In the armory, Alia and Leonidas sat at a workbench with a disassembled rifle in front of them. The Spartan King was going over all of the possible modifications and what they did. Scopes helped shoot more accurately, and as such, they were a favorite across all squads. An improved stock would help with snap-reflex aiming, meaning that one would always at least graze their target. Laser sights were good for rapid target acquisition, making it easier to zero in on critical vulnerabilities without taking more time to aim, especially at close range. Extended magazines and auto-loaders were obvious enough. Specialized upgrade kits―which everyone referred to as Repeaters―helped kill targets faster by increasing a weapon's fire rate dramatically. Finally, hair-triggers were more sensitive than standard ones and could sometimes allow for getting off a second shot quickly enough that the enemy would not be able to react in time.
Doing her best to remember what she was being told, Alia turned to him, "Which customizations do you use for your weapon?"
"I use a repeater, extended mag, and hair-trigger on the Killforge," Leonidas answered, "But remember that I'm using a shotgun; we managed to make those support three mods. Your rifle will only be able to have a maximum of two. If you want to lean more toward marksmanship, then a scope is a must-have. After that, a good repeater might be nice to fire off quick bursts. You should be able to control those pretty easily if they're fast enough, I think."
He showed her how to integrate the modifications, then quickly assembled her rifle and handed it to her, letting the viper test how it felt to hold. She peered down the scope at a mounted Trooper's head across the room, getting a feel for the new magnification. This was how XCOM soldiers kept track of their performance: a wall of heads, under each one a digital plaque that displayed the number of the corresponding enemy that the operatives had killed during their missions. Despite Leonidas having informed her that they were simply replicas, the serpent could not help but note that XCOM had a rather gruesome idea of what a trophy was.
"Well," Leonidas asked, "How does it feel? Wanna take it to the range and give it a few practice shots?"
Alia nodded, "Indeed. I wish to become accustomed to how this rifle will now function."
They traveled down to the shooting range, and the Ranger explained: "This should be pretty quick since you're already pretty familiar with that rifle. It's just the fire rate that's changed functionally, and I would assume that you know how a scope works. If you need help sighting it in, let me know."
When she pulled the trigger for the first time, Alia was shocked at how quickly the rifle fired a three-round burst. It was fast enough that she was able to control it as if it was a single bullet, and the new scope allowed for even greater accuracy than before! She burned through a single magazine, quickly getting used to the new sensation of firing this way. Leonidas had also provided smaller magazines that did not hold as many shots, but were far lighter and more compact, allowing her to carry more of them without her speed or agility being impeded. Sighting in the scope was a simple and intuitive process, and soon the serpent was able to hit her targets with extreme accuracy at a variety of distances. After that, she returned the weapon to the armory and accompanied her leader to the morning meal.
This time, the viper was allowed to go through the line like everyone else to load her tray. Instead of what everyone else got, though, Alia was given a sort of meat paste that smelled odd and looked unappetizing. "No one ever eats this stuff," the cook explained, "And I know you're a carnivore. Species be damned; we have a bunch of this spam sitting in the fridge that'll go bad if nobody eats it, so I'm just glad to have someone to feed it to. Some of it might be starting to turn already, though, so if it tastes like mold then you come back and I'll get you some newer stuff."
The serpent went to take her seat at the table with the other Spartans, noticing that Defcon was now present. She smiled and greeted the grenadier, who responded in kind. Ghost was eating his breakfast in silence―something that Alia suspected was normal―Eagle was whistling a small tune as he held a mug of coffee, and Robin looked like she was struggling to stay awake. The poor girl must struggle with waking up in the morning, Alia reasoned. Leonidas had gotten up early with her to help her with her rifle, and it seemed like he was able to rouse in seconds. It had taken the viper a few minutes to wake up fully, though he had not criticized her for it.
As she sat down, the Spartan technician looked over and gave a sharp exhale, "Shit, I forgot that you're a carnivore! You have to eat that stuff for breakfast?"
"I believe so," Alia eyed the paste suspiciously, flicking out her tongue to smell it, "And I have yet to hear any positive statements about this... pseudo-meat. I am not certain whether or not I am actually able to digest it."
"It's actual meat, if that's what you're wondering," Leonidas gestured to the stuff on her tray, "It's just that they take the parts of the animals that nobody would want to eat and grind it all up together so thoroughly that you can't recognize it anymore. It tastes... edible, but I don't envy you for eating it for breakfast every day."
Alia remained wary of her meal, and the Ranger acted. Taking a spoon, he scooped up a small portion of the paste and ate it wordlessly, looking at her and shrugging. She was not able to eat it as she normally would, instead having to use such utensils herself to consume the cheap food, something which the serpent found to be very inconvenient. Once Alia started eating, though, she found that the paste was actually not very bad. It probably helped that the viper was still very hungry from yesterday, but regardless she ate without comment or complaint. Robin noticed this and visibly gagged at the thought of eating this meat-product.
"Little Bird suddenly isn't so opposed to giving our new member the protein?" Eagle teased, "Or is it just that you're too tired to muster the grit to think about eating that stuff?"
"Both," the rookie said back tiredly, "You all may be able to wake up at the flip of a switch, but I'm still getting used to that."
Defcon chuckled, placing a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, "You're allowed to have caffeine around here, you know. Everyone adapts at a different pace, and some people just aren't morning people. Eagle, for example, would probably never wake up without coffee."
The specialist raised his mug with a grin, "Guilty as charged!"
Robin then went to get her own mug of coffee, thanking Defcon for the idea. As she left, Alia noticed Leonidas bouncing his knee rapidly in place as he ate. He had done this during yesterday's evening meal, she realized, but she had only taken note of it now. Her new leader was awfully strange with his behaviors, from fidgeting in his seat to hanging upside-down from his bunk, and the viper could not help but wonder why. The Spartan King ate quickly, then left for the exercise room with a short farewell to the rest of the team. The others soon followed, leaving to attend to their separate matters. Soon, Ghost was the only other person at the table. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, knowing that she had a question.
"I do not know if it is my place to ask," Alia hissed quietly, "But why is Leonidas so... sporadic with his energy?"
Ghost leaned forward, "Four letters: ADHD. It stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Over the years, his ability to focus has improved dramatically, but he's still very―to use your words―energetic and sporadic. He's also very impulsive; you could see that when he ate part of your meal to prove that it was edible. In the field, he changes noticeably; better focus, far more violent, more likely to communicate, and less likely to put things in his mouth. He's a prime example of how the Spartans are as a general rule: two different people depending on whether or not we're on a mission. That clear things up a bit?"
Alia nodded, "Yes. And I thank you for explaining why the Spartans behave so differently here; I remember how you all behaved when I was first rescued, and I was wondering why this changed so rapidly. Now I understand that this is normal."
Ghost grinned slightly, "And in case you're wondering, Leonidas' ADHD is no secret around here. He probably would have told you himself, had you asked him, but I understand why you came to me instead. It's an awkward question to ask someone directly." He stood, stretching, "I think I'm going to hit the range for a bit. Take care, Alia."
He left, and Alia found herself sitting alone at the table. The rest of the mess hall had mostly cleared out at this point, which gave her an opportunity to ponder her current situation. This was the second day aboard the Avenger for the serpent, and already she was starting to feel at home. Given, this was almost exclusively when the viper was with the other Spartans, but it was more than she could have ever hoped for. The viper's thoughts then drifted to her leader, who had played a key role in her acclimation to this new reality.
Leonidas was a social anomaly, and Alia found that strangely charming. From the moment she had first entered the Avenger, he had treated her as an ally. It was obvious that they did not know each other well enough to be friends, but it was clear that the Spartan King was not opposed to the idea. Leonidas seemed to take the viper's presence in stride, paying no mind to the fact that she was an alien. In fact, all five Spartans appeared to possess such a mentality, but he was the one volunteering to spend time with her, even if it was just to help her with unfamiliar technology and to observe his new recruit's skills for use in battle. When she had first met him in that village, his face had been concealed. Moreover, for some reason Alia could not point, the Ranger's strong face and steel-blue eyes made her feel like she was officially a member of XCOM.
Suddenly, her train of thought was cut off by an announcement over the ship's speakers. "Operative Alia," Central's voice spoke, "Report to Doctor Tygan's lab immediately. Commander's orders."
Wondering what the Doctor could possibly want with her, the serpent hurried across the ship as not to displease the Commander. Alia had heard of his autopsies of dead ADVENT units, but surely he would not do such a thing to a member of the Spartans? She tried to push the image of Tygan vivisecting her while her squadmates watched out of her mind, but the thought was too horrifying to ignore. She would have to be ready to attempt an escape if such a thing seemed to be the case. But when the viper arrived in the lab at the aft end of the ship, Alia suppressed a sigh of relief when she saw that the Commander was also present, and that the setup seemed more akin to that of a checkup.
"Did I give you a bit of a scare?" the Commander asked with a small grin, "You would have known if you were in trouble. Our chief researcher just has a project that he needs you for." He turned to the Doctor, "Doctor Tygan, you have the floor."
XCOM's chief researcher nodded, "We have developed special munitions in our proving ground, from incendiary rounds to smart bullets, but I believe I may have a unique type of ammunition that our new recruit will allow us to produce dependably." He held up a small, transparent cylinder that contained several rifle bullets inside, each one tipped with an aggressive green color, "Venom rounds: my personal project in the munitions department. Using the fast-acting toxin that is naturally produced by vipers, they are extremely effective against organic targets with no reduction to effectiveness to mechanical enemies. Until now, I have not had the resources to properly produce them, namely the venom that is so crucial to their design. But with a live specimen to provide a steady supply of this toxin, I should be able to refine my design and deploy them in the field."
The serpent's eyes widened. They wanted to use her venom in their ammunition? The Commander turned to her, "Well, Alia, what do you say? I won't make you do this if you don't want to, but this could prove to be extremely useful to our efforts in the field."
She hesitated, then moved forward, "I will provide whatever I can to assist in the fight against my former masters, Commander."
The process was long and uncomfortable, yet it was not painful in any way. Alia sat patiently and steadily produced venom from her fangs as Tygan collected the compound eagerly. The Commander stood silently nearby throughout the process, simply observing as the Doctor filled several small containers with the serpent's venom, the sharp scent of the potent toxin hanging in the room as the collection drew on for half an hour. Both men wore protective equipment to prevent the airborne vapor from harming them, and the somewhat intimidating appearance of the hazmat gear did nothing to calm the viper. It was eerily quiet in the lab until, finally, Tygan decided that he had enough samples to work with. Alia felt somewhat empty physically, never having produced so much venom in such a relatively short period of time. The scientist thanked her and sent her on her way, immediately getting to work on his invention.
As the serpent turned to leave, he suddenly stood and stopped her. "I nearly forgot," Tygan said quickly, grabbing what looked like an ammunition box from the laboratory fridge, "Prototype venom rounds. I would like you to use these during your next mission; they have yet to be perfected, but I assure you that they work. Consider it compensation for your generous contribution. There should be enough to last for one deployment."
"Thank you, Doctor," Alia accepted the rounds, "I hope that my 'contribution' will help further your efforts. I will be sure to use these munitions well."
The Commander moved beside her as she exited, removing his gas mask. "You might be using those a lot sooner than you expected," he suggested, "I have an assignment for Spartan Squad tonight that requires only four of you, and I think you'll be going. I'll brief you more later―for now, go prepare and do whatever you need to do to recover from your venom donation."
The viper nodded, hiding her excitement at being given a mission so soon. Once the Commander parted ways with her, she rushed off to prepare. Alia retrieved her rifle and magazines from the armory, then returned to the Spartans' quarters to load them with her new venom rounds. She arranged her equipment on the table in front of the couch, sitting down to prepare her new ammunition. Her hands were shaking with excitement, so much that she had to be careful loading the poison-tipped bullets into the magazines. Her first real day as an XCOM operative, and she was already going on a mission!
Her excitement was interrupted when the door was thrown open. Alia looked up to see Leonidas standing in the doorway, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. He was very wet, and he was very shirtless. The serpent froze at the sight. His chest, adorned with battle-forged muscle and numerous scars that no doubt shared the same origins, drew her gaze. The Spartan King paid no mind to the viper's staring, apparently oblivious as he waved quickly in greeting. "I..." he declared as he grabbed a fresh set of clothes, "am going to take a shower. If you need anything, just give me a shout." Leonidas then moved into the bathroom and closed the door behind him without another word.
For a moment, Alia simply sat there and processed what she had just witnessed. When he had turned his back to enter the bathroom, she had spotted several scars on his back as well. There had also been a few on his arms. All of this was normally covered up by a shirt and sleeves, and Alia had never thought about what he might look like under that. The Spartan leader was not particularly burly, but he was certainly well-built. Why was she so affected by this? After all, this was Leonidas; he most definitely thought nothing of the matter.
A few seconds later, she heard the sound of the water running. Alia shook herself out of her thoughts, returning to her munitions. The viper had a mission to prepare for, and she was not about to let this distract her from that. This was her chance to prove whether or not she was able to fight for XCOM, and she would not squander it. Loading the last few green-tipped bullets into a magazine, she grabbed her new kevlar armor and fitted the now-full magazines into the slots on the carrier rig. Alia then took a moment to admire the outfit itself. The suit had been tailored to fit a viper and, according to Chief Engineer Shen, was "designed to balance protection with maneuverability". It extended past her waist―something that her old armor had never come close to doing―and it looked far more comfortable. On top of that, it appeared to be much warmer than the armor that ADVENT supplied to their vipers. She had always wondered why her old suit did not cover her nether region, but now she did not have to worry about that.
Leonidas re-entered the room wearing his other clothes, but more importantly, wearing a shirt. He picked up one of the magazines that she had not yet put in a slot, and examined the bullets within. "Venom rounds?" He said, sounding mildly surprised, "Nice to see Tygan finally deploying these things. I guess it makes sense that you'd use them, being a viper and all." The Ranger slipped the magazine into place on her armor, nodding his approval of the new kevlar outfit. Leonidas then promptly grabbed his own armor and left to gear up. Apparently, he had already been made aware of the mission ahead and was going to prepare as well.
...
The Spartans deployed into a dark street of the ruined city, weapons raised and at the ready. The mission was simple: there were two teams of two. One team was to rendezvous with the faction known as the Reapers, while the other met with a different group known as the Skirmishers. The two factions had been at each other's throats for years, and it was XCOM's job to bring them together to fight ADVENT. Each duo was to retrieve a representative from their respective group, then escort them to a pre-arranged meeting point to negotiate peace.
Having been paired with Leonidas to collect the Reaper representative, Alia scanned the rooftops while the Spartan King watched the street ahead. Soon, he spotted a fire burning in the middle of a ruined intersection, with something hanging from a crude spit over it.
"Good lord," the Ranger breathed, "Is that the head of a chryssalid?" He walked toward the fire while Alia hung back, watching his back and keeping an eye on the rooftops suspiciously. She smelled something alive above them, but could not place where it was. It seemed to be all around them, which did nothing to help put her at ease.
"If you are hungry," a woman's voice said from across the intersection, "There's more where that came from." In a flash, Leonidas had his Killforge raised and trained on the masked woman in front of him.
Central's voice came through on comms, "Stand down, Spartan-1. We're all friends here." Slowly, he lowered his weapon.
"I had expected your Commander to send more than a single soldier," she said, removing her mask.
"He didn't." Leonidas nodded behind him at Alia, who slithered out into the open cautiously. The woman drew her rifle, taking aim at the viper. Leonidas quickly stepped between the two, blocking her shot.
"She's one of them!" The woman snapped at him.
"She's one of mine," Leonidas growled warningly, "And I trust her more than someone who eats massive bugs on the regular. Besides, didn't the Commander tell you that she was coming!?"
The marksman paused for a moment, then lowered her weapon. "He did," she answered evenly, "And if this is her, then she will not be harmed. But our safeties are staying off."
Just then, Alia spotted several similarly-dressed figures emerging from the rooftops. These were the people she had smelled! The viper started to raise her weapon, then thought better of it and instead moved alongside Leonidas to signify that they were allies. None of them took aim at her―they simply brandished their weapons to signify that they were not afraid to use them if needed. Despite knowing that they would not fire, this made Alia anxious; if things went sideways, she would never be able to avoid fire from that many angles. She hissed nervously, her eyes darting between the figures instinctively.
"Now we can either follow through with the plan," the Ranger said with forced calmness, "Or my friend and I can leave. Up to you."
The woman sighed. "Very well. I am Outrider, and I am the representative of the Reapers."
The Spartan King nodded. "I'm Leonidas, and this is Alia."
"I know," Outrider said, eyeing the serpent as she spoke, "Your Commander told us."
A ghostly howl echoed through the streets. Both XCOM agents raised their weapons and looked around for the source. Whatever it was, Alia was not eager to meet it. The new power of her rifle and munitions was a small comfort in this foreign place. Leonidas had reflexively drawn his shotgun, clearly prepared for a fight.
"Your presence already disturbs them," Outrider said to them as she donned her mask, "We must move quickly. My people will take care of this camp. Come." She led them away down another street, where they soon lost sight of the cooking fire and other Reapers.
This whole place was putting Alia on edge. As she had heard Leonidas say during the flight here: the Spartans were never called upon for anything safe and easy―and that was becoming increasingly apparent. The howling continued in the distance, slowly drawing nearer. Alia moved closer to her leader, feeling much safer in the knowledge that they had each other's backs.
Leonidas noticed this, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Remember: you're a Spartan now. Whatever that thing is, it should fear you, not the other way around. If we meet it, we'll fill it with lead and keep going."
Alia nodded uncertainly, "I do not wish to disappoint, but I fear that I am ill-equipped to handle this unknown threat."
"Just aim for the head," he tapped his temple, "And leave the rest to me. The Commander wouldn't have sent you along if he thought you couldn't handle this."
Soon enough, the squad came across the source of the howling: the Lost. Per Tygan's explanation, the Lost were humans who had fallen victim to the chemical weapons used in the initial invasions twenty years ago, and that many years of constant exposure had turned them into mindless husks. Leonidas motioned for the others to take cover even as he lunged to press himself against a wall, peering around the corner. Outrider pointed out that the Lost were able to be killed easily with headshots, and the Spartan King looked knowingly to Alia, having just told her to aim for the head.
"Let us proceed with caution," the Reaper warned, "The Lost are deceptively intelligent. They may not be a threat by themselves, but in large numbers they will quickly overwhelm us."
Alia took aim with her rifle, waiting for the signal from Leonidas to attack. Instead of ordering her to fire, though, he cocked his head to the side as if listening to some unheard voice, then motioned for their Reaper companion to take the first shot. Outrider snapped off a round into the head of the closest Lost, dropping it instantly. The noise of her Vektor rifle was shockingly quiet, like an exploding firecracker. Alia remembered seeing humans use such small explosives during her time in ADVENT; the tiny fireworks were harmless, but this rifle clearly was not. Outrider proceeded to fire two more rounds, felling another pair of Lost in the process before needing to reload. The crowd of Lost in front of them hardly reacted, which explained why Leonidas had chosen for the Reaper to take the first shots. This way, they had fewer enemies to deal with once they went loud.
Leonidas then nodded to Alia as he raised his shotgun, "Let's show these freaks what Spartans can do!" He stepped out into the street, firing his weapon into the nearest enemy and walking forward slowly as the other Lost began to charge him. From her position behind the hood of an old car, Alia was able to pick off the Lost that got too close to her leader while he was aiming the other way. Four bursts, then she was forced to reload. The viper did so as quickly as possible, making the last-second decision to use some of the few standard magazines that she had brought in order to conserve her special ammo. These Lost were obviously very weak, and using the venom rounds would be a waste.
She was glad to kill these things, since they gave her much-needed practice in the field, while not actually ADVENT. This was something that still bothered the serpent: the idea of killing those whom she had been serving alongside not even a week ago. Alia was confident that she would be able to pull the trigger when the time came, but shooting Lost was a completely guilt-free experience, since they were nothing but mindless beasts anyway. Plus, they had a particularly pungent smell that made her want to vomit now that she had recently eaten. The fact that Leonidas was using incendiary rounds that burned the bodies did not help in the slightest, but she willed her dinner to stay in her stomach. She was a Spartan, Alia reminded herself, and she had to endure any and all hardships. The serpent was determined to prove herself, and regurgitating in the middle of battle was not the way to do that. She did, however, make a mental note to ask Tygan if any of the chemicals in the air were harmful; oftentimes, if something smelled this bad, it wasn't exactly healthy to breathe.
Once Leonidas emptied his weapon, he did not bother reloading. Instead, he holstered the shotgun at his hip and drew one of his axes. The Spartan King swept the blade through the air, slicing a nearby Lost unit neatly in half. It's frail body resisted the attack as effectively as rotten wood, which the viper assumed was an accurate comparison to the Lost in general. Outrider once again joined her in picking off the shambling husks from a distance, while Leonidas hurled his axe into the chest of a unit that appeared to be stronger than the others. Its increased strength was no match for the masterfully-crafted blade, and it died easily on impact. Leonidas then switched to his second axe, continuing to cleave his way through the crowd effortlessly as the other two used their rifles to keep him from being overwhelmed.
"Watch yourself, One," Central warned over comms, "We don't want to find out the hard way what kind of infections these things carry."
Just as she was reloading, Alia spotted one of the Lost come up behind her leader, winding up to strike him with its gnarled hand. She reacted without thinking, her tongue shooting across the battlefield to snare her target. The serpent nearly lost her focus as her tongue touched the decaying skin, the putrid taste infecting her senses like a disease. Steeling herself against the overwhelming urge to gag and vomit, Alia pulled the Lost unit to her and skillfully wrapped it with her muscular tail, squeezing with all her might. The husk gave a final gurgle as it was crushed, its fragile bones and decrepit flesh snapping and crumbling away in seconds. She then gagged reflexively, willing herself not to regurgitate her evening meal. Sometimes, human DNA was quite troublesome.
This did not go unnoticed by Leonidas, who put a finger to his ear and shouted, "Firebrand, where the Hell is our pickup!?"
"Sorry, Spartan-1," the pilot responded jokingly, "You kids looked like you were having so much fun down there, and I didn't want to interrupt. Marking extraction zone now."
Down the street, the distinct blue flare of the extraction marker activated. The howls of disturbed Lost echoed from the surrounding area, indicating that the illuminated area was now drawing their attention. Alia recomposed herself, cleansing her mouth with a small amount of venom, and slithered forward quickly. Leonidas also charged, picking up his thrown axe as he slashed another Lost unit without breaking stride. When he wanted something done, the viper noted, he did not let anything get in his way.
With Outrider in tow, they dashed down the alley to the rectangle of blue flares. The Lost came running after them, but the three agents were much faster, grabbing their ropes and entering the transport just as their pursuers reached the small clearing. As the transport quickly flew away, a collective sigh of relief sounded in a dropship's crew compartment. Leonidas turned to Alia, "Thanks for the save back there. I'm sure that it couldn't have been pleasant.
"I would prefer to never taste one of these 'Lost' ever again in my lifetime," Alia confirmed, suppressing another gag at the memory of how that... thing had tasted, "To say that the experience was unpleasant... is an understatement. I believe that 'almost traumatic' would be more accurate."
Leonidas laughed sympathetically, while Outrider simply watched in amazement. "How long have the two of you known each other?"
He leaned forward, "Two days, give or take a few hours. We're fast-tracking her membership of the ass-kicking club."
"You trust a viper after knowing her for two days!?" Outrider exclaimed, "What kind of insanity does that take!?"
"The same kind that it takes to trust someone who eats cooked chryssalid after I've known her for all of fifteen minutes," Leonidas countered evenly, "I follow my orders, Outrider. If the Commander says to trust an alien, I'll give them a rifle and expose my back. If he says to kiss a viper, I'll make it one to remember. Get the picture?"
Alia looked at him with wide eyes, "The Commander told you to do that?"
"No," he answered simply, "But if he did, I wouldn't hesitate; I know that he has his reasons." The Spartan leader then turned back to the Reaper. "As for you: if you knew that Alia was with me, why did you try to shoot her?"
The human woman raised an eyebrow. "I didn't. If I had, she'd be long dead; in case you've forgotten, I wasn't the only one keeping an eye on you two. That was a test to see what she would do."
The viper shrunk slightly at this; when Outrider had drawn her rifle, Alia had frozen in place. She had panicked and, by extent, hesitated. While it was safe to say that no one in their right mind would interpret this as hostility, that didn't change the fact that it was embarrassing. The Spartan leader had acted almost immediately and with a total lack of fear, despite the fact that he had been running the risk of being shot in the chest from near-point-blank range.
They rode to the meeting point in silence, with Outrider and Alia exchanging glances while Leonidas leaned back and relaxed. Once the operatives were dropped off there, the Spartan leader went about surveying the lay of the area. He chose to take the opening between two train cars on a raised track, since it served as a highly defensible position. Just then, the squad heard a large explosion in the distance, and the three of them looked to see a fireball rise into the air above the buildings, followed by distant gunfire.
"Is that the other team?" Alia asked worriedly.
Leonidas sighed, "Yeah, probably. Eagle, Robin, and our Skirmisher representative, Mox. Not exactly a quiet team like us..."
"Mox!?" Outrider demanded in outrage, "Pratal Mox!? He is responsible for the deaths of many of my people!"
"We are here to negotiate peace," Alia interrupted, "Are we not? This is to end such needless bloodshed between your people."
The Reaper scoffed, "Rich, coming from you. Your people are the reason that any of this is happening in the first place!"
Leonidas stepped forward, "That's why she's fighting with us: to help bring an end to such crimes. She's putting her past behind her to make a better future. Can you do the same?"
Outrider agreed reluctantly, taking up a position in one of the two train cars. Alia and Leonidas remained out on the tracks, keeping watch. The transport had taken off to retrieve the second team, and now there was little left to do but wait. The viper stood silently by the railing, careful not to touch the incredibly rusty surface for fear of what diseases might lie therein. At the same time, she smelled something foreign in the air―something living, but not Lost. The serpent's intuition (or perhaps paranoia) told her that someone was watching them―someone who was not of any species that she knew. As she considered the strange scent, the Spartan King came up beside her, similarly avoiding contact with the rusted metal.
"Good job taking the initiative back there," the Ranger said as he looked out at the surrounding buildings, "It's that kind of spirit that every Spartan should have."
Alia smiled, "I wish to prove my worth, and I cannot do that by standing idly by."
"First day on the job," Leonidas chuckled, "And already you're thinking like a Spartan. I knew that the Commander had chosen you for a reason."
Before he could finish, the dropship swooped back in, carrying the second team. The duo took up defensive positions on the bridge in preparation for the meeting. Eagle and Robin entered the clearing, greeted them quickly, then found their own positions by their side. Mox came walking out of the train car with his helmet removed, striding confidently onto the tracks. Outrider emerged from her own side, her mask off and hood down. She was holding her rifle, which put Alia on alert―the Reaper could be planning to use the weapon. The Skirmisher had no weapon drawn, but he took note of Alia standing off to the side.
"A viper?" he said in mild surprise, "I was not aware that they could be freed of the Elders' control. This is a welcome discovery."
"Do not forget why you are here, Skirmisher," Outrider snapped, "I do not trust her any more than I trust you. Taking off that helmet does not change what you are. Reapers have long memories, Elder Kracsad." Mox growled at the insult, brandishing a wicked-looking wrist-mounted blade. "Any time," she challenged, raising her Vektor rifle.
Central came through on comms, "The way I see it, we have two options: join forces and kick the Elders off our world, or kill each other here and now. The choice is yours, but if a damn viper can find the morality to join XCOM, then I think you have no excuse for fighting each other anymore."
Both of them hesitated, then Mox lowered his weapon in silent agreement. Outrider started to lower hers, then suddenly snapped it to her shoulder and fired. The Skirmisher just barely dodged out of the way, and the bullet continued forward. There was a distortion in the air in front of the lead projectile, revealing what the Reaper's trained eyes had spotted. Mox fired a grappling hook at the figure, only to have it deflected with a thin sword as the cloaked enemy became visible. The female attacker's appearance shared some similarities with a standard ADVENT hybrid, but with quite a few differences―most notably her height, bluish complexion and advanced armor. This was what Alia had smelled earlier!
"No one has ever done that before," the enemy snarled, "No one shall ever do that again." She then flipped backward off of the bridge, turning invisible as she did so.
Leonidas was the first to react, drawing one of his axes and looking around, "What the Hell was that thing!?"
"Vox Prima," Mox answered as he drew his submachine gun, "Elder Assassin. Relentless death that stalks my kind. Butcher of freed ADVENT. The presence of a liberated viper will only encourage her to attack us here."
"My kind face another like her," Outrider added as she scanned the area, "They are 'The Undying'. ADVENT's curse upon us."
"Then it looks like we found a common enemy," said Leonidas, "You know, besides ADVENT as a whole. What say we finalize that truce and kill this bitch?"
The Assassin laughed from outside of their line of sight, "You are welcome to try!"
Everyone took cover on the bridge, crouching along the sides near the railings and scanning the street below for movement. This opponent appeared to favor melee combat, Alia reasoned, so she would not attack from the buildings unless she was able to jump that far, which was extremely unlikely. Then the viper realized that The Assassin was invisible; looking for her would be pointless. Instead, the serpentine operative flicked out her tongue to detect the enemy by scent. Once she did this, the serpent was suddenly made acutely aware that their opponent was extremely close!
Alia whipped around just in time to see the Assassin emerge, sword raised and ready to strike. She sneered, no doubt taking pleasure in the thought of killing two traitors―her and Mox―in one battle. Alia dodged desperately, throwing her weight backwards as her attacker swung down with her blade. The sword cut straight through the kevlar armor as if it wasn't even there, causing the front of the vest to separate, exposing her chest and abdomen.
The others balked at the sight, staring for a moment at the exposed viper―All except Leonidas and Eagle, who both leapt into action. While the Spartan leader hurled one of his axes at the Assassin, The Specialist rushed to the viper's aid, quickly checking her over to verify that she was unhurt. There was a long, shallow mark where the sword had grazed her scales, but otherwise Alia was unharmed. He then produced a length of paracord and a knife, which he used to begin an improvised field repair on the damaged vest. The medic began wrapping the line around the serpent, attempting to bring the severed front plate back together. Meanwhile, the Spartan King engaged in a fierce duel with their new opponent, working to draw their enemy's attention away from her would-be prey.
Steel met steel as the two warriors clashed. "You are not like your allies," the Assassin voiced Alia's thoughts as she faced her human adversary, "You are not drawn to the body of a woman!"
She slashed at him, and he parried the attack with lighting-fast reflexes. Leonidas did not answer her, instead maintaining an expression of silent, fiery determination. The two of them danced around each other, the Assassin trying to land a hit on the Spartan leader while the Ranger continued to counter the attacks expertly. His axe flashed through the air as the Spartan King parried blow after blow, swiping at his opponent whenever an opening revealed itself.
"That weapon is the work of a master craftsman," the Assassin remarked as they fought, "And you possess skill to match! Tell me, boy: what drives you to attain such mastery of the blade?"
Leonidas offered no response. Instead, he barked at the others: "Why the Hell are you all just standing around!? Drop your dicks and end this asshole!" His opponent wasted no time taking advantage of the moment, slashing at the Spartan leader's chest and causing him to grunt loudly in pain as the sword passed through armor and flesh alike.
The reaction was almost immediate. Every other Resistance soldier on the bridge raised their weapons and prepared to open fire. Even Eagle―having finished his work mere moments prior―whirled around and brought his bolt caster to bear. He and Outrider hit their target just as she started to move, while Mox and Robin were a split-second slower, their shots failing to connect as the Assassin dodged with superhuman speed. But it was Alia who did the most damage.
Snapping the stock of her rifle to her shoulder as Eagle turned away, the viper had taken a moment to center the supernatural swordsman in her crosshairs before pulling the trigger. Alia's aim was impeccable; three venom rounds fired from the rifle in a quick burst―all three hit their target in the shoulder, breaking through the armor to reach the flesh beneath. The toxin contained within the bullets quickly spread through the bloodstream, causing searing pain as it attacked the Elders' elite warrior from the inside. It wasn't enough to be lethal outright―or even last for more than a few seconds―but the venom was potent enough to give prominent results regardless.
The Assassin cried out in agony, staggering backward and looking murderously at the serpent. "You will pay for this with your life, traitorous snake!" She then disappeared, and Alia detected her scent fading rapidly; she was properly fleeing the battlefield.
Leonidas stowed his axe with a sigh, waving off Eagle's attempt to examine his wound and walking over to the viper, extending a hand, "You alright? How's the kevlar fitting?" Two questions that were completely misplaced.
"Whether or not this is comfortable is irrelevant," Alia hissed worriedly, "And I am not the one who is bleeding from being cut by a sword that we do not know the nature of. It could be poisoned!"
He chuckled, "Well, your bullets absolutely were poisoned, and she got a good dose of that! I'll be fine, Alia. Let's just get back to the Avenger."
As the team climbed down to street level and walked toward the extraction point, Robin moved up beside their leader excitedly. "That was awesome, Leonidas!" she cheered, "You showed her why people don't mess with the Spartans!"
"You can thank Alia for scaring her off," Leonidas gestured to the viper, who smiled proudly for a moment at the praise, "She's the one who thought to actually help me." He looked over his shoulder at the others, calling, "Because the rest of you were too busy staring at her chest while we had an active threat!" Leonidas looked back at Robin, "And that goes for you, too. I expect better from all of you in the future."
As they neared the extraction point, the sounds of the Lost could be heard nearby. Moments later, swarms of husks came pouring out of the surrounding buildings, having been attracted by both the sound of battle and the sound of the group's conversation. "I am so done with these things!" Eagle growled as he fired a bolt into the crowd, impaling one of the creatures. The team sprinted forward into the clearing ahead, securing the small area and holding back the Lost.
"The entire swarm converges upon us," Mox stated as he shot apart several husks.
"We will soon be overrun!" Alia hissed as she was forced to back up.
Leonidas and Outrider both went to their radios, speaking in sync, "Where the Hell's our exit!?"
Seconds later, their dropship fell from the sky, stopping just above some large crates, and opened the back hatch. "This is as low as I can get her!" the pilot called over comms.
Leonidas stood atop the crates that the squad used as stairs to enter the craft, ushering everyone else inside. After the other Spartans had entered, including Alia, Outrider lunged into the transport while Mox took a few precious seconds to kill more Lost. Just as he turned to follow the others, he was pulled back by an unseen force. The Assassin decloaked, holding the Skirmisher by the neck.
"Time to return home, traitor!" she shouted, then glared at the viper, "You are next, snake!" After this threat, The Assassin engulfed herself in energy and seemingly disappeared, taking Mox with her.
"No!" Outrider breathed as Firebrand was forced to take off, Leonidas jumping inside just as the transport began to move.
As they flew back to the Avenger, the Spartan leader assured the Reaper that the Commander would send either Rhino Squad or Jackal Squad to break the Skirmisher out of prison as soon as they knew where he was being held. Eagle retrieved the aircraft's medical kit, producing the necessary supplies to treat the Ranger's wound. However, his hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush of fixing his teammate's kevlar while fighting a supernatural assassin. Alia volunteered to tend to the wound instead, her steady hands and nimble fingers making her the best-equipped for first-aid. Leonidas flinched slightly at the disinfectant as it stung when she applied it. He otherwise had no reaction, simply moving his arms at her request so that she could dress the wound properly―under Eagle's guidance, of course.
When the squad walked out into the ship, Central gave Alia and Leonidas a questioning look. "It's a long story," the Spartan leader sighed, "But Alia needs a new vest, Mox needs rescuing, Eagle needs a fucking break, and I need to be done with today. The Commander will fill you in on the details, I'm sure."
"Right," Bradford replied uncertainly, continuing in his usual firm tone: "Everyone needs to submit to decontamination and medical screening before you get to go about your business. And that includes you, Dragunova; you might be resistant to whatever is in that zone, but the rest of us aren't."
After the decon process and subsequent medical examination―which revealed that the team's chemical exposure was negligible―Outrider was shown to the general quarters to rest, while the Spartans headed down to their room. When he saw them, Ghost did not ask any questions. In fact, he didn't say anything at all; he simply stepped out of the Spartans' quarters to let Defcon help Alia undress so that she could take a shower. Once she was done and emerged from the bathroom wearing a fresh skirt, Leonidas took her place, seeking to undertake a similar process. He walked back into the room shirtless again when he was done, this time asking her to re-dress his wound, since the Spartan leader had needed to remove the bandages to wash himself properly.
She re-applied the bandages gently, sensing his fatigue from his body language. It was subtle, but her refined senses were able to detect the slight differences in his motions and posture. Leonidas was tired, as was she. Neither of them said anything, but they were both worried that they would have to recover Mox from the prison tomorrow when the Commander found where he was being held. For now, though, Leonidas put his shirt back on and climbed into his bunk, motioning for Alia to do the same. He let her use his extra blanket for the sake of keeping her warm, and the serpent quickly fell asleep to the sound of the Avenger's engines humming away in the background.
A/N: Hope this one wasn't too fast! I know that's not how repeaters work, but game mechanics and story mechanics rarely carry over nicely. The same goes for the turn-based combat from the game, which is an even more obvious incompatibility. Made sure to make this one nice and long, but I didn't hang around too long on the details for the mission, since we've all seen that before and I wanted to change it up a bit since Alia is there.
Also, the bit about ADHD and eye contact comes from my own personal experience, so take it with a grain of salt.
That's all from me this time. Leave a review to tell me what you think, and stay tuned for more! As always, have fun and stay safe out there! -VV