Medical Bay, Praesidium

11/9/17- 11:01 AM

The darkness faded as I opened my eyes, slowly coming back to the world.

"Dawn?"

I felt more alert. More awake, but I was still groggy. I blinked, sensing Erica.

"Dawn, can you hear me?"

"Ugh…" I nodded, trying my best.

She nodded. "Alright. You're just out of surgery - we pumped some MELD into your legs and feet and fixed up your bones. They're still weak, but unlike yours before, you'll be able to walk with them in time. Your burns are healing and your limbs are slowly recovering."

"When can I...when can I fight again?"

She shook her head. "Not for a while. Three weeks to a month, maybe more."

Fuck!

She noticed my expression. "Dawn, you really shouldn't be worrying about fighting right now. You should be worrying about recovering."

I looked down at my chest, feeling empty. That feeling I had was still there.

The mission.

The plasma.

Elijah's dead body.

"Can...can I have my computer?" I croaked out.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's in my bunk."

"Oh! I'm sorry. While you were asleep, some people stopped by and dropped off some things."

"What?"

She smiled, rolling the stand next to me. The box and pin had been moved and replaced with a small pile of goodies. Several cards in envelopes, some chocolates, even...a plastic paper cup with sunflowers in it.

Oh, you guys.

I chuckled. "I'm not hallucinating, right?"

"No. They wanted to come back when you woke up, though. Aegis and Caelior came by too."

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "They both seemed very concerned about you, Caelior in particular."

"Sounds like Caelior. Anything else, Doctor?"

"Nothing." She patted my shoulder. "Just lay down and rest for now. You're allowed to have friends visit you now, so if you want to have people come, just let us know."

I nodded. "Thank you."

One Hour Later

Erica held my arm as I wheeled myself towards the shower in a wheelchair. Clad in my gown and slip-on shoes, along with a towel in my lap, it was time for a well-deserved XCOM-class shower.

I hadn't had a proper one for a while in Argentina, and I hadn't really gotten a chance to do it because of my injuries. Mind you, I was still in a pretty bad state, but my legs were functional enough to limp around a bit.

We made it to the showers, where I nodded to Erica, who turned around and left. I didn't need any help here, since the shower had a bench in it.

"Alright you." I said quietly. "Let's get you all cleaned up."

I stepped out of the wheelchair into the shower, removing my gown and slippers and hanging them up outside before closing the door. I walked over to the little touchpad on the wall and selected the Warm Water option and the Increased Water Flow option. As the shower turned on, I sat down on the bench, leaning my head against the hard wall, closing my eyes and sighing in relief as I was hit with the water.

I leaned my head from side to side, making sure both sides got a good clean. The beauty of XCOM showers was that the 'head' was on the ceiling, making it so that the water poured straight down instead of at an angle. It felt more like a rainfall than a shower. Only the best for the best.

I looked down at my completely uncovered body for the first time since nearly getting blown the fuck up via the retractable mirror on the wall, and gasped.

The hell?

My legs- my god, my legs. They were covered in scars, the skin a pale pinkish color. My toes ached like a bitch when I tried to flex them. I remembered the doctor saying that some of them had been outright broken or smashed, and the recent surgery had fixed that. There were even more scars on my feet and toes. It looked like someone had tried to hack them apart with a machete.

The skin on my stomach was pinkish as well, as was my entire hip area. There were fewer scars on my upper body, though, and my chest didn't seem to be too affected, though there were plenty of bruises to go around. There were a lot of black-and-blue areas, though, which were sore when I applied some pressure to them.

Thankfully my, ahem, important areas were okay.

My back seemed fine, but my face was just...well, I didn't know whether to call it weird or plain shocking. There were a few scars and markings around my eyes from the shards of my broken helmet visor, apparently. I looked like some kind of psycho killer from a slasher movie.

"What the hell did you do to yourself, Dawn?" I muttered. "You look like shit."

I did look like shit. I felt weak, spindly, empty. My limbs felt like diseased twigs. My face looked like the result of a botched surgery.

All because I was a hair's breadth away from dying. Reduced from the great Dawn Conley, teenage supersoldier, the personification of every young adult novelist's wet dream - to go from high school one day to a hero, saving the world.

But that was all complete and utter bullshit.

Because no matter how hard fiction tried, it could never come close to reality.

I almost chuckled at the irony. Like I was the hero of my own story.

Wouldn't that be funny? If I was in a book or story?

Maybe I should write one.

I sighed again, turning around on the bench so my back could get cleaned. I grabbed a bar of soap from a shelf on the wall and began to clean myself, but not before dousing my hair with shampoo.

"I'm sorry, mom and dad. I'm sorry, Grace. You almost lost your little girl because she wanted to be a hero." I sniffed, rubbing my arm with a soapy hand. "I just wanted to do good. Is that so bad? I wanted to be better?"

I almost died and I'm in the shower, thinking about my life with no idea what to say. Is this what a midlife crisis feels like?

I was going to get better. I knew that much. I'd rest, recover, reconnect with my friends, find out what chaos I missed in the Praesidium while I was gone. Eventually, I'd get back to fighting the good fight.

What had I missed, anyway?

I'd been out of the loop for too damn long. If only-

I winced as I leaned on my left leg and a lightning bolt of pain shot through me. I grabbed it out of pure instinct, my hands wrapping around my shin as I lifted my leg off of the ground.

God, I can't even sit right.

I frowned, taking a closer look at my feet and legs. They'd taken most of the brunt of the blast, and, in Holmes' words, had 'been almost completely smashed'. If the round had only been a few centimeters closer, they would've had to replace them entirely with metal ones. While there were a lot more nanites and metal in my legs and feet, they still felt like they were all flesh. Almost all the hair I'd had on my legs was just gone, thanks to my skin being burnt, removed, and replaced.

My toes were a mess. Apparently some had straight-up gotten blown off and were literally just laying there in my armored boots until XCOM Medical reattached them. The mental picture of them just putting my toes back on almost made me vomit.

I decided to keep as little weight on them as possible. I moved my body around, laying my legs on the bench and sitting up, back leaning against the shower wall as I cleaned them. They were still sensitive to the touch, but it didn't hurt as much.

"What the hell are you doing?" I mumbled. "You should be in college, worrying about grades and partying, not this shit." I winced as I rubbed a soap-covered hand on my right foot, feeling the pain come back. "This isn't normal. None of this is normal. Can't even talk to your own damn friends anymore. You haven't spoken to someone normal in...fuck knows how long."

Am I normal anymore?

Do I really want this?

Sure, in some way, I was an XCOM lynchpin. I was the exception in a lot of cases. But that still didn't change how irregular things were for me.

Did you really consider all the consequences of hiring a teenager, Commander? When was the last time any of the Internal Council was in high school?

I simultaneously cringed and laughed at the idea of the Commander or any of the others trying to be 'cool' and 'hip with the kids'.

Yo dudes, XCOM is pretty chill. Maybe you could like, join it or something.

Ew.

But that didn't make it right. Time and time again throughout history, adults sent kids to die in the trenches or what have you because they couldn't get their shit together. In a way, this wasn't any different. The Collective was being run by a literal child, in over his head, who was going to end up just like what he fought.

Of course, no one on our side was at fault for this war. It wasn't our choice to have T'Leth nap on our planet. Not that any of that meant ADVENT was wholly perfect. Hell, looking back, some of it was downright scary. Where should I even begin? Stein's fetsihized 1984-esque idea of what cops and jails should be? Whoever the hell approved Scipio's brutality? Lord knows where I should even begin with Vyandar's ego, her belief that her creation would be the one and only of its kind, her old ways of EXALT still driving her.

I groaned. No. Don't think about that right now. You're a broken mess, and you need to rest.

Shaking my head, I finished cleaning myself up and making my hair look just a bit less messier. I was down, damnit, but I sure wasn't out just yet.

For a moment I closed my eyes, reaching out, feeling the minds around me, both human and alien- something I hadn't felt for a while. The hustle and bustle, the voices, the sounds - the feeling of home.

You're safe, Dawn. Remember the fireplace at your uncle's cabin? You remember that warmth?

Yes. Yes, I did.

And I'd always felt that here.

I was home.

Medical Bay, Praesidium

11/10/17- 9:35 AM

The first person to visit me was Aegis.

Boy, had I missed him.

Kunio, Geist, and Sierra couldn't clear their schedules, and my bunkmates were planning a mass visit the day after. Caelior...well, he was doing some mandatory training with some telekines, but would be here in a few minutes.

The Ethereal towered over my bedridden form, helm staring at my face.

"Hey Aegis." I weakly smiled. "I missed you."

"It is appreciated. Your injuries were severe. I presume you are recovering well?"

I sensed what could have been concern in his voice, something I normally didn't pick up. "I'm okay. I can barely walk, my legs have gone to shit, and I feel useless."

"Because you cannot fight?"

I nodded. He shook his helmet.

"It is understandable." He knelt down, getting closer to me. "Over the course of the Synthesized War, there were many times where I was wounded. I would heal eventually, but in the time that I had to rest, I felt unable to. I should have been the protector my duty commanded."

"And how did you deal with it?"

"I realised that, in my state of injury, I would be of little help to those I wished to protect," he said. "Time and experience brought me peace in this way. I ensured I kept informed on the state of the conflict in the meantime, to prepare for my return. It eased the wait, in a way."

I nodded. "I get it."

He nodded. "Good. I did not come just to inquire into your situation, but to see how one of my talented students was faring."

I grinned. "One?"

He cocked his helmet. "I have many students. You are among the more talented." He paused, looking at the small mountain of stuff on the stand next to me. "What did you wish to speak about?"

"How's Caelior?"

"He is doing well - in no small part to you, Dawn." He said. "I must thank you for connecting with him on such a personal level. Few here would do so, if any. Your friendship has immensely helped him - more than I could."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. I suppose having a more...youthful mindset towards some things works. But how are you feeling?"

"Weak." I said. "Tired. Like I want to sleep all the time."

He nodded. "I have dealt with such injuries. And your wounds?"

There were still tons of scars and bruises all over me, almost all of them on my legs and waist, but I had a lot of bruises on my face that you could see.

"They still hurt like a bitch. But I'll be okay for now."

"Good. I have missed training you."

I smiled. "Can't keep me away forever. Glad to be back, though. I missed this place."

"I looked over the information logs while you were out." He said. "You did an excellent job training those psions."

"I-what?"

Did he just compliment me?

"I- thank you." I tried to smile, but the most I could manage was a weak grin. My body was still recovering from the injuries and drugs. "You really mean that?"

"Yes. It seems as if you have taken my lessons to heart. I am glad to see you have taken what I have passed on and used it in a satisfactory manner."

I nodded. "Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master."

"What?"

"It's a quote by Da Vinci. Old inventor, very cool guy. Basically means that if a student doesn't take what their teacher teaches them and uses it in new, creative ways, then said student is poor. Just thought it was relevant here."

He paused. "A good quote. I will have to remember that." He clasped two of his hands together. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure thing."

"As I understand it, you and Caelior have telepathically interacted, correct?"

"Uh-huh."

"I understand you two obviously do not wish to form a permanent bond of any sort for obvious, but you understand how serious it means for an Ethereal to allow this, yes?"

I nodded. "He's told me. One of the most intimate things two non-romantically involved partners can do, apparently."

"Good, good. I am glad he places so much trust in you. I have noticed it has affected him positively. If nothing else..well…"

Like anyone else of your species did anything for him.

Part of me wanted to say it out loud, but although it was true, it didn't seem like it was in good taste.

"We're good friends. He trusts me a lot and I trust him a lot."

"That is good. I am glad you Humans - you especially - have helped him. He talks about you a lot."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"He speaks highly of you." He paused. "However, on a different topic, I have a proposal for you."

"More training stuff?"

He shook his head. "No, not exactly. You find your Aurora armor effective, yes?"

"How could I not?"

"XCOM R&D have been working on some more variations of it, to accommodate for other psionic disciplines. In particular, there are two variants based around telepathy. The Domination and Shadow variants. However, for the sake of the experiment, you will only be using the Domination variant."

Oh. Now you have my attention. "Go on."

He noticed the intrigued look on my face. "The Domination deals with creating and projecting a user's aura, while the Shadow helps the user create illusions, presumably similar to the ones the Chosen, Nebulan, and Quisilia make, though less effective. Since you are one of our stronger telepaths, the Commander asked me to ask you if you wanted to volunteer with the test-"

"Sign me up." I said. His helm reeled slightly, probably not expecting to be interrupted.

"I see you are enthusiastic about this. Very well, I will convey that to the Internal Council. Vahlen in particular wanted to see how your biopathy would work with the aura. Due to the armor's difference in function from the Aurora, you will need to undergo surgery for additional implants, though these won't take long."

I chuckled. "Did you just come here to recruit me?"

"I see your sense of humor has not changed. Rest assured that XCOM, and I, will be very appreciative of this."

"Thank you, I'm flattered."

He nodded. "You will get more information soon. Now, is there anything you wish to talk about?"

I pursed my lips. "I'm not sure. Do you want to speak some Ethereal script with me? I've gotten better, but I just want to test it."

"Very well then. Let's see how you do so, then."

"[What do you think of the Muton soldier?]" I switched to English for that one word, as my mind couldn't seem to find one. It still felt weird, having the alien words roll off my tongue like that.

"It is unorthodox, but it certainly has the potential. The Mutons are normally stunted and ineffective intellectually. My kind have treated most of them as little better than fodder. This presents a more sustainable path in the future."

Huh. Thought he'd find it a bit more repulsive, as he'd made his stance on the Mutons known several times in our lessons.

["You said you met with my parents. What exactly happened there? Please tell me you didn't scare them."]

"They were intimidated, but I did my best to be accommodating. They mostly asked about what and how I was teaching you, something I was more than happy to provide. They were genuinely curious about what I knew and did. Your father in particular was more aggressive with his question, while your mother seemed more reserved."

"[Did they ask anything you couldn't answer?]"

He shook his head. Not particularly. They did ask me what my 'prior teaching experience' was. I gave them a simplified brief on being an Aegis in the Empire, with the Synthesized parts removed."

"[Yep. Definitely don't want to tell them about that. They have enough on their plates.]"

He cocked his head. "An odd phrase."

I rolled my eyes. ["It's a saying."]

"Every day I encounter more of those. But your Ethereal script is quite good for an alien."

["Thanks."]

Someone knocked on the door, I immediately felt Caelior.

Hello, ol' pal.

"And with that, I must take my leave. Do not worry, I shall return-"

The door slid open, Caelior briskly walking in. "Soleur! You're back!"

Aegis cocked his head. "Did he just call you-" He shook his head, muttering something. "Excuse me."

Oh dear.

Medical Bay, Praesidium

11/11/17- 1:36 PM

"So let me get this straight, Dawn."

"Fire away."

"So you fought a Mexican drug lord who tried to blow you up with his rocket launcher, hijacked his plane, and melted his throat- and, on top of all that, this guy was an Avatar's uncle?"

I nodded. "Helluva thing, really. Bastard deserved every bit of it."

Kunio winced. "I can imagine. You really looked into his mind? Can't imagine it was pretty."

I nodded, waving a hand. "Most of it's all foggy and shit. Probably going to have 'em wiped later. No real point in keeping them anyway."

"Yeah, sounds like a good plan." Fiona chimed in. She was here, too. My British Sovereign guardian angel had also tagged along, and frankly, I didn't mind it one bit. I'd profusely thanked her for saving my ass, and she'd just given me a classic wink coupled with a sly 'No problem'. Classic Fiona. "I'm just glad you made it out alright. I'm sorry about your friend. You two were close, yeah?"

I nodded solemnly. "Yeah, we were. Taught me a lot of stuff." I winced. "Sorry, can we not talk about him? I.." I looked down. "I don't really want to talk about it."

The two teleporters looked at each other, nodding without hesitation. "Sorry, Dawn. It's alright. We didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." I said. "In fact, I made a new friend."

Kunio raised an eyebrow. "You didn't replace me, did you?"

"What? Pfft. You'd love her. Sick hair, loves to curse, and has an attitude that does more damage than her psionics. Plus, she has a nice nickname - and a cool accent. Violet."

He raised an eyebrow.

"And she's only a year older then me."

"Expanding your friend group, are we?" Fiona smiled, looking at Kunio. "Aw, she's all grown up. I'm so proud."

I snorted. "Very funny."

Kunio nodded. "But I'm glad you're okay. Getting hit with a plasma launcher." He shook his head. "Not a good time."

"Hell no. Apparently some of my toes actually came off. Medical had to reattach the buggers."

"Buggers? That's my line!" Fiona laughed. "Joking aside, I'm glad you're doing better. You...did not look good when I pulled you out of there. Your legs were completely broken, and there was blood coming out the cracks in your armor. When the call came in, the Commander seemed worried about you."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. I was just practicing in the Dreamscape when the Chronicler appeared, told me I had to cut my lesson short. Soon as I left, the Commander called me, told me you're close to dying and need an imminent extract." She shook her head. "I don't think I've ever put on my armor so fast, honestly."

I smiled. "I'm glad. But how did you know where to teleport? Don't think you've been there before."

She winked. "We have our methods. Anyway, so after I grabbed you and your things, I brought you to Medical, helped get your armor off. Don't think you'll be wearing that for a while - got pretty beat up. Made a quick stop to drop off your things - your teammates were pretty scared, really concerned for you."

I smiled. "I'm glad they did."

"And they'll be even happier to know you're doing better, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Fiona. That meant a lot."

"It's what I do."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

Kunio looked at me. "Is something wrong?"

Besides me being broken and bedridden? "Yeah, I guess. It's about…" I gulped. "Him."

"Who-oh. Oh." He nodded. "You mean the drug lord?"

"Yeah. It's more than that though. I saw Nico from, well, before. When he was normal, like me. With a family. A house. A life. I saw the things he was, the things he did, and then-"

"And then the war happened."

I nodded. "Kid was fucked, though. His father, uncle, and god know who else had so much blood on their hands. I saw what they did. How they did it." I gulped. "There was so much death, and now...he's just continuing the cycle."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a cycle of abuse, Kunio. There's no hiding that Sicarius is the equivalent of an abused child. Lost her family and wants revenge, only instead of fixing her trauma, she got turned into a weapon. Now her avatar lost his family and wants revenge, only instead of fixing his trauma, he got turned into a weapon. Sounds familiar?"

Fiona shook her head. "You're not wrong. It hasn't changed your opinion of him, no?"

I shook my head. "He's far too gone to help. Best case scenario for him is that he dies quickly and painlessly." I snorted. "Guess he'll finally find some peace that way, though not what he probably intended. He was a vessel for his family, and now he's a vessel for Sicarius. Everything he is, his ideas, his identity - all groomed from others."

"Ever more reason to kill him. How was the rest of the team?"

I shrugged. "They were all good. I kinda thought Tang wouldn't like me all that much because of our countries' pasts, but nothing really happened. Rafal was a good leader - never met an Israeli before. Besides that, the whole thing wasn't as bloody as I thought it'd go, to be honest. Well, except for yours truly. But it's good to be back."

"Glad to have you back, Dawn. I missed you."

"As did I."

"I missed the Dreamscape, lemme tell you. And the pool. Conflicted on which one of those to go to first."

"Oh, you swim there?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah, it's fun. It's pretty freaky staying underwater for like ten minutes and not having to worry about running out of air. Augmentations are weird sometimes."

"I go there sometimes too, you know. Not a lot, but still."

"Wait, really?"

"I do. It's fun to just float around and relax." I had to admit, the idea of a Sovereign Agent in swimwear was not something I'd thought about (not did I really want to), but it was still surprising. "If I'm off when you feel better, I wouldn't mind-"

"Having some girl time with a Sovereign Agent?"

"Not how I'd put it, but sure." She pulled a phone out of her fatigues' pocket. "Oh. I have to go." She cleared her throat. "Feel better, Dawn!" And with that, she vanished with a wave of her hand and a flash of green.

Awkward.

Kunio cleared his throat. "Well, I'm glad to see you're getting better. I missed having you around."

"Really?"

"How could I not, Dawn? You're a good friend, and what can I say?" He shrugged. Your enthusiasm is a rare thing here. And it'll be nice to have you back in the Dreamscape."

"Aww, I missed you too, portal boy."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're still calling me that?"

"Hey you can come up with a cheesy nickname for me too, y'know."

"Good to see fighting cartels and getting blown up didn't break your sense of humor."

"What ever does?"

"Fair enough." He played with his thumbs. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Which part of 'what happened'?" I said with a hint of malice. "Looking into the mind of a dysfunctional family built on murder and drugs? Losing a friend and watching him get shredded because of my stupidity? Getting blown up?" I groaned. "No offense Kunio, but-" A bolt of pain shot through one of my pinky toes. I gritted my teeth, leaning over and grabbing it.

"Shit!"

"You alright?"

I waved him off. "Happens sometimes. I'm scheduled for more surgeries soon. Goddamn nerves are on fire."

"You sure?"

"I'll live."

He appraised me. "Alright then, but I can tell when something is off. You're not acting like yourself."

I looked at him, knowing that I wasn't exactly being the most rational right now. "What is myself any more?" I said quietly.

"Huh?"

I sighed. "I sometimes feel like I have to put a face on in front of the adults. This-" I grabbed my scarred arm. "This isn't normal." I moved the sheet back, revealing the parts of my legs not covered by the gown, showing their pinkish skin and my scarred calves,feet, and toes. "This isn't something normal. I-I didn't know-I didn't want something like this to happen. I should be in a fucking college dorm right now, going to classes and doing homework. Not this."

I shook my head. "It's like I both want this and don't want this. Parts of me told I was fine being who I was, Dawn Conley the supersoldier, running around and killing people. But then this happens, and I don't know."

"Are you having second thoughts?"

I gripped my head, pulling at my hair. "I have too much stuff going on right now. Everything's just hazy. I go to bed and wake up two days later thinking I woke up past curfew, when all I'm supposed to do is just sit here and get better."

"You sound stressed. Do you want me to leave?"

I pursed my lips. "Kunio, I don't-"

"Look. I know you're stressed." He patted me on the shoulder. "You're not feeling good right now. How about I come later?"

I nodded, giving in, even though it felt like I was pushing him away. "That's okay. Yeah, that's fine."

Well, I'll come visit you again soon, Dawn."

"Yeah." I said. "See you soon. Doc says my legs should be working half-decently again soon. Maybe I can do something physical soon."

"Let's hope. There's still a lot of alien ass to kick. See you around, Dawn."

"See you Kunio."

As I watched him leave, I felt a sense of overbearing worry from his mind. I couldn't blame him. Walking for me right now was a slow limp at best, and running was completely out of the question. My arms were okay, and my eyes were fine, the shards from my visor having been removed while I was asleep. But right now, I was a mess.

For now, all I could do was sit under the blanket, rest, and hope for the best.

Medical Bay, Praesidium

11/13/17- 2:47 PM

I sat on the edge of the bed, legs dangling off the side. Doctor Erica stood in front of me, tablet in hand.

"You ready, Dawn?"

I nodded.

"Remember, just try walking a little. If you slip or fall, I'll catch you. Alright?"

"Alright. Here we go." My slippered feet touched the ground. Holding onto the bed, I I stood up straight, legs wobbling a little. "O-okay." I moved a few steps, not feeling anything yet.

"Feel anything?"

"My feet are sore, especially my heels. Legs are a little wobbly."

"How about your toes? Try wiggling them."

I did so, feeling a bit of numbness. "Uh, nothing." I took another step, putting more pressure on my right foot when a bolt of pain shot through my calves and shin. I almost shrieked as I almost hit the floor as Erica caught me as I gripped my right leg. "Aah! My leg!"

"Are you alright?" She got down on one knee, dropping her tablet. "What happened?"

"Right leg." I gritted my teeth as it felt like a thousand knives had stabbed me. "Put too much pressure on it. Hurts like a-"

She nodded, softly grabbing me and helping me stand up. "I'll hold it a little. Is your left leg alright?"

"Yeah. It's fine." With her help, I 'hopped' back to the bed, shaking off my slippers and getting under the covers, the pain slowly receding. She picked up her tablet again, making a note.

"Right leg seems more susceptible to pain than the left leg. Hmm." She looked up at me. "Dawn, you would be okay with me doing another scan on your leg?"

"Yeah, that's fine." I groaned. "Not...doesn't feel good."

"How bad was the pain?" She wrote more on her tablet.

"M. Night's The Last Airbender levels of bad."

She grimaced. "Oh, that's bad. I'm really sorry. That must be horrible."

"You don't know half of it." Or maybe she does. Maybe she's a fan too.

She nodded. "I have a daughter your age, you know."

"Really?"

"Name's Jasmine. Turned nineteen last week." She shook her head. "She's fine here, gets along with people, but I feel so bad for her. The poor thing."

"Because of the war?"

She nodded. "Before this, she was going to college. Had a good scholarship - back when they still mattered, of course. She was excited. Friends, parties, college life, that sort of thing." She waved a hand. "And then this comes around, and a bunch of her friends go off to join the military, and she barely sees any of her mom anymore."

She sighed. "She was used to it before this - me working late shifts and all. But now? She has to worry about all these things from the aliens. The Bringer, those Avatars, all of that."

"I'm sorry she feels like that." I said. "Can't say I didn't feel too different from her. Felt like my life was over when I saw the Ravaged One attacking New York." I shook my head. "I can't imagine how the younger kids feel. How do you tell a five-year old about Beijing?"

"You don't. It's just...I don't know." She looked at me. "I heard your operation went well. Something about fighting cartels?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Glad they sent us to take care of it. I've heard stories about what they did to people. It's just horrible."

"One of the many reasons why I pick up a gun." I said. "No one deserves to live with shit like that on their doorstep."

"Well, I'm glad you and your friends are protecting us."

Odd. Parts of me were expecting her to make a "you're-too-young-for-this" comment or something. Then again, she was a doctor, and treating her patients with respect was key.

"What's your daughter doing right now?" I asked as she brought over some kind of handheld scanner, slowly moving it over my right leg as a small red laser moved along it.

"Taking online classes. She wants to go into business."

"Oh, that's nice. I wanted to go into history, work at a museum or something before this. Guess now it's the opposite. I wanted to be the person looking at the people who made history, now I'm the person making history."

"Funny how that works." The scanner beeped. "Alright, let's see here now." She looked at a computer screen. "If only I'd had these tools five years ago...oh. Oh, I see."

"What?"

"Well Dawn, it looks like your right leg has more nerve damage than your left. Quite a bit more, in fact. I'll probably have to schedule you for a quick surgery, nothing too severe compared to last time."

"And then I should walk better?"

She shrugged. "Hopefully. That's all I have for you today, Dawn. Let me know if you need anything with the button on your bed. You'll get your surgery date later, okay?"

"Thanks, Doc."

"Anytime."

As she left, I laid back on the pillow, burying myself in the blankets. It felt a bit cold in here - a perfect excuse to use these even outside; out there, it was hotter than the summers in Nashville. Add to that that I wasn't really wearing a lot, and that what I was wearing was thin and light enough to justify having such thick covers.

I grabbed my phone, checking the discord. As usual, JULIAN was posting memes - almost all of them about Trask's recent toasting in Ankara. My favorite one was his 'Bully Maguire Kills Patricia Trask' video, which used spliced footage from New York and Ankara, with Peter Parker's face photoshopped over Fiona and the Chronicler respectively, culminating in her death.

Never let it be said that this place has shit memes.

Hopefully I could actually walk again soon. I missed getting up and walking around. I missed working out. I hated being stuck here.

But I didn't have a choice.

I still had to wait.

So I plugged in my headphones, turned on some music, and started scrolling through my feed.

It was the least I could do to kill the boredom.

Caelior's Quarter's, Praesidium

11/14/17- 6:00 PM

Well, I couldn't exactly leave my Ethereal friend hanging, could I?

And, for me, that meant visiting him. I'd gone into his room during the evening, changed into my sleepwear, and waited for him. Of course, we'd briefly had a reunion while I was in the hospital, and although he'd visited me several times as such, it was time for a real one-on-one reunion.

I smiled as I sensed him outside. I got up, and went over to the door, opening it before he could get a chance to, surprising him.

When I opened the door to his room, Caelior almost ran into me, pulling me into a hug.

"Dawn! You are back!" he said excitedly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, big guy." I said, trying and failing to wrap my arms around him. I'm still kinda weak, remember? Be careful, big guy."

"Apologies." He put me down after a few more seconds, taking his helmet off. "They let you out?"

"Yeah, but I'm feeling better. Means I get to make up lost time with you, buddy. How does me staying over nonstop for the next week or two to make up for it sound? Not just weekends anymore."

I could sense his satisfaction as he smiled. "I never liked being lonely anyway. I noticed you have some scars-oh." He looked me up and down, noticing the small nicks and bruises on my face and arms, until he got down to my bare feet, which were riddled in surgical scars and burn marks.

I looked down, wiggling my toes. "Oh yeah. Those." I visibly cringed. "Docs told me they almost got blown off entirely, there's a lot more implants and MELD in them."

"Does it hurt to walk?" He sounded concerned. "I can telekinetically carry you if it is too painful."

"They're a little sore, but if you want to." I shrugged.

"Then I shall do so." Strings were wrapped around me and I was lifted into the air, crossing my legs as he brought me up to face level with him. "Do you want to link?"

I happily nodded. We'd forged private telepathic links every now and then when I'd stayed over. It was an interesting experience - it wasn't anywhere close to a full bond, just a way for us to talk to each other with our thoughts and feelings.

He put a finger on my forehead. My eyes briefly glowed as the connection was made, my body stiffening for a my mind felt...clearer. More focused. I leaned by, gasping happily as I felt our minds connect.

I missed your mind, too, big guy.

And I missed yours. Come, I have a present.

I leaned back in surprise. "You do?"

"Oh yes. I think you will enjoy it very much." He lifted a box from his nightstand and floated it into my hands. "Open it. It's for you."

I lifted the lid pulling out a...something made of soft, white fabric. Silk? I gently pulled it out, holding it by the sleeves to get a good look. What was this? A nightgown? A dress? What was-

Oh my god.

My confused look on my face turned to a smile when I realized what it was: a two-piece set of clothing, with a pair of thin silky pants not dissimilar to the pajama pants I wore now, albeit much comfier and smoother.

But what drew my attention was the 'shirt'- I couldn't think of a name. It had a gold-and-white color composition, with a light blue undertone. It had long sleeves and looked like something a royal would wear, the fancy markings taking my breath away. Lines, curves, intricate distorted swirls of gold on a white background with hints of a very light blue all over. On the chest was a piece of onyx (yes, really) shaped akin to the XCOM logo's pentagon with a gold rim around it, seemingly sown into the fabric. There was a small indent of Ethereal script in a u-shape curving under it. I squinted.

What does it say?

Um, four letters. Okay, D-A-..oh, Dawn!

Turning around, a cape of sorts hung off the back, something that I noticed you could wrap around yourself if you wanted to. A hood also let you cover your head, made of the same material as the rest of this getup.

And then I realized what this was. My emotions amplified through our link, resonating in his mind as I felt his satisfaction flow through mine.

He'd made me Ethereal robes, human edition.

I gasped at the thought, a smile growing on my face. This clothing - it was a work of art! It was prettier than my prom dress, and there was nothing I'd ever seen on my countless shopping trips with my family or friends that could come close to this.

I turned to look at Caelior, my eyes meeting his. I noticed the look of satisfaction and pride in his fiery orange eyes. I'd given him gifts that humans would like- and he'd turned it around marvelously. I gave him human clothing, so he gave me Ethereal clothing.

"Do you like it?"

"This...this is the best gift anyone's given to me." I gulped, trying to find the right words. "They're beautiful, Caelior. It's like something a Disney princess would wear."

"I thought so. It was not easy. I consulted Aegis for help with this. He was confused as to why I proposed it, but he was quite helpful. I couldn't get what we normally used back when for obvious reasons, so I had to use silk. Then I had to get the onyx, and then make sure the fabrication machines got it right. I knew you would be gone for a while on your mission, so I figured I had more than enough time for trial and error."

I smirked. "I don't see any error here. This is gorgeous."

"You forgot one more thing." He telekinetically lifted a pair of...shoes out of the box. No, shoes weren't the right word. They looked like a cross between slippers and boots more than anything. "To complete your look, of course."

I chuckled. "Mind if I put this on?"

"Go ahead."

I walked into the bathroom, closed the door, moving in front of the mirror. I rolled my shoulders, relaxing as my feet sunk into the bathroom carpet, the hundreds of little pieces of wool between my toes a welcome change from the cold metal floor of Caelior's room and the Barracks. I looked around, noticing how much bigger everything was to accommodate for his size. The toilet, the height of the sink- hell, the size of the damn electric toothbrush he used had to set a world record for something. He always gave me a look when I had to climb onto the sink (usually with his help or my enhanced muscles) and sit on the granite countertop to actually look at myself in the mirror. He'd be casually standing there, full height, using his telekinesis and toothbrush in the mornings and evenings to clean his teeth, while I sat on the counter cross-legged, doing the exact same thing.

I guess some things are universal.

I took off my shirt and pants, hanging them on the doorknob. I put the pants on first, which felt very soft, even more comfortable than the pajamas I was wearing. The 'shirt,' if you could call it that, was easy to put on. You had to slide it on over your head and put your arms into the sleeves, but you just had to make sure the cape didn't get tangled up. When all was said and done, I slipped a pair of socks on before putting my feet into the boots, before opening the door and walking out.

He looked at me, dressed like one of his own.

"How do I look?"

"Very nice. You are now an honorary Ethereal."

"You mean it?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"Does this mean I get to conquer planets now?"

"When you're older."

"Awwww!" I did a fake, sad puppy dog face.

"You're certainly dressed like one. My aunt was an armor designer. While the materials are different, I think she would approve of the look."

"Even if I was an alien?"

He shrugged. "If you were an Ethereal? Maybe. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"

"I'm too short, remember?"

"Another advantage of being an Ethereal."

"Ah, you."

"One more thing." He pointed to the 'shirt's' waist. "You see that small clip there?"

I looked down. "Yeah?"

"Unclip it."

I did so, the outside of the clothing coming off, leaving a simple soft and silky white shirt underneath, feeling just like the pants I was wearing right now, with similar markings and engravings. It fell off of me before I could grab it, but Caelior snatched it with a telekinetic grip, floating it in front of me.

"See? Now you can both wear it for day and night. Remove the top part if you wish to use it for sleepwear, place it back on for casual day use."

I smiled. "This really means a lot."

"I know it does. That's why I did it, no?" He eyed the designs on the clothing. "Do you know what the symbols on the clothing mean?"

"Oh?" I looked down. "Uh...no?"

"I will tell you." he gestured to his bed. "Sit next to me."

He psionically lifted me onto his bed next to him. He opened the closet with a flick of his wrist and pulled out a similar-looking gown...dress...whatever you wanted to call it. It looked almost the same, just larger. Looking down at my gown, then at the one he was levitating, I noticed that the designs were the exact same.

"I don't get it…"

"Back in our days, when our families would have gatherings, we would wear clothing with designs like this. These designs are passed down through our families for generations, through both natural and grown children. It is a way of a father or mother saying to their child, a mate to their mate, or, in my case, a sibling to a sibling saying you are part of our family...or clan, if you want to use the old-fashioned term. When my father married my mother, he modified his robe's design to include her family's designs, as she did to hers."

"So...these mean I'm part of your family?"

He grinned. "Indeed. We don't have last names like yours, and since you like your clothing so much, giving you sleepwear and casual wear seemed like the next best thing. Now that you are wearing yours, I will change into mine, to signify that I see you as one of my own."

I didn't know what to say. The calmness and soothing feeling of the aura, combined with the knowledge that he, really, did see me as a sister made me feel good- but also a little overwhelmed. "Last name, huh?"

"Yes."

I reached out with my left hand, lightly touching the top of his upper right's hand. "I have an idea."

"You do?"

"Yes, but you'll have to put that on first." I pointed to the robe.

"I will be back."

He walked into the bathroom, closing the door. I took off the boots and socks, preferring to keep my feet bare for the moment, setting them down on the floor and crossing my legs. I'd been thinking about this for a bit, but he didn't sense it through the link. It was temporary, and deep as a puddle, only good for emotions and feelings at best. It was a good feeling, though. The calmness and clarity never hurt.

He opened the door in the robes, which stretched all the way down to the floor, hiding his legs entirely. He looked great. The robe was pretty much blue or purple, with the exception of the gold engravings.

"How do I look?"

"You look great."

He sat down next to me, crossing his legs like mine. "You were saying?"

"Alright. So, I've been thinking about this for a while." I waved a hand. "You, me, doing this." I sighed. "This isn't what I expected to get in life, but it's what I got, and for what it's worth, I'm liking it. Things happen in life you don't expect- in this case, having someone like you in my life."

"What are you getting at?"

I pursed my lips. "Well...remember what you said about last names?"

"Yes."

"There is a way to do that."

"Is there? How would I possibly acquire a human last name when I-"

He paused. I felt a spike of realization and shock through the link, almost making me wince a little. My heart beat faster as I felt increasingly nervous about what I was thinking of.

"You….no. You wouldn't."

"We've said we're siblings. I don't see why we can't make that legally official once and for all."

"You would adopt me."

"Well, my family could. You have to be twenty-one to do it legally, and since I'm only 19, well…" I shrugged. "It couldn't hurt to try."

"Is it even possible?"

"You're a part of XCOM, and legally you're an ADVENT citizen. I think it can be done."

He turned away for a second, staring at the wall. "You do mean it."

"I do."

"So, I would formally become part of your family."

"Yes."

"Which would take your last name."

"Yes."

His voice was soft. "Then yes, of course I wish to accept."

"Wonderful" I smiled. "A fair warning that I don't know if it'll happen soon. My sister might be okay with it, but I don't know how my parents will react. It's...I don't know."

He extended his two larger hands towards mine, palms open, which I placed mine in. "Thank you, Dawn.."

I looked up at his face, my brown eyes glowing a soft purple due to the link. I stared into those fiery orange eyes, which had given me so much comfort.

I knew it.

He knew it.

We both knew it.

"Welcome to the family, brother." The Ethereal Script rolled off my tongue.

"I accept your offer, sister."

It's hard to put into words what happened next.

I'd always wondered what it was like for the Avatars to merge minds with an Ethereal. I'd hated them for obvious reasons, but it was something that I'd always wondered about. Caelior and I...well, while we didn't do that, in that moment, we joined our minds in a deeper mental connection.

It wasn't a bond, not by any means, but it was definitely deeper than what we'd done before. Some memories and events from each other flowed through our minds like a river.. It felt like a rush of adrenaline as my eyes glowed purple and his body stiffened. I couldn't speak for a moment, my tongue tied as I tried to focus.

I had a sense of contentment and peace I hadn't felt in a while. His mind was older, yes. But the maturity level felt oddly similar - confused, a little worried, and a bit insecure. But at the same time, there was a pride to it - wanting to challenge himself, wanting to take on the world, to find his own place - it felt curiously similar, just more...well, alien.

I couldn't say that he didn't think the same about my mind, either.

"Caelior, I-" I gasped, throwing a hand over my mouth. My voice was altered! It was thicker, more layered. It sounded almost like-

"Sound similar to me?" It was his turn to speak, though his voice was as it always sounded - which made sense, since he was an Ethereal.

"I don't understand. How-"

He tapped the side of his head. "Psionic link. Like the Avatars, in a way. How's it feel?"

I gripped my head, trying to understand the older mind that was now within mine. "I don't know. I feel...weird. Like I'm in a haze. Like my mind's touching yours. I feel...sort of like you. But it feels...good."

"It won't last long, but I can break it if you wish."

I nodded. "No, it's good for now."

"Very well, Dawn. Let us experience this while it lasts. Then, we can rest."

To be continued in:

Guardian Angel