XCOM: Second Front

CITIES ACROSS GERMANY EVACUATED IN LIGHT OF UNRELENTING ALIEN ATTACKS;

A NEW COMEDY SHOW MOCKING THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY BECOMES A SMASH HIT;

Rosa stretched on her bed and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and reached for the bedside desk to get her phone. click A ray of light blinded her for a moment as she squinted to look at the screen. 03:22. She groaned and rolled over to her side. As sudden coughing fit overtook her, and she felt how dry her throat was. I need to get some water.

She sat up, stretched once more and stood up. At least, that's what she intended to do. Instead of the carpet tickling her feet, said carpet was now on a collision course with her face. She yelped and planted face-first into the carpet. Shit She rolled over on her back, and tried to stand up.

But she couldn't.

Her legs were numb. How the hell did my legs manage to fall asleep? Didn't think i've put enough pressure. She was cold. Come to think, what day is it today? What year it is? She couldn't move. Where am i? She couldn't feel her legs. What- With a loud snap, her vision went dark. When she opened her eyes, the scenery around her changed and she suddenly felt groggy...

01:30, 21/07/2050 XCOM INFIRMARY

"Look who's waking up! Welcome back to the land of the living, enjoy your bloddy stay." Rosa groaned as she tried to sit up.

"4/10, bland food, stuffed rooms, wouldn't reccome-" She got halfway up, before a bout lightheadedness overtook her and she dropped back into the bed. "Woah, shit."

"Yeah, shit. Slow down there Rosa, we don't want you passing out again." She turned her head to look at the man, and scowled when her gaze fell upon his bandaged torso. Her gaze traveled upwards and stopped on a burn scar covering his left cheek.

"Fuck, you too Adam?" He nodded.

"One green bastard almost got me. An inch closer, and there'd be no one to keep you company, imagine that!"

"What would i do without you..." The man chuckled at that, and reached for a glass of water.

With a sigh, Rosa closed her eyes and rubbed the bringe of her nose. Her left leg itched for some reason, so she tried to scratch it. She felt a pit in her stomach when her hand found nothing where her leg shold've been. She reached for her right leg, and to her horror she found nothing. With a lump in her throat, she turned to the man laying on a hospital bed. "Adam." her voice was ice-cold. "Where are my legs?"

The man's face showed a mix of pity and remorse. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "W-well, the op didn't go as planned, the Berserker beat you up pretty good and-"

"And how the fuck does that equate to me losing my legs!? Last i heard, the doc's here are supposed to be the cream of the crop!" She yelled, oblivious to amount of noise she was creating.

"Your legs looked like used tubes of toothpaste! You're lucky to be alive!" He said, but the woman scoffed at his reply.

"Lucky? Lucky?! I can't walk, can't fight, can't do anything exept lay here!" The lump in her throat made breathing a grueling task. "I'm useless!"

"Don't say that, you're not-" The man began, but was cut off as her rant continued.

"Oh god... Oh god... What are they going to do to me? Keep me here on... palliative care?" She held her face in her hands. "O-or, they'll just dismiss me! Send me to a hospital in Bumblefucknowhere to rot!" Her hands trembled as she mumbled to herself. "I'm so fucked."

The man approached her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Command won't send you away, trust me. And no matter what happens, i won't leave you. No one from Strike One will." Their conversation left the pair oblivious to the outside world. "Plus, prosthetics came a long way in the last couple of years, i'm sure the docs will figure something out."

"That's something i wanted to discuss with miss Guzman." An eledrly voice made both of them turn towards the speaker. A man donning a green jacket, white shirt and black trousers was standing near the doors to the infirmary. A badge with his photo read 'DR. Raymond Shen, Cheif Engineer' His head was mostly bald, and the few hair that remained were gray. A kind smile graced his features as he fixed his glasses. "If i'm not interrupting something, that is."

"It-"

"It's fine, sir." The woman replied, shooting a thankful glance at the soldier. "I'm sure Adam won't be too much of a bother." The engineer shook his head.

"I'm afraid this conversation must be done heart to heart. The topic is quite sensitive, nevermind classified. I hope you understand." He looked at the man, who nodded and left the pair to their own devices. The engineer cleared his throat before speaking. "Now, first i must express my condolences about the whole situation. I'm sorry you had to go through this, and for what its worth, my department is working on new equipment that will, hopefully, prevent things like that from happening again." The woman put on a fake smile, and scratched the back of her neck. She felt a dull pain coming from the place where her legs should've been. "However, i believe my team has come up with a way to... mitigate your condition." He rummaged through his jacket and took out a scratched tablet with an XCOM logo on its back. He fiddled with it and turned the screen towards the soldier.

Multiple schematics of prosthetics appeared on the screen, accompanying a large robotic figure. A bulky frame with metallic arms and legs towerd over a human, whose arms and legs were outstretched. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the screen. "Prosthetics?"

"More than that. A Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit designed to provide an array of both defensive and offensive capabilities on the battlefield." He says the line as if he was in a commercial. "For you, this is a chance to fight once again, as well as live a fulfilling life should XCOM overcome the alien threat." He paused. "However, i must warn you that these capabilities come with certain sacrifices." He said as her eyes drifted over to a certain graphic on the tablet. The one depicting a human figure with dotted lines at the base of each limb. Every few seconds the limbs separated from the body along the lines and faded away before appearing once again. Her eyes grew wide.

"You... You want to amputate my arms?" She said in disbelief. Raymond shook his head.

"We have to. Regrettably, the limbs are not flexible enough to fit into the suit without compromising mobility or defense. Moreover, in order to allow you to interface with the cybersuit, we have to install additional interfaces."

Rosa blined and took a deep breath. "W-what if you just install the legs prosthetics? I can still fight, right?" She looks at the man with hope. She feels a pit form in her stomach as the engineer shakes his head.

"While these prosthetics represent the pinnacle of our technology, they are too stiff to be used in a battle without a suit. If you wish to, we can give you legs, but you won't be deployed into battle."

She lowered her head and looked at her hands. What would she do without them? Be even more of a cripple? She couldn't fight without them... she couldn't fight with them. Shen made it clear - if she refused now, she wouldn't get to see combat. She thought about the future. Best case scenario - the operation would be a success and she would be stationed here for further research, or demoted to base security. Her brows furrowed at the thought. She respected each and every blueshirt there, but she couldn't bear to work there knowing that others were risking their lives. And she preferred not to think of a worst-case. She took a deep breath and looked at the elder man.

"If... if i agree to the procedure, will i be able to have kids?" The man was in thought for a moment before replying.

"I don't see why not. The operation is envasive, but it will not impact your reproductive system."

"If i accept, how long would it be until i'm ready to deploy?" She asked, watching the man intently.

"Hard to say," Raymond scratched his chin "including the post-operational training i'd say about a week."

Rosa knew what she needed to do.

The sound of scribbling on a chalkboard filled the room. A smell of rot permiated the room as multiple garbage bins were overflowing with waste. Containers of leftover chinese food and pizza boxes littered the floor, tables were stacked with notes unintelligible to everypony, but their owner. Near the chalkboard stood a wooden table with an ornate box incrusted with numerous gems lying on its top. The box was empty, its contents lying near the container. Each fixed to a pedistal and covered by a glass case, were the Elements of Harmony.

A tired looking pony finished writing on the board and turned to the Elements. Her violet mane was disheveled and dirty, with knots of hair peppered throughout the whole thing. Her purple coat was stained in various places with remnants of food. Approaching the table, one of the cases lit up and opened. A golden tiara flew up to the pony and stopped a few inches from her muzzle. Twilight squinted and concentrated on the spell she wanted to conjure. The tiara started glowing as the air was filled with a smell of ozone. A glint of hope appeared in Twilight's eyes as the crown vibrated with magical energy. Her eyes were wide when the crown stopped vibrating and froze in place. That glint died the moment the tiara fell on the table.

Twilight stared blankly at the headgear, before grabbing it with her magic. "Why? Why are you doing this? Equestria is in danger, can't you see it?" She pleaded with the lifeless trinket. "It needs your help, we need your help!" A knock on the door went unnoticed. "The ponies need us right now! So WHY. WON'T. YOU. WORK?!" A sound of a door opening grabbed Twilights attention and she turned to the doorway, throwing the Element towards it. "NOPONY'S ALLOWED IN-"

"We're afraid we'll have to circumvent this rule, Twilight Sparkle." Anything she wanted to say died in her throat as she looked over the intruder. Her dark blue coat along with the briliant blue mane shimmering with the light of a billion distant stars and galaxies made it hard to not recognise her. Still, it took Twilight a hot second to snap out of her stupor.

"Princess Luna? I'm sorry i shouted at you, i didn't expect anypony to come here..." Luna set the tiara on the table an approached Twilight.

"Worry not, Twilight. Tis' a hard time for everypony, and we understand you're hard at work." She hugged her friend.

"Thank you, Princess." She put the tiara back under the glass. "I don't want to sound rude, but... why are you here?"

"My sister would like to discuss something with the both of us," She motioned her wing towards the door, and Twilight followed. "she wished to do so in the privacy of her own chambers, so i suggest we make our way there swiftly."

Twilight nodded and feel in step alongside Luna. Twilight would never admit it, but she always felt on edge in the darkness of the castle's corridors. She wasn't easily scared, but the empty corridors with monstrous collumns and grand, unsecured windows made her feel uneasy. She must've began trembling, because she felt Luna's wing cover her withers.

"Fret not, Twilight. Whatever our sister wants to share, we can handle." Twilight took a deep breath as they stopped in front of a massive golden door.

"Perhaps, it will be good news? Its about time we got a lucky break." The purple alicorn said, looking hopefully at the Princess of the Night, who shook her head.

"We admire your optimism." Luna opened the door. "Nevertheless, hope for the best but prepare for the worst."

Celestia was leaning on the table in the center of the room, her back turned to the pair. Her celestial mane wasn't flowing, but was rather combed into a ponytail. Her ears perked up as she noticed the pair and turned her head towards them. "Sister, Twilight, I'm glad you've come by on such short notice." She beckoned them to the table. "We've important matters to discuss."

The group gathered around the table and i sparkled to life with a plethora of images. Most of them were scenes of battle with either humans or mechanical alien forces. One of the pictures stood out, and Twilight's eyes went wide when she recognised the pony it depicted. A yellow-coated pony with a pink mane. Before Twilight could say something, Celestia spoke up.

"Have your studies of the Elements been succesful?" She addresed her ex-student with a tired glare. Twilight winced at the question.

"I-i... no. No they haven't." She sighed. "No matter what me and my friends try, the Elements refuse to cooperate!" She tapped the ground nerviosly. "I don't know what we're missing, save for..."

"Kindness?" Twilight winced once again. She didn't like when ponies remembered that monkey-loving traitor. "I've looked into the problem myself, and have come to the unfortunate conclusion that the Elements won't work if the Bearers aren't present." Her horn lit up with a golden aura. "All of them." All images but one faded away. A block of text with various information about the pony popped up.

"Information provided by a reputable source indicates that Kindness is being held in one of the secure military bases in Argentina." The picture of said landmass appeared on the map, a red dot was placed on it.

"Reputable source? What kind of reputable source?" Luna interjected, and a hint of annoyance appeared on Celestia's features for a second.

"One we can trust, i assure you," She retorted "one that will be revealed in due time. Now, if there are no more questions... " She waited a little to see if any questions arose. "The base is heavily guarded, but not impenetrable." Photos of high fences and guards mid patrol flooded the map, along with blueprints of the base. "Twilight, a set of blueprints are being delivered to your chambers as we speak." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I am tasking you, along with Luna, with devising an attack plan and overseeing its execution."

"I-i'm not sure if i'm up to the task..." Twilight stammered and began trotting in place. "There's so much to account for i-"

"That's why you won't be doing it alone. My sister will aid you in any way she can." Celestia turned to her sister, who gave a hesitant nod in responce.

"I'm sure you will succeed, Twilight, as you always have." She placed her white wing on the young alicorn's withers, calming her down. "Let us not linger any longer, there is much to be done."

Twilight nodded and trotted towards the door. Reaching it, she turned and looked at Luna. "Aren't you coming?" The Princess of the Night shook her head.

"We still have things we want to discuss with our sister." She said to Twilight, and the latter nodded, walking out of the room.

As the door closed, a heavy silence loomed over the room. One that was broken when Luna took the lead.

"This new bit of information is astounding, is it not? We've been looking for Fluttershy ever since she left, yet we were unsuccessful." She began pacing around the table. "And after all this time, this crucial information comes from a ... source?" She made a full circle, and looked at Celestia. "These sources of yours are quite capable, sister, perhaps even more so than my own. Mind sharing them?" She looked intently at the Sun Princess, waiting for an answer. Celestia's face remained stoic as she answered.

"An informant from the human's government provided the intel." A picture of a tall figure wearing a business suit appeared on the table, its eyes were covered by round opaque glasses with black lenses. Luna looked closesly at the figure, but the picture was somewhat blurry, as well as flickery.

"Tis your memory, correct, dear sister?" Celestia nodded quickly. "May we ask why is it so... unfocused?" Celestia seemed in thought for a minute.

"The informant wanted to stay as confidential as possible, thus the transmittion's quality has suffered." She said, and the image disappeared. Luna put a hoof to her chin.

"Understandable, one wouldn't want to be found guilty of treason, especially in times of war... Nevertheless, we still don't understand his motives." She frowned a little, and looked at Celestia. "What does he want?" The Sun Goddess smiled softly.

"He simply saw the light, Luna. Perhaps a little late, but he accepted the truth, and waned to be on the right side of history." She approached her bedside mirror and looked at her own reflection. "That is all." Luna scoffed inwardly, but held her tongue.

"That is all we wanted to know." She turned turned towards the door and headed for the exit. Just befor she left the chamber, she turned her head towards Celestia. "Thank you for being honest with us, we appreciate it." She closed the door behind her, and began making her way to her own chambers. Many thoughts surged through her mind. Why would her sister lie to her? Where did she really get the information from? Why did she make Twilight, of all ponies devise an attack plan? She didn't know.

One thing she knew for certain, was that the figure her sister showed her wasn't human.

03:40, 21/07/2050, XCOM INFIRMARY

Luitenant Feng Yin signed the last form and put it atop a small pile that was beginning to accumilate on her bedside table. Five. Five form that she had to fill, five people she had to have a talk with. Luckily, or, given the circumstances, unluckily all five people were all in one place, in the same medical ward with her. She sighed inwardly as she remembered why there were only five people in the ward with her. This was a war, yes, and people die in wars. She saw people die, both before and during her work at XCOM, she just hoped it wouldn't be anyone she knew on a personal level. That was a foolish hope, and she knew it. She knew that it was inevitable. She knew that it would be best to distance herself from the squad, so moments like these would hurt less.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a clattering sound getting closer to her. She looked forward and saw a limping form of a bald man using a crutch approach her. Van Doorn approached her bedside and gave a small salute, aknowledging her. "Luitenant," She nodded. "you seem troubled. Beyond normal, that is, given the circumstances." His right leg was in a cast, but other than that he looked none worse for wear. "What's on your mind?" She blinked once more.

"Well, apart from the recent deaths?" She clarified. The man shook his head.

"I don't mean to disresect our friends's sacrifice, but yes. Apart from that." She rummaged through the pile of papers, pulled out a single sheet and handed it to him. He took it with his left hand, and read attentively. His eyes widened for a second, and he lowered the sheet to look at the woman.

"Genetic modification?" She nodded.

"Keep reading." He finished the sheet and handed it over to her.

"That's a lot of signatures i need to sign, these modifications must be extensive." Van Doorn said in a surprised voice.

"That's just the first page." She said in a hushed voice. "There's about seven pages worth of legal speak for each and every person in this room." The man shook his head.

"Alright, so that's the thing bothering you." He said handing her the paper. She nodded and put it back in the pile. "Now, what can i do to ease your mind?" She smiled at the man.

"Not much, Peter, not much... Although..." She looked over the ward, and noticed two empty beds. One was Doorn's, the second, however... "Do you know where Adam is? He's been transferred here around an hour ago, but i haven't seen him-"

Just as she said that, the doors to the ward opened and the aformentioned man entered the room. His face is a mix of worry and annoyance.

"Speak of the devil... Hey, Adam, mind coming over here for a second? We've got something to talk about." The man rolls his eyes as he approaches the pair.

"At least someone wants to talk..." He says, nodding at the both of them. "Luitenant, Corporal." He looked at the man's crutch. "How's that leg of yours?" Vand Doorn smiled softly.

"It's a little sore, but the docs say i'll be back in the fight in around a week." Adam nodded and turned to the woman.

"And what about you, Ying? From where i was standing, that hit didn't look good." Leiutenant reached to her midsection.

"Nothing serious, a few second degree burns here and there, but i've got to thank Shen and his team for that." She looked at him with worry. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm just peachy." He said with a slight bitterness in his voice. "Engeneering did one hell of a job, didn't they?" He scratched his left cheek absentmindedly. "Just wish they made better helmets."

"Adam-" Van Door began, but was cut off by the other man.

"No, no, i get it. They're doing their best and i'm grateful for it." He put his arms up in a defensive gesture. "Besides," A cheeky smile graced his lips. "women love scars." He turned back to the Luitenant. "What did you want to talk about?" The woman nods.

"Have you seen Rosa yet? I went to see her myself, but they said she was in surgery..." The man furrowed his brows.

"I talked to her about two hours ago, but i had to leave when Doctor Shen came in for a private talk. He said something about prosthetics... Wonder what that was about."

"How is she holding up?" Feng asked, and noticed the man wince.

"Honestly? About as well as you'd expect. She's worried about being sent away, but i managed to calm her down." Feng Yin sighed. She'll talk about this to Bradford, but if he sends her away? She'll be powerless to stop him.

"Right, thanks for doing that. I've been worried sick about her."

"You're not the only one..." Van Doorn chimed in.

"So, what are you two doing here?" His eyes narrowed on the paper pile. "That's a lot of homework you got there Luitenant, is Peter helping you out with it?" The woman sighed and rummaged through the pile once again, pulling a piece of paper and handing it to Adam. he man whistled as he looked through the page.

"That is a lot of small text. Fucking hell, my dad would have a field day with this!" The two soldiers beside him raised their eyebrows. "He's a lawyer, and a good one at that."

"So, what do you say?" The woman asked when he finished reading the document. Adam scratched his left cheek.

"This is kinda sketchy, but genetic modification sound really cool." He said, skimming through the paper once again. "Besides, they'll raise my paycheck, so i'm fine with it.

"That's it?" Feng asked, putting the paper back to the pile.

"What did you expect? For me to start yammering about GMO, or-"

"No, no, nothing like that," The woman interrupted him. "it's just... i though you would be more surprised, that's all." The man snorted at that.

"Surprised? Luitenant, we've been fighting for the future of this planet against both horrifying aliens and genocidal technicolor ponies," he smirked "I don't think anything can surprise me anymore."

"Can't argue with that." The woman replied, and started getting up.

"Where are you going?" Van Doorn raised an eyebrow as Adam helped the woman stand up.

"I still need to talk to Dubravka and Mark." She said, taking their respective documents with her. "I hope they won't be too opposed to the idea." As she finished the sentence, curtains hiding two nearby beds opened revealing the mentioned soldiers.

"If anybody asks, i want wings." Dubravka's voice says to the group. "Preferrably dark blue in color." Everyone chuckled at the joke and looked at Mark, half expecting him to reprimand the woman for unprofessionalism.

"I call dibs on laser eyes." The man replied, eliciting laughter from everybody present, including himself.

04:40, 21/07/2050, OFFICE OF CMDR BRADFORD

Bradford finished reading the report from the latest operation and sighed. Things could've gone better, but they certainly could've gone worse. The losses were regrettable, and a new batch of recruits must be hired to complete the squads. A ding caught his attention and he checked his mail.

FROM - DR. MOIRA VAHLEN
TO - CMDR. JOHN BRADFORD
SUBJECT - RECENT DISCOVERIES

Commander, my department has completed the analysis and decryption of data extracted by Corporal Doorn, and have compiled them into usable data. The layout of the Crystal Castle is in the attached file, as well as other useful information such as guard shifts, possible points of infiltration and exfiltration, e.t.c.

I believe no more information can be gathered from the subject, apart from employing our standart probes and making a series of physical tests, which will cause the subject to expire. In my professional opinion, it would be unwise to pass up such an opportunity. Nevertheless, i will await your orders, Commander.

On other news, Doctor Thallman contacted me mere minutes ago, sending the blueprints of his prototype anti-magic generators. I have send these blueprints to Engeneering, Doctor Shen reports they are ready for manufacture, and they're waiting for your orders. Estimated time of manufacture is nine days.

Moreover, all of the volunteers have expressed their permission to begin genetic/cybernetic modification. Doctor Shen assured me that the volunteer will be ready to operate the Mechanical Exoskeleton Cybersuit within a week, I assure you that genetic modification will be complete within the same timeframe.

-Doctor Vahlen

Bradford smiled for the first time in weeks. They're going to get the Council their alicorn after all.