The battle ahead of them loomed in Fal-Mai's mind.

They had taken their time to catch up in the Bar, but soon the appointed time had come upon them. Fal-Mai had sent that drone to replace her braids and now she was in the Armory with her brothers, waiting. Eliza and Bradford were there with them, though Fal-Mai didn't make conversation. She was checking over her gun and making sure her blade was keen, as if the time she spent away from battle could have rusted it. It was rather shameful to admit, even if she had done before, that she didn't really know what she would do with herself outside of battle and her siblings.

Her brothers, meanwhile, were busy with idle chatter. Mordenna primarily—he seemed to abhor the silence even more than he usually did. "—and honestly the whole notion of the PR events we did just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There was a reason why they had to drag me kicking and screaming to them and when I was there I almost wanted to start a scene. I really, really don't want to be looked at as any sort of saint or demigod. I'm a killer, bro, it's what I do."

"I would not think godhood befitting of you, brother—and I do not mean that as the insult it may seem." Jax was putting his cannon on his hip, idly checking his gauntlets. "You are a killer, I would grant you that. I do not think anyone should elevate someone who does fell work such as you to any status of worship, especially if they ask you to not do that."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I mean, you?" Mordenna gestured at Jax. "You're the ideal demigod—or just straight up god. Eloquent, doesn't really go out for the killing much, kind as all fuck to those who follow him. I guess they meant for people to look at me as some sort of grim reaper."

"Or the Artemis of old."

"Tch." Mordenna crossed his arms. "I'm more of a regular Ares—cowardice not included, unless you count sniping as that, which is fair. Almost makes me wonder about some sort of futuristic bow project for myself. Well, it's something I think of for all of three seconds before realizing I have all the range I'd ever need with my rifle and pistol and I can't really run out of ammo anyway. Unless..." He held a hand to his chin. "Unless I would want to take up some sort of support role and attach like, payloads to the arrows? Explosive, acid, maybe even tracker darts to help everyone else aim at priority targets. I'd have to make it collapsable—ah, I wonder if I could do some sort of hard light bowstring projection?"

"And there you go with another project." Jax shook his head. "I sometimes wish for a mind such as yours, easily able to move from one thing to the next."

"Yeah, well, it's great until it does get stuck on something. Then I'm fucked until someone either kicks me out of my funk or it finally decides to move on."

"Thus why I say 'sometimes.' Still, back to the topic before..." Jax gave a sigh. "I wished I abhorred being elevated as a deity more than I do. I suppose some measure of my stubborn pride persists and I enjoy the notion of it."

"Well, let it be on your own terms." Mordenna chuckled. "Your followers are still willingly calling you 'Holy Father' so maybe it's a teensy bit warranted. I don't really see it going to your head as much as it would've in the past."

Jax seemed to almost shudder, thinking on it. "Goodness. Had I any more pride and haughtiness I would've very well been lost to my own delusions. 'The gods' this and 'supreme power' that. Best I unlearned those notions when I did." He quieted a little. "A shame regarding the circumstances."

"'Pride goeth before the fall' goes both ways, bro. The Elders will get theirs soon enough."

Before they could go any further in their conversation, the door to the Armory opened. First, Fal-Mai's drone scuttled in, stopping at her feet. The orb on top of its head blossomed open to reveal her traditional tubes. She motioned for it to climb up and put them on as she continued to watch the door. The next few guests were Samhien, Dolly, and Shazara-Ta. A motley group if she had ever seen one! Fal-Mai really hadn't looked at the roster Eliza had been mulling over, so this was certainly an interesting turn. As her drone—which she supposed she needed to name eventually—hooked up her tubes, she looked to Eliza. "I believe this is the first entirely nonhuman squad I have seen you field, Commander."

"Strange times we live in, I would say." A different persona seemed to become Eliza as she looked over Menace, standing up straighter and holding her head higher. "But I found this the most fitting squad for the mission. Menace, assemble when ready."

With her tubes back in place, Fal-Mai took her spot in the line. Shazara-Ta plucked the Plasma Boltcaster off the wall, inspecting it and giving an impressed hum. Mordenna himself took a grenade launcher and handed it to Dolly, explaining that they could use some more heavy ordnance. As Mordenna grabbed some grenades for him, Sammy took his place beside Fal-Mai. "Hello, Nightmaiden. Is your arm holding up well?"

"Very much so," she replied. "If not for the trauma of losing it initially, I would consider this a sizable upgrade."

Sammy smiled. "Leave it up to the Hunter to make a prosthetic that works better than the original limb."

"Reminds me of the MEC designs we drafted," Bradford muttered to himself, but Fal-Mai's ears caught it. Considering it was probably something before her time, she let it drop, resolving to ask about it later when they were not about to embark on a mission.

Eventually, the six of them were ready and waiting, and Eliza stepped out to address them. "Menace, your mission today is one of speed. More than usual, anyhow. ADVENT has set up a psionic relay down in the underground tunnels you'll be visiting. For the ones unaware of standard operating procedure, it goes thusly: there's a central transmitter you must reach and plant X4 on. Mordenna will be going before you to ensure there are no countermeasures present. There will be smaller relays in the area—once ADVENT figure out we're on the scene, they'll begin a shutoff sequence for the psionic relay so the resulting damage doesn't cause collateral. Destroy the smaller relays to delay the process. Any questions?"

Eliza looked out at the line of them. Fal-Mai herself had nothing to ask, and it seemed nobody else did, either. She nodded, the Skyranger opening behind them. "I'll be with you on comms when you enter the AO. Good luck, Menace, and keep your eyes on."

The other members of Menace began to file towards the Skyranger, and Fal-Mai followed. As she took her spot on one of the seats, her thoughts went to the mission ahead. It was, indeed, very likely that Specter would make a return appearance. Though she didn't want to think on the incident at all—it made her want to shiver—she knew by memory that it had simply disappeared, not dropped its own corpse. To think that it was dead would be folly. Would she be able to fight it if it returned? Or would she seize up and potentially be wounded or worse?

She didn't want to confess her concerns to her brothers, who had taken their seats at the front of the Skyranger and were currently bantering with each other. Fal-Mai, despite her better thinking, felt left out. There was fear in her heart about that Specter, and she longed to confess, but to who? The only person she could think of was Eliza... and she'd already missed her chance with that. Fal-Mai sat back in her seat, focusing her gaze at some point above the other seat she was facing.

Said seat was currently housing Shazara-Ta. "Something on your mind, Assassin?"

She looked down at him. He had his longer tail coiled near his seat as much as he was able, but even so he took up a fair amount of space. Still, she couldn't confess to him, especially with others around. Plus, if she let him know while her brothers were around, they could rightfully take that as her not trusting them with her fears. She couldn't exactly tell Shazara-Ta the truth. "Simply the mission ahead, and how I will fare with my new arm. I intend on doing nothing less than my best, of course."

"A noble attitude to have, I would think." He settled his hands on his... would that still be a lap for Vipers? Fal-Mai would consider it that for convenience. "I, myself, must concern myself with matters of safety—and yet I find myself wanting to repay XCOM however I can. I will be playing a delicate balance of self-preservation and valor."

That reminded Fal-Mai—why was Shazara-Ta here anyway? "If I may ask, why would a ruler such as yourself not let one of his servants fight when the Commander called you?"

"Are you insinuating something, Assassin?" Before Fal-Mai could worry that she'd trespassed on some boundary again, Shazara-Ta gave a hissing laugh. "Ah, worry not. Perhaps other Kings would, but not I. It was not the Commander who came calling for me—it was I who approached the Commander, wanting to assist in the next outing. Preferably with you, since I also have a debt to repay with you as well."

Fal-Mai blinked. "Other than assisting you at the cave, I cannot fathom the favor I have done for you. I would attribute my assistance more to the Commander than anything else."

"Do you forget so easily the young heir you assisted? Had you not found Luina-Ta out there... I am unsure if my son would still be here today." He gestured to her. "I suppose if heroic actions are part and parcel of the duties at XCOM, you might be inclined to forget one of many saved, but that goodwill comes back in force eventually."

That was the king's son? WIth her actions put into context, Fal-Mai felt a little more pride in what she did that day. "Apologies. I do not mean to forget—I simply had not considered who the Neonate was."

"Don't worry, I find that a good trait. You were willing to assist someone without care for their status or position—you merely saw that he was in danger and needed your help. I sometimes wish for eyes such as yours, as untouched by bias and ingrained notions. Which reminds me..." His lips moved in what Fal-Mai assumed was a Viper smile. "Luina-Ta wants to see you again at some point. Should I tell him that you are a very busy Chosen, or?"

"Nonsense," she softly replied. "I will visit your son the earliest I am able—though I apologize if I do not know too much about handling children."

"Always good to learn then—and I hardly think it will go badly. He's always asking to see you and I've been steadily teaching him English along with his native language. It will be a good learning exercise for the both of you."

If she could help a young ruler with speaking another language, she could certainly make a visit. Mentally noting to simplify her vocabulary at that time—and musing on how much of her eloquence she might've picked up from Jax—she nodded. "I find that well. I would be more than happy to visit."

"Glad to hear it, Assassin. Or, would you rather I call you Fal-Mai?"

Come to think of it, it was maybe a little weird that she and her brothers were still sticking to the titles the Elders gave them. But, well, it was just a part of her now—a part of her she really didn't mind so much. It was practically a job title at this point—and Mordenna was using "Hunter" almost like a first name, since he seemed so opposed to using his actual one. Finally, a title like "Warlock" was perfectly befitting of Jax. Weird, yes, but a weird they were used to. "Either is fine with me."

"Very well. I look forward to the visit."

The rest of the Skyranger trip was relatively quiet. She hadn't noticed, but Jax and Mordenna had stopped talking sometime during her exchange with Shazara-Ta. Jax's hair was animating slightly more than usual and Mordenna's eyes had gained a faint, but otherworldly gleam. They must've been talking amongst themselves. Was it about something they could not share with her...? Fal-Mai knew such thoughts were childish—but it didn't stop them from affecting her. She crossed her arms over herself, letting the hum of the ship's engines drown out her thoughts. This was going to be a long ride...


The dilapidated ruins of this underground subway station did nothing for Fal-Mai's mood.

It was difficult trying to turn her thoughts to better ones with her current surroundings. Not to mention she was spearheading the front of the group, trying to keep her ears and eyes open for oncoming threats. She didn't have the time to try to think more positively—and yet her negative thoughts droned on regardless.

There was the fear of failing, as always. Fal-Mai knew she did not have to be a perfect being anymore, but some things Helena said still stubbornly stuck at the back of her mind. There was the feeling that her brothers might be starting to exclude her—which was silly! She had seen how they had gone to lengths in the past to include her on their bantering. But they didn't do it on the ship, the voice of doubt crept in. This is just the start. Helena loved you at first, didn't she?

Fal-Mai stopped where she was at in her stalk, forcing herself to take a deep breath to clear her thoughts. She kept her eyes up, noting where her squad was at. They were at some sort of junction in the station itself, where some modern water fountain must've been flowing long ago. Plastic greenery was all that was left of most of the color, the ceiling lights staying on through sheer dogged determination. Shazara-Ta was a few steps behind her, and had halted when she did. Sammy, Jax, and Dolly were bringing up the middle of the squad, and Mordenna was at the rear, angling over to see whatever Fal-Mai might have to make her stop.

The breath didn't fully clear her thoughts, but it staved them off for now. While she was still, she took a moment to try to see if there was anyone other than them in the area. The gentle, rhythmic hum of Dolly's pumps was what she got from her squad, currently at a halt. Condensation dripped from places in the ceiling, and there was the low groan of foundation somewhere beginning to buckle. The acoustics of the subway station eventually worked in her favor—in the distance, she could hear the mechanical whirring of MEC joints moving, along with a few quieter sets of footsteps.

Opening her eyes, she pointed in the direction the sounds came from. "There is a squad near that direction." She furrowed her brow. On the other hand, the acoustics were making it troubling to hear how many troops there were. "MECs and other soldiers. The echo of this place is making it difficult to pinpoint how many."

"Some intel is better than no intel," Eliza replied. "Menace, proceed forwards, and have Fal-Mai scout ahead under cloak. We're going to need to take out everyone in this area anyway."

Fal-Mai nodded, drawing her cloak around herself and leading the pack. The dust around her feet barely moved as she advanced, hopping over debris and benches. She slowed down as the sounds of the patrol got louder, and she dropped behind a planter once she was in range enough for them to be around the next corner. Sure enough, Fal-Mai watched as two Heavy MEC and the accompanying Officer, Shieldbearer, and Purifier came with.

"Fuck, that's micromissile hell," Mordenna said over comms.

"Can't help but agree." Eliza paused for a moment. "Menace, spread out along their upcoming patrol path and be ready to ambush. Stay far away from each other... save Jax and Dolly. Jax, I want you to watch for incoming micromissiles, and considering Dolly will be a high priority target? Best you're near him."

A wise strategy. Fal-Mai eyed up her targets as they moved, keeping tabs on how her squad moved behind her. Her first thought was to go for one of the MECs to eliminate half of the micromissiles problem—but the Shieldbearer could be just as much of one. It was hard to shoot through those barriers. Maybe she could signal Mordenna somehow? Do you think he'll listen to you? What reason would he have when he and Jax clearly share something you do not? No, that wasn't the case!

Fal-Mai grit her teeth, hearing everyone get into position. "Menace, looking to engage," she hissed. She got her confirmations and she leaped from her cover, sprinting towards the squad. At the last second, her gut twisted and she veered towards the Shieldbearer, drawing her sword and stabbing it through the head as her cloak dropped. The surprised cries of the other two troops told her to book it and she did. Mag fire rang behind her as she rolled back into cover, hearing the rest of Menace open fire.

When she looked back, it was clear the ambush was already half over. Shazara-Ta had apparently yanked the Officer from his spot, as it was now in his coils, a length of his tail wrapped around his neck and already squeezing. One of the MECs was already on the ground, sparking faintly. The other was predictably firing off a burst of missiles at the duo of Jax and Dolly, the former making a protective shield of psionics to cover them with, the missiles exploding on it ineffectually. That left Sammy and Dolly to fire on the MEC, staggering it. Meanwhile, the Purifier seemed to have already given up on the situation, exercising the better part of valor and fleeing. Would've made it, too—if not for another crack of Mordenna's sniper rifle puncturing its fuel canister rather explosively. Fal-Mai was made glad once again for her headwear, making the sound of the explosion manageable.

Fal-Mai whipped out her shotgun and buried a round in the MEC, finally toppling it. Holstering her weapon as Shazara-Ta finished off the Officer, she was about ready to move on before Mordenna's voice came in her ear. "Could've sworn you were gonna take out one of the bots, sis, but all fine by me."

He doesn't trust you.

Fal-Mai shook her head. "Tactical decision," she replied shortly, standing back up.

A plasma rifle went off and she whipped her head around. Dolly had fired upon one of the transmitters for the larger relay, leaving it a smoldering wreck. "... that was one of the things we were supposed to shoot, right? I've seen them before."

"Very much so, Dolly," Eliza replied. "Menace, eyes open for future relays. Shen has confirmed the aliens now know we're here and have begun the shutoff sequence."

"Best we kick our asses into gear, then." Mordenna could be heard priming his rifle.

Acknowledging the remark, but not replying, Fal-Mai moved on. As she moved, something that Specter had said came back to her. You are not the only one to bleed into the edges of sight, to elude even those who peer beyond the veil. Did that mean even Mordenna couldn't see it while it was cloaked? That was certainly concerning. Perhaps they had replicated Fal-Mai's cloak for use with the Specter nanites? The means of your creation have just become a burden for him. Have you really any reason to doubt that they are growing weary of you?

What was with this attitude her mind was trying to adopt? Fal-Mai gripped the wall she was passing, taking in a steady breath. Her brothers still loved her. The Elders were to blame for weaponizing her ability against Mordenna. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. This was the worst kind of place to be having this kind of crisis. No doubt about it, she needed to have a talk with her brothers after this. Or Eliza. Maybe Eliza first, her brothers second? Just so she might know how to approach the topic respectfully. Mindful that she just stopped in front of everyone, she opened her mouth to explain herself.

Except, she paused. Closing it, she focused on what she could hear. Why had she stopped? It wasn't her doubting thoughts—something made her stop up. The squad behind her had halted on Mordenna's command, watching to see what was the matter. The ambiance of the area hadn't changed. It was as if she had caught something on the very edge of her hearing, enough to perk her ears. The softest, smoothest grind of nanos on nanos. Not from her own side. It was like—

The next time the sound came, Fal-Mai acted on terrified instinct.

She ducked to the floor as there was a violent rush of air behind her, aimed where her neck used to be. Fal-Mai rolled to the side to confirm her attacker, just as she heard Mordenna exclaim. That Specter was behind her, retracting its arm and retreating. "You will not evade me for long, betrayer."

It turned its head slightly, and then its shoulder warped around a shot from Mordenna, leaving it unscathed. The Specter coursed around the corner, out of sight.

Fal-Mai could only think of getting herself to safety, scrambling back towards her squad. The first person she crashed into was Jax, who had an arm around her and his other raised no sooner than she realized where she was. "Menace," he began, voice raised, "close ranks!"

Menace pulled closer to Jax's location, still maintaining spacing. Surprisingly, Mordenna came from his spot at the back, drawing his pistol. His eyes were flickering about, and his brows were drawn. "Commander? Menace? I... I can't see it."

"It just rounded a corner," Jax reasoned, "it will not be visible—"

"No," Mordenna shot back, and Fal-Mai could hear unease in his voice. "I couldn't see it when it tried to ambush Fals. I don't want to say this—I really don't want to say this. But I don't think I can spot that thing in cloak."

Fal-Mai had already come to that conclusion, but she watched as it settled over the rest of the squad. Honestly, she wanted to dignify herself by getting out from Jax's hold on her, but the thought of the Specter being in the area was seizing her up. At the very least, she drew two throwing daggers from her belt, willing her prosthetic to remain still.

More importantly, Mordenna couldn't see it, but she had been able to hear it. But that had only been when it was on top of her! At the very least, it also couldn't strike in cloak just the same as her. She looked to Mordenna, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "Perhaps you can't see it cloaked—but you have the best reaction time."

"That's what I have going for me. We also have something else." Mordenna looked to Dolly. "Dolly! Load your second grenade and be ready for that thing."

Dolly responded, hitching his gun and taking a grenade off of his belt, loading it into the launcher that Mordenna had handed him. As he confirmed that, Eliza came in. "Menace, you don't have too much time with the relay. You have to advance—but priority number one is survival of the squad."

"You heard the Commander. Jax, watch my back. I'll watch the squad."

With that, Shazara-Ta was now the one advancing the squad, keeping his gun raised as he smoothly glided over obstacles. Fal-Mai expected Jax to let her go so she could walk freely, but he kept his hold on her, half-turning so he could keep his eyes on Mordenna's flank. It gave her a measure of security—and she used the phenomena as proof to her more contrarian thinking that he cared more for Mordenna than he did her. Hmph. Letting you die on Eliza's watch would be a mark of bad status.

Regardless of her thoughts, she closed her eyes, trusting in her brothers' sight. She would keep her hearing keen for the Specter.

Jax's breathing stilled for a few moments. "—there is a massive psionic presence here," he muttered. "Mordenna, do you think it is...?"

"Likely." There was a second of silence, then she could hear Jax's gun being taken off of his back. "I'm gonna poach this, if you don't mind. Specters are somewhat psionic so this'll scramble it—not to mention the Gatekeeper won't like it much."

"Feel free. I do not think we should engage both at the same time, but..."

"Not much of a choice, is there? I'd discuss tactics but I have a very strange feeling that thing is breathing right down our necks."

Fal-Mai couldn't hear it at the moment—but this led her to a rather morbid line of thought. Was this what her victims felt when they knew they were being stalked by her? The time that XCOM came with scouts to her Stronghold flashed in her mind and she grimaced, thinking of what she did to Samhien.

Jax must've noticed her expression. "Everything alright, sister?"

Now would've been the perfect chance to say she was feeling mildly left out if they weren't all in imminent danger. "—merely gaining an appreciation for the sense of terror my own abilities inspire in others. Perfectly fine otherwise."

"Brother, your sarcasm is a bad influence," Jax responded, clearly trying to lighten the mood—revealing Mordenna's own influence on him. "It is alright. Mordenna and I are here for you. On my life, it will not touch you."

"Bad promise," she eked out. "Promise me that we will all live. That is a far better option, even if I am injured again in the process."

"Agreed. We all shall make it out of here yet."

That made Fal-Mai feel a bit better, and let her think back on the pace they were setting. It was slow, and she could hear the soft shifting of Shazara-Ta's movement stop every so often, as if he was checking every corner. The lumbering steps of Dolly would stop with them, likely just as on edge as everyone else was.

Speaking of being on edge, she could feel Jax tensing up. "The Gatekeeper is moving closer to us."

"Know a direction?" Mordenna asked, and she could hear him flipping some sort of switch on the Disruption Rifle.

"Four o'clock, I believe the expression is?"

That made Shazara-Ta stop. "Should we assume defensive positions?"

"I would say so," Eliza answered. "Menace, prepare for engagement. Dolly, hold your fire until you see the Specter."

"Right."

Her brothers stopped in their advance, causing her to halt as well. She still could hear nothing of the Specter—but as Jax described, she could hear the Gatekeeper approaching. There was a certain low hum that she could catch, caused by the magnitude of psionics Gatekeepers put out. Being this close to Jax and his signature, it was hard to pick out at first—but her familiarity with his meant that hearing anything else got easier.

Menace was still stopped when she felt Jax adjust. "—it should be right there," he muttered.

"How close?"

"Twenty to thirty feet, same direction. But..."

Mordenna was quiet for a second. "... Jax, Fal-Mai. We all need to link up. We can share senses to an extent, can't we?"

"Very much so, but—?"

"Link."

Mordenna's demand was met, and she could feel Jax reaching out for her psionically. She accepted the invitation—and suddenly she felt like she was seeing double to an extent. One sight trained on the squad, the other at an empty space to her right. Mordenna was the first to come through. "Jax, stop with your sight if you can. I need your psionic sense. Fals, you've got your ears on, which is good. You two, I think the Specter has coated the Gatekeeper in its nanos to fully cloak it."

One of the sights—the one focused on the empty space—disappeared. The sight was replaced by an almost thrumming sensation in her mind, coming it at four o'clock. Mordenna's gaze shifted to that location. "Right there?"

"Right there," Jax responded.

Steadily, Mordenna raised Jax's rifle. Then, he unloaded.

A familiar, ghastly screech rang out as the bullets hit the empty space and stopped, the places where the bullets impacted leaving behind patches of air that distinctly looked like bullet scorch marks on a dark Gatekeeper shell. They dropped, and the disturbance was enough to shake off some of the nanos. The Gatekeeper shimmered into sight, grounded for now.

Before the Chosen could do anything with the opportunity, the sound of foreign nanos reached Fal-Mai's ears—and thus, all of theirs. Jax was able to summon a Stasis around all of them right before the Specter's razor-sharp blade crashed into Fal-Mai. The barrier prevented harm, but the force of the strike was enough to slip her out of Jax's grip and send her tumbling to the floor, out of his shield and the mind link. Quicker than she could think, it ignored her brothers in favor of continuing to pursue her. Fal-Mai could only raise her right arm defensively as it brought its own down on her.

Things moved quite fast for a few seconds. Her arm warped and formed into a shield—something she would've expected the Specter to cut through, but it held. The reason as to why was clear, as was her pinkish-red vision thanks to Jax's quick transfer of psionics. The blade came off of her arm and the Specter reared, showing Jax was pulling it back with a look of rage she'd never seen out of him. Its neck burst into a dark cloud, eluding his grip, but Fal-Mai wasn't allowed to look for long.

The Stasis dropped, and she felt a cold tendril wrap around her waist. In an instant, she was sliding quickly across the ground, eventually gaining air as she was pulled into the embrace of the Viper King. He planted her on her feet, forming a protective circle around her with his tail as he spoke. "Dolly!"

By the time Shazara-Ta finished speaking, Dolly had already fired off the grenade in his launcher. Fal-Mai started forwards as it landed at Jax and the Specter's feet, thinking the worst. The grenade exploded—but with no traditional concussive force. There was a blue wave of light, and the Specter shuddered, staggering away from Jax as bits of it seemed to melt and struggle to stay together, leaving Jax unharmed.

Shots sounded off from behind her, and she spun, raising her shield. Not a second too soon—mag fire crashed against it and she sucked in a breath, feeling her arm shudder from the impact. Another pod was upon them. At this rate they'd never get to the transmitter in time.

Just as she and Shazara-Ta dove into opposite cover, her arm morphed back—but not before her little drone sloughed off from the mass and quickly began scuttling away, cloaking a few feet out. In her haste to keep an eye on the Specter and the squad pincering them, she didn't stop to think about what it could be doing. Her main concern were the targets around them.

With it in his sights, Fal-Mai watched as Jax wound a Stasis around the Specter, completely trapping it. Mordenna was aiming the Disruption Rifle at it, head snapping to Jax. Before he could say anything, Jax took out his minigun and revved it. "It's disabled, brother! Focus upon these fools!"

The Gatekeeper was still dazed, and with the Specter scrambled, it was also completely visible. With the two priority targets out of the running for the time being, Fal-Mai could size up the ADVENT forces—right as Shazara-Ta encased them in ice. Two Stun Lancers and a Trooper were frozen from the legs down, while the Heavy MEC with them broke through its cold prison. Shazara-Ta seemed to have deliberately aimed away from the lone Viper in the squad; a gamble that paid off, as the sight of the King seemed to have frozen her up well enough.

Fal-Mai heard Dolly load another grenade behind her—a grenade that swiftly sailed through the air as the Viper lunged to the side, the explosive bouncing on the chunk of ice. She fell back into cover as it exploded. There must have been a survivor or two afterwards, as Mordenna opened fire with a three round burst or two. The ensuing silence was engulfing.

She stood up, her first immediate concern being the leftover Viper. Those concerns were abated when she came out of cover, gun abandoned and hands raised. As Shazara-Ta moved forward to handle her, Fal-Mai looked back over to the Specter. It seemed to have gathered itself—but within Jax's psionics, it could neither mount an escape nor get up, it seemed. Every time it tried, its hands would rocket out from under it as if the psionics themselves were horrendously slippery. Knowing some things Jax had said about psionics in the past, that was likely the case.

Mordenna moved over to the Gatekeeper, making sure it could see him before pointing the Disruption Rifle at it. "Move and I'll shoot. Stay there if you know what's good for you." He angled his head back at the squad. "Fal-Mai, Dolly has the X4, take it and—"

"Don't bother, Menace."

Eliza's words sent a pit into Fal-Mai's stomach, and it felt like the breath had been taken from her lungs. "Commander...?"

"The psionic relay is fully shut off. We're too late."

The ensuing silence was broken by a mocking, growing laugh. The Specter was openly cackling, disturbingly motionless, lacking any of the movement a human or the like would have made. "Even in my failure, I serve my purpose, betrayers. Can any of you say the same? Can any of you—"

"Silence!" Jax's roar was loud enough to make Fal-Mai's ears want to ring. Thank goodness for her headset. "I will hear nothing from an indoctrinated dog of the Elders like yourself!"

"How quickly you speak for the other side," it bit calmly. "Who are the heretics now to you? Who will they be to you in another year? Do you forget who gave you the power you use to trap me?"

Jax's hair was fully flowing behind him as he snatched up the Specter, his own hands having no trouble finding purchase on his psionics. "I never asked to be made their child! You may find solace in the means of your creation, but there are those who have opened their eyes to their abuses!"

"Cocytus?"

The voice that spoke into Fal-Mai's mind was entirely unfamiliar—but judging by the way the Gatekeeper's eye slid to the Specter, she could guess who it came from. The Specter angled its head over to it. "Yes, Zuriel?"

"Did we... did we stall them long enough?"

"... we did, dear companion."

The Gatekeeper's eye darkened. "Then I am at peace."

"Rest well, friend. The Elders smile upon you."

Suddenly, arcs of lightning-like energy lanced across the Gatekeeper's shell. Mordenna began to back up, but it was Jax who dove for them, coating them both in a Stasis as the rest of the squad ducked. No explosion followed—simply a vast volume of psionics being channeled. When Fal-Mai looked back... both the Gatekeeper and Specter were gone. No charred remnants, no pieces of shell left behind.

Mordenna was the first to react, worming out of Jax's grip as his psionics dropped, scrambling to his feet and whirling around. "Where are they? Did anybody—?"

"Gone." It was hard to tell through the suspension fluid, but Dolly seemed defeated. "When Jax dove for you, it opened a portal... and the Specter jumped in with it."

Mordenna looked at Jax, and the mix of frustration battling with restraint was hard to watch. In the end he wheeled around, balling his fists, not saying a word. Jax himself slowly got to his feet, not looking at Mordenna as he slumped, turning to the side. Fal-Mai wanted badly to intervene, but... what was there to say, right then and now?

Shazara-Ta came back into view, the ADVENT Viper in tow. Both remained silent at the scene. Samhien was the only one still moving after that, coming over to Fal-Mai and checking her over. She muttered a soft "sorry" to him—for what reason, she wasn't sure, but he shook his head, moving onto Shazara-Ta and his new follower.

"Menace..." The was Bradford, sounding like he was struggling to say anything. "You all made it out. That's what matters."

His attempt at lightening the mood was met with resounding silence. The only thing that broke Fal-Mai out of staring forlornly at her brothers was her gently moving her right arm and remembering why it was so light. She turned her head. Where could her drone have gotten off to? As she mentally asked that, a feeling radiated from her arm—one hard to classify, but Fal-Mai got the instinctual feeling of knowing which direction it was in. For lack of anything else to do, Fal-Mai gathered her throwing knives, slotted them back into her belt, and walked in that direction. From the sounds of it, nobody was following her.

"Fal-Mai?"

That was the Commander. She barely had the energy to respond, but she figured she'd have to as she made her way away from the group. "Retrieving my drone," she quietly answered. "It split away from me during the commotion. I know where it is."

"Understood." There was a moment of quiet as Fal-Mai navigated over debris. "None of that was your fault."

"Nonsense, Eliza," she coldly and bitterly responded, "I merely locked up in the face of one of our most formidable enemies and permitted it to escape as my brothers struggled to protect me. I'm sure that had no outcome on the resulting encounter."

"Fal-Mai—"

"Not to mention I did not possess the sense to steal away in cloak and complete our one objective," she went on, her self-loathing burning brightly. "Perhaps it was a waste to send me back out after all."

No response. Fal-Mai knew she had stepped over a line there—but the anger and loathing at the back of her thoughts, the ghosts of what she was getting from her brothers were coloring her own feelings. Eliza would undoubtedly be angry at her when she got back, and Fal-Mai knew she would just have to bear the burden of anticipation. Swallowing her emotions back for now, she pressed on.

Eventually, she pushed open a set of double doors, the sight of the darkened psionic relay greeting her. On the control panel was her drone, turning around to "see" her. Its implied gaze met her own—and it disgusted Fal-Mai that her first reaction was to take out her anger on it. What had it done? Should she really be getting angry that it had tried what it could with what it had at hand? How could she get upset at something that only existed to serve her?

What is wrong with you?

Fal-Mai sucked in a breath through her teeth, and her left hand fumbled with her headset, then her communicator as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. As she silenced her comms, the little drone was quick to scurry up to her, nestling in her hands as she fell backwards, sitting down and clutching it.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed to a silent servant, who could only nuzzle against her in some measure of reassurance. "I'm sorry," she repeated, trying not to imagine what would've happened if she let herself be like her mother. "I'm sorry," she mouthed, the air leaving her lungs as she knew in her heart, her brothers would have succeeded if she hadn't been there.

She messed with her communicator again. There was one more person to apologize to as she made sure she was on Eliza's comms. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Eliza's voice was soft and reassuring. "I know the pain you're in. Your brothers too. What matters to me is that you all made it out. We can just let the Baroness know she has trouble heading her way."

Fal-Mai sniffled, and her drone butted her hand, making her pet it in response. "I... I should have been strong enough."

"Not every mission works out. Keep yourself together and rejoin Menace when you can."

"Y-yes, Eliza." Her drone butted her hand again, and she let out a breath. "I'm already petting you, small one, wh-what do you...?"

She looked down at it properly. The top had shifted color into an image and words—a piece of paper tucked at the corner and "1 FILE RECOVERED."

Oh. Maybe Shen would want to look at that. Fal-Mai nodded. "Ok. I'll... I will let them know."

Its message delivered, the drone folded back onto her lap. "What should we know?"

"My drone... it recovered a file from the transmitter."

"I... wasn't aware it could do that."

"That makes two of us. I w-will see about letting Shen look at it, or—" Right. Her brothers were currently in the sourest of moods, and one of them held that towards the other. All this thinking about how they were excluding her and liked her less when it was their protectiveness that may have made them fail the mission. Fal-Mai took in a deep breath, getting to her feet and still cradling her drone. "I will be returning to Menace now."

"Good to hear. I'll be getting Firebrand en route to the tunnel entrance. Just... be strong for as long as it takes to get back, Fal-Mai. I'll be there for you and your brothers once you make it."

"I understand, Commander," she replied, turning and exiting the room with the transmitter.

It was a quiet moment of walking back, but Menace had barely moved from their positions. Dolly was seated on the edge of some fallen stone, contemplating his X4 charge. Samhien was sitting down with him, looking at Fal-Mai's brothers—who were pointedly sitting so that a supporting column hid them from the view of the other. Shazara-Ta and his Viper were nearby, and Shazara-Ta was talking to her softly.

Mordenna still looked somewhat frustrated, but as his vision panned over to Fal-Mai, he immediately got up and walked over to her, shifting instantly to concern. "Fals, are you...?" Once he got close enough, he reached for her face and unhooked her mask, wiping her tear tracks. "Don't... don't be upset. This was..."

Fal-Mai looked over to Jax, who had stiffened upon hearing Mordenna speak to her. She looked back to Mordenna, who had frozen. After a moment, he closed his eyes, hugging Fal-Mai. "What am I doing, sis...?" He lamented, voice low. "Why am I blaming him? He didn't... he just..."

She hugged him back, one arm remaining around her drone. "H-he just was trying to live up to his promise, Mordenna."

She felt him nod. "Yeah. But, I can't go over there. The way I looked at him—"

"Do it, brother," she said with a surprising amount of conviction. "You know best what happens when you let this lie."

Mordenna paused. Then; "Only if you come with me."

"Of course."

He broke off the hug, turning towards Jax. They had kept their voices low enough that he clearly hadn't been able to tell what they were on about. It was clear he was assuming Mordenna had no intent to make amends—he was further slumped over, head in his hands. Mordenna hesitated, but began to walk over, with Fal-Mai trailing closely behind. When he got next to Jax, he stopped. "J-Jax?"

Jax jumped at his name, looking over to Mordenna. Seeing the remnants of tears on his own face made Fal-Mai's heart break, and ahead of Mordenna, she walked up and sat beside Jax, leaning against him and hugging him. Mordenna followed, sitting on Jax's other side as he did. "That wasn't fair. What I did and wanted to do, I mean. If that Gatekeeper really was going to explode... well, I would have you to thank for saving my life." Mordenna stopped for a second, clearly steeling his voice against breaking. "I'm sorry. Thank you for looking out for us. Please don't think I hate you..."

At that, Jax pulled both of his siblings in, hugging them tightly. "I'm s-sorry. I... I got angry, I wanted to scream, you have to hate me—"

"Shhh." Mordenna patted Jax's shoulder, rocking gently. "No. I don't hate you and I don't want to. I never want to. You're my brother and I love you. None of it was your fault. I wanted to get angry too."

Fal-Mai worked her way closer, her drone staying put as she added her other arm to the hug. "You got us out, brother. That... that was all you needed to do. You saved me from it. Thank you."

Jax didn't respond, sniffing hard and making sure his grip on them was tight. Fal-Mai buried her head into his shoulder, letting herself be sad on her own terms. They would make it out of this. They were a family. They just had to hold it together until the Skyranger arrived...


The failure of the mission weighed heavily on Eliza's mind, but not as heavily as the state of her troops.

Once the whole squad—plus one Viper—had been confirmed on the Skyranger, Eliza had made a straight beeline towards the Armory, telling Bradford over her shoulder to tell the Baroness about the bad news. She had soldiers to comfort.

Of course, her worry left her pacing in the Armory, far before the Skyranger had even arrived. A failed mission was one thing, and in the grand scheme of things, this had been her best failure thus far. The only thing lost was the objective—the squad hadn't even been injured and they'd gained a troop thanks to Shazara-Ta's presence on the field. Maybe something more, if that file that Fal-Mai's drone had picked up turned out to be anything meaningful.

Speaking of Fal-Mai... that probably weighed on her the most. Thankfully, things had been looking up when Eliza turned off the Chosen's comms for privacy, but that had been a harrowing situation for all of them. Fal-Mai failing to act in the face of the Specter that took her arm, Mordenna losing focus on the objective, and Jax losing his temper quite a bit. The Gatekeeper and Specter escaping—Zuriel and Cocytus, if she remembered correctly—she wouldn't pin on them. If she had the time to make the call, she would've told Jax to do the same thing he did. The fact of the matter was that the enemy was getting smarter. That didn't put any fault on her troops for acting on previous notions that usually always held true.

So she hoped they were alright. She could only pray to whatever god would listen that they had truly started to work things out.

After a while of pacing and mumbling to herself, there was a small vibration in the floor, a telltale sign that the Skyranger had landed up above. Eliza watched as the platform lowered, the ship itself coming into view. As always, the back was open, letting whoever wanted to stretch their legs to do so. Shazara-Ta and his new Viper companion were still near the Skyranger, the Viper looking about with apprehension as the platform descended. Dolly was walking off the ramp, Samhien following behind him. Finally, near the edge of the platform, the Chosen stood. All of them looked three steps away from collapsing into a pile of exhaustion, and Eliza couldn't say she blamed them.

The platform fully lowered and the ceiling hatch closed up. She gave them a moment to collect themselves before speaking. "Menace, assemble," she softly asked. As they came to stand in a staggered line, she continued. "Not every fight in this war will be victorious. The veterans around here know that well. However, none of you are to blame for the loss suffered today. The enemy's tactics are always changing and they're bound to catch us off guard at some point."

Eliza stood up more properly, allowing her voice to become stronger. "What I would like to call attention to and encourage is the care you all showed for each other out on the field. This loss could have been far worse if not for the attention you all put in regarding tactics and your fellow squadmates." She gave a tired smile. "I would go on further, but... after an experience like that, it's clear you all need your rest. Allow me to address and dismiss you in turn."

At the end of the line, she looked to Shazara-Ta and the Viper. "Shazara-Ta, take your charge by Dr. Tygan for chip removal. I trust your judgement." She gave proper attention to the Viper, swapping to ADVENT just in case. "New recruit, I welcome you to XCOM and our forces. Do you have a name?"

The Viper looked down, shaking her head. "Not yet."

"Understood. Feel free to inform me when you do and I will happily refer to you as that. You two are dismissed."

The two of them slithered out. Eliza turned to Dolly. "Dolly, your accuracy and timing with grenades is to be admired. I'm very much considering and will probably allow you to pick a grenade launcher for yourself in the future. Your... lack of restraint when using explosives prevented a lot of potential harm."

Dolly saluted. "Happy to hear it, Commander."

"Happy to be able to say it. You are dismissed." Dolly lumbered off. "Samhien?" The Skirmisher nodded. "The hectic activity of the battle did not allow you to do much, and yet you still presented your best hand. Thank you for checking up on everyone, even during more tense moments."

"Of course, Commander. I am sorry that I could not do more."

"Don't be. I firmly believe you all did what you could. Go get some rest." Eliza looked at the Chosen as Samhien departed, who perked up as she regarded them. However, she noticed Jolene coming out of the Skyranger, and held up a finger to them. "Firebrand?"

Firebrand readjusted her helmet as she stepped away from the Skyranger. "Yes ma'am?"

"Could you do me a favor and ask Shen about the moral implications of sticking to old technology versus adapting alien technology? For the next... oh, hour or so?"

Jolene locked eyes with her through her helmet, nodding in understanding. "Can do, Commander." With that, Firebrand left the room.

That left the Chosen, finally. In lieu of saying anything to them, Eliza walked up and sat down, inviting them to come down with her. Come down they did—with Fal-Mai leaning against her and the two brothers sitting as close as it was comfortable to do. Eliza's tired smile dropped. "I'm going to come out and say it again—none of what happened was your guys' fault."

"We've gotten to that stage of the grieving process, Commander," Mordenna replied, resting his arms on his knees. "Now we're just figuring out what to do with all these goddamn emotions."

"Talk them out, naturally." She looked at Jax pointedly. "And I must say—I would be goddamn furious in your situation too, Jax. The worst you did was yell at someone who deserved it. The instant it came time to deal with your siblings, your anger dropped."

Jax glanced down. "—just thinking of becoming so furious even in their presence makes me ashamed. I ponder that happening to me, and..."

"Well, bro, that's because we have shit parents." Mordenna gestured weakly. "More specifically, Cronus used his anger to straighten you into line. About the only thing that fazes me is getting yelled at. Fals, how about you?"

Fal-Mai shook her head. "Your anger was not directed at me, Jax, so I was not intimidated. Surprised, yes, but that is it. You were righteously furious at... at someone who had harmed me greatly. I see no issue with the matter."

Jax let out a breath, nodding. "Alright. I... I had been afraid I had agitated or intimidated either of you."

Eliza chuckled. "Worst you did was induce the strongest case of audio clipping I'd ever had come over comms. Got quite the voice on you."

He rubbed his neck, bashfully looking away. "I am... rather loud when I choose to be, yes."

Mordenna smirked for a second, but it then dropped. "Hey, bro? If I ever like, get angry in the moment at you, I promise it's never permanent. I just need a moment to be angry and then I can cool off. Maybe with someone else's help to let me see how much of a dick I'm being."

Nodding, Jax looked back to Mordenna. "I understand. I was, admittedly, scared in the moment that I had seriously angered you."

"Well, you had. But that's only because I thought I would've had some different response on my own time. Like I said, any other situation? You would've saved my ass, so I'm not holding a grudge, nor telling you not to do that."

"I am somewhat glad you are not asking me to not act. It would be hard to not leap in to help you when I can."

"Oh, don't worry, I understand the urge. Speaking of, did I ever apologize for getting Berserker brains in your hair?"

Jax sniffed haughtily. "You may always do it again."

"What, the brains part?"

"I would certainly hope not!"

Eliza smiled, looking over to Fal-Mai. Fal-Mai looked like she was holding something back, her gaze trained on the floor. The Commander eased a hand onto her shoulder. "Fal-Mai? Something to say?"

Fal-Mai looked up at her, and then over at her brothers. She sat up and away from Eliza, not meeting anyone's gaze. "... brothers? May I confess something and have understanding granted?" When they both replied in the affirmative, she nodded. "I...I, rather foolishly and against everything which I know is correct, had begun to have thoughts that the two of you were excluding me in some way. Which I know is wrong," she pushed, seeing Mordenna about to say something, "because I have seen and experienced firsthand the things you two have done for me to make me feel included and part of this family. I knew those thoughts had no basis in reality... and yet..."

"Sounds like intrusive thoughts to me, or at least some slightly related phenomenon," Mordenna replied. "I'm glad that you know you feel included, at least, but I still feel bad that your brain could ever suggest that."

She shook her head, sighing. "I would not think for a second that the two of you would willingly exclude me. Not of my own accord, anyhow. I suppose some parts of me are scrambling for ways to insist I am failing in some capacity."

Jax leaned over, rubbing her shoulder. "I would suppose those are simply the remnants of Helena's insidious criticisms. Sister, trust me when I say that nothing she has said or will ever say will hold water. You are doing a fantastic job with what you have been given, and I am proud to call you my sister."

Fal-Mai's expression eased into a smile. "Thank you, brothers. I do truly know such thoughts have no basis in reality."

Eliza's smile grew warmer. "... you guys have really come a long way since the beginning. It warms my heart to see you all supporting each other."

"Well, you gave us a good environment, Liz." Mordenna smiled back. "Things just kinda happened from there. Really, this whole situation is your fault and I'm happily blaming you for it."

"Now, now, no blaming the Commander." Jax wagged a finger at Mordenna. "Even if the blame is assigned with gratitude."

"It is hard to not blame the Commander," Fal-Mai responded, "when her fostering of understanding and empathy is what brought us here."

"I just provided the tools," Eliza countered. "You guys were the one who actually chose to work on yourselves when you weren't under the Elders' oppressive custody. I think most of the blame can be squarely assigned to you guys for taking the initiative."

"Oh, what, let me take the blame? Me taking responsibility?" Mordenna shook his head. "You're out of it, Commander."

Eliza laughed. Even if it was the Chosen who did most of the work... she was so happy to have seen them come this far. It meant a lot to her that she could help them change like this.

Still, something occurred to Eliza, and she looked over at Fal-Mai. "Right, before I forget. You said your drone picked up a file or the like?"

Mordenna raised an eyebrow as Fal-Mai nodded. Her drone molded out from her arm. "I had been thinking about how we would be unable to reach our objective in time, and in response, my companion scurried off. When I went to go find it, it was on the relay, and had informed me of the file it had acquired."

"Well, that's interesting." Mordenna beckoned to the drone. "Bring it over here? I've got a datapad on me and might be able to see what it is." The drone scurried over as Mordenna got out a datapad. It generated a cord and he hooked it up, tapping on the screen. "... the file's encrypted, but I've got a name. 'Pursuit Initiative.'"

"Pursuit?" Jax rubbed his chin. "If they know where the Black Market is and are simply disseminating plans to destroy it, I would hardly think that befitting of the name 'Pursuit Initiative.' The Elders are known for somewhat purple prose... as am I... but they were hardly incorrect in its use."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking." Mordenna casually threw out a hand. "That'd be more like 'Suppression Initiative.' Pursuit implies they're... chasing something..."

Slowly, Mordenna looked up at Eliza. What he said definitely sounded distressing, but she couldn't quite make the link just yet. "Mordenna?"

"Eliza. I've got a theory but you're going to have to work with me. This file—its size is goddamn familiar. The Elders have tried to launch UFO initiatives in the past against you guys, but you stopped them because they were openly UFO initiatives." Mordenna's arm flew out. "You yourself said ADVENT's tactics are changing. They're getting smarter. Why would they send two elite units for the purpose of stalling us on something that would hinder us at most? Why would they launch a hazard armor project when the main problem has always been bullets with you guys?"

Things clicked in Eliza's head, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my god. They're all the same."

"Bingo. The Elders banked on us not seeing through what they were doing, and..." He sighed, massaging his forehead. "It worked. God..."Mordenna shook his head. "We can still do something, though. If I decrypt this file, we can probably got more information about what they're doing specifically and where they're launching it. I've seen that Defense Matrix room you guys set up—I'll start focusing my efforts into empowering the turrets, maybe making them able to be manned? Whatever the case, we know now. We can get ready."

Even if knowing ahead of time meant that they could prepare, the thought of a UFO hunting them down... it brought back really unpleasant memories of First Contact. The base being invaded, aliens swarming in, that Thin Man—

"Hey, hey, Eliza. It's ok."

Eliza hadn't noticed, but she'd began to shake. Mordenna had an arm around her, Fal-Mai's drone had skittered into her lap, and Jax's hand was on her knee. She took in a steadying breath, unable to avoid shuddering. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm just..." Could she confess? Mordenna had told her the virtues of confiding, and she trusted them all with her life. "—I'm scared. I think of the Avenger going down and it's twenty years ago all over again."

"We will be there for you, Eliza." Jax squeezed her leg gently and reassuringly. "Should you need it, I will make sure some of my followers are rallied around you as we make sure they cannot enter this ship."

"Yeah. We'll get you some support at minimum." Mordenna brought her closer in the hug. "I'll see what I can do about piloting the ship as we're evading. The less said about Bradford, the better, so maybe I can shake them off or hide us when they start coming."

"All else fails," Fal-Mai assured, "I will come back and steal away with you, ensuring that you will never have to be back in the custody of the Elders."

"Trust me," Eliza muttered, "this time, the minute we're overwhelmed, I'm just killing myself this time. Was going to the last time, but..."

The notion of her ending her life definitely seemed to upset them, and they rallied around her more thoroughly. "With luck," Mordenna insisted, "it won't come to that. Just know we'll be there for you, alright?"

She nodded, relaxing and closing her eyes. They were with her. She would make it.