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

Operation Bone God

Campbell lined the alien up, and a quick shot later, and the alien was put out of its misery. She looked around once again, "Yes, THAT'S the way you do it...."

Gunner patted her on the shoulder, "Alrighty all, let's clean this up. We've done well so far, nobody gets hit. Understood?"

There was a quiet acknowledgment and the team moved forward. It didn't take long to find the remainder of the aliens, hunched together like vultures over a package of some kind. Upon seeing the squad, the four of them scattered.

Campbell managed to injure one as he jumped for cover, and Spark ripped into one right next to it.

Pugh looked over and found an opening, and then looked up to Gunner who was loading a grenade behind some crates on the bed of the truck. Gunner felt the eyes on her and looked up, "You don't need my permission, take the shot!" Pugh leaned over and fired on the unsuspecting alien sending it crashing to the ground.

Gunner followed the shot by firing a grenade into the trio of huddled aliens, all trying to take cover. The acid covered all of them, and the squeals of pain were deafening. Even Spark twitched a bit as he adjusted the volume for external communications.

Just as Pugh uncovered her ears, she saw a streak of metal pass over her head. A few seconds later there was another sharp piercing scream before silence. Bastion came bobbing back through the chaos where Zalewski caught it and held it proudly.

There was a brief lull before the commanding alien began issuing orders. Gunner, on the bed of the truck looked up just in time to see the commander firing her way. She dove to the ground as rounds pierced the crates, sending chunks of fruit and juice all over her. The other alien cried out as well and began firing the same, connecting with one of the crates and sending it crashing on top of Gunner who grunted at the impact.

Covered in alien fruit slime, Gunner stood up and fired back at the commanding officer. The new weapons were really proving nice as the barrage ripped into the thing making sure there would be no return fire. Zalewski, seeing a potential opportunity with one alien left, pulled out the brain sucker and rushed the final alien.

Unfortunately, the alien was ready for anything, and the two struggled over the tiny chip that could be inserted into the alien's skull, sucking out any and all useful information. Gunner looked over to Pugh who was trying to decipher what to do and yelled at her, "Get ready! GET READY!"

Pugh jumped into cover and looked down the empty firing lane. "For what?!?"

The alien tossed Zalewski off of him. It was way too exposed in this position and needed cover. It did what any self-preserving alien WOULD do. It ran.

Right into Pugh's line of fire.

"FOR THAT!!"

Pugh fired, and the magnetic assault rifle round stopped the alien's movement up short and sent it sprawling to the dirt.

The squad looked around. Silence.

Pugh looked over at Gunner, suddenly noting that her face, neck, arms, and even her legs had started to turn a nasty red. "Are....are you okay?"

Gunner looked around wondering who Pugh was talking to before she absent-mindedly scratched her arm. Then she looked down at it.

"You have got to be kidding me...."

She scratched again.

"Ok, hurry and load this stuff up. Pugh, get me something for this itching will you...?"

***

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 2 WEEKS?!?"

The doctor just shrugged. "This is protocol. You had another nasty concussion and we need to keep you around for observation." The doctor looked slightly uncomfortable under Pubentz's scrutiny. She was nearly as smart as he was in medical knowledge and procedures.

Pubentz picked up on the unease immediately, "You just want me around JUST IN CASE that alien did something to my head don't you! The Ranger over there, yes, THAT one, had HALF HIS BODY BURNED TO A BISCUIT CRISP and was then SHOT IN THE BACK, and he's fine... he gets out tomorrow. But ME?!? I get possessed, and SUDDENLY YOU CAN'T TRUST ME?!?"

The doctor looked around uncomfortably again.

"Oh...that Commander is going to get it next time I see him...."

The doctor looked back. "Now THAT kind of talk isn't exactly increasing your odds here Pubentz..." Pubentz grumbled and rolled over in her cot to face the newest occupant of the ward, Gunner. "And what are you in for?"

Gunner was wrapped in bandages around her face, across her chest, and her arms before the covers of the bed gave her some reprieve from prying eyes. Gunner looked over at Pubentz and smiled. She peeled off one of the wraps from her check showing a red blotchy boil. "Apparently I'm allergic to Grizzit fruit, and I seem to have inadvertently bathed in it."

Pubentz laughed. "A bump on the head, and a rash. I can only imagine how long someone would be here that REALLY needed it..."

Gunner looked over at her brother who was already looking nearly as good as new since his last ordeal. "I know. About half the time we do..." Gunner sighed and sat back on her bed. The next few weeks would be painfully boring...