Chap13: The Coming Storm
-China, Location classified.
The four X-com soldiers in a mix of Hercules and Alloy armour moved through the innumerable tombstones in the cemetery that were packed almost like a staircase in square quadrants to allow each person their own final resting place. The Chinese X-com team had been under staffed after losing several of their team mates against Floaters on one of the new Sky scrapers being built in the city.
“Are you sure about this, sir?” asked Lieutenant Chekov as he crouched down near a large headstone and looked over to see their contact, Zhang, awaiting them patiently with two of his own guards. In his left hand he had a small suitcase handcuffed to his wrist.
“I already know you’re here. That new armour of yours is somewhat too shiny,” Zhang said as he signalled the two men he knew were loyal, to follow him.
The X-com commander nodded to his men and they rose out of their hiding places and slowly treaded to the three Triad members. The X-com agents stopped several meters short of the Triad and the commander removed the tint from his visor so Zhang could see he was speaking to a fellow Chinese citizen.
“Do you have the package?” asked the commander.
“Right here,” Zhang said, eyes focused on the commander as he lifted a small briefcase, the device inside going crazy and beeping as something approached.
“Now, about my payment, I would like amnesty for all my past crimes and, to be one of you.”
The Chinese X-com commander was taken aback by the request.
“Why would you want to be in X-com?”
“Consider it a form of redemption, seeing big ships over your home blasting your neighbours into piles of smoldering ashes really puts everything into perspective,” he said while not adding how it made him feel powerless, and there was nothing he hated more than that.
“Alright, give me the package and we will consider your-“
“Look out!” Shouted Zhang as he slipped a small handgun out of a shoulder holster hidden in his jacket and pulled the trigger, the bullet racing out of the barrel at sonic speeds as it struck a Sectoid that had been sneaking up behind the group.
“Ambush!” shouted Chekov as he raised his XM9 and fired wildly at a dark figure that was coming at them through the shadows. All he could see were the small glowing orbs on the creature’s body.
“We need pick up!” shouted the commander into his communicator as he held up his Scattergun and fired a laser like shotgun blast into the dark figure. The shot illuminating it enough to see the spiderlike monster mere seconds before it jumped on top of Chevok, knocking him to the ground before one of its large pincer like legs raised high and drove through Chekov’s gun and into his heart, punching through his Hercules armor as if it were paper.
Chekov let out a gurgle of a cry as his chest was punctured and he soon collapsed from the massive destruction of his heart, blood oozing out of his chest wound. But before the thing could get to work on his corpse, the X-com and triad members opened up.
“Man down!” shouted the X-com team’s sniper as she fired a blast of laser fire into the new monster’s head, bringing it down for a second before it twitched wildly and began moving towards the group.
“Fire, you idiots!” Zhang shouted as he continued to fire his pistol and his two guards opened up on it. One guard was firing an AK-47 while the other had a small Skorpion vz.61 sub machine gun. The bullets struck the alien as it dashed towards them as if nothing else in the world mattered, the bullets making quick pops and spurts of goop as they struck the alien’s carapace, punching through the exoskeleton. Finally just when it was mere feet from the humans they finally brought the spider down in a spray of green bodily fluids that seeped from its injuries and pooled around it, soaking into the ground beneath it and tainting the resting place of many.
“Look, there is no time for negotiations. We need to move,” Zhang shouted as he slapped a new magazine into his pistol, not noticing the stealthy movements of two Thin-men with plasma pistols.
“To the right!” shouted the X-com sniper as she fired one laser round, melting through the head of a Thin-man while one of Zhang’s guard’s finished off the other one with a full burst of automatic rifle fire.
“Zhang, keep close,” said the X-com commander as finally they could hear the sound of jet engines overhead and a rope ladder was thrown down between the humans. Over them hovered their sky ranger and Zhang went up first as the ships extra crewman fired his spare weapon at more incoming Thin-men to keep them at bay long enough for the rest of the humans to pile onto the chopper.
“Where’s Chekov?” shouted the gunner as he paused for a moment to let the barrel of his gun cool down.
“He’s dead,” replied the commander before he grabbed Zhang by his collar and slammed him rather roughly against a wall of the aircraft.
“Whatever it is you have, better be worth it,” he said to Zhang.
“Don’t worry, all I know is that the aliens have something big coming. And for once we have the drop on them,” Zhang said as the Skyranger closed its rear door and began flying to a regular military base that the Chinese X-com used for cover when one of the pilots began shouting something in English.
“What is wrong?” asked Zhang as he looked to the commander who somehow seemed to understand the language with great ease.
“Looks like we’re too late. The aliens are invading America again, South America is on fire and….” The commander paused as he held a hand to his helmet, listening to what his intel officer was saying.
“Something massive is heading to Hong Kong.”
-Crow’s nest.
The entire base was buzzing with activity as personnel ran about in a panic, trying to find out what was going on, how they could help, or to check on their families. Central was in the Situation Room helping the local military against the aliens.
“No, the really skinny guys spit acid too, but it’s more like a gas. Yes I know it sounds insane but you have to trust me. Give all of your men gas masks and have decontamination showers ready,” Central said as he tried to get the American National Guard to listen to him while he also typed on computer in contact with the other two USA X-com units and one Canadian unit that was offering to send their Interceptors to help keep the air under human control.
“Sir!” said an aide who had come bursting into the room, his body covered in sweat and exhaustion clear on his face.
“I’m busy, what is it!?” Central shouted back as he took off his headset.
“The Laser Squad is back.”
“Fine, let the others handle it. I have to handle bigger stuff,” Central said and began talking to the National Guard again. He didnt mean to sound like an asshole to the crewman who only wanted to aid the base by being a message runner while the interbase communications systems were reserved for emergency messages. But due to the recent second invasion attempt Bradford was on edge, his stomach was a nest of boa constrictors that continuously tightened on his body. He felt as if his worst fear had come true, X-com had failed and the aliens were back in lethal force.
But despite this fear he planned to do everything in his power to at least slow down the invasion, to at least feel he did something worthwhile to the cause.
-Hangar bay.
“I need this bird refuelled now! Someone bring us some new Med-kits here now!” shouted Cotton into the busy mass of personnel as someone brought him and his team water. Trixie collected hers in her magic and began gulping all of it down. She was extremely tired after having spent so much energy in one day.
“Ow, ow, ow,” said Sneaky as he removed his chest plate and rubbed a few cuts and bruises on him.
“Don’t worry, I still have some healing stuff,” said Derpy as she pulled out her last Med-kit and sealed Sneaky’s cuts and took a look at one of his wings where he complained the most of pain.
“Commander!” shouted Doctor Shen as he rushed over, huffing and puffing.
“Commander, have you heard?” he asked.
“Yes, the aliens are making another push, and they hit Las Vegas hard this time.”
“Yes, and a battleship has appeared over China.” That Cotton did not know.
“When?”
“Just a few minutes ago, things are hectic all over, sir.”
“I know,” Cotton said and rubbed his face after removing his helmet. He collected water from a doctor from the med wing and poured some on his face. The noise of everyone around him faded for just a second and the world seemed to freeze. The only thing Cotton could hear was his own heartbeat and his breathing.
' I have to be strong for everyone, or else they will only panic more,Cotton thought and stood back up, suddenly full of energy again.
“Alright, I want the Skyranger refuelled in ten minutes. Ponies, you are staying here with Lewis and Jack to defend the base and provide backup if we fall,” Cotton said as he faced the group, regretting the slight implication he let out about him believing his main team might die in combat, but it was always a possibility.
“Yes, sir!” they said and moved out to get their weapons serviced and have a decon shower. Cotton then put a hand on the communication device attached to his ear and contacted Central.
“Central, I want everyone including the civilian personnel to have at least a pistol by their side, we can’t take the risk of being unprepared. Get the AA weapons online for the base and tell Area 51 to do the same,” he said and hung up before he turned to look at Boris, Chavivi, Sato and Ramos.
“You guys think you are strong enough to keep fighting?” Cotton asked.
“I won’t blame you if you want to back out; the aliens are coming in full force,” he said with a gentle tone in his voice. For the first time in a while there was some silence as the team considered it, but Ramos was the first to stand.
“If we back out now then what will the history books say? I ain’t gonna pussy out because E.T. brought his homies,” Ramos said and slapped a hand against his armor, right where his name was.
Soon the rest of the team stood up and nodded.
“Better to die in battle than live cowering in fear.” Said Sato as he took three med-kits into his bag.
“When my sights are on them, it'll be over before they knew what hit them,” Chavivi said and stroked the S.C.O.P.E on his rifle.
“I am Boris the Bear, and this is my cub,” Boris said with a deep huff as he lifted up his laser MG and slapped its barrel.
“Then lets move, team. Eight minute rest and chow then meet back here,” Cotton said as he walked over to a part of the hangar where he could see M.R.E.s and some more drinks.
Up above, the Interceptors were being refuelled and having their weapons checked. The pilots were itching to go.
“Bloody hell, they dinged the paintjob!” roared Lyons as he looked in anger at the fancy crow he had painted on the side of his fighter, seeing it had been partly burnt off by a plasma blast.
“Not my fault, I told you to watch out for that fighter,” chimed Jones as he took a bite of a donught and hoped he wouldn’t be puking it up soon.
Chelsea was pacing around her fighter as engineers checked the fuselage where she had been grazed by a plasma blast without even noticing.
“Is it bad?” asked the pilot as she felt like pulling her hair.
“Not really, we can fix it pretty quickly,” the lead engineer said as him and his men pulled out power tools to do some swift maintenance on the plane.
“Thank god, if there was ever a time when I needed my bird, its right now,” she said and looked to the area around her when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She turned and noticed a slight flapping noise, like that of a bird testing its wings, slow and gentle, before she looked up and noticed the pegasus hovering above her.
“Um... Hi, Chelsea,” said a blushing Sneaky as he hovered above her, his bleached fur looking almost like he had never had his dye washed out and clashing with the green of his duty shirt that had been nicknamed the ‘pony toga’ by the crew.
“Hi Sneaky, not much time to talk,” she said and looked at her watch. Only five minutes before the Skyranger was to take off.
“Yeah, I know. I just want to wish you, good luck and to be safe,” said Sneaky.
“Pilots don’t say good luck,” Chelsea replied with a friendly slap to his shoulder.
“We say good hunting.”
Sneaky smiled and straightened up.
“Good hunting, Chelsea,” he said and flew off to go and rest up in the lounge, as well as to see how bad the damage was.
-Lounge.
Derpy covered her eyes as images of death and destruction filled nearly every TV channel. She couldn’t bear to look at the horror since it made her fear for her own home as thoughts began to fill her head about the safety of Equestria against these monsters.
She looked around to see Trixie enter and quickly flew out to go to her room. She made sure to glide past other X-com crews as they went about their business when she reached her door which she had lovingly decorated by drawing a muffin on it and writing in Equestrian 'Derpy’s room'. And a helpful lab member working on making a written translation had written the same in English underneath her words.
Derpy pushed a button on the door and watched it slide open to reveal her room. She stepped inside and the holographic window showed the image of clouds floating gently in a big blue sky, while it wasn’t perfect it still reminded Derpy of her home. The cross eyed pony moved to her beanbag chair , which had duck tape on one part because she thought it had actual beans inside, that was located next to a very small desk for the pony. She plopped down on it with a muffled thud and opened a drawer on the desk to begin writing a letter to Dinky and the Doctor.
She didn’t want to think about the possibility, but knew she had to be ready. She picked up a pen in her hoof and began scribbling on the paper, trying her best to make it presentable as she apologized to her daughter a thousand times and told her she loved her twice that. She let a few tears drop onto the paper as she made sure to tell the Doctor to take care of Dinky. She then folded it perfectly and placed it in the center of the desk so that it could be found, hopefully, by anyone who came to investigate her room if she died.
Derpy then put her hooves together to do something she hadn’t done since she was a little filly.
“Dear Celestia, goddess of the sun and ruler of Equestria. Please hear my prayer as I ask you to please guard me and my friends. Guard this place like you guard Equestria. And if I don’t make it…” she began, with tears flowing from her eyes.
“Keep my daughter and boyfriend safe for me.”
-Lounge diner.
“Trixie demands hay and cider!” shouted Trixie as she slammed her front hooves down onto the bar table.
“How many times do I have ta tell ya!” Tony yelled back, who was tired of having to explain the menu to the ponies, since their mainly vegetarian diet required their meals to be special order by one person from area 51 having to go out to local farms and buy hay which was hard to hide from the X-com finance division.
“We don’t have hay yet and we don’t have fucking cider. If there was I'd give it to you so you would shut up,” he said.
“Do not lie to me! I smell it on you,” she said and sniffed him, when in fact she was sniffing his cologne.
“Okay, look. Would you accept it if I made you a sandwich with cheese and lots of lettuce and tomatoes and all the root beer you can take for you to drink?” Tony said.
“Yes that would be acceptable to me,” she said and sat down on the bar stool, nose turned up.
“Fine then. Just be quiet and you will get it,” he said while mumbling he had a knuckle sandwich for desert.
Sneaky flew in soon and looked around.
“where’s Sarge?” he asked as he went over to the couch to see how bad things were.
-Down in the labs.
“I am sorry Rock but we don’t have time to talk about this,” Vahlen said as she checked on samples sent in from South America about the Snakemen, apparently they were a species that was hermaphroditic and required no sexual intercourse to reproduce, and yet the manner in which they kept their genes fresh and prevented them from being mutated remained a mystery.
“I know Doctor, and I am sorry, but I need to know that at least some work is being done about getting me and my friends home,” Rock said as he followed closely behind Vahlen.
“Look, I understand your situation and we are working on it but at the moment we are on hard times.”
Rock sighed at Vahlen and looked at her with a saddened expression.
“I’m sorry, but with all that is happening I am afraid for them,” He said with the worry clear on his face.
Vahlen knelt down and gently pet between the old soldier’s ears.
“I understand your fear, but don’t worry. I swear that when this attack is over I will begin looking into a way to get you home,” she said and Rock nodded, the worry replaced by a smile.
“Thank you, ma’am. I will re-join my fellow ponies and be on alert in case we need to be deployed.” Rock then turned and left the science wing feeling a better sense of trust in his human allies.
Vahlen remained in the labs to work alongside her fellow researchers. She kept herself from worrying by working, she knew that fear would not help her in this situation, the best thing that she could do was to keep working alongside her friends and find a way to better combat the alien invaders. She would rather wish Cotton good luck, but time was precious and she did not want to distract him from his short rest.
“Doctor Vahlen, could you come here for a moment?” asked one of the scientists from the interrogation room.
“I will be right there,” Vahlen said and quickly made her way to and down a small staircase that led to the main science labs right under her own.
“What is it?” she asked the group of researchers now standing around a terminal with readings from the mind probe. One former professor whose name no one could pronounce turned to her.
“I think you should look at the terminal. We were going over some of the images extracted from the Floater we interrogated and we found something,” he said and the group moved back to allow Vahlen to see images flashing on the screen which consisted of another floater, Sato and Sneaky struggling to hold him down and two very clear images of an Outsider and a slightly deformed Sectoid. The final two images seemed to repeat most often.
“We think there may be a connection of some type,” said a female researcher.
“I believe you are correct,” Vahlen said, the gears in her mind already turning.
-Hangar bay.
The ten minutes had passed in the blink of an eye for the human members of the Laser Squad as they re-joined Cotton at the refuelled Skyranger. They had replaced parts of their “Carapace” armor that had been struck by plasma blasts and some of the engineers had taken the liberty of quickly spray painting the flag of each soldier’s home nation onto a panel on their back as well as X-com symbols on their shoulders and breast bone plates. The team had just refueled their bodies with some quick meals and drinks when Cotton stepped up to the group with laser rifle in hand, he looked to them all with their helmets off, making sure to look each man in the eye.
“Gentlemen, you all know the stakes, so no fancy speeches. Our mission is to head into the Las Vegas combat zone and rescue as many civilians as possible, while kicking alien ass at the same time. Remember our motto Vigilo Confidio,” Cotton said and put on his helmet, sealing it as the others did the same and boarded the transport. Several hangar crew members saluted the ship as it took off into the sky.
The Skyranger pilots activated all of the plane’s engines to ensure it would get to Las Vegas in a snap as on each side where the Interceptors to provide cover and deal with any alien ships. The battle for Las Vegas would be tough, but the empire’s forces would be no match for the courage and grit of X-com.
Discord sneered and held his nose to the last sentence.
“You know if I weren’t still in my season 2 form and stuck in stone I would be making planets tango,” Discord said as his other self remained in the fourth dimension, sitting atop the fourth wall and drawing graffiti on it.
“I am so sick of this waiting around,” he said and blew his nose with a cloud.
“Tell you what, my dear readers, how about some mischief?” he said with a smile, his eyes glowing as the scene went dark and Discord was now invisible, aboard the alien command ship.
-Dark Side of the Moon.
Before Discord was the Master Ethereal watching a hologram of the Earth and his forces slowly moving towards areas where there was a high or medium concentration of humans with the gene they sought to steal.
Discord held up an index finger in the shape of a lion’s paw to his lips and winked as he floated towards The Master like a snake through water. He then snapped his fingers and was dressed in the robes of a Sith lord, hood and light saber included. He leaned his lips close to where The Master's ear would have been and began whispering.
“This may not be the best course of action...”Discord said in the Master’s own voice.
“Perhaps I should send my forces to other areas where there is less of the gene so I may diminish the human forces with less risk of killing the ones I seek to capture...” he continued to whisper as the master looked to the hologram of Earth.
“That way we can farm them and build a steady slave race of those with the gift,” the Ethereal said as Discord snickered and made a motion with his left hand, accusing the psychic being of being a jack-off. He then began whispering more while waving his hand like a Jedi mind trick.
“I should send my forces to destabilize the governments of Earth instead of strikes to kill large numbers of humans, perhaps set up a secret base on the planet and put one of my top Sectoids in charge of it... While still doing abductions, even though the humans are shooting my ships down...” Discord said in one breath to the Master Ethereal, almost blowing his cover but with some force he planted the thoughts into the alien leader’s head.
“My masters will be pleased when I bring them not only a Garden class system, but also a large number of the gifted, enslaved and their will to fight broken.” he said and turned effortlessly in the air before floating to his inferiors as Discord pulled out some puppet strings and began talking out of one side of his mouth, sweat dripping from his brow as he applied more force into this magic deprived universe.
“Change the orders, have the rest of the invasion fleet spread pull back from the planet and send two forces to set up bases on the planet. Send the Sectoid who is second in command to a base near the Northern pole, and another to some randomized location,” he said and began working his puppet more, not knowing that the strain against such a strong psychic in his weakened form was draining more energy than Discord could risk, and someone else was sensing it.
-Equestria, Princess Luna’s room.
Princess Celestia had finished speaking to her sister while Discord was distracted, both of them sensing his powers fluctuating. They spoke in whispers as both drew a magic circle around the entire room.
“I trust you know what to do, sister,” Celestia said to Luna.
“Yes, dear sister. It will be done, so long as I am in the circle no one undesirable will know of my actions while I search for our lost ponies. Do you believe you can keep up the façade of my presence still raising the moon and the night?” Luna asked as her sister left the circle and it began to glow. Celestia nodded and locked the door with her magic as two Night guards were joined by two celestial guards to ensure nothing entered the room.
“Now to begin the process. It will not be simple, but I am sure I can double the power to reach the minds of the lost ponies,” Luna said as she stood before a large pool of water and began chanting, hoping that it was night by the time the spell was complete and she could enter the four ponies’ dreams.