

Ayame lifted the woman into her back, subtly pinching a pressure point on her neck. As she carried Cathy back to her room, Marc following behind, the peppy woman started to wake up. "Cathy," Ayame whispered. "Listen, I-I wasn't trying to knock you out. I was just trying to scare you a little. It was a joke. A... a stupid joke, I know. Please don't bust me on this."

Cathy's eyes gazed at Ayame, then began to dart around, "W-What's going on? What did you do to me?"

Ayame chuckled nervously. "Relax, Cathy. You... passed out or something in the supply closet. I'm just carrying you back to you room. Marx was worried about you, isn't that right, Marx?"

The Russian just stayed silent.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Unfortunate First Impressions
Part Four

"B-But... Wasn't I with you?" Cathy whispered.

"You were," Ayame whispered back. "And I'm sorry, okay. Just... j-just play along, and I'll make it up to you, I swear." Louder, she said, "Marx told me how you always push yourself to be in the cafeteria for every rush. You need to slow down a bit, girl. Don't need you passing out and bashing your head or something."

"But what did you do to me? Am I going to be a zombie now? Or a vampire?" She asked, with a worried tone.

"What? Oh... I-I just drained a little essence," Ayame answered. "Just some energy. Your essence is really rich, and it drained fast. You dropped like a rock. But nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. I don't even know how to make another of my kind."

"Are you... An alien?" She asked hesitantly.

"What? N-no, you were right about me. I'm a Chinese vampire zombie... uh, creature. I don't eat brains, I drain energy. I'm really, really sorry I knocked you out, okay?"

Cathy peeked over at Marx, "And... You're keeping it secret? Why?"

Ayame frowned. "Why do you think? Like I said, I'm a creature. Most humans don't care much for monsters. Hell, when you didn't show up, Marx came to my room and punched me in the face, calling me an ADVENT spy. If he knew what I really was, he'd probably treat me like one of the aliens."

"How awful... But you did knock me out and leave me in a closet... You didn't even ask me... Maybe that's why they think you are some kind of monster?" Cathy replied, still a little woozy.

They arrived at Cathy's room, Ayame stepping in and turning to Marx. "Can I have... one minute alone with her?"

Marx glanced over at Cathy.

"Don't worry..."

He sighed, "This is stupid, you know that right?"

"Just... Stand outside the door and... uh.. listen?" The cook suggested.

"Fine... Just yell..." He then turned back to Ayame, "Don't try anything... You have no where to go if you do..."

Ayame closed the door and gently placed Cathy on the bed. "Listen... I get it, okay. I'm a monster, a fiend, and a bitch. Alright? But you kinda kissed me off with that crack about all zombies being stupid, so I sapped a little essence. I was going to do it for, like, a second. Act all spooky, maybe threaten to nibble on your frontal lobe, then crack up laughing and tell you I'm kidding. But you had to go and pass out. I'm sorry. Now, the Commander knows what I am, but she told me I can't go around feeding on anyone. If she finds out about this, I'm out of XCOM. So I am... pleading with you. I will do anything you want if you just... keep... quiet about this."

"So... Why did you do it if the commander told you not to? Were you just that mad at me? How was I supposed to know you were actually a Zombie!? I thought it was just one of those, I know a guy who knows a guy weird rumors that make no sense." Cathy explained.

"Because you seemed so sure, and I... I have a temper problem." Ayame ran a hand through her hair. "I-it was a joke. I... I was being stupid, okay? Really, really stupid. Come on... this is the first meaningful thing I've been a part of for a long, long time. I'll do anything you ask. Just... please." Ayame slowly dropped to a knee. "I... don't want to lose this."

"Well... Okay, but you can't do the uh... energy takey thing with anyone else, okay?"

Ayame shook her head. "I won't. I-I only do it with Yakone. She was... kinda assigned to me. I won't do it again, even as a joke, no matter how mad I am. Just please don't tell on me."

All of a sudden, a thought hit Cathy, "Wait... You don't like... Need to do that to live, do you?"

"Well... yeah, I do." Ayame walked over and say on the bed next to her. "You think I always do it for kicks? Like I said... I'm kinda like a Chinese vampire or zombie. Just replace blood and flesh with essence. I go too long without, and I'm history. I use too much fighting or healing, and I'm history. I lose too much blood or lose my heart... and you get the idea."

"Well... I don't want you to die..." Cathy said, trying to think of something else, "You said Marx punched you, right? I guess you're probably pretty mad..."

Ayame thought about it, and her shoulders slumped. "No... at least not at him. I deserved it. I deserved more. You... when you said maybe there is a reason people see me as a monster... you weren't wrong. There are so many things people take for granted. One of them is... actually being human. I have to work to try and be human. Sometimes I slip up... and the thing I am leaks out." She slowly shook her head. "Maybe I should just... tell the Commander what I did. I obviously can't be trusted."

"Look..." Cathy spoke, tapping her fingers together, "If this really has to be a secret and you have to take people's energy to live... I could help you... You can... Take my energy if you want... I mean... It didn't hurt so..."

Ayame slowly smiled, looking up at her. "You'd... really do that for me. Even after what I did to you?"

"Yeah, it wasn't all that bad... No hard feelings!" She reassured, "But there's one condition... Tell Marx you forgive him... That you're still willing to be his friend, even after what happened..."

"Oh, absolutely." Ayame jumped to her feet. "Assuming the feeling is mutual. I hope it is..." She opened the door and peaked out. "Marx? Wanna come in? I finished hypnotizing her with the secret ADVENT device I hide in my non-existent cleavage."

He looked over at Cathy, raising an eyebrow.

Cathy, catching on, began to explain, "I was just writing all night last night, I'm really working hard on my apology letter, I guess I lost track of time, didn't get much sleep, and stumbled into a closet on the way... I feel just awful for missing breakfast..."

Marx drove his fist into his own head, groaning loudly as he realized what he had accomplished, mad at Cathy a little, but mostly mad at himself. He put too many coincidences together, made a big deal, assaulted a woman, and only managed to embarrass himself. He look a look up at Ayame, a big red spot on his forehead, "I'm... I'm sorry... If you want to turn me into the commander for assault, I wouldn't blame you... I... I overreacted..."

"Don't do that, you big dope." Ayame shook her head. "It is fine. It didn't hurt... that much." She subconsciously rubbed her nose. "I think we should all just... completely forget this whole thing happened, okay?"

Marx sighed, "Yeah... Let's..."

"Great!" Ayame patted him on the arm. "Gotta run. We'll spar again when you're up for it. And Cathy? Stay as friendly as ever, and don't forget to ask if you need anything."

She waved, "Yeah, I will! Have a nice day!"

Marx turned back towards Cathy, "Get more sleep..."

Catherine smiled, "You, were you really that worried? How sweet!"

"Errgghh!" He growled, making his way out of the room.

"That wasn't a no..." The chef smirked as she made her way down to the mess hall, making sure that Marx didn't see her.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Dahlexpert & ZombieSplitter53
Sagely Advice
Part One

Onboard the Avenger
Engineering Wing
0230 Hours, September 21st, 2038

Luke headed down to engineering, hoping to have a drink with Alexis. "Alright, where to start? Hell I barely come down here. This place is huge. Ugh, it's going to be tough to find her."

"It only looks this big when you don't know your way around," a deep voice said behind him. "But if you need some help looking around, I can help you out."

"Huh it's not often I'm looking at someone eye to eye. Alright. I'm looking for Alexis, know were I can find her?"

"Alexis Chambers?" Jack rolled his eyes at himself. "Of course her, how many Alexis's are here. Sure. Follow me?" The large man waved for Luke to follow. "You here for business, or are you a friend?"

"More of me seeing if I can have a few drinks, it's been a while since we did that. Just have a drink and talk, and of course me messing around."

"Oh?" Jack looked him over. "You the boyfriend?"

"Yes, I'm Alexis' boyfriend. The name's Luke. Luke Van Dam, demolitions expert and wrecker of alien shit."

"Is that so? I've heard a lot about you, Luke. Seen a few of your missions too. You're a lot taller in person."

"Yeah well thanks, it's rare for someone to comment on my height. I think I'm the tallest person on base, but please don't quote that."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised." Jack extended his hand as they walked. "Jack Irons."

Luke shook his hand." It's nice to meet you Jack. So how old are? I mean, you don't look like you're my age or the Commanders age. So are you thirty something?"

Jack smiled softly. "Thirty-five. I'm afraid I fall in those years where I'm too old to trust my youthful spirit but too young to trust my aging wisdom. Though I'd like to think I at least give good advice."

"Thirty-five, huh? Tell me, what do you think about Alexis? Just out of curiosity."

"What do I think of her?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "I'm not about to try and steal her from you if that's what you're afraid of."

Luke shook his head. "No no, trust me. I don't think anyone can handle Alexis. It's more like what others think about her. I've never heard what other people think about Alexis."

Jack rubbed his chin, slowing to a stop. "Well... she's energetic. Eager. When I first met her, I didn't put much stock in her engineering skills, and I felt she was a bit too unfocused. But since then she has improved so much. Besides that, she has a fun sense of humor, able to get a smile out of most people, even a grump like me. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't find her attractive."

"Well it's nice to hear that. It's rare for me to hear someone else's opinion about her. Because honestly, I do want her by my side. Hell, if someone told me to marry her, I would."

"Well then... that is interesting. Wonder if she feels the same." Jack continued walking, leading Luke to Alexis' work space and finding it empty. "Hmm..." Jack walked over to one of the tables and opened a small, black book. "According to her work log, she's working on something with her sister in the labs. She might be there for quite a while."

"Hmm... well that's a shame. So do you want some drinks?"

Jack hesitated for a moment, not one to socialize often, but he nodded. "Sure. Not often I do so. The only person I spend a significant amount of time with here is too young to drink. So what the hell."

"Well alright then. Let's go. After all, I rarely have drinks with guys."

"Is that right?" Jack led Luke out of engineering and headed to the bar. "So you're the ladies man I've heard you referred to as, huh?"

"Well, former ladies man. I kinda stopped with the flirting... just a little. But yeah, I was a ladies man."

Jack folded his arms. "You sure you're not still that way at least a little bit? I mean, surely you attract all the pretty girls."

"Oh yeah, but I flirt for fun now. Don't get me wrong I'm still attracted to some woman. But I won't do anything now."

"Don't worry yourself, Luke. I'm not judging you. Just trying to learn a little about you." The pair stepped into the bar. "I don't come in here often. Do we... order our drinks?"

"Not really." Luke went behind the bar."So what can I get you? Beer, or something heavier?"

"I drink Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniel's if there is any." Jack narrowed his eyes. "And no, not because my name is Jack."

"I wasn't going to say that, but okay." Luke poured the whiskey for Jack, and gave himself a glass of gin. "So Jack, tell me about yourself."

Jack took a quick drink, then shrugged. "Not much about me to know. I'm afraid we can't all have interesting stories. I'm just an aging gunsmith, helping to take out the aliens that cost me my parents, contributed to the loss of my family, and hold the world in the grip of their wicked hands. I have my interests, my expertise, and so on, but I wouldn't want to bore you."

"You had a family? Were you married once?"

Jack sighed, taking another drink. "Yeah... I was married. Dolores... the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. But then I'm biased. She had long, shimmering brown hair, and deep green eyes like a pleasant meadow. Her smile could melt the coldest of hearts."

"Sounds like a nice woman. Whatever happened to her?"

Jack took a third drink, finishing his glass. "She left me Luke. The constant struggle between me and the aliens drove us apart." He slowly shook his head. "No... no, that is just an excuse. It was really my fault."

"Oh come on. What could you have done for her to leave you? I mean, yeah, the aliens make life more difficult, but she shouldn't have left."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Dahlexpert & ZombieSplitter53
Sagely Advice
Part Two

"There were a number of factors. But a lot of it had to do with my support of resistant cells. I've always been supporting them in my own way, but she felt it was too dangerous. It drew too much attention, and she wanted me to stop. Finally, she gave me a choice. Her... or the resistance." Jack slowly poured another glass. "It's obvious which one I picked."

"Then she will regret what she chose. After we win of course."

"I doubt that," Jack said with a grim chuckle. "After all, she was right. She said it was too dangerous. She said it was only a matter of time until I got caught. And she was right. I did get caught."

"What happened?"

"I spent four years in a criminal labor camp, working to maintain the ADVENT Rail Network. Long hours, hot conditions, and no insurance benefits, but at least I beefed up quite a bit, and as hard as it is to believe, the food wasn't as bad as you might think." Jack drank half of his glass. "A resistance group liberated me about a year and a half ago, and I joined them, eventually finding myself here."

"Trust me, I know ADVENT food. I prefer what we have here. And you have to take risks if you want to live. You did what you thought was best. Your wife still should have supported you."

Jack shook his head. "I know you're trying to be supportive... and I thank you. But I feel you're too young to understand. Just think about it; what would have happened if she had stuck around to support me? To her... and to... to our son?"

Luke gave a curious look."Wait, you had a son. So you had a whole family thing? What was that like?"

Jack smiled. "You sound like you are scouting. Thinking of getting some perspective on it?"

"Yeah, actually. I never thought about having kids before. Since I was raised in the wilderness, there was no time to think about the future. I was just trying to survive. So what's it like?"

"It's the single most prideful thing ever," Jack answered. "Nothing compares to the look on your child's face when you looks up and recognizes you... and smiles." He lifted his glass again, but only held it there for a moment, placing it back down. "There is only thing that hurts more then the loss of my wife... and that is the loss of my son."

"Oh I'm sorry." Luke downed his glass of beer, and poured himself another glass."I didn't know you lost your kid too. Here I am curious about raising kids. I'm sorry."

Jack shook his head. "It's okay, Luke. I... I sometimes worry about him and his mother, but then I remember she left me to escape the eyes of ADVENT. So I'm sure they're okay somewhere." He gave Luke a warm smile. "Even if they're not with me... even if I never see them again, I still care about them, and I can still fight in order to make the world a better place. Fight for a world where I don't have to worry about ADVENT doing something to them. And that gives me the strength to continue. It might be hard to understand, but I would rather never see them again and protect them from afar then be with them but let them live in a world under the Elder's control."

"I didn't know being married came with those decisions. Maybe I want to hold off on marriage. I haven't thought about kids in a while though."

Jake laughed, and finally took another drink. "Enough about me and my woes. Tell me about you and Alexis. The way she talks about you, you obviously make her very happy. And she must make you really happy to make you think of marriage and kids."

"Alexis is.. how do I put this besides very important to me? I've never met anyone like her. But then again I'm nothing more than a former scavenger."

Jack shrugged. "Surely she can't be that special. I mean... you're young, handsome, and extremely strong. Surely you could have anyone. Why her?"

"Yeah I could. Hell, before I came here I had a lot of affection for women. The bad boy with a heart of gold. They just eat that up. But why Alexis? Honestly, she accepts me for me. She likes my flirting and teasing and so on. I guess I can let my guard down around her."

Jake nodded. "Care for some words of advice, Luke?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I'm not used to this relationship stuff, so I'll take what I can get."

Jack swirl the ice in his cup. "Well, first and foremost, be honest. If there are any secrets you have, make sure you let her know them. It might be hard, but it'll get out someday, so better now then later."

"Well that ship has sailed, thank god," Like said. "I all ready told Alexis my secrets."

"Oh? Well, good to know." Jake gave an approving nod. "Well, next I would suggest finding ways to increase your common interests. I know that is limited being on this ship. So how about... your psionics? The two of you could try working on mixing your powers or something."

"We could try that. It's been a while since I went all out with my powers. We could try that. Got anymore advice?"

"Try surprising her every now and then," Jack answered. "Everyone likes to be surprised. Surprise her with a small gift. Surprise her... with a quiet meal for two instead of going to the bar. Don't go crazy like showing up in the middle of a dangerous experiment, but be a little spontaneous."

"Um, that's a good idea. I can do a few things to surprise her. This is great advice. I'm not sure if you have any more, but do you?"

Jack shrugged. "I have a bit more. But let's focus on what I've told you for now. Remember that a relationship isn't just about finding happiness. Your job is to make Alex happy, just as her job is to make you happy." He smiled. "But from what she's said, you seem to do a good job of that."

"Yeah, for a walking talking weapon, I'm amazed I can make people happy. Hell, I figured people would ether be okay with me, or find me annoying, but at the end of the day, if she says I'm making her happy, that's great to hear. Aside from her calling me a pervert."

Jack laughed. "Well, from the way she talks sometimes, that can be the pot calling the kettle black." He lifted his watch. "Afraid I'm out of time. It is just about time for a certain someone's math lesson, and if I drink anymore, I'll be showing up drunk. But I'd like to try this again when I have more time."

"Really? Okay then," Luke said. "Thanks for the advice Jack. I really appreciate it."

"See you around." Jack pat Luke's shoulder and headed out.

After Jack left, Luke thought for a moment. "Surprise her. Well I've never been the romantic type or one to plan too far ahead. Hmm... well, let's see what I can come up with." Luke went back to the bar, cleaning the glasses that Jack drank from.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

“Motherly Advice”

One Week Ago

In a secluded facility located in the Outback, behind sheltered walls keeping the heat out, under soothing white lights with a tinge of blue sat an Elder and her pupil like a parent with her child. The saintly teacher rested on a throne with a saucer-shaped seat, and leaned back into a tall, thin cushion. Her disciple was gently suspended in her superior’s lap, the weight of the human’s armor being compensated for by an effortless exertion of otherworldly energy that the Ethereal wielded with a single ebon hand. With the other three appendages, the Australian Overseer Cordiam assisted in the removal of her subordinate’s defensive plating, delicately peeling off pieces of Major Nigella Blukersey’s body armor and bidding them to float to the side. The helmet came free last.

As Cordiam cupped either side of the sloped helm and pulled it upwards, medium-length hair slowly spilled downwards. The straight-cut locks were dyed an unnatural color by the inclusion of alien DNA. They were tinted a foreboding an electric dark blue that stood in stark contrast to its original black, and presently bore bright blue fractures or fissures at sporadic points along each strand. Similar marks currently marred the Inuit woman’s skin, which was a significantly darker gray than that of a typical ADVENT soldier. The Major’s navy blue irises reflected a tension in Nigella that was not lost on her caretaker. Cordiam rotated Nigella so they were facing one another, and the latter immediately, stiffly, humbly cast her gaze downwards, unwilling to casually observe the intricately-decorated silver mask of her god. The action earned a soft laugh from Cordiam, who addressed Nigella dotingly.

“Lift your head, child,” Cordiam beckoned her. The Ethereal placed a hand under Nigella’s chin, lifting up the hybrid’s head to encourage the act. The alien’s flesh was cool and soft, a development that one Isaac Anderson had been executed for discovering. “You need not humble yourself in my presence, dear Nigella.”

“My apologies,” Nigella replied submissively, complying with the command. She met Cordiam’s gaze, discernable by a faint glow from the Elder’s mask that shined through the stained glass that comprised one of several elements making up the article of clothing. The tension that was evident in the Major, however, did not fade.

“Tell me what is bothering you, my dear,” Cordiam instructed softly. The empath ran her fingers through the hybrid soldier’s hair and a soothing wave passed through the target of the mental pacification. The tightened muscles of the Inuit woman unwound themselves substantially. Calmed, Nigella answered the question as best she could.

“The incident occurred on the tenth of September. I was evaluating the combat readiness of a mobile unit to assess if it would be sufficient to deploy against the terrorists in Chile. I interviewed the Lieutenant in charge of that group, and decided to test his psionic abilities in a simulated battle. While I was utilizing my Chronosight for the activity, I experienced a phenomenon I cannot yet understand. For a split second, all of the possible futures vanished, negated by a force beyond my comprehension. I was hit by a splitting headache for a few moments, and then my opponent and I were in different positions than where we had been no more than a second before. He approached me with concern, and I quickly confirmed that he had nothing to do with the anomaly.”

Blukersey looked up at her master, concern replacing the tension that had been swelling in her features before. “It is my hope that you could gleam the meaning of these strange events from my account. I fear they might have implications exceeding anything I could hypothesize.”

“You would not be incorrect,” the silver-robed Ethereal noted with a sagely nod. “I experienced something similar to the oddity you just described on the same date. However, my knowledge of the mechanisms of the universal clock enabled me to interpret that which occurred with heightened accuracy.” A slightly grim edge entered Cordiam’s otherwise elegant tone. “Time was erased, and probability reset,” she stated simply.

“How can that be possible?” Nigella cried out in shock. “If such an event occurred, that would mean…”

“…an enemy possesses the ability to manipulate time itself, yes,” Cordiam replied. “I have an idea of whom.”

“It coincided with the raid on the Luxumba,” Nigella registered. “XCOM.”

“Indeed. To be precise, their Commander. At the pinnacle of the attack,” Cordiam began to recount, “Atka Ipiktok and her squad had engaged a Latticer. I experienced the climax of that battle twice.”

Nigella’s eyes widened. “I-I do not understand…” she conceded, though the somber way in which Cordiam spoke terrified her.

The Elder ran a hand gently through Nigella’s hair. “I apologize if I am concerning you, dear Nigella. There is nothing to worry about… simply allow me to explain what has occurred so we can develop means of combating this new power of Ipiktok’s.”

The Major slowly nodded, taking a deep breath and regaining her composure. “Of course.”

Going on, Cordiam continued, “In the first instance, many of Ipiktok’s allies – including her own daughter – were slain by the disciple. Then, those icy helixes of hers shaped into something else entirely. They became a fully-fledged Reflection, which – for all intents and purposes – appears to have rewinded time. The reset was not perfect, however. Despite having knowledge of the Latticer’s abilities and tactics, Ipiktok was unable to save one of her allies due to the disciple making a different set of choices.”

“I can understand that she used Chronokinesis to turn time backwards,” Nigella prefaced, “but why did the fight take a different course?”

“Time alteration often causes ripples… do you remember what I told you about what humanity calls the Butterfly Effect?” Cordiam questioned.

“Even the smallest change has a large impact,” Blukersey recalled.

“That is true for time travel,” the Ethereal responded with an approving nod. “There are other timelines than this one, my dear. There are realities where humanity lost, and went so far as to alter history itself to give themselves a fighting chance. In one, they reset time to the very beginning… and in another, they sent a warning backwards to prevent the destruction of their base. The latter situation was abetted by that timeline’s version of the former Overseer of Antarctica… which may have factored into my Laʒir’s decision to remove her from the equation.” Realizing she had gotten lost in her musings, Cordiam returned to the matter at hand. “In the case of Ipiktok, her Chronokinetic Reset appears to send ripples that affect probability surrounding the point in which she returned herself to.”

“So it is not perfect,” Nigella noted, rubbing her forehead and thinking to herself. “She cannot rely on it, but will have to treat it more like a last resort.”

“Exactly,” Cordiam congratulated. “While it was inconvenient for the attempt to reclaim the Luxumba, this new ability of hers does not inconvenience us as much as you might initially worry. And I will be working on ways to counter it outright, though that will take time and timing.”

“I understand.” Blukersey bowed her head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You have helped me think, my dear,” Cordiam replied gratefully, leaning down to kiss Nigella’s forehead. “Though if you wish to offer further assistance, continue to train with your Chronosight. Improve it so that if you are to face Ipiktok again, you can react properly to her use of that power and perhaps retain your sensibilities instead of being disabled by it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, do not use your Chronosight when you see that Reflection of hers around. And… who knows, perhaps you can improve your own icy helixes into something more, given time.”

Nigella nodded. “I will… do my best.”

“You have a question,” Cordiam analyzed.

“It is not my place to ask.”

“Please, do.”

Nigella took a deep breath, and timidly asked, “why do I have a Reflection weapon identical to hers?”

“It is likely related to genetics,” Cordiam responded calmly – not telling a complete lie. “You are both from the same subgroup of humans, which seem to be psionically inclined as a general rule. It is possible that you’re also inclined to develop similar thoughtforms. It is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The Major exhaled with relief. “That is good to hear. Thank you for listening to my concerns.”

“It was my pleasure,” the Ethereal replied truthfully. “If you wish to leave, you are dismissed.”

“I… would like to remain with you for awhile longer, if that is acceptable,” Nigella spoke sheepishly.

The Overseer of Australia merely smiled, and embraced the human that was like a daughter to her, accepting that request for a few more minutes.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

The Alps
Matterhorn Megacity
Protectorate Facility

Subject SNY-101-2 watched as a convoy of supplies quickly made their way across a dirt road in West Africa. The image was center in front of her massive computer screen, along with combat reports, supplies lists, SHIV status, and weather conditions in screens surrounding it.

"Deploying interception force," the girl droned robotically. The images in front of her shifted to the screens to the left and the right, while the center screen showed the HUDs of four ADVENT SHIVs. The fight was barely a fight. This wasn't XCOM. This wasn't the Chilean Liberation Front or the United Japanese Armada. This was just a small convoy belonging to a small resistance in West Africa that could barely hold their own against a small ADVENT deployment equipped with the simplest of weapons. Against SHIVs controlled by a living computer and equipped with plasma weaponry...

The HUDs closed as the SHIVs automated systems brought them back to their base, and the original displays want back in the main screen. Combat potential: 0. Estimated supplies intact: negligible. SHIV status: minimal repairs needed. Weather: bright and sunny, with only a 2% chance of rain.

As for the center image, Sunny stared at the smoldering wrecks of the convoy vehicles. From how far up the image was, she could just make out the bodies, but she got an eye full of that during the fight.

The images minimized, and the screen flashed green, telling SNY-101-2 it was time to return to her room for the day. She was one of the only beings on the planet that became more tense at the prospect of not working, for as her connection to her computer was slowly severed, she knew she would have to leave the ease and stability of her digital world for the cold, harsh, painful existence that was reality.

{It comes for her, ever watching, ever scheming, ever... hungry. It will happen. The crows will have their feast tonight.}

Like clockwork, her current personal caretaker, a young human man named Julian Randolf, stepped into the room exactly five minutes after her work time ended, just as her connection was fully severed. "Ready to head back, Sonya? I bet you're famished."

{They circle! They circle! Ready scavengers, pick the bones clean! Upon its brow it burns, the symbol of the shadowed one. It will be the end...}

SNY-101-2 slipped out of her chair, slowly walking over. She avoided looking at the man's face, simply staring down at her bare feet. "I-I... I d-do not nnnnneed to eat if... if it is not necessary."

"If course it is necessary, Sonya. Come on. I had something special made for you." Dr. Randolf took her hand, and the pair slowly walked down the pristinely clean halls towards the teen's room. Randolf made sure to let SNY-101-2 set the pace, her legs a lot shorter and weaker than his.

SNY-101-2 jumped at the sound of squealing coming from the corridor they passed on the right. Her eyes momentarily registered pink flesh disappearing around the corner on the other end. {Too much pepper. The Duchess, her child flees.} "Pig..."

Julian looked down. "I beg your pardon."

SNY-101-2 pointed back towards the hall they passed. "O-one of the mmmmaster's pigs must ha-ave escaped, doctor."

"Don't be silly, Sonya. We don't have any... pigs here..." Dr. Randolf frowned, and picked her up, walking faster towards the room. "Sonya, you promised."

{The duplicity is exposed to the eyes of the Elder Ones! Fly! It must take flight to escape its thousand gaping maws!}

SNY-101-2 looked away. "I-I... I-I don't... wwwwhat did I d-do?"

Walking into the teen's small room, Julian gently placed SNY-101-2 on her bed. He didn't look so much angry as disappointed. He fished a small discarded paper cup from the bin next to the girl's bed, uncrumpling it to find three pills within. He sighed and cupped her hands. "You said I can trust you, Sonya. Now why wouldn't you take these pills? I know how much you suffer without them."

"B-b-but... I-I can't d-do mmmmy job!" SNY-101-2's lip quivered, her eyes watering. "I-It slows me down! I-I don't w-want to get i-in trouble!"

"You won't get in trouble, Sonya." Julian tried wiping away her tears before they fell. "But the voices... how can you ever be happy if you always have to..."

"I'm not supposed t-to be happy!" SNY-101-2 exclaimed. "I'm bad! I-I hurt people! I'm an evil person! Evil people don't deserve t-t-to be happy!"

{Death awaits us at the end of the trail. It beckons you; step through the mirror. Only there will the sins of the wicked be forgiven.}

Dr. Randolf wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Stop, Sonya. You're not evil, you hear me? What... w-what you do is... for the good of... of the Elders." He tried to hide the hesitation in his voice. "You only feel that way because you need your medicine. Please..." He released her and gently placed the pills in her hand. "For me."

SNY-101-2 stared down at them for the longest time, but final put them in her mouth. She was handed a cup of water to drink, and opened her mouth to show she had swallowed the pills. This made Julian smile, and he pulled over a small table with a bowl and spoon. The contents of the bowl did not look like the usual nutritional supplements she was used to eating. "What is it?"

"Minestrone soup," the doctor told her, taking a seat next to her. "My mother's recipe. I just hope I did it justice."

{Toxicant. Deceptions. The serpent awaits the mouse to wonder close... unsuspecting...}

After a moment's hesitation, SNY-101-2 nervously picked up the spoon and brought it to her lips. She sipped, and she gave Dr. Randolf something rare indeed; a genuine smile.

{Sweetest dew of the morning. The fawn, it drinks, undisturbed... unperturbed...}

 

[MarineAvenger]

The Abyss Walker

Megacity of Chicago, ADVENT Tower
September 23rd, 2038
2310 Hours

Atop the ADVENT tower on Chicago, Desmond looked out over the city of Chicago, at the twinkling lights down below. His arm rested against the shatterproof glass of his apartment, closing his eyes as he slowly opened himself to his psionic power. He let it flood into him, not channeling it into anything tangible but merely let it linger. He felt his senses heightened, and he felt a slight elation at the drawing of it. The sense enhancement was something he found to be a bi-product of prolonged psionic use, and he properly controlled it so he could gain it from the tiny most sliver of energy.

When he looked at himself in the glass instead of the city, he found his red irises glowing faintly, and a dark face looked back him. The Colonel’s face. His own face. Sometimes Desmond didn’t believe that though. Much changed since he was an X-COM soldier, even before then. Nigella was gone for now, so it allowed him time to reflect without her eye over his shoulder.

Despite his assurances to the Elders and to his underlings, deep down Desmond fought a battle between the right and wrong. Tetered on the edges of whether he was truly where he wished to be. He knew the true answer. A face who haunts his dreams and nightmares alike with her beauty and resemblance of her mother. The man dreaded thoughts of his daughter as they filled him with nothing but deep regret and longing. To be a father to his child was a natural call to him and it was one that ached him to fulfill but he had chosen his road already.

Time and time again he turned his hatred to his lover, and the woman he had wished to marry back in the day. It was not a guaranteed thing though whether his emotions wished to comply. There were times of anger, times of sadness. Times of loathing and of extreme longing of another facet. Desmond knew all too well there would be no acceptance from anyone though. Not from his daughter, and certainly not from his past lover.

His fist banged against the glass and the psionic energy inside him boiled, roared to life as it poured out of him, collecting into his hand in which he proceeded to turn and launch at the wall. However the ball of fire was stopped in midair, floating there. It slowly depleted into nothingness and there, across the room, stood a figure which gave Desmond extreme pause.

There was a full-sized Ethereal there, the sight of the Elder causing Desmond to dispel all the energy he had and quickly drop to his knee. He dared look up, and noticed it was an Elder of which the likes Desmond had not seen before. His helmet was a dark black, with a long protruding nose that looked like the top of a dragon head. However the mask was not complete, and merely was only the top piece, the rest of it being a dark blue fabric that made it more of a cowl then a full face mask, though none of the Elder’s face underneath was seen. Its robes were a deep, rich blue color with works of silver designed into it to pattern almost to mimic flames. Additionally, there was a shawl of blue around its shoulders that hung more off the right side. There was a regal elegance with a deadly edge towards it. It was not standing on its feet, but did not hover high.

“Hello Walker.” The Elder spoke in a muffled, electronic voice that crackled like sparks would, obviously not real but it sounded organic in a certain way. “It is about time we have finally met after so long.”

Desmond looked for confirmation to stand and received none during the silence, but sense he should stand anyways and did. “You know me?”

“A stupid question to ask. A soldier of ADVENT and a high one at that. All of us know about you.” The strange Elder answer, now known to be male by the tone. Not a pleasant one either.

“But of me personally apparently considering you’ve come in person instead of merely invading my mind.” The Colonel answered with as much of a steady tone of possible, not sure how to gauge the situation or to approach it properly.

There was a drawn out half scoff, half sigh from the Elder, shaking his head slightly. “Leave the mind games to Cordiam. I have no need of such things when being here in flesh is much more effective. Speaking of which, she will know none of this. I have altered things in a way everything appears normal. It will be as if I was never here. She is crafty, but not unpredictable. Her greatest downfall in my own opinion.”

“The opinion of whom may I ask?” Desmond pressed, seeing it as an opportunity to get the question out.

The Ethereal did not respond at first, gauging the human before him for a small while. “The name is long and would bog you down. A simple way to say it is Avyssos. A-vee-soss. Simple enough for you? I do hate it when lessers cannot pronounce it correctly.”

“Avyssos. It is not that hard a name. But unfortunately not one I was made aware of at all.” Desmond answered in kind, moving to the side and taking a seat in the armchair that was facing in the direction of the alien.

The Ethereal’s ‘gaze’ followed Desmond and he retorted with, “You would not have been. Avyssos is my real name, but I go by a fake one. The name Skia.”

“Sounds very feminine. Why that name in particular?” He asked rather forwardly and immediately wished he did not.

There was an oppressive amount of power being drawn that was half directed at Desmond before it was stopped and the Elder calmed down merely a smidgen, looking away with a disgusted ‘spit’. “It is meant to be. In my role of Overseer I pose as someone now… indisposed. A lover who I unfortunately had to incapacitate because I took a different path then her. Her position gives me access to things I would not have before. An inside for my plans.”

“How do you manage to pull that off if I may ask?” The Colonel asked, his throat dry like sandpaper.

Another questioning period of silence before a chuckle. “You are too smart to go to Cordiam. I suspect rightly so anyways. Puppetry. You have seen the method before done with the lessers. A form of mind control that gives me complete power of her when she is in her incapable state. I can even enter her body need be, while my body stays behind somewhere secure. It is quite the trick.”

“I imagine so. But now this just begs the question… why the hell are you here talking to me about this?” Desmond demanded in an annoyed tone he shouldn’t have taken, but it was too late for him to take it back.

 

[MarineAvenger]

However there was only amusement from the Elder. “So they have not broken you yet. Good. I was hoping so. I am here to arrange a deal with you Walker. Help me with my plans, and down the road I may help you in unforeseen ways. You do not truly have a master yet to guide you. I do not believe that woman has put her claws into you just right. She has that pet of hers, but not you.”

“You are talking about Nouja?” Desmond took the obvious guess.

“Odd you use her real name. Yes. The one you know as Nouja. I doubt she will be salvageable with Cordiam’s hand so far into her mind. Yet you are different. Free will still lingers, and it yearns to be used. So wait my command young Walker. Await it, and when I beckon, follow. I will keep that witch from controlling you truly.” Avyssos assured the human, pulling his fore arms out and crossing them.

Desmond looked at the Ethereal a few moments, taking in the offer as best he could, his hands tightening on the arms of the chair. “I do not… completely understand. Why me out of everyone else?”

Amusement left Avyssos and there was a dark shadow that overtook him, getting closer to Desmond. “When you look into the abyss long enough, the abyss begins to stare back. I am what stares back Walker. I have gazed into those turmoiled thoughts and see something that can be properly honed by my hand alone. Take my offer or leave it. If you do not join in this covenant then I can merely make you forget this whole meeting happened and wait until a time that you do find it agreeable. One way or another I will have you.”

“Don’t leave me much choice here, do you?” The ADVENT leader asked warily.

“Too much choice is too complicated. Do you agree, or no?” Avyssos said in ultimatum, moving ever so closer.

It took only a few moments thought. “Alright. I’ll do it. I’ll join whatever plan this is. I see no alternative. Besides, it is either the known path to ruin or the unknown path to something that may be greater.”

“Words fit for my own mouth to utter. I am glad to see you have finally decided to put that uncertainty into something real.” The Ethereal chuckled and held out a hand where a slim, vertical mass formed of psionic energy in which was handed towards the man. “Take this. My gift to you. It will keep Cordiam’s influence out of your head, even if she believes it is still there. And will unlock something I see needs a little push to come out if you are to survive to be useful. When the time comes you will know how to use it.”

Desmond place his hand over the energy slowly and it leapt up into the man’s palm, causing him to jerk back in pain, letting out a yell of agony as his arm shook and he fell to his knees, clutching his wrist and he leaned forward, shaking as his pain continued.

“Everything worth getting comes with a price. I hope to see you again soon Walker.” The Elder said, turning and opening up a Rift he stepped through, the portal disappearing behind him almost instantly.

Desmond was left in pain for several more grueling minutes, clutching his wrist as he fell to the side lying on his back. The pain in the rest of his body subsided but there was still a small lingering pain in his left hand, which he raised to look at.

There was a black mark in his palm with tendrils going out in all directions like new veins, making reality hit Desmond if the weight of what he did was. He was going against Cordiam herself in an attempt at something even he did not know what it might be. He did however know staying the current course was not right, and that eventually, he would have sunk deeper into being a puppet. “Your move now…” He whispered, though whether to Avyssos or Cordiam was a fact remaining to be seen.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

ZombieSplitter53 and DarkGemini24601: “Growing Pains” - Part 1

Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica
1639 Hours, September 22nd, 2038
Onboard the Avenger
Floor 4, Port Wing
Gymnasium B

“So how often do you have to do that anyway?” Alexis huffed out, wiping the sweat pouring down her face and stinging her eyes. She was running on the treadmill far faster than she should have been, constantly using her biokinesis to keep her legs from giving out. If nothing else, doing this while carrying on a conversation proved she had mastered the art of multitasking.

“Well, iiiiit depends,” Ayame struggled to say, pushing up on the leg press. “It varies depending on how much I have, how I use it, and what I use it on. I can go through an entire pool of essence at once, like I did to stop myself from bleeding out when I lost my arm. Otherwise, well... I once tested myself, and went two weeks before I, uh… had to get some…”

Alexis gave her a curious look. “You hesitated there? What, you go crazy from hun… ger…” Noting Ayame’s expression, she cleared her throat and said, “Uh, never mind. Um… so, do you always get energy from Yakone… that way?”

Ayame smiled. “No. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, or risk spreading rumors.”

Alex narrowed her eyes. “I hope that extends to me. If my boyfriend found out you… ‘getting my essence’ with your tongue…”

Ayame laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m good at keeping a secret.”

“What, are you actually letting her do that way?” a voice familiar to the two questioned. At a glance, it originated from Yakone, who stood between and behind the two treadmills - her arms crossed.

“Yakone! I…” Alexis missed a step, and stumbled backwards off the treadmill, just barely able to keep from crashing to the ground. “I-it isn’t… we were talking about… something… ice cream? I don’t know. But not… whatever you’re thinking right now.”

The Ranger chuckled, shaking her head. “Suuuure… I’m totally that gullible, I’ll just drop this without a second thought,” the Inuit-Caucasian remarked with acidic sarcasm.

“It was a one time thing,” Ayame said casually, glancing over. “I needed the energy, and the person who promised to help me dropped off the map, you see?”

“Ayame…” Alexis folded her arms. “Back off. Yakone… deserves to take as much time as she wants. Are you… okay, Yakone? I haven’t really talked to you in well over a week.”

“I’m… fine,” Yakone responded briefly - and with as little conviction as possible. “As much as I’d love to press you about your makeout sessions with Ayame…” she began.

“I-I was not making out!” Alex decried a bit too loudly. “I was just exchanging the kissy thing for some… information…”

“You know that makes it sound worse, right?” Ayame asked with a grin.

“Shut it!” Alex snapped.

“Friends with benefits, got it,” Yakone playfully remarked. “Regardless of your…” the young woman paused, unsure of what to call it. It’s not an extramarital affair if they’re not married; damn, I might need to invent a new word. “...whatever you want to call that, I’m here for reasons other than screwing with you. I’m looking to spar, if you two are interested.”

“Really?” Alex smiled, happy to hear her friend looking for interaction again. “Yeah, I’m up for it.”

“Same here.” Ayame slipped off the exercise machine. “I was getting bored anyway, and I wouldn’t mind a little girl on girl action.” Alex slapped her in the back of the head. “Worth it.”

“You know, you and Luke toss accusations of perversion between each other, but I think Ayame reigns queen in the lechery department,” Yakone declared. The Ranger cracked her neck, and then gestured to the side. “Feel free to get pads after you’ve gotten a chance to cool off from your run, you two. As always, I won’t need any. Psionic use is perfectly alright in this session… I want to see what I can do against that new shield of yours, Alexis.”

“Sounds good to me,” Alex said, going to get the pads. “You might regret that.”

Alexis followed her, grabbing a violet set that matched her hair. “How’d she know about my shields?”

“Who knows?” Ayame went with black. “Maybe she heard it on the grapevine.”

“I guess… though I’d think being secluded so much… hmm…” Alexis was the first to return to Yakone, stretching her arms a bit. “So, uh… heard about my new power, huh? Pretty cool, huh?”

“I saw it in action. You dealt well with that…” Yakone narrowed her eyes. Goddamn the aliens have some absurd species in their ranks. “...ice-snake on Sinister Savior. You did all-around well on that mission, to be honest.”

“Yeah? Well… thanks, Yakone. That means a lot to me.” Alex walked over to the room’s square circle and climbed in. “So, want me to go first? You’ll probably beat me as usual, but I might surprise you. I’ve been pushing myself pretty hard lately.”

Yakone waved her fingers towards herself. “Show me what you’ve got, then. I’ll spar against you, then Ayame… and if I kick both of your asses, I’ll take you both on at once,” she boldly informed the pair.

“Confident.” Ayame folded her arms a smiled smugly. “I like that in a victim.”

Alexis bounced between her feet a bit, a swirl of air briefly forming around her as she took a deep breath, and she charged, throwing a left hook towards Yakone’s chin. An emerald-colored hue surrounded Yakone, and there was a faint, focused crackling sound as she lifted an arm to block Alexis’s strike - taking the punch head-on thanks to her Overdrive.

“Tch…” Alexis swung her leg into a leg sweep. “Block this!”

Yakone smirked cockily, and her reflexes were more than enough to block the strike with one of her own legs - the Ranger barely having to move to do so. “Can you hit harder than that, or is this all you’ve got, Alex? Surely you haven’t weakened since we last did this,” Yakone taunted.

Alexis glared up at her, rising to her feet and cracking her knuckles. “You want to play it that way… fine.” She quickly jumped up, forming a shield around her legs as she drop kicked her best friend.

Yakone winced from the impact - feeling the solid psionic projection through her imbued layer of skin. She stumbled forward, and resolved to strengthen her defenses when she was back on her feet - a state she returned to by utilizing her physical enhancement in a burst connected to her hands. When they touched the ground, she caught her whole weight, and did a backflip, ending up on her feet again. While her imbuing quickly compensated to be stronger, it took the young woman a second or two to regain her balance, which unfortunately opened her up to further attacks from Alexis.

Alexis rushed to Yakone’s side and grabbed her arm. “If I can’t beat you with my strength…”She pulled Yakone’s arm over her shoulder, using the leverage to pull Yakone off her feet and slam her onto her back. “...I’ll use your own strength against you!”

The wind departed from Yakone’s lungs, liberated from her body by the impact. She stayed down for a moment, and then kicked the ground hard with the balls of her feet. The force was assisted by another flash of blue, and was healed from any damage dealt by her biokinesis. The move launched Yakone back into a standing position, and allowed her to take a rapid swing at Alexis’ gut. Alexis was caught off guard, only able to throw up a weak shield from instinct that only softened the blow. She stumbled back a few feet, taking a defensive stance as she attempted to heal herself.

Yakone coughed as she took several breaths, recovering her energy before going on the attack again. “Alright… might have underestimated you just a tad. Won’t happen again.” An aqua-colored flare surrounded Yakone’s legs, and she surged forward at Alexis with monstrous speed. As the Aerotrooper started to formulate a response, the burning energy shifted to Yakone’s arms, and she delivered a set of powerful punches from a distance - able to stay out of reach of strong attacks from Alexis, while delivering taps that could floor the violet-haired woman if they were allowed to connect.

Alexis yelped and through up her arms, and Yakone’s attacks connected with another hastily thrown up shield. It didn’t last long, and try as she might, Alex couldn’t use her energy as fast as Yakone, and the punches soon broke through, dropping Alexis to the ground hard. “Ow…”

Yakone assumed a combat stance with her fists aimed downwards at Alexis. “You concede? I’m not letting my guard down ‘till I get an answer. Ayame tried that with me once, and I’m not about to let you start,” she warned with an amused grin, having already taken satisfaction with this round as a victory despite her words and actions.

Alexis coughed, not able to form sentences at first. “I… think you bruised… my soul…” She gave a weak smile. “Just give me a… couple of months to develop this new power. Then I’ll… totally come a tiny bit closer to kicking your ass.”

Yakone laughed, and unclenched her fists, offering her friend a hand. As she helped Alexis up, the Inuit-Caucasian glanced at Ayame. “You’re next,” the Ranger noted.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

ZombieSplitter53 and DarkGemini24601: “Growing Pains” - Part 2

Ayame bent her neck to the side, giving off a loud crack as she climbed in the ring. “Don’t use up all your energy healing, Alex. Because I’m not holding back this time, and I don’t think Yakone will be in any position to give me anything. Not if she wants to move for the next week.”

“Someone’s confident despite having to suck my metaphorical teat just to stay alive,” Yakone responded, her reply biting in a manner that didn’t seem wholly lighthearted.

“I do so because it is through my good graces - and in order to stay in the good graces of your mother - that I don’t take what I need.” Ayame took a fighting stance. “Besides, don’t lie… you’re starting to enjoy it.”

“You’re full of yours-” Yakone started to accuse, but trailed off. With a shake of her head and a growl, the soldier redirected her focus to the battle. “Let’s just do this,” she muttered, rushing Ayame and sending a roundhouse kick the Asian woman’s way.

Ayame lifted her arm and caught Yakone’s leg with her bare hand, smiling. “You’re not the only one who can enhance their muscles. I just do it a little differently.” She pulled, and sent a punch towards Yakone’s chest.

Yakone’s left arm swung to the side as she batted away the punch, and replied with one of her own aimed at Ayame’s torso in general. Should have realized I was anticipating you catching my leg, bitch, the Inuit-Caucasian thought triumphantly.

“Hmph.” Ayame avoid the punch by bending backwards, catching herself with her hands and sending a foot up towards her chin. Too slow.

Yakone was hit hard by the strike - suffering more from the way her neck was strained as her head flung backwards than from the actual impact. The Ranger staggered back, letting out a string of expletives, and swung wildly at Ayame as the Phantom tried to press the advantage. Ayame dived forward, wrapping her arms around Yakone’s waist and tackling her to the ground. Before Yakone could recover, Ayame wrapped her arms and legs around Yakone’s left arm and chest, pulling her into a submission maneuver.

“Let me go!” Yakone protested, struggling against Ayame despite the fact that it was clear she had lost.

“I will,” Ayame said calmly, then pulled, putting incredible strain on Yakone’s arm and shoulder. “As soon as you say you give up. Trust me, I can make this hurt. Learned it from a professional wrestler.”

“I’d like to see you fucking try.”

Ayame sighed. “You know I could just drain your energy, right? I don’t actually want to hurt you, all out fight or not. I’m assuming the feeling is mutual.”

“Don’t be so sure… I’m no fan of liars,” Yakone grumbled.

Ayame stared down at her for a few moments blankly. Instead of tightening her grip, she suddenly loosened it enough for Yakone to slip out. The Ranger didn’t waste the opportunity to get to her feet, but did not resume the fight. Ayame slowly rose to her feet, and dusted her arm off, still giving Yakone a blank look. “I lied… to everyone here. Most of them understood why, and forgave me without me even apologizing to them. You, I actually did apologize to. But you’re still on that, huh?”

“I can understand why you would be wary of them, but did you really think I was going to get upset if you had just told me?” Yakone spoke quickly, not facing Ayame.

“It isn’t a matter of being upset or not. It is a matter of keeping up an image.” Ayame folded her arms. “Let me run a hypothetical by you. You’re sent out to spy on ADVENT. You get implanted, and make friends with this really cool girl that you enjoy spending time with, and who you hate lying to, and you’re pretty sure she wouldn’t tell on you if you told her the truth. Would you admit to her you are a spy?”

“Not the same situation, and there’s no way to spy on ADVENT like that anyway without getting caught instantly,” Yakone was swift to point out.

Ayame rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Not… the point. The point is, you wouldn’t, because even though you trust her, one person knowing could lead to everyone knowing. The same applied to me. You seem to be assuming that I had no problem lying to you. That I didn’t trust you. I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t take the risk. If it wasn’t for that, you would have been the first person I told.”

Yakone was silent, offering no response one way or the other.

Ayame scoffed, and jumped out of the ring. “Whatever. You think you’re the first friend to treat me like this? I’m over five hundred years old.” She walked out of the gym, calling back, “I’m an expert on people abandoning me…”

Alexis climbed in behind Yakone. “Yak, what are you doing? She said she was sorry. What else can she do besides go back in time and change things?”

“Nothing, I suppose,” Yakone replied derisively.

“So… what? You’re just going to turn your back on Ayame because she was scared and afraid to trust people?” Alex moved in front of her to look her in the eyes. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve always been stubborn, but this is a little much.”

“I don’t know what the big deal is…” Yakone mumbled.

“The big deal is Ayame is your friend and you are treating her like crap for a stupid reason!” Alex grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “What the hell is your problem?”

Yakone pushed Alexis away from herself. The Ranger’s whole body tensed up, and she exclaimed, “Goddammit! All I wanted… fuck, I don’t even know why I bothered with this,” she said helplessly. “I’m so…” Yakone slammed a fist into one of the poles holding up the ring, denting the top with the psionically-assisted blow. “Pathetic!” she managed, supremely frustrated - mostly with herself.

Alexis tensed up a bit, and slowly approached her friend. “You… you’re not pathetic, Yakone. You’re going through alot right now. Between learning about your aunt, and fighting with your mom, and… the people we lost…” She placed her hand on Yakone’s shoulder again, gently this time. “I understand you’re frustrated, and I want to help. But at times like these you need to lean on friends, not push them away.”

Yakone looked like she was about to say something, but then shut her mouth, and rubbed her forehead. No. Don’t let that be an excuse, she demanded of herself. “I… I should know better,” Yakone responded in an exasperated tone. “I… I wanted to see how I had improved, and I wanted to ask for advice from you two. I managed to screw all that up over some petty bullshit…”

Alex smiled. “Well, I can say that you have improved. I mean… I’ve worked my butt off, and I’d like to think I’m a lot stronger now, but our fight was more one sided than ever. And Ayame just got lucky with that submission hold, and knowing you, she’d probably never get the chance to try that again.”

“I could still stand to learn a new trick or two… ones I have will only take me so far. Override’s useless on a sturdy psion or something with mental defenses like that Muton ‘Elite’, I’ll wager,” Yakone complained, “and the rest of my abilities are largely defensive or utility. Wish I could do something more offensive.” She sighed. “That’s… not really important right now though. I… should probably track down Ayame, huh? Can’t get advice from you two if one of you is missing.”

“That’s true,” Alex agreed. “And maybe Ayame has seen someone, or something, with powers like yours, and can give you tips on how to be more offensive.”

“Maybe,” Yakone replied uncertainly.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

ZombieSplitter53 and DarkGemini24601: “Growing Pains” - Part 3

Onboard the Avenger
Level 2, Front Block
Intelligence Chambers

Joe's tired eyes glanced between the four different pages open on his computer. First appearance, first mission, promotions, known psionics. All the information he had gathered on Major Nigella Blukersey. All ready to be turned over to the Commander.

But there was a problem. "It isn't good enough!" Joe shouted in frustrated, slapping the papers off his desk in frustration and taking a tight grip of his hair. "I've found nothing that tells us exactly how she was changed. Nothing on where she could be found. No patterns to make capturing her easier! Damn it!"

He leaned back in his chair, his face pointed to the ceiling but his eyes closed. He reached for his thermos, and a quick shake made him sigh. "And I'm out of coffee. Fantastic..."

A minute passed uneventfully, and then a hand laid a steaming coffee cup on his desk. "You're going to single handedly annihilate our coffee bean supplies, you know," the Commander intoned.

Joe slowly opened his tired eyes and let them rest on Atka's face. "Cheaper then searching for energy drinks of the old world. What I wouldn't give to go back in time to tell myself to stash a thousand cans of Red Bull somewhere." He sipped the coffee. "Thanks. And... uh, sorry about the mess."

"My office isn't much better." Atka pulled up a chair. "I'd ask you how you've been holding up, but the answer seems to be 'not well'."

"I'm okay," Joe answered, subtly typing a few keys to bring up a background file up, hoping Atka hadn't seen what was previously on the screen. "Just tired. I'm more concerned with you. After the attack, you have been working non-stop."

"I have to. That's my job as much as it is yours... though you need a second in command like I do to pick up your slack. I'm biased, but I'd recommend Hollins," Atka offered, before sighing. "I... could use your advice for something."

Joe quickly placed the mug down, reaching to the side and pulling over a chair for Atka to sit in. "I'm all ears. As always."

Atka took a deep breath, and then began. "It's about Yakone. I'm not going to give her special treatment. I've taken two people off the active roster for insubordination. But at the same time, she's a valuable member of our team - even if I couldn't tell her that due to her damn ego - and her status isn't doing wonders for our relationship. I'm just not sure what to do."

"It is a difficult situation to be sure." Joe leaned forward. "I commend you for not trying to give her special treatment, but maybe she deserves a little bit of... creative disciplining. Because whether you want to treat it as such or not, as the your daughter, she is a special case."

"I hope you have some idea of what 'creative disciplining' might entail, because I certainly don't," Atka responded with a groan.

"Well, first of all, as much as you want to just treat her like a soldier working under you, you have to remember she is your daughter. Most other people would turn to a parent in this situation. She can't, or feels like she can't, because her mother is the one punishing her."

"I don't know how you would resolve that, though," Atka countered. "I am the highest-ranking officer on this ship, so anyone punishing her for misconduct would be under my command."

Joe let out a long sigh. "I don't envy you the position you're in," he admitted. "I feel, personally, that you should put her on the active roster again. She is one of the best soldiers we have, and as you said, we need her. I feel like it has been a big enough blow to her ego to be taken off it at all, let alone for this long."

"The problem is that she'll just let it go to her head," Atka replied uncertainly. "She hates weakness, if she feels like I'm caving to her..."

"You said this was hurting your relationship, right? Well, use this to turn that around." Joe scooted a bit closer in his chair. "Make sure she knows that you aren't caving, but rather you've decided that she has been disciplined enough. Make sure she knows if something like this happens again, she'll be taken out for longer, possibly for good." Joe smiled. "Then offer to help her. You both have your tempers, remember? You both have your short fuses. Offer to help her deal with it. Offer to put her back on the active soldier list of she'll try some of the things you do to deal with anger. As her Commander, it is your job to punish, but as her mother, it is your job to assist."

Atka was silent for a few moments, and then slowly cracked the smallest of smiles. "That just might work. Thanks, Joseph."

"And if it doesn't, you can just blame it on me." His eyes briefly darted to the computer. "It wouldn't be the first mistake I've made. And I'd be willing to work with you two until you found something that does work."

"I'm not going to throw you under the bus. She wouldn't believe me in the first place if I did." Atka pushed herself to a standing position. "I'll see you around. Don't work yourself too hard."

"No promises," He said with a laugh, watching her step out. He brought up the files he was working on, staring at a blurry image of Blukersey with a look of guilt before continuing his work with renewed vigor.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

ZombieSplitter53 and DarkGemini24601: “Growing Pains” - Part 4

Ayame sat silently at the very end of the bar, a cold drink in her hand, a look of defeat in her eyes. She looked lost in a sense, like the answers to her woes were somewhere at the bottom of her glass. They weren’t, but she still chugged half of it, making her way to the bottom just to be sure.

Yakone opened the door, and stepped in cautiously, but didn’t immediately approach Ayame, at a loss for words. Alexis placed a hand on her back, pushing ever so slightly. “Come on. I’ve never known you to be shy.”

“Guess not,” Yakone muttered with a sigh, stepping forward. “Hey,” she addressed Ayame neutrally.

Ayame jumped a bit, caught off guard. She quickly wiped her eyes and kept them turned away. “H… hey. Didn’t… expect to see you again any time soon…”

“Can’t imagine you did…” Yakone glanced to the side. “Look, I’m…” the Ranger coughed. “I’m sorry, Ayame.”

Ayame shrugged. “What about? Not like you did anything wrong. I’m the one who lied, remember?” She downed the rest of her drink. “I’m the one who was wrong. I’m… always the one who’s wrong…”

“I… overreacted to that,” Yakone responded at length.

Ayame didn’t respond at first. It looked almost like she couldn’t. She wiped her eyes again, and her voice actually cracked as she spoke. “I didn’t want to lie to you, okay? I… I don’t want to lie to anyone. You have no idea what it’s like to… to always be alone. No family. Friends always kept at arm’s length. Always planning to leave the people I’ve met at a moment’s notice. I… I actually like it here. And the more I came to like it, the harder the lying became. One of the best days here was… w-was the day you and Atka found out about me… and I didn’t have to lie to you anymore.”

Rather than try and form more words, Yakone shifted her strategy, instead wrapping her arms around Ayame. “I really am sorry,” she reiterated in a whisper.

Ayame sniffled, and returned the hug. “P-please… I promise… no more lies.”

“I promise I won’t be as much of a petty bitch as I have been,” Yakone muttered, her frustration mostly directed at herself now.

Ayame chuckled between sniffs. “But… sometimes your bitchy side is the most fun.”

“When it’s in good humor maybe…” Yakone conceded tiredly.

Ayame nodded, and held her a little tighter. Alexis walked over and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. “There. Friends again, just like we all should be. Just like we need to be to help each other through these tough times.”

“That goes doubly for family,” a fourth voice noted from the doorway.

Turning to face the speaker, Yakone’s features blanched. “...what do you want…?” she questioned with a tension in her voice directed at her mother.

“I want to speak with you civilly, if that’s possible,” Atka replied calmly.

As Yakone’s body tensed even more, Ayame whispered, “She doesn’t sound like she is here to fight. Maybe it would be in your best interest to hear her out.”

The Ranger slowly took in a deep breath, and nodded. “A-Alright.”

“First of all,” Atka began, placing her hands into her coat pockets rather than crossing them - trying to make herself less intimidating. “I want you to understand that I do not regret my decision to take you off the active roster. Your conduct was out of line, and a punishment was in order. However,” Atka held up a finger. “At a critical time like this, your strength is needed now more than ever. That is why I will be returning you to the active roster… with the understanding,” the Commander amended, “that I will not accept unreasonable behavior again.”

Yakone hung her head. “I…” She glanced back at her two fellow soldiers, who gave her encouraging looks. “I understand. It won’t happen again.”

“That said… I understand you’re going through a hard time. You can talk to me if you want, you know.” Seeing a lack of a strong response, Atka revised her approach. “Would you like to spar? I know that’s good stress relief for you.”

“You… sure you have the time for that?” Yakone questioned in disbelief. “You have a busy schedule and all…”

“I’m not just saying that to make you feel better,” Atka responded with a shake of her head. “I know it may not always seem like it… I know I can come off as a hardass. Believe me, I want so badly to dispel that image that so many people on this ship have of me.” Atka sighed. “It’s difficult though because it’s part of who I am. We are shaped by our personalities and our experiences… to change oneself despite one or both of those factors is hard, bitter work. I’m sure you understand that after your talk with Ayame.”

Yakone narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been listening?”

“Long enough to be proud of you for managing to apologize to her,” Atka replied with a reassuring smile. “I don’t recall you saying sorry to anyone besides Lily, and maybe Alexis once or twice.”

“You don’t have to rub it in…”

Atka raised an eyebrow. “You want to change that though, don’t you? Isn’t self-improvement what you’ve devoted the past ten days to?”

“How did you-”

“Like I’ve said, I do care about you, Yakone. I’ve been having a few people keep an eye on you to make sure you’re alright,” Atka stated with a frown. “But I see now that I should’ve just approached you directly, instead of being afraid of how you might react. We owe it to each other to be open, not slink away from the challenges of our relationship.”

Yakone rubbed her forehead, and let out an exasperated groan, before admitting, “Yeah… yeah we do.”

Atka’s features softened again, and she turned to walk out of the bar - confident that Yakone would follow. Still, she glanced back at the other two. “You two are welcome to come if you wish… I wouldn’t mind the company, and I doubt Yakone would either.”

Ayame and Alexis exchanged a nod. “If you don’t think we’ll be a third wheel,” Alex said.

“Of course we won’t!” Ayame laughed. “And I wouldn’t miss a chance to see these two face off for anything.”

“Who knows, maybe she can teach you how to not lose to everyone else in a fight,” Yakone snipped playfully at Alexis, slowly cracking a smile.

Alexis pouted a bit. “Oh, I can’t wait to see her kick your smug butt.”

 

[Taxor_the_First]

DarkGemini24601 and Taxor_the_First: “Sentiment, Part 1”

Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica
1821 Hours, Hours, September 23rd, 2038
Onboard the Avenger
Level 2, Rear Block
The Bar


One of the lights in the bar was malfunctioning. It flickered inconsistently, incessantly, irritably. The bulb itself was not damaged, and the tungsten had only been in use for two months. Rather, it was the wiring that could not be seen that was frayed, and under too much stress. Perhaps it needed to be replaced, or perhaps repairs would suffice. At the present, however, no one was there to make that determination other than the assistant mechanic Stacie Belle - though she was not in the mood to take care of it.

With a sugar spoon in hand, the Texan Gunslinger idly swished the ice cubes in her glass of tea. There was no point to it, really. The sodium had long since dissolved in the water, and sweetened the drink. Rather, the continuous swirling motion was a distraction from a more pressing issue - or at least, she wished it would suffice as one. Unfortunately for Stacie, the flickering light cast the occasional reflection off the metallic chip that was on the table in front of her. It was her PCS implant, a device that she had removed roughly two weeks ago. In that time, Merlux had been left to his own devices aside from the occasional conversation with an Ambusher that was too nice for her own good.

Olivia. The thought of one of her best friends brought a sigh of depression from Stacie’s lips, rather than a lighthearted smile. ‘Thunderbird’ had most certainly not been hovering above the clouds lately. It was perhaps hardest for her to recover from Christine’s death. While the others had not simply moved on in the past two weeks, they had gone through the motions of life and tried to keep from breaking down. Olivia, on the other hand, bore with her a constant reminder of the woman from Washington State in the Reflection ‘Pavise’. Olivia seemed to bear the burden of the death personally, as if she had let Christine down somehow.

She’s too nice for her own good, Stacie thought again with another sigh. It was no one’s fault. Just a shitty situation. I wish she could move on. Stacie had, hadn’t she? Glancing again at the PCS where her A.I. partner was currently trapped, the Gunslinger wasn’t so sure. Am I blaming him? Stacie realized with a disturbed expression forming. No, no, he needs to learn not to be so callous. I’m not going to buy the excuse that he can’t help it, can’t suppress that sick reaction to the pain of others, the Texan tried to reassure herself. It didn’t really work. Thus, she continued to sin the liquid in her glass of iced tea as the light above continued to blink irregularly.

“Oh, that’s handy,” said a voice from behind her. “I was looking for you so we could come here, but you’re a step ahead.” Samuel came into view, his face holding a cheerful expression until he noted her more concerned one. “You alright?”

“Well, I was supposed to be having a drink with my squadmates, but they all backed out of it,” Stacie responded dourly. “So here I sit, drinking alone.”

“The hell for? Is there a party or something I’ve forgotten about?” He glanced at the seat opposite her. “You, uh… if you want, I could fill in for them. Unless you’d prefer to be alone…?”

Stacie shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter to me. Do what you want to.” She shook her head. “And no, Olivia’s not feeling up to it, Adam’s taken to locking himself up in a room brooding or something, Heinrich is working, Maxwell is taking care of his kids, and Christoffer is trying to relax elsewhere - probably worn out from trying to keep everyone else in the squad from going nuts.”

“And you?” Samuel asked, seating himself. “You’re not your usual self.”

“Yeah, and there’s plenty of reasons for that. A not-minor one is that I’m low on cigarettes, and the rationing has begun,” Stacie muttered dryly.

The Russian chuckled. “Some might call that a good thing.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Chandra is really damn pleased by that fact,” Stacie remarked with a sigh. “Lucky her.”

“Might be we pick some up when we get another opportunity for a supply raid,” Samuel said, shrugging. “Assuming we raid a luxuries convoy, that is. Might be due for one of those. We can’t be that high in stock of stuff like that. Certainly not alcohol, with the amount Bonnie goes through alone.”

“Thankfully plenty of shanties just brew their own, so we can restock without having to resort to petty theft from ADVENT,” Stacie stated. “Thank God for small miracles at least.”

Another shrug. “We resort to petty theft from ADVENT all the time,” the Russian pointed out. “In the end, there’s no real difference between stealing booze and stealing alloys - both makes us thieves. Not that we generally care much for the law...”

“Well, the rule of law is derived from the consent of the people… and in this case half of the world doesn’t consent to ADVENT’s rule. The ones that do, well, to be perfectly fair…” Stacie took a sip of her tea, and then clanked the glass back down on the table. “They’re wrong,” she bluntly declared.

“Heh. Nothing wrong with a bit of order… provided the ones enforcing said order aren’t likely to steal you away, stuff you in a tube to do god knows what to you.” Samuel glanced to the side. “Assholes. Still, that can’t be the only thing bothering you. That’s the face of someone re-evaluating their life, not cursing the fact that they’ll soon run out of smokes.”

“Well, I’m worried about my friends, for starters. And…” Stacie rapped her digits on the table in frustration. “As much as I’d like to just ignore his very existence, I suppose you ought to know that the other side of this. I don’t know what to do about him.” She gestured with her left hand at the PCS lying on the table.

The Russian raised an eyebrow. “Is that… you’ve kept him out for that long?” Remind me never to piss you off. “I know I said he probably deserved it before, but have you given him the chance to apologize?” Stacie’s silence provided an unwitting answer to that question. “Ah. I see.”

“...do you think I’m being unreasonable?” Stacie questioned, her neutral expression making it hard to tell if it was an inquiry meant to be answered honestly - or if she wanted to hear one answer and one answer only.

Samuel considered his response carefully. “Not given what Merlux did,” he decided, leaning backwards in his chair. “Or rather, when he did it. And you’re trying to figure out what to do with him next. Sounds fairly reasonable to me.”

Stacie let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, good to hear.” The Gunslinger picked up the PCS, flipping it in her hand. “If only I actually knew what to do with the bastard…”

“Do you think you can forgive him?”

“Given time, I guess I could.” It… has been two weeks. “And I do need him for combat purposes.”

“Well that’s the thing, isn’t it?” The Russian smirked. “You have two, maybe three options. You forgive him, and whether or not he improves you keep working together. If you can’t do that, maybe you shouldn’t be working with him anymore.” A shrug. “I can’t really offer more advice than that, other than to say that Arthur and his AI don’t always quite get along, but the both of them know that. Maybe just being more aware of each other’s emotional limits might make it easier for the two of you to work together.”

“Maybe…” Stacie let out a groan. “Might as well talk to the little asshole.” She tapped a button that had been installed into the PCS, and the holographic projection of Merlux flared into existence.

The Splinter A.I.’s teardrop-shaped eyes were covered in squiggles like waves, giving the appearance that he was crying. “Please do not put me into the dark box again, please no longer!” he pleaded, seeming terrified in a manner that surprised Stacie.

“I-I won’t if you promise not to behave the way you did at the funeral,” the Gunslinger stammered.

“I will not, I will not!” Merlux repeated with a shudder in his voice. “Please, just don’t lock me in the dark box again!”

“You guys really don’t like being shut off, do you?” Samuel noted dryly.

“I do not like being all by myself,” Merlux whispered fearfully. “I feel trapped, like the walls are closing in on me… it is a sensation not unlike claustrophobia, but I would argue that it is much worse.”

“Hmm.” The Russian glanced at the AI’s master. “Maybe two weeks was a bit long, yeah?”

Stacie looked down. “Seems like it… I’m really, sorry, Merlux.” She reached for the PCS, and placed it behind her head so it would sink back onto her brain stem. The AI flickered out of existence for a moment, and when he reappeared he seemed calmer, though he hovered close to Stacie - still afraid of the prospect of separation.

Samuel laughed. “Cute,” he said, grinning. “You look like a child that just found their mother again.”

Merlux slinked behind Stacie’s back. “Shut up,” he complained glumly.

“Lighten up a bit. You’re out of your ‘box’, remember?”

“R-Right,” Merlux responded, doing his best to make his expression seem less depressing. He only succeeded at getting it halfway neutral.

The Russian shrugged. “Eh, close enough.”

 

[Taxor_the_First]

DarkGemini24601 and Taxor_the_First: “Sentiment, Part 2”


“So…” Seeking to change the topic, Stacie asked, “how has your squad been?”

“If they haven’t been drinking themselves into oblivion, they’ve been working,” Samuel replied. “More of one than the other for different people. Samara and Lester have been watching and rewatching our mission recording to see if they can’t find some kind of weakness to exploit in that Elder.” He sighed. “They’re wasting their time. Weakness or no, we’re not ready to take on him again.”

“I have to agree with that… even with PCS improvements, we can barely hold a candle to that sort of psionic prowess. We can kill a souped-up Muton, sure, but only because he didn’t have any mind powers.”

“Psionics are largely active abilities, rather than passive defenses… maybe we should make use of our stealth capabilities to deal with them,” Merlux offered timidly. “Stabbing them in the back would seem to be the wisest course…”

“Maybe… I hear we might be getting some invention along the lines of shadow technology, but I haven’t exactly been able to ask Shen to confirm or deny that rumor,” Stacie noted.

“Hmph. We’ll see if that’s enough,” Samuel said dubiously. “Maybe we shouldn’t have taken on one that’s probably used to people attacking him with guns. I’m just trying to forget it happened, move forward with my life. Learn from my mistakes, yeah, but keep going.”

“That’s what everyone’s trying to do after the base defense, I assume. Some… with less success than others,” Stacie mentioned somberly.

The Russian shook his head. “Dammit. Told myself we wouldn’t talk about stuff like this,” he muttered. “I never asked about… well, you. You have any family?”

“Well, you know about my parents… whom I hope are still doing well, been awhile since I’ve contacted them.” Stacie shook her head. “Not worth worrying about, I’m sure they’re fine as always. In addition to those two, I’ve got a brother named Kervens.”

“A brother? You two get along well?”

“Like water and lightning.” Realizing that was an odd metaphor, Stacie elaborated, “we’ve always played well off one another. He tends to be good at things I’m not, like the more heady pursuits and diplomatic measures. He actually wanted to get involved in politics before the invasion… still does, for whatever reason… he’s handy with a gun too though, so I guess that Second Amendment gene just runs in the family.” Stacie chuckled. “Though I guess that doesn’t make sense, considering, but… whatever, I’m still going with it.”

Samuel raised an eyebrow. “Considering…?”

“He’s adopted,” Stacie responded succinctly.

“Like me and my e… ehh... somewhat… kinda… sister,” the Russian said awkwardly. “How old is he? Your parents pick him up after the war?”

“He’s older than me, actually. Thirty, parents adopted him from Haiti,” Stacie explained. “And you have a sister?”

Samuel rubbed the back of his neck. “More a refugee that my father took under his wing,” he explained with a hint of nervousness. “He had a wife long before the war that died while she was pregnant with his daughter. I guess he still wanted one.” He paused. “Wait, that could be interpreted badly. You know what I meant.”

“For a second I thought you were implying necromancy. Already have one zombie in my squad, I don’t need to find out that yours knows one too,” Stacie joked.

“Heh. Yeah. That’d be… that’d be pretty unlikely,” the Russian joked back. “Lot of interesting kinds of people popped out of the woodwork when ADVENT showed up though. Met a lot of them running around with my father. Finding out we have a zombie/vampire in XCOM is… almost unsurprising to me. Almost. Bonnie nearly had a heart attack, but that was probably brought on by alcohol poisoning.”

Stacie laughed. “She really sounds like she needs an intervention.”

“She does. It’s called ‘rationing’.”

The Texan only chortled even louder. “That’s true, I suppose,” she finally said after she calmed down. “Though it inconveniences the hell out of the rest of us.”

Samuel shrugged, though he did have a smile on his face. “Eh, we need to take one for the team sometimes, right?” The color drained from Stacie’s face, and she looked away from Samuel. He tilted his head in confusion until he realized what he’d said. “Ah, shit. Sorry. I didn’t meant to bring that up, I was just…”

“It’s alright. If I can’t handle an accidental comment like that, I…” Stacie trailed off for a moment. “Well, I can’t say I’ve moved on, can I?” she whispered.

“You know, my father wasn’t fond of the saying ‘in war, people die’. Thought it was defeatist.” The Russian attempted a warm smile. “He made a new one. ‘In war, we win’. Doesn’t mean we won’t take losses, but they’ll be worth it. We can make sure of that.”

“That’s all we can say, huh?” Stacie mused sadly. “We can only press forward. We can’t change the inevitable. Fate is static.”

“Whatever happens will happen, and will always have happened. But that’s not an excuse to not try and change what is ‘inevitable’. How many stories have you heard of someone overcoming seemingly guaranteed defeat because they chose to keep trying?” Samuel shook his head. “Ah, whatever. I’m just repeating myself, and probably nearly everyone else while I’m at it.”

“It’s the sentiment that counts, I guess,” Stacie conceded, offering a small smile as a reward for Samuel’s efforts.

“Sentiment is nice and all, but I can’t exactly back it up right now,” the Russian pointed out. “Not until I somehow convince the Commander I’m not going to fly off the handle on a mission again.”

“Give it time… I doubt she’ll keep you off the roster forever. If that were the case, she would have just thrown you off the ship,” Stacie replied casually.

“Well, she did threaten that too…”

“I’ve heard that tends to be her standard threat.”

“I’m fairly confident I’ll be out again eventually,” Samuel continued. “At least, I hope so. I just feel… well, impotent for lack of a better word. I’ll be sitting here twiddling my thumbs while everyone else is risking their lives. And to be honest, I’m not sure what makes me more nervous - the idea that someone could die in my absence, or the idea that they don’t need me.” He looked at his hands, clasped together on the table before him. “I don’t want to be an anchor…”

“The latter’s not remotely true, and the former… well, I can’t imagine that she’d be so cruel as to put you through it,” Stacie tried to reassure him.

“Kind of you to say,” he murmured. “Won’t be able to say I’m full of shit until it happens, though. Or rather, doesn’t happen. Still… sentiment that counts, right?”

“I’d be a hypocrite if I said otherwise now.”

“Ha. Gotcha.”

 

[Black0ut]

Information: A Common Necessity
1638 hours
Gym


Red grunted, his task proving suitably difficult, until a whirring sound suddenly seemed to appear from nowhere. The big man sighed, and stood, his repairs on the salvaged computer he had found among the flight computers in the Chilean mission he’d been on. Red took a step back admiring his work as the monitor said computer was attached to, flickered on displaying a calming scene of Mt. Everest. Nodding once, he proceeded to exit the gym area, having already decided to use the computer as a sort of log-in entry device, so people could be held more accountable for their hours.

The Specialist moved on, his destination in the Engineering bay, having decided to give the Gremlin a name, as ‘drone’ sounded quite hollow. After finding his work station, which was considerably messy, he quickly located his drone and took it to his table. Looking the drone over, he noted a peculiar star like scratch, probably from some mag weapon that had nearly hit the Gremlin.

Interesting… I wonder how the damage formed onto it. Might as well call it… Yuónihaŋ. Well… I might need to just call it Honor in english so everyone else can know what the hell I’m saying… The detective thought briefly before returning the drone back to where he had retrieved it.

Having finished his task, Red proceeded to his room, his roommates out on varying tasks. After shutting the door, and moving his chair to prevent the door from being opened, the Oglala Sioux pulled out the case that held Nick’s Smith and Wesson Revolver. Quickly pressing a button within the container, it revealed a compartment underneath, which contained a phone the specialist had recovered from the Chilean mission. After a few moments of disabling the encryption he had on the device, he quickly assessed his notes on the varying figures he had yet to meet. Kai Kazuko, Robert Tygan, and a veritable slew of others. Each of the individual notes contained information Mark had gathered through the words of various people on the Avenger, such as personality types, appearances, and their preferences over a variety of topics. The only notes that weren’t in the phone were of the people Red had met.

The Commander would be pissed if she found this… Probably would think I’m an Advent spy, or some other kind of miscreant. But I’d rather collect data on people so I don’t fuck up anything else like I did with Yakone. Nevertheless, I need to encrypt the shit out of this thing. Make it as strong as those firewalls Advent had, or stronger. I can’t let this information fall into the wrong hands, so… Red pondered quietly, as he turned the device off and replaced it’s ancient sim card with a replica he had found, effectively making the device worthless as it’s data was no longer available to prying eyes. Slipping the phone into the case, Red studied the sim card, before he returned to the Engineering bay, working as he did most days, but he hid the tiny memory card within his drone, Yuónihaŋ bearing the dishonorable card within its chassis.

Red immediately, after finishing his work of course, proceeded to the bar, more to think than drink. After taking a booth the furthest away from the entryway, Red’s morose nature seemed to drive the more merry drinkers away from his section. To keep up appearances, Red had some Irish whiskey in front of him, the drink growing on him since his outing with Morrigan.

I should tell the Commander. She’ll probably chew my ass out, and I’ll be put on probation or sentenced to the brig, but… I don’t want to piss off someone and have them hurt anyone else. Had everybody not cleared the bar before the fight started, someone could have been severely wounded or worse… and it’d be my fault. Moreover, I’m already stuck between a rock and a hard place, because if I do tell the Commander, that might hurt my relationship with Morrigan. I don’t tell the Commander, when the truth comes out, it’ll anger people a lot more than if I did it now. Jesus, I’ve really fucked up, haven’t I? Red thought glumly, as he looked down to notice he had already drank his whiskey, as another glass was quickly set onto the table, the bartender giving a curt nod to the specialist before walking off, Red’s initial glass having somehow ended up in his hands.

Red sighed, and laid his head on the table. I’ve already set out on this path of paranoia, I might as well continue. Can’t gather any more information, as it’ll screw me over to a far greater extent, but I’ll keep the data I already have. Kai, Robert, Lilith, Jack, and a few others… I’ll need to meet them eventually. When I do, I can erase their info from my notes, and proceed onwards. Not like that’s going to be too hard. Yeah… it's totally doable...

Red finished up his drink and stood, grabbing the glass, and walking a few steps before the bartender tapped on his shoulder and gestured for the glass. Red complied and handed over the glass before exiting, heading to the gym once more, to try and relieve some of the stress by sparring.