Chapter 2: Moon Wheel

Abandoned Airport, Japanese Sector

March 4th, 2035

2:00PM

"Finally…" David moaned, panting as the last crate was loaded onto the Avenger's ramp. "Anyone uh… Miss the good old days of operating in cash? Hey, Takuat… How do you keep moving this crap so well?"

"Gene-therapy." Takuat replied in a dismissive tone, properly packing Anderson's crate into its storage compartment of the Engineering office. "Chief Shen will turn you over to ADVENT personally if she sees you slacking like that, Anderson."

"You went to ADVENT's clinics?" David asked, taking a seat in Shen's chair and fixing his glasses.

"No. Preliminary trials with a group out in France from before the invasion - Though things certainly picked up during the war." Takuat said, hitting the close button on the ramp.

"What group?" Andrea asked. He threw a cigarette out the ramp the moment just before it closed and put his polished construction helmet back on.

"It's been twenty years. Don't remember the name." Takuat said. "Remember to take your flight-sickness pills if you need them - We're scheduled for takeoff in ten minutes and heading back to India."

"Heh, do I look like DeLorean to you?" David asked as the Avenger ramp slammed shut.

Avenger Hangar

March 6th, 2035

6:00PM

"So… Babysit a data relay for an hour or so and kill any ADVENT who get curious?" David asked. "I can get behind that. Yeah."

"Please, take this seriously Anderson." Jane Kelly said. "The Commander is still recuperating from surgery, so it falls to me to brief you until they are on their feet."

"Yeah yeah yeah, look, we gonna shoot some aliens? Yes or no?" Andrea asked, putting his feet up on the seat of the rook in front of him, Mary Scott.

"Yes. Yes you will, because ADVENT discovered this relay an hour ago and has already dispatched forces to destroy it." Kelly said. "Mr. Gasparatto, I assure you, your penchant for… Shooting things in the face will not go unquenched."

"Relax, Kelly. I'll keep them in check." Takuat said as he entered the room. "You said you had something for us?"

"Oh. Yes - Just got a shipment of new weapons from headquarters." Kelly said. "You and Anderson earned first-dibs." She pointed towards the weapons lockers behind the Skyranger, prompting David and Takuat to go over. David look around for a few moments, contemplating his options, whilst Takuat went straight for a fifty-calibre sniper rifle laid out for him.

"Eh… Why not." David said, settling for a machete and shotgun combo. "Go-time." He declared, stepping onto the Skyranger with Takuat as the lift went up.

Operation Moon Wheel

ADVENT Patrol Zone 8, outskirts of Port Said

7:20PM

"Let's do this!" David yelled, roping down with his team. "Mary, take the lead!" He ordered. Mary moved up, keeping her head on a swivel as she scouted for the rest of the team.

"Sectoid and an ADVENT troop on the right…" Mary Scott whispered into her earpiece. David nodded to Andrea and Takuat. They moved forward into position for an ambush, punctuated by the sound of plasma shots firing nearby - Likely directed at the data relay they were sent to protect. Mary, Andrea, and David rested their rifles atop their cover and lined up their sights on the Sectoid and its ADVENT subordinate, waiting for Takuat to fire the first shot.

"Now." Takuat said, standing up out of cover and firing a .50c round into the Sectoid's center-mass. The shot went clean through, mildly agitating the Sectoid as it began to charge towards Takuat. David stood up in turn, letting loose a shell into the Sectoid, reducing most of its upper body to a fine pink and yellow mist. The surviving ADVENT soldier staggered in fear and began to flee, only to be shot in the back of the head by Mary before he could make contact with his allies. The sound of plasma shots continued in the building adjacent to them, undoubtedly the Relay at this point.

"Ladies first." David said, pointing to Mary to scout ahead once more. "Rook policy. Nothing personal." Mary rolled her eyes and moved up, keeping her rifle at the ready. David moved up behind her, getting into cover just as another Sectoid-ADVENT pair exited the building with weapons primed. David fired his shotgun once more, reducing the brick half-wall he stood behind to dust and instantly killing the ADVENT soldier. Andrea and Takuat began firing into the Sectoid, to little effect as the Sectoid didn't so much as flinch in response to the force of a .44 Magnum and 5.56 piercing its skin. The Sectoid fled as soon as the hail of bullets ceased, getting far from the squad's sight even as Mary and David advanced. All David could see in the room the Sectoid fled to was the still-intact Relay.

"Son of a… I was told these things were supposed to be fragile or something!" Andrea whined.

"Shut up and take the roof Andrea." David ordered, pointing upwards. Andrea began climbing up, hitting the roof just as Mary began to take shots at an ADVENT patrol that came to investigate the gunfire. David blindfired his shotgun towards the sound of advancing troopers, and took down an unlucky Officer who happened to be passing by the wrong section of wall at the wrong time. In his final throws as he rapidly bled out from the shotgun's blast he fired off a flaregun, signalling for rapid-response reinforcements that regularly patrolled the nearby skies.

"This is gonna be great!" Andrea yelled from the rooftop, drowned out by the sound of David firing his shotgun some more. He ran out to the edge of the roof and popped one into the head of the previously fleeing Sectoid, finishing it off. David gave a thumbs-up from below and cocked his shotgun. Andrea staggered as a grenade went off below, taking out a section of wall, and an ADVENT trooper with it, making him look up just in time to see reinforcements arrive. Takuat hastily fired a shot to no avail, missing as his mark dived into cover. David tube-fed his shotgun a round and finished what Takuat started, creating yet another cloud of bloody mist.

"We've got this!" Mary exclaimed, flanking an Advent soldier. She shot him twice in both kneecaps and once in the head as he turned to take aim at her. Andrea emptied his magazine into the remaining Officer's chest, chewing up most of his armor but leaving the Officer still standing, triggering him to run for new cover. David, Mary, and Takuat began to provide suppressing fire, buying Andrea time to find his mark.

"You're taking too long…" David groaned, sprinting at the ADVENT Officer and finishing him off with a machete to the neck.

"Hey, I had that one!" Andrea whined, throwing his construction helmet on the ground with great force from the rooftop.

"He almost destroyed the relay you idiot!" David yelled back from below. He poked the Relay in one of its many bullet holes and plasma-melted holes. "Miracle this thing even works!"

"Good work, Menace." Central congratulated from the other end of the radio. "Relay complete. Scuttle the equipment and return to Avenger. Central out."

"Understood, Central." David replied, pressing onto his earpiece. "Andrea, I'm seeing now why noone ever takes you on missions. And I'm thinking that helmet is one of the many symptoms of the cause." David said, grabbing onto a rope dropped by Firebrand. Mary and Takuat did likewise, holding on as the hydraulics dragged them up rapidly, bringing them up inside next to Andrea who had already taken the liberty of making a leap of faith from his rooftop into the Skyranger's bay.

Avenger Bridge

8:00PM

"Everyone accounted for and no casualties? I'm impressed." Bradford said, speaking to Kelly on the bridge. "Considering his reputation, I didn't think Gasparatto would make it back alive."

"I've got other news. A Dr. Dakarai Harris arrived from Headquarters just a few minutes ago, on behalf of someone he referred to as 'The Spokesman'. Shen's running background checks on him now." Kelly reported. "It'll be nice to have an engineering department consisting of more than just Shen and Rover finally."

"Sounds like he's already been put to work." Bradford observed, noting the sound of Gremlins lifting and sorting debris below the bridge.

"You are correct. Waste not want not with our time." The Commander said in a dull, monotone voice entering the bridge. Bradford looked over, unsurprised. She walked down the steps from her suite, silver hair just below her shoulders flowing behind herself. Her azure blue eyes conducted an almost ethereal presence as she looked around the bridge, perhaps in certain disappointment. "The Spokesman has resurfaced, with some… Interesting information." She said. Bradford winced with curiosity. "Carry on with the previously discussed plans. I will discuss further orders once preparations have been made with Tygan."

"Understood, Commander." Bradford replied, slightly bowing as she left without so much as making an expression. "Kelly, looks like you're back out into the woods on this one."

"Right-o. I'll be in touch once I've made contact with them." Kelly replied, leaving the bridge. "Shen better have refueled my Kawasaki or there'll be hell to pay." She finished, grabbing her motorcycle helmet off one of the terminals.