Last time out, I said my mom went in for cancer surgery. I'm happy to report that the cancer is gone. Find it quick, it can be treated.

Now from that happy thing to something... not.

Ruby ran her natural arm across her forehead. "That's the last one." She stepped back and looked over the four boxed nukes. "You reading anything, Avenger?"

"We are not detecting any outgoing transmissions or anything to access remotely," Shen said over comms. "But we are too far away to detect any leaks. Anderson, your Gremlin has Geiger protocol, right?"

"Sure does." Anderson approached the crate and Ruby backed away. The man's Gremlin flew to the first crate and just hung there. After a few seconds, it flew to the next and did the same thing. It repeated the process for the last two before returning to its operator. Anderson looked at the screen on his right wrist. "Cortana says we're clear. No leaks. They're safe to move."

"Copy that," the Commander said. "Help the recovery team load them onto their transport then get out of there."

Ruby dropped her jaw. Load them up? Take them with? She turned her head to the transport that accompanied the Skyranger. The recovery team's transport was a bulky, black thing. Four vertical struts were attached to the four corners. The rotors on them said they folded to wings. Only a blue five-pointed star with a white line running along an inch inside the outside edge broke up the black. The recovery team… was loading corpses of the dead aliens and ADVENT onto it. Invidia said XCOM took them for RnD but seeing that felt even more wrong. Ruby faced the nukes again. They wanted these things too?

"Why do you want these things, Commander?" Ruby asked with her comms live.

"Because I do, Squaddie." That growl could have made a Creep back off. "Either help them out or pick up your sniper and your prisoner. Just don't get in the way."

Ruby grimaced and shook her head. She walked away from the nukes and toward where the threw her sniper. Nukes, corpse scavenging, she wanted no part of it. She picked up her discarded weapon and ejected the magazine. Judging by the grooves inside, there was only room for three bullets. They were a pretty high caliber, but unless things were lined up right, that was only three kills per mag. That probably wouldn't be enough. The sniper groaned and slammed the magazine home. She'd need to do something about that if that meant making everything herself.

She slung the weapon over her shoulders and turned her head toward where the unconscious Viper still lay. Ruby walked over to it and stared at the still form. Its eyes were closed and its chest moved ever so slowly… Also, why the heck did it have human-like boobs? Most mammals had some version but nowhere close to something like that.

Ruby groaned and picked the Viper up bridal style. The alien was surprisingly light, though the dragging tail made it awkward to carry. She got a few weird looks from the recovery team but just ignored the people in worn down construction gear. Over the comms, she faintly heard someone say the reinforcements just took off from the nearby base. XCOM would be long gone by the time they arrived. At least that went right.

The sniper stepped onto the Skyranger and froze at the top of the ramp. Rayla sat on the far side of the crew compartment but the side that faced Ruby was hardly recognizable. The horn on the right side of her head was half-melted into her hair. Skin and beyond could be seen through what should have been solid breastplate. Her right arm was burned right down to the bone in some places. Her face was in much the same condition. Whatever it was in that grenade did a number on her. It was a wonder she was still alive.

Firebrand stepped out of the cockpit and stopped midway into her turn toward the elf. "Why the hell is that thing in here?" She gestured her right hand and the med-pack she held toward the Viper.

"Would you rather have it in here with the trained soldiers or with the recovery team?" Ruby turned to the left and set the unconscious Viper down in one of the seats. She pulled the restraints down, making sure its arms were pinned beneath it.

The pilot growled. "The recovery team has soldiers… but not nearly as well trained as ours."

"Glad we agree on something." Ruby faced Firebrand. "I've got some pretty substantial medical training. I can take care of her."

Firebrand gave Ruby a look. She then shook her head and stood up, leaving the pack on the floor. "The spray is an aerosol painkiller. Apply as much as you can to the wounded areas." She stepped into the cockpit muttering something under her breath.

Ruby opened the pack and her eyes settled on the largest thing in there. She pulled out an oversized and possibly overengineered spray can. Then again, medical tech wasn't her strong suit. That was Velvet's area. Ruby faced her patient. "Hold on. I'm going to take the pain away." Rayla's eyes stared off to the side, no acknowledgment. Ruby pulled the bottle's trigger and a fine blue mist burst out and onto the elf's face. Rayla sagged a little on contact. The Rider then slowly moved the spray down the elf's body, taking care to make sure every injured area was covered in at least a thin layer of the painkiller. The bottle clicked dry just as Ruby covered the last area.

Rayla sighed. "That's some strong stuff." Her voice sounded weak and scratchy.

"Hey." Ruby stood up and rested a hand on the uninjured half of Rayla's body. "Don't talk. Save your energy." She took a look at Rayla's neck. "Looks like you're lucky to have any vocal cords at all. Just stay quiet and don't move. No need to make your injuries any worse." Rayla jerked her head up and down.

Ruby sighed and put the spray back in the med-pack. She looked around the rest of it and her jaw dropped. Besides that spray, there was pretty much nothing of note. Just a bunch of small bandages, a wrap or two, and a couple pill bottles labeled 'Advil,' 'Tums,' and 'Tylenol.' She growled and shoved her weapons into the slots by the seat between the elf and the Viper. "I swear, unless that spray is part magic…"

"Magic?" Rayla whispered. She turned her head toward Ruby.

"I told you to stay quiet." Ruby shot the elf a weak glare then nodded. "And yeah, magic." She raised her natural hand and stared at it. "If I had access to it, I'd be able to heal you up before we got back to the Avenger. Then again, you probably already knew that from Invidia." Rayla grunted then her head lolled to the side.

Rex, Anderson, and Dallaire stepped onto the Skyranger. "RT's ready to go," Rex announced. "Firebrand, let's get out of here before their reinforcements finally show up." He stayed standing while the other two took empty seats across from Ruby.

"Copy that boss," Firebrand called. "Skyranger to Avenger, all XCOM operatives are accounted for. Returning to base."

"Copy that, Firebrand," Central said. "We'll have a medical team on standby to receive Rayla."

"Good work, everyone," the Commander said. "It appears ADVENT's overconfidence worked in our favor once again. If they didn't think one of the nukes would explode, those reinforcements would have been on top of you just as you took off."

Anderson laughed. "They should have armed more nukes. We'd all be dead if more than one of them was counting down."

"Serves them right for taking a twenty-five- percent shot," Dallaire snickered.

"Even we can have luck on our side every once and a while." The Commander paused. "I know some of you may be wondering why I want those nukes. Some of you wonder out loud." Ruby grimaced. "I will tell you what I am announcing to the entire ship. I don't want any of those nukes on the Avenger. I want them dismantled. They generally have no use in our war doctrine. However, situations may arise when using a nuke is the best way to destroy a target, say, one of their battleships. I don't know how we'd manage to get one inside, but it's still a possibility. Until such a time we can bring UFOs down without that kind of firepower, we are holding onto those nukes." The comms went silent.

Rayla groaned. "Who got the one who got me?"

"I think it was the newbie," Anderson said… once again, he rested his rifle across his lap, safety off, this time pointing it between Ruby and the Viper.

"Yeah, and you've got a funny way of thanking me for doing so." Ruby gestured at the weapon. "Put that thing away before you kill someone."

Anderson narrowed his eyes and gripped his weapon. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Avatar?"

"Can it," Rex ordered. His helmeted head faced Anderson alone. "I hoped you'd gotten smarter after the battle. Looks like you need to go through a proper weapons training course again."

Anderson dropped his jaw and glared up at Rex. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't." Rex crossed his arms. "Are you going to show me how to handle a weapon or am I going to have to show you in front of the squad?" The soldier scowled, then ticked on the safety and slid it into a slot beside his seat. "Good. You're not a complete lost cause."

"Hey, Menace," Firebrand called into the crew compartment, "looks like the news already picked up on what we did. Patching it through."

The speakers in the Skyranger clicked on and played what sounded like a breaking news sounder. "XCOM radicals have raided a supply depot tasked with the distribution of critical supplies for gene therapy clinics around the globe," a female voice said. "Residents in Moscow and Tokyo will be affected the most. ADVENT leadership would like to assure the residents of those cities that the supplies will be delivered before the end of next month."

Dallaire whistled. "Merde. Medical supplies. Doc and Points will be glad to hear that."

"And Shen won't." Rex reached up and grabbed one of the bars on the ceiling as the transport hit turbulence. "I read up on your nukes on the flight to the facility. They're weak compared to what I'm used to, but a lot more volatile."

Ruby rolled her whole head. "That's reassuring." Movement to her right caught her eye. She turned her head toward it. The Viper's head was moving. "Sergeant, it's waking up!" The snake turned its head toward Ruby as if it heard her voice.

"So it is." Rex moved to stand in front of the Viper and held his arms across his chest. "I suggest moving, Rose. These things spit poison and they can bite."

"Copy that." Ruby unsecured her restraints and pushed them away. Before she could stand up, the Viper opened its eyes. They were groggy and unfocused but still locked with Ruby's. The alien then… smiled? Was that a happy hum? Why did its tongue loll out if its mouth?

"Viper, eyes up," Rex ordered. The Viper complied and its eyes lost their haze. It blinked and tried to move but its restraints kept it in place. It yelped and it tried to pull itself out. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Rex rested a hand on one of his pistols. The Viper silenced and the sides of its head drooped. A whimper escaped its throat. "Good. You know your situation. The only reason you're not dead is because you threw down your weapon. Here's what's going to happen to you now. You're going to…" Rex trailed off.

Dallaire growled and forced up her restraints. "It's psionic!" She grabbed her shotgun, chambered a slug, and pointed it directly at the Viper's face. The alien yelped and turned its head away. It also managed to pull its arms up to protect its face. Before it closed its eyes, Ruby caught the emotion inside. Complete fear and panic. The way it slumped and contorted itself in its seat… Ruby had seen that look before on too many people. Ever since Violet, she fought to end that look on everyone she could. She'd be damned if she participated in that crime.

"Hey!" Ruby stood up and pushed Dallaire's gun away. "What the hell are you thinking?"

Dallaire's glare could have punched through an Ursa. "Va te faire enculer, Avatar." A fist came up and connected beneath Ruby's chin. Back on Remnant, that wouldn't have phased her. Without Aura and wards, she stumbled backward and fell at Rayla's feet. "Now we know who's side you're on."

Ruby growled and started to push herself up. Before she made it halfway, Anderson pointed his assault rifle at her head. "You should listen to her, you know."

"And both of you should listen to me." Rex drew both his pistols and aimed them at the two with the guns. "Either of you pull your triggers, you will hit the floor before your spent shells do." He focused his helmeted head on Ruby. "What did you see?

The Huntress looked past Rex' visor to where she thought his eyes were. "A terrified civilian."

Rex stared at Ruby for a few more seconds before nodding. "They look the same no matter the species." He turned his head between the two insubordinates. "Both of you will put your weapons down. Now."

"The salope is psionic!" Dallaire protested. "It's too dangerous to be left alive."

"Too bad for you, that's exactly how the Commander wants it." Rex paused. "Here's what's going to happen. You two are going to lower your weapons and I might not tell the Commander about your insubordination." He turned his helmeted head toward Ruby. "You are going to secure the Viper's hands and stay in your seat's restraints until we reach the Avenger." He looked around the cabin. "Do I make myself clear?"

No one moved for a tense few seconds before Dallaire scoffed and sat down in her own seat. She slammed her shotgun back into its slot. Anderson groaned and did the same thing. Rex holstered his pistols then looked at Ruby. "We typically don't take prisoners. Use the medical tape."

Ruby mentally growled then pushed herself up. She grabbed the first aid kit and pulled out the medical tape. The Rider faced the Viper, surprised to see it's arms already outstretched and eyes wide. Apparently it understood Vytalian, or English as it was called on this planet. "For the record, I don't think this is necessary." Ruby started wrapping the Viper's arms. "You don't strike me as a-" The Viper's mouth opened a fraction and its tongue darted out. Before Ruby could move, it… licked her right cheek. The Viper hummed again. That was… unexpected. "You're welcome?" She shook her head and continued to secure the alien's hands. She didn't need to think about that.

When she was satisfied that no normal person with that hand structure could make it out of the makeshift restraints, Ruby put the tape away and sat back down. She pulled her restraints down and stared straight ahead. So much for making a good first impression. She knew she should have cared but she didn't. She wasn't going to apologize for doing her job. The few times White Fang soldiers surrendered she offered them every courtesy… Nevermores never did. She was happy about that then. Doing something about them now would be therapy.

The rest of the flight was spent in silence. People only interacted through glares. It sounded like Rayla fell asleep a few minutes after the fight. But Ruby felt eyes on her that weren't threatening. She turned her head to the right. The Viper stared at her in a way Ruby almost recognized. If it was just about anyone besides Cerise, Aaron, or Crey, it would have felt like she was being eyed by a creeper. Why didn't this? Why did it feel comforting? If a chip in her head could separate her from Cerise, why didn't it stop whatever this Viper was doing?

The Skyranger banked and slowed down, pressing Ruby into her seat for a few seconds. It touched down and the back ramp hissed open. Rex stepped out and Invidia rushed inside. The Huntress stayed in her seat as Anderson helped Rayla out of the transport and to a three-person medical team, with Invidia being the only one among them that had substantial medical knowledge. Dallaire glared daggers at Ruby as she passed and followed the procession into the Avenger.

Rex stepped back onto the Skyranger as Ruby finally stood up. "The Commander wants to see you," he said. "He didn't say why."

Ruby tapped her earpiece and heard some feedback. "I'm still online. Why didn't he tell me himself?"

"Do you know where his office is?"

The Rider gave Rex a sideways nod. "Fair enough. Lead the way."

Rex turned around and walked down the ramp. Ruby grabbed her weapons, holstered them, and followed her Sergeant. They waited for the elevator to return and only rode it down one level. Ruby had been everywhere on that floor except the bridge and some engineering sections. The Commander probably wouldn't be working in the guts of the ship. That only left the bridge, a place Ruby didn't yet have access to. She didn't know what being ordered there meant in this circumstance.

The Sergeant held his forearm to a scanner by the door to the bridge then hit a few things on the control panel. The doors jerked, hissed, then slid into the nearly two-foot thick walls. The two stepped in and Ruby looked around. About a dozen people either sat or stood at several computer stations around the bridge. Ruby could only guess what they were all doing. A square table stood in the center of the room with a hologram of a planet projected above it. Bradford held his chin in his right hand as he stared at a red dot in the center of a continent. He didn't pay the newcomers any mind.

"Up there." Rex pointed at a door on an upper level. He led the way around the center of the bridge to a set of stairs to a catwalk. He knocked on the door three times.

"Come," a man on the other side called. Rex nodded at Ruby then stepped aside.

Ruby pressed a button and the door slid open. She stepped inside and the door closed around her. Unlike most other parts of the ship, this room served a double purpose. The half she stood in was set up like a conference room. An array of chairs and couches surrounded a table with plenty of maps and schematics piled on top. On the other side, a tattered red flag with the XCOM logo hung next to a bed. Space was at a premium, but did those things need to be in the same place?

The Rider focused her gaze on the only other person in the room. The Commander wore what appeared to be standard military forest camouflage fatigues. Four silver stars adorned his right shoulder. His straight and rigid posture spoke of his military experience yet the cane he held in his right hand said not everything was right. His bushy black beard connected to his hair… now that Ruby thought about it, the Commander could have been Commander Biker's twin. If she hadn't met people from other dimensions, she would have said that was impossible.

"You have put me in several tough positions, Squaddie Rose," the Commander said while staring at a text filled screen. "You break out of a pod, making my soldiers have to worry about extracting you. A Chosen called you Avatar, a mysterious project ADVENT is working on that we only know the name of. Then today, you find a Viper that surrendered, a first for any of our enemies we've met in the field. Shen and everyone that can hold a wrench scrambled to turn one of the cargo holds into a cell that might be able to hold that thing."

The screen in front of the Commander turned off and he turned around. His glare rested solely on Ruby. "Besides those kills you picked up, you've given me no reason to trust you. Even that doesn't mean anything. Less than a month after I returned, I saw a resistance fighter melt then rise as a blob of mutated flesh after it killed two of ADVENT's soldiers. Invidia's stories about you are the only reasons that you weren't locked in your room after we brought you aboard."

Ruby crossed her arms. "I understand that you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me if I met me under these circumstances. Give me a chance to earn it."

"You will have plenty of chances. One of them is being locked up as we speak. If that thing doesn't try to kill any of us, that's points for you for rescuing a civilian." The Commanders' eyes focused on Ruby's face. "I saw that thing lick you on Rex' feed. How are you feeling?"

"Normal. It felt like a dog's kiss, really. Nothing special about that." Ruby paused. "How do we know what the Viper's motives are? Anyone here speak Alien?"

The Commander grunted. "I'm working on that. Right now, I'm more worried about you." He started walking toward Ruby with a slight limp. His use of the cane kept him moving with close to military precision. "Despite my reservations, you're a damn good shot and we need all the guns we can get in the field." He stopped right in front of Ruby. "I'm promoting you to corporal, effective immediately."

Ruby blinked. "Wow. After that whole tirade, you still want to do that."

"I can easily change my mind, Rose. Lip service like that can leave you high and dry."

"Anderson and Dallaire already wanted to do that. Heck, Anderson had his gun trained on me on both flights. What a way to welcome a new girl." Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Was that him or was he under orders?" The Commander just straightened and raised his chin. "Ah. You really don't trust me. If that's how you treat people you want to fight for you, I'd hate to see how you treat criminals."

"You're already seeing it." The Commander held his free hand out to his side. "That's exactly how you're being treated." Ruby let her jaw fall open. "Dallaire used to sell narcotics in Lyon. Anderson hacked a company called Google, though they would never admit that. Look at where they are. We have criminals of all kinds on this ship and very few actual soldiers."

Ruby clenched her fists. "What kind of operation are you running here?"

"One that needs as many guns and willing bodies as possible. Invidia's told me about your previous job. Before the Aliens invaded, I would have wanted all of them behind bars as well. But we don't have the luxury to pick and choose our fighters." The Commander turned around. "We're done here. You're dismissed." He walked back toward the screen he was inspecting when Ruby initially came in.

The Rider glared after him for a few more seconds before shaking her head and turning around. She stopped just before leaving the Commander's office. "I'm sure you know that Viper's psionic. I've built something that can suppress those abilities on my world. I'm offering XCOM that same tech." She left the room before getting a response.

That whole thing could have gone better. Ironwood at his worst was more cooperative than that. At least James made sense. None of this did. Then again, James never had to fight an actual alien invasion. Ruby marched through the bridge, ignoring any looks that crewmen threw her way. She didn't care what those people thought of her… yet anyway. The Rider left the bridge without being stopped and began the long walk back to her room. She could vent her frustrations in there.

Ruby stayed silent until she reached her room, and then only a low growl left her mouth. She stalked over to her bunk, grabbed her pillow and screamed into it. She tried to reach out to her dragon with her mind. Feeling absolutely nothing, she screamed like she'd been shot. She fell to her knees and then sideways to the floor. The pillow slipped from her hands as she loosened her grip. She thought her mood swings were bad when she was pregnant with Angel. That was nothing. This… she had no one to lean on. No one to latch onto. No one to hold her close. "Cerise…."

Ruby stayed on the floor, unwilling to move. At some point, she felt the Avenger take off and fly to who knew where. She didn't know how long she was on the floor before her door opened. The Rider jerked her head up and faced the door. Invidia stood just inside the room with a sympathetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Shadeslayer." Invidia let the door close behind her. She held her hands in front of her while holding some type of tablet. "Central asked that I brief you on some of our post-mission protocols. If this is a bad time, I can come back later."

"There's never going to be a good time, Invidia." Ruby pushed herself up and ran an arm over her eyes. "How's Rayla?"

"She'll survive without scars." Invidia sat on Ruby's bunk and set the tablet beside her. "My magic may be subdued, but I am still capable of healing that kind of injury."

"That's good to hear." Ruby pulled herself up and onto her bed. "So what is it you do here?"

"It's fairly similar to what the Riders do for operations not related to things that involve any of Remnant's governments." Invidia picked up the tablet and handed it to Ruby. "Only instead of speaking with your superior, you say your piece into a recording device and submit it to Central. He, the Commander, and possibly Tygan and Shen, will review the logs as necessary and as time allows."

Ruby turned on the tablet and looked on the home screen. There were a few basic apps with the video and audio logs taking up four slots apiece. "So mission details and physical and mental health?"

Invidia nodded. "Just like the shakedowns, only less formal than before."

"From what I got from the Commander, I'm surprised that's like that." Ruby put the tablet to sleep then set it down on her bed. "Thank you. I'll take care of this when I can."

"You're welcome." Invidia paused. "I heard you received a promotion from the Commander."

"Yeah." Ruby shook her head. "After all that talk, he still needs me."

"Congratulations. You should know it's tradition around here to give soldiers nicknames once they reach that rank, though it's typically given by the other soldiers."

"Shadeslayer. I know some people will want to call me Avatar, but too bad for them. I've had that title for years. I won't have an insult be my nickname."

"I'll make sure it gets passed around." Invidia shifted where she sat. "Has the Commander told you of our future plans?"

"He made it quite clear that he doesn't trust me and that he had Anderson ready to shoot me on a moment's notice." Ruby scowled. "After everything he says you told him."

"He may not trust you, but I do. We are planning to rescue an ADVENT defector named Mox-"

Ruby raised a palm toward Invidia. "He may not trust me but he trusts you." She let her hand fall. "Don't break that trust. Not even for me."

Invidia's mouth hung open then she nodded. "Of course." She stood up. "I will leave you to your work, Shadeslayer." She turned and walked out of the room.

The Rider picked up the tablet and shrugged. She might as well get this taken care of now. Ruby opened the video recording app an started a new file. A red circle lit up on her screen. "Ruby Rose' log, July 29, 2035." She flicked her eyes to the date and time on the tablet and scoffed. "Same date, besides the year anyway. How'd I get that lucky? Same months even. So much easier than Alagaësian conversion.

"Anyway, we were brought out to a small logistics facility where ADVENT planned on deploying nukes from." Ruby grimaced. "I still can't believe those things exist. Commander, for the record, I think we should destroy those things. I was present when something like that detonated. My daughter barely survived one. The sooner those things are off this ship, the better.

"Onto the mission itself, it went pretty well. Four or five kills for me despite it being the first time I even used those weapons. The Viper we captured…" Ruby sighed. "It wasn't as bad as Violet or any of my mountain kids, but I recognized the look. That Viper was terrified… and I just volunteered to build a piece of tech that could potentially hurt it more…"

Ruby blinked and dropped her jaw as she realized something. "I don't know how many people I just killed… and I'm okay with that. I killed people and I don't feel anything." She lowered the tablet and brought her free hand to her head. When she was in a fight before, it took a while afterward for it to kick in. That time passed long ago. She knew she should have felt something, sadness, regret, pain… She had all those but none were related to the killing. "Cerise, I need you back…" She blinked and stared at the still recording tablet. Ruby ended the recording and threw the tablet to the other side of her bed. She saw so much of Yang get destroyed before her sister stabilized, but that was with the help of her family. "I'm falling… oh God, give me something…"

Ah, the lengths the good guys will go to win. Still got to figure out some more typical 'undesirables' to show up... Heck, if you have a sacrificial lamb idea or Avenger crew idea, let me know. I'd like to fill the ship up a little more.

Be sure to like, comment, subscribe... eh, follow, review, favorite? Doesn't have the same ring to it... I should leave the jokes to the professionals.