Summary: A surprise visit from the Assassin puts the meeting on hold.
It was quiet. Too quiet as they moved around the streets, carefully peeking around every car and piece of debris for the Assassin. They kept their distance from each other but stayed close enough if they had to quickly back each other up. The howls of the Lost soon pierced the quietness. They were far off in the distance but were growing in intensity. Something was agitating those husks. It could have been the brief burst of gunfire before the Jax-Rai disappeared. Or maybe it was those Purifiers sweeping the city. They had been getting readings of more activity around the city that matched ADVENT communications and tech.
"I want everyone to be ready to drop the hunt in a heartbeat for extraction." Central said.
Eyes skimmed through some data, Tygan and his team and the Recon team had sent him about activity in the city as he was directing another Bridge worker to send a message to Firebrand. The Recon team couldn't track Jax-Rai, some kind of mixture ADVENT and alien tech they were unfamiliar with. Something new for them to research.
"Last thing we need is that Chosen calling in backup." He would love for them to pin her to the wall, but they couldn't overextend and take unnecessary chances.
"And something is agitating the Lost more than before." Commander Reeves added. She was reading the same message. "Last thing we need is a swarm descending upon you all."
"Turning our backs on her is unwise." Mox said. He was currently kneeling, examining a footprint left in the dust. They trailed off towards the center of the intersection and to one of those pods. "Careful." He signaled to the rest before moving again. "We must find her first, wound her, before we can escape. Lest she follow us."
Central gritted his teeth. Mox had a point. He had heard stories of some Skirmishers having to sacrifice themselves to create a massive distraction, so what remained of the clan could live to fight another day. The last thing they needed was the Assassin somehow boarding the Skyranger. "Make your shots count. And stay on your guard."
"Careful, these bastards can teleport. Short distances tend to be more silent." Warlord said. He acknowledged Mox pointing out the footsteps, but didn't want to go near that glowing pod. Don't trust that light and gas. Instead, he climbed on top of a car to get a better look around. "Could be anywhere."
"Two of you check under the train platform. Lots of cover for her there." Commander Reeves ordered. Her eyes jumped from monitor to monitor, hoping to pick up a disturbance of any kind. But so far, no luck. Jax-Rai had no tells like the smoke-covered being from ages ago. And they still had no luck with figuring out who that was.
"Rowdy?" Quiet looked over at him. The man had grown more jumpy after Warlord's teleporting comment.
"Yeah, yeah." He swiftly nodded, backing up towards her. "Watch my back."
"I can watch you two." Hexx said. Switching to her sniper rifle, she found an open car door she could use as cover and a stabilizer as the window was broken.
"Sounds good." Quiet nodded.
Those two headed towards the underpass, splitting up on the way. Quiet to the right, Rowdy to the left. They cautiously checked around each pillar, car, and anywhere else the Assassin could be prowling around. So far, there was no trace of her.
"There you are." Elena mumbled under her breath as her finger tightened on the trigger.
Just below the bridge, she had noticed a disturbance in the dust and debris. A tall silhouette cutting through a dust cloud whipped up by the wind. The faint shimmer of that blade appeared. That silhouette was heading towards Rowdy.
"Rowdy! Behind you!" Elena shouted her warning just as she pulled the trigger.
"What!?" Rowdy barely spun around in time to see something thing. "WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!" He was already scrambling backward.
A tink and several sparks shot off as something just behind was grazed. A sharp snarl soon followed. Jax-Rai flickered into existence for a second, using her blade to block another shot from Elena, and then Hexx, before quickly disappearing again.
Though tripping over his feet, Rowdy raised his shotgun and fired off a few rounds, following a rough trail of dust kicked up as she headed for the shadows. The only damage he caused was perforating car doors and taking off chunks of the asphalt.
"T-t-thanks, Outrider." He stuttered. Quiet moved closer to him just in case the Assassin came back. But still kept some distance.
It was silent again. Just the howl of the Lost and the wind whipping through the streets to give them company.
CRAASH! CRANKLE CRANKLE…
Until glass began to shatter.
CRAASH! CRANKLE CRANKLE…
Without warning, the windows to a few cars exploded outward. Windshields exploded into hundreds of shards.
"Whoa!" Warlord barely covered his face as a windshield near him exploded.
Near each soldier, some window exploded behind them, and then several more around the area.
"It's a distraction!" Mox exclaimed. "Stay alert."
"How the hell is she bouncing around so fast?" Rowdy asked, bashing in a nearby car window with the butt of his gun as a precaution.
"She's not moving. It's psionics." Commander Reeves said. For a split second, she glimpsed a small swirl of energy appearing behind a window before bursting outwards, shattering the window. "Like Mox said, she's trying to distract you. Stay alert. She's about to strike again."
CRAASH! CRANKLE CRANKLE…
But something caught Quiet's eye. A round object sailed through the air and quickly towards her and Rowdy.
"GRENADE! ROWDY MOVE!"
Before the two had a chance to react, with a loud bang, it detonated, blanketing the area in a thick, shimmering purple smoke.
"ARGH!"
"MY EYES!"
Both of them cried out. Eyes stinging as if they were being stabbed by a thousand needles. There was something extra in this smoke. A blinding agent of sorts.
In the midst of the smoke, Jax-Rai appeared again. Drawing forth her sword, twirling it a few times as she methodically marched towards her prey who were none the wiser. A wicking grin crept across her face.
"She's in the smoke!" Central noticed a shadow in the smoke heading for the two. "Rowdy! Quiet! You two need to move now!" That was easier said than done. The two could barely see an arm's length in front of them.
"I see her." Elena said, catching a few glints of light bouncing off that twirling blade in the smoke. Blindly, she fired into the smoke a few times. A window shattered. Metal crumpled.
"Arh…!" And there was a sharp hiss. One bullet struck its target.
"Your life is forfeit before me." But it wasn't enough.
"Rowdy! Behind you!" Quiet could barely make out the tall silhouette in her blurred vision, but knew it wasn't a teammate.
Just behind Rowdy, Jax-Rai was there. She raised her sword high before bringing it down onto him with great force. He let out a great cry as he crashed to the ground. The blade ripped through his armor like it was barely there and tore, digging into his flesh, severing the muscle like it was mere strings.
"And you're next." She focused her attention on Quiet.
"Warlord! Mox! Move to them now!" Commander Reeves barked. Eyes watching Rowdy's falling vitals. "Marillion, get your Gremlin to tag her. So we can track her in that smoke. And get one of those med sprays ready."
"On it, Commander!"
"I'm moving!"
"On my way!"
The trio went to work. Warlord sprinting down one side and Mox the other. Marillion sent her Gremlin, Myrrh, into that smoke.
Several curses came from Quiet. She was ducking and weaving, trying to dodge the Assassin's strikes the best she could, as she fumbled around blindly. "Argh!" But the Assassin got in a few deep cuts. She was quickly losing space to move, too.
"Think I got a read on her, but something in the smoke is messing with Myrrh's systems." Marillion said as her Gremlin scanned the smoke. She was flicking through several visual readings — Infrared, Bioelectric, Ultraviolet, etc. — but after a few seconds, the image would distort and blur. "Moving Myrrh over to Rowdy."
"It's better than nothing." Commander Reeves said. "Looks like the Assassin is to the west, just by the car next to the cracked pillar and portable toilet. She's got Quiet pinned!"
"I see them!" Warlord said as he entered the smoke. His eyes stung a bit, but not too much. "Bollocks." He noticed how close the Assassin was to Quiet. He didn't have a clear shot.
"Fuck it." But he had an idea. A crazy one.
Still sprinting, Warlord put away his gun, braced his right arm, and clenched his fist. Like a mad bull, he rammed himself into the Chosen just as she was about to bring her blade down onto Quiet.
"Ack!" Jax-Rai let out a sharp gasp. More surprised that a human would make such a ludicrous attack. Her grip, still holding tight to her blade, only tightened more. "How dare you!" Digging her feet into the ground, she pushed him off, and swung at him.
"Whoa!" Warlord lept back. Eyes watching the blade pass by, just barely touching his face. It sliced off one of his dreads.
I missed? Jax-Rai's eyes went wide. That was impossible. He was too close for her to miss him. Her strike was true. It always hit. Even if it only inflicted a graze. A deep graze at that. I missed!? She let out a snarl as she struck at him again. And he sidestepped her, yet again.
"What? Can't touch me Ms. Twinkle Toes?" He taunted.
The process repeated. Her attention, her rage, fully focused on him. She just couldn't touch him. It was like he was predicting her swings and reacting accordingly.
"How the hell is he doing that?" Commander Reeves questioned if what she saw was truly happening.
"He's fast on his feet." Central said. Something Warlord always said. Though he too was surprised by how quickly Warlord was dodging the Assassin's attacks. "Though I think he may have slight psionic capabilities…"
"Crap!" A curse from Marillion caught their attention. On the screen, Marillion was making her way to the now-dissipating smoke. With the smoke clearing, they had a better view of Rowdy via her Gremlin. His wounds were bad. And those vitals were critical.
"Mox, get to Rowdy and assist Marillion and her Gremlin." Commander Reeves said.
"I'm on it." He responded.
With the Assassin distracted, he made his way over to Rowdy. Marillion arrived shortly after him.
"Push the muscle and skin together for me so I can apply the gel and spray. And keep a firm pressure." Marillion instructed him as she was fumbling with her pouches. He nodded. He set his gun down and did as she asked. Once he did that, she applied the medicine. The gel and mist went to work, knitting the flesh and muscle back together almost as if nothing happened. But Rowdy was going to need a lot of help.
"I've got him from here. You help out, Warlord." Marillion said as she grabbed Rowdy's arms and dragged him away from the action.
Mox grabbed his Bullpup and got back up and made his way over to the fight.
In between the mad barrage of the Assassin's swings, Warlord managed to get a grip on his machete and pulled it out. And barely in time to as she brought down her blade with great force. The metals collided with a sickening ting. Sparks flew.
"What is this?" Her blade hit, but not flesh. Then she noticed what he was holding. A blade of his own. Her nose wrinkled. Inferior. "A child's toy?"
Warlord laughed. "This shiv will tear ya a new one." He was ready to take a crack at her.
"Hey!"
A voice caught their attention. They both glanced over. It was Quiet. Vision finally clear, she stood mere feet from the two. Shotgun pointed at the Assassin. Warlord let out a cackle.
"Forgot me?" She smirked. Then pulled the trigger as soon as Warlord backed off. Jax-Rai barely had a second to react as she slightly fell forward from Warlord suddenly pulling back. The pellets peppered her body and threw her back. The spray ripped into the reinforced weave between her armor, causing blood to spray out. But she let out a snarl as she caught herself. Tightly clenching her teeth, she launched herself at Quiet, blade held high.
"I don't think so." Elena said.
BANG!
But as she reared back to strike at Quiet, she let out a snarled cry as a bullet struck her head with great force, causing a sizable amount of orange blood to spurt out.
"Yes! Like this!" Mox exclaimed. "Keep on her!" He released a volley of shots, drawing forth more of the Chosen's blood. They unloaded everything they had on her.
As she fell back from the sniper strike, she corrected herself once again, hands quickly pressing against the pavement and turning that fall into a backward handspring. Swiftly, she performed a second one to escape the hail of fire coming down on her. Once back on her feet, she slightly kneeled and put forth a psionic shield to block the gunfire. Her hand was to her head, a finger busy digging out the bullet lodged in her forehead. A second later, the slug clattered to the ground with her blood.
"Stop. Don't waste your ammo." Commander Reeves said once she noticed the shield.
"No one has ever done that!" She spat with great venom. How did these humans and a traitor best her? But that anger in her eyes, that scowl on her face, quickly faded, only to be replaced with beaming excitement and a wide grin. "No one… has ever done that." She swiftly raised herself back up and backed away. Parts of her form disappeared into particles and mist.
"I had not expected this conflict to be so… exhilarating." A small laugh escaped her lips. "You surprise me XCOM. Still, the Elders' will is that none survive this day. I cannot leave that to fortune."
"Did we… excite her?" Commander Reeves mumbled.
"Seems like it." Central nodded.
A second later the views, of their operatives started to shake.
"What the hell!?" Warlord exclaimed.
And so did the ground. A high-pitched whirring filled the air. Soon followed the howls of the Lost.
"It's one of those pods!" Marillion said, pointing at one just past the intersection. It was glowing brightly.
"Those things are still functional?" Central asked. "Tygan, what are you guys reading?"
"Readings show the sonic dispersal waves emitting from that pod are crisscrossing a massive area." Dr. Tygan answered.
"Meaning, that thing just rang the dinner bell for every remaining Lost in the city." Elena was already taking shots at those arriving.
"An accurate assessment. The entire Lost biomass seems to be converging on this position."
Just great.
"Then let's get you all the hell outta there. Firebrand's en route to the evac coordinates now. Get moving!" Central said.
"And keep an eye out for the Assassin." The Commander said. "She may be using them as cover to strike again."
Warlord made his way over to Marillion and Rowdy. "I'll carry him." He said as he swung him over his shoulders.
The others took over shooting the incoming Lost, allowing Elena to get down from the fire escape. Once they were all together, they headed for the evacuation coordinates.
They made it to the coordinates. But Firebrand wasn't there.
"The entire swarm converges upon us. We cannot hold this position much longer."
"Ya think!?" Warlord snarled.
"Outrider to Avenger. Where the hell's our exit?!" Elena yelled.
"This is as low as I can get her." Firebrand was there. The Skyranger was hovering just above an ambulance. It would take some climbing, but they could do it.
"Go!" Mox barking at them. They hesitated. "I do not intend to die this day. I will follow." With that, they moved.
The others helped Warlord get Rowdy to the roof of the ambulance and into the Skyranger. Once the man was inside and Marillion was working on him, that cocky man drew his blade and hopped out of the Skyranger, running towards Mox.
"Warlord! What are you doing!?" Hexx yelled as she was boarding the Skyranger.
"Got your back, mate." Warlord said as the blade fell upon a Lost that snuck up behind Mox. He paid no attention to Quiet. "Ain't falling back just yet."
Mox simply nodded at the man's tenacity.
A shot rang and took off the head of another Lost lunging at the two.
"Pay attention you two." Looked like Elena was providing additional backup.
They fought against the horde, giving the others ample time to board as they slowly backed their way to the Skyranger.
"We've got an opening! Let's move!" Warlord noticed a lull in the lumbering beasts formed in front of them. He turned and headed to the ship.
"Vox talla for ten!" Mox cried out as he finished off a few of Lost near them and followed Warlord.
Mox reached the roof of the ambulance, turning back ever too slightly to fire at a Lost just behind him. As he turned again and was ready to rush the ramp, he let out a strangled gasp, hands flying to his neck grabbing something that wasn't there. De-clocking from that purple mix, it was the Assassin. Her arm wrapped tightly wrapped around his neck.
"Time to return home. Traitor." She snarled into his ear.
"NO!" Warlord lept out again, rushing to Mox's aid. He swung at her, slightly grazing her arm, but she pulled away. "Whoa!" He nearly fell off the roof with how much force he put into his swing.
"Unhand him!" Elena took a shot, but a purple shield flickered around the Assassin, deflecting the bullet.
Before any more actions could be taken, Jax-Rai raised her hands to the sky. Purple energies swirled around her before a great pillar of psionic energy erupted around them and into the sky. In a flash, she and Mox were gone.
"No…!" Elena whispered to herself. Her rifle slowly lowered. So close.
"Warlord! Get you ass in here now!" Hexx yelled as she noticed another swarm of of Lost coming.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, sis!" He barked back. He got back on his feet and quickly darted up that ramp. As soon as he was onboard, it closed, and the Skyranger was on its way.
"Great." Commander Reeves shook her head. She had a feeling the Assassin wasn't done. And now the Chosen had Mox. Who knew what she would do to him? Probably interrogation since he's Betos' right-hand man. "Betos won't like this."
"She won't. But she most likely knew this would have been one of the risks." Central shook his head. "Hope this won't ruin the truce."
"I don't think it should. Debriefing with Beros and Volk should go well." She had noticed Elena's actions, and that dejected 'no' she let out. Even with the burning hatred she had for him, looked as if mutual enemy may have softened it. "Dimitri." She then turned her attention to the communications officer. "Get started on scanning the ADVENT Network for all talks about a Skirmisher prisoner. I feel that the Assassin will be interrogating him."
"Got it." She nodded.
A few hours later, the Skyranger was back at the Avenger. Rowdy was being rushed off into the infirmary as the rest of the team exited the Skyranger. They had to endure a round of decontamination. Per the Commander's orders, especially after she saw the Lost. Thankfully, it was short.
"Leo!" Commander Reeves said with a slight snarl. She and Central were just entering the room once the decontamination was over. "What the hell were you thinking!?"
Warlord, a.k.a., Leo flinched at the yell but rolled his eyes. "Here we go."
Barely having a second to react, Commander Reeves was in his face, giving him an earful. Bringing up his stunt with silencing his ear piece when he played the dangerous game of being bait for the Lost and then him shoulder tackling the Chosen. He was lucky she didn't tear him to shreds with that blade. Leo tried to speak up a few times, but she viciously shut him down. And then Hexx, a.k.a., Trish told him to shut up and listen so he didn't get into more trouble.
"You will be hearing from Corvo later." She said, finishing her rant.
His eye twitched. Not the "task maker", the "slave driver." "Come on! Not him!"
"You will be hearing from him." She kept a firm glare on him. "Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, Commander." He held back a dejected sigh,
After that, she turned her attention to Elena. One medic was checking her out. She had a few scratches from the Lost, but was no worse for wear. She headed over to her.
"Elena Dragonova." She said.
Elena looked up. Eying this thin woman before her. This woman had to be the leader, the Commander with how she chewed out that cocky Brit. And then she recognized her voice; seeing Central off in the distance only confirmed her suspicions. "Commander Reeves, I presume?"
"Yes." She extended her hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you and fine work you did out there."
Elena eyed her hand for a moment before shaking it. "Likewise. Thank you."
"There will be someone that will be coming up to take you to meet Micheal Anderson and Corvo and Shay Samaras. They'll handle the new recruits. They'll get you up to speed on how the Avenger works."
"I don't know if I'll be staying long." Elena eyed the room they were in. Far different from the wilds and barren buildings she was used to. "We were just working on a 'truce'. I don't think I'll be working directly under you."
"Volk thinks it would best if you stayed for some time."
"Uh huh."
She held back a chuckle. It would be fun chipping through that icy shell of hers. "Take care." She said as she turned.
"And…" The Commander paused, looking over her shoulder. "Thank you for not shooting Mox… when you have the chance. Several chances, really."
"Tch." Elena rolled her eyes. "It was a pragmatic decision for the current situation. And then this 'truce'." She still couldn't believe they wanted that to happen.
"I think it was more than that." She smiled, which only got another eye roll from the Reaper, before leaving her.
She headed back over to Central. The man was looking intently at his datapad.
"So, the Communications staff is working on setting up a meeting with Betos and Volk."
He nodded. "They're hard a work." He looked at her. "And getting news that ADVENT activity is picking up in the region."
"Great." She shook her head. "Won't be surprised if Jax-Rai is having them look for us."
"Already have our people packing up the ship and our next destination picked."
"Good." She smiled, before yawning. It had been a long night. "I think I need to pay a visit to the infirmary before I turn in for the night. The last thing I need is them yelling at me."
He laughed and patted her back. "That would be best. Don't want to get chewed out by Dr. Tyler for letting you stay up too late. Will keep you in the loop if anything happens."
She nodded. "Good, and see you later."
With that, she left. A quick stop at the infirmary, which turned into an hour-long scanning, testing, and questioning session before they finally released her and let her return to her quarters.
The next few weeks, if not month, would be very busy for XCOM.