Well prove yourself then.
"Well under all this dirt and what not, at least their showers still run just fine." Jamie joked coming out of the shower, her hair plastered down her back as Else was laid back on her cot looking at some of the files that were provided to the both of them,
"You'll read over these files and you may not believe them…..But trust me, the things you all read here? Are all true, I can attest to it, and even if you don't believe me listen to the fear from some of the news casters and the people who fully believe it. I want you to understand even in their ignorance there is truth in their fear." Those words still sat on Else's mind as she examined the files. "Anything good?" Jamie asked, drying off her hair as she down on the bed. "This…is something…Entirely different than anything we've ever seen. Ever." Else sat up opening the folder more for Jamie to see.. a crystal clear picture of an small grey…thing, it's head glowing a subtle orange and a small almost childlike gun in it's hand glowing a deep green. "This here is what was first and most commonly encountered, designated, Sectoid. That little gun in its hand shoots super-heated plasma that can melt through most Kevlar, the composite material of the Xcom body armor barely able to keep it back and reporting from Chang himself, that on the first mission it exuded some form of mind control." Else gave the file to Jamie shaking her head in disbelief letting her read over them,
"That is…wild. We..this…is all real El's." Jamie laughed, a short giggle of sorts, not out of the joy of the situation but of a fear that she felt for the first time in a long while. Which all seemed to melt when Else wrapped her arms around her and held her close, the once cold woman's touch a comfort to her, the shaking she felt stopped a bit as she flipped her folder shut. "But I know we can handle these guys…If this is all that they have? I mean come on we're surrounded by badasses…Everywhere!" She laughed genuinely this time, "and the biggest one has me all wrapped up in her grip." Else growled against her neck as they both giggled and Jamie ran a hand over the front of the folder. Vigilo Confindo…?" Her question easily answered by Else, "I am Valiant. Latin my dear or I am watchful, depending upon how you use the verb there. Seems to be their motto around here." Jamie could only nod and yawn,
"We should get some rest, we've got people to blow away tomorrow at this little pow wow with our squad mates." Else could only nod in approval as she yawned and stood, "First I need a shower…" She cast a glance over her shoulder looking at Jamie as Jamie only giggled and put a hand up, "Sleep now there'll be time for that later you tigress." Else smiled and pouted innocently as she laughed and stepped into the bathroom.
That morning the two awoke bright and early, Else donning a tank top and a pair of sweat pants with her combat boots, brushing her shorter hair out of her face to see Jamie having donned much of the same, her hair tied back in a bun both women looking fierce in their own rights. After a short breakfast at the mess and a couple of directions later they entered a larger off set training area, filled with various machines for cardio, lifting, mats for various sparring, and a large firing range. In the middle Sergeant Lithulli stood, her hair up in a bun as well, her dark complexion a stark contrast to the solid slim looking X-Com armor she wore as she looked the two over and saluted, Else and Jamie snapping to attention immediately, only to be greeted by a smile from the sergeant, "Early risers, I like that! X-Rays don't send us invitations for their attacks and it happens like," She snaps "That, and we have to be there!" The two nod as she smiles, "First things first. Civi gear is permitted on down time, not on my time understood?" The two snap out firm, "Yes ma'am's!" as she motions to the firing range. "Armor is presented over there, I took the liberty of finding your measurements, locker rooms are in the back. Get to it rookies!" Lithulli snapped as they made their way with haste to grab their uniforms and head to the locker room.
"For something so well armored I'm amazed at how light it is." Else remarked looking over the tan uniform with green trim, turning to and fro modeling for herself in it. "It fits remarkably well and, I feel like it would suffice more than enough in the field." Jamie only seemed to pout as she turned, "Yeah but it still makes my butt look big and this color…" Else only shook her head as Jamie ranted on and on until they got back to the Sergeant.
"Ah you two are looking like fine warriors now!" Lithulli nodded her approval stroking her chin as she walked about, "Your suit is your new skin? Understood? It is the shell that will protect you, hold your weapons and house any other surprises you decide to take along with you on the fight out there. You'll breath, eat, sleep, and even go in it sometimes." Lithulli smiled and shrugged, "Some ops last for a while you never know. But it's yours. Embrace it." She tapped her chin and looked them over again, "Your records are both impeccable, but its nothing impressive as far as Xcom goes." The sergeant raised her eyebrow, pointing to Else, "Cold collective, some of the most deadly sniper business known to your op right and you…" she pointed to Jamie, "Top demolition and heavy weapons specialist in the op?" Jamie's chest puffed out with pride as she smiled widely, Else's eyes simply silted. "Like I said, it is nothing here. Those were against humans, people with the same tech as you, these things, smaller, more deadly weapons, arguably more intelligent." She threw a thumb over her shoulder to the firing range. "The range, now, I want to see the form on the models we have provided." Else simply shouldered by as Jamie followed, sorting and picking through their weapons they took their positions and began firing away at the…moving sectoid corpses. Skewed onto machines that seemed to move sporadically ducking bobbing and weaving, Else felt like a moron as the scope of her rifle couldn't get a clear shot, popping off randomly getting less than half of her shots off. Blocking out the noise of Jamie's huge gun spitting out rounds down the range, no doubt fairing worse than she was both of them stopping when their ammo was spent, the silence and smell of gunpowder interrupted by Lithulli's laughing, "Oh my goodness! That was….HA!" She shook her head looking at both of them, Jamie's face red, Else's fist's bunching as she spoke through clenched teeth.
"Ma'am…If I may…It seemed like the machine knew exactly where I was going to shoot before I even shot. It seems hardly fair." Her fist shaking slightly as Lithulli laughed more and stopped noticing the posturing, Jamie's eyes wide hearing the tone.
"Oh that's the case rook?" Lithulli looked Else in the eyes pushing up towards the firing range, looking her dead in the eye as she produced a pistol and began firing down the range, never breaking eye contact with Else until her clip was empty as she whistled. The corpse, dripping a goop riddled with bullet holes from the pistol shots. "And you call yourself a sniper? Again. Both of you, until you hit one of these corpses more than twice." Else almost couldn't control herself as she gritted out a, "Yes ma'am," Jamie almost in unison with her. The task at hand was much more difficult, especially with the constant bantering and "advice" from the sergeant . "The X-rays are small, quick and they climb. You must….Yes correct Jamie that's it!" Jamie smiled widely, as she got praised, finally leading her corpse and doubling back her LMG almost tearing the corpse in half. Lithulli shaking her head at Else's progress, "Come on sniper girl. You and I are going to be best buddies in the field. I need you to get this…We are the ones to cover those who step out, our job isn't just to scout but to pick off the ones that try to outflank and out run our people. Or are you just not enough for this unit? Is that it?!" Else slammed her rifle down turning both fists clenched as she shook slightly in anger looking at the Sergeant as Jamie gasped…"El…El.."
"Cadet, quiet let her speak." Lithulli cut Jamie short, holding Else's glare. "Do you have something to say?"
"No offense sergeant, but I can outshoot you…Any day. Some randomized mechanical jumbling? Yes give me the amount of time you were here with and I'm sure I could memorize the patterns…So if I may say so, step off." Jamie looked on with wide eyes as she didn't dare move as Lithulli simply nodded and stroke her chin again and smiled widely. "This is the deal then. Since these are the only targets we have, I can turn the system off. And on fair terms you and I, first to empty their clip and most kill shots wins. If you lose, you are my spotter and won't be touching a sniper rifle for as long as I am on squad. Understood? If I lose? The roles are switched and I'll bump you all up for the soonest promotions. Deal?" Else swallowed, the amount on the line made her head swim a bit as she heard the soft whisper of Jamie,
"Else, don't come on just, hold my…hand.." Else shook her head in a no and instead shook Lithulli's hand.
"Damn mighty fine shooting, both of you." An American accent greeted them from behind as Lithulli and Else stopped and glared at each other the both of them drenched in sweat. Turning to be greeted by not only an American woman but Chang and another orange haired male as they all snapped to attention.
"How goes the training?" Chang chuckled slightly as Jamie stopped her slow tai chi on the sparring mat and ran over to join them. Lithulli glared over at Else and nodded, "…Well." She stormed off as the American woman pushed a button pulling both of the target dummies up, the shots identical in all way, the heads of the targets completely riddled through, four in the chest and one between each of the smaller aliens eyes as she whistled. "Dammmmmnn girl, you're the first to ever match Amazon in a target shoot that is impressive." Else didn't afford herself a smile as she watched as Lithulli went. She was snapped out of her trance by Chang's voice. "At ease solider. I'd like to introduce you both to Corporal Susan Woods and Corporal Martin Braun." The man offered his hand and soft hello's to the both of them, a German accent thick in his tone, as the woman simply nodded and yawned, running a hand over the sides of her head, running her hands through the softer sides of her frohawk.
"Yeah yeah pleasure, so you the new squaddies? Cool cool, I'm already impressed by icy over here, I'm wondering what wide eyed and innocent over yonder can do." She raised an eyebrow over at Jamie who simply nodded and blushed a deep red. "Well um I'm uh good with big guns and umm explosions and I umm guess I can umm fight? Yeah I can yeah pretty well.." She blushed an even deeper red as she looked at the floor, Susan's eyes rolling as she scoffed. "Ah some other little girl who needs a big gun to compensate." She laughed and rolled her eyes again, "yo Braun, run her through a couple of our Human v X-ray CQC practices." Jamie and Else's eyes went wide as the big man simply shrugged and Chang watched the situation without saying a word.
"You don't have to if you don't want to.." Braun started as Jamie simply smiled and walked over to the mat and bowed offering room for the bigger man. Susan smirked watching along as she whispered to Else, "you know Braun has never lost a match? Ever. Dude kicked Chang's ass." Else looked over and Chang simply shrugged and looked on as she mouthed softly to Jamie, "Be gentle with him." The distraction almost making Jamie miss the first punch thrown by Braun as she moved around the, surprisingly, quick German's fist, only to bring her fist up and stopping inches from his chin. "Boop," she giggled tapping his chin, "That's one for me…Wanna go to five?" Braun nodded rubbing his chin as Chang whistled and Else could hear Susan's chin hit the floor. Braun laughed a big hearty laugh and dropped down slightly, his arms open wide rolled his shoulders. Everyone watched the spectacle going before them, trades going back and forth, no one getting any solid tags, until Braun scooped Jamie up and tossed her to the ground. Jamie landing with a oof! And rolling giggling "Nnggh one for you nice…nice." The next three points came with bruises for both as they were both tied and attracting quite the crowd. Susan was far too busy taking bets from the soldiers and scientists as Else and Jamie both saw the mistake, Braun's jab overextended and Else simply shouted out loudly,
"FINISH HIM!" Jamie smiled and winked at her in that split second, hopping up and wrapping her lower half around his neck, grabbing his arm and quickly twisting herself to the right, flipping them both and pulling his arm back as he tapped. The crowd silent and then a roar swept across as they clapped and Jamie stood, helping Braun to his feet as she bowed and he held her hand up, everyone joining in as Jamie was propped up on Braun's shoulders and carried through back to the mess, Chang hanging back with Else a bit, Susan collecting the money. "Ha, welcome to Xcom, Cadet Berg." Else snapped a firm salute and nodded to Chang, "Sir, thank you and it's an honor to be here sir!" He smiled and his face dropped as he looked back the firing range and at the mat and shook his head in a dismissive way..
"Yeah…yeah it is.."