First Contact: Thin Men

The Citadel, Office of the Commander

One week later

It had been a quiet week by XCOM standards.

One alien abduction had been reported and a squad had been sent in and quickly wiped the aliens out. There'd been no sign of outsiders or the alien infiltrators. They had only encountered sectoids and some of their drones. The soldiers were adapting quickly to counter their abilities as best they could and as a result, were slowly gaining the upper hand.

It helped that every soldier now had a detailed analysis of the aliens encountered. He'd released the full report Vahlen had sent to him, which described the sectoid and it's abilities in addition to the autopsy that had been performed. Shen and his team had used the data from the sectoid autopsy and drone breakdown to upgrade every soldier's hardsuit which allowed more focused targeting on weak points in the alien's physiology and structure.

He'd also released everything they had on the outsiders as well. Even if they didn't have many concrete details, the soldiers needed to be aware of their abilities and apply the necessary tactics. Most of which boiled down to, "Use as many bullets and grenades as necessary." Morale wasn't exactly low at the moment, but the combination of a new regenerating alien and the death of Paige had certainly shaken it.

The new soldiers had also arrived. Ten in total, they brought his reserves up to an acceptable level. He'd personally screened and approved them and was confident that he chose the best of the best. It hadn't exactly been cheap, as the Council nations preferred to keep their best soldiers to themselves, but he viewed it as a necessary expense. If XCOM fell, it didn't matter if those countries had the best soldiers in the world, they would all die. Plain and simple.

"Commander to the Research Labs," The synthesized female voice blared over the loudspeaker. "Commander to the Research Labs."

He got up. Vahlen must have finished her research on the weapon fragments. He hoped there'd been a breakthrough. He opened a line to Bradford.

"Tell Vahlen I'm on my way."

"Will do, Commander."

The Citadel, Research Labs

Vahlen's team was slightly larger now, thanks to the Council sending several of their top scientists in addition to the soldiers he requested. She'd been ecstatic when they'd arrived and immediately put them to work. She'd told him that the speed of their research would be increased dramatically thanks to the additional help.

The glass doors hissed open and he strode into the sterile environment. Scientists were hunched over microscopes or running simulations on the alien artifacts. Vahlen herself was discussing something with one of her scientists while both of them were looking at results on her tablet.

Her eyes flashed up and caught a glimpse of him. She began telling her colleague to leave, but the Commander shook his head, indicating she should finish. She nodded and resumed her conversation while he went to a table that had several of the weapon fragments on it.

How Vahlen and her team had been able to get anything at all from these ruined scraps of circuits and metal, he didn't know. But it was impressive, to say the least. None of the fragments were larger than his fist and all were charred to some degree in the places where the weapon had broken apart.

He looked over to another table and blinked. Interesting. Someone had tried to reconstruct one of the sectoid wrist weapons and the result didn't look half-bad. There were clear weld marks and the weapon wasn't pretty, but it looked like it could actually function.

"Don't get your hopes up," Vahlen warned as she walked over. "The weapon's systems are designed to only activate then attached to a biological component. Not to mention it lacks a power core we can't replicate. We didn't believe we could learn anything more from it."

"Ah," the Commander answered, standing back up. "Understandable. Still, it isn't that badly put together."

Vahlen ran her fingers through her hair. "Thank you, Commander. It's sad that this particular experiment didn't work out the way I had hoped."

"So what have you found out?"

She pursed her lips. "Do you want the good news, or the bad?"

"Best to get the bad news out of the way."

She nodded. "It's probably not a surprise, but examining the fragments confirmed that their technology is vastly superior to our own. The level of complexity and delicacy surpasses anything we have created."

Not really unexpected. "And what is the good news?"

She motioned him over and gestured at her tablet. Schematics for what appeared to be a new kind of weapon were displayed. "I believe we have a firm enough grasp on the fragments to begin fabricating advanced weapons of our own."

He took a closer look. "Laser weaponry. Useful."

Vahlen nodded. "Agreed. We have to solve the problem of heat dissipation, but with your approval, we can begin working on them immediately."

"Do you have a time-table?"

She frowned. "Four, five days, perhaps? Provided nothing unexpected happens."

The Commander nodded. "Do it. Anything else?"

"Yes," she swiped her finger on the tablet and new schematics for a scope appeared. "In conjunction with Shen's team, we were able to design a new type of scope beyond anything created before. Shen would like to begin integrating this scope with all our current weaponry as soon as possible."

The Commander frowned. "As much as I would like to, that kind of investment isn't cheap and XCOM has a limited amount of funds."

"Understood, Commander," Vahlen nodded. "Shen just asked me to pass on his request."

"I'll speak to him," the Commander promised. "But excellent work. This will hopefully allow us to gain an advantage over the aliens."

Vahlen leaned against the table and sighed. "I hope so. This task seems so…daunting sometimes. I sometimes wonder if we're looking down the right paths. How long until we invest into a project that ultimately fails?"

"Don't worry about that," the Commander encouraged. "You're one of the smartest people in the world for a reason. I'm certain that you won't let me down."

She looked at him and gave a faint smile. "I'm flattered. Truly. I hope your trust is well placed."

The Commander gave a small smile. "I'm certain it is."

"Commander to the Situation Room," Bradford's voice broke over the loudspeaker. "Commander to the Situation Room."

The Commander looked up at the speaker and frowned. If Bradford was calling him up, something must be happening. Could the Council want something? Perhaps. Best to see what it was.

"I should probably see what that is," he said apologetically to Vahlen. "Apologies for cutting this short."

She shook her head fiercely. "No need, Commander. We each have our roles to play. I'll speak to you later."

The Commander walked out of the labs, wondering what Bradford needed him for that was so important.

The Citadel, Situation Room

The Commander strode into the room where Bradford was leaning on the table. He pushed himself up immediately once he noticed the Commander and saluted.

"Commander," he greeted. "We have a priority transmission from the Council."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "Do we now? What for?"

Bradford shook his head. "Can't say, Commander. But I'm guessing it's important."

Let's hope it's nothing major, the Commander thought. If some councilors were uniting against him, this could be bad news. Realistically, it was unlikely that this particular request had anything to do with that issue, but best to prepare.

Bradford handed him a tablet. "It's set up and ready when you are," he told him. "I'll leave you to it."

The Commander raised a hand. "No need. I think it's time you had more direct communication with our…allies."

Bradford nodded and stepped off to the side. "If you think so, Commander. Thank you."

The Commander turned his attention away from Bradford and to the screen. Mentally preparing himself, he opened the video feed. The screen flashed and a figure silhouetted by a familiar blue light greeted him. Sadly, it wasn't the bald speaker, but the female one.

So, this seemed to confirm that the Council had only two speakers, both of whom alternated with each other. Good to know. Perhaps this speaker had taken a lesson from her colleague in impartiality. Realistically, he doubted it.

"Commander," the Speaker greeted. "The Council is…pleased…that you have answered our request."

What did they expect him to do? Ignore them and add more legitimacy to those allied against him? He inwardly sighed. His false diplomatic side was going to be exercised now.

"Of course, Speaker," he nodded. "I assume the Council would not request me for anything trivial."

"You assume correctly," the Speaker replied. "We have…acquired…some information that may be critical to your ongoing fight."

Was that right? Were they actually doing something?

"You have my attention."

The Speaker gave an almost imperceptible nod, her hand pressed a button off to the side and the image of a man appeared on the screen. He was clearly of Chinese origin, likely late forties to early fifties with dull grey hair. The most striking aspects of his profile were the jagged scars across his right eye and cheek.

"Shaojie Zhang," the Speaker explained. "From our sources, he is a highly placed operative in the Chinese Triad. Despite his background, he contacted us, requesting extraction in exchange for an alien…device…his superiors found."

Now that was interesting. Since his focus had been on the Middle East during the War on Terror, he hadn't had much interaction with the Triads, though he was well aware of their reputation. However, he knew that each member of the Triads took oaths upon initiation, some of which dealt with betrayal. The punishments were rather grandiose too if he remembered correctly, failing any of the oaths resulting in either death by "Five thunderbolts," or "A myriad of swords." He was convinced that these particular deaths were only kept as tradition, if repeated at all. But the sentiment remained.

Which made him skeptical of this Triad member's supposed "defection."

"How highly placed is this man?" The Commander asked.

"He claims to hold the rank, roughly translating to "Vanguard." In a gesture to…prove… his identify, he has sent over thirty document detailing Triad activity in the past ten years. I will forward them to your central officer now."

"Receiving," Bradford muttered.

Assuming that the Triad still used the same ranking system as ten years ago, Zhang wasn't just a "highly placed operative," he was one step away from the so-called "Dragon Head" himself. Which would explain how he was able to acquire an alien device.

"Do we have confirmation that he actually has the alien device?" the Commander demanded.

"Mr. Zhang has said that he will only turn over the device once he had been extracted and provided asylum."

The Commander crossed his arms. "And you want me to send a team to extract him."

The Speaker nodded. "Correct, Commander. We feel you are best suited to handle this as you have had much experience with…unsavory…individuals, as well as the fact that the alien device might provide some insight into their motives or technology."

Even Bradford picked up on the faintly veiled insult as he glanced up, frowned, and returned to looking at the tablet. For his part, the Commander took it in stride and didn't show any emotion. He had thought having Bradford in the room might deter these passive-aggressive comments, but apparently not.

"I am…flattered…you think so highly of me," the Commander answered in veiled sarcasm. "Once I have extracted Zhang are there any more…instructions…for me."

"Yes," the Speaker folded her hands. "Once the device has been recovered, restrain Zhang and prepare him for transport to the ADX Florence for detainment and subsequent trial."

The Commander blinked. Despite himself he was actually impressed. Using someone like that and then betraying them was incredibly cold and more in line with something he would do rather than the Council.

Still, there was the little detail that Zhang had made a deal in exchange for the device and while the Commander wouldn't hesitate to execute anyone who posed a threat to XCOM, he was certainly not going to betray someone who was helping them.

Though if someone wanted to argue semantics, technically it was the Council who was backing out on the deal and not him. But he hated that kind of cop-out thinking. Despite what the Council believed about him, he had standards, and one of those was "Do not betray those who help you."

Still, no reason to not be tactful. Yet. "Is that not betraying our word?" he questioned. "I presume that you have already agreed to extract him and that likely meant accepting his deal."

"The files he provided us have incriminated him ten times over," the Speaker's tone turned harsh enough that the synthetic distortion couldn't hide it. "This man was responsible millions of dollars in illegal drug trading, counterfeiting, not to mention responsible for overseeing operations using intimidation, physical assault and murder. He is a detriment to society and does not deserve our mercy or protection."

The words described Zhang, but he felt they were clearly directed at him. The hypocrisy stung. They were apparently fine, at least publically, with him, a declared war criminal, leading a paramilitary organization to defend against an alien invasion. But refusing to honor a deal with a criminal whose crimes were not nearly as numerous or high was seen as "morally right?"

"This may be the right course of action if there wasn't an invasion," the Commander warned carefully. "As there is, I feel that we need all the help we can get. While both of us certainly want justice to be served, a trial right now is borderline on ignoring the real threat and instead focusing on a personal vendetta," he shook his head in mock disbelief. "I mean, both of us can agree how unprofessional and selfish that would be, right."

The Speaker was silent for a few minutes. She didn't even bother hiding the venom in her voice when she finally spoke. "Of course, Commander. We can both agree that according to the law, this man deserves prison at the least and likely death. A completely impartial judgement. You have your orders. The Council expects them followed to the letter."

The screen went blank.

Despite the abrupt disconnection, the Commander smiled. Riling up the Speaker had felt very satisfying and disconnecting without so much as a farewell might even reflect badly on her.

Bradford let out a sigh and leaned against the table. "Are they…always like this?"

He looked over at him. "No. The other speaker they have is decent. By that I mean that he actually does his job impartially."

Bradford shook his head. "I guess I expected the Council to be more…friendly…I suppose. If I didn't know better I'd say that you have some enemies."

"I do," he revealed to Bradford. "If you are ever in a leadership position, you will always have enemies. It's an inevitable part of the job."

Bradford sounded subdued. "Perhaps. I suppose I never understood what you had to deal with. Are you going to follow their instructions?"

Some would view this as a dilemma. He did not. "That depends on if Zhang actually has the alien device," he answered firmly. "If he does, I am not turning him over to the Council. If he does not, we turn him over."

Bradford handed him a tablet. "Just based on the files he sent over as proof, I'm inclined to believe that he is legitimate. The Council is not going to be happy with you."

"Perhaps," the Commander shrugged. "But until they replace me, I'm conducting this operation and will do it the right way."

Bradford nodded. "Understood. I'll prepare one of our skyrangers."

The Commander nodded. "Good. I'll prepare a team."

The Citadel, Engineering Bay

Abby picked up the improved med-kit and frowned at the engineer who'd been showing it off. "So it uses stimulants? I thought that line of research had been abandoned because of the addiction risks."

The engineer wrung his hands together. "That particular issue was rather challenging and was the first thing addressed. But honestly, we didn't develop the actual non-addictive stimulant. Give your thanks to Vahlen's team for that. We were the ones who integrated it into the existing med-kit as well as improving the amount of charges."

"Which is appreciated," Abby agreed. "How long will a revived soldier last?"

The engineer rested his chin on his fist. "Based on animal testing, around three to four hours before the stimulant will wear off. But we don't know how it will actually perform in the field."

Abby hooked the med-kit to her belt. "Thank you. How long before the rest of the med-kits are upgraded."

The engineer shook his head. "That's going to be up to the Commander. We sadly don't have unlimited funds or resources to make everything we want. We have to pick and choose. You're a medic, so you need the best we can make, but it's not economically feasible to upgrade every single med-kit."

Abby sighed. "Understandable, I suppose. Is Shen going to push for funding in any particular direction?"

"He might," the engineer admitted. "We've developed a new type of scope that would dramatically increase the aim of our weapons. He's likely to push for something that will benefit all of the soldiers instead of a situational tool." He gave an apologetic shrug. "Nothing against you, but I think that's how he sees it."

As much as she disliked it, it made sense. But she got the feeling that she was going to be needed soon and concerned what would happen if she didn't make it. Which was a very real possibility, as Paige's death had shown.

The wristband she was wearing buzzed. The Commander had recently distributed them to more easily notify soldiers of deployment. Her heart began racing as the vibrating metal sent minute ripples on her fair skin. It was time.

"I've got to go," she told the engineer. "Thanks, again. I hopefully won't need this."

He gave a solemn nod. "Good luck.

The Citadel, Hanger Bay

She'd become so accustomed to her armor over the past few weeks that at this point, it was almost like a second skin. She'd been occasionally shooting on the range but the majority of her time had been devoted to learning the medical equipment and speaking with the soldiers.

She'd been legitimately surprised to find out that she was technically more qualified than any of the medics on staff to treat battlefield injuries, a fact she tried to downplay as much as possible. What they lacked in degrees, they made up for in experience. So far, none of the soldiers that had come back wounded had required her intervention, though she had taken a look at some of the wounds.

The alien weapons seems to utilize some kind of concentrated heat or beam technology. Laser could be applied to one of the wounds she'd seen, but from performing the autopsy on Paige, their main weapons did far more damage than cauterization; the beam also acted as an acid of some kind that spread out while dissolving and melting the skin.

The best explanation was the use of plasma. It shouldn't be possible to utilize it on this scale, but she couldn't think of another explanation for the wounds she had seen. She'd asked Dr. Vahlen about it after seeing the evidence she'd provided, seemed to agree, though she admitted she'd have to run some more tests to be sure.

Well, for now she was going off this theory and in response had equipped herself with anti-acid and anti-burn equipment as well as her med-kits and heavy-duty scalpels. She looked down at the med-kit strapped to her leg to remind herself it was still there. She was terrified of accidentally leaving her gear behind and as a result, was constantly checking herself.

Reassured, she removed her helmet from the crook of her arm and placed it on her head as she approached the hanger door. She heard a familiar click and hiss and waited a few seconds as the HUD booted up. Engineering had told her the each of the suits were insulated to prevent EMP attacks, but she was not entirely convinced that would hold up.

The hanger door hissed open and she strode through. At least she wasn't the last one to arrive. Myra Rodriguez was waiting along with Pete Chandler and one of the new recruits…what was his name? Jo something? She scowled inside her helmet. She'd made a point to at least remember names. Her frustration was quickly replaced by interest as she saw the fourth member of the team. A sniper clad in pure black armor.

So he did exist.

The mysterious sniper had been a briefly debated subject a few days after he'd gone on a mission under Patricia's command. The interesting part was that no one had been able to find him since, leading some to believe that he hadn't actually gone on it at all. The fact that he hadn't showed up on the official after-action report was even stranger.

Well, by the accounts she'd heard, this man was an excellent shot and followed orders well. He also didn't speak for some reason, but he hopefully had gotten over it by now. An additional armor case was at his feet, implying…what exactly? An extraction or hostage situation? Hopefully Myra would have some answers.

Myra saw her and nodded, her grey armor dimly reflecting the cavern lights. "Abby, good. Almost everyone's here."

"Another abduction?" She asked.

"Good question," she answered, somewhat irritated. She motioned over to the sniper. "I'm pretty sure he knows, but has so far refused to inform me."

"Do you know anything about him?" she asked. "I mean, he's only really been seen once."

Myra's tone turned to a mix of wary and nervous. "That he's dangerous. There's a reason he keeps to himself. Look at his "nationality."" Abby looked at his armor collar where the soldier's national flag was displayed and she turned cold.

"Ah," was all she said.

The bloody crucifix was an image she never wanted to see again. She'd thought that that symbol had been destroyed when the Commander's team had been captured, tried and executed.

Apparently not.

"Yeah," Myra confirmed in a subdued tone. "We have a terrorist working for XCOM."

"Wonderful," Abby stated. "What is he doing in XCOM?"

"If I had to guess, he's probably here at the request of our commander."

She frowned. "Why would he want a known terrorist?"

Myra's head turned sharply and Abby could swear she could read surprise on her emotionless helmet. "You haven't heard? Well…ok. How to put this…the commander we have now once worked for the terrorist commander."

Abby stepped back. "What?" she hissed. "What is he doing free?"

"According to Liam, he defected and helped capture the Commander when he killed the vice president." Myra explained.

"Still," Abby shook her head. "Why did the Council put him in charge of XCOM? Surely there are…better…people than a former terrorist to choose from?"

Myra took out her pistol and eyed the sniper. "Don't ask me. But between us, our commander hasn't done a bad job so far."

"How did Liam ever hear about it?"

"He told him," Myra shrugged. "He hasn't tried to hide it. I've heard that if you ask, he'll tell you. Which makes me inclined to think either he's admitting his mistakes and trying to atone, or deceiving every one of us."

Abby snorted as a thought came to her. "I guess things have come full circle for him. He worked for the Commander and now he is the Commander."

"It gets confusing sometimes," Myra agreed. "I don't know why the Commander doesn't use his name. Habit, I guess."

"Are you going to do anything about him?" She subtly inclined her head towards the sniper.

Myra holstered her pistol. "I'll be watching him. If he so much as runs the other direction, I'm enacting the Janus Contingency. I'm not treating a psycho like that lightly."

Abby was relieved that Myra had some common sense. The hanger door hissed open and three more people walked through. Adrian Francis, Pete Chandler and their pilot who she remembered well due to her unique name. Riley Ignis, or "Burning Sky."

Riley wasted no time. "Load up!" She ordered. "We have a limited window here!" The ramp to the skyranger descended and Myra motioned everyone to enter.

"You heard the pilot!" Myra yelled. "Move out!"

Skyranger, En route to Landing Zone

Riley must have been in a hurry. No sooner than she'd strapped in had the engines roared and they'd gone airborne. She gritted her teeth as the skyranger shook with turbulence, that was something she still wasn't used to. Even though she knew better, it felt at times that the skyranger was going to break apart at any time.

But after a few minutes it smoothed out and she began to relax. As much as she was able, what with them likely to fight in the near future.

"Stand by for the Commander," Burning Sky's voice announced. "Patching through now."

That was fast. Mission briefings didn't usually come until right before deployment. Then again, this clearly wasn't an ordinary mission.

"This is the Commander to Bengal Team," the Commander's voice broke through. "This mission has been specifically requested for us by the Council. Your target: Shaojie Zhang, Chinese Triad, now defector to the UN. Uploading image now."

Her HUD flashed and the image of older and grizzled Chinese man appeared in the right-hand corner. She didn't know much about organized crime in general, but even so, she immediately wasn't sure about this mission. What if it was a trap? The Commander continued.

"Zhang is reportedly in possession of an alien device that he claims he acquired from his superiors. While we have been able to determine his identity, the device in his possession is not something we could verify. Be wary of a trap. If Zhang has the device, have him armor up in the additional suit provided and arm him, then bring him to the extraction zone. If he does not, subdue him and bring him back to the Citadel for interrogation. If that is not possible, execute him."

"Should we expect alien contacts?" Myra asked.

"Unknown. We don't know if the Triad's acquisition of this device indicates collaboration or simply opportunism. The Triad will likely notice Zhang's absence by the time you get there, so expect hostile contacts regardless. Be advised that the Triad will likely attempt to use deception to reacquire Zhang and may appear posing as military or law enforcement."

Myra was silent for a few seconds. "Does this mean the Thanatos Contingency is in effect?"

"Yes. Consider this a formal declaration."

"Understood, sir." Myra stated.

Damn it. Abby seethed. She'd hoped that was one contingency she'd be able to avoid. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Well, no way was she just executing people simply for acting suspicious and she didn't think the rest of the squad was going to either. She didn't understand his reasoning for the contingency. Did he really think that soldiers were just going to shoot people for giving them a hard time and just forget it? No. Because people didn't think like that and from her experience, most were reasonable. The knowledge that the man had worked for the Commander made all the contingencies make a lot more sense. Maybe he was conditioned to prepare for the worst case scenario, but the wording and descriptions bordered the extreme.

"This is a time sensitive mission, Bengal Team," the Commander emphasized. "Go in, get the target, and get out. Good luck. Citadel Command, out."

Myra looked over at the silent sniper with the armor case at his feet. "You know, you could have just told us what it was for and saved us a lot of time."

As expected, he said nothing. But he seemed almost amused by her comment. Myra was probably rolling her eyes but turned back to the rest of the squad. "I've received the location for our target and our landing zone. It's not far, but it'll require speed and precision. Follow my lead exactly. Do not deviate from my orders at all," she ordered with a pointed look at the sniper. "Understood?"

"Yes, Overseer!" they shouted in response. Myra looked at each of the soldiers.

"Adrian, Pete, Abby and Jo. Did I get the names right?"

"Yep," Adrian confirmed. "You may be the first to actually remember Jo's name."

The man in the tan-colored armor groaned. "Not quite. Everyone remembers my first name for some reason. Not my full name."

Myra shrugged. "Sorry."

"Don't take it personally," Adrian mockingly comforted. "I guess it's just so generic that it fades after a few seconds."

"In the interest of breaking that theory," Abby broke in. "What is it exactly?"

"Simon," he emphasized clearly. "It's Simon."

"Sorry," Pete raised a hand. "What was it again? I forgot?"

They each chuckled at that. Jo punched him good-naturedly. "Hilarious, utterly hilarious."

"Getting back to a more serious topic," Myra continued, leaning forward. "A reminder that just because the Thanatos Contingency has been activated, it does not mean we are going to execute it. You are to check your fire, regardless of the Commander's orders. Understood?"

Each of them nodded in confirmation. "Understood, Overseer."

Good for her. It was rather brave of her to directly challenge a superior like that, especially since everything they said was being recorded and watched.

"Squad Overseer, be advised that the Thanatos Contingency is not an order. It is an authorization. Just clarifying."

It was the closest thing to chastisement she'd heard from the Commander. "Clarified," Myra informed the Commander. "Thank you."

"Of course, Overseer. Use your best judgement."

The squad was silent after that for a while. She hoped that this went smoothly and everyone got out without having to fire a shot. Given their luck, that was highly unlikely.

"This is Burning Sky to Bengal Team. We're coming in hot, prepare for deployment in thirty!"

"Understood, Burning Sky," Myra acknowledged and motioned to the squad. "Everyone up! Prepare to deploy!"

There was a multitude of hisses as they unstrapped and readied their weapons. Abby's balance wasn't quite adjusted to deployment so she still grabbed onto the handle at the top of the skyranger. One day she'd be able to keep her balance like Myra.

"Landing in five!"

The skyranger shuddered as they hit the ground. With a hiss and the sound of squealing metal the ramp deployed.

"Go, go, go!" Myra shouted as they charged into desolate street.

China, Hong Kong Slums

"Should it normally be this quiet?" Abby whispered as they silently made their way through the streets.

"This isn't a heavily populated area," Jo informed. "Besides, I doubt anyone is going to mess with six heavily armed soldiers."

"And how many of those people work for the Triad?" Adrian asked. "They do employ poor people, right?"

"I'd be surprised if they didn't," Jo admitted. "But they don't know why we're here, for the moment."

"Abby's right," Myra muttered. "Something is off here. This isn't heavily populated by Hong Kong standards. Over seven million people live here, I find it hard to believe that we haven't seen any yet."

"Check that." Pete muttered. "Got one." He motioned with rifle towards a man in a business suit.

"Leave him alone," Myra ordered. "Don't engage unless he does."

They moved past him. The man barely reacted at all, he followed them with his head, eyes obscured by spectacles, then turned and walked off.

"Crisis averted," Jo muttered. "All clear."

"For now," Adrian amended. "Let's hope that guy wasn't an informant."

Myra raised a fist. "Building sighted. Prep for door breach."

The building could barely be called one at all. At best it was four crumbling concrete walls, a moldy roof and a rotting door. Almost perfect for hiding. The team began moving into positions but Abby put a hand on Myra's arm.

"Is a breach really necessary?" She asked. "Aside from intimidation, it doesn't really provide us with anything."

"It's standard procedure," Myra defended. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Get into position," Abby suggested. "Let me talk to him."

Myra was quiet for a few seconds, then imperceptibly relaxed. "Fine. But if you take a shotgun blast through the door, it's your own fault."

"Thank you." She waited until Myra and Jo were positioned on either side of the door. Adrian and Pete were positioned behind a neighboring wall and trash can, respectively. The sniper had drawn his pistol and taken a position behind Myra. That case on his back must be exhausting for him, he probably positioned himself there so he could get it off as quickly as possible.

Abby rapped on the door a few times. "Mr. Zhang? We're the extraction team from the UN," she paused for a second trying to find the right word to finish. "Um, respond?"

"Enter." A gruff and heavily accented voice answered.

Myra nodded at Jo and Abby stepped back. Myra opened the door and weapon raised, walked in.

Shaojie Zhang was sitting on a dilapidated couch while looking decidedly unimpressed at their entrance. He raised an eyebrow and humped. "So, you are my contacts. I did not believe the United Nations would take my offer seriously. But no one who fears reprisal openly walks around in equipment like that."

"We're trying to avoid reprisal," Myra amended. "But thanks anyway. You claim to have an alien device. I want to see it now."

"Of course," Zhang complied and lifted a medium-sized briefcase with what looked like a fingerprint lock. "It won't take long for them to realize I'm missing," he warned them while lowering the case. "Especially since I've got this thing with me. If you take me with you, it's all yours." He finished with an open palmed sweep, the briefcase hanging off his fingers.

"That's our man," Bradford told them. "Bengal Team, gear up Zhang and move to the evac point."

"Acknowledged," Myra responded and motioned the sniper forward who set down the case. "Mr. Zhang, we're cleared to extract you out of here. For your safety, we need you to don this armor."

Zhang actually looked slightly surprised at that. "That is…appreciated. I doubted that the United Nations would case for the safety of a known criminal."

"Thank the Commander," Jo told him as Zhang started gearing up. "I doubt this was included in the Council's instructions."

Abby eyed the briefcase. "Where did you get that thing?"

"I acquired it from my superior, though 'stole' is the appropriate word. I'm not sure where he got this thing, but I knew he was taking bidders from a variety of sources, regardless of their intentions."

"Ask him about the Triad's involvement with the aliens." The Commander ordered.

Myra complied. "Has your boss struck an agreement with the aliens?"

Zhang pulled on his gauntlets. "I am afraid I cannot answer that. He is a practical man and would not make a deal without reason. But once I saw the device, I began to fear the implications. Whatever he gained from the aliens…in even attempting to sell this technology, he has already sold out humanity for his own ambition." The disgust was plain in his voice.

It was actually kind of amusing. Who would have thought a Chinese criminal would be so…principled? Zhang snapped on his helmet and the sniper handed him a rifle. Myra looked at him with interest.

"Rather noble of you," she stated, echoed Abby's sentiment.

He shrugged. "Do not mischaracterize me. I've crossed many lines during my life, but now we all face a common enemy."

Well…despite his background, Zhang didn't seem like such a bad guy. Although it could just be an act, she doubted it. It wasn't for her to decide anyway, the Commander would do that.

"You ready?" Myra asked Zhang who gave a curt nod.

"I am."

Myra pointed at the sniper. "Get on top of that roof," she pointed to a small building overlooking a graveyard. "I shoot anything suspicious."

The man gave the Commander's salute and dashed off to follow his orders. Myra motioned the rest of them forward. "Lock down vocoders and find cover, enter overwatch protocol until my order. Zhang, stay with me."

Each soldier responded with an affirmative including Zhang.

This was going to have to be perfectly timed. Even when Myra called in the skyranger, it couldn't stay here unlike other missions since that would only attract fire and possibly strand them. Which meant that they had to almost be at the LZ before calling it in and risk a potential firefight.

Each of them moved up slowly. "Entering overwatch," Abby informed as she steadied her weapon.

They waited a tense few seconds. "Move forward," Myra ordered cautiously. "Only take good cover."

Abby took position behind a column. She was about to utter an affirmation when an unearthly shriek broke out and echoed throughout the area.

Adrian voiced what they were thinking. "What was that?"

Zhang had no doubts. "They've come for me."

"Get into positions!" Myra hissed and each of them rested their rifles on columns or gravestones.

"We've got a group of civvies incoming." Jo muttered and Abby looked to see a trio of suited men, not unlike the one earlier approaching them. They were remarkably similar proportional and their bowler hats made them seem just off the set of some old movie.

"Shoot them!" Zhang insisted. "They're here to kill us!"

"Wait," Myra insisted. "Fire warning shots!"

Abby let loose some fire at their feet and the only response was one of the men peeling his lips back in an imitation of a smile. "They're still coming…"She yelled hesitantly.

"We've got more of them!" Pete warned as another trio of the oddly dressed men entered the graveyard.

"We're out of time!" Zhang hissed. "Open fire."

Three consecutive shots rang out in the silent night. Abby looked up to see the sniper reloading his smoking rifle. But what happened next surprised all of them. The "civilian's" bodies shuddered once and like steam escaping a broken pipe, some green mist gushed out of multiple wounds caused by the escaping mist.

"Open fire!" Myra yelled. The human impersonators gave up the act and withdrew silver plasma weapons with a transparent green strip running along each side. They scampered along through the graveyard and took well covered positions against them.

"Jo! Pete! Abby! Suppression on each individual alien. Zhang and I will get closer!"

"Copy!" Abby yelled. "Targeting the leftmost one!" The creature seemed to hiss at her as he hunkered to avoid her scathing fire.

The cover of one of the creatures collapsed when Jo poured bullets into it, the alien didn't even have time to react before it was riddled with bullets.

"Got one!" he yelled.

"Good job!" Myra complemented. "Zhang, get ready to fire. Grenade out!"

With an overhand throw, she landed the grenade right between the covering aliens. They both dashed away but not before one was ripped to shreds. The other scampered away with bullets flying past. "Missed the target." Zhang muttered in disgust.

Abby did as well. The alien was surprisingly nimble, leaping, flipping and dodging with ease. But she needn't have worried. Another sniper shot rang out and the creature collapsed to the ground with a clean hole through the heart.

It appeared that the skills of this sniper had not been exaggerated.

"They're coming down behind us!" Adrian screamed as he pointed to four more aliens, two on each side, leap off a two story building without a moment of hesitation.

"Reposition!" Myra ordered. "Take them out!"

Abby moved to the other side of the column, praying that she wasn't in range of the other two aliens. Green plasma fire blazed throughout the battlefield. One close blast scorched the grass near her foot. She scowled and return fire.

The sniper was trying to get a good shot, but didn't seem to be succeeding. Several shots rang out, but only one even grazed the alien. That particular alien responded by thrusting it's head forward and…spitting? Was it spitting something?

The odd acid green projectile was too fast for him to avoid and right on contact it exploded into the same green mist the aliens exhumed when they died. She saw and opportunity and unloaded everything she had into the briefly exposed alien.

She risked a brief glance at the sniper. Green wisps clung to him and he writhed and shuddered in silent agony. The barrel of his rifle wavered but he steadied it for a brief second then fired. Without making a sound, the recoil blasted him back out of her sight. But his shot was true, the alien was dead.

She looked over at Myra. "We've got a man down!" she yelled.

The rest of the squad was currently dealing with the other two aliens, who had been joined by three more. One cloud of mist indicated they'd managed to kill one, but plasma fire rained dangerously close to each of them.

"Take care of him!" Myra ordered as she pinned a hissing alien down. "We've got this for now!"

After making sure each alien as occupied, she dashed forward and climbed the ladder to the roof. One of the aliens must have spotted her because plasma fire slammed into the brick walls nearly gutting her. The adrenaline pumped through her as she climbed faster and faster to avoid being torched.

On the top, the sniper was trying to rise and resume his position. She dashed up to him and kneeled. "Hey! Hey! Slow down! I need to treat this!"

He looked up and she could swear he was surprised. Why should he be? Sure, he may have committed terrible crimes, but he didn't deserve to die now. She unhooked her med-kit. "Ok, this needs to be done quickly. Does it hurt to move?"

He writhed on the ground as she remembered he didn't speak. She scowled. There wasn't time for this. "Fine, fine. Nod for yes. Shake for no. Got it? Does it hurt to move?"

One nod.

Alright, that was good and bad. Likely some kind of acid, which she believed the med-kit should fix without issues. The bad news was that it was incredibly painful and she had no idea how he was bearing this silently. But the good was that it was likely mitigated by the armor and probably hadn't gone past the skin.

"Sorry," she apologized preemptively. "But I need to sit you up." She nodded and with a grunt, moved him until he was leaning against the protected wall overlooking the graveyard.

Once he was in position, she placed her hands on his helmet. "Alright, I nee-" she was abruptly cut off when he grasped her arm with an iron grip. The message was clear.

She'd almost had enough. "What is your problem!?" she hissed. "I'm trying to save your life!" He simply pointed at the med-kit on the ground. In the background, another high-pitched shriek indicated a dead alien.

Abby angrily snatched the med-kit from the ground and aimed it like a weapon at him. It should work regardless, but if something went wrong, he'd likely die of suffocation or the acid would eat into his eyes and brain. "Moron," she hissed as she sprayed the light blue mist.

The effect was almost instantaneous. The shuddering and writhing stopped and she saw his chest rise and fall several times. A few seconds later he reached for his sniper rifle and rested it on the railing. She looked over to see one of the aliens in a flanked positions.

"You good?" she asked.

One shot. One scream.

"I guess so." She stated.

She began moving back down but hesitated. The vantage point up here was clearly superior and a few brief seconds of targeting confirmed that this was an ideal position. With that in mind, she took a position to the sniper's right.

"Myra, man restored to fighting status. I'm staying up here."

"Yeah, we noticed," Myra's voice was tense. "Not a moment too soon. These things just won't stop coming."

Abby unleashed a volley at an alien which struck the grass under it. "Everyone alright?"

"For the moment. Pete took some damage, but the armor absorbed it. I've pulled him back for now."

The sniper took another shot that blew out a knee of the alien causing it to stumble to the ground. Abby witnessed Myra finish it off.

"These aliens can shoot some kind of acid or poison," she informed Myra. "The med-kits fix it, but I've only got a few available."

"Acknowledged and- Zhang! Watch you left!"

Abby watched in horror as one of the aliens charged Zhang's position. The thing ducked and weaved through the ballistic fire with fluid grace and agility. These things just couldn't be hit! But Zhang was prepared. The alien began aiming but Zhang took the initiative and charged. It hissed in surprise, an expression that was unnerving on a human and clearly tried firing, but Zhang tore the weapon from the alien's hand and tossed it aside, shattering it in the process.

Zhang slammed the alien to a nearby column and slammed his foot into the knee of the alien which snapped like a wet branch. Even Abby winced at that and the alien let out an unnatural shriek. Zhang continued by grabbing the arm and snapping it at the elbow.

She knew without a doubt he was truly from the Triad. Not many others could do this with such brutal efficiency.

Zhang grabbed the head of the alien and snapped it. The body slumped to the ground, the head at a grotesque angle. Zhang stepped back, rifle raised. Abby waited for the burst of mist but it never came.

"Is it dead?" Myra demanded as she looked over.

"I…don't-" Zhang began, but cut himself off and Abby gasped as the alien raised it's good hand and snapped it's arm back into place and reached up and twisted it's head to the natural position. It made to rise but Zhang unloaded everything he had into it. Now the mist appeared.

"Note to self," Zhang muttered, amazingly calm after that. "Physical combat is…ineffective."

"We've only got one more," Myra shouted. "Abby! Sniper! Get down here, I'm calling in Burning Sky."

The sniper motioned her to exit first which she did. Halfway down, she heard an agonized human scream. "Jo! Status!" Myra demanded.

"Hit my arm-gahh! Hunkering down."

"On my way!" Abby shouted as she leapt the final rungs to the ground. Making sure there was no fire coming her way, she dashed to Jo's position. She skidded to him and pulled out her med-kit.

Well, good news, she wouldn't have to remove any armor. Bad news was that a good portion of his forearm was almost burned away to the bone. "This is going to sting!" she warned as she held the med-kit over the raw and bubbling wound. "Here," she extended her hand to his which he grasped, nearly crushing hers.

She sprayed and he screamed as the blue mist settled over the wound. She stopped after a few seconds and was amazed to see a transparent covering over the wound. It wasn't exactly regenerating the skin, but it was protecting it."

The gunfire abruptly stopped. Abby looked up to the roar of a skyranger overhead. She, along with Pete and a subdued Jo let out a cheer at the sight.

"Alright!" Myra reloaded her weapon. "We're making a run for it! Do not stop! Understood?"

"Yes, Overseer!" They yelled and the skyranger set down and the ramp deployed.

"Go!"

Each of them dashed to the skyranger and within thirty seconds, each of them were on board.

"This is Burning Sky to Citadel Command. Bengal Team has the package and is secure. Returning to the Citadel now.

Then the Commander's voice broke in. "Excellent job, Bengal Team. I look forward to personally congratulating each of you when you return. Citadel Command, out."

Abby finally let herself breath. It was done. Everyone was alive, barely. She cast a sidelong glance at Zhang. He was useful and had information XCOM needed, but she hoped that he was worth it.

And the mysterious sniper also weighed on her mind. Who was he? Why didn't he speak? What was his story? She'd saved his life, surely that warrant some explanation. Perhaps the Commander knew more about him.

She shook her head. Questions for later.

Now she just wanted to sleep.

After-Action Report

Operation: Fractured Dragon

Personnel:

Bengal 1 (Squad Overseer): Specialist Myra Rodriguez

Status: Active

Recorded Kills: 4

Bengal 2 - Specialist Abigail Gertrude

Status: Active

Recorded Kills: 2

Bengal 3 – Specialist Pete Chandler

Status: Active

Recorded Kills: 3

Bengal 4 – Private Adrian Francis

Status: Active

Recorded Kills: 2

Bengal 5 - Private Jo Simon

Status: Wounded (7 Days)

Recorded Kills: 2

Mission Director: The Commander

Pilot: Riley Ignis – Call sign: "Burning Sky"

Artifacts Recovered:

-1x Alien Device (Function unknown)

Personnel Retrieved:

Shaojie Zhang - VIP