Chapter 4: Mars
It was a rough landing, but it was the best possible one, as the Avenger set down in the cold mountain ranges of the Himalaya. Snowstorms ravaged around the area just a few hours ago, making it impossible to land.
Thus, the Avenger had to wait until the snow around the Landing Zone was shoved away. But now, they had finally arrived in Mars, the biggest of the three Havens on Earth.
The Bay opened slowly, and the cold air from the outside instantly filled the inside of the Hangar, as if an angry Ice Spirit took its revenge. Luckily, XCOM provided insulating jackets to everyone, or at least those that needed one.
But still. "Damn, it's cold here." Aqua said.
"Get used to it," Bradford said. "This is our HQ, so you'll spend some time here."
"Can we at least go outside now?" Yang asked.
"Yeah, the ship is getting a little bit boring." Grif added. "And it's getting harder and harder to keep Caboose and Sarge away from the important areas."
"Most of the paperwork is already taken care of, so enjoy yourselves. If anything happens, I'll call you on your pads." Bradford said, and everyone nodded, before heading out into the settlement.
"I expected it to be sadder." Nora stated. After leaving the Avenger, they all divided into different groups. Nora was with Ren, Coco, Megumin, Lopez and Caboose.
"Maybe they're just happy with what they have." Ren said, and looked at a group of children playing with a couple of stones. "Although they don't seem to have much."
"Not surprising." Coco replied. "I doubt that much stuff comes up here. That reminds me, how do they get supplies up here anyways?"
"I'd guess the Avenger does that for them."
Lopez looked at the buildings around them, as they entered an alleyway. Most of the houses were made out of stone, so they were at least sturdy. However, there were also many shacks made out of metal and tarps, so he guessed that this town already existed before it became the Mars Haven, and those 'buildings' were added by refugees. The path under them was covered in snow, but he could notice the stone under it.
"Any idea where we should go?" Megumin asked.
"Maybe there's an information somewhere. Or a central plaza." Nora guessed. "That could be a good place to go to first."
"I wanna built a snowman." Caboose added, to everyone's confusion.
Velvet, Yatsuhashi, Tucker, Ruby, Simmons, Grif and Aqua were walking along the main street of the town, searching for any sign of a hotel, or another place to stay. To their surprise, the buildings actually gave off a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
"I think we should ask someone." Simmons suggested, and looked around for a civilian. His gaze fell upon a man, walking along the street with a log in his arms, most likely to fuel a fireplace.
"Hey! Uhm, I'm sorry, but do you know if there's a hotel anywhere?" Tucker asked.
"Are you from XCOM?" The man asked back. He had a strong Nepali accent, but it was understandable.
"Yeah. Pretty cool, right?" Velvet replied.
"There is a hotel near the city hall." The man answered, and left again.
"He didn't even answer me." Velvet said sadly.
"I'm more surprised he didn't say anything about your ears." Simmons added.
"Well, they see Aliens daily. I don't think Bunny Ears are that abnormal." Ruby guessed and looked around. "Uhm, did anyone see where Aqua went?"
Everyone started looking around, searching for her. "Oh dammit." Grif said.
Finally, after searching for a rather long time, Nora's group found an inn to warm up a bit. They went in, and were instantly greeted by warmth. A Fire was burning in a fireplace, and tables stood around at the walls, a lot of them occupied. A counter was being tended to by a woman and a man, who probably owned the place.
They went over to the said counter, and the man noticed them. "You're new here, aren't you?"
"Yep." Coco replied. "Can we have something to eat?"
"Sure. Take a seat and look at the menu." He replied with a ruff voice. A scar went over his upper arm, and they guessed that he already saw fights, and possibly was an Ex-XCOM soldier.
They searched for a place that was big enough, and took seat. Nora took the menu, and skimmed through it. "They have quite the selection here... I'm gonna take some pancakes."
"Do they have dinosaur nuggets?" Caboose asked, and Nora started to search.
"Sorry. But they have normal ones. With Fries."
"I'll take that." Caboose replied. "And Ketchup."
"Lopez gets a Taco."
"Seriamente? (Ernsthaft?)"
With that, Nora gave the menu to Coco, who started to read. "I'm gonna take a normal salad. Megumin?"
The Mage took the menu and searched for something to eat. "I can't read that."
"Just look at the pictures." Ren said.
"Then... I'll take this." She showed it to Ren and pointed at a steak.
He took the menu and chose a salad too. The owners took their order, and started to cook the meals. "So, do you think we'll have to do this for long?" Coco asked.
"At least until we defeated Advent." Megumin answered.
"Yeah, then we can return home. Or something like that. I mean, Beacon looked pretty beat up." Nora said. "And even Amity crashed into Vale."
"You think our homes were the only ones?" Caboose asked.
"I don't know..." Megumin replied. They looked up as the owner brought the first plates with food. The only one who had a problem with his meal was Lopez.
"I wonder how Caboose..." Coco muttered, only to look in surprise as a little hatch opened at the bottom of Caboose's visor, allowing him to eat.
"Anyways, I doubt it." Ren said, going back to the original topic. "If Advent is able to visit other realms, why would they stop at five?"
"Good point. Maybe there are others out there..." Nora muttered.
Finally, the rest of the food arrived, and they all started to eat. And it was the best they had in the last couple of days.
"We're here." Bradford said, as he, the Commander, the Councilman, Sarge and Masterchief entered the main building of the town. While the Chief was supposed to come along, Sarge tagged along, and no amount of talking got him out of that mindset.
"Bradford. Commander." An older man, at least in his late fifties, said with open arms. "And, three new faces. Or one."
"Mister Byanju, these are Sarge, John-Sierra 117 and the Councilman." Bradford replied.
"Oh, the fabled mole in Advent. I'm happy to make your acquaintance. My name is Vikesh Byanju." He shook first the Councilman's hand, and then the hands of the Chief and Sarge. "I'm the de-facto leader of this Haven. Since our last leader died, at least."
"Well, the Councilman is here to take his place."
"What? He's taking my position?" Byanju asked in shock.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Sarge asked.
"Oh, no. On the contrary. I'm not suited to be a leader. I'd happily give that position to someone more qualified. And I can't imagine anyone else."
"Can you show me the office?" The Councilman asked.
"Of course. Come on, this way." He led them through wooden hallways, with pictures of previous leaders, as well as heroes from XCOM hanging on the walls.
Eventually, they reached it, behind big doors made out of wood. The inside was rather sporadic. A simple desk, three shelves and a holoprojector, together with a red carpet, featuring the insignia of XCOM. The wall behind the desk consisted of a big window, allowing view of the main plaza. The severed head of an Advent Soldier, as well as a Chryssalid head hung on the wall as trophies.
"Don't worry, the window is bulletproof." Byanju assured while knocking on it. "This would be your office then. I think the rest should be self-explanatory."
"Can you give us the current status of Mars?"
"Of course, wait a moment." He went behind the desk, and opened up a holographic projection, showing different datasets about the town. "We have enough supplies for at least a month, and with the efforts of hunting and our limited growth of crops, we should last a month and a half until we need the next set of supplies. As for weapons... It still is the same as last time, although some of the older guns have started to show signs of their age. Our Recon teams are currently analyzing drone footage, and are expected to be done with that at 5 pm. The population is relatively happy, considering everything. I hope the little transmission I got is true? That we've got new soldiers?"
"Precisely." The Chief answered.
"That's great. You must be two of them, right?"
"They are." The Commander said. "They'll stay in the City as long as we're docked here, and maybe longer, depending on the situation."
"No problem. I can put in rooms for them at the hotel. If they find a way to make money, maybe they can even get their own house. You just need to tell me how many there are exactly."
"We'll give you the necessary data as soon as possible." Bradford assured.
"All right then. I'm happy to transfer my position to you, Councilman."
"What will you do now?" Bradford asked.
"I'll stay here as a right hand. I believe he could need someone who's used to this place."
"It would be appreciated." The Councilman replied.
"Aqua!" Velvet yelled. They were still searching for the Goddess, who disappeared over thirty minutes ago. Of course, their first guess was to look through the alleyways on the side, thinking that she might have lost herself in the labyrinth. However, they didn't have any luck.
"Where did she go?" Grif asked.
"Maybe she's back at the Avenger?" Ruby guessed. "I mean, where else would she be?"
They left the alleyway, finding themselves on a broad street, which led directly to the plaza, with the town hall in the backround. There was a big building next to it, presumably the Hotel.
There was a big statue in the middle of the plaza, depicting Earth, with a holographic XCOM-insignia over it. A lot of people were walking around on the plaza, and there was a collection of children, gathered around something.
"What's going on there?" Simmons asked.
"Let's check it out. Maybe it's some sort of performance." Ruby said and ran off. The others quickly followed her and were relieved, as well as surprised at what they saw.
In the middle of the children was Aqua, performing tricks with water and two fans. It was like a street magician, and the children clearly enjoyed the show. However, Grif and Simmons weren't as happy.
"What the hell? Couldn't you at least tell us where you went?"
Aqua looked at them. "Sorry. Next time, okay?"
"Seriously?" Ruby asked.
"You should have told us. We were worried." Velvet added.
"Why? It's not like there's anything dangerous in this town. And even if there were, I can defend myself, you know? Can I please resume with the show now?"
"Fine, but contact us when you're done. We'll be waiting in the hotel." Yatsuhashi said, and everyone left fo the hotel.
The inside was, like probably every building, built out of wood. A big counter stood in the middle of the back wall, with a staircase to the right. To the left was a door marked as the cafeteria.
"So, how does this work? Do we have to reserve a room, or..."
"Sure that this is even a good idea? I mean, we have our rooms on the Avenger." Tucker wondered.
"It could be a good idea to call Bradford..." Ruby said and called him. "Hey, Brad- Oh, really? The Main Building? Okay, we're on our way."
"What's going on?"
"Well, Bradford wants us all to come to the main building. He said there's an announcement to be made."
"We can't have five minutes without something happening, can we?" Grif sighed.
It took a couple of minutes, but in the end, everyone arrived in the lobby of the main building. They all stood in a semicircle, muttering to each other about what's going on. Even a lot of the Avenger's staff was on the scene. The mumbling stopped, however, as Bradford entered the room, accompanied by the Commander, Councilman, and Byanju.
"Ladies, Gentleman." The Commander began. "For a long time, we've been opressed by Advent and their Alien Masters. They took control of Earth, and afterwards, multiple realities. For long, our chances were slim, nearly non-existent. But from this day onward, we will stop hiding in the shadows. With our new Soldiers, and their abilities, we'll first take back Earth, and then every other realm conquered by Advent. From today, the XCOM-Project is officially back in Action!" In the middle of the room, the hologram of the XCOM-Insignia appeared. "Vigilo Confido!"
With that, everyone but their fists in front of their chest, and repeated the Motto. "Vigilo Confido!"
The speech inspired them, and made them eager to bring down Advent. This feeling lasted for some time, until a voice cut through the room. "Such splendid hope."
They all turned around, and looked at the entrance. Someone stood in the doorway. His white hair looked like it never got much care, and his pale face looked around, taking in everyone's face. He wore a white shirt with some sort of red symbol on it. Above that, he wore a dark-green winterjacket. One of his hands was robotic. He started to walk into the room, parting the group as he did. "So this are the new arrivaly everyone's been talking about."
"Man, he's creepy." Ruby muttered.
"And who the fuck are you?" Tucker asked.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself? How foolish of me. My name is Nagito Komaeda." He greeted. His voice sounded weak, and creeped everyone out, except for Sarge and the Chief.
"Mister Komaeda. Did everything go according to plan?" Byanju asked.
"Of course, like always."
"Is he important?" Jaune asked Bradford, who positioned himself next to JNPR's leader.
"Somewhat. He's charged with watching the drones we send out from here, and sometimes, he's sent out to scout the area."
"And is he, like, mentally ill? He doesn't sound okay..." Velvet asked.
"I think he has some problems, especially his constant talks about things like Hope. But he seems to be on our side." Bradford answered.
"Anyways, I've reviewed the footage, and found something very interesting." Nagito continued. "It looks like Advent has made a move."
"A move?" Tygan asked.
"A ship landed at the spaceport in Patna and unloaded some sort of package. Which just so happens to move towards Kanpur now."
"Kanpur? That's in India." The Commander thought out loud. "Do we know what's in the package?"
"No, but no matter what it is, I believe it could be helpful to us, even if it's just because Advent looses it." Nagito explained.
"And you mean we can intercept it?"
"Easily. They'll be using a bridge that goes over a ravine. A little bomb there and the whole convoy will plummet down. It could even kill the Advent Soldiers in the process."
"Wouldn't the package also get destroyed?" Pyrrha asked.
"Don't worry. Advent crates can withstand a lot of force. A little fall shouldn't do anything to it." Zhang answered.
"How much time do we have?" Bradford asked.
"Most likely around two hours, unless something stops them along the way."
"Then let's get moving." The Commander said. "We won't have time to get the Avenger ready, so Firebrand will depart from here. As for the team."
"We need an explosion, right?" Megumin asked, eager to tag along.
"Yes, but one the size of a bomb. You're more, like, a small nuke." Nora said. "But that means I can come, right?"
"I guess it would be okay. We still have five seats free though. I think Miss Belladonna would be a good choice. Simmons, you'll go with them as well. We need someone who can control a GREMLIN."
"Aye, Sir!"
"Then I think Darkness should go as well."
"She can't hit a damn thing." Kazuma and Zhang interrupted.
"I know, but she can work as a tank, right? Miss Scarlatina will go as our support, and Kazuma as a babysitter for Darkness."
"Hey, I don't need a babysitter!" Darkness said.
"I know this sounds like you're a little child, but you still don't understand much about our world, or Advent. I think someone who actually is from Earth should be a great help."
"Fine."
"Well then, go straight to the Avenger and Firebrand. Julian? Go along and give them some equipment."
"Man, this will fail." Julian said, but nevertheless, tagged along.
Over the next few minutes, everyone scattered, either continuing to explore town, or talking with each other. Bradford, who was standing next to Nagito and Tucker as the team for the next mission left, stared after them.
"Go on, and crush the Despair that is Advent, in the name of Hope." Nagito muttered, and Tucker took a step away from him.
"Christ, you're creepy."
And here's Chapter 4, which could be considered the end of the Prologue.
Anyways, this Chapter saw the arrival of a new, important character. If anyone doesn't know, Nagito is from a game series called 'Danganronpa', a mystery visual novel. It's a great game series, and I highly recommend it.
Now to replies:
Ellight1: I'm not quite sure what will happen with Vahlen. Maybe she'll appear, maybe not. We'll see.
KrimsonShadow: Yes.
Guest: Yes, some of them will make an appearence. Some less dangerous, some extremely dangerous.
thelonewander117: I'd be both.
XCOM belongs to Firaxis Games; Halo belongs to 343 Industries and Microsoft, RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth; RvB belongs to Rooster Teeth; KonoSuba belongs to Shousetsuka ni Narou; DanganRonpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft