//------------------------------// // Chapter 60: Changes // Story: XCOM: Ranger // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// Ranger Chapter 60: Changes By Wanderer D In a way, the mission really reminded Sunset of the time they had rescued The Commander, only this time, she wasn't trying to blend in with the public. There were two token guards at the front; regular troopers too, indicating that ADVENT had no idea they were coming. 'Hold on tight, Twilight.' Sunset thought, analyzing the situation. She watched people leave the building, giving her a clear view of the inside. There was a central reception desk, with a regular human attending, and a single additional guard standing next to the elevators. She looked up, above the guards and noticed the cameras. She turned to look at Jane, and motioned with her head. Jane took a look and smirked. "They're not wired. This will be easier." They had to crouch down as some civilians approached. Thankfully their position covered them as the small group continued on their way, but Sunset was already relaying orders. Out of sight, Sunset turned to face them, pressing her back against the separator they were using to keep in cover. She signalled Jane first, she made an L with her left and right thumbs and index fingers, moving her right index up and down twice, then slid her hand across her throat. Jane nodded. Sunset turned to Laetitia, then pointed right, then herself, and pointed left. She then pointed at Jane again and made a jabbing cut, straight down with her hand. The two nodded and the trio braced themselves. Jane sent her GREMLIN out, flying above the street to hover near the cameras. From their location, Jane concentrated on her pad, ready to run the appropriate commands. She bit her lip, she had accessed the network and she could not only deactivate the cameras, but also there was a chance of getting some additional information… She glanced at Sunset and sighed. If it was a normal mission she'd risk it, but they had friends at risk right now, and she'd be damned if they all got caught because she was greedy. She ran her protocols, disabling the machine and managing to collect some data with a possible location for an ADVENT base… they would have to analyze it later. She looked up at Sunset and nodded. "Bravo, this is Alpha," Sunset called into the comms. "Cameras are out. Starting operation." "Understood," Mox's voice came from the other end. "We are ready to drop in as well." "Report when you infiltrate the building." Sunset turned to look at her team and nodded. Immediately Sunset and Laetitia burst out of cover, with Jane hot on their heels. The two ADVENT troopers barely had a moment to register what was happening before one took a machete to the face, and the other was skewered by energy blades. The automatic doors were just sliding open when Jane barged through, Sunset and Laetitia each grabbed their downed opponents and half-turned around the open doors and into the building, dragging the corpses with them inside. By the time they were down and aiming on covering fire, Jane had slid behind the desk and shot the guard in front of the elevator, who had taken too long to react. Not bothering to check on the dead body, she walked around the reception desk, pushing the crouched civilian aside. "We have infiltrated the building," Mox reported. "Roger that, locking it up." Jane's  fingers danced on the keypad, then she glanced at the panicking man next to her. "Get out of the building now." The man ran out, casting fearful glances at the downed troops, and just after he had abandoned the building, thick, metallic doors slammed down over each and every window and entrance in the building. The lights turned off and the emergency lights kicked in. Jane ran towards the elevators, pulling out a device from her backpack. "Help me with the doors!" Leaving Laetitia on overwatch, Sunset ran over and took hold of the opposite door that Jane was already pulling on, and pulled. The doors were forced open, and Sunset had to place her back against one, and plant her foot on the other so they wouldn't close again automatically. Jane smirked, pressing up a few buttons on the package. "EMP going down…" she quipped, dropping it into the shaft. It didn't fall far, and they could clearly see the blinking light warning them it was activated. "Bravo, we've dropped the parcel, heading to pick up the package," Sunset called in. "Acknowledged, we'll see you there." When the lights went red, Twilight knew things had started. "Kevin?" she called, getting close to the corner again. "Kevin? Can you hear me? I think they came for us… keep your hope alive." There was no response. Twilight fidgeted. The other rookie had occasionally made random noises. Shufflings and little bumps of boots against metal, but there had been no more words. No sounds, either of consciousness or even panic. With the reaction he had had earlier… what he had done… Twilight was very worried about her friend. She had never experienced something like that complete of a panicked meltdown. Even in the videos they had seen of soldiers panicking and losing control, it had never been so self-destructive… She bit her lip. She heard a shuffle. "Kevin?" "I-I can't…" his voice sounded odd. Slurred. She heard a small bump, then a squeak as if something wet had been dragged on a dry surface. More shuffling. "Kevin? What are you doing?" "I-an't… things-seen—I-c-can't..." She heard a sudden sound, like something soft slamming into metal, followed by a dull thud. "Kevin?" Twilight whispered. No response. After listening to Sunset's explanation in the aircraft, Annette had to wonder at how things had changed. The old XCOM would have never accepted Sunset. The moment Bradford or anyone at all would have laid eyes on her, she would have been killed if she was lucky… if not… she would be knocked out, dragged to Vahlen, interrogated… an attempt would have been made to scan her, and when the psi-op inevitably died of that, she would have been split open and studied to use those abilities for the benefit of XCOM and mankind. The idea that she could possibly be an innocent from another would have never crossed their minds as grounds to halt inhumane treatment of the non-humane. It wasn't that XCOM was evil… it's that they thought they had a chance to win only with desperate measures. It had taken betrayal and utter defeat for things to change… and Chrysalis had adapted incredibly fast to this fact, no doubt thanks to the 'original' Sunset Shimmer. Now they had half-aliens, interdimensional unicorns… alien-melded psionic soldiers… it was a new world. When Mox and Elena had heard Sunset's story, they had been quiet for some time… she didn't need to be a psychic to see the worry in Sunset's eyes. The Lieutenant really cared about her friends and their opinions of her… but Elena's question had made the night. "So…" Elena had looked up from where she had been contemplating her rifle. "What do unicorns taste like?" Even now it made her smile. "Enemies?" Elena asked, and Annette returned to the present. Things were going well with the infiltration so far. But this being an XCOM mission, it was bound to go to hell soon. Annette kept a "bubble" of sorts around her, which knocked out civilians as they moved. It wouldn't do to have XCOM attack an office building and have non-military ADVENT personnel die if it could be avoided. They had descended several levels already, and by her reckoning they should be close to Twilight's position. She dared not however, scan the building and risk brain damage by inadvertently brushing Sunset or Twilight's minds. She signaled Mox, who dodged into a room and quickly dispatched a captain who had been lying in wait. Elena's rifle eliminated another ADVENT soldier just as he ran down the corridor towards them. So far they had encountered little serious resistance: she could detect anyone approaching early and inform Mox and Elena of this. What one of Elena's shots didn't take down, Mox's blades surely did. And if they both failed… well, none of them were equipped to deal with her. They took the stairs, descending to the next level. She glanced at Mox, shaking her head at his inquisitive tilt of the head. The Skirmisher hadn't even needed to use his Bullpup to take down anyone. Speaking of which… "Civilians in that room," Annette said, pointing at the room to the left. "Unconscious now. But be ready… Aria is coming." Elena frowned. "Who?" "I believe that is what Sunset called one of the Chosen once," Mox said, reading his gun. "The Assassin." "Well, well, well," a voice said as the Assassin emerged from thin air. "Annette Durand." She grinned. "I thought you were dead. I haven't seen you since… about twenty years ago." She tilted her head. "You look different." "You two move ahead," Annette said to Mox and Elena. "Aria and I have something to settle." "Don't call me that name," Aria hissed, then glared at Mox. "Ah. Betrayer. I will skewer you today for daring to cross my path!" Before the Assassin had a chance to move towards the Skirmisher, Annette had already slammed into her with inhuman speed, waves of psionic power enveloping them both as they crashed through the walls into a large meeting room. Annette used her increased strength to kick the Assassin across the room. Aria skidded over the long table crashed painfully into the chairs at the end. But that wasn't enough, the psi-op was already running after her, rifle at the ready. But it was not to be a quick kill, growling in defiance, Aria backflipped into a standing position and stomped down, letting out a psychic blast that slammed into Annette, throwing her hard against a column. Annette barely had time to desperately block the sword thrust with her rifle, which was torn apart by the vicious attack. In the same movement where Aria broke the rifle, she twisted in place, slamming her boot into Annette's stomach. But the psi-op wasn't just about to take two hits for free. Just as she received the kick, Annette's psionic energy gathered in a short burst of energy that smashed into Aria's chest, creating a micro explosion between them that cracked all the windows in the office… maybe even the whole floor and sent them both into the air. The pair rolled on the floor, and got up slowly, looking at each other. The Assassin laughed, wiping some blood from the corner of her mouth. "It seems you have changed… I hadn't noticed the difference… the eyes, the fangs… I like it." She grinned ferally. "Meld, isn't it?" "Your death, more like," Annetted hissed. She touched her stomach gingerly and glared at her opponent. "You betrayed me, Aria. You and your sisters." The Assassin snorted. "What is it with you XCOM types and loyalty?" She slowly slid her sword out, readying herself for battle as she circled left. "It's a fleeting concept. There is no true loyalty, just cooperation while it benefits you." "We will never see eye to eye on that, Aria." Annette retorted, circling around along with the Chosen. Slowly energy blades formed around her hands; flickering psionic knives… without Templar equipment, she'd never be able to project something like them—but she didn't need to. "If that's what you think, then tell me… where are your friends?" Aria taunted. "Right here," Mox said right behind her, shooting the Assassin point blank in the back. o.0.o End Chapter 60 o.0.o