#xcom 2

 He was toiling away at one of the stations, parsing through new and old intel. A few recent … events — if one could even call those gruesome operations “events” — had left him troubled and stressed; more than usual. Stress was always on his mind, being the head Communications Officer and the Second-in-Command to the Commander— well, pseudo-second-in-command since they had regained at least two Sub-Commanders, but even then, Commander Reeves and the others still delegated a great deal of work to him when they were busy with more pressing matters. But those recent events… they hit too close to home for him. 

“How did we miss this?” His eyes scanned intel pulled from ADVENT Network intrusions years ago. Information he really shouldn’t have been looking at, as XCOM had Commander Reeves back for about a year. But ever since they recovered the first Sub-Commander, and some intel from their prison, there had been a terrible itch in the back of his mind he had been trying so hard to ignore.

“How did I miss this?” Guilt was gnawing at the chains to that age-old cage buried deep within his mind.

In truth, he had been spending days pulling an unhealthy amount of all-nighters, going through information, cross-referencing all references of the Commander and Sub-Commanders with the initials and other code names used while they were in the Elders’ hands. There was a lot they had somehow missed. That he missed, with how obsessed he was trying to find any of them when he rejoined XCOM and learned of what they were planning.

“But some of this data was corrupted due to how it was pulled. And then the system failures we had in the early days of getting this ship retrofitted. And then that damn day that nearly destroyed it all.” He grumbled under his breath. Many times he blamed himself, many times he wished he wasn’t out on another long OP when the ship’s security systems activated. Scrub through the entire UFO or those living bases before even touching the computers. There’s always a cryostorage somewhere hidden.

“Lost a lot of good people… Dr. Shen… I was lucky we made it back before he passed.” He didn’t like to admit it, but his brutality towards Sectoids increased for some months.

“Ugh…” He grunted as he felt a headache come on again, and grunted again when he took in a sharp breath, and he felt the right side of his face hurt around the sinuses. He blindly reached around until his hand felt that cool metal of his canteen, and he snatched it up before downing what little water was left.

A little curse slipped out before he tossed it to the side. He fired up a message requesting someone to bring him some water and coffee. A yawn slipped out. Another message was sent out. Tell Childs to make it strong enough to stand a spoon in it. He felt like that concentration of caffeine would fight the sleep tugging at him.

“No sleep yet until I find him. So close. How the hell did I forget about him?” He had found a few traces of the man in the intel and was linking them together. He snorted at his question as he eyed a green bottle sitting off to his right. From a glance, it looked like a beer bottle, but the label revealed it was Warren’s special brew of ginger beer. Better than slipping, and I want to slip. “You have the bottle to blame and all the crap you went through trying to survive.” It was a valid excuse and one he wanted to give in to again as horrid memories played in his mind. “God… what we found. The recorded videos of him and Thaddeus.”

The person he was searching for was not one of the Sub-Commanders, but a military official who worked closely with XCOM during the Invasion. General Lucian Mateo Walker. Compared to some of the military officials they had to deal with, he was a dream to work with. No arguments. He readily deferred command over to Commander Reeves or the others during engagements. Readily handed over most of the recovered alien bodies and tech after the end of an operation. The only downside was that Bradford always had to cut Commander Reeves’ conversations with the General post-operation and sometimes during other meetings. 

Despite his mood being rather dower and sour, a chuckle slipped out. Damn, Southerners. There was no malice.

Though he couldn’t remember every conversation, he recalled a few he ended up having to translate to the others as Lucian’s already apparent Cajun accent became thicker, which also made Jynn’s usually suppressed Cajun accent slip out and get as thick as his. Good thing I met Jynn and her brother Charles during high school and had the pleasure of hearing that accent several times. Can’t believe Lucius’ accent rivaled her father’s.

“But how did I forget about you?” His mind returned to that sour thought.

“Actually, I think General Lucian would have worked under me, but was called back to the Marines. I can’t fully say, as my memories are fuzzy… Like they are with a lot of things.” Jynn told him and the others when they had gone over what they had recovered from a Communications Hub.

“If only that saved you from your current terrible fate in the long run.” He sighed as his shoulders dropped low. “Or would it have just ended the same way?”

He had found some old intel concerning one of the last military holdouts in the United States and how the aliens decimated them and captured those who were still alive. Lucian went through rounds of unsuccessful interrogations and was slated to get processed until he staged a breakout. One that nearly killed him. But also made him of greater interest to the Elders. 

“Latent psionics activated after nearly half of your body was liquified from an explosion. They sustained you. But yours were special. Like Jynn’s. Like Thaddeus’ and Elli’s.” Something he and all the Staff in the know would have found odd if Jynn hadn’t shared details of old memories that resurfaced and some strange psionic-related dreams. She had set up a meeting with Geist, as the Templar knew about this detail since XCOM’s initial meeting with them, but kept it a secret per Commander Reeve’s request.

“Some sort of alien was bonded to her. Seems like it bonded with each one of you as you were being selected for XCOM, but chose her as the main host.” 

The revelation sounded so ridiculous that day, but Jynn and Geist were 100% serious. It was another reason why the Elders took great interest in her. Another reason why her brain wasn’t fried after running those countless simulations and live actions in that Psionic Network for about 20 years.

“We had a friendly alien on our side… Hidden from view.” He shook his head. “But those bonds have caused a lot of trouble for the Commanders… Jynn suddenly severed it to separate the alien from herself, as they were being captured, which somehow had a ripple effect on everyone else.”

With a few clicks, he brought up the images of what they found at the Communication Hub. A stasis chamber that held a Stasis Suit similar to the one Commander Reeve’s was found in. But there was some strange organic material that resembled a meat-moss type of webbing floating in the tank with several parts of it clinging to the Suit.

“Thought this would have been one of those Information Brokers… maybe one still under construction, as the others we have encountered are usually more mobile, tethered closely to a series of computers and terminals. But we were wrong. Terribly wrong.”

He brought up some more files before pausing. His breathing became shaky. His finger hovered over the mouse, twitching. He closed his eyes. Just do it. You’ll see more horrors as we continue this fight.

There was a click. He opened his eyes. More images appeared post-op with the Stasis Suit recovered. It had been moved to a secured and sealed portion of the Lab, just in case whatever was in there could spread something to them or vice versa. The Elders are going to make cleaning up the Earth an utter pain with half the crap They lost track of and the other half They released. 

Doctors Tygan and Tyler, as well as their assistants, were geared in full PPE.

There was another click. Then a video popped up. He tapped at his earpiece to make sure sound only came through that.

Tyler had just restarted the voice recording after a technical issue. They had removed as much of that organic webbing still clinging to the suit, making sure to take several samples for analysis later, and gathering the rest to be sent off for storage and eventual incineration if tests show it was dangerous. Seemed like some thick fluid was also leaking from a few ports in the suit, which they also took samples from, but so far it showed no dangers.

Tygan was about to remove the faceplate when one of the assistants suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. That startled everyone, and what followed made things worse.

He watched as the assistant struggled to explain to Tygan why they did that before a glowing blue consumed their eyes, and a voice not their own came out. Then a few sparks of blue appeared around the helmet of that Suit before it slowly shifted to look at Tygan.

“How lucid were you in that thing to know your current state?” Bradford mumbled as he listened to the warning Lucian gave the team. He warned them not to go any further and to get him back in a setup similar to the one they found him in asap. Then he gave them coordinates to a hidden Facility to get their hands on some tech they would need for his long-term survival. 

“Lucius still has no idea how he knew that innately. Won’t be surprised if it’s that other common link you all are going to share with what was protecting the place. Raal’Maker…” He wasn’t sure if he should be suspicious of this oddly kind Elder from the intel they had gathered over the months. It felt too good to be true that one of them had a moral backbone and knew how to be compassionate. 

“But opening that suit… God…” The sight still haunted him. 

There was no body. Floating inside dark, viscous fluids was a black, gray, and red cranium-like case similar to what was left when a Codex was defeated, but it was more skull-like, and a mechanically augmented spine attached to it. Attached to both was strange organic matter that later tests revealed to be three distinctive but interconnected aliens. Some of it resembled worm-like creatures that almost looked like muscles, with how they were tightly grouped. Another was a semi-translucent segmented creature attached to the back of the skull. What sprawled out from it resembled a nervous system. And the last seemed to be that dark, viscous fluid that helped connect everything together and created some of the meat moss that was found inside the tank.

“Damn…” Bradford’s voice trembled for just a moment. He thought about how they had found Jynn was rough. She had suffered some atrophy but still resembled herself. Thaddeus was somewhat better, but his awakening was rather violent, and they were learning more reasons why. Elli didn’t talk much about hers since she managed to escape with some unlikely help, but since she was missing an arm and had her own strange augments, Bradford could only assume she was in a rough state.

More dark secrets… Everything that ties them together, even that material attached to Lucian. Matched to those tendrils pulled from Jynn after that failed experiment with the Stasis Suit. And same with Thaddeus when his ports opened when pulling him from his Suit. 

“It’s a miracle you two didn’t suffer like that. Well… Thaddeus, you got to keep your body compared to Lucian.“ It was hard to ignore the massive scar that ran down the man’s back and the implants also there. “Elli’s been free for years, living with those Sirens… She’s missing an arm because of what the Elders did, besides what’s under her face and neck. Kamon… We still don’t know where he is. Hope his health is good. Or…” He didn’t finish the dark thought that wanted to escape. 

His mind swung back to how they found Lucian, and then he thought of Jynn. Nightmares he didn’t want to think about began to slowly trickle into his mind. Dammit no. “How close were you to suffering the same fate, Jynn?” His throat trembled. “Or something worse?” And he knew what that was. 

He closed the images and videos until he was back to the files he was looking at. Slumping back into his chair, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Feeling a biting tinge and strange taste trickling down the back of his throat, he roughly cleared it.

“Worse… which one would he have been worse? You’d lose your body either way… Lose your autonomy…” His mind compared that glimpse of a projection Jynn being hybridized in preparation to be converted into a Chosen and Lucian’s currently bodiless state, floating with all those alien creatures in the reinforced tank they secured for him.

“Chosen… Chosen would have been worse.” His mind recalled some information they had recalled concerning Kon-Ris’ conversion. “Lucian has some memory damage, like all of you, but is still himself… and far too calm with his current predicament.” The latter he found strange, and it was stumping everyone, especially their doctors. Were They testing things to avoid Thier old mistakes? “Kon-Ris… the Reaper he once was is gone. New personality. New memories… That’s so much worse.”

A disgruntled sigh slipped out as he rubbed his face, really rubbing around his nose when one breath hurt more than usual, and yawned. 

“Still… we were late finding you… Could have saved you all earlier if…” His throat clicked uncomfortably; that heavy weight was growing in his chest, and there was just an itch in his throat that wouldn’t go away. The nightmares pushed at his mind even more. No, go away. “If… I had found the remnants of XCOM earlier. They needed me… my expertise.” He put an unwarranted amount of the blame on himself. “I was busy being depressed, bitter, and angry. Busy getting drunk… Wishing for death with some of the fights my crew and I picked…”

He grunted when he felt that headache grow worse; a ring grew in his ears, which was only irritated as he heard some strumming music begin. It was something sad. Who forgot their headphones? “Argh…” He rubbed his temples. Where was his water and coffee? 

It took a few minutes and intense rubbing for the headache to die down, and a few more for the ringing to disappear until he tuned out the world. Just a small reprieve for his mind. But that strumming continued; thankfully, it was quieter. 

“Damn the bottle…” But not small enough. He growled. He so badly wanted to go off to one of the hidden caches and down several drinks. “But would it have mattered? Found XCOM, helped get things up to speed… but not fast enough. Got distracted from time to time. More depression… Had my breaks that could have killed me… Should have.” He sighed at his weakness.

  “Not fast enough. Took almost 20 years to find Jynn… If we were faster…” His voice trailed off as he contemplated the what-ifs.

“Yes, too slow indeed.” Jynn sneered. A plucking sour note followed her voice. One that made him cringe.

Bradford’s eyes flew open as he turned in his chair. Commander Reeves was standing just behind him. Arms crossed. Her brows were furrowed as her upper lip twitched in disgust.  “Comman-mmph!” He found his jaw slamming shut as an unpleasant tingling force coursed across his jaw.

There was a fierce blue glow in her eyes. “Too slow...” She repeated with the same hateful tone. “You were too damn selfish and slow!”

Bradford grunted and grimaced as he shifted his jaw back and forth, grating through that now biting force, until there was an uncomfortable pop that made him wince, before it opened again. “C-Commander! We were— I was—” As quickly as he forced himself to his feet, he found his butt slamming back down into the seat. The next blink, he recoiled. Before he even knew it, she was in front of his face, breathing down his neck, and jabbing a hateful finger against his chest.

“You. You. You. You. You. YOU!” More hate came out. “You all searched high and low, huh? You all did your best with the resources you had, huh?” She scoffed. 

“They… they moved you whenever we got a strong lead, Commander.” He didn’t know why, but his answer came out as a whisper. “Moved you for those recalibrations and… ‘improvements’.”

She rolled her eyes. “Words of a lazy, alcoholic coward and liar.” A hint of an echoing distortion entered her voice. 

“Commander—” He let out a surprised gasp.

She had struck him across his face. Pulling away from him, she narrowed her eyes as she wiped the hand that struck him against her uniform.

Bradford blinked a few times, shocked by what had happened. Slowly, shaky fingers rose to his face and touched his cheek. He winced.

“You are a damn disgrace to this organization! I should have you replaced.” She hissed. “To think I considered you a good friend. A best friend.” She rolled her eyes. “You’d think a best friend would do whatever they could to find me in a reasonable timeframe.”

“Jynn, I—”

“Or save me when the world went to hell.” Before he knew it, she was on him again, jabbing at his chest. Each jab was accentuated by that harsh, plucked sour note. “Where were you when that Muton came down on me? Where were you when it cracked my nose and skull? Where were you when it grabbed me and made its escape? WHERE WERE YOU!?”

“I WAS THERE!” He yelled back. Suddenly, he pushed her back, face pressing against hers as he rose to his feet. “I was there when we lost you!” Just a faint, gripping choke entered his voice. A shimmer entered his eyes. He grabbed her shoulders. “When I lost you!”

How could she not remember that? Not remember the mind meld session that caused him to relive that day? The session that revealed more than he ever wanted her to see. The hell and confusion unleashed that day. So much destruction, pain, and guilt. So much pain and guilt of a broken heart. They were so close to getting everything back under control if those aliens hadn’t breached the room.

“I… I tried to save you. To follow after you. But the cave-ins… The mental interference…” How did he avoid that mass mind control? He still questioned that.  I… I...” He started to choke up as his fingers dug into her shoulders.

Jynn’s disappointed expression never changed. She pulled back from him, looked down at those trembling hands, and gripped her shoulders. “Pathetic.” Another cold sneer left her mouth as she pried his hands off. “I should have shipped you off as soon as I realized just who you were. Familiarity clouds minds. And then you just had to have a crush on me, that you never got over. Pathetic.”

Bradford recoiled, blinking a few times as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Wait, she knew? She always knew? The troubled thought entered his mind before logic and memories from a few months ago crushed it. She didn’t. She found out that night during that mind meld. “Jynn… We—”

“Some lover you are. Maybe you still have feelings for her. I am the Elders’ sloppy seconds.” She cut him off as she rolled her shoulders. Bradford grimaced at the cutting remark and at that nasty rumor that was floating around again.

“No! Jynn… Jynn, you’re not a clone—”

“Pathetic. What is that love that couldn’t get you off your lazy laurels to chase after me, to find me sooner?” She was back on him again. One step after another until she caused him to fall back into the chair. And she still didn’t let up. That jabbing finger wanted to bore a hole through his chest. “Before those Elders tore me apart… Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. Endlessly. Every single hour.”

As she said that, her appearance began to shift. Bradford’s eyes widened as he went pale. Her healthier appearance shifted to her emaciated look, which they had pulled from that Stasis Suit last year. Then it shifted again. He let out a trembling, whispered “no” as her appearance degraded again to what he would see in those nightmares he would have concerning her.

“Day after day. Week after week —” She repeated the words, emphasizing them with each jab. Her voice began to shift again; it still had some distortion, but it was beginning to pick up some flanging. 

“No, no, no…” Bradford whispered again as he saw another changed form of hers from those cursed nightmares. Heavy alterations to her being. Signs of hybridization. The dour strumming didn’t help as it grew louder.

 “Endlessly. Reshaping me.” Her voice changed again, picking up a raspy harshness and faint echo.

“No…” Before his eyes, her form changed again. To one he feared the most. One he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted if XCOM ever encountered her like this. 

“FOR THEIR WILL!”

Another set of arms slammed down on his chair as sharp teeth were breathing down his neck. Her eyes burned bright with a strange blue, and faint wisps of the Elders’ purple trailed from the corners of her eyes.

Not this. Not a Chosen. God… Not this. Bradford closed his eyes, not wanting to acknowledge the four-armed blue-skinned monster before him. His best friend and lover was stripped of everything and twisted into a heartless being to cleanse the world of those who opposed the Elders.

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. His throat trembled for a long time before he was able to finally force something out. 

“We tried. We searched high and low while building the Resistance. Helping the innocents stay out of ADVENT’s grasp. Hell, even helping defectors out of those Cities and Research Facilities. Our resources were limited, but we fucking tried.” He said as his face twisted. “Damn it! I tried!” 

Opening his eyes, he pressed back. To his relief, that monster was gone. But to his aching heart, it was Jynn again, and she still looked cold. The grim music had died back to being a low background noise, but it still made his skin crawl.

She stepped back. “Pathetic.”

“Jynn. I—”

“At least he had undying love for you to keep up the obsessive search. They, he, gave up on me pretty early.” A male voice said. Harsh, aggressive plucking took over the calmer parts of that grim music.

Bradford’s head quickly snapped in the direction of the new voice. His eyes widened in confusion. “Thaddeus…?” 

The Sub-Commander was making his way over to them with his arms crossed. He looked just as cold as Jynn, with the addition of an angry sneer tugging at his lips.

Jynn scoffed and rolled her eyes at what he said. “You really think that made such a difference?”

The man looked at her and laughed. “Yes.” Unfolding his arms, he rubbed his bruised knuckles. “What? A bit of a check-in on the fallen Nigeria base, and they call off the search for me? Tch, like I never mattered in the first place.”

“No. We didn’t!” Bradford was quick to defend himself. “What we found that day… What I found…” So much death and destruction just like the Main HQ. “Your name plate from your uniform... Your station…” Blood. Dried. But so much blood.

“And you assumed I was dead and called off the search.” Thaddeus’ eyes narrowed. His left eye, the one with the black sclera, glowed a brighter blue off-color. It accentuated tear-like scars under his eyes. 

“No, we…. We…” There was some partial truth there. Resources for his search were moved back to finding Jynn, but they kept some around. “We kept scanning the Network for anything. Testing any and all DNA from anything we came across when raiding ADVENT and Alien sources.”

“Oh, so I was just put on the back burner?”

“No, you—” 

“Like what you have to say will make it any better.” He rolled his eyes before he raised his hand, jabbed a thumb towards his back, “as if it would have saved me from this!” Then he made the same motion towards his head. The music became erratic, shifting to sharp tones that were gratingly out of tune. That constant, and unwanted lingering shadow began to slowly form around him. “Or this!”

Do not go gentle into that good night. 

Bradford reflexively coiled, hearing that honeyed voice that overpowered that sad one that accompanied it. That horrid thing attached to his friend. How he wished it was just some unfortunate side effect from his imprisonment and experimentation. It was and wasn’t.

Rage, rage…

Just a twisted, hateful thing that further stressed his friend’s emotions. That more honeyed voice was always tempting, always goading him to take a more violent option. It was another outside influence to drag him towards a terrible fate like Jynn.

“This damn thing…” Thaddeus let out a low growl as he jabbed at his head again, before letting out a hiss towards his unwanted companion. As he did that, his appearance changed like Jynn’s. Bradford wanted to vomit. 

Whatever happened between Thaddeus’ capture and the Elders getting their hands on him, he looked like a mangled corpse. Beaten, broken, his left eye hanging out of his socket.

Rage… rage…

“As if it kept the torture away!”

His appearance changed again. Bradford had to look away. Somehow, it was worse. There was more deterioration to his friend’s body, barely kept alive with numerous tubes and other alien devices that wrapped around and bored into his body. He had to block out the videos they had recovered when they found him. How Thaddeus looked like a corpse floating in the tank, tangled in a rat’s nest of tubes and cables

“Kept me from losing my body!” Then just faintly, that unwanted companion echoed behind him with its two voices. One full of sorrow and the other a twisted joy. “And mind!” 

Rage… Rage…! Against the dying of the light!

Bradford kept his eyes closed tight, cursing in his mind for that thing to shut up. He flinched before gritting his teeth as he felt something cold caress his face, running a thin, sharp digit down that scar on his cheek.

Ignoring the bitter truth? That thing spoke; a tittered laugh followed the joyous voice. Like a viper’s strike, its claws sunk into the underside of his jaw, matching a harsh strum of stringed music.

Bradford cursed at it and cursed at it some more when he felt it moving his face. His hand flew towards his eyes when he felt something tug at the lids. “NO!”

Embrace it! It cackled. Acknowledge it… That sad voice trailed behind.

It was a futile fight against the otherworldly influence. Its words were slowly tugging at that guilt eating at him. His eyes fluttered open against his will. The sights were better, but still concerning. Still… so terrible.

This time, Thaddeus’ body was half-rebuilt but still revealed an ugly truth that took them some time to discover.

We should have expected that with what we found in Jynn…

 The hidden alien parts and DNA intricately mixed within the human and all the cybernetics underneath, which their scans struggled to pick up. He shared more similarities with Lucian than Jynn.

In another blink, Thaddeus was back to normal, but something barely perceptible to the human eye twisted around him like a serpent. A shifting shadow whose shape never settled as its smoky body undulated like shifting sands. Its split face — each half akin to a tragedy & comedy mask — hung on either side of Thaddeus’ head as it stroked the man’s face, whispering its always goading thoughts to him to stoke that dormant rage within when its other half wasn’t trying to lull him into a spiraling depression.  

Do you acknowledge your failings? The thing spoke directly to him. Do you embrace it?

“What the hell is that thing…” Bradford couldn’t help but grumble.  Something they were still trying to figure out.

He let out a regretful, pained mutter. His eyes lingered on those judging eyes of his superiors before he turned away. “We were still searching for you…”

“At least he actually paid your base a visit.” Another accusing voice came. It was female, but shifted in tone and pitch as if it couldn’t find itself, its true voice. That music slipped back into a grim tone, but its pitch warbled like the voice’s uncertainty of itself.

“Elli…” Bradford didn’t even want to turn his head, but he heard her footsteps and the trailing patters of her pets. Alien pets

“The Outback? Not a single visit. Heh,” it was more of a scoff than a chuckle, “it took her,” she pointed at Jynn, “to get him to get Betos to send some of her people to take a look around to find anything since their main HQ was nearby.”

“We didn’t have the resources… The Avenger wasn’t fully flight capable…” Bradford explained in vain, adding how it was dangerous to keep the ship in the air for an extended period of time, and repeated trips affected the engine and its unstable power systems. And that old retrofitted submarine, the Elpis, that was used way before he found the remnants of XCOM again, had been fully gutted to be put towards fixing the Avenger.

“Excuses.” She spat. “There are ways to get around the globe. Those Void Walkers being one, if you don’t feel like roughing it through the wilds for months. Hell,” she rolled her eyes, “our Informant could have pulled some strings, maybe even fake an elaborate capture to get you and a squad transported across the world before a ‘convenient’ breakdown in the system would allow you all to escape. But no.”

“Splitting ourselves like that would have been too dangerous. And letting myself be captured would be suicide!” He balked at the suggestion. He had doubts they could fool ADVENT’s systems for long. That would put the Informant and so many others in danger if he or any other resistance fighter slipped through the cracks after being caught.  “We needed to keep things focused.” He defended himself in vain.

“Excuses.” She spat again.

“Pathetic.” Jynn voiced her disappointment.

“Bastard of a coward.” Thaddeus joined in.

Elli raised her missing arm; a blue psionic limb flickered into existence just where that golden implant band encircled the stub. Bradford winced at that.

“Well, even if you did search, it wouldn’t have done much for me.” She waved her arm around before suddenly gritting her teeth, causing a series of hidden slats on the sides of her neck to open up, revealing red muscles and black implants with several holes, and then a few on her cheeks down to her jaw slid open. 

Bradford wanted to plug his ears before that hypnotic, near-imperceptible whistle would slip out to influence his senses. Nothing came out. Thankfully. What did the Elders have planned for you? 

“You probably would have given up the search as fast as you did for Thadd.” She inclined her head towards the man in question. Thaddeus rolled his eyes before nodding with a dark chuckle. “But hey, at least somebody else found me and set me free. I didn’t have to suffer as much as them.”

“You kept your identity hidden… even as news of the true XCOM was making strides. Even when we got in contact with the Sirens.” He wasn’t entirely shifting the blame to her. He didn’t blame the skepticism and fear she shared with XCOM when she finally revealed herself. She was always being hunted, and that roaming band kept her safe, even more so when ADVENT increased the hunt. 

“Excu—”

“At least he acknowledges your existence.” Another voice. It was dispassionate, nearly monotone. It was… less accusing compared to the others. But a heavy distortion permeated every word. The warble in the music disappeared; somehow the grim tone grew worse, becoming a full-on dirge. “I am entirely… forgotten.”

Bradford didn’t like that. It pulled at those strings of guilt. Shifting his focus back to Jynn and Thaddeus, he kept it firmly there as he felt another darkness encroaching from where Elli came from.

Who now? Against his better judgment, his eyes darted over to Elli, only for him to look back. There was a body, an old uniform, all obscured by twisting shadows that walked past her. No, no, no.

“Right, Kamon.” Jynn cast a glance at the shadows. “We still don’t know how you’re doing.” She waved her hand around dismissively. “He was too worried about the Templars snooping around, stealing old, defunct equipment, breaking into old archives, and so much more.” She rolled her eyes. “You know I had to push the bastard into finally talking to them to strike a deal for them to check out the Hunan Base.”

What? Bradford shook his head in disbelief. No. I was putting a request to have the Void Walkers see what was going on in that psionically-oversaturated region, after talking to you about it before we were going to meet the Templars. Once we secured our alliance with the Templars, we asked them… with some oversight. He had to admit, he didn’t want them going through the old base without some oversight, but once he learned who Geist once was, that knocked away nearly all of his concerns. 

“Just where are you? How are you doing?” Jynn raised a finger to her lip and tapped away. 

“Alive and captured by the aliens? Losing your body?” Thaddeus asked. Those fists curled.

“Or free, roughing it in the wilds all alone… or with company?” Elli asked next as she knelt and hugged one of her pets. 

“Or,” Kamon spoke, this time his voice harsh, “am I dead? Buried amongst the rubble in that mass grave of a Base? Forgotten as all the other fallen are?”

“No.” Bradford said, doing his best to keep his voice firm. “No… You’re not forgotten. No. We haven’t marked you as dead. We won’t mark you as dead until we find proof.”

“Are you sure?” Kamon asked.

Bradford felt a chill trickle through his body, slowly causing his limbs to grow stiff. A cold sweat broke out on his face, as his vision blurred for just a second. The clack of boots approached him. With a few blinks, that darkness came closer. Closer than he would have liked. His heart wanted to escape his chest. Without thinking, he quickly pivoted his head away as he grimaced.

“Buuuut,” Kamon drew out the word as something else entered it with a hollow echo. 

Bradford flinched, swallowing hard as he felt him far too close to his face, almost pressing against it. 

“You so readily marked Thaddeus for dead, and you didn’t even have a booOOOoody. Just bloooOOOOOooood.” Another set of words was drawn out and echoed as something else twisted into his voice; the strumming music matched it. It sounded ancient and so wrong. “But here he is, in the flesh. Answer that.” 

Bradford bit the inside of his cheek, drawing blood. He didn’t answer.

“Tch.” Jynn shook her head. “He can’t even look at you like he can’t even look at Lucius. Pathetic.” The others mumbled in agreement.

<“Sonny boy don’ prefers to keep ‘em metal curtains closed when we converse.”> A male voice with a Cajun twang spoke with a faint psionic echo. The music barely shifted, but it became quieter.

Lucius now? No impossible… He’s in that tank… Bradford froze, hearing another voice join in to judge him. Just another person to hound him. Just another person to rouse troubling thoughts in his mind. Unless he’s… projecting his thoughts?

<“Tch. Who can blame ‘em? Bit hard ta look at me.”> Lucian laughed. A faint gurgled bubble followed before the sound of wet muscles and tendrils shifting and thumping against the confines of its vicious stasis tank.

A sound that immediately caused unpleasant images to tear into Bradford’s mind, causing a nauseating heat to churn in his stomach. He had to fight back a gag. He was almost thankful for Kamon hounding him now, forcing him to look away. He didn’t want to look at that.

“Saying you are a shade of your former self would be an understatement, Lucius.” Jynn let out a sad sigh, lamenting his current state.

“Potentially an insult.” Thaddeus let out a jabbing joke. “He’s a literal brain-case and a bunch of worms and other alien bits.”

Lucian let out a snort. <“Yer just one good rage meltdown from join’n me, Thadd. Pretty sure yer spine is like mine.”>

For just a moment, Bradford was tuning out that conversation, trekking back to subjects he just didn’t want to think about again; he froze and gasped. It felt like a cold lance pierced his skull, sending out several searing barbs to dig into his mind. The music became louder and harsh.

“Answer me.” Kamon was still there. Still encroaching on his space.

Bradford worked to steady his breathing. He stayed silent. What could he say that wouldn’t continue this one-sided condemnation of his actions? He just kept his head low, turning away as Kamon pressed.

“Look at me.”

Without much thought, Bradford turned his body away as Kamon pressed more. Feeling his vision dim, a headache come on again followed by a stinging metallic taste at the back of his throat, he closed his eyes.

“Look at me.” Kamon’s voice grew more demanding.

Bradford went stiff for just a second before his hands flew to his head when he felt ice-cold fingers touch the skin near his eyes and pull on his eyelids. No! With every push and pull, he caught glimpses of what he wanted to ignore. For a second he saw Kamon’s face, like it was 20 years ago. That scared, tired, plain face with that scared half that left him often looking unamused. It was only like that for a few seconds before the sudden decay of time caught up to it, eroding his features, rotting away his soft tissues until nothing but an angry, cracked skull was left before those shadows swept back over and obscured it all. 

The view only lasted for a second. But just that eye contact let something through. Sounds. Terrible ones.

God no! The mixed screams of the others when they were aware under the Elders’ “care.” And Kamon’s screams were slowly beginning to trickle in.

Bradford continued to try and fight the man’s grip and pull himself free, but it was for naught. There was another sharp piercing pain in his head. It felt like something microscopic wormed its way under his eyelids before forcefully opening them once more. 

“LOOK AT ME!”

“N-no!” Another fear he didn’t want to acknowledge.

It broke through again. That skull was gone as his featured shifting chaotically, flickering through the terrible forms that resembled the horrors the others had suffered under the Elders’ “care.” Kamon was just a horrid amalgamation of human suffering and the Elders’ near-perfected art of genetic torture. 

“LOOK AT ME!” Kamon repeated before he forced Bradford back with an angry shove.

The man stumbled back, wildly flailing his arms, until he lost his footing entirely and fell on his backside. 

The amalgamation lumbered towards him. In a blink, Kamon was on him again. For just a moment, he coalesced into something human, something more familiar, before parts of his body deteriorated, almost self-deconstructing layer by layer like one of those unfortunate victims they would find at a Blacksite. Before it all came back into the towering shape of those blue, undying horrors.

Too many arms. Too many eyes. His eyes were transfixed on the horrible sight.

“IS THIS WHAT YOU FEAR? IS THIS WHAT YOU THINK YOU MAY FIND IN THAT MASS GRAVE?” It wasn’t entirely Kamon speaking anymore. That old voice. It was something, someone, Bradford recognized, but a part of his brain was desperately protecting him from acknowledging it.

Enough will came back to him, allowing Bradford to break the spell and quickly turn on his side. His arms flew to his face, tight and curled.

“ANSWER ME.”

“I’m sorry!” Was all Bradford could muster. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… We did all with what we had! I did what I could do!”

An unnatural low thrumming growl came Kamon. “Your apologies can’t bring back the dead.” Slowly, his voice shifted back to “normal.”

“It won’t make up for all the lost time,” Thaddeus said.

“Or undo the damage we all suffered,” Elli said.

“You’re just trying to assuage your guilt and your damn failings.” Jynn hissed. “You are… a disappointment.”

Bradford didn’t exactly respond to their continued disparaging comments. Just those faint “sorrys” continued to slip out as his mind fought itself, that guilt, and hidden forces assaulting it. 

His senses were so consumed, he didn’t pick up a new voice breaking through the maelstrom.

“I found him, Commander! He’s in the Archives. Seems like he passed out at a computer.” It was Dimitri. Her voice sounded so distant. An annoyed sigh slipped out as she grumbled under her breath. “He just can’t take a break, can he?” It didn’t take long before the young lady let out several disgruntled sounds. “Why did no one answer the ship-wide memo asking for his location?”

Bradford barely registered someone was touching him all over, especially his shoulders, arms, and face. Just a few grumbled moans slipped out when fingers touched and moved against his sensitive temples.

[“Finally… What is he doing?”] Jynn asked through their private comms. [“Can’t be too important for him to ignore my messages… unless he did that blocking thing y’all came up with.”] She grumbled, thinking about that sometimes helpful, but more annoying hidden feature.

A curse came from Dimitri. “He’s really out. His face feels hot and looking a little pale. A bunch of sweat is running down his head. Think he may be sick, Commander.”

[“What?”] One could almost hear the Commander blink. He was fine the last time she saw him. A little tired and more irritated than usual, but fine. [“Are you sure?]

“Think we need to get him down to the Infirmary. Need to call —”

A faint ping rang out nearby, followed by hasty boot falls. “You can stay where you are Jynn; just skipped over to where they are.” It was Thaddeus. As he reached them, he shook his head. “Workaholic…”

“Oh good!” A sigh of relief came from Dimitri. “Means I don’t have to call for backup. Can’t exactly carry Johnny by myself.” She joked.

“He is heavy.” He nodded with a subtle chuckle.

Bradford let out a grunt followed by a faint moan as he felt a heavy hand rest against his neck. He shifted uncomfortably. It was warm. Or was it him? He could faintly register there was a clammy feeling there, but couldn’t tell if the wetness and heat radiating around the area came from the hand or him. He grunted again. This time a hiss slipped out as he gritted his teeth. A new discomfort found him. It was subtle at first, a faint trickling sensation that spread out from that hand, but as the fingers pressed into his nap, a biting pain sank in, branching off into faint, pulsing shocks that quickly spread to the rest of his body.

Bradford twitched and groaned with each pulse until the thumping sensation died down to a trickle and a gentle, cool flow replaced it. 

This went on for a few minutes. As that was happening, Jynn gave Dimitri orders to see what Bradford was up to. Thaddeus had to move the man just far enough away from the computer so Dimitri could work.

“Hm.” Thaddeus grumbled as he pressed his fingers in deeper. His ears twitched. There was the faint strumming of some musical instrument. Familiar, both human and alien. “Dimitri, head down to the Infirmary and let them know who I’ll be bringing. Quicker prep time.”

She nodded. “Once I’m done here, sir.” It took her a few more minutes before she was able to set up a link to all the files and notes Bradford was working on so the Commander could view them before she locked the computer. Once that was done, she swiftly made her leave.

Once she was gone, and he looked around to see how close the other workers were, he carefully keyed his earpiece to a private channel.

“Jynn,” he said as he knelt down, “it may be more than just a sickness bothering our hardworking friend.” With his other hand, fingers spread out, he raised it in front of Bradford’s face. Letting his psionics flow freely, he noticed a few faint sparks in Bradford’s eyes.

[“What do you mean by that, Thadd?”] She replied. She was waiting for the link to load so she could see what had her second-in-command’s attention all day. [“Is it something Bradford handled recently, dealing with Lucius? Do I need to issue a quarantine?”] She asked before cursing under her breath, which was followed by grumbles. [“Like the Vahlen issue all over again… Should have listened to me not do the investigation and equipment recovery.”] The mission to retrieve the equipment to better maintain Lucian’s current condition was successful; there were a few snags, especially in one of the chemical storage rooms. [“Very lucky those gases were similar to the combat stims the Mutons’ breathe.”]

“No, no, no.” He shook his head. Carefully, his fingers arched and relaxed as he manipulated his psionics as he tapped at whatever he was picking up that was biting at his friend’s brain and being. The strumming was growing louder. It sounded like a lute playing a sad song bordering close to a funeral dirge. “No… I think it’s interference in his—”

Suddenly, Bradford trembled like a leaf in the wind before letting out a wracked gasp.

Oh! A voice trickled into both their minds. A cold chill swept around them, and within a few blinks, dark wispy smoke flowed around Thaddeus, and those thin boney hands began to emerge. One was nearly touching Bradford’s face. What do we have here? A honeyed voice spoke.  Another has—!

Thaddeus immediately frowned. You. His voice was harsh. His eyes flashed with power. The smoke trembled, and those hands flew open before both were swiftly ripped away. His unwanted companion gagged. Stay away.

We only come to observe! It was still mostly the honeyed voice speaking, but the sorrowful one joined in.

You come to meddle and do your master’s bidding. Thaddeus snorted. He cut his blooming connection to Bradford. Go away.

[“In his what? Thaddeus? Thaddeus?”] Jynn was still waiting for a response. Their comm-link clicked a few times. [“Perfect time for this to be on the fritz unless someone is nearby and you can’t talk. I’ll just tap at—”]

Thaddeus felt that connection to them flare. Shit. No. With a mere thought, he shut that off. “No connection! No connection! I’m still here, just distracted.” He quickly told her. “No connection. For everyone’s safety.”

[“What?”] She asked, a bit stunned by the sudden closure of their connection. Before he could reply, she cursed, making a few comments on them not being careful, Navla’s going to have her head, and needing to run some tests on several people with doctors Marin and Veer. [“Of course. Coming down.”]

“Not here. Don’t trust teleporting in so close won’t trigger something.” He told her. Rising to his feet, he was carefully moving Bradford so he could pick him up. “Meet me on the way. Less questions.” 

[“Tch. Like that will stop the gossip. See you guys soon.”]

In a few minutes, Thaddeus had Bradford slung on his back. 

“Uuuugh…. Thadd?” Bradford spoke, voice parched like the desert. It hurt to speak. It hurt to breathe. He was slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings despite how blurry his vision was. “What’s—”

“I’ve got you, buddy, and less talking,” Thaddeus said. He readjusted Bradford one last time before he started to make his leave.

“What’s—”

“I said less of that. That’s an order.”

Bradford was silent. A little while later, a pained laugh slipped out.

The walk to the Infirmary was mostly silent, minus a few mumbled apologies from Bradford about something and ignoring his own pain and Thaddeus’ attempts to hush him. Thaddeus did his best to avoid certain areas on the ship, moving quickly to get past them, knowing the judging comments. The last thing Thaddeus wanted was assumptions that Bradford was drinking again and the Sub-Commander was “saving” him from destroying his liver. 

The two were about halfway to the Infirmary when Jynn finally caught up with them and matched Thaddeus’ walking speed.

“John…” She shook her head, seeing how pitiful the man looked. She did her best to keep a straight face, but there was a tinge of worry in her eyes. Raising a hand, she placed it against his head and grimaced. “He’s burning up… Wait…” She noticed a few twinkles of blue in the man’s brown eyes. Her nose twisted. “What did you find, Thadd?”

Adjusting his grip in Bradford’s arms so he could free a hand, he made air quotes. “‘Friends’,” he quickly had the hand grab one of Bradford’s arms when he felt it slip, “in strange places. Tapping at those fragile seams of sanity… A mourning song.” He growled.

“For the love of—!” She had to quickly hush herself as they passed some workers. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shook her head. “Besides the good doctors… Need to bring this up to Navla when she’s back…” She didn’t want to think of the harsh, but well-meaning words the Templar would give her. “Think I should contact Geist first…”

“Probably can have Elli contact Walker. He could be of help since music is his thing,” Thaddeus suggested.

“Right, him.” She nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind, seems to have a resistance or outright immunity to otherworldly influences, including the Elders.”

The two continued to converse in hushed voices and coded words on what could have possibly caused the issue for Bradford. There were too many possibilities, but they narrowed it down to a few common factors.

“Think we should worry about the others that share that faint ‘spark’ that originates with our gift?” Thaddeus asked.

Jynn looked away for a moment as she tapped at her lip. “Maybe… I’m not sure…. I’ve never noticed anyone having a strange reaction before finding you or Elli. Including John. But…” Her voice trailed off.

“Buuuuut?” He couldn’t help but drag out the word.

“How we sometimes ‘sync up’… I think it’s happened with the others after Geist helped me, but I didn’t really notice it until… well… until you were rescued… and,” her eyes narrowed, “the headache you and your companion gave me those weeks.” 

He gave a gruff snort at that. He knew all the malice was aimed at his unwanted companion.

Jynn shook her head again. “I just don’t know what to think about this really, besides needing to be more careful with our psionics.”

“Agreed.”

They were nearly at the Infirmary when Bradford made a sound.

“Jynnnnn?” He sounded pitiful.

Jynn took a moment to look again before she quietly hushed him. “Shh, I’m here. We’re nearly to the Infirmary.” She raised a hand to his head and ran her fingers through his hair, doing her best to ignore the sweat. 

He grunted and groaned as he struggled to lift his head and look at her. “Sorry…” A groan of an apology slipped out.

“Hush.” She shushed him again. “I’ll tan your hide later for overworking yourself.” Just a little joke to lighten the mood.

“I’m… I’m sorrry…” He repeated, but his words sounded choked. Like he was holding back tears. “So… sorry… All of you…”

Jynn shot a look at Thaddeus, who only shrugged. 

Taking a risk, eyes glowing, she tapped at his mind. As always, there was some strange interference, a mix of Bradford’s natural defenses that had become stronger over time and whatever was currently going on. It only took her a few moments to find that path of least resistance. It was like a flickering white noise static as she caught glimpses of Bradford’s day until he sequestered himself in the Archives for several long hours. Something that had happened more than once, and she was oblivious to. With a little more pressing, she saw pieces of his torment.

“Oh, John…” She sighed. That guilt. Something she was all too familiar with. She was about to hush him again when her senses finally picked up a familiarity with the strange interference. One that was picking at and flaring the guilt. Her nostrils flared as her eyes glowed in intensity, finally hearing the sad tune torturing her lover.

I draw upon the lines and strings that lay dormant. They have always been there. Mere cinders. Mere flickers. The question is, how will you face the full gravity of the choices you have yet to make and the judgments that will follow? It was like the sound of dry beetle-clicks, as the jaw of a shattered, dry skull of some alien chatter along, as its strange limbs plucked at the strings of an ancient instrument it always carried. For just a moment, the tone of the music became more uplifting, before it became a dreadful dirge once more to match the continued trouble tone of Bradford’s mind.

“Sorrrry….” Another, long, drawn-out apology came from the Bradford.

Hearing that wrong voice and music sparked a broiling fury within her. She wanted to raise her hand and place it against his head and channel all her might to purge his mind of the unwanted presence and— 

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly through her teeth. “No hasty actions…” She whispered to herself. Who knows what feedback that could cause. It’s still a nuisance but less harmful than Thaddeus’. Just more curious… and testing…

“Hm?” Thaddeus inclined his head.

“I’ll be sending a message to Geist and Walker. Don’t touch Bradford’s brain unless he takes a turn for the worse. Dry bones.”

His nostrils flared as he grimaced. He nodded.

Once they arrived at the Infirmary, there was already a room and an advanced bed waiting for Bradford. Thaddeus set him down on the bed before giving the doctors space to work. It didn’t take long for him to get hooked up to several monitoring devices and two IV drips.

Jynn and Thaddeus lingered just outside the door to the room and continued their conversation mentally. Jynn quickly filled him in on what she had discovered. Thaddeus commented that it looked like Bradford needed more sessions with Veer to work that guilt out, even wondering if they needed to see if any others had the same feelings like him they had to worry about, before cracking a poor joke that maybe he wouldn’t be the only one with an unwanted companion for long. A swift punch to the chest and a stinging mental zap made him quickly apologize.

————

It took a few hours for Bradford’s fever to come down, but the man was still out and occasionally mumbled nonsense here and there. Jynn had to leave pretty soon so she could make some calls, and she had an operation that needed to be overseen. She did send out a quick memo to the staff that Bradford would be out of commission for a few days, and one specific to the Senior Staff filling them in on more details and that they needed to be ready to squash rumors. Thaddeus stuck around as long as he could, acting as an active monitor if those disturbances to Bradford’s mind increased before he had to leave to perform his duties.  

————

It wasn’t until later in the night when Jynn was able to return. Making sure to close and lock the door behind her, she pulled a chair up to the bed. She held off on using her psionics to check his mind further, as their latent bond mostly kicked in as she entered the room. That interference was nearly gone, and the same with his troubling thoughts and that music. The man was just in a calm, dreamless sleep, minus the occasional twinge of pain caused by his sore throat and sensitive sinuses.

“Good. Good.” She mumbled to herself. “That’s much—” She suddenly paused. Her nose wrinkled as her mental ear twitched.

There was something. Just a faint plucking. Strings being pulled. It was like a lute, playing that dower song. As much as it was calming, it was unnerving. 

Hear a song of gentle mourning for a… There was a faint voice that trailed off before it completed its words.

“Why are you still there?” She growled. She wanted to dig in and root it out, but didn’t want to take a risk. It seemed like it wasn’t bothering Bradford at the moment, and she wanted it to stay that way.

To distract herself, she brought out the tablet she took from one of the doctors and took a look at the medical report.

Basic sickness from overworking himself, possibly picking up something on that op, and he missed some of the boosters the docs like giving out. Thought we stopped doing that, Johnny? Then again, things have been busy again. She glanced at him and just sighed, seeing how pale he still looked. With what we have, it should be out of his system by tomorrow, but I will enforce doctors’ orders for him to rest a few days. Extremely light work, just handling messages and double-checking some plans and supply drops and pickups. 

Shifting over to the tests and notes by the Psionic Division doctors, she was deep in the report for one of the scans dealing with synaptic pathways being inflamed, before a growing series of groans brought her back to reality.

Bradford’s face was scrunched up as he shifted back and forth. Another groan slipped out as he raised a hand to his head to block out the bright light and rub his face. A thick snort, followed by a clotted cough, followed. “Ugh… where am I?” His voice was still rough but now sounded like phlegm was choking it.

“Easy there,” Jynn said as she used her psionics to gently push him back down until she could get his pillows readjusted so he could recline against them. 

He grunted. “Jynn?”

“It’s me, workaholic.” She teased. “You’re not as young as you used to be. Can’t be running yourself ragged like this. I still need your brain and skills.”

He only grimaced in reply.

It took a few more face rubs and then Jynn dimming the lights before he was finally able to look around. Slowly, he took in the room.

“Infirmary…?” He questioned before looking at her. Though her face was plain, he could tell there was some relief in her tired eyes, but also a hint of annoyance. “How…? What… happened?” He asked. Trying to recall the day was escaping him.

“We had been looking for you for a few hours. You did your little ‘block out’ all communications thing when you don’t want to be disturbed.” She frowned. Something she found quite annoying, and he wasn’t the only one who did that. “Dimitri checked around your usual brooding spots until she found you in the Archives when she remembered you saying you needed to do some research. She found you passed out at a station running a fever. Thaddeus popped over and brought you here.”

He listened carefully, having faint flashes of how his day went before a hazy blur overtook his mind. “I—” He coughed suddenly, grunting with each struggling breath as he felt his throat suddenly clog up. There was a faint ping before he felt a cool cloth press against his lips. He didn’t need instructions to cough his lungs out to get out that annoying phlegm. A few heavy smacks to the back helped as much as it hurt. Once it was all out, there was another ping before the cloth was pulled back and another replaced it and cleaned up the aftermath. “Thank you.” He said once that one was removed.

He took a moment to regather his thoughts, occasionally looking at Jynn. There were some cracks in her mask. That plain face had shifted to a frustrated one, but he could pick up the worry. A worry that made his heart hurt more than usual, and he wasn’t sure why.

“I… I guess I got caught up wanting to research something.” He mumbled, looking away from her.

“Someone.” She corrected, not even pretending to hold back an annoyed snort. He flinched. “I appreciate you wanting to go over old intel XCOM pulled from ADVENT over the years, but we have a team designated to handle this. You don’t need to do it. We’re still all sorting out the mental hell of what we saw from the additional data we got concerning Lucius.”

“Jynn, I just wanted to lay the groundwork—”

“You’re not to blame.” She said bluntly.

Looking back at her, he blinked a few times. He wasn’t sure why, but that annoyed him before a heavy weight felt like it was dropped on him. “Jynn—”

“Stop.” She raised a finger. “Just. Stop. I’m not hearing it. Since I’ve grown accustomed to the new you since you guys rescued me, I know you’ve felt guilty it took so long to find me and the sorry state I was in.” She shook her head. “And I’ve known this feeling also applies to the others, even if you never shared it with me.”

For just a moment, his eyes widened as the memories of the day fully came back to him. He looked away. He couldn’t face her. “Jynn… I…”

“No. I’m not letting you beg and moan about being sorry for something you couldn’t control or anything you couldn’t foresee.” She shrugged. “At least I’m alive and still kicking, and mostly human.” They were still performing tests to figure out all things done to her that were not the standards practiced on the Hybrids and Aliens. The results were still mixed, but as they were slowly updating their technology and getting their hands on intel concerning her imprisonment, they were slowly finding the answers. “Still working on my health, but I’m miles better than how those Elders were handling me.”

“But… I…”

“Like a damn flea to a dog…” Her Cajun accent slipped out for just a second. “Cher, don’t… Hell, who’s to say I wouldn’t have entered a self-destructive depression like you if I somehow escaped capture and the base alive? Stop it. It won’t change a thing.”

He didn’t answer.

Jynn let the silence linger for a while.

“From the doctor reports I’ve read,” she raised her tablet before swiping back to the beginning, “the cocktail of medicine they’ve given you should have this virus purged from your system come morning.” She tapped at one of the IV bags nearby. “But!” She raised a stern finger that matched her half-hooded eyes. That got a brow raised from him. “You need some bed rest, and I am making that an order.”

He snorted. “And if I disobey?”

“I’d rather you not end up back in here.” She narrowed her eyes. “And rather not have Thaddeus or Corvo having to wrestle you to make you rest. Can’t guarantee Thaddeus won’t break bones again.” One corner of her mouth twitched. Bradford cringed as he reflexively flexed his right hand. “Or would you like me to implant commands into your brain?” Her eyes glowed blue for a touch too long.

“No! No…” He really bristled at that. “Guess… I’ll obey.” He mumbled, turning away, half making it sound like he was miffed it would cut into his duties, but he could tell he needed the rest.

“Also, when Navla gets back, I’m going to have her check your brain.”

Looking back at her, his brows were raised. “Why?”

“I know you don’t recall all our walks in that Gap, but I think one specific individual has been exploiting our connection and plucking at that guilt you keep locked up.” She said. “Dry bones.”

He shuddered, just feeling a faint memory he couldn’t recall of things too great for a human mind to handle that he never wanted to encounter again. A strange alien with a cracked skull for its face and the top sawn off, letting billowing pillars of the cosmos flow out of it. “Can’t you… check it out? Since… it… all of ‘em respond to you?”

“No. Not taking any risks. It, the big guy, or squid face may want me to open that sliver of a crack further.” She huffed before rubbing her temples. Like the Elders, they searched for weak links to get at their main target. “And I need to have the various surviving personnel checked for that strange ‘spark’ that resonates with mine and the other Sub-Commanders’ psionics for whatever reason…” An annoyed sigh slipped out. “Need to involve Geist… probably has something to deal with that old ‘bond’ to whatever alien he was talking about.” Part of her was still skeptical, but part of her felt like there was truth to it, besides that void within herself that just wouldn’t go away even after Geist helped properly awaken her psionics. “If he’s not too busy. Seems he may be finally finding something around the old base in China, but that wild psionic activity is making the task difficult.”

“Right, right.” Bradford just nodded. Despite him not liking the touch of a psion on his mind unless it was her, he felt like she knew best. Hearing her mention the old fallen base made that guilt flare in his heart again. Is he still alive or dead? Do They have him? Have They—“

“We’ll find Kamon.” Jynn said. She held back a laugh seeing his bewildered look. She just tapped the side of her head. “What I saw earlier, and I’m still hearing those guilt-laced thoughts. We’ll find him. Dead? Alive?” She shrugged. “Not sure which, but we will find him and anyone else that was stationed there.”

He didn’t respond and just looked away. His mind picked at that infernal fever dream he had slipped off into and Kamon’s appearance. Or lack of one. Or appearances… His body trembled in both fear and disgust, recalling a few of the horrible visions he saw. He closed his eyes tight as that haunting demand to look at him boomed in his head. The sheets bunched up in his fists. He didn’t notice Jynn had touched his arm.

“Soooo,” he paused, gruffly clearing his throat of that choking phlegm, wincing, “how have things been on the ship since…” He let his voice trail off.

“Not much, but I’ll give you an abbreviated rundown. Your brain needs rest, cher.”

Jynn gave him a quick rundown. The operation was a mixed success. They got the intel they had been seeking and equipment, but it cost two operatives their lives, and the others were severely wounded due to an unexpected explosive source being ruptured, causing part of the building to collapse. Everything onboard and outside of the ship was fine, minus the usual nonsense everyone dealt with. Training the local Cells was going well, and those operatives sent out to handle it would be back soon. And those joint missions with some of the Factions were close to wrapping up, but she had a sinking feeling for one that it was going to end in trouble as Jax-Rai was active in the area.

“Expecting a broadcast from the Assassin sometime soon... At least she’s more tolerable than her brothers.” She grumbled as she shook her head. Her mind was expecting the usual raving rant from Dhay-Vol to come sometime soon. He was overdue by some days. Of all things to happen after our meeting with the Templars…. A bond with him of all people. She hated it. 

“Somehow, she is.” Bradford could agree with that.

As her mind was digging back at the ideas she had been formulating on how she could kill that link, even though Geist believed that could potentially cause more problems, a sudden yawn overtook her. She rapidly blinked a few times, eyes becoming heavily hooded before she yawned again.

“Tired?” He asked, doing his best not to smirk.

“Long day. You made it worse.” She playfully jabbed at his arm.

“Ow.” He was barely hurt by it. “Sorry.” He sheepishly said. He wondered how his actions derailed her day and distracted her.

As she got up, she smirked. “You can repay me by actually resting.” She jabbed at his arm again. “And I mean it. I will punish you if you don’t.”

He feebly raised his hands as he held back a cough. “I will, I will.”

“Good. Aaaand,” the smirk shifted into a wide grin as a mischievous gleam shone in her eyes, “if you behave, I’ll let you crash in my bed once they release you. I’ll make sure it’s all nice and clean.”

His eyes narrowed. He didn’t like that devious look. “I can just crash in my room, Jynn…”

“Not after someone stole your new mattress and we still haven’t found the culprit.” She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She wondered how long that prank was going to last. She was letting him and the others handle it. “And you always did say my bed was the most comfortable on the ship.” She sang a little. He snorted.

“Don’t… don’t remind me of that…” His voice dropped to a low, gravely grumble. In a way, he had completely forgotten about that issue with how busy he had been. His body had quickly adjusted back to the way his old mattress felt.

“Besides, after my nap I probably won’t be needing it for a day or more. The few beneficial “improvements” the Elders gave me.” She had to give Them that. There were some benefits not having to stick to the usual human sleep schedule as long as her other needs were met, which also had some beneficial tweaks once her major health issues were mostly rectified.

“Don’t… don’t overdo it.” He sighed. He, as well as the others, had some concerns whenever she or the other Sub-Commanders would take advantage of those benefits. “Don’t want you to…” His voice trailed off, thinking about one of her earliest spirals after they explored their first Blacksite. He flinched when he felt something touch his face. Parts of it were still sensitive. He flinched again when he felt a kiss on his head.

“I know and I won’t.” She said with a soft smile.

That made him smile.

That smile disappeared as she soon began to grumble. “Unless Warlock decides it’s time for me to hear one of his many sermons to turn me ‘back to the light’…” She wondered how long it would be before the Elders started preaching that false doctrine to humanity in full force. I think They’ve been slowly introducing it over the years, but not too quickly to start those riots again. Newer generations are more accepting of it compared to the old. “Then you guys will find me releasing my anger in the Rec Room… or the Firing Range.” Just a slur of a curse in some alien language directed at Dhay-Vol and Elders slipped out.

He snorted. “Would you prefer him or Kon-Ris?” He already knew Jax-Rai was the preferred answer.

She paused for a moment. “You know… I don’t know…” Her voice dropped to a low whisper as she thought about it. Her eyes wandered around as her mouth moved, but no words came out. What were the pros and the cons? They were two different flavors of fractured minds courtesy of the Elders’ fine handiwork. “I… I don’t want to think about that right now…” Barely escaped that for myself, but They left me with a lot of damage and pathways open to more cruel beings. “But either one of those two compared to a direct link to the Elders again.” Her body shuddered recalling those few times before Warlock’s link fully took over that. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise she was stuck with the fanatical Chosen.

He held in a snort. He gently patted her arm. “I’ll stop torturing you. Go get some rest.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “And I’ll be waiting for that clean bed, but don’t clean it too much.”

“Oh?” She cocked her head to the side.

“The smell.” He gave a silly smile. “Like when you stole my shirts. Well, still steal my shirts.”

Her cheeks took on a rosy tint. “I only take the ratty ones… now.” She mumbled.

“You’ve taken some of my nice ones too! Same with the shorts!”

“Nooooo…” She avoided his eyes as he was right. Before he could say something else, another kiss to the head shut him up. “Get some rest and see you in the morning, cher.”

He snorted. Keeping his grip firm, he gave her arm a few more squeezes before letting her go. “I’ll try, and you do the same, hon.” He reclined further in his bed. Part of him wanted to ask for her to leave her tablet, but had a feeling she would refuse. “Before you go, see if the docs can get something for my throat.” He took a moment to clear his throat, wincing at how raw it felt and the neck-tightening effort he had to use to knock loose the mucus.

“Will do.” She gave him a quick pat on the cheek before she left. She informed the doctors that Bradford was awake and more mentally sound than he was when they brought him there. She also told them he wanted something for his throat before leaving.

It didn’t take long for someone to bring Bradford a drink to soothe his parched throat. He had to endure a few tests before the nearly empty IV bags were swapped for fresh ones. It was only a little while that his brain let him linger on what caused his current sorry state before tiredness tugged at his eyes. Just as his eyes were about to close, out-of-tune strumming made them snap open. Just the faintest cold sweat broke out across his body.

It continued, changing in pitch, until it finally sounded right and started a calm tune one could nod along to.

Must be someone trying to cheer up a friend. Bradford let out a sigh of relief before chuckling. It was a minor annoyance but much better than one of the bands that liked to take over the Bar.

He couldn’t lie, the guitar wasn’t too annoying, and he found it slowly lulling him to sleep. And it sounded like another player joined in, slowly interweaving its way into the tune. It sounded like a lute.  It was nice, keeping a calm up-beat tune.

Times of a long-gone past, ones Bradford would never be able to properly visit, shaped his dreams. A tear ran down his face. To think I miss that old, damn farm.