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

Operation Hellborn Vagabond

Bastion chirped happily.

The rumbling of a gunship could be heard descending outside the room. The General, realizing that the time to exit was NOW, began using what power of motion he had left to race for safety. The Ranger got up, pointing at the General, "KILL HIM! NOW!" He was the target of opportunity after-all. Unfortunately for him, the general had to run right past Gunner who'd already been setting up. With a whirring from her mini-gun, she rattled away, sending a hail of gunfire in the general's direction. The general was nicked several times, sending him to the ground once again, bleeding from a multitude of new punctures.

Campbell and the Ranger both saw the chance and jostled each other for a position. The jostling caused both shots to miss widely. They glared at each other. This wouldn't be the last they talked of this. Zalewski came rushing into the room, "I GOT HIM! I GOT HIM!" He lined the shot up, but his weak shoulder slumped, and his shot fell far, far short...

Gunner just sighed. Whirring up her mini-gun again, she simply walked through the room as the general scrambled backwards. It didn't matter. As the mini-gun finally began to fire, there was no place left to go. When Gunner finished (and she was out of ammo), Gunner lifted off the trigger. The Ranger, Zalewski, and Campbell were all next to her, examining the meaty pulp that was once a living alien.

She looked around. "Alrighty, anyone hungry?"

***

The Engineer looked around the Skyranger. The squad was cordial enough, but the looks they gave her were almost sorrowful. She couldn't figure it out. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Did I do something wrong?"

That seemed to break the spell as they all blinked quickly, but then looked away. The sniper named Campbell finally answered, "Well, we've had an incident...or two, where the people we've saved have met an unfortunate end...."

The Engineer looked up alarmed.

"You're going to kill me?!? Torture me? Perform tests of some kind?!?" She began trying to get out of her safety harness.

The sniper just sighed and looked at the ground. "Worse. You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." The engineer kept struggling. "Relax, there's nothing you can do about it now. Just hope you get lucky, and you'll be fine."

The Skyranger slowed and came to an abrupt stop on top of the Avenger. The Engineer looked around fearfully as the soldiers disembarked. Her imagination was playing through a hundred different scenarios about where she was going, what they were going to do, and how she was going to escape. The Ranger grabbed her arm and began walking her down the ramp.

As Campbell walked past Shen, she asked, "Where's Gill?"

"Prepping for another assignment."

Campbell just laughed and looked back at the engineer, "It's your lucky day! Go with Shen and you're good to go. Welcome aboard."

***

Pugh carefully opened the door. The disturbed air stirred up another miniature cyclone sending dust in all directions causing Pugh to wince, both her hands white around the grip of her weapon. Halverson walked up beside her, and simply kicked the door in. After nearly a decade of nonuse, the door nearly shattered and the booming of the door against the inside of the small store was loud against the otherwise silent afternoon.

Halverson strode in, her rifle across her back and pistol still in its holster. She took a quick glance around. Pugh slipped up beside her, "Maybe we should be a little quieter while we're here. There might be something dangerous here...." Pugh's knuckles were still white. Halverson looked her up and down. "You really ARE still a rookie aren't you... What could POSSIBLY be dangerous out here?"

In the distance, they heard it. "KIIIIIITTTTY...."

Halverson paused, then looked back at Pugh. "I stand corrected. There IS something dangerous out there!" Pugh just rolled her eyes. And then she felt it, the tiny legs that ever so slowly crawled their way across the back of her neck... Pugh paled slightly, sweat beginning to run in rivulets down her forehead as she tried to control her breathing and slowly move her hands up to her neck. The control lasted only a moment.

"SPIDER! IT'S A SPIDER! GET IT OFF ME! GET IF OFF ME!" Pugh dropped her weapon and frantically tried to get the arachnid off her neck.

Corbin walked in looking down at her list, "In the depot, I found..." She looked up just as Pugh ripped off her helmet, threw it to the ground and frantically rubbed her hands through her hair. "It's laying eggs in my hair! IN MY HAIR!" Corbin looked up to Halverson who looked back at her with all seriousness before nodding. "A spider."

Corbin looked back up to Halverson and was about to speak when they heard another voice at the door. "Did anyone find Kitty?"

Corbin just shook her head. She was about to speak again, but Pugh had dropped to the ground and had started wrestling with her boots... "IT'S IN MY SHOE! IT'S IN MY SHOE!"

Corbin just looked around. "I give up. I'm just taking what I found back to the Skyranger. If anyone wants to return, they are free to join me..."

Halverson smirked and grabbed a case of dried smoked sausage in one hand and Pugh with the other, one boot on, one boot off.

Gill looked around the small store, "Kitty?" Her eyes suddenly shone and violet beams slowly surveyed the otherwise dim room, over the long-forgotten counter, across mostly emptied shelves, and dust covered floors, searching for any signs of Kitty. She found none. As she left, she carefully shut the fractured door, not noticing the cat that had been watching her from the shadows the entire time.