Advent Provides Chapter 18, a x-com fanfic

Chapter 18

The next three days were a blur. I had woken up every day at a reasonable hour to do acting work on the regular, like a normal job. However, I wasn't given enough time to prepare for each job. It feels like I'm back in fucking Highschool, cramming for tests the night before I had them. They were mostly interviews about my speech I gave at the mayor's press conference. However, last night, they dressed me up in Advent Trooper gear to film a few scenes with other actors for some recruitment propaganda video. Though, I'm not sure what purpose a recruitment video would serve. I was pretty sure I'd never seen, or heard about, anyone being recruited to be a soldier for Advent. And, as far as I was aware; most, if not all, of the troopers were hybrids. Not that I knew a lot of people personally, but I dared not question the jobs I got around Manny.

He acted the same as he always did, not skipping a beat between the day he showed me the blackmail he had and using it. To be fair, he told me that's exactly what he would do. I wasn't being worked to death, but I was definitely being worked. Initially, I thought I could handle the increased workload, but as the days passed, I suffered.

It had been three days since I had gotten a good night's sleep. Not because 11-7 and I were going at it. God, I wish that was why, but it wasn't. In fact, I've been having to turn down 11-7's advances every night. The reason for that is the same reason I can't sleep, and that's because I knew big brother was watching me. Or rather, big brother from another mother, or rather again big brother from a fucking alien test tube. As much as I wanted to enjoy 11-7's company; I just couldn't get in the mood knowing Manny was probably watching us. The only reason I did it when we got back from the base is because I didn't want 11-7 to suspect anything had happened that day, but after that first night, I just couldn't get Manny watching us out of my head. It was too weird, even for me.

Hell, it was hard to do anything in that room, knowing Manny was watching. And it's not like I could scour the room for tiny cameras. If I did, 11-7 might suspect something. A few times I was sure I had found one by chance and smacked the wall where I saw a black speck, but I could never be sure if I hit one because I didn't know what his cameras looked like. My sleep had become irregular, and I could never escape his watchful eye. I always had to tell Manny where I was going, so he always knew where I was. Every time I left the hotel, I swear I saw him following me. Every once in a while I'd see his blue suit for a moment: in a crowd, in a dark alley, or even in a tree. I was seeing him everywhere.

My work performance was down. By the 6th day after the base incident, I was being filmed for a potential Advent Burger commercial to advertise the new seasonal burger: Southwest style with fried onions and real naturally sourced synthetic bacon. I kept tripping over my lines during filming, and tripping over my feet. Manny must have noticed the lack of pep in my step during filming and scheduled a meeting with me at his temporary office in this city.

His temp. Office was inside the walls of the Advent Base in this city, but not directly attached to it. It was an old brick building that was only a few stories tall. The inside was dusty and if it wasn't for the functional lighting, I'd assume it was abandoned. After wandering for a while, I found the room his office was in. I hesitated at the wooden door for a moment. The last thing I wanted to do was go in there, but I had little choice. My fist hitting the door resonated and I heard someone say "Enter."

I followed the instructions and opened the door. As I walked in, I could tell just from what was in here it was a temporary office. A single dingy bulb with a pull string attached to it illuminated the room. No windows, grey walls, a green metal desk that matched two green metal filing cabinets that looked like they hadn't been touched since the 80s, and a large faded painting of a beach that sat behind Manny's head. The only thing that looked somewhat modern was a laptop that sat on the desk. Manny was typing on his laptop when I came in, and did not move his head, or stop typing, as I pulled up an old wooden chair to sit on. A small plume of dust was spit out of the cushion as I sat on the chair.

I coughed and tried to brush some of the dust off my pants. "Jeez, you'd think they would change out the furniture."

Manny continued to type and offered a robotic answer. "Advent repurposes many things, buildings and their contents included."

"I suppose..."

Typed for a few more seconds, before stopping to rub his face. He let out a sigh and turned away from his laptop to look at me. "I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Hickey. Your performance lately has been lackluster, and it only seems to be getting worse. I've called you here to understand why."

Maybe it was my lack of sleep, but what he said ticked me off. "Really? You don't have any idea why? Not a clue?"

He didn't react to my outburst, and leaned back in his chair, which was too short for his long legs, which caused his knees to poke up above the desk. "There is no need for hostility. If I knew the reason, there would be no motivating factor for me to invite you to this poor excuse for an office."

I leaned back in my chair. Why should I help him? Maybe I should just tank my performance until he gets fired. "You don't give me enough time to prepare for this shit. I've been doing these jobs one after another, I can't keep them all straight."

He furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. "You could not say: Big Southwest taste, all Advent flavor, without sounding tired. There is a problem beyond what you say, or you despise advertising, which is unlikely given your track record. But that would not account for your performance at other locations."

I frowned and pointed at him. "You are watching me all the time! I've seen you in public following me! How can I possibly relax with you breathing down my neck all hours of the fucking day!"

I saw understanding in his eyes. "Ah, there it is." He said with an unreasonable amount of calmness. "I understand your concern, Mr. Hickey. Given I have done this recently. But your fear is misplaced. I have no reason to gain more blackmail materials. The video I possess is more than enough for my purposes."

"Yeah, and how do I know you mean that?"

He sighed as his face returned to a more neutral expression. "You'll have to trust me on the matter. Which I understand would be difficult given the circumstances. All I can offer is my assurance. Would you accept a - pinkie promise?" He stuck out his pinky finger, which was nearly twice the length of mine, and smiled.

I think that was his attempt at a joke, but all it did was unsettle and piss me off. "That material is illegal, probably class 5 lascivious materials or whatever. If I told Advent you were hiding it, you'd be just as fucked as me. The Ethereals wouldn't be happy"

"There is only class 0 to class 4." He retracted his pinky and his frown returned. "It would be a bad outcome only for you. In the end, it would come down to your word over mine. And, unfortunately for you, as an agent with a proven track record, that has worked for Advent my whole life. My word would surpass yours. If you could not assume, because I deal with humans, I am given leeway with how I operate to keep you useful. I receive little oversight in my work, so that I can be more effective."

"No Oversight? Who do you think you are? You're not immune from consequences if I get evidence."

"Your words disappoint me." He looked down at his suit and brushed dust off of it. "I understand why you are doing this." He leaned back and looked at me. You are lashing out. Tugging on your leash to find out how far you can go. I have dealt with other humans in this same situation. You should appreciate my experience. You will be testy, that is in your nature. But, I will not hold that against you so long as you don't go too far, Mr. Hickey."

Pure arrogance, couldn't help but see some of myself in him, but it still made me mad. "You don't know shit about me. And I know you can get in trouble for this."

"You are correct. I can get in trouble for the things that I do. But at this stage, you can only hurt yourself, Mr. Hickey. What is the human expression? We are both like cogs in a machine. You are at the edge of that machine, Mr. Hickey, and you are easier to replace than me. And, I'm afraid I don't know how to quell your fears beyond saying I have more important work to do than following you around personally and capturing more footage of your–" he cleared his throat–"relations - with Unit 117. Now I will hear nothing more on this subject. You can leave now. I have done all I can to ease your mind, and I expect your performance to return to normal, even if it must be gradual."

I thought for a few moments. "If you get me a different hotel room, I'd feel better. One you wouldn't have time to put cameras in."

He looked annoyed. "I will arrange for a new room. Now, unless you wish to speak on another topic, I have other things to attend to." He began typing on his computer again.

As much as he had me in his pocket, he still was trying to appease me. Maybe I was going about this the wrong way. Threatening him seemed to have no effect. It wouldn't be a good idea to get him in trouble for this because, like he said, I'd be in more trouble than him. Maybe I should try playing nice to earn his trust. It seems to be what he wants. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Well, I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day. How have you been lately?"

He looked over at me. "How have I been? Did you actually ask me that, Mr. Hickey?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

He took off his darkened spectacles and analyzed me. "I don't believe you have asked me that before."

I shrugged. "You're exaggerating, I must have at some point."

He blinked once and went back to typing. "Perhaps you are right. But to answer your question: I am annoyed. This office is small and not to my liking. I wish to return to my home office. Your - difficulties have not been making my return any swifter. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Geez didn't realize he hated it here. "Sorry to hear that. How long until we go back?"

"Three days at most. There are a few more jobs you are scheduled for and I am accepting no more. After they are finished, we will be returning via aerial transport."

Again with the transport ship. Why did he ever let me ride on that convoy down here? It was a stupid idea. "Have you tried asking Advent for a better office?"

I must not understand something because he chuckled and stopped typing. "It doesn't work like that, Mr. Hickey. I am given what I am given. Negotiation for better things is not an option I have..." He frowned and looked back at his laptop. "I can assure you this is a pointless exercise."

"What do you mean?"

"The idle Chit-chat Mr. Hickey. Perhaps, in some scenario you conjured up in your mind, you hope you might convince me to dispose of this blackmail material over a long, drawn out befriending effort. That will not happen, I assure you."

He smelled that a mile away, but I'm not surprised. "I'm just making conversation. Is it so wrong to be friendly?"

"It is unusual behavior for you, given what has happened. However, your behavior aside, this is an unwise path. You do not want to be my friend." He looked me dead in the eye with slitted pupils. "I killed the only man who ever came close to being what you would consider a friend. And you are not as likable as he was Mr. Hickey. So, return to your car and I will get you a new hotel room."

I chuckled. "You had a friend I had no idea."

The wrinkles in his forehead pressed together. As he stood up to lean over the desk, he slammed his hands on the table. "Yes, and I killed him. Does that not bother you?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I thought I had killed my brother for the last 4 years. There's context to everything."

He relaxed his display and sat back down. "I suppose so... The context of any event can change how it is viewed."

"So there is a story behind it, then?"

He laced his fingers together and rested his forehead on them for a few moments. "There is..." He was quiet for a short while before he spoke up again. "Are you interested in the context, or are you interested in wasting my evening?"

That surprised me. "Wait, are you actually gonna tell me?"

He sighed. "Yes. If it will get you to realize the futility of your pathetic efforts to get me to give up the video and get you out of my office."

I leaned back in my chair, which made an audible creak as I got comfortable. "Alright."

He blinked his eyes a few times and started cleaning his glasses with the handkerchief he kept in his pocket. "Many years ago, we spent efforts preparing your world for its liberation. I was an infiltration unit, designed by the elders to mimic your form. And, I was one of the few infiltration units that managed to get involved in politics to any degree."

"Politics?"

He nodded. "Yes. I worked closely with a popular senator that held a lot of sway in the government at the time." He must have noticed my disbelief. "I obscured my eyes much better back then, and the work I did was enjoyable. Over time, I earned his trust by participating in many events with him, and speaking like we are now. In the coming days before the arrival of Advent, they tasked me with forcing him to side with Advent against the government when we landed our ships."

I was seeing some similarities between him and 11-7. "Did you want to do that?"

"Of course I did." He snapped. "It was what was best for your people. The constant infighting amongst yourselves was a waste of resources. Pacifying your people with minimal casualties and disorder was always the goal of the Ethereals. The senator was shocked to find out I wasn't human. I tried to convince him that the Ethereals only wanted what was best for all, but he wouldn't listen to reason. He wouldn't, as he put it, betray his country."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can't expect a senator to betray their country."

Manny chuckled. "You'd be surprised, Mr. Hickey, but to our surprise, it seemed many drew the line at making deals with extraterrestrials. But foreign nations and other humans, often at the expense of their own people, that was standard practice for their business. I digress. I pulled out my gun when he refused. What struck me was what I saw in his eyes. It wasn't fear, it was betrayal of the truest sense of the word. He looked as though he didn't believe what he was seeing. Fear wasn't even a factor, he appeared to be sad. Then he babbled about how I went to his daughter's wedding and his son's birthday. And about how we had traveled to Europe together on a diplomatic mission. All the activities we did. He called upon our activities like I owed something to him because of them."

Geez didn't realize my manager was a sociopath. 'Spose most of them are though, even the human ones. "That's how friendship is. You form a bond and help one another."

"Hm." He scratched his chin in thought. "You speak using words like bond. I've never had friendship described to me. I'll look into it further on my own time. But he used that to try and convince me to turn away from the Ethereals, as futile as any resistance from this planet would be, but I was bound by my orders. If he wouldn't tow the line, he was useless, and now that he knew of our arrival, he was a liability. I could not allow him to live with that knowledge. After I shot him, I left and returned to my duties as an infiltrator and waited for the day of liberation."

We were both quiet for some time. He opened up a drawer on his desk and set a whiskey glass on the table before pouring some whiskey into it.

I decided to ask him a question. "Do you really hate humans that much?"

He stared at his glass and swirled the liquid in it before taking a drink. "Hate is a strong word. I'd prefer a term similar to dislike or distrust to describe my disposition towards your race. Your species are primitives in the process of being uplifted, and you seem to enjoy taking the Ethereals' gifts for granted, but offer little in return. And I loath dealing with humans."

"I see."

"Humans bring too much conflict. They create too many variables and problems. I'd rather be administering something far away from this miserable planet."

"So, why don't you?"

He took another drink. "The Ethereals have deemed my experience to be more valuable here than anywhere else."

I looked at his drink. "Is that the reason for the drinking?"

I saw what looked like a mixture of offence and surprise at my comment. "No, it's just enjoyable. It's one of the few things I can enjoy."

"Do most non-humans drink?"

He shook his head. "No. I can imagine other species within Advent have the ability to, but few utilize it." He finished his drink and poured another one. "Having a functional liver similar to a human's is one of the few benefits to my condition. Not that there is a cure for it." His eyes drifted over to his glass. He was quiet for a few moments as he stared at it. "All the technology in the universe and I am still stuck with this gangly form." He mumbled to himself.

"Huh?"

His eyes darted over to me and he set the drink down. "Pay no mind, Mr. Hickey. I was lost in thought. Since you are here, and have time to waste chatting, we should discuss what you'll be doing tomorrow."

I agreed to it. We discussed the part I would play in yet another commercial, made more small talk, and he got me a new room before I returned to the hotel. The new room was much larger and nicer. The bathroom had a much larger shower in it. All in all, I was just happy to have a room that I was sure hadn't been bugged yet. Maybe I should take his word on him not collecting more blackmail. Whatever the case, I could relax tonight.

Two more days passed and the situation with 11-7 was becoming a problem. She had been propositioning me all week, and she didn't stop after we changed rooms. I had slept well the past two days, but knowing there was even a chance that Manny was still watching us has kept me out of the mood. I had hoped that since we fucked the first night, she wouldn't worry so much about it, but it hadn't calmed her down. Earlier in the week she was indirectly asking, being coy with it, but that's changed over the last few days. She's been more bold with her asking. I could see the hunger in her eyes every time we were alone, and she's even started playfully groping me to get me in the mood. Normally it would be welcome, but being in a hotel like this wasn't normal circumstances.

I know she knows something is up. Last night we got into an argument over this, and she pressed me. She was worried I wasn't interested in her, and it was difficult to not reveal anything. This was quickly becoming a problem. I never thought this would strain our relationship so much. It would seem after our first night together I had given her some relief, but by not continuing to do it, it was making her problem worse. She settled for cuddling last night, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could withhold what had happened from her. For all I knew, she was working with Manny, and the moment I told her I'd be in major trouble. But as much as my instincts told me that was the truth, I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. If the only person I opened up to in these last 4 miserable years betrayed me... I don't know what I'd do.

It was difficult, but I knew I had to confront her about what Manny said. And explain the situation to her. Only problem was Manny forbade me from telling her. So, I came up with a plan that would mitigate the risk of him finding out. We'd go out to the park at a time I knew Manny would be busy preparing for my next acting gig, and I'd tell her there in a secluded area, face to face. Not perfect, but it's what I could come up with.

There was a pleasant park in the area called Central Square. It was larger than the park in my city and filled with foliage. To top it all off, it was overcast today, so there would be fewer people in the park. Perfect place and weather for a private outdoor conversation.

We were driven to the park by a driver I didn't know and hadn't conversed with much. It made it hard to get to know the driver when Advent was changing them out every day. Stuff like this was making me miss Ron. As crazy as I felt thinking that, it was true. Just another reason to look forward to getting home. As we walked through the park, 11-7 and I saw a few people walk by, but the park was relatively empty, as I had hoped.

11-7 looked calm, and when there was no one around us, I surveyed the area for people. "Is there anyone around us?"

She cocked her head, but she flicked her tongue out slower than usual, anyway. "The area is clear of humans. Why do you ask?"

I ignored her question. "Is it clear of aliens too?"

She squinted and analyzed me. Probably trying to figure out what I was thinking. "Nothing sapient, human or non-human is in the immediate area."

I nodded. "Good, we need to find a place to talk."

She picked up on my seriousness and didn't ask any more questions.

We looked around the park for a few minutes and found an empty gazebo that no one was near. So we made our way to it and sat on a blue rubber coated metal picnic table. Its surfaces were solid on the sides, but the top of the table and the seats were filled with holes. It was comfortable, but the links that held it together dug into my arms as I leaned forward on the table.

11-7 sat on her coils instead of the table and set her gun on the table. Taking a position across from me. She had a concerned look in her eyes. "What did you want to speak on?"

How should I even begin a conversation like this? I looked at her face and for once; I was the one doing the examining. She looked confused, but interested in the conversation, but overall there was an uneasiness to her body language. The sense I was getting was that she didn't know what we were going to talk about, and that was enough for me to continue. As I was thinking of what to say, I looked up at the ceiling and saw what looked like a jagged black handprint. "What is that?" I pointed at the handprint.

Her eyes followed my hand and she saw it too. "That is a rebellious symbol."

"Is it? Seems generic. What the hell does it even mean?"

"The terrorists are not creative. It is used to call for assistance and promise help. They place the open hand in areas civilians travel in."

I raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean they're recruiting here? Is it dangerous? Should we leave?"

She chortled and shook her head. "No, it is unnecessary to leave. These are painted by hooligans, who leave the area as soon as they are finished. This one has not been noticed yet. I will mark the location for cleaning." She tapped on her wrist band a few times.

"Are there other symbols?"

She looked up from her wrist. "Many, but this one and the - fist symbol are the most common. But they paint the fist symbol on Advent structures. Places the rebels wish to destroy or mark as bad. It serves little purpose, as their symbols are cleaned up promptly. And the perpetrators are often caught and punished." She blinked her eyes and looked at me with confusion. "You didn't want to be here to discuss symbols?"

Sometimes her English isn't perfect, but I knew what she meant. "No, it's something else. Will someone cleaning that up interrupt us?" I pointed to the symbol above us.

She shook her head. "Not likely. Unless we are here for multiple hours."

The sky started to get darker. "Ok." I pushed the power switch on my phone and looked up at 11-7 when it turned off. "Turn your phone off."

She squinted her eyes. "Why do you want me to turn off my communicator? Are you alright Lucas?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just making sure no one is going to hear us."

Her concern and her interest were increasing. "I will oblige if it makes you feel more comfortable." She held her finger on the screen for a few seconds before it made a beeping sound and the screen darkened.

"Now we can talk. Do you remember earlier in the week when I went to that Advent base?"

She crossed her arms. "I remember."

I looked away and started tapping on the table. "Well… something happened when I went in. It didn't go as well as I told you it did."

Her pupils widened slightly. "What happened?"

"Manny knows… about - us." I didn't see any shock on her face. I whispered the next sentence in case someone was listening. "My manager knows we had sex and has a recording of it."

She froze and was silent for a few moments before she leaned over the table and stared through it at the concrete floor.

After a minute of doing this, she didn't say anything. So I reached over the table and touched her shoulder. "11-7? Are you there?"

Her head darted up at me, eyes filled with many emotions. She grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands and lunged at me over the table. Her armor ground against the links on the table as she got right in my face. "How - are - we - still - alive!"

The pitter patter of rain hitting the roof of the gazebo made me happy we decided to do this under a roof. I held my hands up defensively. "Woah, calm down."

Her brow furrowed and her nostrils flared. "How could I increase calmness! We should be dead. Both of us!" That tongue of hers was flicking up a storm and was occasionally touching my face.

"Manny used it as blackmail. My manager, and possibly Advent, wants me alive and completely loyal. So, they're using what we did as blackmail." She got quiet and said nothing. I could only think about offering the obvious. "We aren't dead."

Her sharp eyes darted away for a moment and refocused on me. "We should be." Her grip loosened and her hood contracted as she slumped back on her coils. "We're not dead, but we should be. Elders, I should be dead, just like my sister. It would be what I deserve. I didn't give her a chance."

I stood up and walked over to comfort her. "Hey, don't talk like that. That was in defense. You were protecting me."

She grabbed my shoulders and looked up at me. "But how am I any better than her? I know why you've been pushing me away all week now, why you had us come out here in the rain and turn off our electronics. I was practically begging you all week, trying to get you to do it again. Waiting was something I couldn't do…" She looked down at the ground for a few moments and back to me. "Am I any better than she was?"

I hugged her. "Of course you are. It was my choice as much as it was yours." She started wheezing and making gurgling noises. I'd never heard her make noises like this before. "Are you ok?"

She wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I got a face full of viper hood. She was silent for a few moments before she hugged me tighter. "I'm afraid - Lucas; I've never felt like this before. I… I don't want to lose you, I don't want to die." I moved my face out so I could breathe and she rested her chin on my shoulder.

Jesus. I never thought I'd hear her say that. "Hey it's ok, everything will be alright."

She let out a staggered breath. "No, it won't be. We could be executed at a moment's notice. I thought I was strong enough to weather the outcome, but I cannot." I held tighter to her and rubbed the back of her hood. "All of this is wrong. We should have never done anything together. I should have just stayed in my room forever and never spoke to you."

I kept rubbing her. "Why didn't you?"

She wheezed and breathed in heavily. "I… I was lonely. I was too weak… Too weak to be alone," she coughed and continued. "Being in a barracks, my sisters always surrounded me. Loneliness was something I could have never experienced. We slept together, ate together, bathed together, we were always - together. I didn't like all of them, but we supported each other - always. When I applied and was assigned to guard you, that all changed. Your house was large and empty, and after speaking to you, I thought you hated me. I thought you would never want to interact with me, and that I would be alone forever in your house. That I would age and waste away until I was nothing. It was unbearable. A friend was the only thing I needed that I didn't have at your house."

"I understand the loneliness. I was lonely before you showed up, too. Most Humans don't do well alone and isolated either."

She rubbed her face into my neck. "I should have never left my sisters. This never would have happened."

"But what about the good? The things we never would have done if we hadn't met."

"If we had never met, we'd be alive and safe."

I chuckled. "Yeah, safe and miserable." She pulled her head off my shoulder and looked at me. "You ever feel like you were missing something from your life, but you could never really figure out what it was." She blinked but didn't respond. "I feel like you are that piece 11-7."

She smiled. "I understand what you say. - I feel the same, as you put it. All my life, I never knew I was missing a piece. I felt an anger, and I still hardly understand this." She shook herself from this pleasant moment. "- But how can I feel good about putting you in danger?"

"Maybe I like the danger."

She chortled. "I know you are joking with me."

"Could be. But, it made you laugh."

"It did." She sighed and let go of me.

I could tell she needed to hear more. "Danger will always be around me because of my brother. You have nothing to do with that. But I'm happy I have someone at my side I can trust when things get difficult. You mitigate the danger."

"Thank you." She blinked her eyes. "I trust your judgments And I feel less emotionally compromised, but we are still in danger. What else did your manager say?"

After seeing how she reacted to what I said, I was convinced she was not willingly working with Manny against me. But I still had to tell her. I looked around the area. No one was around, and the rain had picked up somewhat. Rhythmically drumming against the plastic roof tiles of the gazebo. 11-7 must have noticed me looking around. "There is no one near us. Rain does not affect my ability to smell." She said, flicking out her tongue a few times to illustrate the point.

That was surprising. "Hm, that's cool." Knowing she could still smell calmed me down somewhat. "He told me you failed your compromisation test. Somehow, he intercepted the results or hid them because he wanted to speak to me first. When he heard what I had to say about replacing you, he kept you around."

"Oh." Her hood contracted.

"Don't feel bad. It's my fault I probably revealed too much to him."

She sighed. "Okay."

This next part was hard for me to say. "He also mentioned that you told him about my illegal video games."

Her eyes widened, and her hood extended. "I am so sorry. I... I was not the same then as I am now. My view has changed."

That was vague. "What do you mean by that?"

She looked away. "I adhered to Advent policy strictly. But, as I've gotten to know you, I see that the strictness is not as necessary as I once thought it was."

I nodded. "I see. Well, you know you can tell me stuff like this. Better than anyone, I understand what it's like to do something like that and regret it later."

"I should not have deceived you. I was worried you wouldn't speak to me if I told you that."

"It's ok, but you should have told me. I would have much rather heard it from you than from my manager. Is there anything else you've told him about us?"

She shook her head. "No, the games was the last time I spoke of our growing friendship directly."

I believed her. "Good. Now if he tells me other stuff, I'll know he's lying. I trust your word a hell of a lot more than his."

She smiled. "I appreciate your trust."

A bright flash of light filled up the area, followed shortly after by a loud boom. We both nearly jumped out of our skins. 11-7 whipped out her gun and scanned the area for a moment before we realized it was a lightning bolt. We sat back down and laughed.

"Damn, that storm is picking up." I said.

She dropped her gun to her side and nodded. "Yes, we should leave soon before it injures us."

The drive to the hotel was quiet. We waited under a closed building by the park's entrance for my driver to come and pick us up. While we were waiting 11-7 and I agreed to not discuss anything we had said at the park unless we were certain no one was listening.

Our hotel room was a welcome sight. We were both soaked. My pants and shoes were covered in mud from our time in the park, but 11-7 had gotten the worst of it. Her snakelike body had some advantages, like the fact she probably couldn't trip over anything, but unfortunately for her, her underside was completely covered in mud.

We were both wet, cold, and dirty. Being the gentleman I was, I offered to let her take a shower first. "You got the worst of it. You can go first. I'll just sit on a towel and wait my turn."

She chuckled. "My underside gets dirty all the time. I assure, it is something that does not bother me." She gestured to my feet. "It is like the underside of your foot. There is little feeling in it."

"I'm trying to be nice. Go on ahead. It's easier for me to warm up than you."

"You are cold?"

I nodded. "Somewhat, but I'll warm up."

She smiled, but it wasn't her usual smile. I could detect a hint of mischievousness behind it. "I understand a solution to our problem."

I shrugged. "There is one, I said you could go."

She crossed her arms. "And I am saying you should go..."

I chuckled. "You are not turning this into some game. Just go and shower."

"Do not worry, I will." She turned away for a second and paused before turning back to face me. "But maybe I don't have to go alone."

My face felt warm. "You want me to shower with you?"

She nodded. "Yes, does that trouble you?"

I looked away and scratched the back of my arm. "I don't know..."

"Bathing together is less than sharing in each other's bodies." I looked back up at her, and she picked up on my hesitancy. "Purely for warming and cleaning purposes. Neither would be cold" She winked at me. "It is more time efficient this way as well." Her eyes had softened and while there was a hint of lust to them, I got the impression she actually just wanted the company.

I thought about Manny, and I realized if he had a camera in the bathroom this whole time that would mean he's been watching me drop duces this whole week, and I couldn't imagine him doing that. I was considering it. "Would there even be enough room for us?"

She slithered over to me and touched my hand with her tail. "I could make room. I am flexible. Your body would be a trivial thing to clean for me. And you could wash me too, if you wanted..."

She really couldn't help herself. "Uhh."

She held out a clawed finger and shushed me. "Don't make your decision yet. Take time to think it over while I begin." With that, she slithered into the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.

It had been a while since we had done anything together besides cuddling, but I was still wary of Manny watching us. The more time I spent thinking about it, the colder I felt and the more inviting the wisps of steam flowing out of the bathroom made it look. I threw off my clothes and walked into the bathroom. The room itself was foggy from the steam because 11-7 had forgotten to turn the fan on. The bathroom of this hotel room was a lot nicer than the one in the other hotel we were staying in. White porcelain tiles, leading up to a shower that wasn't quite viper sized, but still large enough for her to fit in it.

I stood there for a few moments before she turned to look at me. Steam partially obscured her face and body. "Oh, so you have decided to join me." She spoke with a tone she tried to make sultry, but it sounded gravelly.

I chuckled, tasting the humidity of the room as I breathed in to speak. "Who said I was gonna join you? Maybe I just came in to watch."

She smiled and her eyes widened a little. "You can watch if you want... But the view is better from inside the shower." She raised her eyebrows.

"Can't argue with that." I slid the glass door to the shower and walked into it, stepping over 11-7's body in the process.

The inside of the shower was luxurious, grey tile all around and a large square rain showerhead over the center of the shower. She used the tip of her tail to close the shower door, and once it was closed, she moved right up to me, breasts only a few inches from my face as she curled her neck to look down at me with a smirk.

I pointed at her. "Don't get any funny ideas. I'm just here for the wash."

She stretched her tongue out and coiled it around my finger. I pulled my hand away from her as she chuckled. "Relax yourself. Let me spoil you, it has been difficult the last few days."

"Hang on, this was gonna be a joint effort. You're already clean."

She moved back and put her hand on her hip. "You took too long with your decision making, but if you insist you can wash my head when I am done with you." She piled up some of her coils at the edge of the shower. "Take a seat Lucas." She gestured to her coils.

I sat down on her body, and she grabbed me by the shoulders. "Is the water temperature to your liking?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Your legs are filthy, I'll start there." She pumped some of the hotel's complimentary soap on the tip of her tail and coiled it around my leg. The soap produced suds as she stroked it. She had let go of my shoulders and was watching my leg closely as she worked. "I did not realize human bodies were so hairy before we swam together."

That was out of nowhere. "What?"

"It is not important, an observation. Before we swam together, I had only seen humans fully clothed. I had not realized hair grew in places other than the top of your head."

"Oh yeah, most of us have at least some hair on our bodies, in certain places, but it depends on the person."

She finished with my leg and worked on my foot. "I understand. One consequence of an uncontrolled genome: variation in population."

I looked over my shoulder at her. "Is that a bad thing?"

She squinted her eyes. "It can be, but it is not my place to comment. I am a soldier, not a scientist."

I didn't reply. She finished with my foot and moved to the other leg and soon finished with that one. "Wow, you've got a lot of control with your tail."

She smiled. "Thank you. I use it often; it is like a third arm for me. It is beneficial to have a grabbing appendage without claws." She lifted one of her hands and displayed her inch long black claws. 'Cannot poke you with them by accident if I use my tail."

I waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm not worried about you using your hands."

"You are not? That will make cleaning your back easier. Now, lean forward for me."

I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. She started at my shoulders and gave me a short massage.

My stress from earlier was melting away. "Keep doing the massage thing, it's nice."

I heard her hum in delight behind me. "You like? Better than the females at the Advent relaxation center?"

She was fishing for compliments, but I humored her. "Much better."

She massaged my shoulder a little longer and worked her way down my back. I felt her lightly scratch it and her hands pulled away from my back. "Are you ok? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

I shrugged. "You know, I'm sure humans may seem squishy compared to you, but we're not flowers. That scratch actually felt good."

She raised her eyebrow. "You like being scratched?"

"Not hard. Light scratching feels good. Probably because we shed skin flakes and hair all the time."

"That is understandable, I will try to not scratch too hard."

She ran her claws up and down my back, which sent chills up my spine. Once she rinsed off my back, she moved on to give my head some attention. She used her hands and rubbed in some shampoo before massaging my temples and scalp. Then she raked her claws through my hair, taking time to scratch my head all over. I closed my eyes and enjoyed her touch.

"You are like a feline." She said quietly.

My eyes shot open. "What?"

She stopped scratching. "A cat. Small animal humans kept in movies. You like to be rubbed and scratched."

"Alright, I'm good. You can stop scratching me now."

She must have realized I took some offence to that. "I'm sorry, it was an observation I did not mean to offend."

I chuckled. "I forgive you, just this once. But, I am not a cat."

When she rinsed out my hair, I was completely relaxed. Actually, better than the spa. She had avoided touching me in certain places, so I was impressed she actually held onto what she said.

I stayed sitting on her for a few moments to collect myself. "Alright, your turn."

She chortled. "If you insist, you may wash my head."

"Well, that wouldn't be fair after all you just did for me. Maybe I could wash something else too... I could massage your tail, or something."

Her eyes widened somewhat. "My tail..." Her hood tucked in. "I suppose you could, but you don't have to do all of it. We would be here for hours."

I chuckled. "Just the tip then?"

"Yes, the tip of my tail. What is so funny?" She squinted her eyes, suspicious of my intentions, no doubt.

I waved a hand dismissively. "Uh, It's a sex joke, but don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything weird."

She looked even more unsure now. "Ok." She laid her tail on my knees so I could get to work rubbing it with some of the body soap. As soon as I had started, she curled her tail tightly around my wrist. "Be careful where you press." Her tone was serious.

She kept holding onto my wrist, waiting for my response. "Ok, I'll be careful." She released my wrist, but continued to watch my movements. Don't know why she's acting weird all of a sudden.

Her tail had an interesting feel to it. As I pressed my hands into her tail, it felt like I was massaging a big fish. Pure muscle under the scales and a small layer of fat.

She had only set a small part of her tail on my lap and once I had finished, she slid it off of me with haste. "Thanks, you can wash my face now." She spat.

"Okay." I stood up to face her. She stared directly into my eyes.

I started at the top of her head and worked my way down her face. Her face was boney, and her hood was firm, like cartilage. She kept staring at me with wide pupils as I scrubbed her. I started laughing because I was so close to her face.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Oh nothing. You're just staring at me so intensely it made me laugh."

Her hood contracted, and she looked away. "Sorry, I was enjoying your hands. They are soft and dexterous."

"Uhh, thanks. I grew them myself."

Her face relaxed. "Shut up with your silly comments."

"Well, if you insist." She really seemed to enjoy having her hood rubbed, especially in the crevice that ran along her neck and the back of her head. Once I was finished, I washed the parts of my body she didn't get to.

She turned off the water, and we both stepped out of the shower. As I was drying off my feet, I looked over at her. "Are you going to be ok with this? I know we haven't - em, gotten intimate all week."

She stopped drying off her torso and smiled. "Spending time close to you like this was enough for me."

"That's good to hear. Strange enough, I enjoyed this too. I've never showered with someone else before."

She covered her head with a towel and moved it back and forth. "I used to do it every day before I lived with you, but it wasn't intimate like this."

She mentioned she bathed with her sisters when she was at the viper barracks. I wondered what that would look like and lingered on the thought for an embarrassingly long amount of time.

11-7's voice took me away from that thought. "...besides we can do more interesting stuff when we get home."

Even if Manny had put cameras in my house, I felt much better about doing the deed at my house as opposed to a hotel with so many prying ears. "Oh, trust me we will."

She slithered past me and rubbed her hand across my jawline. "I may make you keep that promise." She left the bathroom.

What a day. The more I learn about Manny, the more I feel he is unstable. Who knows, he might've even made up that story about the senator. I just don't think I can trust him. And with him now having complete control over my life, I don't know what kind of shit he's planning on pulling with me. At least I know that 11-7 isn't working with him now. Her reaction to what I told her was too genuine. I don't know if she'd choose me over Advent, yet, and I dare not ask her that question. She's troubled enough by what's going on. I don't need to give her an existential crisis. However, after what I saw today, I feel like there's more of a chance she might pick me. Sleep came easy. Having a snake shaped bed warmer always helped with that.

This chapter is in remembrance of /xcg/; the vg thread that is mostly dead now. (It's an Xcom thread that inspired me to start writing this story for those of you that don't use 4chan) Thanks for the good times, you may be gone most of the time but you are not forgotten. Maybe Xcom 3 will revive it.