"If you think I'm stupid now
You should see me when I'm high
And I'm smarter than I look
I'm the dumbest girl alive
[…]
And I feel so dangerous
But you say I'm doin' fine now
Guess that's how it goes
I'm the dumbest girl alive."
-Dumbest Girl Alive by 100 gecs
Chapter 2: Operation Cold Harbor
"She hasn't said a word?" Benny asked. He was next to Dutch aboard the Avenger. After the two had managed to escape, it didn't take long for Firebrand to track them down and rescue everyone, Rock the exception of course. The three pirates were in the hangar, forgotten by the XCOM personnel who rushed around to-and-fro. They had a more pressing concern, The Commander.
"I haven't heard her say anything." Dutch replied.
"Shouldn't we try and, I don't know…" Benny started to say.
"I can fuckin' hear ya y'know." Revy piped up. She was sitting on a supply crate a few feet away from the other two.
"Sorry Revy." Benny said, "I just didn't think you'd be like this after all that's happened."
"Stepping into dangerous fuckin' territory." Revy said cooly.
Benny got the message and walked off to escape the conversation. Dutch came up next Revy and looked down at her.
"Is it Rock?" he asked.
Revy looked up at his impenetrable sunglasses and sighed, "What else could it possibly be Doc Freud?" she said.
"As long as there's a risk you get Whitman Fever again, I'll always keep an eye on you." Dutch said, "We'll get him back, I'm just as pissed off about it as you are." It looked like he was going to say something else, but the sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention.
"Dutch." a grizzled voice said. Facing the two now was Bradford, the second in command to XCOM and the de facto head of the organization until the Commander was back up and running.
Dutch saluted the man and smiled, "I'll always recognize your footsteps old man." he said.
"You always had a good pair of ears, mine are just about blown out." Central said.
"Maybe you should get the sweater back. It was your secret weapon after all." Dutch chided.
Bradford laughed and the two shook hands. Revy looked oddly at them.
"Revy, this is Central." Dutch said, "My old boss."
"Good to meet you Revy." Central said, "I'm Commander Bradford, but most people just call me Central."
"Lots of nicknames around here huh." Revy observed. She wasn't enthusiastic at all about the situation she was in, all she cared about was getting payback and rescuing Rock.
"We all have to stay professional." Central said, "Dutch tells me you're an exceptional gunslinger."
"He better have." Revy grumbled as she dug a cigarette out of her shorts.
"You can smoke in the bar, not here." Central said as he plucked the cigarette out of her hand, earning a mean look.
"Fine." she growled.
"No need to get angry Revy." Central diffused, "I know exactly what happened to your partner and I also know how we can get him back."
"What? Blow up more statues?" Revy scoffed and stood up, "Dutch you can't be fuckin' serious with all this crap."
"Revy, with the Lagoon gone, what other options do you have?" Dutch asked.
"I'll go back to Roanapur and call in every goddamned favor I got." she said.
"Fine, let's say Chang finds Rock and Balalaika provides transport, what then?" Dutch said without missing a beat, "You just gonna rush into whatever ADVENT facility they find and get shot down?"
"Fuckin' better than this shit." Revy said.
"You need to calm down and think." Dutch said. Revy sighed and Central excused himself.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked down. Dutch studied her and placed his hands on his hips.
"Was there more going on?" he asked. The crowd in the hangar was diminished somewhat now that the cargo had been unloaded.
"Whadda ya mean?" Revy asked.
"I know that you two were close, but I could never figure out how far it went." Dutch said. He looked Revy in the eyes and studied her for a while.
"You love him?" he asked. Revy broke eye contact first and looked away. It wasn't in her vocabulary to admit something like that. Her body gave it away. She sat back down and bowed her head deeply.
"Revy," Dutch said, "I don't know if anyone ever told you, and I can't believe I'm saying this either, but loving someone isn't shameful. And if I were in your place, I'd want to burn a hole through the Elders too. But you can't do it alone."
"I don't know what to think anymore." Revy said.
"Neither do I, but having a direction is better than wandering." Dutch said, "But with the Lagoon gone, I can't pay you anymore. The money from liquidating the company would only just barely cover the cost of doing so. The show's over."
"So, you're gonna stay here with your old war buddies?" Revy asked.
"That's my only course now. They need a second pilot for the Skyranger." Dutch said, "From what Central told me when we first talked, they're in need of engineers and scientists, something Benny would fit into well."
"And they need soldiers too?" Revy said flatly.
"Yes, I think you'd make a great one." Dutch said.
"Dutch, you should know by now that I don't follow orders very well." Revy said.
"I'm aware of that. And that's why I think you'd be good at this." Dutch said, "Back during the first invasion, the aliens were crafty to the extent that all military conventions needed to be rewritten to be more flexible, to encourage and champion new ideas and autonomy by experienced soldiers."
"Blah blah." Revy replied.
"Fine, if you can't be convinced by words, why don't you stick with XCOM for a small time until you figure out what's next. You get three hots and a cot, and you just might be surprised at what these people can do." he said.
Revy thought for a moment, her face demure. She sighed and stood up, "Fine." she said, "But if after one month I don't see any progress, I'm gonna blaze my own way."
"Agreed, partner." Dutch said. The two shook hands and went further into the ship.
Revy's first stop was naturally the bar. Dutch left her there while he went to find Central, who was busy overseeing the Commander. She took a stool and was alone in the room save the bartender, an old man in his geriatric years. All he needed from her was a look and a glass of neat rum was served.
"You a new one?" the bartender asked as he cleaned a cup with a towel.
"I guess so." Revy said, "Not exactly the place I wanna be."
"That's an odd thing to say." the bartender said, "Most people in the resistance would beg borrow and steal for a spot aboard the Avenger."
"So, I've heard." Revy said plainly.
"Are you familiar at all with XCOM?" he asked.
"They tried saving the world or somethin' back twenty years ago. Didn't work out and ADVENT swooped in." Revy grumbled.
"That's a very reductive history." the bartender said as he moved onto another glass.
"It's not like they're screaming about it in the history books nowadays." Revy said, "I'm not a freedom fighter either. Just tryna survive."
"Aren't we all?" the bartender said.
"All I see you doing is practicing Yappanese with me." Revy said, motioning for a refill. The bartender obliged. She lit a cigarette. "How would you describe it?" she asked.
"XCOM is an effort for the world's best and brightest to compete against and defeat threats to humanity's very existence." he said simply.
"What a load of garbage. Humans defeat themselves." Revy said.
"That isn't an unfair assessment." the bartender said, "But you also must acknowledge that every single person is a thermodynamic miracle. Just the fact we are having this exchange of ideas is a very afront to the laws of nature. Preserving that is essential."
"By that logic so are the aliens." Revy said.
"Very much so, but it's what a species does with such a gift that counts. Humans aren't all good of course, but prior to the alien invasion, the world was getting better with only the brightest future ahead. The Elders took that way for their own means to subjugate us."
"Listen old man, I appreciate the lesson in optimism, but you don't have to convince me the Elders deserve a twelve-gauge enema. I'm in this because this is where life said I should be." Revy said, she dropped her cigarette into her now empty glass, "In my experience, life is the biggest bitch in the room, and there's no way to beat her at her own game."
"Fine." the bartender said as the bar door opened.
In walked another soldier, a woman with tanned skin and wild brown hair, her expression was both loose and arrogant. She sat down a stool away from Revy.
"Carl! You know what I like." she said, her accent was very American.
"Of course, Coors Banquet and a shot of Bacardi." the bartender said, thankful for a new person to relieve the conversation.
He fixed up the drinks and faced the new arrival, "So what's the word on the Commander?" he asked.
"Nothin' yet, Tygan is still in surgery. Something about a biochip." she said.
"I see, I don't doubt his abilities." he said.
"I also heard we're getting some new people." the woman said, turning towards Revy, who was thoroughly tuned out of the conversation.
"Yes, indeed." the bartender said flatly.
Revy caught on and glanced over at the new arrival.
"You want somethin'?" Revy asked.
"Your name would be nice princess." the woman said.
"Revy."
"Spades." the woman responded.
"Feel like I've heard that before." Revy said benignly.
"No doubt, I'm the best sniper in the squad." Spades said, a mean tone in her voice.
"You know, anyone who must say, 'I am King' is no king." Revy said, facing Spades fully now.
"And any old cunt can't just walk onto this ship without wearing fucking pants." Spades responded, earning a laugh from Revy, "Just who are you?"
"Our newest recruit." another voice said from the bar's doorway. Standing there was Monaco, sans hat and other face coverings. Her appearance was plain, almost as if she was designed to be able to vanish into a crowd at a moment's notice.
The two turned to face the new arrival and Monaco motioned to Revy. The gunslinger stood up and went to the door.
"See ya around, I give it thirty seconds before a Muton rips you in half." Spades called out. Revy flipped her off and followed Monaco out into the hallway.
"She does have a point." Monaco said.
"I've killed dozens of arrogant bitches before, she ain't no different." Revy said.
"Me too, but I meant about the pants. You really should get a pair." Monaco said as they turned a corner.
"These are comfy and easy to move in." Revy said.
"So are the fatigues we have. Shen made sure the fabric they're made of isn't too rough without compromising durability." Monaco said.
"Yeah, yeah." Revy dismissed.
"Well, if that doesn't convince you, then maybe the fact that we're going to Alaska for this next operation will." she said.
"You gotta be kidding." Revy said.
"Not at all." Monaco said as they entered a long hallway with rooms set up like a college dorm, "As soon as the Commander's operation is finished, we are leaving the area. In the meantime, Central asked me to show you to your quarters."
"Looks like some college bullshit." Revy said.
"You wouldn't be wrong." Maonco said as they started walking down. "Every room is better than a dorm though, you get your own bathroom, shower, desk, mini-fridge, couch, storage, and a queen size mattress."
"You sure know how to make a sales pitch." Revy quipped.
The two stopped in front of a door near the end of the hallway and Monaco motioned to a black touchscreen at the side of the door.
"It's handprint locked, we already have your data on file, so it should work." Maonco said. Revy shrugged and placed her palm on the screen. After a short while the lock clicked, and the door slid open.
"Just how in the hell did you get my handprint?" Revy asked.
"I have no earthly clue." Monaco said, "Well, I'll leave you to rest for the night, I'll come to get you in the morning for orientation. I'm right across the hall if you need anything."
Revy nodded and the door slid shut behind her. She flopped down on the bed, not even bothering with the lights. A nice shade of the violet sunset came through the small window at the top of the room. She hadn't even been able to comprehend that time had gone by. It was only that morning when Rock was still there, telling her not to be an idiot with her Mandarin.
Revy tried her best to rewind the time between now and then, the fight on the Lagoon, meeting Central, the conversation with the bartender and Spades, most of it was a blur. Her mind was still on Rock and his absence. If there had been anyone in the room with her, she would've stayed stoic, but her eyes sank as she remembered the moment he got yanked away.
There was no way she could solo a rescue. She knew that deep within her soul. She knew that if she had tried something like that, they'd both end up in a ditch or as a pile of plasma goop. Maybe XCOM could help her, but she still didn't trust anyone except Dutch. If he said they were the good guys and that they'd help, then they probably would, his ability to read people was second to none.
Revy was tired though, and she wanted to sleep, but her body was still wired. She turned onto her side and kicked off her boots. She thought about the light, and how it almost matched the shade of one of the neon signs outside Rock's apartment's window.
It was the night when the fourth assassin made her appearance. Feng had left that night, deciding to get a room elsewhere. Revy's normal outfit was full of holes and soaked in the assassin's blood. Not to imply she didn't have others, but those were the only ones she had brought to Rowan's before she got on stage. Rock was sitting beside her by one of the mirrors in the dressing room while she sponged off makeup.
"Goddamned bitch." Revy mumbled.
"Which one?" Rock asked.
"All of 'em dipshit." Revy replied.
"You know, my apartment isn't too far from here." Rock said, "There aren't going to be so many prying eyes."
"You askin' me to stay the night?" Revy asked, cutting through Rock's decorum.
"Yes, I'm asking you to stay the night." Rock conceded.
"Is that all?" Revy asked in a softer tone.
"Well… I" he started to say.
"Don't be a pussy now baby." Revy said, almost in a whisper.
"I was going to say that before the other you showed up, I kinda liked the show." Rock said awkwardly.
Revy leaned in closer to him, "Really?" she said smoothly, "Tell me more."
"I-uh, I like the outfit mostly." Rock said. Revy was still clad in the lingerie Rowan's girls had picked out. They wouldn't miss it if it disappeared.
"I like it too." Revy said as she set down the cloth and bottle of makeup remover she was using. "It has so much… potential." she said smoothly while tugging at some of the straps.
"I want to see it closer." Rock said.
"And this isn't close enough?" Revy asked coyly.
"Not nearly." Rock said, leaning in towards her.
"Let me get this lipstick off and I'll let you get as close as you want." Revy said, pushing him away slightly. But before she started, she looked back at him, "Unless you like that too?"
"Yeah." Rock said meekly.
Revy giggled and dragged Rock to his feet with her. She snatched a robe from a hangar, her holsters from the back of a chair, and dragged him out of the club's back entrance.
Revy was still thinking about that night, the sun had gone down almost completely now, and the room was pitch black. She was biting her bottom lip hard. Her left hand wrapped around her chest. Her right hand worked its way south.
She barely noticed the Avenger's flight procedure starting.
Rokuro shut the door behind him, and Rebecca pinned him against it, slamming her mouth into his. They held each other and kissed ravenously for a long moment. Her hands played around his shoulders and worked the back of his hair. His were draped around her midriff and rubbed her back, one going lower for a handful. She moaned into his mouth, and he guided them towards his bed. The studio apartment only barely sporting enough space for the two of them.
They landed and separated, looking at each other, side by side. Rokuro reached out and shuffled a stray lock of hair out of Rebecca's eyes. She made the first move and turned him on his back before straddling him.
She bent down for another kiss before working at the straps of her bra. Rokuro broke it off though, his eyes were all wrong.
"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked.
"It's not that I didn't hesitate to say I liked the show." he said reluctantly.
"What?" she asked, her mood deflated.
"Before Feng went into the audience, she told me how she turned the heat back onto Jane." he said, "She felt really proud of herself, and I do too."
"Why do you have to think about her." Rebecca asked, her tone full of contempt. She slid off him and flopped back down onto the sheets.
"Well, she didn't stop there. And I don't want anything standing between us." he said, "I know we both have secrets from before we met that we intend to keep, but now that we've been going on for a few months, I just don't want to keep anything from you."
Rebecca looked into his eyes, he bent over her on his elbow and looked back. Whatever he had to say wasn't going to bring back her initial passion. She nodded slowly.
"She kissed me again." he said simply, "I didn't know she would, but I thought I made it clear that I wasn't interested after the first time."
Rebecca reached out a hand and held Rokuro's face, the satin glove of her outfit scratching his barely visible stubble.
"Thank you." she said.
"For what?" he asked, "I thought you'd be mad."
"I am, but not at you." she said, "We get caught up in so much bullshit in this city, we're bound to slip up or get caught with our guard down."
"You're not gonna kill her, are you?" he asked.
"No, she's not worth the lead." she said, putting her hands behind her head.
Rebecca arched her back while taking a deep breath, her bust arching in the neon violet coming through the window.
"I really did like the show." he said, "Even if I didn't see a lot of it."
"Do you want to be in one?" she asked, "Right now, just us?"
"I thought you didn't like doing all that." he said.
Rebecca turned to her side and shuffled closer to him, her fingers benignly working at his tie.
"The whips and chains aren't a turn on for me." she said, her hands working the buttons of his shirt now, "I don't really think I'm either a dom or a sub."
His hand caressed her shoulder, "Have you only acted in shows? Never done it for real?" he asked.
"Only shows. And I wouldn't count prison either." she said, her hand rubbed against his chest, the work on the Lagoon and the tropical weather giving his body a subtle definition.
"I've never done many of those roles in the past." he said, "It never really happened that way."
"Do you want me that way?" she asked, "I can be your slut or your mommy."
Rokuro's eyes went wide with hunger, "Maybe a little of both?" he said quietly, his hand also feeling her chest.
"Take what you want Rock." Rebecca said forcefully.
And so, he did, pulling her in with force. She squealed under his lips.
Revy woke up the next morning to a bright shade of pumice cracking though her eyes. She was still on her side, hands in pants. She withdrew and sniffed them out of curiosity before turning back over. Spread out like a starfish and looking at the ceiling. The events from yesterday came back to her like a firing squad.
She groaned and leaned up before slugging her way into the shower. Her body was used to being massively hungover, a sober wake-up wasn't the norm anymore and she was feeling it. After cleaning up she inspected the room a little further now that there was some light.
On the desk was a small lamp that served as the only light source, it emitted a warm sandy hue. Next to it was a microwave and futuristic-looking coffee maker with a bag of grounds, mug ready and waiting to be filled too. Below next to the plain-looking chair was a small minifridge. Revy opened it in hopes of finding either food or beer. She sighed in disgust when all she saw were a few apples and a reusable bottle of water.
Revy clutched an apple and took a bite before inspecting the wardrobe at the other side of the room. Inside she found several identical outfits hanging. Mostly t-shirts, sweatpants, athletic underwear, and hoodies for training. On the top shelf were a few other things like extra toiletries and a notepad with pens. She grabbed a hangar and laid the contents out on the bed. She kept the clothes as they were, but opted to keep her boots instead of the sneakers that were provided.
As she was straightening out her shirt a knock came from the door.
"You up yet?" Monaco asked through the metal.
"Yeah, be right there." Revy said. She opened the door and Monaco waved for her to follow.
"I honestly didn't except you to be up after yesterday." the Birt said.
"That wasn't my first rodeo." Revy said.
"Didn't think it was, just saying is all." Monaco said, "I'm leading you to the mess hall, most of the other crew are probably there by now."
"So, we aren't just left with apples?" Revy quipped.
"Tygan got Central on board with this new healthy snacking thing and has fresh fruit put in all the rooms whenever we get it." Monaco said.
"Tygan?" Revy asked.
"Doctor Tygan, he's the head of our research division which includes medical staff. He makes sure that we don't fall too far behind the aliens tech-wise. Shen is the chief engineer, she takes Tygan's ideas and makes them work." Monaco explained.
"I see." Revy said, "Anything else I should know?"
"I think you've already met Central, and there's really not many other people I can tell you about." Monaco said.
"What about all the other guns here? I already met some chick named Spades." Revy said.
Monaco stopped in the hallway, "That's right, what did you think of her?" she asked.
"Seemed like a real bitch." Revy said flatly.
"I-" Monaco paused, "Let's just keep going. You'll get to know the others during training." she said.
Revy cocked her head but followed along anyway. The two emerged into a common area arranged with long sectional couches and armchairs with low coffee tables. Along the far wall was a buffet table with all sorts of breakfast items. A few other people were sitting around eating, the rush of everyone else had yet to come.
"Doesn't look like any cafeteria I've ate in." Revy said as they walked over.
"No, it doesn't, but I like the more casual vibe." Monaco said. She handed a plate to Revy and they loaded up with pancakes, home fries, and bacon before finding seats at a circular cluster of couches.
Between mouthfuls Revy looked to her chaperone, "You mentioned training, what exactly does that involve?" she asked.
"It's not as strict as military training." Monaco explained, "To even be considered for recruitment, an XCOM soldier has to already be physically adept and knowledgeable in combat. The exercises focus more on teamwork and tactical maneuvering. Right place, right time kinda stuff."
"We shoot dummies? I doubt anything short of the real deal is a good preparation for combat." Revy said.
"We have some combat simulators that run using holograms and rubber bullets." Monaco said, "It's not perfect but it's better than the Killing House."
"Killing House? Were you SAS?" Revy asked.
"For a short time before I got recruited to MI6, then XCOM after the government surrendered." Monaco said.
"Pretty sweet huh?" another voice said from behind Revy. Spades shoved past the new arrival and sat down next to Monaco.
"Good morning." Monaco said sweetly.
"Excellent morning." Spades said, "What all did I miss?"
Revy kept quiet and Monaco cleared her throat, "I was just telling Revy about the hologram training we do."
"As a wise man once said, 'Strong alcohol is the best ting for handling illegal holograms.'" Spades said smugly.
"I'm not sure what that's even supposed to mean." Revy said before sipping some coffee.
"Say, I've seen your file." Spades said, "It true you can shoot akimbo?"
"You say that like it's supposed to be impressive." Revy quipped.
"A claim like that needs to be backed up with something." Spades said.
"What? You looking for two in the tits?" Revy asked.
Spades stuck her hands up and grinned smugly, "Woah there, Miss Billie Badass I'm just calling your bluff is all."
"Can we finish eating before you two start comparing your cocks?" Monaco asked.
"Fine, fine." Spades said, "But you might want to show Miss Two Hand here how things really work before she gets ran over."
The sniper got up to move to another group, but Revy stood in her way.
"You really wanna throw down bitch?" Revy said cooly, "Fuckin' take a swing, it'll be the last thing you do cunt."
Spades grinned like a wolf and the two locked eyes. Monaco was quick to react, shoving herself between the two.
"Spades, just leave it." she said, "Come with me."
Monaco dragged the other woman out of the room, but both Revy and Spades kept their eyes locked on each other, neither daring to blink. Once they were out of the room however, Revy sat back down and picked at her remining food. No one else wanted to cross her. At least until a sympathetic man entered. Dutch sat down across from Revy with his own breakfast.
"Already making friends?" he asked.
"Yeah." Revy said flatly.
"Just keep it cool. They'll wise up soon enough." Dutch said.
"Dutch, this isn't fuckin' Mean Girls. If we're both out in combat, she's the last person I want to have sights on me." Revy said.
"And like I said, keep it cool." Dutch said, "Central's been dealing with her for a while from what he's told me. He knows how to wrangle her when it matters."
"But-" Revy started to say.
"But nothing." Dutch interrupted, "This fight is bigger than you, me, and certainly her. All you should be focusing on right now is working with the other soldiers to do the missions so that we can get Rock back. And everything else is crap."
Revy stayed silent, and so did her boss. They finished their breakfast in silence until the others started filing out of the room.
"So, is there some sort of schedule we have to follow around here?" Revy asked.
"Not right now. Things are pretty light when we're travelling." Dutch said.
"We're moving?" Revy asked.
"Of course, the ship's stabilizers are in excellent condition. So, you can't feel it at all." Dutch said.
"Swanky." Revy said, "Say, where's Benny at?"
"He's over with the engineering and research staff. They have their own dorm separate from combat operations." Dutch said.
"You know, for an underground resistance, these guys seem to live pretty comfortably." Revy said.
"According to Central things have been getting better recently. It's also the start of the month, so they're pretty flushed with supplies." Dutch said.
"Why does that matter?" Revy asked.
"At the start of the month, various resistance cells voluntarily pitch in supplies into a single donation for XCOM to keep things running." Dutch said, "Food, clothing, and weapons are the most common. But some resistance members are quite skilled in the trades and were able to build out the Avenger into a more livable space. Giving their services instead of their supplies."
"Decent enough deal." Revy said, "But what about this training we're supposed to do?"
"Once we land in Alaska the Commander will want to assess the skills of the soldiers we have." Dutch said, "Central didn't say exactly what all would happen, but I'd go make sure your Cutlasses are nice and polished."
"Oh, they will be." Revy said. She smirked before standing up and returning to her room.
The regimen for the day wasn't difficult for Revy by any stretch. The only issue she had was the length and the isolation. The Commander decided that the best way to evaluate soldiers was to observe them solo before they moved into a team environment, or so that's what Central claimed.
Thus, each soldier was told to report to the locker room outside the hologram simulator and wait for their name to be called over a loudspeaker before entering. So far Revy had gone through three different scenarios. First, she had to simply kill as many ADVENT troopers as efficiently as possible. Second, she had to escort a civilian while under fire. Third, she was asked to sneak through a city block and assassinate a target before escaping.
Throughout the day most of the soldiers had washed out of the course, with a few here and a few there not returning after each stage. This left three women left inside their locker room, with three men inside theirs. Revy was left sitting alone with Monaco and Spades having a hushed conversation a few benches away.
The loudspeaker crackled to life, "This concludes training for today, please report to the bridge for further instructions." the robotic voice said.
The three got up silently and walked to the bridge, where they met with Central standing in parade pose. They were soon joined by three others, Frosty, Illusion, and another man Revy hadn't met yet whose codename was Siddhartha. He was a tall South African with a slender face, his eyes radiated calm and warmth to all who looked, with his hair tied in a ponytail, he looked almost like the Buddha statue from Roanapur's port.
"The Commander has been observing each of the trials you have all underwent today and has selected you six to conduct XCOM's first official mission under his command." Central said.
"Is he well?" Frosty asked.
"The Commander is recovering nicely but is not in the condition to take meetings outside his room right now. However, due to this mission's circumstances, he will be personally commanding this operation from his room through me." Central said.
"Any concerns about the Commander can be discussed later." he continued, "Right now I have to brief you on the operation." Central waved his hand towards the holographic globe, which zoomed in on Alaska where the Avenger was currently landed in the far north.
"Currently we are landed fifty miles from the abandoned town of Tin City. The strategic positioning of this place by itself is minimal at best, However, a small ADVENT signals outpost is set up here which connects forces in Northern America to those in Northern Russia." the Geoscope zoomed further in on the town, and among derelict buildings and centuries old mining equipment were a few ADVENT buildings surrounded by a small chest-high perimeter wall.
"According to ADVENT policy each signals outpost must be regularly inspected by a ranking officer no lower than General. Our goal is to use Tin City's relative remoteness and this outpost's small defensive capabilities to assassinate this General during the inspection." Central said.
"What would that accomplish?" Spades asked.
"This General isn't normally the one who handles this sort of work. But one of our moles within ADVENT was able to switch around some schedules, making the usual inspector unavailable. The target we have is the General who coordinates all communication between North America and East Asia." Central said.
"That's a big ticket." Frosty said.
"And that's why we must strike now. We might not have another opportunity to take out another target of this magnitude. It would also allow some prospective allies of ours to breathe a little easier." Central said. "You will find tactical briefings written by the Commander in your rooms. Please study them, and feel free to coordinate with each other. Any more questions?"
"Isn't this exactly what the aliens expect of us?" Revy asked, "You guys just made a huge scene in Hong Kong, they'll be on high alert globally. They'll know this General will be a prime target."
"We've taken all of this into consideration. The Commander feels that the benefits of this operation's success far outweigh the risks." Central said, "He has also been highly receptive to each of you as individuals during the trials. While he wanted to run through some team drills, the time restriction at play means that is not possible."
With that the soldiers were dismissed back to their dorm. Monaco got them all together to study the tactical playbook, whether it stuck with them was a question left unanswered. But after hours of studying maneuvers and blueprints Revy's eyes were just about to fall out of her skull. She called it a night before Monaco went into another recap of the backup to the backup for the backup plan.
She wanted to pass out on her bed, but she found Dutch leaning by her door.
"What could you possibly want?" she asked begrudgingly.
"I take it studying isn't your thing?" Dutch asked.
"Riddle me this, what the fuck does 'shock action' mean?" Revy barked.
"Hey, until you've sat in the Commander's quarters listening to a lecture on the battles of Morgarten, Crecy, and Ravenna in that order for three hours I don't want to hear it." Dutch chided.
"He's really that big of a nerd?" Revy asked.
"That's just one part of him." Dutch said, "That man has seen more combat than Simo Hayha, commanded more than Genghis Khan, and conducted himself more honorably than Scaevola."
"Save me the history lesson for fuck's sake." Revy said before reaching over her boss and opening the door with the hand scanner.
"Fine, but I just wanted to give you a heads up about this op." Dutch said, "The Resistance has been approached by some of the organizations from Roanapur after the Lagoon went down." This caught Revy's attention, she stopped in the doorway.
"This op not only will eliminate a VIP but will help prove XCOM's worth to Hotel Moscow and the Triads." Dutch said, "I was the one who helped set it up, and while my clout was enough to get them interested, it's going to be up to you to make sure this all goes smoothly."
"What about the other players?" Revy asked.
"I haven't heard much from anyone else besides Chang and Balalaika, but if they come in more will follow." Dutch paused, "It seems like the Lagoon sinking caused quite a stir in town. I bet you could walk into the Yellow Flag and shout, 'Let's fuck up ADVENT!' and get a hundred guns instantly."
"Since when did thieves find their honor?" Revy asked.
"We were at the top of the food chain for independent guns. All the others are seeing how badly we got hit and are imagining their own skin getting flayed by the aliens. That's been causing a lot of tension from what I've been told by Chang and Balalaika. Their goal is to keep ADVENT out of Roanapur, and they decided that helping XCOM was the best way to divert the alien's attentions away from the city."
"Making XCOM a more threatening target." Revy pondered, "Not a bad tactic."
"Yes, but they want to see us in action before they commit to anything, which this operation will serve as a test of." Dutch said.
"Noted, now, I really wanna get some sleep." Revy whined.
"Good night." Dutch said, "And just remember, this is for Rock."
Revy waved him off and she went to bed.
"Green in ten." Firebrand said over the speaker in the Skyranger. Dutch was originally supposed to be flying, but he still had flight simulator work to complete before Shen was satisfied with his abilities. The six soldiers inside steadied themselves. Revy tugged at one of her holster's straps and fidgeted with one of her sleeves. She had been forced by Central to wear combat fatigues, sleeves rolled up as far as they could of course.
Revy looked over to the other corner of the passenger bay and thought Spades would make a remark, but the sniper was looking down at her boots solemnly. Beside her was Monaco, who was looking over her shotgun carefully, a Ranger's machete on her back. Across from Revy was Frosty, who was tinkering with the sight on his rifle. To Revy's left was Illusion, who was performing one last software sweep on his GREMLIN support drone. And lastly was the serene-looking Siddhartha, the calm on his face contrasted with the grenade launcher and heavy machine gun he carried.
The aircraft thudded to the ground and the door cracked open to the dark overcast sky above, "Go go go!" Firebrand radioed and the six soldiers rushed out of the door onto the cold permafrost below.
Monaco pulled out a compass and turned to the left, "Okay, two klicks this way. I'll take point." she said. The others silently followed along.
The hike to the target area was not exactly pleasant but Revy didn't think it was the worst thing ever. After about an hour of hiking over hilly terrain, the squad found themselves lying prone, binoculars trained on the facility.
"Radio check." Central asked through the soldiers' earpieces.
They all replied affirmative, and the operation was underway. From the Commander's mind through Central's voice the soldiers moved about the outskirts of the facility. Revy and Monaco teamed up and had to crawl into position, Spades and Illusion were ordered to hold position on a hill and provide overwatch. Frosty and Siddhartha were told to take a flanking route, using the hills as cover to reach the opposite end of the facility.
Revy was crawling silently through the tall greying-tan grass that grew around the facility. Monaco was in front of her, acting as the point guard. Revy's lack of a long gun made her more dexterous in this position, compared to Monaco who had to deal with a shotgun. All of the squad were clad in camouflage designed for this mission by Shen, enabling the two to make such a bold opening move.
"Target sighted." Spades said through the radio.
"Copy, confirm identity?" Central asked.
"I can see his rank insignia, ID code on his chest plate reads 2389765." Spades said.
"That's a match, hold fire for now until the others are in position." Central said.
By the time that exchange was finished Monaco and Revy had reached the outer barricades of the facility. They chose a spot not too far from the front gate which led into a small lot with a building on either side. To the left of the road, across from Revy and Monaco, was a long two-story building decked from ground to roof in tinted glass. On the other side of the street was a smaller building with antennas on the roof and other communications equipment inside.
"Team A in position." Monaco said quietly.
"Roger, status on Team B?" Central asked.
"In position. Eyes on the General, same ID number as Spades said." Frosty's voice said evenly.
"Copy that, Teram A, do you have eyes on the General?" Central asked.
Monaco and Revy peeked above the barricade for a swift moment before ducking back down. Revy looked questioningly at her partner and Monaco shook her head.
"Negative." Revy radioed, "Can one of you describe where this guy's at?"
"You wouldn't be able to see him." Spades said, "He's by the other gate from you, behind the tall building."
"Roger." Monaco said.
"Other hostiles visible?" Central asked.
"The general is with two troopers and an officer right now." Frost said.
"I can see movement inside the tall building, unknown number of hostiles." Spades said.
"I can see movement inside the smaller building, unknown number of hostiles." Siddhartha said, his voice was smooth like tea.
"Noted, hold positions for now, the Commander needs to consider options." Central said.
Revy sighed, she leaned back against the barrier and drew her pistols, clicking off the safety. Monaco looked over at her expectantly, but the gunslinger shook her head. 'Not that dumb.' Revy mouthed to her. Monaco looked back over the barrier. After another few seconds the radio crackled to life again.
"Okay, Siddhartha, you will launch two grenades to kick off an ambush." Central said, "The Commander wants you to use the first to destroy the smaller communications building, the blast radius should be large enough to disable anyone inside if you hit it direct center. The second will be launched at the face of the tall building. Aim for the bottom center so the shockwave from the blast will shatter the windows. Once those are launched, provide overwatch on the remains of the smaller building in case any survivors remain."
"Understood." Siddhartha said as he readied his grenade launcher.
"Frosty and Spades, you will be responsible for taking out the general. When the first grenade is fired, toss a flashbang amongst their group. Spades will take care of the General and the Officer, Frosty will dispatch the troopers before engaging with the taller building. Revy and Monaco, you two will rush the taller building and clear the structure of all enemies once the glass is shattered, which will also allow for Spades to provide overwatch. Illusion, you will stay with Spades and keep an eye out for any reinforcements." Central said.
The soldiers all clicked their radios in affirmation before Central went silent. Revy braced herself as she heard the distinct chunk of grenades being launched, followed shortly by a flashbang being detonated, the grenades exploding provided cover for the gunshots which rang out too.
Monaco and Revy hopped the barricades and dashed towards the tall building, the entire façade having been destroyed, leaving bare office spaces exposed to the outside. The two ran into the building while the occupants were still frazzled. Monaco slid into low cover behind a desk while Revy dove into cover behind an upturned desk in front of Monaco.
"General is KIA, surrounding hostiles eliminated." Spades said.
The first retaliatory shots from the aliens inside hit the desks the two rushers were behind.
"Any sights on the aliens inside?" Monaco radioed.
"Negative, there's too much dust in the air." Spades said.
"Cover Frosty, we've got our side." Revy interjected.
"Okay." Spades said, Monaco looked at the gunslinger hesitantly.
"Let's fuckin dance baby!" Revy shouted before vaulting over her cover.
She ran forward with her pistols out in front of her. In her sights were two ADVENT troopers, who were shooting wide of the woman in shock from her blitz. Revy plugged two shots into each trooper's head before diving behind another desk. She had moved about thirty yards further into the building and had reached the far wall from the opening, which was also near a staircase leading to the second floor.
"Bloody crazy you are!" Monaco said, her shotgun ringing towards the other end of the building.
"I'm pinned down at the other end of the building, you have sights on my position Spades?" Frosty asked.
"Yep, you got two troopers watching your cover, a third one is watching their back, aimed towards Monaco and Revy." Spades said.
"The Commander wants to know if there's anything on the second floor." Central asked. The sound from the earpieces was cut intermittently by gunshots from the aliens, who were keeping Frosty pinned down.
"I see three up top, all watching the staircase." Spades said.
"Revy, the Commander wants you to move up and hold in the cover of the stairwell." Central said.
"On it." Revy said.
She quickly climbed the stairs, but she made the mistake of going out a little too far at the top and only just barely dodged a barrage of fire from the aliens up top.
"I'm pinned here." Revy said.
"Noted, Monaco, go and dispatch the alien watching the ones suppressing Frosty, Revy, hold for now." Central said.
Monaco affirmed and slung her shotgun onto her back and drew her sword. She looked it up and down before dashing out of her cover.
"Spades, shoot one of the guards on me." Revy said.
"Distraction?" the sniper asked.
"Yeah." Revy said.
Down below, Monaco whipped and weaved through the plasma bolts coming from the trooper. She closed the distance and ran the sword through the soldier before ducking behind a wide structural pillar for cover.
Spades shot her rifle, ripping a hole through a Trooper up top. Revy immediately dove out of her cover and saw the two guards baffled at their casualty. In midair she aligned the sights of her pistols with the heads of the two remining before unloading on the troopers. She landed when their bodies did.
Down below, the last two aliens' attentions were split between Frosty and Monaco, who were both pinned behind cover.
"Spades, do you have a shot on one of the soldiers inside?" Central asked.
"Negative, my fucking gun jammed." she replied.
"Okay, Siddhartha, do you have clean shots inside?" Central asked.
"At this distance my shots would go wide, I might penetrate Monaco's cover." he said.
"Oh, for cryin out loud." Revy said. She had made her way to the edge of the open façade of the building, just above where the two troopers were lined up with their rifles.
"Revy, do not engage, direct orders from the Commander." Central said.
"What, do you expect me to jump down there?" Revy quipped. She holstered one pistol and readied her dominant hand, flexing her fingers around the gun's grip. She turned around and stood on the edge of the open building, her back to the air.
"No fucking way!" Spades said.
"Babe, I've been dancing the swing today." Revy said before she hopped off the edge. With her left hand she gripped the edge of the open floor and used it to pivot. She swung through the air and had her sights aimed with her right hand. She fired off what was left in her magazine at one trooper, killing him.
At the height of her swing, she released her hand and went sailing towards the other trooper, who didn't have the time to raise their weapon. Revy landed a kick to the trooper's chest and flattened them to the floor. She put the rest of her momentum into a gnarly stomp with her other foot, crushing the trooper's throat.
She stood victorious over the corpse and ejected the empty magazine from her pistol. She turned to Monaco who was looking out form her cover curiously. "What?" the gunslinger questioned.
Central's radio crackled to life again, he sighed before saying, "Scanners show no more hostiles in the area. Gather anything useful along with the bodies and prepare for evac." His voice was dispassionate, like a teacher about to hand out a detention.
X
Author's Notes:
-Thanks for reading! Not really much to say with this chapter, just know that I'm excited to keep working on this fic. I have gotten addicted to Persona 3 Reload though, so I might be slacking on my writing schedule for a bit. I'm also working on the rewrite for Time Will Die, so I'd like to get that out sooner rather than later. All this to say that the next chapter might not be out in a timely manner, but it won't take forever. Have a great day :)
-Note on the Avenger: I know the ship is meant to be cramped, but I also think it's silly how underutilized the resistance is in XCOM 2. Why wouldn't an upholsterer offer to make the couches nicer? Do expect more deviations from XCOM "lore" vis-à-vis the resistance.