Ranger
Chapter 4: Belong
By Wanderer D
"Pratal Mox," the female repeated, grinning and jumping down from the vehicle to approach him.
He took a moment to study his opponent. She was still wearing her old Advent armor, but it had been spray painted all over, with the Advent logo scratched and covered completely. Her shoulder-pads were reinforced with wire and other bits and pieces, making the armor look almost barbaric; there were other additions that gave it that feeling, such as fur around the neck.
She was not wearing her helmet, either.
If anything that made her look more dangerous, and reminded him intimately of how...nonhuman they were.
He made no move in reaction, nevertheless all the other ex-Advent rebels pointed their guns at him. "Betos."
The female grinned, twirling her gun almost casually. "We knew setting the jammer here would land us someone eventually, we just didn't expect it to be one of the rising stars of Advent. General Pratal Mox of all possible agents." She chuckled, as confident as if she were immortal. "You've made yourself quite the name fighting Reapers and leading purges."
He cursed under his breath. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Betos and her crew would be anywhere near this location.
"Not as famous, or rather infamous, a name as your own, I would imagine," he replied, straightening up. "There are no officers in Advent who haven't heard about your betrayal to the Elders. I suppose there is no possibility of you just letting me be picked up by ADVENT and pretending we never met."
Betos snarled in anger, walking up to him and glaring at him, as if she could see through his helmet and straight into his eyes. "You don't think their invasive thoughts—their orders, burning straight into your brain are an abuse of power? Denying us our freedom?"
Pratal sniffed in disdain, but didn't argue the point.
Unexpectedly, his silence drew a smile from her. "You don't hear them anymore, do you?"
Before he could answer, they were interrupted by several warning shouts and a scuffle. They both turned in time to see Sunset bat the helmet off of one of Beto's recruits before he could grab her. The others raised their weapons and incredibly, she only seemed to prepare to fight them in melee combat. It was like she'd never seen a gun… in that instant, Pratal had a moment of absolute, horrifying clarity: she hadn't.
"Stop!"
His voice carried over and Sunset looked at him, startled. She lowered her bat and was quickly disarmed and held by the other soldiers.
"And who is this?" Betos asked, walking up to Sunset. "A human? What are you doing here, child?"
"I'm trying to get out of this place," Sunset retorted angrily. "But your goons here attacked me!"
"She was holding this," one of the 'goons' said, passing the communicator to Betos, who studied it. "It's one of ADVENT's… but it's been modified, it wouldn't transmit on any of the ADVENT wavelengths. It's almost as if…" she glanced at Pratal a clear look of amusement in her face. "Were you actually helping this human escape?"
"What of it?" Pratal replied gruffly. "She saved my life, I am honor-bound to return the favor."
Betos seemed amused. "Honor is not something the Elders would allow ADVENT troops to have. How long have you been free, Pratal Mox?"
There were no gasps of surprise or sudden reactions, but he did notice her followers were regarding him with something akin to a modicum of respect. He debated briefly, then glanced at Sunset and snorted, shaking his head. Who was he really fooling, other than himself?
"Months," he confessed, then lowered his voice. "Their voice disappeared one day. I woke up from stasis and… I was alone. There were no orders from them but… I still remembered the… the other. I never realized they were not the same. The Elders were voices of anger, demanding and absolute… the other… the other had purpose, honor… regret."
Betos didn't say anything, but she nodded. And that was all he needed.
He sat back. He wasn't alone. They all had… they all knew. They knew. A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up to Betos, who was looking at him with determination and conviction. "It's time to leave, Pratal. Before it eats you up. You already took your first steps earlier with this human…"
"Hey," Sunset called, walking up to them, a look of annoyance crossing her face. "I have a name, it's Sunset Shimmer."
Betos ignored her. "...and if you remain with ADVENT they will execute you when they find out. And they will find out. If a Sectoid looks at you the wrong way you're dead, or if a scan reveals your implant has malfunctioned, you will be… reset."
Pratal nodded silently. He remembered who he was before… and who he was before would not have survived the encounter earlier. "I will… go with you. But I want Sunset to be taken to a human settlement."
Betos shrugged. "Agreed, but not now. Radio chatter has several dozens of Advent vehicles headed to this area. We need to move."
"The settlement to the North—"
"Has been burned down by Advent," Betos said. "We move now," she glanced at Sunset. "And help you later."
Sunset huffed, but nodded, and soon they were loaded into a vehicle and speeding away into the wilderness.
Inside the vehicle, Pratal kept an eye on Sunset. It seemed this human child needed a lot of coaching.
The vehicles, which were heavily armored and armed, had taken a few hours reaching their destination. It seemed that Betos' claim that they had gotten lucky was pretty much spot on. If they hadn't been in the vicinity, Pratal Mox would be back with his original masters, and she would probably still be waiting to be rescued by an unknown.
And Sunset hated being rescued. Whatever happened, she would not return to Equestria as a weak dependant. If she was to build her armies, if she was to impress Celestia with her acumen and conviction, she couldn't rely on others saving her flank.
That was until she had witnessed what the weapons the ex-ADVENT troops held could do.
Shortly after arriving at an underground bunker with Pratal, Betos and her troops, she had been given a tour… and seen first hand what a barrage of bullets did to a training dummy.
To think that she had been thinking of fighting them with a bat! It was a good thing that Pratal Mox had stopped her. Perhaps if she had been aware of their capabilities, she could have survived the initial barrage with her magic… but with it depending completely on her own reserves, it would be a miracle regardless.
"You need to learn about the dangers out there," Pratal said as they watched ex-ADVENT troops practice close combat. "What guns can do. What weapons are used. You need to know so you can stay away or protect yourself."
She didn't argue the point. Her mind raced through possibilities. The weapons of this world were much more powerful than those of her own. They didn't appear to have magic, but was it really needed? Idiot, magic is an advantage… if I can make it work with this technology. If I can control both… I'll be unstoppable and Celestia will have to acknowledge me.
"Can you teach me?" If she could… control them…. maybe gain some sort of rank within their organization… "Can I stay with you?"
"No," Betos said, walking up to the pair. "I have no objection with you learning some basic survival skills… facing a gun with a bat screams 'stupid' more than 'brave'. Pratal Mox can train you a little."
Pratal snorted. "Perhaps. I can teach you the basics. But Betos is right… this is not a place for a human. I think some skills can be drilled into you, but your place is with your own."
Sunset bit her lip. "I'd rather be with fighters than cowering."
Pratal grinned and even Betos couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry, young one," the latter said, "very few outside of the cities are content to cower. You'll join training tomorrow morning. For now, you should rest. We have a bed free for you."
Sunset grumbled, but acquiesced. She could get the information she needed and antagonizing her future troops by acting up was not going to make things easier. Besides, the weight of her backpack reminded her she had plenty to read and study. Maybe the book she had taken would have useful spells for fighting.
She followed Betos to where the beds were and then just made her way down once she was pointed towards her bed.
The weapons here seemed deadly, but everything could be improved with magic. She sat on her bed and rummaged through her bag, pulling out the book. It's cover warned of its contents to any who understood the runes… but it was that what had grasped Sunset's attention. She was due to become an alicorn, after all… and what better way to understand royal blood… than blood magic?
o.0.o Present Day o.0.o
At this time of the night, most of the streets were empty or emptying. Thus it wasn't strange that a young woman, walking down the street mere minutes before curfew would attract the attention of the local enforcement.
"Shikahl tahl!" the ADVENT Trooper spoke up, marching up to her while a Viper slithered menacingly behind him.
Sunset smiled pleasantly, hoping her hair would cover the communicator. "Hello, officer."
"Talk to me, Sunset, where are you right now?"
"She can't answer, Central," Jane Kelly's voice replied through the com, her Irish accent barely noticeable after so many years in living in a confined environment. Sunset had heard her speak once with another Irish soldier, and what she sounded like then, was nothing like how she sounded in general missions. "She was stopped by an ADVENT Trooper and a Viper."
A moment of silence foreshadowed Central's uneasiness.They all knew what was a stake this night. "Status?"
"Anyone willing to place some bets?" Otis, unlike Jane, had a thicker accent which he had been unwilling to identify. "I'm calling dismemberment."
"Don't be silly," Alessandra said, her mediterranean accent thick enough to be noticeable, but suave enough to be charming. "I say she'll brainwash them."
"She's engaged with them in conversation," Jane spoke up. "They seem at ease now… they're leaving. I'll never get over that."
"You owe me a drink," Alessandra said.
"I still say she's a psychic," Otis' voice rasped into the comms. "Maybe one of those Templars we've heard about."
"Templars don't drink," Jane pointed out. "If she were a Templar, Central wouldn't have met her at a bar."
"Templar or not, whatever it is that she does, it's still unnerving how they calm down," Alessandra threw in. "She should… ah, fezz up as you say. Confess about her powers, maybe she's like those Valkyries from old XCom Central told us about, ya?"
"As long as she doesn't get cocky," Central spoke up into the com. "They still shot her in the back that one time."
"I'm here you know," Sunset whispered as she walked away, pulling her cap down a little. Fortunately since her brief stop with the agents, most of the other aliens seemed to have lost interest in her once it was apparent that she was not a threat. "You don't have to talk like I can't hear you. And just so you know, I didn't meet Bradford at a bar."
"Just a word to the wise, Sunset," Central retorted. "We wouldn't want to rely on ADVENT agents having bad aim for you to survive the encounter again. That's all. Are you in position?"
"In a moment," she said, glancing at the other side of the road, where Jane was hiding in the shadows. She slowed down, pretending to study a screen. "Ready. I'm flanking the entrance, on the left. I see only one guard, but the patrol from earlier will probably do another round soon and they will not be happy to see me."
"Understood, I also see the one tango," Jane said. "Otis, Alessandra?"
"Ready," Otis replied into the radio. "I can see our little Sunset and I have my scope focused and ready. One tango confirmed."
"Don't shoot until I tell you to," Jane responded. "I'm already on the move."
"I am here as well," Alessandra's voice added. "One tango, confirmed."
"I can see you," Otis reported. "Sunset's patrol went around the block so they'll be coming back on your side."
"Roger that."
"Alright, Skyranger is on over-watch, ready to pick you up," Central spoke into the comms. "Let's take care of this. Our VIP is the priority, obtain at all costs and get the hell out of there. Marking Skyranger pickup site on your UIs."
"So this is it, huh?" Sunset closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Already she could feel her magic tingling in anticipation, and her subconscious was caressing the psychic waves in the air.
"Yes it is." Central's voice was barely a whisper. "Let's rescue the commander."
o.0.o End Chapter 4 o.0.o
Nice to see her taking place in the commander's rescue. If I may ask, how does she talk with the officer, english, or with a translator due the Alien voice? And how have you plaanned the commander's apperence, given it's never show if he's male or female? Just cirious.
I think this was an unfinished anecdote on why you never bring a bat to a battlefield.
Hm. British English seems to disagree with American English about which dependent is the noun, or even the correct spelling. I guess you could say it's dependant on your preference.
Could really use a comma after was. Or something like 'That notion evaporated once she witnessed...'
Welcome to the Ranger class, Sunset. Screaming is optional, but encouraged.
Thou shalt write The Great Commandy One's name with the respect it deserves, Wanderer! (Or just capitalize it, I guess.)
A time skip. Normally I would be wary of those, but this one was handled well. Also, putting her in Gatecrasher? Interesting.
Anyone want to open a betting pool for the Commander's identity? Given that this is Sunset we're talking about, I'd bet my Shadowkeeper pistol and my superior scope, superior auto-loader, and superior hair trigger equipped Plasma Lance on the Commander being Human Celestia.
Just a hunch.
8697681
Suckers bet but I’ll take you up on it.
Well Sunset got lucky again. Her lack of knowledge of human and alien weaponry almost cost her greatly.
Anyway though I do expected some time skip I wasn't expecting one of 3 years pretty much right on the go. I do hope will have some flashback on some of Sunsets upbringing in her training.
Also blood magic, yikes. That's a branch of magic pretty loaf at due to the sheer horrors it can do from those of malignant mind, though I do acknowledge it could be of great assistance in the medical use.
*space missing* / at
8696957
You’re welcome!
My profile is build to display the three game franchises that have had the most influence on me: Mass Effect (N7 Armor), Pokemon (Charmander) , and Starcraft (Username).
8697772
Double down on that
A time skip like this can work quite well, but do remember to fill in some blanks the skip leaves behind.
8697454
No. One word: Teletubbies.
Aaand my enthusiam goes down a little... but just a little. I was just hoping for more of pre-XCOM history of Sunset and Mox. ;)
Still, I cannot wait for more. The waiting is killing me... and yet I just started, again, Long War 2, and guess who happens to be in my first-first mission? ;)
8697990 8697954 8697681 Don't worry, there's plenty of flashback material that will be covered.
8697639
I think that after the time with Skirmishers, and knowing that she already knew a few languages, that learning their language is nothing hard for her. ;)
8697839
Blood magic... only thing that comes to me is Avatar the Last Airbender... but I don't think that she will know this kind of magic.
8697543
Tell me about it... right now I have something about 450 mods active in my XCOM 2...
Also, nice to see that she will be Ranger and Mage, almost feels like a XCOM Enemy Unkown. ;)
8698006
That makes sense.
8697912
I'm sorry, but was that using the Ranger's Reaper skill? And if so, was that with a sword or shotgun? Regardless, that is a damn impressive kill streak for one turn. That's like, the majority of if not all of 3 pods of enemies!
Huh....
Interesting timeskip.... i guess we'll see flashbacks in future chapters?
8698006
I think you miss the part where Sunset was reading a book of magic on the subject just before the time skip.
Otherwise, yeah I forgot that the water tribe could do something similar as blood magic. I was thinking more about the power over blood elder vampires in some movies or games can do or, even if it's not related to magic, what the Branches of Sins are capable of in the manga and anime Deadman Wonderland.
8697681
Possibly. It would definitely mean something to bacon hair. However, given the commander’s ability to come up with strategy and tactics it could be human shining armor or even Twilight depending on whether or not Bacon arrives in this world at the same year she does in canon.
so your saying the elder from bureau free'd mox?
Dude, you didn't. Please tell me you're going back to he training/meeting XCOM on the next chapter. We simply cannot go without seeing that happening!!!
so your saying the elder from bureau free'd mox?
Uh... woah. That happened.
Not that it’s a bad thing, just kinda came outta left field there.
8698058
My disruptor Rifle is on a human Chrysalis or Sombra. Any of the eqg versions of
non-villains seem unlikely to ave any military traing based on the movies.
8698313 Personally I think she was an angry teen that expected too much to be given to her just by being Celestia's protege, and in her anger and reactionary tantrum, she took off with a half-baked plan on how to impress Celestia. Notice, however, that this is an Alt universe, and if you're in the story a few paragraphs longer, you might notice some discrepancies with canon already. While I could argue with you on what Sunset's ultimate objective was, and whether the movie reflects her wanting to return to Equestria or not, it would be kind of pointless here. Try to look at this less as, "this is how it's supposed to be" and treat it as the intended "this is what might have happened if..."
of one of Beto's recruits before he could grab her
It's cover warned of its contents to any
1. Betos'.
2. Its.
I'm XCOM out, but I always enjoyed the cross over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miho2Db2wWM
Some music when the mood calls for it.
8698071
it could be possible
I just realised something. That time skip of 3 years could coincide with the EQG canon fact that Sunset was in the world for 3 years (if following those pageant queen pictures are anything to go by) so that would also mean that it might be possible for Twilight to enter the fray.
I can imagine the culture shock that would ensue much more drastically for her. Though I would guess since this story is mainly around our bacon themed heroine there might not be a chance of purple smart appearing... Though the possibility is there.
8698634
That would be pretty cool if twilight ends up as a scientist
8698634
I don't think that Princess Twilight will ever have a reason to come here - Sunset is right now so away from the mirror, and possibly mirror just broke after last use. Remember, that right now Canterlot High is in Lost Town...
But then, I hope we still see Sci-Twi from these world... or maybe not - this time Magic Mirror could totally broke and send Sunset not to alternative version of Equestria with "humans", but litellary to XCOM2 version of Earth, which would make sense. It would be just a one-way for Sunset, at least for now, unless she gather enough power to repair/make new mirror. Aand maybe she will ask Celestia by her diary for help. I hope...
I am curious to see what the next backstory piece has to say.
8698890
I actually doubt that the mirror broke from her previous use as we should recall, the magic might have 'died' according to Sunset because of the cycle the mirror goes through. Also the fact that while the statue was destroyed and not the important part, the base of the statue. If that base didn't exist then the portal would have essentially been broken from the get go.
While true that CH is right now somewhere in Lost Town that doesn't bar the fact that Sunset will eventually go back there because that's where the portal is unless she creates an alternative way to get back to Equestria which considering her current situation seems not as probable or viable.
You have my attention if only for the fact that, for the moment, this doesn't appear to be going the grim dark Long War route.
I like this for any that play xcom 2 on PC wubcake did a voice pack for sunset I don't remember what is called though sorry
8700265
Already read it. That's not an xcom 2 fic, it's an Enemy Within fic. I'm saying that this is the only XCOM 2 fanfic I've seen on the entire internet that isn't dead, crap, or a one-shot. There are plenty of Enemy Unkown/Enemy Within fanfics that are good.
Hmm. Definitely an Earth closer to ours, richer magical field excepted. Interesting. Looking forward to both the jailbreak and filling in the gaps.
8700277
Can you pass the link for the one-shot around. I been having the same issue every fic I found is dead or stupid
8701917
Gladly, friend. You have to know a little bit about Enemy Within and XCOM 2 to know what's going on but it's a nice little short fic.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12669983/1/Return-of-the-Hornless-Dragon
8701927
Dude I've played the hell out of both remakes and the original
I'm still sad that the chryssalid got nerfed so heavily in the new games lost the fear factor for me
Thanks for this.
Edit: Read it nice little tie in for an old friend
Managed to hide her magic for three years,huh? Well, time for some flair!
8701940
I get that. Still, the new games are meant to be played by a wider audience than the originals, and that meant making it so joe average had a chance at least, right? And X-Com 2 is entirely based on the idea of the player losing Enemy Unknown, so obviously people were still getting destroyed.
We skip all the training and stuff? That's a real disappointment, I wanted to read all of that. It really feels like I missed a HUGE part of the story now. 3 Years is too long of a time to skip at once, it should really be a few weeks at most.
That's...a huge jump for a transition into a radically different culture and people and way of life.
8932480
Yeah.
Personally, I'm dearly hoping there's flashbacks showing her training...otherwise, it's frankly a wasted opportunity to add depth and interest to the story.
LET THE TUTORIAL BEGIN!
Ah. Denise Crosby.
So, this isn't Equestria Girls universe, is it? I mean with Irish names and cultures, etc. Or maybe I'm not alone in generalizing EQG's setting as our planet Earth.
Who are all these people?
9868384
Beats me, The only one I know of is the Commander. And Thats XCOM's MC
I wonder who the commander is...
9868384
If you played the game, you would know.
O yeah... X-Com 2 Starts now
I actually missed that "three years ago" line in the first chapter and had to go double check.