Austin crashed while in the helicopter, his body becoming more and more used to the constant, harsh sound of the helicopter's blades. As he slept, his dreams were a mix of nightmare and relief, the faces of Bill and Samantha intermingled with the screams of Waco's citizens and the flying, metal monstrosity from the hospital.

Despite the disturbing content, Austin remained in his dreams. So engrossed his mind was, he did not notice the subtle change when the helicopter touched down on solid ground. It took the insistent tapping of a finger to wake him up.

With a groan, Austin rose. Remembering to unstrap himself from the helicopter's seat, he stood, his reenergized mind buzzing. He had a perfect memory of the events early on in the night, from the UFO to this mysterious… well, abduction. Austin looked around, trying to study his "saviors", trying to ascertain their intentions.

Some of the men around him, including the one called Bones, wore a bulky, wraparound armor, complete with shoulder and kneepads. A patch of some kind was stitched onto the armor's shoulder, while another patch depicting the flag of a country was grafted onto the back of the armor. Bones, the man closest to him, was apparently from Nigeria. Yet, as Austin regarded the man's doughy Caucasian features, he doubted that Bones was Nigerian. Or that the armor was his.

The rest of the men were an odd bunch. They had business clothes, varying from black and red vests to white business shirts. A few features remained consistent, though – the scarves. About half of them wore striped red and orange scarves that covered most of their face and the rest of their neck. To Austin, the cloth reminded him of the stereotypical Western bandit, the barbaric lot that wore flashy bandanas as a disguise and a trademark. The similarities did not sit well with him.

One of these men, a muscular brute in a white dress shirt and orange tie, was crouching over Austin, his gloved hand resting on Austin's shoulder.

"Get up," the man murmured, his voice muffled by the scarf. "We're here." He turned and walked towards the helicopter's open bay doors. Austin followed, and chose not to ask any questions. Wherever they were going, it would be best to find someone who would answer them without shooting him.

That first question, where they were going, was answered almost immediately. As Austin stepped out into the cold, early morning light, he stopped in front of a glowing, blue neon sign. "Armitech Co." it read, the blue letters floating from a holographic display. Behind them lay a large, clean, white office building, situated on a large, green patio. Various abstract sculptures littered the lawn.

Already, most of the helicopter's crew was walking through the glass double doors to the building. Bones and White Shirt stood aside, waiting for Austin. He nodded to them, and began to disembark from the helicopter. Suddenly, a flurry of commotion erupted from behind him. Austin whirled back, and saw the pilot and another man escorting Samantha away from the building.

"You let her go, you son of a –" Austin began. Before he could finish, Bones laid a hand on his arm. It was quite an awkward sight, as Bones was a small five footer compared to Austin's large, six foot frame.

"Stop," Bones said, his voice emotionless. Despite the man's unimposing appearance, he still gave Austin the creeps. Even worse, Bones turned to stare directly into Austin's eyes, his bright blue irises gazing into Austin's hazel ones.

"Your daughter is being taken to a more… secure location," Bones said. His speech was halting, as if he were unfamiliar with the English language. "We will… shelter her, but her talents are not needed in our… work environment."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?," Austin growled. He was angry, but more at himself for being cowed into near submission by this tiny man.

Bones smiled, his pearly whites turning upwards into a shark's grin. "You are a… smart man, Mr. Brown. I know you will be willing to cooperate, otherwise my… associate, Mr. Hawk, will have to… persuade you." Bones motioned to White Shirt, who cracked his knuckles to convey Bone's message in a more obvious fashion. Austin couldn't be sure, but he thought the other man was also smiling beneath his colorful scarf.

"Fine, fine. I'll go," Austin said, with a hint of stubbornness. Despite all this cloak and dagger bull, I'm important, he thought. If they insisted on keeping him in the dark, he could leverage his perceived status to his advantage.

Bones nodded, satisfied with Austin's answer. "Come," he said. "We will have much to discuss."


At first, Austin believed that he had been abducted in order to take part in some gang-related activity. After all, Armitech was the top global weapons manufacturer, which meant that each of its facilities was guarded by the best security, electronic and human. But like all of his assumptions, this one was proved dead wrong. Upon entering the building, the two security guards, men in blue fatigues and black Kevlar vests, looked up from their post at a desk, and looked back down, as if the masked men were regulars here.

Austin was then hustled into a large elevator. He stood in the center, flanked by Hawk and another man, while Bones walked over to the elevator's digital interface. With flourish, the small man took his glove off and pressed his thumb to the blue pad, which gave a prompt ding and converted into an array of virtual buttons. Bones pressed the topmost of these, and turned to face the elevator doors.

A few minutes later, the four of them walked down a hallway into a large executive office. Austin was taken aback. The office was large, with large windows curving around the perimeter. Large paintings of various historical figures hung on the walls, while blue banners and shining accolades from the Armitech Corporation hung in an organized manner. Surprisingly in the midst of these, a single banner in red and gold stood out. Embroidered on it was an Eye, surrounded by a hexagon. Underneath this was a large oak desk, with two individuals standing behind it.

One of these was a large, muscular man with rolled up sleeves and a full-body Kevlar vest. His face, or what could be seen from the scarf, was granite, cold and unyielding. It was a face that made Bones look like giddy child in comparison.

The other person was a woman, dressed in a business suit. While her hair was scraggly, and her eyes had dark spots, her face radiated a proud beauty, from the curves of her cheeks to the stick thin eyebrows.

Bones walked up to the desk, and saluted the two. "Alpha, General, this is Mr. Brown. Operation Saving Grace was a… success, with no casualties. We had little to no… exposure, to XCOM units in the area," said Bones. Austin listened with every bit of focus he could muster. As far as he could tell, he was the person of interest to a secret paramilitary organization – one that played a large part in Earth's invasion.

The large man behind the desk grumbled. "Bones," he said, his voice as gruff as his appearance. "I commend your team for acting quickly and securing the 'objective'." He looked at Austin. "However, as your team was having, well, all the fun with the invading party, our contact informed us that XCOM had caught footage of your group through the CCTV network." After saying that, the man slammed a gloved hand onto the wooden desk, causing the unflappable Bones to flinch.

The woman took her turn to speak. "As you know, Mr. Bones," she said in a heavy Russian accent. "EXALT operates with the utmost secrecy, in order to keep our tactics and strategies from… prying eyes. Your carelessness in this operation has jeopardized our Doppelganger Initiative – XCOM will no doubt be tightening up on their stores." Her words were like ice, thudding onto the floor. Bones had wilted, his previous poker face reduced to a quivering lip and a twitching eyelid.

"We do not forget your contributions to our organization, Mr. Bones," the women continued. "Nor your status outside it. However, we expect much more from our operatives. I suggest you keep that in mind, 'lest we are forced to… fire you."

Bones nodded, visibly shaken. He turned, and motioned for Hawk and the other man to leave the room. He then followed his compatriots, but not before giving Austin a sharp glare. Austin ignored him, trying to figure out the confusing exchange. While this was obviously a debriefing of some sort, the names didn't sound like any military unit he knew of. EXALT and XCOM – the two words swirled in his head. He believed that they stood for… something. A few thoughts came up for XCOM, but nothing seemed to fit EXALT. After a moment, Austin thought, to hell with it, and came back to reality.

When Bones had left, the two people in the room turned to Austin. As the woman laid her eyes on him, her cold face burst into a jovial smile. Her associate offered no change in mood.

Austin decided to get to the point. "So," he said. "Let's put the cards on the table. You want me for some reason, but I don't know what the hell that is. Let's start with that."

The man glanced at the woman, and nodded. She turned to face Austin, and began to speak. "Austin Brown, you are aware of the state of humankind as of this moment, yes?" Austin nodded. "Well," she continued. "To start off, I am Alpha, CEO of Armitech."

"And I am General," said the man. "We are part of an organization dedicated to assuring mankind's safety during this time."

"EXALT," Austin murmured. The man gave him what could have been a look of approval, while Alpha went on.

"You may have seen the news reports, asserting the almost unanimous notion that the alien invasion is a massive tragedy. That is true, but it is also the layman's way of perceiving it. It takes a person of business and cunning to discover opportunity even in such dire times."

"So what," Austin said, his voice rising. "You want to make a little money off this 'tragedy'? And you want me to get in on this sick war profiteering?"

Alpha raised her manicured hands. "Mr. Brown, we are not of unrefined taste. We are people of… class, as well as business. We believe that the human race, given the opportunity, can rise to unlimited heights, physically, emotionally, and genetically. The alien invasion has simply given us that opportunity."

Alpha paused, and brought out a small disc from under the desk. She pressed a button with swift grace, which caused the disc to hum and emit blue lights. After a bit, an image of the Armitech logo appeared.

Expensive tech, Austin thought. It reinforced the opinion that he should tread lightly. These people were not to be messed with.

Alpha pressed another button, causing the logo to morph into a holographic image taken from a CNN news broadcast. "Magnify," she said. The hologram projector obeyed, expanding the image until it was approximately the size of a plasma screen TV. At this size, several objects were clearly visible. Much of it was the bells and whistles, the logos and weather reports a news channel puts on as usual, but the main focus of the broadcast stood out in stark contrast to the rest. On the far right, a green bolt of energy was suspended. Austin could see its contrails, the coils of energy frozen in place. But what really caught his attention was the alien. Standing on two legs, and staring into the camera with wide, almond shaped eyes, was a Grey. Austin could see, thanks to the high definition, the alien's distended belly, its stick thin arms, and the yellow glow that emanated from its chest.

Alpha also seemed to be interested in the Grey. She pushed a painted nail into the image, causing a ripple like distortion on the Grey's forehead.

"People look at this… thing, and they see a monster. An abomination. We see the future. Do you see this, Mr. Brown? Do you realize that this is no natural creature – this is the product of decades, maybe centuries of genetic tampering?" Alpha began to gesture, her hands cupping the image of the Grey. "Its weapon alone is of immense value, a machine capable of firing plasma, in turn giving it endless destructive capability. And that is only one thing out of many that we have managed to learn."

"Really," Austin remarked. He gave his hosts a smug smile and crossed his arms. "And where did you find this, fascinating, information?"

Alpha smiled back, the triumphant grin of a poker player with a winning hand. With a glint in her eye, she said:

"Why, from the creature itself, Mr. Brown."

With that, she pressed another button. The news report evaporated, replaced by what appeared to be an autopsy report of a Grey.

"This creature, and the others accompanying it, is a treasure trove of knowledge. For the first time, we have the key to genetics, to cybernetics! Did you know that this creature's mind is so highly developed that it can process information ten times faster than Einstein? Or that its enhancements allow its frail frame to withstand blows that would cripple a heavyweight champion?"

Alpha was obviously excited, her tone betraying her calm demeanor. Her associate nodded in assent throughout her speech.

Austin held up a hand. "Well… Miss. This sounds great and all, but I'm not a scientist. Why in the world am I here?"
The General took up his part. "We have encountered others who do not share our… enthusiasm. Unlike us, they are a global, government sanctioned organization that goes by the name – "

"XCOM."

"Sharp as a tack, Brown. XCOM, like us, has been in service, and under cover, for decades. Also unlike our goals, XCOM only exists to combat the invasion– hence their name, eXtraterrestrial COMbat unit.

"While EXALT and XCOM share the same goals, our methods differ. XCOM meets the alien's on an aggressive playing field, destroying the invaders and reverse engineering what technology is left."

"Seems like a noble goal."

"But it is a mistake, Brown. We want to learn from, and need be, collaborate with – "

Austin jumped. "C-collaborate?! With those fucking things?" He pointed a finger at the two. "You… You want me to be a traitor to my own, to sell my soul to the fucking Devil?"

"Let's not be melodramatic, Mr. Brown," said Alpha. "As said, we are people of business. We know when to cooperate, and when to… resist. Earth under slavery is hardly the future we envision."

"Hell no," General followed up. "See, what the aliens are throwing at us is small fry to them. Whatever else they have will usher a revolution, a new age in humanity. We see ahead, while XCOM only wants to fix the immediate situation. Because of this… disagreement, we are forced to interfere with XCOM operations.

"Much of our activity is run through nonviolent, disobedient actions. A system malfunction here, a loss of bank funds here… But XCOM does not appreciate such actions. In direct defiance to the established order, XCOM has begun its own second war – against EXALT. Already, we are on the back foot. Our operatives are untrained in combat, and XCOM has utilized the same brutal tactics it has reserved for the invaders."

Austin chewed on this. He didn't have much to go on, given his recent induction into this secret war. He did think that what he was being given was a false, or at least edited. EXALT did appear to have well armed and well trained operatives, and their willingness to cooperate with the invaders for the "good of humanity" dirtied the already shady picture in Austin's mind.

"We are in need of tactical officers, field commanders who have the right set of talents to oversee our military operations," General continued. "This is where you come in."

Austin chuckled. "Based on what I've heard so far, I might as well be asking 'XCOM' for a job application."

The man stopped cold, his hard eyes staring at Austin.

"Now, I know y'all are bullshitting me, and even if I were a gullible sucker, I think I'd still have the brains to know which side I'd choose."

"Don't be hasty, Brown," General breathed, each word a silent whisper from his scarf. "Tell him."

Alpha sighed. "Mr. Brown, while XCOM may have mankind's current interests in mind, it is not an organization to be trusted. For one thing, XCOM staffs one of the largest and brightest science teams in the world. Already, they have made advances in gene modification and technology, advances that we at EXALT only dream of having.

"But," she said, pausing. "They clearly do not wish to share this with the rest of the world.

"Now, I know you may think I am lying to you, Mr. Brown. But a CEO of Armitech always keeps her word. Due to my position, XCOM has been in contact with me many, many times. One of these was a deal."

The hologram buzzed, showing off the image of a device. To Austin's eyes, the device appeared to be a boxy rifle with a glowing red casing.

"This is XCOM's prototype laser rifle. Armitech wanted to exchange two cases of them for a team of engineers. XCOM's leadership, sadly, denied our deal. In fact, I can confirm that XCOM has enough tech and knowledge that could turn the tide of this entire invasion. But, Mr. Brown, you seem to be more 'in the know' than me. Do you see your local law enforcement wielding these weapons? Do you see the military trumping the aliens in their engagements, instead of fleeing and leaving cities like Moscow and Perth to a fiery death?"

General took up the conversation. "XCOM remains held back by petty ethical concerns. They are afraid of transhumanism, Brown, and refuse to capitalize on its benefits. They are weak, crippled wise men, full of knowledge but unwilling to give it out. You're daughter is a good example."

"W-what about my daughter?"

"We know about her condition, Brown. We know she's slated for the morgue in, say, three months? Maybe four if she's lucky?"

There was silence. Then Austin exploded.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" he screamed, fists clenched. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER LIKE THAT YOU GODDAMN PIECE OF –!"

"Calm down, Mr. Brown," Alpha said. She remained unfazed in the wake of Austin's emotional outbreak. "While it is a sad truth, it is the truth nonetheless. Your daughter will die. But guess what? XCOM could bring her back."

Those words struck through Austin's enraged mind, and stuck. He relaxed his arms and unclenched his teeth. Then, he motioned for Alpha to go on.

"You see, Mr. Brown. XCOM has not only evolved our technology. They have changed our very bodies. Manipulated genes to provide ordinary humans access to powers only seen in science fiction." Alpha turned towards the hologram projector.

"Computer, play Clip #1500, Juniper," she said.

The projector obeyed, playing a series of clips. What Austin saw was short of unbelievable. He saw soldiers, equipped with high tech military gear and weaponry, performing the impossible. A man in a red jumpsuit leaped up a two story high building in order to take up a position. A large, Mexican soldier lifted up a large chunk of concrete to save a fallen comrade. At the sight of a woman disappearing as she reached a brick wall, Austin drew a sharp breath in.

"Brown, this is the truth. XCOM has the knowledge, but it sits on it. Monopolizes it, like a stingy tycoon," said General. "Your daughter, and thousands, if not millions, of people in this world can be saved through their technology. Imagine, cancer patients equipped with modified antibodies. First responders that can traverse dangerous terrain. Heart patients, like your daughter, who have not one, but TWO hearts to keep them going. But XCOM instead sits, blind to the ramifications of their actions. They think they want to help humanity, but they are crippling it."

Austin was stunned, his mind swimming as if a land mind had gone off in front of him. His previous biases were burned away by the footage, his gaze fixated on the repeated images of people doing the incredible. His practical, military mind was again at war with his fatherly instincts. One part of him begged him, screamed at him like a rabid drill sergeant, to leave the building, to get Samantha, to find Waters and get out of this… this trap. Trap it was saying, It's a trap, and it's going to be the end of you. But another part of him calmly informed him of the outcome. Leave, and Samantha dies. Stay, and Samantha lives.

That part also grew enraged at the thought of XCOM. No longer did he see those figures in the video, in that organization, as heroic. He only saw a group of arrogant spooks, which thought they held the answers to the world's problems. A group that tossed away lives like it was no tomorrow. A sentiment like that, especially to an ex-military man, carried heavy impact.

Austin breathed as if a large weight were on his stomach. He did it slowly, and with a measured, rhythmic pace. Finally, he turned his gaze on the two in front of him.

"Well?" said General, impatience creeping into his voice.

Austin fixed him with a glare. "I see. I accept your… offer, Miss Alpha."

Alpha's face was vindictive, the triumphant, looming expression of a spiteful goddess. She stood from her chair, and extended her hand to Austin.

"Wonderful, Mr. Brown. Welcome to EXALT."

Austin looked at her hand, and shook it.


XCOM INTELLIGENCE REPORT

To: Central Officer Bradford

From: Intel. Officer Pettachi (Major)

After the latest operation (see Operation Hot Mist), I want to recommend that we assign two officers to watch over Sgt. Waters. While his performance was exemplary, he was caught by his CO leaving the area after they had finished neutralizing enemy contacts. Apparently his CO is now in the infirmary with a broken nose.

More importantly, this is the fifth time Sgt. Waters has broken his oath. He has repeatedly insisted on mounting single man operations, or for a leave from the base, despite protocol. Doctor Tao has believed that Waters is obsessed. The official psychiatry report states that he is fixated on "rescuing" two individuals that he was accompanied with in the terror site. While it is likely those two are dead given the circumstance Sgt. Waters was found in, Intelligence has suspected that the two individuals who were "abducted" by the rogue organization were Sgt. Waters's escorts.

Intelligence prefers that that information be kept undisclosed to Sgt. Waters, as well as a personal note to exclude him from any Covert Operations. Again, have two high-ranking officers monitor his behavior, as not to endanger his wellbeing.

Thank you for your attention, Central.

- Maj. Olivia "Haze" Pettachi