X-Com's Finest (An X-Com 2 play through)

Operation Regal Beast

The replacement of three was the rattling of assault rifle fire. The snake-like reptilian biped was ripped apart and dropped to the ground with little to no fight in it. It was just a moment before the entire cavern exploded in activity. Snake-like bipeds slithered everywhere trying to figure out what had happened. Van Dyke found an opening and cleanly separated the alien's torso from the rest of its body. Pubentz efficiently all but vaporized one with a bolt of electricity. Van Dyke shoved Campbell away back into firing position where Campbell quickly found her sites, targeted one, and simply closed her eyes and fired. Her shaking hands did not seem to affect her aim. The thing exploded as the slug penetrated its center, removing most of the creature's organs from the large hole that was created in its back.

After the initial onslaught, additional snake-men were seen throughout the complex, trying to find cover amidst the newly created chaos. Still shaking, Campbell lined up another one with similar results – removing the creatures arm and shoulder. Pubentz happened to be shooting at the same one, and as the creature fell, Pubentz's shot went high, grounding the electric charge into the stone wall. Central cleanly picked off the last seen one.

"Well, that was refreshing."

Central crept forward and motioned for the team to follow. There wasn't anything else moving other than the twitching death throes of the snakes' tails as the muscles contracted and retracted trying to escape the reality that they were actually dead.

Campbell toed one and scooted back in fright as the tail twitched spastically, trying to snake itself around her ankle. "THAT is disgusting" she groaned as she moved over to the far side behind Van Dyke. Pubentz just stepped over them like they didn't exist, into the blood, guts, and whatever was in her way as she followed Central to the entrance of the next room.

The next room was a lab of sorts. Large holographs spiraled ten feet into the air depicting some kind of snake-man hybrid. Recordings from the doctor mentioned that these were being grown or created and the doctor mentioned how much she had admired the sophistication of not just the process, but of the end results as well. These creatures were apparently able to communicate with each other telepathically, almost in a hive-mind kind of state. It wasn't all that much different than what was being discovered upon the Avenger – what happened to those souls who voluntarily found themselves in the indoctrination centers.

Pubentz actually found the idea a bit fascinating. Her newly found expertise in medical knowledge allowed her to appreciate the techniques being used here on a whole new level. As long as it wasn't trying to kill her.

The squad quickly moved info defensive positions as Central slowly made his way into a large common room. A trio of snake men rushed the defensive position but were quickly taken down. It was almost routine. The rest of the team quietly made their way into the large cavern. Outside of the dripping of water from the ceiling, there wasn't anything moving.

Campbell looked around, her knuckles white around Bonnie, "It's entirely too quiet around here."

That's all it took as the hissing seemed to come from all directions at once. Snake men slid from the cracks in the walls, dropped down from the ceiling, from under rocks, from EVERYWHERE. Suddenly, the squad was surrounded by these snake-men. Van Dyke simply pulled out a grenade and flipped it across the broken wall she was hiding behind, sending bits and pieces of a pair of snakes in all directions. Pubentz quickly reloaded and dead aimed her shot into the nearest snake-man, sending it into further electric spasms. Campbell moved up next to Van Dyke, and her hands were too shaky so she pulled out her pistol and fired, killing a snake-man who was hissing in her direction.

Central, taking stock of the situation, noted that one of the snake-men was apparently much sturdier, older, and stronger maybe, and slipped around the back of the indoor lab to get a better shot. The noise he made summoned another eight snake-men from all over, including behind the team.