XCOM: Resist

Chapter 40-The End

Asaru is tossed across the room, smashing into one of the Ethereal statues and it crumbles around him. Gorva, now in full control of Damian, radiants a red glow over his host as several Avatars with a purple glow stand ready behind him. "How did you expect to defeat us brother," Grova asked and Asaru looks to the XCOM operatives who had followed him through. They were barely holding their ground near the barrier as more and more aliens poured through portals. "You are one when we are many. You are young while we experienced. We can control our gift," a psionic rift appears in his hand then crushes it in his fist, "you can barely stand on your own. Our Empire in vast, more powerful than the force left here. The outcome of this battle is pointless. In time, XCOM will die out and we will regain control."

"You think Humanity will follow you again," Asaru shakily stand, cradling his arm and a slight limp, "we showed them the truth of what is happening. They will never allow such a thing to happen."

"They will," Gorva states, "it's happened many time before. Dive into the memories of you previous lives. Look at what Shamash and Mosaic accomplished. What's to stop us from using it against those apes?"

"XCOM," the glow around Asaru intensifies, "XCOM defeated Origin and shut down Mosaic before. I assisted them and I will continue to do so." A Void Rift starts to manifest around the Avatars and Gorva raises an arm to protect himself.

At XCOM HQ, Bradford and many of the base personnel prepare for an imminent attack. "This isn't like 20 years ago people," he readies his cannon as the base automated defences spring up, "let's show these aliens what XCOM is made of!" The operatives cheer as the forward team rush out to defend the outside while the rest set up their last line of defence. All across the outside, salvaged aircraft and artillery shoot down the Advent transports and UFOs approaching the base.

Bradford was about to join them when Vahlen grabs him. "Let them take care of it," she said and he looks are her oddly, "you're injured and far better as a tactical advisor."

"I won't sit idly," Bradford said as he brushes her off his shoulders, "not again."

He turns to see Vahlen pull out her rocket launcher and a visor cover her eyes. "Then you better save some for me," she said and the two join the fight.

The Psionic Rift vanishes leaving only Gorva standing. He had ejected from Damian's body which was slumped on the ground. Asaru left the Avatar and it turned to him. "I'll deal with the Elders," Asaru said, "you protect your people. Commander."

The Avatar nods and teleports away. The two Ethereals face each other and Gorva makes the first strike, deflecting off Asaru. Psionic energy engulfed the entire sanctum as the two being battled each other. "Face it brother," Gorva taunts as the two are locked in conflict, "you cannot beat me. I am Advent!"

"And I am XCOM," Asaru shouts back and Gorva feels a burning sensation. He looks down to see on of the glass pod shattered then turns to see the Avatar turning to fire at another, making him weaker. "While you and the others are tethered to your pods," the Avatar destroys another and Gorva falls, his limbs fading, "I am tethered to the Commander."

"Then you will both die," Gorva, with the last of his strength, sends out a pulse and the Avatar grips at its heads dropping its weapons.

Sudden spikes in the Commander's vitals flare and Tygan quickly looks over the data. "What's happening," Lily asked worriedly as the stasis suit started to flail on the table, "I'm pulling him out."

"No," Tygan stops her as the flailing stops and the reading become normal, "have faith Lily." Lily didn't like that but backed away from the systems, looking back towards the Psionic Gate as it began to fluctuate.

The pain to the Avatar subsides and it looks up to see Asaru forcing down upon Gorva. "You will regret this brother," Gorva strains to say.

"I am not your brother," with those final words, Gorva vanishes and one of the pods go dark, collapsing on itself. The aliens fighting the XCOM operatives suddenly fall and the barrier separating them vanishes. They regroup in the main chamber.

"Commander," the radio crackles and the Avatar responds to it, "I'm getting abnormal readings from the Psionic Gate. Whatever you did destabilised the Network. Get out before it is too late."

"You heard it people," Asaru yells, re-entering the Avatar, "get to the..." at that moment the Psionic Gates all around shut down.

"Try it again," an operator yells from the other side and suddenly the Gate activates, "nice job."

"Wasn't anything on our end," a soldier tasked with guarding the portal yells after getting confirmation from the engineers present. Operatives started to come through and medical staff hurried to treat them. "No sign of the Avatar."

Asaru tried his best using the powers of the Avatar to sustain the connection. Once the last operatives were through carrying Damian, he leaves the Avatar and looks at it. "I can keep it open for a little while," he said, "but you need to go now!"

The Avatar lowers their arms and rushes for the Gate only to fall to their knees and it deactivate. The room suddenly get's darker and several Ethereals appear, all concentrating their energy on the Avatar.

Vital signs are all over the place and the stasis suit begins to flail again. "What's going on," Lily asked, more concerned than the last time.

Tygan quickly drops whatever he was doing and rushes over to the Commander. "It's the Elders," he said as a purple glow started to resonate from it, "they're overwhelming our link. Enveloping the Commander's consciousness. We pull him now and he dies."

"We will reclaim what has been given," the Elders say in unison as the stream of Psionic energy starts to wrap around Asaru, pulling him towards them, "we will be whole once more."

Rose and Eliza rush into the lab to stand by the Commander. Rose places a hand on the stasis suit, adding her Psionic energy to it. "Chailux," she mutters and the purple starts to be replaced by blue.

The Avatar overcomes the Psionic energy and releases a burst of its own, surprising the Elders and releasing their grips on Asaru. "No," they shout in unison, "your victory here means the end for all others. It will follow you as it followed us." The stream of blue Psionic energy started to push back the purple. "You are not ready. We must not fail!" A burst of blue and purple and the chamber bursts, filling with water from all sides.

Rose falls backwards and Eliza catches her. She pulls the metal visor off of her mother's eyes to see her once blue eyes turn bright purple. The glow around the stasis suit vanishes and Tygan pulls off the mask. The heart monitor wasn't picking up anything and medical staff were called in. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as they cut through the material and took the Commander away.