Prologue: The Last Command
Skyranger, en route to Council of Nations HQ
A little bit of extra practice.
The pistol in his hand levitated a few inches into the air and with a twitch of his fingers, he sent it lazily spinning in a circle.
It was getting much easier, and he was getting used to the stares that he got from a rather basic act of telekinesis. Especially from his former team.
Or what was left of them, anyway.
"That's going to take some getting used to," Ethan commented, eyeing the pistol as the Commander released his telekinetic hold on the weapon and it fell gently back into his hand. Ethan himself was clad in the new red and black armor of the ADVENT Officers, while the rest of them wore the new armor of the Lancer Division, most notably displaying the rounded black helmets derived from Israeli tech.
"I'll keep it to a minimum," the Commander promised, amused, and imagined several smiles were underneath the helmets of the men and women around him.
Reunions had been rather understated with everyone being busy preparing to reveal ADVENT, as well as trying to figure out the best way to defend against the upcoming attacks. It would take some time for the aliens to completely subdue Australia…but that time was very, very short.
Which meant that the Demeter Contingency had decisively gone into effect hours after the initial attack.
After Aegis had shown up and surrendered.
That…that was an issue that had to be dealt with later. Truthfully he wasn't quite sure what to think of it yet. But he was sure that Aegis was not going to suddenly turn on them. He had no reason to, as he had shown during the brief fight with Patricia.
If he had wanted to win, he could have.
The question was why he hadn't. That was a question to have answered after the Council was disposed of, the United Nations destroyed and ADVENT established. If all went according to plan, it would happen within the next day.
But he couldn't quite shake the feeling like not everything was going to go according to plan. It never did. But the plan had been meticulous and he had the best team possible to carry it out. Franklin, Sophie, David, Hamilton, Rey, Travis, Jordan and Ethan. Some of his team that were still willing to fight beside him for one last mission.
A mission that was personal for all of them, but especially for his team. Though contrary to what it apparently seemed, he felt no need to take revenge. Like it or not, the Council had put him in charge of XCOM, and that deserved something. As the scope of the war progressed, the Council had gone from something of an irritating rival to a powerless, vindictive group. He could no longer muster up any strong feelings for them. His rationale was simple now: They were an obstacle in uniting the human race, and needed to be removed.
But it was not the same for the rest of his team. It was the United Nations who had broken their promise for fair trials and it was the United Nations who had essentially sentenced them to torture and slow painful deaths, had EXALT not rescued them.
They deserved justice, and the Commander saw no reason to exclude them from the destruction of the organization that was responsible for the worst times of their lives. Revenge or justice, in this case it seemed the same to him. Unlike others, he never really considered the two mutually exclusive.
It hadn't been hard to find volunteers. Every one of his former team had requested to join him, but in the end, there was only a limited number of spots on a skyranger, and he could only take the best. In this case, those around him.
If nothing else, he was happy that all of them had found a new life within EXALT, as questionable as the entire organization was. But they'd taken his people in, and that was something he couldn't ignore. It really was fascinating just how well most of them had assimilated into EXALT. Almost all of them had spouses, and many had children.
Unfortunately, those children would grow up during an alien invasion, if they survived at all.
"Question," Rey asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her arms on her armored knees. "Once you took over XCOM, did you try and find us?"
The Commander gave her a wry smile. "Of course I did. And then learned that everyone was dead. Executed, so the records went. EXALT did a good job, definitely fooled me."
"Maybe a little too well," Ethan grumbled. "I'd always wondered if it was a good idea to be that thorough, in case it turned out that some of us weren't dead and would try to reconnect. Would kinda put a damper on that."
"Be honest," Franklin chided. "How many of us really expected the United Nations to spare the Commander?"
"Certainly not me," the Commander answered, and all of them chuckled at that.
"I saw the execution," Ethan said. "You had quite an audience for it as well."
"No shortage of witnesses for that execution," Sophie chimed in. "Guess the drugs were fake."
"Oh no," the Commander snorted at the memory. "Whatever they used was very real. And painful. They might not have wanted to kill me, but they sure didn't have any problems being gentle."
"Can't blame them, I suppose," Ethan conceded.
"This is Big Sky to Diamondback Team," Big Sky said, making all of them snap to attention. "We're coming in now. Showtime, Commander."
"Copy that," the Commander said, mentally running through the list while his soldiers turned to look at him as he stood up in the middle of the skyranger. "Stick to the plan, remember? When the time comes, I'll send the signal."
"Schematics and data still good?" Travis asked.
"Should be," the Commander nodded. "Between eighteen and twenty-four security personnel, not including staff. Should be easy enough for you to take out."
He could hear the smile in Rey's voice. "Don't worry about a thing, Commander. We've only gotten better since you last saw us."
"Once I deal with the Council, I'll help you clean up," the Commander confirmed. "I don't think it'll take long. Most aren't soldiers."
"Don't think it would matter one way or another," Hamilton pointed out ruefully. "Not much you can do against someone who can lift you in the air with a thought."
The Commander rolled his eyes, feeling their simultaneous amusement and trepidation at that. Showing it or not, they weren't all entirely comfortable with the idea that he could lift things with a motion. "It doesn't work quite like that," he said. "And telekinesis is a lot more than just thinking it. You're confusing it with telepathy."
"Weird all the same," Hamilton answered, quickly raising a hand. "Uh, no offense, Commander."
"None taken," he answered as the skyranger began dipping. "I don't expect everyone to be on board with the whole idea."
"Well, if there's anyone who I would trust to use strange magical abilities, it'd be you." Sophie said.
He smiled at her. "Appreciated."
"Coming in for a landing," Big Sky said, the skyranger shuddered as it rested itself on the ground. "Ramp deploying. Good luck, Commander."
With a hiss the ramp began lowering, and he stepped forward to begin his descent down. He turned back to his team waiting in the shadowed skyranger and gave them his salute. With no hesitation, they returned it and he turned back down to continue forward to the waiting Council.
Black clouds darkened the skies as the Commander strode forward through a light drizzle that was no doubt going to get worse. Of course it was raining. Fitting, he supposed, it was an accurate reflection about how this day was going to go. The Council Headquarters was a lot more modest than he'd expected. In terms of size, at least. It was definitely one of the most ornate places he'd seen, even from the outside with the elegant landscaping, marble pathways and fresh-looking paint.
Directly at the entrance stood four security guards, looking more nervous than they usually were, though if that was because of him or the alien invasion, he couldn't say. Likely the latter, but in any event he knew that their Kevlar vests and ballistic weapons would offer them no protection against Ethan and his team.
Leaning against a pillar and protected from the rain, behind the guards, stood Tamara Vasilisa, the former CT agent-turned-diplomat and current Councilor of Russia. Excellent, just the person he wanted to see and who would likely give him an idea of what to expect.
One of the guards held up a hand. "ID?"
All of them knew he was the Commander of XCOM, but protocols were necessary and he handed his XCOM ID and badge to them. They clearly didn't want to delay him and waved him through after a cursory glance. Now that he was near, he could definitely sense them better. They were nervous, but not of him.
The aliens then. Made sense.
Tamara pushed herself upright from the pillar and approached him, stone-faced with concern. Not a good omen, for what little that mattered. "You took your time getting here," she muttered as they began walking towards the doors. "I know your opinion of the Council, but now is really not the time to be antagonizing them."
"Relax," the Commander told her calmly, pushing the door open. He found it interesting that she was dressed in a light bulletproof vest and bore the uniform of one expecting combat rather than one of a pure diplomat. He wouldn't be surprised if they all were similarly prepared, especially given the circumstances. "I'm a little busy with the invasion of Australia if you didn't notice that. The Council is a secondary priority."
She rubbed her forehead. "Commander…I respect you here. I'm one of the few that still do, but even you have to realize this has gotten much bigger than what you can handle. You may think you and your…fifty soldiers can somehow protect the entire world, but-"
"I know," the Commander interrupted, raising a hand as they passed several wide-eyed aides. "And I've made preparations. Preparations I assume President Savvin has yet to inform you of?"
She blinked, shooting him a sharp and confused look. "Explain."
It wasn't a request, but at the moment it would have to be treated as one. "I'll explain after the meeting. But trust me, I know that XCOM can't handle everything. It's impossible."
"I know it isn't ideal," Tamara admitted, returning her attention forward. "But we have to leverage the UN the best we can. Like it or not, they are the best chance that exists to try and form some kind of cohesive defense-"
"No."
"Unless you prefer the countries going on their own, then yes," she continued, not missing a beat. "Or do you know something I don't?"
"The latter," he confirmed, following her lead as they stopped in front of an ornate door. "I came to the same conclusion you did. But unfortunately, I don't have time to fix broken systems. We don't have time."
She crossed her arms, fixing him with a piercing stare. "Commander, I don't oppose radical changes, but the Council…I don't think you know how bad it is now. Any support I, and you, had is pretty much gone. You've been too independent, you have too much history."
The Commander sighed and rubbed his forehead. Well, he might as well know. Play along a little bit before it all went down. "How bad is it? Tell the truth."
"They're going to ask you to step down, firstly," Tamara stated emotionlessly. "They have a majority and nothing is going to sway them. Agree and you might get an advising position in XCOM, maybe even retain some measure of command if you play your cards right. Refuse and they will arrest you here and now, and this time they will execute you."
Tamara was clearly expecting him to be somewhat worried, but all he did was raise an eyebrow. "Is that right?" He said, more curious than anything. "Tell me…do they really think that will work? Do they really think that XCOM is just going to accept that?"
Tamara pinched her nose, looking around to make sure they were alone. "I was afraid you were going to say that," she muttered under her breath. "But think really carefully before you openly defy the Council. We need unity now and the United Nations isn't going away. I can't tell you what to do, but I'm not sure that breaking away will be the best strategy. Because this time…if XCOM becomes a rogue organization…the Council will go public with your identity."
"Unsurprising," the Commander commented. "But I'd like to know; how did it even get to this? Last I checked, there was more or less a stalemate."
"It was after Herman gave his big speech and quit," Tamara muttered. "One I agreed with, if I'm being honest. But it had the opposite effect he wanted. All it did was make the councilors feel insulted. No one likes being eloquently told they're idiots. Then after the attack on the Citadel, it came to light that both Bradford and Van Doorn had been killed."
She fixed him with a resigned stare. "Truthfully, Commander, that's the main reason things are where they are. The only reason many agreed to let you work in peace was because they trusted Van Doorn, and to an extension, Bradford, to be a moderating influence. With them gone…your only known council is a radical scientist, a Chinese Triad leader and an elderly engineer."
"I'm assuming they didn't look at Central Officer Jackson," the Commander muttered. "And for the record, Psion Patricia Trask is also in my council."
"They don't really expect you to promote people unless they agree with you to an extent," Tamara pointed out. "Which is a legitimate concern."
"If that were the case, I wouldn't have put Van Doorn, Shen or Bradford on it," the Commander stated, staring down at her. "But yes, it is a legitimate point, although one I contest."
"And then there's your alliances with…a large number of countries," Tamara said slowly. "You do what you have to…but allying with the like of Iseul, Luana and Habicht isn't doing you any favors. They're dictators, or at least have the characteristics of some. There are quite a few who are worried about a power grab of sorts. And with XCOM refusing to condemn Israel…you can see the concern."
"If you're expecting me to have sympathy for the idiots who deciding provoking Israel was a good idea, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you," the Commander stated icily. "Unless Israel gives me a reason not to support them, I hope that they end that war quickly. With Russian and American help, of course."
"Look, I agree that the Middle East needs to be dealt with," Tamara said in resignation, frowning. "But I'm telling you why the Council doesn't feel like you're the best choice to lead the defense of humanity."
"Fair enough," the Commander said with a nod, then looked toward the door. "I think I've kept them waiting long enough. Let's go in. And…" he glanced over at her. "Follow my lead exactly. I have this under control."
He sensed she was highly skeptical of that claim, but elected not to follow up that particular statement. "Let's go."
It was more or less like what he'd pictured the actual Council Chambers to be like. A circular room which held the councilors above the lone stand in the middle. The desks themselves were a conjoined semi-circle, with the councilors spaced out between them. Nameplates were in front of the respective people, which was useful for him since some of the pronunciations were…unique.
Tamara walked up and quietly took her seat as the Commander weathered the unflinching gazes of all the councilors on him. The emotions in the air were mixed. Some were worried, others were sad, still more felt justified and satisfied. In any case he had few friends here. This wasn't the meeting he had anticipated, it was a judgement.
One he suspected the verdict had already been decided upon.
Not that it mattered in the end. But he might as well be courteous for the time being. And try to refrain from resting his hand on his gauss pistol.
There was nearly a half minute of silence before the Speaker leaned forward, his fingers laced together with a gavel a few inches to his right. "Commander," he began slowly. "Thank you for coming."
The Speaker in person actually wasn't too far from the silhouette he'd been used to. The Speaker was a bald man, with an older rounder face than he'd expected, with some wrinkles around the mouth and cheeks. His voice was still the deep baritone, even without the synthesizing. But now he distinctly looked resigned, which pretty much confirmed the worst was going to happen.
Still, his first choice of words were interesting. "Thank you, Speaker," he answered, looking around the room. "Though I do believe I was the one who suggested this meeting. I thought it was time for something in-person."
"And you still managed to be late," Isabella Narmon, the UK councilor bit out. "Though I'm sure you're aware that time is precious at this point."
He gave her a smile which seemed to infuriate her. "Of course, councilor. Though considering the current crisis at the moment, that has to take priority for me. As I've said before, my focus is protecting humanity, not-"
"Quiet." Warnup practically spat, raising a hand. The man looked awful, and the Commander could completely understand why. Losing the entire country, no, continent, to the aliens would take a toll on anyone, and he did feel a measure of sympathy for his family who he did sincerely hope were still alive. "You've made your feelings about the United Nations and this body very clear."
"And I'm afraid that we cannot allow you to operate in the haphazard and dangerous way you have been," Councilor Adaora of Nigeria said, her voice hard as she looked down on him. "Your actions are divisive and antagonistic. Thanks to your actions, we now have China, Germany and Brazil working apart from us, major allies we need in the coming fights. Your support for Israel is emboldening them to fight a pointless war at the wrong time, as it is with Brazil."
The Commander raised an eyebrow. "I make no apologies for those so-called divisive actions. Brazil's collapse was due to EXALT meddling, China was simply reactionary and short-sighted and I shouldn't have to remind you about how you attempted to dismantle Germany in an attempt to discredit me." He raised a hand to forestall the coming comment. "Whether you realized your mistake later or not is irrelevant, you helped drive Germany to collapse and I had nothing to do with it."
He saw several councilors frown at that and exchange looks. Unsurprising, given that that particular operation hadn't been approved by the whole Council, according to Ennor. It probably wouldn't change minds, but it did feel good to say.
"Nevertheless, you took advantage," Councilor Meredith of Canada stated. "A true subordinate of the Council would have encouraged these countries to rejoin the Council. Not simply gather them for his own cabal of rogue nations."
"And there is your mistake," the Commander said. "You fail to see that our relationship, specifically between XCOM and the Council, is strictly that of an ally. I have and will maintain that I am perfectly willing to work with you, but I'm under no obligation to make you stronger or encourage nations to capitulate to your ineffective and destructive leadership."
That certainly didn't win him any friends if the intakes of breath and stoney faces were anything to go by. Fair enough. "If you were so concerned about me gathering allies outside the Council, then maybe you should have asked them to join you. But no, that would never occur to you. The countries I decided to work with are too small, too insignificant to compare to the world power your nations wield. You would never take Israel or North Korea because of your pride, just as you would never take Taiwan or the countries of ASEAN because of your cowardice."
Yes, there was definitely anger in the room now, and Tamara was staring at him in disbelief. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to be this confrontational. "If you're angry about that," the Commander continued. "Good. You should be. But actions speak louder than words, and unlike you, I actually follow through on what I believe. While you were obsessed with me, I was focused on actually uniting the world with one cause, and the only cause that matters." He pointed upward. "Defending our species from the alien threat."
"And in doing that you encouraged two wars, and the entire continent of Australia is wiped out!" Warnup shouted, face pulsing red. "You failed, Commander. If your goal was to protect the world, then you failed!"
"The first strike was always going to be a failure," the Commander insisted calmly, looking Warnup calmly in the eyes. "There was nothing you, or I, could do about that. It could have easily been Russia or Argentina who was the first victim, and they would have likely met the same fates. I am sorry about what's happened, but this needs to be looked at objectively, not out of emotion."
"Tell that to me when your home has just been destroyed!" He growled. "You had a directive and you failed. End of story."
"No," the Commander stated, growing more serious. "We are at war now, not just XCOM, but the world. Your authority over military matters is no more. You don't know anything about strategy, tactics or actually winning a war. I do. So let me do my job."
"I'm afraid that there are going to have to be significant changes," Councilor Lacy of France interrupted slowly, seemingly disturbed after what he'd said. "This war is no longer something that can be handled by one organization, even XCOM, wouldn't you agree?"
He nodded towards her. "Certainly. I know XCOM can't defend against this invasion alone."
"Which is why XCOM is going to be turned over to direct UN control," Lacy continued, watching him closely. "It will become an official public branch, and will act as the main army of the United Nations in conjunction with NATO."
"Unfortunately, this will mean you cannot be the Commander of XCOM anymore," Councilor Tiran of America said, admittedly looking unhappy. "So for the good of the world…we need to ask that you need to step down. I'm sorry, but do this, and we can discuss your role in this war, as we agree that you still have a place."
About what he expected. Before he gave his answer, the Commander looked at Ennor. "Let's say that I step down willingly. Why should I believe you? As I recall, the United Nations has not been entirely reliable when it comes to making deals with me. You even lied to me about being executed."
"Because Councilor Tiran is right," Warnup said grimly. "Like it or not, you are still too useful a resource to just throw away. But your place is not as someone who can actually affect the world as you have been. And because I hold to deals I make, but believe what you will."
"However, refuse and there will be…issues," Councilor Meredith warned. "We cannot have XCOM acting as a rogue organization, and you will be arrested when you leave here. The loyalty of your soldiers is a problem that will take some time to sort out, but I'm certain your internal council will comply when they learn who you are."
The Commander smiled at him, chuckling. "I'm afraid not, Councilor. They already know. Bradford and Van Doorn knew as well, as I told them before the attack on the Citadel. And I know they won't just let me be taken away."
That revelation appeared to take the councilors by surprise, except Meredith, who just narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps, assuming you aren't lying. But it changes nothing."
"Give us your answer, Commander," the Speaker ordered, raising the gavel. "We cannot delay this any longer."
"Very well," the Commander took a breath. "No. I will not step down, and I will not surrender to the likes of you."
He saw Ennor's lips twitch, as he presumably struggled not to smile. "Your decision is noted. And this meeting is adjourned."
The two guards at the end of the room began walking to him, presumably to escort him out. The Commander raised a hand, calling upon his power to make them stop in their tracks. The psionic energy wasn't strong yet; they still had no idea, though he could sense the confusion of the soldiers. "Wait," he said. "I do think I'm allowed to say one last thing."
The Speaker nodded and motioned for the soldiers to remain stopped. With that the Commander released his power. "Go ahead, Commander."
He smiled, and clicked the button on his wrist giving Ethan the signal. "Councilors, I think that you are unaware of why I actually called this meeting, and it wasn't for the reason I gave."
Warnup frowned. "And what other reason could there be?"
"To speak with you before I made my final decision," the Commander answered. "To see if there was some way I could reasonably solve this situation. Unfortunately, that appears to be impossible."
Lacy frowned. "You have the arrogance to believe that you could come here and negotiate or demand things from the Council?"
"I had wondered," the Commander agreed. "For what I've done, you owe me that much. But no, Councilor, I didn't come here for that."
Now everyone was confused. "I think we've heard enough from this," Warnup said, narrowing his eyes. "Stop talking in riddles or leave."
"It's actually very simple, Councilors," the Commander said smoothly, his lips curling into a humorless smile. "I am not here to reason with you. I am not here to negotiate with you. I am here to kill you."
Within an instant his hand had grabbed his pistol and he raised, aimed and fired. And the Council watched in shock as the Speaker's head was blown apart by the gauss round. He turned around and shot the two guards, the magnetically-propelled rounds piercing their vests and helmets with ease, before turning back to the Council.
Now they were in a pure state of panic. Several of them were armed and were raising their weapons, while others were screaming and trying to hide. The Commander focused on Councilor Antonio of Mexico next and fired several rounds into him, sending his body collapsing back into the wall, blood spattering the desks and floor.
The Commander jumped forward towards the armed Councilor Lacy, an inhuman leap that they clearly hadn't expected, given that he hadn't told them about his genetic modification. He landed on top of her and quickly put a bullet through her head.
Two opposing sides. Now he gathered the power and focused it towards the two closest people, which happened to be Meredith and Councilor Kyo of Japan. His wrists became sheathed in distorted purple energy and they shouted as they were lifted in the air.
"He's one of them!" Someone screamed, and he smiled.
He tossed Meredith towards several more councilors who were trying to flee, before turning his focus towards Kyo, concentrating the grip around his head with a twist of his hand, the head snapped sharply to the side and the Commander let him drop to the ground. Councilor Tiran was right behind him, a terrified expression on his face as he fired wildly towards the calm Commander.
The Commander extended a hand, directing his telekinetic grip towards the hand holding the pistol and twisted. Tiran screamed as his wrist was almost ripped off from being torn completely around. He fell to his knees, looking up just in time to see the Commander put a gauss round through his head.
He looked around, and focused on the group of councilors struggling to the door. He leapt towords them, cutting them off and causing them to stumble back in terror. "Alright, stop!" Councilor Adaora pleaded, tears running down her face. "We surrender! Please!"
"You don't have to kill us!" Councilor Desta of Egypt insisted, face white as a sheet while he trembled. "We're no threat! We'll reconsider, I promise!"
The Commander pursed his lips. "The time for that is long passed. You signed your death sentence when you insisted I abandon XCOM." With that he fired several rounds into each of their heads, ensuring that councilors Desta, Adaora and Kagiso would never serve again.
The Commander focused around the room, and sensed another councilor hiding under one of the desks and raised his pistol towards that spot and fired. A scream confirmed that he was killed. "Die! Monster!" He turned towards the shrill female voice just in time to see Councilor Isabella throw one of the wooden chairs at him; a pretty impressive throw, to be honest.
He raised a hand and telekinetically caught it, watching her face drop as she realized it hadn't worked, then directed it back at her at a terminal velocity. The hard wood slammed into her face and crushed it in a spray of blood, cartilage and brain matter. One more down.
He caught a glimpse of Tamara huddled into a corner, trying to stay as out of it as possible. But she wasn't a threat, not yet anyway. He leapt onto the elevated floor to hunt for the rest of them. He heard whimpering beneath one of the desks and fired until it stopped making noise. He glanced underneath and confirmed that Councilor Kanti of India was dead.
"You won't get away with this," Councilor Meredith breathed from the ground, his leg twisted at an odd angle. "The UN…they-"
He fired and ended his life. One left, by his count.
"He's right," the Commander turned to see Warnup standing against the wall, drained and defeated, accepting his fate. "You can't win this. The UN will investigate. They will find you. And they will kill you like the monster you are. You've doomed the world with what you've done here."
The Commander walked over to him, the same humorless smile on his face. "No, they won't; no I haven't and I'm going to tell you why." He gestured at the carnage around the room. "The Council was never the whole issue. It was merely a symptom of another problem. One that is being cured at this very moment."
His eyes widened as he realized what he was saying. "No…you can't…"
"Today is the death of the United Nations," the Commander stated, pointing a metallic finger towards him. "The end of a stagnant and threatening organization which cares more for politics and appeasement than the alien threat. There can be no united humanity when they exist. Which means they need to be removed and something else needs to be put in its place."
The Commander lowered his hand. "You failed, Ennor. In attempting to destroy and discredit me, you've brought about the destruction of everything you care about. But before you die, know that I will win this war. Australia will be freed and the humanity will emerge stronger, safer and united." He raised the pistol, looking into the hopeless face of Warnup before pulling the trigger. "But not with you."
The shot rang out and Warnup slumped to the ground, the blood staining the walls. No longer was he the proud, haughty councilor, now he was just a broken dead man. And the thing was…he honestly wished there had been another way. As much of a piece of work Warnup was…he didn't deserve to die. None of them did.
But unfortunately, there was no other way.
He turned back towards where Tamara was standing, pistol in hand, looking at him with a combination of horror, disbelief and fear. "You killed them…" she said numbly. "You really killed all of them."
"I did," he confirmed, stopping as her pistol twitched. "Relax. If I was going to kill you, you would be dead by now."
"And why let me live?" She demanded.
"Because I don't kill my allies," the Commander said simply. "Russia was always an ally here, and I intend to respect that."
"Did Savvin know?" She demanded, nodding towards the dead councilors. "Did he know you would do this?"
"He knew I had a plan for the United Nations and Council," the Commander answered. "Not details. Only a few people knew the full extent."
"Right," she swallowed and holstered her pistol. "What happens…?"
The Commander turned to the door and motioned her to follow him. "This way,"
They pushed the doors open and stepped into the scene of a slaughter. The bodies of guards and aides littered the halls, their limbs splayed and twisted in unusual angles, their bodies mangled by the gauss weapons, their faces bearing expressions of surprise and shock.
"Take them outside," the synthesized voice of Ethan ordered and he saw him with Travis and Rey directing a group of about seven aides and staff forward, most of them were crying and shaking in terror. Ethan strode towards the two of them, his voice synthesized by the helmet. "The defenses have been eliminated, Commander. I presume the Council is dealt with?"
"Correct," the Commander said. "And are the charges set?"
"The others are working on that now," Ethan confirmed. "I'm moving the prisoners outside to make disposal easier. I estimate no more than five minutes. This isn't a large establishment and the bodies here are easily treated."
"Finish up, then meet me outside," the Commander ordered, moving towards the exit, Tamara at his side.
"You're going to blow it all up," Tamara muttered, looking somewhat shocked at the bodies she stepped over.
"Yes, though this will only be a footnote in history," the Commander said. "As influential as the Council is, that influence is only known to a few. This will simply be another alien attack which only drove home their intentions towards us after the destruction of the United Nations."
"So you really weren't making that up," she said in amazement. "How…"
He smiled as they stepped outside into a raging rainstorm. "The same as here. Gather the leaders in one place, have a few dedicated people and bring down the establishment. The difficulty of such acts is overestimated. The hard part is what comes after."
"And what does come after?" She asked with trepidation as they walked towards about a dozen prisoners kept under watch by Travis and Rey. They were soaked now, but neither seemed to mind.
"The creation of the new United Nations," he answered, observing the building with his hands clasped behind his back. "ADVENT. You will see soon, and it will accomplish what the United Nations could not."
"And what of me?" She asked. "I might attract suspicion since several people do know my role here."
"There are several options," the Commander said, turning to her. "You could have your identity changed and work somewhere within ADVENT suitable for your diplomatic skills. Or you could join XCOM. You were a CT agent and by all accounts, a good one. If you wish to apply those skills again, there would be a place for you with XCOM."
She swallowed, and looked to the building as Ethan and his team came out. "I'm clearly not a good diplomat, Commander," she said, quietly enough that he had to strain to hear it through the sound of the downpour. "When it mattered, I simply didn't have what it took. This here…it's partially my fault. I could have done something different and I didn't. Being a soldier is simpler; less chance of…this." She turned to the Commander. "I'll join XCOM, if you'll allow it."
He nodded. "Gladly. But remember that what happened here is not your fault. That lies squarely at the feet of the likes of Warnup and Meredith. There is no reason to feel guilt for what happened, and in the end, I was the one to make the call, not you."
She sighed. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Charges are set," Ethan confirmed, pulling out a trigger. "Watch the fireworks." He pressed the button and the Council headquarters exploded in a brilliant explosion of shrapnel, fire and the symbiote substance, giving the solidification of an alien attack. The napalm his team had distributed around the building earlier would also ensure the fires would burn long through the rainstorm.
"Well done," he said, turning to the remaining prisoners. "Dispose of them."
"Kill them?" Ethan asked, raising his weapon.
"Yes," the Commander agreed. They might have been useful for ADVENT or XCOM test subjects, but seeing as how their only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time, being condemned to that fate was not something they deserved.
"Form a line," the Commander ordered his team, drawing his pistol. At this point, the captives were figuring out what was happening and their voices pleaded and begged for them not to do this. But it didn't matter what they wanted, or even what he wanted.
What mattered was necessity, and necessity demanded these people die.
"Fire," the Commander ordered, and shot his pistol at a young woman, the first of them to fall dead. Within seconds the gauss rounds tore through their unprotected bodies and they collapsed in a heap of blood, bones and flesh.
"Clean this up," he ordered with cold efficiency, and they began doctoring the bodies to make it seem like they had been killed by alien weaponry, or otherwise just torching the bodies. And with the building burning in the background, the rain pouring down and the bodies around him, he could rest assured that the first part of the Demeter Contingency had been completed.
The Council had been dealt with.
Now it was up to Zhang and XCOM Intelligence.
United Nations Headquarters, New York
Abby pulled out her rifle and slung it over her shoulder. That particular motion would generally not get any attention, as she was officially part of the security here and the United Nations was holding a general assembly at the moment, to discuss the response to the alien attack in Australia. All part of the plan, and she now had to do her part.
First, she needed to gain control of the security cameras and lockdown permissions. Something she'd planned out extensively and knew exactly how to accomplish. For a place with so much significance, they made the same problem with their security most did: Having it in one area.
Granted, the area was a bit larger than normal, but not enough to make her job difficult. She glanced behind her to see Ciro, her partner on this op, also preparing. "Ready?"
"Ready as can be," he answered with a nod. "Let's go."
Personally, Abby was somewhat nervous, because if their next contact was delayed, it would be…problematic. The method that would be used to neutralize the entire building was extremely effective, but very, very dangerous, and she knew better than anyone here how bad it could get.
But then again, she was the one responsible for dispersing the gas, so it wouldn't start without her.
They stepped into the elevator and pressed the button taking them to the floor the building was on. "Going up," the pleasant female voice said.
"Just to be clear," Ciro said under his breath. "We don't need them alive?"
She fixed him with a cold glare. "We've been over this. No. We don't."
He swallowed. "Got it."
The door opened with a pleasant ding and they stepped out into the busy hallway and began walking to the security room. They had appropriate clearance so they simply presented their badges to the guards standing in the hallway. "Expecting trouble?" One of them asked, half-joking.
Abby shrugged. "If the aliens can attack Australia…well, they could attack here."
The second guard sighed. "Good point. Glad you're making sure that doesn't happen."
"It's my job," she said, taking her badge back and continuing onward.
First door on the right was security and camera footage. They likely wouldn't need their guns for this, since it was a smaller room. They opened the unlocked door to reveal a room with a dozen monitors spread out, with bored guards pretending to watch the footage.
One looked up, dark bags under his eyes indicating he was exhausted. "Yes? Who are you?"
"Inspecting," Abby said, not actually answering the question as she took a look around. Six personnel. Doable. "Just making sure everything is working."
He shrugged and looked back at his screen, which happened to be on the General Assembly itself. She nodded toward Ciro who moved to another analyst, to presumably ask a question. She leaned down as if to do the same, pointing to the screen. "Everything functioning?"
"Yes-" he began, just before she stabbed a knife into his throat, cutting off whatever he was going to say. She held the blade in as the blood spurted out, coating her hand and his uniform. With her other hand she clasped over his mouth, preventing him from making any noise. A few seconds later she let him slump forward gently and glanced around quickly.
Good, no reaction and Ciro had performed similarly. She moved to the next target, a woman who was watching the lobby with a bored expression on her face. Abby didn't bother asking a question and clamped a hand over her mouth and slit her throat with one smooth motion.
She'd never imagined she'd be using her surgical skills like this, but she'd cut well and the woman fatally bled out very quickly. Abby supposed it helped that they wore headphones to get the best audio, though it blocked outside sounds pretty easily.
Ciro had also killed another, which left only two. With as little ceremony as the first two, she walked up behind the man and performed the same act as she had on the woman, and slit his throat then held him until he stopped moving.
"All done," Ciro said, pushing the corpse onto the ground and kneeling down to pull out his EMP charge. She did the same and placed it on the computers closest to her. Not that it would make much of a difference, but she figured she might as well destroy the wiring itself beyond repair and pulled everything apart that she could.
"Let's step outside now," Abby suggested, leaning down to wipe the blood off her gloves as best she could. She really wished she'd brought a second pair now since the literal feeling of blood on her hands was thoroughly unpleasant. Unfortunate, but she'd be ditching this uniform soon anyway.
They stepped outside and she pressed the detonator. There was no sound, of course, but she did observe the cameras suddenly blinking off. Abby smiled. Excellent, one part down, now to lock down the rest of the building. She clicked a button on her wrist to let the rest of the agents on this mission know they were clear to execute their orders.
"Now the guards," Ciro said, referring to the two guards that had cleared them. Even with suppressors on their rifles, Abby knew the sound would attract their attention and she didn't want them calling backup.
She walked to the end of the hallway just before the corner. "Hey, could you help me?"
One of them sighed and began jogging to her. "Yes?" He asked as he got closer, rounding the corner.
She pointed at the now defunct camera. "Shouldn't that be working?"
He blinked. "Huh, yeah, it should be. Hold o-"
He gasped as Abby stabbed him in the throat with her knife, grabbed his vest and swung him towards the nearby wall, pinning him to it with a dull thud as he slowly bled out, disbelief in his eyes as she kept pressure on the wound.
"Hey, we need help!" Ciro called to lure the final guard over.
She paid no attention to the sound of footsteps running over, nor the sudden gasp of "What?" just before Ciro killed him as well. Once she was certain the man in front of her was dead, she reached up and pulled his eyelids shut, stood and sighed. "Done. Let's lock this place down."
The final place they had to go was actually the third door on the left, which controlled everything else of import to the building. Namely the elevators, doors and alarms. Abby realized that by destroying everything in the security room, she had also likely disabled more sophisticated communication between the remaining guards. Quite a few people were probably going to be wondering why the Wi-Fi was down.
Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to call for help.
She opened the door to the room and stepped in. "Security issue," she declared upon entry. "Who's in charge?"
"I am," a middle-aged woman stood up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Is there a problem?"
"Potentially," Abby confirmed. "We might need to lock the building down. Security cameras just went down across the building."
The other seven people in the room gasped and exchanged worried glances. "Security's been notified," Abby continued, wondering how long the ruse could be pushed. "But we need to act for the safety of everyone here."
"Al-alright," the woman stuttered, clearly shaken. "But I need to contact your superior-"
"All you're going to do is waste time," Abby growled, stepping forward. "I was just in the security room. Everything's fried, including communication with the outside. He sent me to tell you, so unless you want to be responsible for a catastrophe lock the building down."
"Right, right, sorry," she stuttered, motioning her over to a console and began typing. "Should I sound the alarm?"
"Lock it down first," Abby ordered, taking a good look at the console. Good, everything was marked to easily be set or reversed. The woman complied, flipping each floor to a state of locked and protected.
"Done," she declared, moving to hit the alarm. "Tell him-"
She never finished as Abby blew her head off with her rifle and Ciro acted just as quickly, executing the two closest to him in quick succession. Abby instantly turned around and shot the first surprised, then terrified woman behind her, and her colleague sitting next to her. Ciro executed two more and Abby shot the last one in the head right before he was likely going to plead for his life.
It all happened within thirty seconds. Quick, precise and efficient.
And sickening.
But she had to ignore those feelings. A lot more people were going to die by her hand today, and theirs would be far more horrible. "Let's go get our suits," Abby said, unlocking the elevator which would take them to the ventilation control. And get the key so this is locked.
Ciro rummaged around the dead administrators pockets and pulled out a string of keys. "Got it," he said. "Though we really should have someone here to watch it."
"This floor is locked down," Abby said. "No one is getting in here."
"There are still other people on this floor," Ciro reminded her.
Abby sighed. "Correct, but they can't change anything now. We lock this door and head to ventilation. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said and found the key to lock the door.
Abby sent the second signal to the rest of the agents, and together they rushed to the ventilation area, where their next team member was waiting to help.
United Nations Headquarters, Ventilation Control
"Perfect timing," Agent Boran complimented as they rushed up. He was already in his gear. Unmarked XCOM Aegis armor that would provide protection from the gas that was about to be unleashed. "You both did well. Any trouble getting here?"
"None," Abby said, shaking her head and immediately taking off her vest to get fitted into her own Aegis armor. "Everyone is confused, but calm. For now, and I don't think that will last. But we have control here."
"I'll be heading down to control the lockdown directly again," Ciro added as he also stripped and began fitting into the armor. "I see you got everything in alright."
"Of course I did," Boran stated, apparently surprised that was a concern. "As long as the manifests are in order and the documents are signed, people really don't give trouble. Easy enough to smuggle the armor in…and the gas, of course."
His voice became subdued as he finished. Abby had a good idea why. Of all the ways to die, Sarin gas was probably one of the worst. But of the agents she had researched, it was one of the most efficient and easiest to disperse. And speed and efficiency was what they needed now.
Once the gas was dispersed, everyone in the building would be dead within twenty minutes at most. Probably sooner since this particular batch was as pure as it came.
She flipped the black helmet in her hand and placed it over her head and heard it seal with a soft click. She really did like being back in armor again, and it was definitely an improvement from the previous iteration. The HUD booted up and immediately identified both agents, as well as schematics of the building.
Showtime.
"Where did you put the canisters?" She asked.
He motioned her to follow to one of the vents, one of which was open and primed for dispersion, the canisters were set in two neat rows beside it. "This is the master vent. We put it through this at full blast, and the entire building will be flooded. We have more than enough."
"Ciro, get back to the lockdown room," she ordered, lifting one of the canisters and attaching a nozzle to it. "Boran, turn on the vents on my mark."
"Copy," he said, and walked over to the station. "Ready and waiting."
Keeping an eye on the canister pressure, she then went forward with the next steps of the protocol, setting her helmet to the correct channel. "This is Agent Gertrude. Gas dispersal imminent. Prepare to move forward."
"In position," one voice identified.
"Ready and waiting," another said.
"Outside is under control, will send in the team on my mark," the familiar voice of Patricia said. "Outside security is dealt with, and rest are unconscious."
"Copy that," Abby said. "Commencing dispersal." She nodded toward Boran and he turned on the vent to roughly half-blast while she released sprayed the gas into the vents. To any observer, it would look like she was spraying nothing, but if they paid close attention they would notice small distortions around the nozzle.
Pure Sarin gas was odorless and colorless. No one would see the deadly gas come upon them, nor smell it. There was a reason it was a banned substance, but a highly effective one.
The canister ran out and she quickly switched to the next one and continued dispersing it into the vent. She repeated the process for each canister, taking about one minute for each. She had estimated it would take at least twenty gallons to properly kill everyone in the building, so she'd elected to ensure there would be twenty five. With each tank containing two and a half gallons, it should take her ten minutes, which would allow plenty of time for dispersal.
"Dispersion complete," she announced, tossing the canister away. "Moving to ensure the General Assembly is taken out."
"Confirmed," Patricia acknowledged. "Teams are setting charges now. Ciro, remove lockdown for back entrance."
"Affirmative, Psion."
Abby stood and grasped her gauss rifle. "Let's go," she told Boran who followed her as they walked out of the room. They stepped out into a bloodless warzone. Corpses of the various people on this floor surrounded them, most clutching their throats or curled into balls on the floor. Abby didn't bother to ensure they were dead. Sarin didn't leave survivors, even if there'd been medical staff on site.
Abby grimaced as she stepped over the corpse of a young woman who had been trying to claw her way to the exit. The carnage didn't stop there either. A dead elderly couple were seated on chairs; two businessmen passed out on the ground; a couple both holding onto each other just before expiring. Abby gritted her teeth and pressed on.
"Unlock elevator three," she said as they walked into it. "Then prepare to unlock the general assembly doors."
"Copy," Ciro answered and they stepped into the elevator and she pressed the floor they were going to.
"Going down," the infuriatingly pleasant voice said. As if everything was alright.
"Don't dwell on it," Boran said, guessing at what she was thinking. "We did what we had to. You were under orders."
"I know," she said quietly, staring aimlessly into the silver doors. "But I'm not going to forget what I've done here. They deserve that much."
She wasn't entirely sure, but she suspected that her kill count might now rival the Commander. At the very least she had become one of the most dangerous perpetrators of state-approved terrorism.
All for the greater good.
The door dinged open and she stepped out to see that the Sarin gas had yet to fully complete its task here. If Hell existed, she was certain that some of it would be like this. The screams, pleas and sobs of men, women and children permeated the air, as people gasped, wheezed and choked around them.
Dozens writhed on the ground, others struggled for the exit, only collapsing after the gas took a deeper hold on them. Still more were already slumped to the ground, a firearm or knife in their hand as they'd killed themselves rather than suffer any longer.
Their arrival barely caught the attention of the dying crowd, blinded as they were by their own pain. "Help us!" A woman pleaded, stumbling toward them, coughing as she struggled for one breath.
And Abby did. She really wanted to.
But those weren't her orders.
There was only one way she could help the woman. She raised her rifle and fired a round at her head, sparing her from a slow, suffocating death. Realizing that they weren't here to help, the crowd that had managed to notice them stumbled back, trying to flee from the soldiers clad in black. Abby didn't bother asking for directions to the general assembly. She knew the schematics.
"Lock down the elevator," she ordered. "And release the lockdown on the general assembly."
"Affirmative," Ciro answered quietly.
Abby kept going forward, then stopped at the sight of a knot of dead children in front of her. A school tour group if their uniforms were anything to go by. Just taking a field trip to see the place where world leaders met. All dead now, collapsed over each other, one by a teacher who had wrapped a jacket around his face in a vain effort to prevent him from breathing the gas.
They'd probably died quickly.
Not that it was any consolation to her.
Tears pricked her eyes that she was unable to wipe away now, blurring her vision as she looked upon the corpses of the children she'd killed. She wanted to look away, purge it from her mind. But she couldn't. She needed to remember. Remember what she'd done here, use it to never forget what the price of victory and necessity was.
"Agent Gertrude…" A tentative voice asked, and a hand was laid on her shoulder. She looked back to see Boran staring at her through his helmet. "We have a mission to complete," he finished quietly. "Keep it together a little longer, alright?"
At least he wasn't diminishing what she was feeling here. And he was right. They had to make sure the General Assembly was dead. She blinked to clear away the tears and gripped her weapon firmly once more. "Yes sir. Let's get this done."
She really should have cut her external audio feed. It would have made it easier. But it would have been wrong to diminish the consequences of her actions here. So she listed.
She listened to the dying gasps, screams and sobs of hundreds around her.
She pushed past those stumbling, pleading for help.
She executed those crawling toward her, the only form of mercy she could display.
They stood in front of the general assembly and pushed it open to behold the mass of representatives, negotiators and politicians all in the same dying state as those outside. But they were in the last stages before death. Many were already lying on the floor, sightless eyes looking forward.
She actually recognized several of the people in the pool of corpses, their faces contorted in pain and suffering. No one here would die a peaceful death. As more and more fell over dead, Abby pulled out her symbiote grenade and tossed it on several of the corpses. Boran followed her lead, and dropped several more throughout the room. If anyone managed to recover anything, they would find the clear evidence of alien meddling.
And direct their righteous fury at the aliens.
"Symbiote grenades planted," Abby stated, pulling out the next tool. A new high-powered explosive referred to as X-4, specifically designed for destroying established structures. And it would need to be placed in specific places. So they did so, sticking the explosive where the schematics were marked.
"X-4 charges planted," Abby said, looking around. "All of the general assembly is dead."
"Return to exit coordinates," Patricia instructed. "The rest of the teams are finished. Rendezvous at the pre-assigned coordinates."
"Copy," Abby confirmed and they existed that room and made their way back through the floor. Everyone had died now. All that were left were corpses of hundreds of personnel, aides and civilians. At least there were no more sounds.
So they just kept walking, right until they reached the exit and pushed it out and stepped into the cool night air.
It looked so peaceful. The lights of New York City twinkled around her as they made their way to the skyranger waiting for them. The others were there, already boarded.
"Everyone is here,"Patricia confirmed. "Detonating charges."
A rumbling boom reached her ears, and she watched the United Nations Headquarters, seen by some as the symbol of global unity, collapse in front of her in a mix of steel, fire and rubble. The thundering crash was almost deafening, but then faded. With that the skyranger closed the ramp and they lifted up, then spent the journey in silence.
It was done.
The leadership of the United Nations was dead, and the collapse of the rest of it would be inevitable.
And she was a vital instrument of its destruction.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked over to see it came from Patricia, who gave her a small nod. No words needed to be exchanged, Patricia likely knew how she was feeling, and was one who might be able to comprehend the burden all on board this skyranger now felt.
They were XCOM. They did whatever it took to protect humanity, no matter the cost.
Even if their own humanity was sacrificed in the process.
Supplementary Material
The Advent Directive
SECTION 0: Declaration and Overview
Subsection 0.1: Introduction and Purpose
Introduction: With the arrival of extraterrestrial beings to our planet, we recognize that we must adapt to these changes before it is too late. The world has been splintered over various conflicts of religious, political and ideological natures, and ADVENT recognizes that these divisions are detrimental to the future of our species.
We cannot afford to fight one another, human against human. For decades the world had held certain nations, cultures and people on pedestals, yet refused to offer the same to other countries. Ignorance and lying were allowed in the name of freedom. Corruption and broken promises became the laws on the land. The nations of the world were only focused on their own ambitions, not for the greater good of our species
ADVENT rejects these failings and will seek to correct the mistakes of the past and bring our species into the future, united as one voice, one force, and one power. ADVENT will not uplift some countries while leaving others behind; all are equal and have one voice from which to voice the needs of their nation.
Ignorance will be replaced with knowledge, and those who intentionally attempt to deceive or lie will no longer be tolerated. The leaders of the world will be held accountable for their decisions, and corruption and greed will be purged from the governing body of ADVENT. Most important of all, there will be a singular vision that all in ADVENT share: The prosperity, security, and advancement of humanity.
Purpose: The goals of ADVENT are to enact the three core tenets of ADVENT: Prosperity, Security and Advancement.
Prosperity: Under ADVENT, citizens will no longer need to fear living without basic human necessities. All have a place within ADVENT, be that as a private citizen or in service to the State. Schooling will be free, allowing children to follow their purpose without fear of crippling debt. Medicine and healthcare will be provided to those who require it, and in time, the ills of poverty will be reduced to nothing. Law-abiding citizens under ADVENT will have a quality of life far beyond what they have experienced before, and ADVENT is dedicated to seeing this become a reality.
Security: Under ADVENT, citizens will be protected from threats beyond simply petty crime. The ADVENT Peacekeepers will no longer be a reactionary form or law enforcement, but one that proactively hunts down major threats to the State and its citizens. Dissent which poses a violent threat to the ordinary citizen will no longer be tolerated and will be put down and will help actively suppress dangerous ideologies.
ADVENT Peacekeepers will receive highly specialized training, and will have oversight from military, internal and civilian branches to prevent abuses of power, all abuses of which will be taken seriously in our goal to truly protect the citizens under ADVENT. Criminal justice will no longer be a process that takes years, and judgements will be handed down based on evidence, facts and science, not fear, wealth or public opinion. Prisoners will no longer simply be a burden on the taxpaying citizen, but will become a productive force utilized by the State for maximum efficiency.
Furthermore, the ADVENT military will protect its citizens from the greater threats, be they alien or terrestrial. ADVENT soldiers will be highly trained and drawn from the best our society has to offer, and will be the most advanced military force on this planet. ADVENT's military leaders will no longer be bound by decisions of international bodies, but will be free to defend ADVENT's citizens the best that it can with no fear of international condemnation. ADVENT will not tolerate systemic abuses of power by foreign nations on its citizens, and will intervene at the discretion of ADVENT's military body, and the Chancellor of ADVENT.
Advancement: Under ADVENT, there will be no dismissal or ignorance of the sciences which propel our species forward. Various scientific groups will be funded for both military and civilian purposes, and will all have the underlying goal of increasing the overall quality of life for all citizens in ADVENT.
Renewable solutions, genetic engineering, cloning, disease and medical research will all be initiatives undertaken and supported by the ADVENT, be they independent or State-sponsored. Military initiatives undertaken will be enhanced weaponry, chemical warfare and cleanup, and alien biological analysis and utilization.
It is also understood by ADVENT that scientific advancement comes with certain risks and needs, which is why ADVENT will fully support the usage of animal and specific human testing to help refine and improve the various projects undertaken within ADVENT, all of which will be heavily monitored to prevent unethical experimentation. In addition, scientists under ADVENT will not have certain projects restricted based on ethics, resources or apparent legality as all projects will first be approved by the ADVENT Research and Development agency.
Table of Contents:
SECTION 0: Declaration and Overview
SECTION 1: Organization and Structure
SECTION 2: ADVENT Congress of Nations
SECTION 3: ADVENT Judicial Courts
SECTION 4: ADVENT Executive Branch
SECTION 5: ADVENT Agencies
SECTION 6: ADVENT Intelligence
SECTION 7: ADVENT Peacekeeping Division
SECTION 8: ADVENT Military
SECTION 9: Relations with Foreign Nations
SECTION 10: Guidelines for Extraterrestrial Civilizations