A/N: Hello everyone. This fan fiction is based upon 'ChristopherOdd's XCOM 2 Let's Play' series on YouTube (if you haven't seen them, I highly, highly recommend them), specifically Season 4. Reading other novel style takes on his other seasons (An Odd Bunch of Soldiers being one) has inspired me to create one of my own based on his latest (as of publishing date) season. I own nothing of XCOM, nor of Mr. Odd's videos, nor any of the characters in his campaigns (bar one - Priya 'Innocence' Korpal is one that I created and was lucky enough to have included in this season), and so the events and characterizations I've written following this message are purely interpretation on my part and may differ from what you might perceive the characters to behave like (it is fan fiction after all).

Again, I've taken quite a few liberties with the characters and their personalities/relationships (as of course, they are minimal within the game) so as to not just repeat what happens on the videos and of course to keep things entertaining. Will do my best to keep it current.

I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I have had writing and following his Let's Plays! Feel free to review and comment your thoughts; I'd love to know what you all think.

O.D.D.: One Desperate Defense

01. The Day the World Went Away

See: Part 1 - THE G.X2.C.O.A.T.

Mission Designation: OPERATION GATECRASHER

ADVENT Surveillance District, Beijing

February 27, 2035

17:43

"What's our probability of a successful mission?"

"Just under fifty percent."

John 'Central' Bradford kept walking, unimpressed at the response. Well, with that sort of optimism, it's hard to see why not..

The streets bustled with activity as ADVENT troopers mobilized to ensure Unification Day celebrations would go off without any form of XCOM interference. Little did they know that one of their top five most wanted men had just arrived in town, blending in amongst the populace. The Spokesman had finally gotten a lead regarding the Commander's whereabouts. The thing was, the entire operation was a catch-22. They needed the Commander to run missions and lead the resistance to overthrow ADVENT, but they had no one in command right now to lead the Commander's rescue operation.

Ahead, a squad of ADVENT troopers began corralling a few citizens towards a security checkpoint. Bradford wiped his brow, shielding his face as he adjusted his trajectory toward a nearby alleyway. He kept walking, only craning his head over his shoulder when he reached halfway. No one had followed. Sighing, he brought his hand to his right ear and adjusted his comm unit.

"Menace 1-5, you've got the green light. I'll await the diversion. Operation Gatecrasher is a go."

"Copy that Central, squad green and ready to deploy."

The Skyranger boosted through the skies, weaving between buildings as it drew closer to the LZ. Down below, the district appeared empty. Only a few pockets of citizens hung around the area as the Unification Day festivities prepared to ramp up in downtown Beijing. Towards the center of the district, the towering representation of an elder stood tall, as though the entire district fell under its watch.

Aboard the Skyranger, the rookies buckled as it slowed to a hover atop an old commercial tower. Inside, the lights flashed red. The soldiers unbuckled their restraints and grabbed their arsenals.

"Hit it!"

Someone near the ramp nodded, slamming the big green button. The ramp hissed open, sending a blast of wind to hit the troopers as they made a break for the ropes. Each one launched themselves out, snagging a rope and sliding down to the LZ in one fluid motion.

"LZ secure."

The sole man rose to his feet, surveying the surrounding area as the cold air prickled against his cheeks. Behind him, three women checked their weapons and maintained a standard group formation.

"Copy that Wardancer, move to place the X4 charges at the designated position. Your positions are concealed but you'll need to break it in order to achieve the mission objective."

"Copy Central, we'll take it from here. Out."

Tobias 'Wardancer' Batch turned to his squad. "Alright team, our target is north-east of our position."

"Hard to miss," Ninon 'Longshot' Boyer said, scoffing in her harsh French accent as she pointed towards the silhouette in the fog beyond.

"Guess you live up to your nickname after all, Longshot," Ember 'Zoyuchen' Von Scorpio said, a hint of sarcasm peppered in her tone. Boyer scowled, using her middle finger to prop up her specs.

"I'm not detecting enemy movement in our vicinity," Rebecca 'Shep' Sheperd said, keeping an eye on their six and ignoring the banter. "Probably should stick up here and get a look-see of what's going on?"

"Sounds good to me," Boyer said, shrugging before shifting to the edge of the building. Wardancer followed suit, along with the rest of the unit as they took up positions behind the rails bordering the edge of the roof.

"About time someone got rid of that eyesore," Boyer said, scrunching her nose at the sight of the monument.

"Wait, shut up a second," Ember said, holding up her arm. "Got eyes on a hostile squad. Probably at least three of them standing around there, near the other statue that looks kinda like Adonis."

"Sheesh, and I'm the one that needs glasses," Boyer said, rolling her eyes. Adonis? Does she even know what that is?

"Anyone ever tell you that contacts probably would've made –"

"Alright," said Wardancer, cutting off Ember's retort. "Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna do this old school; standard overwatch formation. Ember, I want you to take the first shot."

Boyer opened her mouth to say something, only to be silenced by Wardancer holding up his hand. "I'll need you to hit them as they scatter."

A brief moment of silence overcame the squad as they scouted the troops ahead. Seemed like a solid plan.

"Okay," said Sheperd, relieved that the conflict had been put on hold. She gave a quick inspection of her rifle before steadying her aim. "On overwatch."

Wardancer nodded at Ember, signalling to the trooper closest to their position.

"Here goes," she said, lining up her sights. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed the trigger.

The squad watched as the tracer bullets went wide, careening into the statue's base. The ADVENT trooper reacted instantly, shielding his face as debris showered his helmet.

"Sun in your eyes there, slick?" asked Boyer, keeping focused on the rallying troops ahead.

"I swear I thought I'd adjusted these sights!" Ember said, wailing as her face flushed red. Her bandana clung to her skin, absorbing the nervous sweat oozing from her forehead.

"Head's up! They've got our position," Sheperd cried, taking aim. She fired a burst of her own, bullets ricocheting off the ground as the trooper outran her shots.

Wardancer and Boyer both poked their heads over the waist-high walls and opened fire. The bullets connected, though the damage had been absorbed by their armor. Both their targets stumbled out of sight and collapsed behind half-cover, gravely injured.

"Damn it," Sheperd said under her breath. "This definitely isn't the greatest of starts."

"No, it's not," Ember said, fiddling with her weapon. "Four out of five times, that shot's good for me."

"Shut it, they're on the move." Wardancer nodded at a trooper advancing near the truck. "Shit, keep your heads down!"

Ember and Sheperd both complied, ducking as much as they could. Boyer followed suit, only for her specs to slip off her nose and clatter on the ground.

"Damn it," she whispered, scooping them into her hand. She pulled her head up to slip them back on, hands trembling. Time however, seemed to slow as Wardancer caught a glimpse of the trooper taking aim at Boyer.

"Boyer, get down!" he shrieked. She turned to see the trooper line up his mag weapon against her face, and froze. The burst of fire caught her instantly, snapping her head back as her body flailed away from the rail. Blood spilled through the air, caking a little onto Sheperd's face as her jaw fell open in shock.

"Oh my God," said the two ladies in unison, their gazes fixed on their fallen comrade.

"No," Wardancer said, his breaths terse. He could feel himself hyperventilating. Hands shaking. His heart raced, threatening to leap out of his throat. "No, no, no, this – no!"

"Batch," yelled Ember, stretching her arm out after him. "Don't!"

But it was too late. Wardancer had already vaulted the railing. A clicking sound echoed as he dropped to street level. Dashing toward the two pillars nearby, he collapsed against it.

"This isn't happening," he thought desperately as a ticking noise continued to emanate from his belt. Glancing down, the pin of his frag grenade had somehow come loose in his daring escape, and he was now in danger of exploding all over the road. Eyes wide, he ripped the grenade off his belt.

"Shit, shit," he said in a flustered tone, the ticking speed increasing. Shaking, he tossed it in the air in an attempt to distance himself from the explosion.

Up on the tower, Ember and Sheperd could only watch as the blinking round object thudded at their feet, rolling between Ember's legs.

"Oh fu – "

A roaring explosion punctuated her cry with an exclamation point as the floor beneath them crumbled. The two ladies slipped through the gap, screams drowned out by the lurching of the building. Their bodies bounced off several pieces of debris, leaving a splat of blood before crashing onto the lobby floor, motionless. Wardancer stared in horror as Sheperd's lifeless eyes stared accusingly back at him, blood dribbling from her lips and onto her open palm. Beyond his cover, the trio of troopers had him boxed in, taking turns to open fire. He slumped against the wall, watching the tower, as well as the mission, go up in flames.

"Not like this. Not like this."

Taking a peek through a gap in the pillars, he spotted a trooper lining up a shot. Closing his eyes, Wardancer accepted his fate as everything else ceased to exist.

- SIMULATION TERMINATED: CRITICAL MISSION FAILURE -

"Damn it!"

Bradford slammed his fist on the panel as the corpses of his virtual soldiers lay dead on the streets of Beijing on the overhead monitor. The program terminated, followed by an on-screen query as to whether Bradford wanted to reboot the simulation using different variables or not.

"I don't know how the Commander did it, Lily," he said, burying his face into his hands. "We definitely need him, but I'm not sure this rescue plan will work if I can't even pass these damn simulations. I'm not a natural leader like him. I feel like I have the eyes of over ten thousand people on me."

"I don't think we have a choice Central," Lily said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Our back's against the wall. Tomorrow is Unification Day, and with it, our one chance to rescue the Commander. The resistance is counting on us. We've got to move forward with Operation Gatecrasher."

Bradford heaved a sigh, crossing his arms with a sullen look. The words 'Mission Failure' continued to blink on the overhead monitor. Tomorrow, it was going to be the real thing. But if they were to succeed, the Commander would be back in charge. Lily was right. They had no choice.

"Alright. Prep Skyranger. I'm setting course for Tijuana."