Chosen Stories From The War

by The Black Maiden

What would it take for the Chosen, the very children of Gods Themselves, to abandon everything they know and defect to the resistance? Well, death is a good start. What follows is only told in stories. (New chapters every week!)

23. The Outrider's Mission

(Content Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of violence/gore, and implied drug use)

With the help of Vahlen's phone, it didn't take long to get hold of Firebrand, who had been panicking about losing four of the most important recruits XCOM had ever had. Eventually, she managed to get close enough to one of the trees that they were able to make the climb up to her. The ones who couldn't climb rode on the backs of the stronger, more nimble Chosen.

As they landed in the garage and the door slid open, the group stepped off the Skyranger, rubbing sore muscles and nursing minor wounds, but with a general cheer about them. Bradford was waiting for them, as per usual, but this time Senuna had also joined him.

"Welcome back, Menace 1-5." Bradford said with a smile. "Your mission was a big success."

"Was it now?" Verge raised a brow. "No one from the ship is with us. In fact, they are all presumably dead."

"No, but you found the UFO." Bradford said. "As far as the mission is concerned, that's all we asked of you. Good job, people."

Gur-Rai crossed his arms as he met Senuna's eyes. "Well Commander, it's an honor to see you out of bed before noon."

Senuna smiled irritably. "Don't make fun of me, Darkstrider. I wanted to see you all back myself." She pushed past him and walked up to Dhar-Mon and Malinalli, her eyes softening. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Malinalli saluted, her eyes against the floor, and Dhar-Mon bowed. "I must apologize, Commander." He said. "We were careless in allowing ourselves to become lost."

"Oh nonsense!" Senuna reached up and put a hand on his massive shoulder. "You survived out there and kept each other safe. If anything, it was my fault. I didn't expect the forest to have a dampening effect on our communications." She looked to Malinalli. "And you, little one, fared wonderfully."

"Thank you, Madam." Malinalli seemed to blush. "I try my best, each time."

"Commander." Kon-Mai stepped forward. "I believe we may have something of interest to you." She held out the old phone.

Senuna's eyes immediately widened, signifying she recognized the old device. She gently took it from Kon-Mai's grasp, as if she feared her touch would break it. She turned it on, and let loose a small whimper at the sight of the picture on the home screen. They could see tears welling in her turquoise eyes.

"Where did you find this?" She asked.

"On the crashed ship." Gur-Rai said. "It looked recent."

"That photo is of you." Malinalli said. "And Vahlen…?"

Senuna grit her teeth. "ADVENT can't have gotten to her before us." She turned. "I will have Shen begin work on opening this immediately. It might give us more clues to her whereabouts."

"We need Shen to hack it?"

"Moira changed her code every other month because she was paranoid." Senuna shrugged. "Or to keep me from ordering food using her card…the point is, I don't know what her code was, but Shen can probably get into it."

"Well, Shen might need help." Gur-Rai rubbed his hands together.

"She might." Senuna smiled. "But it won't be from you, Darkstrider."

He raised a brow. "...Did I screw up already, Commander?"

"Oh no. You just have another mission coming up." She giggled. "And this one is gonna be fun~"

.

.

A good night's sleep was what they all needed to process what they had learned in the forest, though their dreams did not offer any solace.

The Shrinemaiden dreamt of a child she couldn't see, with eyes that looked like hers, following her through the forest, seemingly only visible when the sun rays hit just right.

The Darkstrider dreamed of guns in his palm and riding shotgun in a beat up old truck, laughing with a joy he had not known since he'd been human.

The Hieromonk dreamed of a murky river, upon which he floated on a raft. From bubbles under the water came distinct notes of saxophones, drums and violins, and a man's voice singing, the sound of which made him sad. It was a relief when his alarm went off, and he was jolted from his slumber.

The sun was already up, painting the sky orange behind thick clouds. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the knot of muscles that was his neck. No matter how he tried, he never seemed to be able to fully relax. How his sister did so was beyond him.

Dhar-Mon rose from bed, running a hand through his hair, which had been growing ever since he'd arrived on this ship. For some reason, now that he was out of the Elders' embrace, it seemed to grow faster. It was down to his mid back now. He considered cutting it…

Then he felt where the screws and bolts used to be, the ones that tethered those heinous red contraptions to his skull. They were gone now, ripped out by the medical team so they could perform his brain surgery, after his "father" nearly killed him. All that was left were the deep, ugly scars.

He stood and went to the bathroom, stared briefly at the toilet he would never have to use, and then looked at himself in the mirror.

Ugly: that was the first word he thought of. Ugly. Before all this he could have looked in the mirror and insisted that the Elders blessed him with the visage of gods. Now his blue skin and red eyes only served to distance everyone else on this ship from him, reminding him he was not-

There was a knock on his door, and he quickly threw on his robe (the very soft, plushy pink one Kon-Mai had made him), and pressed his ear to the metal. "Who is there?"

"Just me!" Malinalli's happy voice replied. "You okay?"

He opened the door, so eager to see her that he forgot about his state and, as such, was embarrassed by her giggle when she laid her eyes upon him.

"You look so cute!" She cooed.

He blushed, his blue skin turning deep violet. "I…was dressing and...well it would be rude to leave you out in the hallway."

"I can wait if you want me to come ba-"

"No, no no." He stepped to the side. "Come in."

She followed him inside and, suddenly, it occurred to him just how much smaller she was than him, especially when she sat on the bed that was literally twice as long as she was. He was 8'2, and she was almost half his size, maybe 5'5 at most. Her small body did not hold much muscle, but instead was soft and cushioned, her face round and her arms and legs thicker than he had seen before, but then again his frame of reference included only his sister and, maybe, the Commander. Malinalli was certainly chubbier than both, but it seemed to give her an even, healthy glow. If anything, it was fetching.

She looked up at him, looking like she wanted to say something, and he raised a brow in her direction. "Yes?"

"Hey, so, I had a question, before we practiced today." She swallowed, looking nervous.

"You may ask me anything." He assured her, straightening up in an attempt to look regal...in his fluffy pink robe. Thankfully, the attempt seemed to work, because relief flooded her face, and she looked up confidently.

"Can I braid your hair?"

"I...beg your pardon?"

She suddenly looked away again. "Braid it, like mine. When I'm working, I braid it so it stays out of my eyes, and your hair is getting longer, so I was wondering...maybe you wanted…" She coughed. "It's not a big deal, really, just...something interesting. I thought it might be fun to try."

Dhar-Mon stared at her for a moment. His priests used to tend to his hair, combing out each and every knot, carefully anointing it with oils to maintain it's sheen, but...they'd never styled it. Never braided it. And it was beginning to get out of hand…

"...Very well." He muttered. "Would you prefer I sit?"

"Oh! Yes! Please." She giggled, her face lighting up in a way that made him oh so happy.

.

.

"I am not happy."

"I know." Mox said to his seething wife as she paced around the armory. "Perhaps the Commander will reconsider."

"The 'Commander' does nothing but play games with us like we're dolls!" Elena hissed, checking her gun and reloading the bullets again. "One mission with Darkstrider was enough. One mission I could deal with. But he's going to be in our home, Pratal!"

"I know." He stood. "It is very angering."

"It's in Reaper territory!" She cried. "And he KILLED the Reapers! Hundreds of us! He killed Major Eli!"

"I know." He just kept repeating. "I can talk with the Commander and ask her to reconsider."

"She'll just get angry at you." Elena pressed her fingers to her temples. "I just...I wish he'd never joined! I wish I'd…" She pressed her face against Mox's shoulder.

"...Was it not five years ago, you said the same about me?" Mox chuckled. "And ten years ago, you claimed to Volk you would never look a Skirmisher in the face without vomiting." He planted a kiss on her ear. "And yet, you now wake up beside me every day."

"Well one day I may vomit after waking up beside you, but it will be for a very different reason." Elena chuckled. "You...you were different, Pratal. You are different."

"Perhaps I am." He said. "But neither of us knew such a thing, until you gave me a chance."

"But I don't want to give him a chance." She whispered. "...I look at him and...I see…"

Mox's eyes darted to the floor. Her words hurt his own heart just as much as it hurt hers.

"I know it's been 10 years." She whispered. "And I love you so much, and I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything in the world but...I still see his face when I look at him, and it makes me so angry."

"I know." He said, pulling her ever closer, squeezing her tight around the waist. "If you cannot work with him, Elena, it is okay."

"No, it's not…" She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just...need to move past this." She took a deep breath. "Tomko is dead. Gur-Rai is not-"

"Gur-Rai is not dead, thank you very much~" That infuriating voice piped up behind her as he waltzed into the armory. He was sucking on a lollipop and it was turning his black tongue slightly green.

"You're here early." She growled.

"I wanted to add a new scope to my Darklance." He chuckled. "And sharpen my machete. She still needs a name, if you have any ideas."

"No." Elena grumbled, going back to polishing her gun.

Gur-Rai shrugged and walked past her. "Mox! It's been years, quite literally! How nice to finally be on a mission together, just like old times!"

"The last time I was deployed with you I ended up with severe brain damage." Mox said, raising a brow. "And you exploded one of the helicopters."

"Yes, but because of that, you now have a better paying job and a beautiful wife." Gur-Rai gestured to Elena. "So if anything, Mox, you should be thanking me~"

"Point at me again." Elena hissed, aiming her gun at Gur-Rai. "I dare you."

"Well, someone is touchy." He winked at Mox. "Luckily, some men like that in a girl."

"I will shoot you." She hissed.

"Will you?" He smiled. "I suppose you've done it before. Still have the hip to prove it." He walked off towards the scopes. "Let me know if you think of any good names for my blade!"

Elena wanted to scream.

.

.

Kon-Mai had never been good with machines. That was her brother's territory. She had a much better time with organic things. Notably, humanoid things.

So why was she down here in Engineering, she asked herself as she peered over the counter at the many half-finished projects Shen had left out. Most were a tangle of exposed wires and cords, some plugged in and powered on, some effectively dark.

Including Vahlen's cell phone.

Kon-Mai picked it up and pressed the power button. The screen came to life and, once again, she saw that picture on the very front, displayed proudly: the Commander in a short white skirt and casual blue sweater. Vahlen stood beside her in equally relaxed clothing, their arms linked like a chain. In their free hands, they each held an ice cream cone.

She puzzled over the picture. How long ago was it taken? Senuna looked relatively younger, perhaps in the eyes, but her face always looked incredibly youthful, and her short hair added to the aesthetic. Vahlen's brown hair was long, pulled into wavy pigtails, and her green eyes were bright. Kon-Mai noticed the scientist was actually noticeably darker in skin tone than the Commander, and in fact she was also a bit taller. She definitely looked younger than in the WANTED posters.

"Whatcha doin?"

Kon-Mai jumped, dropping the phone as she whirled around and met with the smiling face of the Commander herself, who looked like she was giggling at Kon-Mai's shock.

"I am so sorry." Kon-Mai stammered, putting the phone back. "I simply...I wanted…"

"It's okay." Senuna assured her, picking the phone up and handing it back to her. "...You like that picture?"

"I just…" She struggled for the words. "That is Dr. Vahlen? In the picture?"

Senuna chuckled and sat down on a nearby stool. "Yes. I know, time took its toll on her a bit since that was taken." She stared wistfully at the phone for a moment. "...Stars. She was so young back then."

"How old were you both?" Kon-Mai leaned on the counter in absence of a stool of her own.

"Moira was twenty-two." Senuna said. "She had just been accepted to a Masters program all the way in Southern Ireland. To celebrate we went on a road trip from Munich to Barcelona. That's where we took that. Have you ever been to Barcelona, Konnie?"

Kon-Mai nodded. "Once, but never to the beaches." She examined the crashing waves in the background. "The water is so blue…"

"You'll never swim in a warmer ocean." Senuna giggled.

"So you knew the doctor, before XCOM?" Kon-Mai asked. "How did you meet her?"

"College." Senuna chirped. "I was getting bored of my current job; I was making and selling jewelry at the time, which was quaint, but I needed something new. So I went to Germany and applied to Ludwig Maxililian for another degree."

"...Another?"

"Yes. This one was in Bioinformatics. To be honest I just chose it because the name was cool~"

Kon-Mai blinked. "...What is that?"

"It's basically using computers to design software to map the human body and figure out how things tick." She giggled. "And I'm REALLY good at staring at screens and noticing patterns. Moira was in my Intro to Gene Mapping class, and we sat next to each other in the lecture hall." She smiled wistfully. "She was kinda shy back then. But I talked enough for the both of us."

"I think that is true for anyone who speaks to you." As soon as she said the words, Kon-Mai turned pink, putting a hand over her mouth to stop herself, but the words were out. "I am sorry, Commander."

Senuna laughed. "No no, it's the truth!" She winked. "I don't mind looking at myself in the mirror. Well, after I put my makeup on, that is"

.

.

It always seemed to be dark in Reaper territory.

The Darkstrider shivered; not with fear but anticipation. The clouds covering the sky gave the air a green, glowing tint and made him oh so excited. He could hear his prey slithering in the cracked streets and between the buildings, the groan of distant Lost, the gentle clatter of Chryssalids…

Gur-Rai ran his fingers along Darkclaw. "Tonight is a good night."

"Indeed." Outrider muttered. Even she couldn't argue with his excitement: it was present in all Reapers. They were all hunters. It was in their blood.

Mox, on the other hand, heard the sounds and seemed wary. "We must meet with the rendezvous soon."

"Already here."

The three turned around at the sound of the soft, scratchy voice. A young woman who was nearly as tall as the Darkstrider himself emerged from the shadows. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the coat she wore was of green snakeskin rather than the usual black leather the Reapers donned. She lowered her hood to reveal stark white hair, chopped haphazardly, and green eyes that pierced the darkness with their intensity.

"Cruzita." Elena said. "Where is Lars?"

"Behind you." From off the bridge, a short, slender man jumped into view, emerging from the darkness like a dolphin from the depths of Hell. He landed in a crouch, his gun already drawn. "There are many snakes out tonight."

"Wonderful~" Cruzita smiled, her teeth as white as her hair. "I do so need a new coat."

"First we weed out the Lost." Outrider said. "Then we-"

"Pardon me, Elena, but I don't think I've met your friends." Gur-Rai chuckled. In reality, they did look semi-familiar, but that part of his memory was lost to him.

Cruzita stepped up to him, looking him up and down. Despite his own great height, she was nearly up to his chin, and the burning look in her eyes was beginning to make him nervous. She looked like a cat waiting for it's prey to make a move before she pounced.

Then she put her hand out. He noticed her nails were blood red. "Cruzita de Vries."

Putting on his best smile, Gur-Rai shook her hand in return. "Gur-Rai Madron."

"I like your skin." She said, her lip twitching. "It's very smooth...and blue." Her eye seemed to twitch as well. "I love the color."

"Well, I thank you." He chuckled, trying to hide the absolute terror he felt in the presence of this insane woman. He turned to the man. "And you?"

"Lars Velasco." The man said in an accent that was not quite German and not quite French. He lifted his head to nod, and Gur-Rai could see the glint of glasses under his hood.

"Now if you're done-" Outrider began.

"Hold on now, let's all go around the circle and say one interesting thing about ourselves." He laughed at the look Outrider gave him. "I'm kidding, Elena." He hauled his gun off his back. "Where do we start?"

"There is a group of Lost over by the old tailor's shop, that way." Lars pointed behind her. "I saw a pod nearby. Mostly Vipers."

"Wonderful." Elena said. "We start there then."

"And then we get the snakes." Cruzita looked excited.

"Of course." Finally, Outrider smiled. "None shall escape the Reapers' sights today."

.

.

Malinalli loved running her hands through Dhar-Mon's hair. It was so fine and delicate, with strands like pure silk. The softness was incredible, almost enviable. Her own curls took at least an hour of maintenance if not more each day, and here he had just woken up looking flawless. She often tried not to dwell on her appearance, but...how was she worth anything to a being like him? Perfect, beautiful, and yet here he was, right in front of her.

As she worked, Dhar-Mon seemed to grow more and more relaxed than he had been when she first arrived. His stiff posture was beginning to unwind, and his robe slipped off one shoulder, and that was when she saw it. The skin under was splotchy, a mix of light blue skin and dark blue scar tissue, and Malinalli felt a pang in her chest. Not thinking, she reached out to touch it. He flinched, hissing.

"I'm sorry!" She gasped. "Does that hurt? I'm so sorry."

"No." He whimpered, and it was an obvious lie. He went to pull his robe back around him but...then he stopped.

Her fingers tingled, and she had to ask. "...Did the Elders do that?"

"...Usually they did not leave marks." He let his robe drop more, until the entirety of his back was exposed. Instead of dark scars like on his shoulder, there were lines, soft criss-crossing ones, They seemed to glow like his veins did and if you blinked, you'd miss them. But as Malinalli reached out to touch them, she could feel the heat radiating off of them.

"Do they hurt?" She asked.

"One can grow accustomed to pain…" He muttered.

"Not this." She sighed. "I'm a nurse. I can't let these just sit." She touched them again and her fingers prickled even more, as though her hands were falling asleep. "Wait right here." She stood up. "I'm going to grab something."

"Wait, Mali-" He called out to her. "Did I upset you?"

"No, not you." She gave him her warmest smile. "I'm just gonna get something to help you feel better."

"...Did the Elders upset you?"

"The Elders always upset me." She spat. "Now moreso than usual."

.

.

"And then there was one time…" Senuna pressed a hand to her face. "Oh my god, I can't believe we did this."

"What happened?" Kon-Mai pressed her.

"Okay: we had just come back from a party where there was lots of beer, and we SHOULD NOT have been driving, both of us were pretty wasted. But since I handle my alcohol better, I was behind the wheel, and Moira was in the passenger seat." She continued. "Well we're driving, the road is completely clear, I'm going...I forget how fast, but probably too fast, and Mora decides to crawl out the window and car surf on the roof."

Kon-Mai thought back to the Sectopod she had fought and shook on instinct. "That sounds terrifying. Why would she do something so dangerous?"

"It was college, she was young and we were both very stupid." Senuna sighed. "So she's on top of the car, and all of a sudden this REALLY sharp turn pops up. I hit the breaks as fast as possible; the car fucking spins, and I heard this loud 'KA-THUNK' as Moira topples off the roof and into the street."

Kon-Mai gasped. "Was she alright?"

"She was fine, except for her knees." Senuna chuckled. "It's funny now but at the time, oh stars, it was so scary. She'd landed on her knees and basically tore the skin right off. Like, you could see bone, it was that bad."

Kon-Mai put a hand on her mouth, and would have gagged if she had the ability. "What on Earth did you do?!"

"You'd think we'd have gone to the hospital." Senuna shrugged. "Nope. We found a Drogeriemarkt and I wrapped up her knees in gauze and tape in the bathroom of the drug store." Senuna sighed. "And that's when I learned healthcare was not for me~"

Kon-Mai nodded dubiously. "...You two had such adventures together."

"We did. She was…" Senuna stopped on that word, "was." It seemed to drain the happiness from her eyes. "...She was my best friend. We made so many stupid decisions, but we kept each other safe."

Kon-Mai smiled. "I know how comforting that is, Commander. And I'm happy you know as well."

.

.

The darkness surrounded the Reapers like a warm blanket, and within its confines, they were safe. Gur-Rai especially cherished the warm embrace, like a mother's hug. He could see everything from the shadows.

"Now remember. The Lost are drawn to explosions." Outrider's voice was scratchy in the comms. "No grenades or claymores yet."

"Understood." Mox said, the only one who didn't seem enthralled by the darkness. He held his own, probably a side effect of being married to Elena, but he'd never be a Reaper, in love with the shadows themselves.

Gur-Rai took up a vantage point on top of an old warehouse and crouched down, looking through his sights. There were the Lost, and behind them, there was the old capsule of radioactive material, glowing green and smelling like sulfur. Being near it made his skin tingle, almost like the static that came with Psionic energy.

"I'm taking the first shot." Cruzita said over comm.

"Affirmative." Elena said. "Lars, on overwatch."

"Verstehe."

There was a moment of silence broken only by the gentle moaning of the Lost. Then a bullet ripped through the darkness. Then another. Then another. Then another. Four lost fell dead in rapid succession, and the rest looked around in confusion as to where that had come from. A cackling laugh pierced the blanket of darkness around them. She might have been creepy, but at least Cruzita had the skills to pay the bills.

Mox came next. His gun was nowhere near as accurate as a sniper rifle, but he was still on the ground, within a few deadly feet of his target. He poked his head out from around a corner, and with everyone holding their breath, mowed down three more lost.

"You're up, Elena." Gur-Rai purred.

"For the last time. You will refer to me as OUTRIDER." She snapped in a display of anger Gur-Rai rarely heard from her. "And do NOT mock me, Darkstrider. I have fought more battles than you ever saw in your days with the Elders."

"I don't doubt that." He chuckled. "I'm only trying to help."

"You want to help? Do not speak to me unless I speak first." He heard a gunshot, and three Lost dropped as the bullet cut through their skulls. "Are we clear?"

"...Yeah." He muttered. "Crystal."

They sat in silence for a bit, only speaking to pass the baton to one another each time it was their turn to shoot. Gur-Rai kept his mouth shut, his aim slightly off, missing more Lost than he hit. It bugged him. Outrider's comments were stuck in his head, playing on repeat. Maybe he had been goofing off. Maybe he crossed some line he didn't know was there. But why in the Void's name was it always his fault?

As the number of Lost began to dwindle, he heard a hissing noise behind him and ceased his fire. "Outrider." He hissed. "Something is behind you."

Outrider didn't answer, but he could hear her moving.

He repeated his statement. "There's something on this roof. I'm going to relocate and I think you should too."

"There's nothing here, Darkstrider." She snapped. "I've already swept the area."

He wanted to believe her. But now, he could feel the slow creep of something slithering along the roof tiles. The hissing noise grew louder and he could hear it in Outrider's comm too.

"Mox." He leaned over the roof, trying to yell and whisper at the same time. "I need your help! Come get Elena!"

"What?!" Mox yelled up to him. He couldn't hear him, and if Gur-Rai yelled, Elena was sure to kill him. With no other option, he sat in the darkness and put a hand on his machete, as the hissing came up behind him and rose, ready to strike.

Then Elena screamed. Something darted through the darkness towards him just as Gur-Rai whipped around, pulled his machete from his belt, and cut the encroaching Viper across the snout. It reeled back, blood spraying all over the Chosen man as it shook it's head and hissed at him in pain and anger.

Instead of staying to fight, the Darkstrider took off to the other end of the roof, set up in a crouch, and aimed at the Viper that had recovered and was now careening toward him. He didn't even have time to make a quip before he sloppily aimed and took the shot. The Viper fell dead, just as Mox's ripjack pulled him onto the adjacent roof, where Elena was wrestling with her own Viper.

Lars was waiting, aiming with his rifle for a free shot, meanwhile Cruzita had dove to the ground and landed on the back of a third Viper that no one had even noticed. Black knife in her hand, she was riding it like a merry go round. Lars, instead, turned to that one and shot, but he aimed wide and missed.

Gur-Rai shot his grappling hook to the other roof and pulled himself over, just as the Viper bit down on Elena's shoulder, drawing a huge amount of blood and venom. She staggered backward and fell, where Mox caught her and hauled her off to one side, ready to block the next strike with his own body.

Gur-Rai was going to make sure he didn't have to.

Landing behind the snake, he took a shot with Darkclaw, cutting through the snake's flap and drawing a trickle of blood. It whirled around and shrieked at him, and just as he was about to grab his blade, the snake lunged at his arm and sank it's fangs into the metal plating of his armor. Normally that could stop bullets, but he could feel those fangs graze his skin. As he tried to pull back, they only dug deeper.

He fell backward, the snake still attached to him and now beginning to wrap around him, tail around his neck.

"You're just like my ex." He choked out. "She liked choking too." He broke off as the tail squeezed his windpipe and cut off his air. He tried to reach around for his rife, but he was fucking laying on it so that wouldn't work.

"Out, demon!" The rapid fire of a bullpup cut through the air, as well the snake that was holding Gur-Rai. The grip loosened just enough for him to wrench himself out of her grasp and grab Darklance off his back. As the bleeding Viper made one more lunge for him, he fired into her face. She fell back, bleeding and dead.

Before Gur-Rai could even say "thank fuck," another hiss to his right set him off. He rolled to the side as another snake lashed out at him. "HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE?!"

"Too many!" Outrider cried. "We...we need to evacuate."

"Bryni, we need a pick-" He gasped, scrambling back as the Viper went for him again. In his hurry to get away, he tripped and slammed headfirst into the pavement. He heard the clatter of his comm link falling out of his ear and hitting the ground, as the Viper teeth sank into the fleshy skin of the back of his knee.

He cried out and yanked, the teeth tearing his flesh as he broke free and, with sheer tenacity, reached out and pulled Darklance towards him. The Viper reared up, bearing down on him, and he let out a hiss of his own and pounded three bullets into her chest, her ribs exploding in blood and venom.

Despite the pain in his leg, Gur-Rai stood. "Outrider, what's the plan?"

Outrider —Elena —looked green and her eyes were unfocused. Mox leaned down and helped her to her feet, and she kept most of her weight on him. "The venom, it's…"

"I know." He could already feel his leg tingling, and it was getting hard to breathe. "What's the plan, Elena?"

She shook her head. To clear it? Maybe. But she didn't say anything after. Mox was practically carrying her.

"Cruzita." Mox called.

"Down here!" She called through the comm. Something was squelching in the background.

"How many more snakes do you suspect there are?"

"Probably two…" She paused. "Lars says three. I already have enough for a whole new wardrobe."

"No, at least four." Lars clarified. "I took down another one that was coming up behind me."

"We must evacuate." Mox said. "Elena needs medical attention."

"I'm fi-" She broke off, her head lolling briefly. Mox caught her before she fell. "I'm okay…"

"You're not." Gur-Rai insisted. "And I'm not. And my comm is dead."

"Firebrand is watching." Mox said. "Do we have a flare?"

"I have a gun." He said. "Not sure she'll see it though."

"Do we have antivenom?" Cruzita called from below.

Gur-Rai shook his head. "I probably should have thought to bring some."

Mox growled, holding Elena close to him. "We must seek medical attention. Lars, Cruzita, begin scouring the area for supplies. Anything that can be used to slow poison."

"I see planes on the horizon." Lars said.

"No doubt they're bringing in reinforcements." Mox said. "We must retreat."

Gur-Rai set up beside the two with his rifle poised. "Well then, get ready to shoot your way out of here."

.

.

Malinalli caught a stray dribble of Aloe Vera as she slathered it on the remains of Dhar-Mon's open wounds. He insisted they no longer hurt, but she could feel him relax as she did this. The unclenching of his muscles was noticeable.

"Has anyone ever tended to these?" She asked.

"...No." He admitted.

"Not...not even the priests? Your own servants?"

"They were the Elders' markings." Dhar-Mon said, almost leaning back into her touch. "And thus, if they left scars, they were meant to remain untreated, reminders of my failure."

Malinalli swallowed the lump in her throat. "...I'm so sorry…"

"Do not apologize, little phantom." He smiled back at her. "Your presence makes me forget the pain."

She blinked, then smiled at him. "I'm happy…" She said softly. "I'm happy you say that…"

He turned back around, and she laid her fingers in the crevice of one particularly deep scar, her finger tracing half-dead tissue. Running it down his back, she felt that prickling again. She closed her eyes, just working up the courage to keep going, keep looking at all this. It was so horrible.

When Malinalli opened her eyes, she gasped. "The cuts!"

Dhar-Mon cried out, not so much in pain, as in surprise. As Malinalli watched, the tips of her fingers glowed with the deep blue-green of her own psionic power. Around her hand, the skin began to shift, molding itself back together, enclosing the long exposed flesh. She dared not move as the largest gash finally fused back together, a faint line the only trace it was ever there.

"Oh my god…" She whispered. "...Tell me you felt that."

"What was it?" Dhar-Mon asked. "I felt...tingling."

"Your cut just...It just…" She covered her mouth. "It's healed. It's gone."

"What?!" He jumped up, forgetting his robe had fallen off, and ran to the bathroom, turning to look at his back in the mirror. "...Nalla itzar…" He whispered. "Malinalli, you…" He looked at her, smiling widely with tears in his eyes.

She burst out laughing, her own face wet, and jumped up, running to him and throwing herself into his arms for a hug. "I healed you! I healed you!"

Dhar-Mon picked her up off the ground and squeezed her. "Thank you little phantom…" As his faculties returned to him, he quickly dropped her and grabbed a towel, wrapping it about his waist. "I-I am so sorry, I-"

"No, it's fine, it's fine!" She giggled. "We've seen each other naked before, it's fine." She wrapped her arm around and felt his back again. "How did I do that…?"

"You have an aura of healing." He chuckled. "I do not know…perhaps your psionics are stronger than I once thought…"

"Psionics…" Malinalli began to look around. "Hey, do you have something sharp?"

"What do you need something sharp for?" He looked wary.

"Nevermind. Let me…" Malinalli rolled her sleeve up and bit down on her arm. She cried out a little bit as she drew blood, then held out her hand. "Try it, Dhar-Mon. Try and heal me."

"Why would you do that?!"

"So I can test it! I have an idea! If it is psionics then you can do it too!" She nodded. "So give it a shot. Try and heal me."

"What if I can't?!"

"Then I'll put a band-aid on it, I'm a nurse." She took his hand and laced it with her own. "Just give it a try, Dhar-Mon."

He sighed loudly and patted her arm. There it was, the tingling. "It will not work."

"Yes it will." She winked. "I know it~"

.

.

"Tomko…?"

Gur-Rai shook his head to clear the fog that was coming in. He could feel the venom in his veins, blurring his vision and leaving him sluggish and slow. His alien blood could synthesize it better. It probably wouldn't kill him. Probably. Elena however…

He looked over at the sound of her voice. She lay back against the wall, her shoulder wound already beginning to ooze. Her eyes were clouded, pale grey in this cold orange light. Gur-Rai raised a brow and, reaching up, lowered his hood. "Elena…"

She blinked at him, slowly. "No." She hissed. "You're not him."

"I know." He put his hood back up. "I'm not trying to be."

"I don't want you back." She spat, her voice shaking. "You're not him, not anymore. And it's too late."

"I know Elena." He growled. His whole body was burning and this was not helping.

"I hate you." She said, and this time he heard her voice breaking. "I hate you because you took Tomko. You killed him. You killed him and took him away from me…"

Gur-Rai turned to look at her again. "How did I kill him, Elena?"

"You…" She searched her venom saturated mind for an answer that made sense. "You're wearing his skin…"

"No. He's wearing mine." Gur-Rai hissed. "Tomko is the foundation I am built on. I WAS Tomko, Elena, you know it and so do I."

That seemed to startle her, even scare her, and her eyes filled with tears. "...Why did you kill him…?"

"Because fate is a cruel bitch." The Darkstrider snarled. "Maybe it was chance, wrong place, wrong time. Or maybe Tomko was always destined to end up in the tank, and from the moment he was born your love was doomed. But however it happened, it's OVER, Elena. Tomko is dead; for the love of the stars, let him die with some FUCKING DIGNITY."

Elena seemed to crumble at that, large hot tears streaming down her face. "I miss him…"

He turned away. "Yeah. I miss him too."

"Darkstrider." Mox hissed into his comm. "I have visual of the second pod."

"Finally some good news." Gur-Rai rubbed his eyes. If he'd had a stomach, he'd have felt like throwing up by now. Instead, he just felt like someone was rearranging his organs. "Elena is down for the count."

The silence that followed conveyed Mox's fear. "And you?"

"I can shoot." He assured him. "Just...don't expect heroics."

"I will not expect much." Mox assured him. "Lars and Cruzita, get into an overwatch position."

"Yessir." Cruzita sang. Gur-Rai saw her and Lars each get on either side of an awning, just as three Vipers and a Sectoid came marching down the street.

Only three? That seemed odd. Gur-Rai felt that prickling on his skin again. "Be careful, you two."

"Careful?" Cruzita giggled. "Never heard of-" Her words morphed into a scream as the awning came down, sending them tumbling into the grasp of the Sectoid and two Vipers.

"Shitshitshitshit!" Gur-Rai fired off one shot blind and, off course, missed. But he did manage to draw the Sectoid's attention, who turned and, upon seeing him, let out a screech that shook him to his core.

"MOX!" He screamed, reaching for Elena. "TIME TO RUN!"

"No…" Elena tried to wriggle out of his grip, obviously delirious. "No, not without Tomko…!"

"Tomko is dead!" Gur-Rai hissed.

"No, they took Tomko!" She screamed and pulled away. "I have to save him!"

"Elena!" Gur-Rai snapped. "You have a husband, remember?! A husband that ain't Tomko! Even if he were alive-"

"I know that!" She screeched, her voice wavering as she tried to balance her rifle on her torn shoulder and aim for the Sectoid. "But he's more!"

"More than WHAT?!" Gur-Rai yanked the gun away. "This isn't the time to be star crossed lovers!"

"I let him go!" She cried. "It's my fault he is gone! It's my fault they took him! I can't let him die again!" She tried to grab the gun, slipped and fell. Gur-Rai caught her arm and lowered her slowly, watching as she dissolved into tears.

"...It's not your fault, Elena." He whispered. He knelt down beside her, and looked into her eyes. "...I'm Tomko."

Her unfocused gaze turned to him. "...Tomko…?" She smiled.

"Yep." He smirked. "And I'm gonna hold off the Vipers for you. Your husband is coming, so go with him ok?"

Elena blinked. "...I'm married now…" She looked so happy, and yet so sad. "I didn't wait for you…"

"I didn't want you to…" He wasn't sure if it was the venom that was making him dizzy, but he felt light headed. "Just go, Elena. You don't have to save me." He stood up. "I can do that myself."

There were footsteps behind him, and Mox came running up, obviously out of breath. The second Elena saw him, her eyes lit up and she crawled to him, throwing her arms around his neck as he knelt down. "My love…" She whispered.

"I have made contact with Firebrand." Mox panted. "She is en route. We must move to the rooftop of the building with the large "Staples" sign."

"Gotcha." Gur-Rai shifted, his leg nearly collapsing in on itself from the pain. He could feel his wound swelling but also knew if he took off his boot to look, he'd never get it back on again, so he hoped and prayed that the pressure applied somehow helped.

"I love you, Pratal…" Elena whimpered as Mox lifted her into his arms.

"And I love you Elena…" Mox hesitated. "Cruzita and Lars are in position."

"Good." Gur-Rai looked out over the dark streets. "I'll cover you while you get Elena there."

"Are you certain?"

"No." He sighed. "But it's the least I can do for dying."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing."

.

.

"You have done so much, Commander." Kon-Mai mused, watching as Senuna played with the accessible buttons on the phone. "And you have learned so much. An intelligent woman like you; why did you not strive for a doctorate as well?"

"Eh." Senuna shrugged. "Maybe I would've, given more time. It just takes so long and...normal things don't hold my interest for very long." She chuckled.

"And yet, XCOM?" Kon-Mai raised a brow.

"You could say XCOM was a family business." She giggled. "My father founded it, it was only natural I take over~"

"Your father…?" It was strange to hear that. "I've never heard you discuss your family before, Commander."

"Well, he wasn't my 'biological' father: I was adopted, you see. But he raised me, taught me everything I know...everything Earth had to offer." She leaned on her hand. "You know he was a Doctor, he would have loved for me to get a doctorate but...that just ain't me."

Kon-Mai wanted to ask who WAS the Commander then. Who was Senuna, the woman who sat before her? But it all felt so intrusive. It was all right there on the surface and yet, still it felt as though Kon-Mai was unintentionally twisting the knife in an already deep wound.

"How did you convince Dr. Vahlen to join XCOM?" She asked, trying to change the subject back to something light hearted.

"Oh, that was difficult. You know she was actually scared? Vahlen! Scared!" Senuna laughed. "It's so funny to think...I think she was afraid to leave the family she'd built in Ireland. But things were starting to head south with her boyfriend, and she has a tendency to cut ties and run." Senuna shrugged. "I convinced her to leave. It was hard for her to go, but she was happier here. And she was the best Chief Scientist we ever had before Tygan."

Kon-Mai nodded, smiling whimsically. "You must miss her…"

"...Yeah." Senuna sniffled. "Every day." She went to stand up. "We should probably get going."

"Going…?"

"If you want to greet your brother on his return." Senuna chuckled. "Firebrand is coming back."

"I had not realized!" Kon-Mai straightened up. "Will you lead, Commander?"

"I'll poke my head in, since I'm already heading that way." She turned to the door. "What about you?"

Kon-Mai looked puzzled. "Who are you…?"

"Not you." Senuna winked and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Wanna join us, Jane?"

Kon-Mai looked at the empty doorway...no. Not empty. Something was there…a wisp of brown hair as the shadow pulled away. "Major Kelly?"

Slowly, Jane Kelly poked her head out from around the corner and stood at attention, completely silent.

"Were you listening the whole time?" Senuna laughed. "You could have joined us!"

"I apologize, Commander." Was all Jane said. "I became...wrapped up in the stories."

Senuna raised a brow. "...About Vahlen?"

"...Yes, Madam."

"Hm. You would, huh?" She approached Jane slowly. "Don't flinch, child, you're not in trouble."

Jane nodded, but Kon-Mai saw her face turning red.

"Konnie, go ahead without me." She turned back to Kon-Mai. "I'll meet you there."

"Yes, Commander." Kon-Mai bowed and pushed past the two. As she left, she heard Senuna whispering something to Jane, in a voice barely above silence.

"She'd be proud of you. You know that, right?"

Kon-Mai held her head high and went on her way.

.

.

Dhar-Mon watched in wonder as the wound on Malinalli's arm began to shimmer, then the skin stretched and closed itself back together. At first a scar remained, then even that faded, until all that was left was a slight discolored patch that was barely visible.

Malinalli looked up in wonder. "...Dhar-Mon. This is…"

"This is magic." He said. He had known psionics could do a lot: they could bend the will of even the strongest mind or tear apart space itself, but...heal? He had never known this cosmic energy to be able to regenerate.

"Think of all the lives we could save!" She grabbed his hands. "We could teach others! Start a whole clinic based on psionic healing! She giggled. "You and me!"

"You and me?" He hesitated. "And you would want me there?"

"Of course! I lo…" There she went again, stopping herself. Her dark skin turned almost red as she blushed. "You're my best friend."

"nd you are mine." He smiled warmly. "My closest friend besides my siblings. I would trust you with my life, Molly."

She pressed a hand to her cheek and beamed. "Thank you, Dhar-Mon, that's all I ever want." She straightened up. "We were supposed to go practice but-"

"Technically, we did." He chuckled. "And we have developed something even greater because of it."

"How about you get dressed then?" She giggled. "Your brother is coming back from his mission, we should show him our new trick."

"He will undoubtedly need healing." Dhar-Mon chuckled. "Let me dress myself, then I shall come along."

"Mind if I wait in here? I won't look." She promised. She really wanted to look. But that would be weird.

"I suppose." He chuckled. His hair was still in a braid. He decided to leave it.

.

.

The Darkstrider stepped off the Skyranger and into the arms of his sister, who was waiting for him. Her smile was worried, even more so when she saw Elena's injuries. "What have you all done now?"

"Nothin'." Gur-Rai muttered as he collapsed in her embrace. As soon as she had a good on him, his leg finally gave out, and damn near took the two of them to the ground together. Kon-Mai gave a yell of surprise that was mirrored by his brother's voice, as Dhar-Mon and Malinalli entered the garage as well. Immediately, Kon-Mai called for the nurse, but he waved her aside.

"Outrider first." He croaked. "Then me."

"Outrider?!" Malinalli rushed onto the Skyranger. "Oh!"

Dhar-Mon knelt beside his brother. "He has been poisoned."

"Viper venom. I'll be fine." He smiled. His teeth were chattering together and he couldn't stop them.

"He's burning up." Kon-Mai snapped, laying her cool hands on his forehead. "We need antivenom. Get Tygan."

"Wait, Sister…" Dhar-Mon held out his hand. "This...works for wounds. I do not know how it will work for poison…"

"What works?" She watched as Dhar-Mon lowered his hand over Gur-Rai.

"Where were you bitten?"

"Leg…" He coughed. "Left leg…"

"That one consistently gives you trouble…" Kon-Mai sighed.

Dhar-Mon picked up his leg and undid the Velcro on his armor, pulling down the legwarmer, then the boot. The wound was already inflamed and oozing, and the skin around it was beginning to turn black.

He pressed his bare palm to it, and within a moment, both Chosen felt the tingling of psionics. Gur-Rai reached up, grabbing Kon-Mai's jacket and hissing with the discomfort this brought. Then, he suddenly relaxed.

The wound closed beneath Dhar-Mon's touch. The swelling melted away, the regular blue pallor returning to Gur-Rai's leg. Soon all that was left were two, fain bite marks.

Kon-Mai looked up at Dhar-Mon like he was made of gold. "How did you do this…?"

Dhar-Mon smiled. "Molly discovered it. I merely learned from her." He stood up. "Molly! Do you need help?!"

"Her wounds are a lot worse!" Malinalli called. "But...I think I got her stable. Can someone get Tygan?"

"I will go!" Mox said. Then he stopped as Elena reached out and grabbed his arm. "I will not go!"

"I will." Dhar-Mon stood. "He will want to hear about these...new talents of ours anyway."

.

.

Back in the med bay, once again. This time, the lights were all off except for the one in Tygan's little corner office. Gur-Rai bobbed his foot back and forth, side to side. It felt fine, but he was still running a fever from the venom, so Tygan had insisted on keeping him overnight, the absolute worrywort.

He looked over at Elena, in the bed beside him. She had been in much worse shape than him, having to get a blood transfusion due to the venom coursing through her. With that, and the antivenom they'd pumped her full of, she'd managed to pull through, but to be honest there had never been any doubt that she would make it. Mox was sitting beside her in an uncomfortable-looking chair, but he had drifted off and was snoring lightly.

"Hey." Gur-Rai called quietly. "You awake?"

"Yes." She said, turning to face him. "Unfortunately. " Her entire arm was bandaged and wrapped in a sling, and her skin was pale. She had definitely taken the venom worse than he had.

There was a silence between the two, and Gur-Rai wanted to say something. "I'm sorry." He said.

Elena growled. "Shut up."

"Look, I'm try-" He began, but she cut him off.

"I'm the one who is sorry." She hissed. "If I hadn't...if I'd listened to you, this wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't be in hospice right now." She sighed and laid her head on the pillow. "...I've been cruel to you this whole time."

"Well, I'm sorry for dying on you." He said. "That was pretty rude of me."

Elena's eyes went wide. "...Darkstrider, how much...do you remember?"

"About?"

"...About Tomko." He could read her face. She had meant to say, "about me."

He looked up at the ceiling. "I remember you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He raised a hand to his lips. "...We were a couple."

"..Yes. We were." She sounded so broken. "And I...I loved-" She covered her mouth, leaving the sentence to hang.

"I know." He sighed. "You loved Tomko."

"You're just like him." She sobbed softly. "You talk just like him, you act like him, whenever I look at you…it's like he's back and…" Her voice was shaking but so silent, Gur-Rai had to strain to hear her. "I'm happy with Pratal, I love him so much, but I feel so cheated whenever I look at you, I look and think...you should be Tomko."

He nodded. "You're right." He said. "I should be Tomko." He turned on his side to face her. "What the Elders did...it was a fucking crime. And it can't be forgiven or undone." He looked her in the eye, his glowing irises cutting through the darkness. "But there's no future for us, Elena. Not anymore."

"I know." She sniffled. "I'll never regret marrying Pratal. Just...if they hadn't taken you...do you think there was? Do you think…?" She let it hang.

He waited for a moment, breathing deeply. The silence was enough to destroy them he spoke.

"No." He said. "Sorry, Elena...we were young. We were in a war. We were excited and...it all caught up to us." He looked at her. "I loved you in the moment. And maybe Tomko always will. But we'd never have worked out."

He heard her sob almost silently, and she turned away from him for a moment. And for a second he wondered if she was going to kill him. Wouldn't that be a good way to die. He always knew it'd be at the hands of one of his lovers.

Then she looked up and, for once, her eyes were smiling. "That's all I needed to hear." She said.

"...It was?"

"Yes." She said, turning toward Mox, who was still sleeping. "Tomko is gone now. We're not…" She took his hand, and in his sleep Mox squeezed hers. "I'm not. And he's not."

"See? There you go." Gur-Rai gestured to the still sleeping Mox. "You two were meant for each other."

"I suppose we are. Fate does have a strange way of operating."

"Kind of like us Reapers." He chuckled, turning over so she couldn't see his face.

He felt terrible for lying to her, for saying they had no future. For not telling her that, if Tomko had lived, he would have followed Elena through Hell and back. That Tomko would always love her, even in death. That he regretted not asking for her hand while he was alive...

But that was all in the past now. She was happy. And that was more than he'd ever wanted in this world.

.

.

The Sectoid that limped into the chamber, accompanied by two guards, immediately drew Vox Imdugud's attention. He straightened his crippled back and floated over, looking down at the pathetic slave creature. "You have news for me of great importance."

The Sectoid nodded, dropping to it's knees. "Vox Zagre is alive." The pulses from it's mind were frantic and almost painful. "Please warn the others. The Chosen live, and they have betrayed us all."

---

(The beginning of this chapter sees our gang returning from their previous mission and handing over Vahlen's phone to Senuna, who sends it to Shen to be hacked. The next morning, Malinalli comes to visit Dhar-Mon and braid his hair, while Elena and Mox prepare for another mission with their former arch nemesis. Kon-Mai begins investigating the abandoned phone and, upon being found by Senuna, begins talking with the Commander about her past with Vahlen. The two met in college, and partook in many wild adventures before Vahlen went to South Ireland for a Masters program. On the Reaper's mission, Gur-Rai meets two other Reapers, Cruzita de Vries and Lars Velasco, and Elena is obviously still holding a grudge against the Chosen, making it hard for the two to work together. Soon, they are ambushed by Vipers, leading to both Gur-Rai and Elena being wounded. On the subject of wounds, Malinalli finds old scars on Dhar-Mon's back from his days with the Elders, and accidentally discovers that her psionics have the power to heal injuries. Still out in danger, Elena talks with Gur-Rai as though he were his human self, Tomko, and the two argue until they are extracted by Firebrand, leaving the last pod unkilled. Kon-Mai and Senuna leave to welcome Gur-Rai home, but Senuna is distracted by Jane Kelly, who was listening in on their conversation about Vahlen. Upon returning, Gur-Rai collapsed and Dhar-Mon uses his new psionic healing to treat his brother's leg wound. Elena and Gur-Rai are transferred to the infirmary, where they talk about the past, and eventually come to an understanding.

Long one today, and I feel it was too brief in parts. But do let me know what you think!)