Summary: As Zhang's body tries to recover, his mind starts to wander towards the past.
Chilong was in and out of consciousness for several days as his body rested and tried to fight off the fever. Helios did his best to double-check all his work on the wounds and stitches with the assurance of the other doctors who joined the group when they escaped. Nothing had come undone. Nothing looked to be infected. Must have been all the trauma and excitement had finally caught up with the unfortunate man. All the doctors, especially Helios, kept a close eye on him as they rotated to other patients.
The group eventually packed up and started moving when they caught wind of an ADVENT hunting party was heading their way.
In response, before moving again, they split the group apart into small bands, each one reinforced with a group capable of defending the weak. The split was out of precaution, as it would keep them from all being recaptured or killed if caught. Additionally, it would allow them all to take different routes, keeping the risk of mass capture to a minimum. They would all meet back up at their destination others had scouted out days earlier.
As they trekked along, they did their best to hide their trail while also searching for supplies from any abandoned outposts and homes they would cross on the way.
As Chilong continued to drift in and out of conciseness, he started dreaming. Dreaming of his old life. The Triad. He had known that for a majority of his life. Then he started dreaming of the day his old life ending, turned upside down on its head and a new one began. To fight against a common enemy. To fight with an organization he had glimpsed in passing as the aliens terrorized Earth. Terrorized his home country. XCOM. What a risk he took contacting them when he realized just what was in that packaged he was tasked to handle per his boss's request.
Sometimes he wondered if XCOM had won the war, what would his life have been like afterward. Would they have granted him amnesty? Or would they have handed him over to the authorities in his home country? Commander Reeves wasn't too fond of him at first. He didn't blame her. He was a criminal. A cagey one at that. But somehow he managed to gain her trust and she did likewise.
Before, everything went to hell.
Still, he was thankful for the brief time he was with XCOM. He knew he wouldn't be alive at the moment if it wasn't for them, their reversed alien technology, and the discovery they eventually made. Psionics.
His mind drifted off to another memory. A few memories dealing with his genetic modifications. They made him feel young again.
Commander Reeve's fingers were drumming with ferocity against her desk. Her eyes drifted back to her plethora of monitors that were currently displaying the extensive medical history and input from XCOM Genetics team of the man sitting in her office today. An older man. Shaojie Zhang.
For a moment she glanced at him, another special recruit to XCOM before her eyes went back to the monitors. What to say? How to brooch this meeting he and Dr. Vahlen requested as she initially blocked the request? I swear we are adopting more special cases as this war goes on.
First, the UN Official who was too eager to ditch his old colors and join us… He has been helpful if not too gung-ho.
Keeping Peter Van Doorn in check could be taxing some days. At least she had a breath of air for a while as he had been transferred to one of the fledgling sister bases to get them up to speed.
Then that psionically gifted spoiled brat of a child we stumbled across in the last Alien Base we raided.
She closed her eyes as a strangled grumble of a sigh slipped out. Symon Björnsson. She couldn't be too hard on the kid as he lost everything and was the only sound survivor in that alien base. At least they finally got a handler that made the kid behave and he was being less of a little terror as the Psionic Division investigated and stabilized his powers.
And now a Triad of all people… One that has some strange honor code. Some sense of "right and wrong." He could have just followed his boss' orders to deliver the package or run off with it for himself, but he could tell it was dangerous after catching a glimpse of it.
Still, she couldn't believe that priority call they received from China's Council Member and the story that soon followed. She wanted it to be a prank, a waste of her time since she and that Council Member constantly butted heads, but the photos shown were all too real.
'Beyond foolish'. A stifled snort slipped out as she recalled the words Zhang used to describe his boss and the others once they met face to face. They could agree on that. She had questions, wondering how they even got the alien device, but taking bids on the said alien device while there was a war going over their heads was idiotic.
And now he and Dr. Vahlen are pushing for these Gene Mods.
She couldn't ignore him, ignore this discussion any longer. Her gaze finally focused on the older man sitting on the opposite side of her desk. She still didn't know what to think of him. He had been complying with her orders and orders from his handler with little issue, but he was tight-lipped on details of his past as he would give plain answers, like "What did a typical gang member do?"
How the hell did he know how to use an LMG like he's handled it all his life? And then the explosives. The hell?Reeves constantly battled with her thoughts frequently, questioning if she made the right choice by accepting the former Triad member into XCOM. Then again, the Council forced the decision upon her. Zhang himself was more interested in being in XCOM's hands, slightly pushing his luck with his deal where he could have lost immunity.
She thought back to the criminal record they sent after XCOM had secured his rescue. What was sent had a lot of redacted information, and all details concerning his youth were completely expunged.
He's got some skeletons in his closet if he thinks it's better being with us and not his home country. Just know that 'undefined' smuggling was high on the list, followed by gambling, counterfeiting, and business extortion where a few things listed that weren't excessively redacted.
Though that constant doubt permeated her mind, her more logical side shook that off as it could see Zhang was pulling his weight, throwing in full commitment for this war, ignoring any comments from the younger recruits about his age and comments from the staff who knew about his origins.
No more delay. She had to make a decision today.
"Zhang." She paused for a moment as her mind queued what to say and her responses as her eyes drifted over to Dr. Vahlen. Seemed like the good doctor was always engrossed with her tablet as of late.
The doctor was most likely keeping tabs on the various science divisions or was going over her data on Zhang's health and the feasible gene modifications they could apply to him.
"Are you sure you want to volunteer for this process?" Her eyes refocused on him and that serious, yet at the same time plain face. A puzzle of hard read she was still figuring out. "I know you are still trying to prove your loyalty, but you don't have to do this."
"Perhaps…" Zhang paused, shifting in his seat for a moment. He had to carefully search for his words. There had to be a reason why the Commander had been blocking this request and he didn't want to accidentally step on a trip mine and blow his last possible chance to finally have the operation given the green light.
"Perhaps…" Another brief pause as his gaze locked with hers. He would never admit it to anyone, though Reeves seemed to be rather young in his opinion to be running a global multinational military organization, especially for the context of this war, she had piercing eyes and a viper's bite. Just as intimidating as his former bosses. It made him nervous, but he held his resolve. "Perhaps I am still trying to prove my loyalty, Commander Reeves. But I believe these 'genetic modifications' can help me keep up with the younger recruits as this war continues."
She let out a sigh, one of annoyance. Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, her fingers drummed against her desk. Well, that answers one thing.
"Zhang." More annoyance peaked through her voice. "First of all, you do not have to prove anything to me." A half-truth. "You already put your life on the line just by stealing that alien artifact and contacting us."
That was a solid fact in her logical mind that kept her from questioning his motives further. It was such a risk she couldn't refute. To imagine this man probably couldn't show his face back in Hong Kong unless he wanted his head on a platter. A beefed-up "Witness Protection" was in his future once the war was over.
She sharply inhaled and exhaled through her nose before looking at Dr. Vahlen. Vahlen was listening intently as soon as she heard her speak. She just smiled. But there was a twinkle of excitement in her eyes hoping she would say yes. Her eyes narrowed. Need to rein her in more.
"Second, this procedure could be dangerous from the information the Genetics team has relayed to me." Another half-truth. The various science teams were still studying the aliens and the Meld, but certain modifications had a 100% success rate with little issues, and everything Zhang had chosen was just that. "Especially dangerous to you, due to your age."
There was a small crack in Zhang's mask as his eyes narrowed. "My age?" He scoffed, nearly sneering.
"Actually, Commander Reeves," Vahlen interjected, sensing the incoming tension, "everything selected has been extensively tested and complications are extremely rare. And, of course, as long as we take all the necessary precautions, I see his age will not be a factor." She walked over and around the desk to get to her. She turned her tablet to her. "It would be an improvement for his health. Dr. Vargner is similar in age to him and volunteered for the less 'invasive' and 'non-combat' modifications as a test and it has been quite the success."
"For fuc–" Commander Reeves caught her tongue. How long had she been holding that as ammunition for a time like this? A slew of muffled cursing in a mix of French Creole and Japanese slipped from her lips. Maybe she should have called for Dr. Marin to join them. Sometimes he could temper Vahlen unless she was in an enraptured, steamrolling mood. "Thank you for your input, doctor." She spoke through gritted teeth. "But are you sure?"
"Absolutely positive." She nodded. That excitement never left her voice.
Tapping on her tablet to bring up the entire process and what the Genetics team would be starting with first before passing it to her so she could scroll through at her own pace. "The procedure will be fairly simple after we make all preparations. Just like the others. We've come a long way from our initial testing once we discovered how the aliens utilized the Meld."
"Continue." Commander Reeves gestured before she took the tablet.
"As you know, there is the preparatory surgery and outfitting the volunteer," she gestured towards Zhang, "as well as the initial doses of Meld to acclimate the body for the suspended animation inside the holding capsules. Once that is finished, the volunteer is 'hooked up' so to speak, and placed into the capsule that is flooded with a mixture of nutrients and chemicals as further doses of Meld as administered to their system over a period several days, allowing for the augmentation to be a gradual process. Less trauma and 'mutation' to the body… as we have witnessed alarming developments with EXALT's usage of the substance." She spoke that organization's name with a hiss. How could they be so reckless?
"Right, them." Reeves shook her head. At least the bodies they recovered from those nuisances gave their Genetics teams information on what to do and not to do to their soldiers. "How long will our 'volunteer' be out for?"
"Depending on the number of modifications requested and if there are no further changes," she paused as she looked at Zhang, who shook his head "no", "about a few days to two weeks."
Commander Reeves was silent as she went over the information again. Another quick once over the Genetic team's work, and then another once over the modifications Zhang requested. Three in total: Eyes, Chest, and Legs. Everything that was selected looked like it would give him the edge to keep up with younger recruits. He was going to be out for a week or more for all these changes.
"Hm." She mumbled as her eyes lingered on the images for a moment longer before she handed Vahlen back her tablet. She looked back at Zhang. Face still plain, that stoic nature would need a lifetime of chiseling to crack. But there was a hint of emotion in his eyes, determination.
I wonder if he would dare bring this up with his handlers. We're tight-lipped on some of the things we've reversed engineered and created ourselves knowing how some would use it in the wrong way. No, too much of a risk. She shook her head at her thoughts. He wouldn't be that stupid to risk it all.
"Zhang," she shifted her eyes between him and her monitors as she went to input her approvals, "I have to ask again, are you sure you want to do this? You're going to be out of commission for a week or more if everything I read was correct." She glanced at Vahlen, who only nodded.
He nodded. "I am positive, Commander. I wish to take this 'minor' risk, so I am more useful."
A faint rough hmm reverberated in Reeve's throat. Still wanting to prove something. "Well, then." After some typing and a few clicks, she sent her approvals off. Vahlen perked up as that notification graced her screen. It made her beam from ear to ear. "Your request has been approved."
Commander Reeves just hoped she wouldn't regret the decision. Regret was a strong word. She didn't think Zhang would do anything idiotic, but there had been a few soldiers who had gone through the process and were all too eager to 'try out' their new abilities around the base. Their prime targets would be their fellow soldiers or the staff. Those damn spring legs and getting dragged into the vents. Even the new rules put in place didn't deter soldiers from making dumb bets to see who could get the Commander in their next prank.
"Don't make me regret this decision. I'm not in the mood to butt heads with your handler if something happens."
Zhang felt relief wash over as he heard those words. Reservation quickly took hold as he noticed Vahlen's ever-growing smile and how she was quickly tapping away on her tablet. He could only assume she was contacting the Genetics team to get everything set up for his procedure.
"Thank you, Commander Reeves." He humbly nodded, holding in a chuckle upon hearing the comment about his handler. "I will not." He knew he needed to stay on his best behavior.
"Thank you, Commander." Vahlen finally spoke. "I'm getting everything prepped as we speak. It may take about three hours before we begin."
"I want constant updates on the procedure doctor," Reeves shifted her gaze to her, "of all the volunteers. I noticed the list is bigger. And then noticed the sixth round of 'primitive' Psionic testing will be beginning soon and the candidates Marin has selected."
"I will keep you posted." Vahlen nodded. "And yes, we're just about done with our studies with the Sectoid Commanders and the…" She paused, her voice dropping to a more somber tone as her fingers tightened on her tablet. "Data and subjects recovered from that alien base… They've helped us greatly improve the process, but we are still in need of a 'proper' lab and equipment to improve the success rate." There were many things she wished she could unsee. The aliens' cruelty knew no bounds. Bristling for a moment, she recomposed herself. "I believe Shen has run the construction plans for the full Psionic Labs with you, yes?"
"He has. They've been approved. The tests have shown some promise, as there have been a handful of successful volunteers. Especially, Geist." She shook her head, thinking of that odd soldier, but he had been on his best behavior after his "change".
Her demeanor matched Vahlen's at the mention of the alien base. "Yes, those… victims… recovered from that alien base." She shook her head before regaining her composure, which broke into a faint sneer as she remembered one of the "lucky" victims recovered. "And then thatboy."
"Good, good!" Vahlen was pleased to hear that. She felt like she would forever be in the Commander's debt with the resources she diverted for her teams. "Ah, him. He's more behaved now with the latest handlers, but still likes to test us. We've begun work on reverse engineering those psi-dampeners that were found on those 'worker' Sectiods for future precautions."
"Thinking ahead? I like that." Maybe she didn't need to rein her in that much. "You two are dismissed."
They swiftly nodded and made their leave.
Before parting ways, Vahlen and Zhang went over the modifications he had selected. A quick check to see if he wanted to swap something around or add any other options.
"My team and I have recently discovered how to design a 'minor' version of a few of the modifications, so their inclusion is not taxing on the system if an opposite from the list has been chosen. And recent autopsies have allowed us to develop a few more choices." Vahlen said. She was showing him the latest modifications on her tablet.
Zhang's eyes scanned each new modification, and from what alien it was derived. Supposedly derived from as the scientists were learning some of the aliens were not a 'pure' version of themselves. There were so many possibilities to choose from. Don't want to be down for too long. But two caught his eye.
"Perhaps the 'Secondary Heart' or 'Adaptive Bone Marrow'." He said. "Whatever you think would be best."
She nodded. "I'll discuss it with my team and we'll decide before we start. Remember, three hours."
"I don't think I would forget."
The time came. Zhang was at the Genetics Lab on the dot. He got changed for the preliminary surgery and that went smoothly. With the infusion ports implanted and Meld flowing through his veins, preparing his body for further modifications, the team got him hooked up and placed in his respective capsule.
Once it was sealed shut, his capsule was pulled back to join the roulette of other capsules, each containing other soldiers going through the process.
It would all feel like a long sleep to Zhang.
About a week had passed. Those that came before Zhang had been pulled out, only to be replaced by new volunteers. And in a few hours, it would be time for Zhang's awakening.
The scientists and doctors were used to the process by now. Slowing the flow of Meld to those that were done, slowly lowering the sedatives, and bringing that capsule to the main platform to crack it open.
Zhang began to stir. Mind fighting through the murky haze that gripped it. The cool liquid he was suspended in didn't help. It was a strange weightlessness that made his stomach churn as it tried to figure out what was the ground and what was the sky.
A sudden burst of fresh air made his eyes flutter open, but only for a moment, as what was once darkness was slowly being overtaken by a bright light.
"Good afternoon, Zhang. Time for some fresh air and light.." A rather lively female voice spoke over the intercom.
The voice sounded familiar to Zhang, but the name and face for her were distant in his mind. He could feel the liquid around him shift again; his body followed the waves.
Another burst of fresh air made him gasp and sputter. The gears in his mind were turning as more fresh air seemed to be helping him overcome the lingering grogginess. Cracking his eyes open slightly, though the light was still blinding, as his eyes slowly adjusted and he noticed the orange liquid he was suspended in, he quickly remembered where he was.
The Genetics Lab. Must be done. He wondered how long he was in there for. The liquid began to recede.
Eyes fully adjusted to the light, he saw the team of scientists and doctors waiting for his capsule to be set down. All were wearing full-face masks. Off to the left, on a higher platform, he saw a recognizable face.
"Your time in the tank is up." Dr. Vahlen smiled. Like with any soldier they pulled from the 'tanks', she was beaming with excitement as her eyes went over the results. "You may be a little woozy as you come too and the liquid is drained."
As the capsule reached the front, the machine latched onto the capsule and brought it forward onto the connections of the platform. As soon as it clicked into place, a claw from above grabbed the top of the capsule and lifted it.
Zhang gasped, not because his face mask was removed, but because he quickly found himself falling to his knees, as he no longer had the walls of the capsule to support him. His legs felt like jelly. And his body trembled as it tried to get its bearings. The genetics team was all over him as soon as the capsule was lifted.
A little woozy. He scoffed in his mind. It felt worse than that. With a hard swallow, he fought back that churning bile creeping up his throat. Taking in several deep breaths, the world grew still, the earth solid, but his legs still wobbled as new, strange sensations coursed through them and the rest of his body.
"Hm." He finally uttered a sound.
He felt them undoing the cables and cords that still tethered to him to the capture. Their hands ran across bare skin and the metal of the infusion ports to make sure there was no damage before he felt several firm clicks as the covers came into place. From their chatter, everything sounded good.
"How are you feeling?" Vahlen spoke. Voice no longer the intercom. It was much closer.
Zhang looked up, only to shake his head and pull back as shock overtook him. In his vision, it looked like Vahlen was right in his face. Uncomfortable close, as he felt like he could count her eyelashes. No. She would have to bend down and her voice would be right in my ear. No, this is something different. Blinking a few times, he quickly figured it out as his vision "un-zoomed" like a telescopic sight.
"Strange… Dr. Vahlen." He answered truthfully. As soon as an arm was free from probing, he rubbed his eyes. Let me see. Once he was done, he blinked a few more times and concentrated on a computer off to the right. With furrowed brows, it took a few seconds before his eyes "zoomed" in again. Hyper Reactive Pupils.Heh. Neat.
She softly laughed, her eyes trying to follow whatever caught his attention. She ticked off one item on the checklist on her tablet. "That is to be expected. What else?"
As she asked the question, the team was done with their check and gave him the green light to stand up.
Zhang took a few quick breaths. His mind was still unsure about the slight weakness that clung to his legs and the strange sensations he was feeling, but he couldn't let that hold him back. Made a promise not to disappoint the Commander. He chuckled.
Pressing his palms against the ground and shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he slowly rose. Just as he was nearly standing, his eyes went wide before his lips twisted as he let out a gritted snarl. A searing pain coursed through his calf and thigh muscles in both legs. He stumbled forward as the muscles contracted intensely and relaxed in quick succession before finally calming down. As the pain subsided, so did some of that strangeness drifting through his body.
He cursed under his breath as he hesitantly shook his legs, tapping the tips of his feet against the ground, fearing that pain would suddenly attack him again. What did I choose for my legs again for that to happen? He grumbled as he thought. I no longer feel that discomfort in my knees… they feel young again.
"Ah, a similar reaction like Yvon with the Muscle Fiber Density." Vahlen checked off another item. "The discomfort in your legs would be from the new and reworked muscle fibers. As well as the new nerve pathways."
"Right, that modification." He nodded as he turned to look at her. "Nngh…" Perhaps he turned too fast as he felt the world spin, as a shudder shook his body as his skin tingled and felt flush. He felt his heart thumping against his chest like he just ran a marathon, or outrunning an ill-timed explosive. His face twisted into a grimace as his head slowly dropped with each pump like a drummer was beating the back of his skull.
Vahlen's tablet and a nearby machine let out some concerning beeps.
"Ah, there those two modifications go. Everyone, standby." She nodded to her team, who were preparing for any issues to arrive.
Zhang soon found himself leaning on a scientist who offered him their shoulder. He shook his head several times before he let out a gruff growl as he felt his body trying to right this sudden adrenaline surge.
"Raagh!" He almost let out a roar as he exhaled to 'expel' the feeling from him. An orange mist escaped his mouth. The sight startled him. Even more so as his continued exhales were tinted orange. Just like those Mutons.
"Adrenal Neurosympathy and the pheromones. Your body is still adjusting to the chemical makeup of this adrenaline and the increased levels, amongst other things. It will all come to pass." She said. Then her brows furrowed as a reading was catching her eye. "Hm, may need to adjust how this interacts with the 'lesser' Adaptive Bone Marrow. Jenkins, go over these readings and see what needs to be done."
"I couldn't tell." He replied, dryly. It was unpleasant and took forever to subside. Pheromones. At least that explained why everyone was wearing a mask.
After a few more checks, Vahlen moved him over to one of the examination rooms to finish the procedure. There were more questions, checks, and scans as Zhang's body acclimated to the final adjustments. And then one quick shot of freshly reprogrammed Meld to re-tweak how the Adrenal Neurosympathy was interacting with the Adaptive Bone Marrow. Turned out it was causing a rather nasty feedback loop making the effects four times stronger than they needed to be.
With the postoperative care done and Zhang scoring green on all marks. Now they just had to see how he did in action. They ushered him off to the affectionately named, "Hazard Course" to see how quickly he could adapt to and put his new abilities to use. Just the final round of testing and he would be cleared to head back into the field.
"Whoa!" A gasp of an equal measure of fear and excitement escaped from Zhang's lips. The wind rushed through his hair. His heart, still thumping strongly from the lingering adrenaline surge, was racing once more as he soared high through the air.
"Mph!" He grunted as his fingers quickly grabbed and dug into the rocky ledge. Quickly, he pulled himself up before looking back. Wow. Eyes zoomed in and out as he looked from the place he leaped from. The ground seemed so far away.
"That was about 8 meters, Zhang." Conrad, one of the training officers that was head of the course, pipped up on the intercom.
"Really!?" Had he really jumped that high? In a single bound? He started to laugh, nearly doubling over. "8 meters?" To be young and spry again.
"That's how high that cliff face is." He said.
"Everything is looking just like the others." Victor, one of the geneticists, said. He was standing in the previous location Zhang was standing.
"Ha, ha, ha, heh, heh, heh… Unbelievable." It took a few more laughs before Zhang finally recomposed himself. The man looked at his legs. Though they were covered with new equipment designated for the Gene Modded soldiers, he could still feel the muscles twitching, itching for more action. A grin crept across his face. What else could his new legs do?
Remember those Thin Men can leap and land just fine. And I've seen a few fellow soldiers do the same… He got back on his feet, tapping his soles against the ground, before looking back down. The same should work for me, no?
"Alright, let's test out — Zha–ZHANG!" Victor yelled, nearly choking at what he was about to witness. Then it clicked. A shadow was encroaching on his position. He needed to move and fast.
Not even waiting for the go-ahead, he stepped off the cliff and plummeted. Another rush of excitement coursed through his body as the ground grew closer with each passing second. With a solid thud and metal scrapping against the rocks, Zhang landed. Legs barely buckled before he sprung into a light hop or two to work off some momentum. He let out a hearty laugh, orange breath leaving his mouth, as he gave his legs a good shake. "Amazing!"
"Well, that's good to see it works both ways, but WAIT for orders!" Victor was marching back over to him.
The white-haired man laughed darkly. Gave him quite the scar. "Sorry." He grinned. "Just a tad excited. No longer have to fear heights."
Victor's brow twitched. He opened his mouth only to shut it before sighing. How Zhang could be such a strange man at times. He just went back to his tablet, checking off a few things and making notes.
"Feeling like a kid again, old man?" Conrad came on over the intercom again.
Zhang turned to look up at the platform the man was on. The man, who was almost the same age as him, was wearing a mean grin. He flashed his own. "Perhaps, kiddo."
Conrad laughed. "Don't let it get to your head. Don' want the Commander biting my head off."
"You're only encouraging him." Victor said gruffly. With a few more taps on his tablet, he looked up and at Zhang. "All gene modifications are looking good for you, Zhang. Firing accuracy sharpened, speed and agility increased, the pheromone discharge and adrenaline spikes are working as intended, and enhanced regeneration is no longer reacting oddly with said pheromones and adrenaline.."
"So?"
"You're back on active duty, though we do suggest you keep training your body to get used to your new skills as quickly as possible."
Zhang smiled at that. That wouldn't be a problem. His eyes drifted up, looking back up at that cliff. "You don't have to worry about me not training."
With a quick crouch, Zhang was off in the air again and this time he made it to the top of that same cliff face before setting his sights on higher heights.
"Oh, I think we created another monster." Victor sighed.
"Just like Jessie." Conrad laughed. "Eager as a jackrabbit."
"Well, at least he has sense enough not to prank the Commander like Jessie." Victor shook his head. Well, he hoped so. These modifications usually made the more sound soldiers do something stupid. "What the hell was he thinking, anyway? Pulling her up into an air vent!?"
Zhang didn't have to wait long to try out his new abilities on the field. Just a few days after he was back on active duty, the aliens had initiated their terror attacks across the globe.
He found himself drafted for a team that would be dealing with an attack occurring in Toronto, Canada.
"I'm pinned down over here!" Nightwolf found herself under a barrage of laser fire.
She had taken up the task of distracting a new unit the aliens were fielding, a hulking mechanical nightmare, from a group of civilians that had taken shelter in the nearby police station.
"Could use just a tiny bit of help." Her plan was successful, but with each passing second, she was regretting it.
One solid blast from her Scatter Laser took out a cluster of its eyes, turning them into a sparking mess. The next she found herself running for her life as the thing hunted her down with great fury, ignoring the civilians and other soldiers, and barreled through its own allies to get to her. It was out for blood.
The invaders had started to ramp up their terror strikes ever since XCOM had brought down their battleship over Beijing and then the ships — attack, abduction, and supply — stationed over several cities in China. And then they weren't so pleased about the successful raids on a few bases they had made across the globe to experiment on their abducted subjects.
XCOM had expected some form of retaliation, but nothing to this degree. They had been fielding new and more dangerous aliens as the war trudged on, almost toying with them, but this was different. This one felt more reckless than the more melee-orientated Mutons, the Berserkers. This mechanical behemoth, the soldiers quickly coined the name 'Sectopod', was powerful as it crushed cars, concrete, and people underfoot and obliterated to ash anything caught in its energy beam or cluster bombs.
Commander Reeves feared what else the aliens, the Elders as the leaders called themselves, may have been holding back. It just felt all too convenient They were sending something this powerful now when at the start of the Invasion, XCOM and the World would have been easily steamrolled if an army of these things had been sent. This had to be a part of some twisted game or experiment.
"Shepard." Commander Reeves said curtly to the Support.
"Busy patching up, Trace!" A rough, disgruntled male voice replied. "That thing nearly fucking disintegrated him. If the column didn't take the brunt of that blas–"
"Got it. Get him back on his feet or out with the rest of the civvies. Before that thing comes back around or the Mutons smell blood." She ordered.
"Right… right." He grumbled. "Understood, Commander. Workin' on it."
Her eyes focused on the other video feeds. The other squad members, the army, and some brave police were busy clearing out threats inside and around the police station to get the civilians out. It was looking like Nightwolf would be on her own for now.
"Dammit." She mumbled under her breath. "Nightwolf, find the best cover you can for and stay clear of populated areas. We're st–"
"Give me a moment." Chilong replied calmly as he mowed down a rather stubborn Muton that was staking out the back entrance of the police station. "I'll be there to provide some assistance."
"Chilong, you are the furthest from the Nightwolf's position." She was a bit peeved for being interrupted. Was he still trying to prove something to her?
"Perhaps I am, Commander." He let out a heavy orange-tinted breath. "But I believe we can get to her swiftly. Breaker and I have taken care of all threats in the parking lot."
She double-checked their feeds. Several smoking aliens and mechanical corpses decorated the lot. "Hmm." She needed a moment to think.
Nightwold yelled, catching everyone's attention. "This thing still has freakin' bombs!? Hell! Hell! Hell!"
More exclaimed expletives from Nightwolf quickly drew her from her thoughts. She quickly refocused on Nightwolf's feed.
The camera was an unstable blur as the Assault dove through a window. A second later, a torrent of red lights rained on her previous position before the camera feed became unreadable and the sound was nearly deafening. Several personnel had to pull off their headsets.
Switching to another visual feed, it was a mass of explosions that rocked the earth, splitting it to pieces and obliterating sizable chunks of concrete.
Just for a second, when Nightwolf thought she could catch a breath, the mechanical nightmare came crashing through the wall. Its middle section opened wide, revealing that ominous red light emanating from the cannon.
"FUCK!" That thing hated her.
"Keep moving, Nightwolf!" Commander Reeves said.
Nightwolf barely dove and rolled out of the way of the beam as the torrent of energy ripped through the office equipment and walls. "Don't have to tell me twice!" She was back on her feet and moving, trading shots when she could.
It was a game of cat and mouse.
"Damn, that thing will not let up." Central commented as he watched the chaos continue to unfold. He just coming back from another comms officer's station to check on how the local police and military were handling evacuating the civilians."Good thing there's only one there."
Commander Reeves couldn't help but nod in agreement. However, we should expect more in the future. She was glad Nightwolf had managed to lure that thing away from the police station with the amount of destruction it was unleashing. There was already a substantial loss of civilian life. If she wasn't distracting it, there would have been no one left to save.
"Commander?" Chilong spoke up. He was already on the move towards the station. A quick double-check to make sure no more aliens were lurking about. But was also ready to move to assist Nightworlf. "Orders?"
Reeves looked at his feed. He had a peep in his run, like his heavy equipment was as light as a feather. That heart monitor to the side read high, but it was the new normal for him. A new normal for many gene-modded soldiers.
She silenced her mic for a second as she asked Central and the others if the scanners, other squads, and the local forces had picked up anything else this dangerous running around the city. The reason? She recalled Chilong still had two rockets left. And if one was that shredder type, it could be what was needed to put a dent in that Sectopod.
As the information was relayed to her, so far this looked to be the only nightmare the aliens had dropped on the city. There were a few Cyberdiscs, but for the areas they were in, they were quickly terminated once the other squads arrived. Otherwise, it was the usual mix of Mutons, Floaters, Berserkers, and Chrysallids being the heavy hitters.
Sometimes you have to take a chance.
Mic back on, she spoke. "Nightwolf is northwest of your position. The apartment building, opposite the police station. Breaker, accompany him."
"Understood." He nodded.
"You got it, Commander." Breaker said, quickly catching up with Chilong. "Hope that prototype can put a dent in that machine. Shredded those Mutons and Sectoids like paper. Can't wait to see what they do for us snipers. The new pistols are nice." Hanging on her hip was one of the nearly completed plasma pistols. Just a few more tweaks needed to be made before XCOM could start "mass producing" them.
Chilong glanced down at the weapon in his hands. It was different from the Heavy Laser he had grown accustomed to after he had "earned" both the Commander's and the Main HQ Armourers' trust to wield the near-standard weapon for his class designation when he was cleared to begin working for XCOM. To think the organization was starting to crack the design of the alien's Heavy Plasmas the "rare" Heavy Mutons wielded with ease. And he was holding one. A prototype, that was. The Weapons Division needed someone to test their rather crude prototype of a modified Heavy Plasma that was recovered from said aliens. And he was the lucky volunteer for the task.
He chuckled darkly at her words. This weapon, combined with his immaculate augmented aim, made sure any Muton that broke cover would be obliterated by searing plasma. "Let's hope it does. If not, I still have the fireworks on my back." He grinned. She laughed in return.
As they reached the back entrance to the station, they slowed their roll before taking cover just by the door to peek in. A quick listen for any movement and checking the comms for their comrades and the locals. Though the gunfire had cut down tremendously since they eliminated the threats in the parking lot, they picked up the faint scuttling and heavy stomps scrambling somewhere on the upper floor of the station.
Before they could say a word, someone let out an angry roar. There were two explosions. Explosions that were far too close.
The floor a few feet from the back entrance shuttered before plank after plank and concrete gave way as a Muton let out a cry as it crashed to the ground. At the same time, a section of the second-story wall just above their heads blew out, sending a Sectoid flying.
Shepard then yelled "Get back here you idiot" — same with the equally startled and confused local police help — which was followed by the familiar rack of a Scatter Laser and a blast. Then another swift rack and blast before the unlucky alien could even register what had happened.
"Trace took care of the problems." Commander Reeves said. Her voice was almost amused if not bemused by the sudden adrenaline-fueled rage that took over the Assault once they were back on their feet. Did he have that adrenaline argument again? Or was the pheromone from Chilong still lingering in his system? Didn't matter, it was a good turn of events.
"And he's down again." That didn't surprise her. "Shepard, get his ass back up or back to the Skyranger if he passes out again. And get the rest of the civvies out too. The surviving cops and soldiers should help you."
"Need more medkits for his stubborn ass. And duct tape!" Shepard was already on it.
"Fireteam is nearly done mopping up the Chryssalid mess down south. Tripod's reporting she's got kits to spare when DewDog brings them over to you alls location."
Hearing that was a weight off of Chilong and Breaker's shoulders. The police station was a safe area again.
As Breaker was taking a quick step in to make sure the Muton that fell through the floor was dead or unconscious, Chilong quickly checked in to see where Breaker was. She was still by the apartments but trying to make her way back to them.
"Start coming to us." He told her. It would mean less time for them to get to her.
"Hm." He tightened his grip on his weapon. His mind was trying to think of the layout of the station from when he was briefly in there at the start of this madness.
Where would the best vantage point be to fight that mechanical monster? Second floor? Was there any facing the front that would have a clear shot? And was there still any floor left from Trace getting grenade-happy? Well, it wasn't like he couldn't just jump to solve that problem.
Jump… jump. Of course! He looked up. The muscles in his legs twitched with anticipation. He grinned.
"Commander, this Muton's out cold. Marked 'em. Got the doc another 'patient' for interrogation and more gear the smart doc can tear apart." Breaker relayed to before heading back to Chilong. "Chi, we can cut through the sta– Hey!"
One moment he was just outside the door, the next he was gone. She quickly rushed out only to catch a glimpse of him disappearing over the edge of the roof.
"Geez." She gawked. "Still not used to that. I need to get that augment. Would be so faster than this." Letting her rifle fall to her side, she raised her other arm and readied her grappling hook.
Chilong landed on the roof with a solid thud. "Whoa…" He nearly tilted back as his equipment shifted, but quickly kept himself straight. He had grown used to his new abilities within the few days he could test them out, but using them with all his gear was still something he had to adjust to. "Exhilarating."
A metallic zing whizzed through the air. Looking over his shoulder, a hook latched onto the edge behind him. A moment later, Breaker joined him on the roof. "Next time, tell me what you're planning."
"Sorry," he chuckled, "spur of the moment."
"Riiiight, old man." She rolled her eyes. "Thought we'd run through the station, but if she's coming to us, this is a better vantage point."
He smirked. Usually, that comment would annoy him, but they had worked together before and he liked her attitude. "Let's get set up."
As they reached the other side of the roof, they finally saw the sheer damage that Sectoid pod had caused on its wild chase. The road was torn up, missing massive chunks of asphalt. Overturned burning cars littered the area if they hadn't been crushed underfoot. And the buildings had massive gouges from the thing barreling through them like everything was made of paper.
"Taxes ain't gonna fix these roads. Ain't gonna fix anything here." Breaker quipped as kneeled at the edge of the roof and perched her Laser Sniper Rifle on it.
The sight of a bright red laser erupting out the side of the building across the street caught their attention. It was quickly followed by another that soon caused part of the building to collapse. Thunderous stomps and whirring servos soon followed as debris crunched under his hulking weight.
"FUCK!" Nightwolf's voice screeched across the comms. It was peppered by the sound of debris falling.
"Tell us what's going on in there, Nightwolf." Breaker tried to find her with her scope.
"It's trying to bring the damn building down on me!" She spoke tersely.
"Nightwolf," Chilong paused as he let his weapon fall to his side and reached for his launcher, "see if you can lead it down the main road as soon as you exit the building."
"Really!? I'm barely dodging its hellfire right now as it's trying to bring the building down on me!"
"Let's just say some fireworks are waiting for it." He quickly loaded in a shredder rocket.
"…" She was silent for a moment before it clicked. "Ok, ok. Almost to a window, I'll figure out somethi–SHIT!"
The thunderous booms of the Sectopod's laser cannon range out. Nightwolf dove out a window mere seconds before the barrage incinerated it and part of the wall behind her.
"Argh!" She grunted, stumbling to get back to her feet. She had to let her scatter laser fall from her hands as she clamped down on her burned right side. "Damn, thing got me in the side!"
Her curses increased as she tried to pick up her pace as she felt the ground shaking more and more. There was a loud crash as rebar twisted, wood snapped, and concrete crumbled.
Stomping to reposition itself, servos whirred as the middle section of the Sectopod slid open once more and the cannon moved to track her. A red light began to appear.
"Oh for fuc–"
"Head down!" Chilong yelled. Nightwolf cursed, but quickly threw herself over a nearby knee-high brick wall.
A tug of the trigger. A rocket whistled through the air.
BOOM
The rocket hit true. Metal crumbled and scrapped against itself as the Sectopod recoiled from the hit. Its servos, the ones in its leg and the ones that controlled the cover for its cannon screamed as it stumbled for but a moment before it toppled over crashing to the ground. Pieces of its metal shell clattered to the ground. Its remaining red eyes flickered for a few seconds before going out.
"Direct hit!" Breaker exclaimed. Those shredder rockets always dug deep. "The thing's down."
"For now." Chilong had a feeling it wasn't dead. Precaution was best when facing new threats. Lowering his launcher, he went through the motions of reloading it. He kept his eyes focused on the smoldering wreck.
"Always the killjoy. Like I've heard." She just had to poke at him. He rolled his eyes.
Nightwolf peeked over her impromptu cover. If she wasn't so out of breath and in pain, she would be grinning at the sight. "Phew." She let herself collapse back to the ground. "Thank you!"
"Don't let your guard down, everyone." Commander Reeves agreed with Chilong. "This is a new threat. It could have backup sys—"
As the words were leaving her mouth, that heap of wreck started to twitch. Eyes flickered back to life. Servos screeched as one foot raised for a moment before slamming itself back into the ground, claws tearing deep into the asphalt. The other leg did the same.
The grinding and whirring continued to grow in intensity as the Sectopod hefted itself back up. A few more pieces of its shredded metal shell fell off as the plates to its back half opened up. With one stomp, two stomps, and one more, the beast turned itself towards new targets.
Nightwolf shot up in an instant. Her eyes widened with horror and mind screaming at her not to look, to stay down and out of sight, but she ignored it. "You have got to be kidding me!"
"Oh, great." Breaker mumbled. Why did both of them have to be right? She quickly trained her rifle at the thing and took shots at what she could assume were vulnerable components and gears.
"And it has got us in its sights." Chilong took notice of how it was looking in its direction. And it was projecting a 'search array' from its eyes. Launcher reloaded, but he was hesitant to aim in case it could shoot his rocket out of the sky.
As the Sectopod focused on them, its remaining sensors picked up something fleeing from its blinded side. A twitchy jerk to look. It was Nightwolf hobbling away. Its onboard systems took note of its long-term nuisance; the cannon twitched and refocused on her. But a searing flash made it quickly refocus its vision on what caused its latest near-catastrophic damage. Its sensors picked up the faint traces of the smoke trail of the rocket and then — another searing flash blinded it, causing it to recoil. That sniper fire. Two new priorities.
It stomped forward a few paces before suddenly stopping again. The search array projected from its remaining eyes grew in intensity. The cannon shifted again. It began to glow.
"Is it?" Breaker was already getting to her feet to move to another section of the roof.
"We need to move!" Chilong, on the other hand, chose to leap off the roof.
Just seconds after both move, a barrage of laser fire obligated where they once stood.
"Nngh." Gritting his teeth, Chilong landed with a thud. Stumbling forward, he lost his grip on his launcher. Searing pain surged through those powerful leg muscles as they contracted tightly. Barely a chance to right himself as he heard those stomps and whirring, he dove behind an overturned case as another round of laser fire came his way.
"Argh…" He hissed. He gave both calves a good smack to knock away the pain. "Need to be more careful with landing."
"You alright, Chi?" Breaker asked on the comms.
"Still among living." Chilong peeked from his cover. His fingers quickly found his Heavy Plasma. "For how long? That is questionable."
"I'll provide some surpassing fire so you can get your launcher!" She said and said suppressive laser fire soon began.
"About that…" His eyes quickly searched for the dropped item. Finding it, they narrowed as he cursed more or so at himself. "Shǎquē…" In his pain-blinded haste, his dropped launcher was now just another piece of the smoldering scenery. "It's gone. Obliterated."
"What!? Damn…" Breaker couldn't believe it. "We could use another roc — HELL!"
That laser cannon boomed and took another chunk out of the station's rooftop.
Back at the Base, the situation was looking dire once more.
"Broken Arrow?" Central looked at Commander Reeves.
"We may have to." She bit her lip. Not something she wanted to do, but had been putting in orders for the local military to be prepared to do a bombing run on her notice.
For a moment, she took her eyes off the main event and looked at the other soldiers' feeds. Shepherd had Trace back on his feet again and they, with the surviving police and army, were just about done escorting the civilians to the Skyranger. That was good. She then did a quick check on the other teams scattered through the city.
The Firestorm team was on their way, but were down three soldiers. Two were severely injured and one was dead via a Chryssalid that caught them by surprise.
The Maelstrom team finished their last sweep of their area, to catch any stragglers and lingering Thin Men. Once done, they were going to meet up with the Grindstone team as they had taken some heavy causalities due to a Sectoid Commander getting a lucky mind control on their Assault who was also fielding a prototype weapon.
"Shepard and Trace, once you get those civilians loaded on the Skyranger, Chilong, Breaker, and Nightwolf need your assistance on the double! ETA for squad Firestorm is 10 minutes." She told Central to get the other teams filled in on what's going on.
"Hear you loud and clear, Commander." The two responded.
"Nightwolf, fall back. Your vitals are looking shaky." She added.
"Planned on doing so, Commander." Nightwolf replied. She kept out of sight on her trek back to the Skyranger. "Sorry, I'm out of grenades guys, or I'd leave that damn thing a gift."
"That is fine." We'll make do, Nightwolf." Chilong said.
Feeling the muscles in his legs finally calming down, his grip tightened on his weapon before he finally stepped out of cover and released a volley of plasma fire at the mechanical beast as it was still trying to blow Breaker off the roof.
"Thanks!" Breaker said. "Coming down before what's left collapses." Finding the nearest gutter pipe or ladder, she made her way down.
As she did that, Chilong kept sustained fire on the Sectopod before it released a volley of cluster bombs in his vicinity. He cut his fire short and ran.
The ensuing explosions nearly knocked him off his feet.
"How many payloads did they cram into that thing?" As she reached the ground, she quickly moved into position and watched where the robot's vision was going. It was locked onto Chilong. Feet stomping as it rotated, that cannon was refocusing on his position.
"No, you don't." Steadying her rifle, she pulled the trigger. The mech recoiled, causing its cannon fire to go wide, as the beam struck true and destroyed one of its remaining eyes.
"Bullseyes!" She laughed, only to curse as the thing was looking at her again. She quickly moved.
"Thanks, Breaker." Chilong took the opportunity to get his bearings and check his gun. Nearly empty. A quick cycle and reset of the power sources and he was ready to go again. Hearing Breaker curse again, he moved out of cover and around to get a clean shot at the mech's backside, where a decent chunk of armor was missing. "Let's see how you like this."
At the pull of the trigger, a barrage of green plasma pelted the back of the mech, buckling and melting the already compromised armor; more pieces popped off before the hail of fire dug deeper into the exposed frame.
It stumbled forward before it haphazardly spun around, cannon already charging to target him. But another barrage of plasma fire tore apart the damaged array of eyes, causing it to stumble again and discharge its cannon upwards into the sky."Heh, it doesn't like that." Noticing the green lights to his plasma dimming and kicking out more of the green gas and some sparks, he ducked back into cover.
A quick cool down and reload. He gave the prototype a quick look over. That green gas wasn't dissipating like it should have been. Gray smoke was coming out of a few vents and the faint smell of wires smoldering tickled his nose. He grimaced. Looked like this battle was pushing this prototype to its limit.
Hold on a little longer for me. A quick quiet prayer as he peeked out of cover when he heard Breaker's laser fire sear into it again, causing something to sheer and snap. A leg began to go limp.
Breaker let out a short cheer as she quickly moved before it could rain its wraith done on her."Let's keep the ping-pong going, Chi!"
"Give me a moment!"
"Looks like those two may not need the backup if they keep that up. Rescind the Broken Arrow order?" Central commented as he was passing on an update on the other teams to the Commander. "May need to bump up the development on plasma weaponry if the aliens send more of those things." He couldn't help but grin, seeing the damage the prototype was doing to the Sectopod. Just a little more work from the Science divisions and they would be giving the aliens the taste of their own medicine.
"Yes, keep the order in, and yes, but…" She paused as she quickly digested the information. A mild, very mild, sense of relief washed over her hearing the remaining alien forces were leaving the city. Just this last unit and they would be done. And the oddly paired duo looked like they would finish it. "They need to stay on the defensive." She said. "You two hear that? Stay on the defensive."
"Will keep that in mind." Both responded.
Moving from cover to cover to get closer to the Sectpod, Chilong peppered the back of the Sectopod, causing more of its internal mechanisms to fail. Just as it turned to attack him, Breaker would line up a shot to further compromise the already overheated, weakened metal, causing more vital ligaments and components to several.
The back-and-forth dance continued. The movement of the Sectopod grew more sluggish as its legs spasmed whenever it tried to move. Another well-placed shot from Breaker to a knee joint finally seared it loose. Several long bangs and snaps as heard before it collapsed under its own weight. Its sole remains eye flickered as its limbs twitched. Sparks littered its chassis as red electricity arched throughout it. Its cannon swung around widely in search of the targets it could no longer see.
"Think we got it on its last legs." Breaker said.
"Indeed." Chilong hissed. Not from the pain in his legs again, but from a heat biting at his hands and arms. He didn't need to look down. He could feel the heavy plasma trembling in his hands and could hear the faint his of gases escaping from those vents.
Let this thing be dead. He didn't want to imagine how the Weapon Division would react if he brought it back broken.
As he took cautious steps toward the smoldering mech, its last eye sputtered out and the cannon stopped moving.
"Hm. Looks to be dead." He said, giving the mech one last look over before he started to move to where Breaker was.
"Finally." Breaker was relieved. She moved to meet him halfway.
The team back at HQ was cheering for them. They could faintly hear it in their earpieces.
"That's one for the books." Central clapped.
"Indeed." Commander Reeves nodded. "Dr. Shen and his team are going to have a field day on that thing."
As the Commander was giving orders to wrap up the mission, a harsh metal-on-metal grinding caught everyone's attention.
Spinning on his heels, Chilong saw something concerning. The few remaining plates to the inner center of the Sectopod were retracting themselves and as that happened, a deep orange-red glow began to grow and grow. There was also a low hum that began as the red electricity arching across the barely held together hull of the heap grew in intensity.
"Don't like the looks of that." Breaker said as she reached him. Her leg was already turning to run back.
"Nor do I…" Chilong agreed. Moving to run alongside, he halfway turned to fire one last barrage just in case it was trying to get off one last attack.
The sparking and electricity increased again as the plasma hit something that caused a small explosion. At first.
Quickly following that one, the body of the mech contorted as several smaller explosions rippled throughout its frame. Each one grew in intensity as that orange-red glow grew brighter and brighter before finally enveloping the machine. A second later, it erupted into a massive fireball, throwing up a substantial amount of debris and knocking away any surrounding cars.
Commander Reeves' jaw nearly went slack. Another mechanical unit that exploded on death? "Well… there goes RD tearing apart that…" Hopefully, they were unlucky with how damaged it was. Maybe they would get the next one in a more intact state. Shaking her head, her mind refocused. "Chilong? Breaker?"
"Still alive." Chilong responded.
"Barely!" Breaker was out of breath. "Geez, that was close!"
Commander Reeves let out a sigh of relief. "Good." She didn't need any more of her men injured.
"Dr. Shen and his team will be a bit disappointed by the state of that thing when we haul it back." Central joked to lighten the mood. That got a chuckle out of her. She needed that.
"The RD team will just have to deal with it." And they were used to getting managed alien tech to work with. "Maybe the next encounter we disable it without breaching its core. If that's what set it off." A few notifications on her screen caught her attention. "Take over the wrap-up for them. I see I need to talk with the local forces."
"Right, right." He chuckled before taking over her spot. "Nice work team, the AO is clear of all hostiles. Rendezvous back to the Skyrangers. DewDrop just touched down and the Firestorm squad will assist with moving the civvies."
"Affirmative." They responded.
Chilong wasn't quick to move. Breathing heavily, the muscles in his legs were contracting again, and he just needed a few seconds — or minutes — to get them to relax.
Finding some debris to rest his back against, he looked back at the smoldering wreck of the Sectopod as the heat from the explosive washed over and dissipated from the area.
What a terrifying piece of technology. He couldn't help but shake his head, knowing XCOM would be facing more of those things. Just as he was taking in his movement to relax, he hissed and cursed.
His hands tightened on his weapon before quickly flying open. The Heavy Plasma hit the ground growling and hissing as the shuddering grew worse. As he quickly moved away, fearing it would explode, it shot off several massive plumes of green gas, smoke, and steam as green electricity arched through it. Its inner struts collapsed one by one before that glow finally fizzled out.
"Damn. The Weapons Division will not like this." Despite his prayers, he had pushed its limit, but if he hadn't, he and Breaker would have been dead.
Another hissed slipped left his lips as he felt a faint pain course through his arms. Taking a look, the flesh on his forearms was seared red. Blisters were beginning to form.
"Everything okay?" Breaker doubled back, hearing his curse and the clatter of his gun.
"Yes, yes." He waved her off, in a way saying there was nothing to worry about. "Pushed the prototype to its limits."
"Dang," her eyes lingered on the sparking mess before looking back at him, "but it did good work in your hands." He nodded. She let out a shudder as she felt her body coming down from the pheromone-assisted adrenaline high. She teetered a bit before quickly leaning on some debris, too. "Whoooo, still not used to that."
He let out a laugh, breath still orange and laden with the combat pheromones. "I'm still getting used to it." He was just waiting for that crash.
Looking back at the smoldering heap of a prototype, he knew he needed to let the Commander know.
"Commander Reeves," he paused for a moment as he searched for words, "I can only assume you've seen what happened to the prototype. Please relay to the Weapons Division I'm sorry for breaking it."
"The Commander's busy, but she knows. You're good, Chilong." Central answered instead. "I'll be sure to send them your preemptive apologies, but I think they will be pleased with all the combat data from this operation. Will make them eager to put together another one of those things."
"Ah, good, good." He felt some mild relief wash over him. Sounded like she wasn't angry. "Hopefully so. Can't wait for that to become my primary."
"Looks like we're late to the party." Shepard said.
Resupplied from Tripod's stock of medical supplies, he and the least injured of the Firestorm team had finally arrived.
"Yes," Chilong chuckled, "you all missed the fireworks." He laughed rather darkly. "Nearly was turned to ash a few times during our dance of death."
Shepard rolled his eyes. The words he could use. "So I heard from all the chatter. Now who's hurt?" He didn't need to ask as his keen eyes already spotted the burns on Chilong's arms.
Chilong brushed him off, sighting one of his mods should be kicking in soon to take care of the damage and then Nightwolf would need the assistance.
Reflexively, Shephard smacked the back of his head(which almost earned him a slap back) like he was a child before lightly berating him. The med spray wouldn't kill him, and Nightwolf was fine. She made it back to the Skyranger, and he did what he could before the others arrived and Tripod took over.
"I don't want Doc Vahlen coming for my head if one of them mods of yours starts acting funky on the long haul back." Shepard grumbled.
Chilong just rolled his eyes but did give him his thanks.
Once he was done, Shepherd checked Breaker for any injuries and treated them before heading back to the Skyrangers. The others retrieved the damaged prototype so Chilong's hands would have some time to heal, some key pieces from the Sectopod's remains since it would be able before XCOM's clean-up team would be there, and any alien gear they could hold before heading back themselves.
Feeling the pain in his legs lessen, Chilong felt like he could walk just enough to make it back to the Skyrangers. As he stood back up, he wavered. The world and his eardrums pulsed. His brows twitched before his back slammed back against the rubble, sliding down to the ground, and he hung his head low.
His throat trembled before he let out a low growl before expelling the last of the orange breath clinging to his lungs. "There… we… go." He wondered if the Genetics team could fix that. He bristled as the last bits of the adrenaline leveled off. "Though such a rush."
"Finally hit?" Breaker asked.
As he looked up, she saw her offering him her hand. He nodded before grabbing it. Lifting him back to his feet, the two started their long walk back to the others.
"By the way, nice sharpshooting you did back there." He said.
"Thanks." She smiled. "And you ain't too bad yourself. Quick on your feet and quick to think and adapt. Sharp brain you got there, old timer."
Old timer. He rolled his eyes. His chest and shoulders shook like he let out a soft laugh. But there was no sound.
"Ya know, Chi." She didn't want silence to creep in. "I don't care what the others may say about you. Heard the 'rumors' if they're true." A short laugh, followed by a few swift smacks to his back, causing his back to arch and his hands to tighten into fists. "But I like you, old man."
He let out a hiss as he rolled his shoulders. Slowly, those hands relaxed. Such an action would have made him glare, but he just shook his head.
Was he hearing that correctly? If the 'rumors' are true? She can't be serious. He had learned she was a bit of a jokester back at base and from a few missions they had been on. And then he was still mildly irritated the truth about his recruitment finally spread around the base and it was causing him some problems despite the Commander's best efforts. Looking at her, that smile looked genuine. Maybe her words were too?
"Thank… you?" He said.
She snorted at how confused he was. "I'm being sincere."
"Hard to tell with you."
Back to the Skyrangers, with all civilians and soldiers secure, they took off and headed off to the designated drop-off point for the civilians before heading back to base for debriefing and some well-deserved rest.
Those dreams, flashbacks to another time, slowly started to fade away for Chilong.
"Everybody quiet and stick close!" A hushed voice said.
"Geez, how many of them are out here?" Another voice spoke quietly.
As the dreams faded, these hushed voices were slowly pulling the fevering man out of unconsciousness. Part of him wanted to slip back into darkness as every fiber of his being ached and he felt uncomfortably hot.
"Nngh?" He felt himself suddenly stop and then something pressed against his skin. It felt as warm as his skin but like a thick yet smooth scale-like hide. He wanted to pull away, but he found no strength within himself.
"Sorry, Chilong." A gargled voice whispered to him.
"W—What?" His eyes slowly fluttered open.
It took a moment for them to focus, but when they did, he gasped at the side. A wide, toothy mouth greeted him, as well as gray and green scales. The face looking back at him looked like a humanoid crocodile. Why were they so close? It took a moment. He was on this thing's back. Almost reflexively, he pulled away only to find out he was tied to them.
"Shut him up, Ty!" Someone in the group hissed.
"Oh, shush yourself, Skiv." The gargled voice growled.
"What's… going on?" Chilong managed to spit out a pained whisper. Even in his dished state, he could sense something wasn't right. Weakly, he turned his head to scan the area. Daylight. Thick foliage. Looked like they were still in a forest. But why had they stopped?
That's when he noticed them. That red. That four-armed insignia.
"ADVENT." Ty finally replied.
"Oh." And they were close. "Oh, no."