#xcom au

No. Too harsh. He won’t take it well. A great deal of damage we’ve struggled to heal and correct. 

 He raised his other hand to his eyes and rubbed them as a deep sigh came out; those shoulders rose for a moment before falling. Those glowing purple veins sprawling across his arms trembled, becoming brighter for a moment, as psionic energy slowly appeared and coiled around his arms.

But he needs to know. I have to speak the truth. Carefully. Must gauge his reactions. 

“Oh…” A long, drawn-out sigh came out. He was still rubbing his eyes before finally dragging his hand down, pulling at his face. That usual bright-eyed and jovial nature wasn’t there. His face was sullen, almost angered. And those eyes were just as sad as Bradford’s. “Where do I even start, my friend?”

Geist and his people had their work cut out for them once XCOM sent that dreadful message weeks ago. They had found the Commander and Asaru after their ill-fated recapture by Dhay-Vol’s hands months ago, but the Elders… the Elders had broken both their minds and bodies. They were quick to re-chip Jynn and force her back to running ADVENT, but that never took properly due to her fully emerged and strengthened psionics, connection to Asaru, and strong will not to be used again. Then, in a bid to keep Jynn permanently under Their control, and punishment for her continued refusal to be reclaimed, They started that dreadful “Ascension” process to convert her into a Chosen.

Whilst doing that to her, They were tearing Asaru apart to harvest his DNA with great excitement. An unadulterated specimen of Their own species, one that took a different path in Their evolution. How that pure, choice DNA would aid greatly in the Avatar project to build Their new bodies and allow those bodies to be crafted to mimic Their true forms after the initial phases were perfected, so They could transfer Their minds over.

And the Elders did not care how much pain this inflicted on the two. How much it damaged their bodies and minds. 

“They could be rebuilt, remade, reshaped. And they deserve this for their defiance against Us. They will serve a higher purpose.”

The Elders so arrogantly thought. But Their actions came back to bite Them. The two were reshaped, but not by the vision of the Elders. A botched metamorphosis. Everything went wrong when They forcefully re-bonded Asaru to Jynn. That Voice, that Weaver, snuck in and applied his Void trickery; pulling at those caring gifts and strings he gave to Jynn long ago.

So the Elders “gained” a new weapon. A vengeful weapon at that; so consumed by pain and anguish. A darkened reflection, ready to consume Them like the rotten parasites They truly were.

“Commander Reeves and Asaru… are doing better mentally and physically since you all brought them here.” There was some hesitance to Geist’s voice as he carefully searched his thoughts. His sight dropped to the floor once more, nervously bouncing between dents in the metal and concrete. Though he knew Bradford told him not to hold back, he still wanted to carefully pick his words. “My acolytes and I are still hard at work stabilizing their new body while our scientists toil away on other issues. And we have been working closely with your doctors, filling them in on every session and change that has happened.”

“It’s just…” He paused, biting at his lower lip. How to say it?

“Spit out.” Bradford crossed his arms; a foot tapped quickly against the floor like a rabbit’s. “Don’t hold back. I expect to hear the worst. Tygan and the others have shown me the data. Hell… the day we found the two…”

Geist closed his eyes tightly and nodded. Best not to sugarcoat his words. 

“I’m not sure what else we can do. Their minds are more separate now, but neither of us has the resources to dig deeper and fully untangle their minds and fix the damage done to their bodies and DNA. They are still in a fragile state.” He said. “The Elders were… careless. And that is an understatement. The damage…” 

Pausing, he shook his head before shifting his head towards the meditation chamber — a ways away — they were housing the two in. His body trembled, psionic veins bulged and pulsed, as his mind clearly remembered all the pain, anguish, and seething anger radiating off the two when XCOM arrived. It had greatly diminished, but he could still feel it faintly lingering through the base. So toxic.

“Their… damage… it reminds me so much of Dhay-Vol’s, though his comes from the Elders’ pouring far too much of their psionic energy into him, twisting what is the Earth’s, as they tinkered with his genetic code. For Reeves and Asaru…” He paused, raising his hand back to his head. “The two were still recovering, only to be torn apart again, bond partially severed, and then forcefully re-merged after both went through horrific experiments. It’s amazing the two are even alive, to be honest.”

That foot tapping stopped. Bradford closed his eyes as a sharp sigh came out. “Was expecting to hear that.” Though not the news he wanted to hear, he was just happy they could do something since — at the time — they had been unable to get in contact with that friendly Elder, Raal’Maker. “How fragile a state are we talking of?”

“Quite fragile. We haven’t moved them from the central meditation chamber since you brought them here.” He shook his head. “The concentrated psionic energies are keeping them stable, and then it is the best area to perform all the treatments, though there have been a few close calls.”

“Let me guess, the psionic draining?” Something Bradford never liked being on the receiving end of, and he and his squad nearly died that day they found the two.

Geist nodded. There was a slight tremble in one of his arms. A few of those purple veins bulged before relaxing. “They occasionally get an urge to feed on the life force of the living. Preferably, psions.’Soothes the pain,’ or so they tell us.” He explained. “Though from Tygan’s and Marin’s notes, and one of our doctors, they believe it’s how they are trying to repair themselves.” 

Bradford closed his eyes tightly, hearing that. His mind flashed back to when they had found the two. They could feel the anger, pure unbridled hatred radiating off of their psionics, and it was all nicely wrapped up in a wave of pain that was nearly crippling. “How is that pain now?”

“Less, but still bothersome for both of them.” He said. “They’ve described it as if every fiber of their beings, new and old, is on fire. Like they are still being prodded, stabbed, and cut open by the Elders and their drones every waking moment.”

Bradford sighed. He expected that, but it still bothered his heart. “How are they right now?”

“Moderately fine, since I last checked two hours ago.”

Bradford’s arms quickly unfolded before he threw them up into the air. “Two hours ago!?” Wasn’t there a delicate condition he needed to keep a close eye on?

“John, please.” Geist just rolled his eyes. “I have my most trusted acolytes and doctors watching over them. They’re in the main meditation chamber, remember. They are fine.” He then tapped the side of his head twice. Always ready to listen for a psi call. “Currently, they are swimming in the waters from what my acolytes have updated me with.”

A few grumbles slipped from Bradford’s lips as his arms slowly returned to their previously crossed state. Calm that brain of yours, lover boy. A little insult aimed at himself to try to keep a level head. He took a moment to rub his face as he gathered his thoughts. “Swimming?” That caught his interest.

“They’ve grown quite fond of the water due to their new shared form. Seems to keep both of them calm and their minds occupied.” Geist explained. One of the few boons that helped with the Templars’ treatments. “At times, they even sleep deep in the pools instead of topside. They say it’s comforting.”

“Hm.” More interesting developments, but they all made sense. “Asaru already looked like a jellyfish, and Jynn’s new body looks pretty aquatic…” Bradford rubbed his chin. So much to get used to now. 

More flashbacks to that day ran through his mind. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Barely recognized the two. A new form, a few heads taller than the Chosen were, and they were thrashing those undying pests like they were nothing but toys, but some features were still the same. Some of Jynn’s brownish-red skin tone remained in all that blue, and Asaru’s tentacles were still there. But everything… just everything else…

“That night…” Bradford grumbled under his breath as his mind just dwelled on it some more. The two were so angry and hurting. Crying as they came to their senses when they realized they had attacked him and the others, thinking they were more fodder of the Elders. It felt like forever trying to calm them down again and get them out of that place before it imploded from the flooding waters. The ride back in the Skyranger was tense. Felt like he was facing a hurricane trying to keep them calm.

He continued to grumble and soon began to pace around. The sound of his boots clacking against the metal flooring was oddly calming. 

Geist stayed quiet. In a way, he was meditating on his own thoughts and communicating with his people.

A few minutes passed before he finally stopped pacing and looked at Geist.

 “Can I see her… them?” Bradford asked.

A slight chuckle slipped out. Geist had been waiting for that. Placing his hands on his knees, he got up. “I don’t think they’ll mind seeing a friendly face, but I can’t guarantee either one will be talkative.” He hoped they at least would talk a little. “Follow.” He gestured for Bradford to follow him. He did so.

Geist informed him of a few protocols they had set up for everyone’s safety. What lines to cross in the room and when. Things he shouldn’t mention unless he wanted to become a lifeless husk. And a few other things.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. A little psionic energy and the door to the chamber opened, and there were a number of people in there. Mostly acolytes.

“Like one of the many test designs for Gollop Chamber.” Bradford mumbled under his breath as those doors opened. It was always a sight to behold.

There was a massive pool of clear water in the center that was fed by a waterfall cascading down the cave wall in the very back. There was a walkway cutting through the middle of the pool, leading to a circular platform in the center. A few more walkways branched off from the main path, leading to more platforms, occupied by various Templars meditating. Streams and orbs of psionic energy flowed freely through the room.

Taking a step forward, Bradford paused as his nose twisted almost immediately as the potent scent of fish smacked his nose. Accidentally taking a deeper whiff, he gagged and let out a few rough coughs.

“What’s *cough*  what’s with the *cough* fish smell?” The words barely came out.

“Ah, that.” Geist raised a finger. “Sorry for no warning. It’s Reeve’s and Asaru’s meal of choice. They prefer fresh-caught and as raw as possible.”

“… Seriously?” He believed him, with their new look, but part of him didn’t want to.

“You’ll see shortly. And it’s their feeding time.~” Geist said with a wicked smile, humming towards the end as he continued into the room.

Bradford felt his brow twitch and sighed. Clearing his throat and rubbing his nose a few times, he caught up to him.

As they came closer to the pool, Geist stretched out his arm and stopped him. Bradford was about to say something, but then remembered the protocols. His body shuddered. Best not to break them.

Geist soon talked to his people to see what non-critical things had been going on. A few people were cracking open a massive cooler and pulling out some fresh fish. Feeding time indeed.

As he did so, Bradford partially listened in as his eyes wandered over to the pool, watching the still waters.

“So much deeper than the one at the main base.” He quietly commented. He wondered how deep the pool was. Then he saw something deep in the waters. Swimming in the dark depths, barely illuminated by a soft bioluminescent blue glow radiating from it. Not it. Them. Her.

“She’s really… they’ve really taken to water.” He mumbled as he watched how they swam so effortlessly, barely moving their four arms and legs. Hair, tentacles, and tail flowed freely.

“Hm?” He mumbled as they leisurely swam by. “Oh! Oh…” His eyes shifted away as a hand went to his face; he fake coughed to cover up his reddening face.

Though he could only see their backside, they… Jynn… was still naked, like the day they rescued the two.

Guess they haven’t figured out clothes for them yet. He thought to himself. His eyes found them again.

Studying that new form once again. A silky smooth, deep teal had replaced most of Jynn’s brown skin. Her head was somewhere in between the shape of Hybrid’s and Chosen’s — including the facial features — though the forehead jutted out slightly as it swept back into a three-tailed fin. And there were more fins on her back and forearms.

“So much to get used to… still beautiful… in a strange way.” There was something alluring about how Jynn looked now. Even with everything… he still loved her. 

“Stay right there, John.” Geist said.

Bradford barely heard Geist speak to him until he noticed the man take a few steps towards the edge.

“Commander Reeves! Asaru!” He called out, kneeling over the waters ever so slightly. The psionic energies in the room swirled about. “I would like to have a word with you.”

Jynn stopped swimming suddenly before her face suddenly jerked towards Geist. Eight eyes focused on him, as her nose wrinkled and a grimace formed. A few seconds passed before she swam.

Geist took a step back. “Remember what I told you.” He held a hand back towards Bradford.

“I remember.” Bradford stayed put. He did not want to be on the receiving end of a psionic draining again. What Jynn and Asaru did was vicious. So much worse than a Sectoid’s drain. Made it look like child’s play.

A minute or two passed before Jynn poked part of her head out of the water. The membrane covering her eyes slipped back; her human eyes, a piercing blue(no longer a hazel brown) against black sclera, scanned the room. Geist, the one who disturbed them, was just a few feet away from the edge, and then… Bradford. Her eyes narrowed on him for a moment before switching back to Geist. A few tentacles slowly emerged from the water, spreading out the scan of the room further.

Geist just smiled. “Just checking up on you two. No psionic treatment sessions for today. I hope all has been well.” With his hand, he cheerily gestured towards his people, who were bringing out the fish. “And I see you will have quite a selection of fish to pick from today. Mostly native species, but there are a few of the alien species the Elders have let roam.” The work to stabilize Earth’s ecosystem would be such a task in the future.

Jynn’s eyes shifted over to the fish for a moment, it was a bountiful catch, before looking back at him and then at Bradford. Muffled grumbles — and lots of bubbles — slipped out as she sank back down into the water.

“Geist, how is this—“

“Shh!” Geist quickly hushed Bradford, raising a finger.

A second later, four clawed hands sprang from the water and grabbed the edge of the platform. Water sloshed around as Jynn slowly emerged. Her upper arms crossed over and somewhat covered her bare chest, and her lower arms rested on the ground. She had partially pulled herself out of the water. Her expression had barely changed; squinted eyes and a firm frown. Gill-like slits on her red throat opened and closed rapidly. There was an odd, barely visible blue shimmer encapsulating part of her head, like a bubble.

She shook her head quickly, shaking free a mass of water from her skin and hair. Geist put up a quick shield to keep himself and Bradford from getting wet. A throaty grumble left her lips, making those slits tremble, as she leaned forward, eyes focusing on Geist and occasionally shifting over to Bradford. 

Bradford felt his heart slowly working its way to his throat as she emerged from the water. So tall now. Just her upper half was out and was towering over him. He swallowed hard, not exactly liking her(and probably Asaru’s too) sour demeanor, and glanced at Geist.

Geist said a few more things as he brought forth his psionic energies and did something towards Jynn that seemed like she and Asaru didn’t like, with the strange, warbled hiss that came out and a small energy bolt aimed at Geist’s feet. But nothing further happened besides a few tentacles being raised towards Geist and hovering over his body.

“Everything is still holding. Good.” Geist smiled. “Also, you have a visitor.” He gestured towards Bradford before stepping back. As he reached Bradford, he gestured for him to step forward.

“Commander Reeves. Asaru.” Bradford nodded towards them. He clutched his hands tightly before taking careful steps towards the two. He nearly stopped when their eyes snapped to him too swiftly for his liking. And those tentacles shifting over to him didn’t help. He could already feel those tugs on his body and mind.

 He took in a deep breath and pressed forward. “How are you two doing?” It was weird, literally looking up at her now. She was two heads taller than the Chosen.

There was no answer. Those eyes just stayed focused on him. An odd, throaty mumble came forth as those gills continued to open and close, though more slowly. The tentacles came closer, hovering all around him, especially his head.

“Hm.” He bit his lip. He expected as much from what Geist had told him. But there was no time for awkward silence. “Things have been going well on the Avenger since we found you two. Just a few annoyances, but the Senior Staff are handling them.” 

So he spoke, chuckling as he did so, catching her up on details on what was happening on the Avenger and then the Resistance as a whole. So far, nothing terrible, minus some crew members, they were probably going to have to discharge them with how poorly they were handling what had happened to the Commander.

 “And we are still waiting for a message from Maker before we can take you two to him.” That benevolent Elder was still a strange one to him, but had become such a helpful boon to the Resistance. “From a few disjointed messages we received, it looks like he and the other Elders are fighting, as usual. Really, seems like a civil war is happening as there’s a massive schism due to what happened, and seems some are seeing how correct Maker was and are going over to his side.”

He continued, carefully observing her reaction and those tentacles that were pretty much moving around his face and body. Her expression hadn’t changed, but he could feel those tentacles probing and pulling. He never liked with when Asaru did that, but it was just how he took in his surroundings.

Rambling on, he didn’t hear the sound of water shifting about or her raising herself up more, and moving closer to him. Until suddenly, he felt something wet touch his chest and warm breath tickling his face. He paused and looked down. Her clawed, webbed hand was touching the center of his chest.

“Uh…” He looked back up at her, almost shrinking back, realizing her face was so close to his. He glanced over to Geist, who gave him a so-so gesture. He looked just as confused at him.

“Uh… Commander?” Bradford said. No response. “Jynn? Asaru?” Still no response. Just intense stares.

The next moment, his eyes lit up, and he grimaced. Those claws tightened, piercing through his shirt, digging into his skin.

“Jynn!?” A yell barely left his lips as he felt her pull him forward. All those arms, and many tentacles, wrapped around him tightly. For some reason, his brain just told him to take a deep breath, and how glad he was to do so, the next thing he felt was his whole body shudder as that cold water hit like a solid wall, nearly knocking the breath out of him, before it all quickly enveloped him. The bright light above grew more distant as the seconds ticked by. Shouts from Geist and the others quickly became muffled.

As he struggled to break free, he caught a blurred view of someone about to dive in after them until they quickly recoiled, grasping at their heads. Then his eyes flashed as he felt a strong psionic wave pierce them.

Stay back. The intertwined voices of Jynn and Asaru rang in his head. Such a strange echo in it. There was a lingering burning anger that permeated the psionic wave. Stay back. I(We) want privacy.

So they did want to talk, but not with others around. Bradford’s struggles slowly stopped. He was along for the ride and wondered exactly where they were taking him.

Wrangling some space for his head, he looked at her face. Still as grumpy as before, but seemed more pained, almost as if she was on the verge of crying.

Jynn… Asaru… He mentally sighed. He could faintly feel that deep turmoil radiating from their powers. Just a relentless ocean of pain they were in, mentally and physically. 

Then a thought crossed his mind.

Hey, you guys know I can’t brea— As he was thinking that, he paused as the sensation of fresh air entered his lungs and fish. Then he noticed a faint blue sparkle around his head. A psionic bubble. 

We know. The two replied, glancing at him for a second. Patience. Nearly there.

It felt like ages as they went deeper and deeper. Just how far down did this pool go?

 Light slowly slipped into darkness. The only thing keeping it from being nearly pitch black was that soft bioluminescent glow from Jynn. They rounded the corner and into a hidden alcove that had a faint glow. 

Entering, the source of the glow was evident. Blue psionic string-like webbing was strung from wall to wall, with a massive, thick wall in the middle, sealing it off. Jynn and Asaru had spun a psionic cocoon of sorts to make a little hidden home. With little work, they opened it, slipped inside, and it closed behind them. They soon surfaced.

That psionic bubble around Bradford’s head popped. He took in several breaths as he looked around. A little fishy but breathable. Almost entranced by the soft glow coming from the cocoon and the reflections of the water ripples on the rocky walls.

“Huh…” He mumbled. He wondered if this was where they went to sleep to get away from all the eyes. He noticed there were some blankets and other things sitting on some exposed ground towards the back. Feeling those arms tighten around him once again, and then something heavy came down on his head, made him freeze. A nestling motion was happening. And it felt a bit leathery against his skin.

“Uh…” He was hesitant to move, even more so as those arms squeezed him even more. And then he heard it. A strange purring growl mixed with sniffling. Jynn’s breathing was sharp. Those throat slits opened and closed rapidly, now making a slight whistle.

“Jynn…? Asaru…?” He cautiously said. He just felt those arms squeeze him more, pulling him closer to her chest. His face was growing a rosy shade with how his face was pressing against her breasts. Feeling her heart, if not hearts now, thumping rapidly made him snap to. Crap, crap, they’re crying.

It took some work, but he managed to wrangle his arms free and soon wrapped them around her. “Hey, hey… It’s okay. It’s okay.” He hushed the two as he tightened his hug. “I’m not mad. You two are safe.” The sniffling and strange purred growled continued, but those hearts slowed down to a steadier beat.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Bradford continued to reassure them he wasn’t upset, and they were safe, whilst stroking her back. It still surprised him how smooth her skin was, even with the scales; he took care to be gentle with the slightly scaled fin flaps on her back. The sniffles finally died down, being mostly replaced by the growled purring. That too stopped a few minutes later. Jynn finally let go.

Her cheeks were a deep reddish-purple as she pulled away. She avoided all eye contact with him as she slowly sank into the waters, but gently she nudged Bradford over towards the back of the cave.

Bradford tried speaking, but she just pushed him along faster. He complied, getting the message. Once at the back, he pulled himself up and out of the water.

“… Didn’t think I’d be going for a swim today.” He mostly joked to himself as he got himself situated on the rocky ground.

First things that came off were his waterlogged boots and soaked socks. Next thing to come off was his shirt, and he did his best to wring out the water, but soon stopped. He got in here one way and was pretty sure he would be leaving the same way. He just tossed it over to where he put his boots. Taking a quick check at his chest, he was happy to see that those sharp claws only left indents that were barely red and didn’t pierce his skin.

Hearing muffled sniffles, he looked back over at Jynn. He felt his heart sink into his stomach just seeing how only the top half of her face was above the surface, and she was still avoiding all eye contact.

“One of you… Or both of you brought me down here for a reason.” He said. “Who wants to talk? What do you want to talk about?”

She closed her eyes tightly, nearly slipping completely down into the water before she raised herself back up, just enough for her mouth to clear the surface. “Me.” Jynn’s voice was more prominent. “Me… me… me…” Despondently, she spoke. Her voice trailed with a slight echo and was rough. Slowly, she sank back down into the water and looked away.

“Jynn…” Bradford’s voice trailed off. He didn’t like that. 

Pushing himself off, he fell back into the water with a small splash and swam over to her. “Jynn, no.”

 He let out a sad sigh, seeing she was sinking further into the water and seemed to be drifting away from him as he came closer. He sped up. It took a bit of chasing, but he managed to corral her back over to the ledge and corner her. 

“Jynn, please…” He reached out with his hands and gently touched her face, cupping it. She shuddered and pulled back, but he kept a firm grip. “Just talk to me. You want to talk to me, right?”

She tried pulling away again, tried sinking deeper into the waters and swatting at him with her tentacles, but that barely caused his grip to falter. Her eyes barely met his for a moment. Worry. Concern. She closed her eyes tightly and looked away.

Bradford pulled himself closer, ignoring the swats. “Jynn… Talk to me. Whatever it is, just talk to me.” Shifting a hand towards those eyes, he wiped away tears that were just starting to form. “Just talk to me, please.”

She shook her head again. This time, with less force, barely pulling away. The tentacle swatting slowed until they finally fell back into the waters, drifting aimlessly. Her head barely rose, nose passing the threshold of the water. Snorted and bubbles sniffles followed. And so did tears.

“Jynn.” Bradford could just feel his heart sinking more and more.

A few minutes passed before she raised her head fully out of the water.

“W-w-where… where do I even begin?” She struggled to spit out choked words. “How… just… how? Just… why? More fish, and God knows what, than human now… no offense, Asaru.”

None taken. He said, projecting his voice psionically. It was faint.

She broke down into a blubbering, sobbing mess. Nearly dragging Bradford down when a few tentacles wrapped around him as she sank into the water. It took a lot of calming, coaxing, and frantic shaking to get Jynn to come back up and get those tentacles off of him.

He continued to console her as he gently nudged her closer to that ledge so he could get out of the water. He could only tread water for so long, and drowning was not on his radar. Once he was back on dry land, he managed to coax her to come out of the water some more and rest her head in his lap.

“Let it out, now.” Bradford gently stroked her head. “The both of you.”

He could barely imagine how Jynn felt, how both of them felt. Bodies and minds twisted and changed so drastically. As he stroked her face, thumbs tracing those odd, chitinous growths lining her cheekbones, he couldn’t help but notice her face was an odd blend of a Hybrid and one of the Chosen. Spaced apart eyes, some gauntness to the face, and recessed ears… just seeing this all made his heart ache.

“That’s where the associations to that begin and end. Everything else about you is different.” He whispered to himself. Shifting a hand towards her head, having to pass through that faint blue bubble that covered the upper half, he carefully stroked her head. Around the forehead, part of it jutted out slightly in the middle, then swept back into a three-tailed fin. “Some traits of Asaru, and then who knows what else…”

Eight eyes stood out to him the most. He was expecting four, hers and Asaru’s, but then again, he wasn’t sure if that alien even had “eyes” to begin with. Just a floating partial skull within a bubble, coursing with energy from what he could recall. He wondered what those files and DNA tests would reveal once everything was cracked. Hopefully, more positives than negatives.

With a little more calming, Jynn finally opened up. Everything felt so off. Her body. Her mind. Her connection to Asaru. Nothing felt right. Everything felt so wrong, but she just couldn’t explain it, as the words to articulate it would just escape her.

The pains from the torturous experiments and surgeries the Elders inflicted on them still plague their new shared body. Each slice, each cut, as their bodies were unbound and re-compiled, more or so messily blended to become something ‘better’. Minds relentlessly attacked and memories tweaked and sliced to tear away what was ‘useless’ and insert ‘more compliant’ thoughts and servitude. Some memories were still a blur.

“Everything just hurts… It just hurts.” She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, nails digging deep into her skin. Asaru’s voice poked through; he was in full agreement. “I… We… Want to kill them.” A nasty growl slipped out through all the sniffling. Her eyes flashed a bright blue as she bared her new, sharp teeth. A few tentacles shot up into the air, with their tips glowing brightly.

“Shh… I know. I know.” Bradford hushed her. “We’ll eventually get those bastards, but calm down. Your health.” He could just feel the anger radiating from both of them, which was a little more amplified as it pulled at his partially severed psionic bond with Jynn.

She grumbled and nuzzled her head deeper into his lap. Rubbing it back and forth to use his pants as a makeshift tissue to clean her face.

“They deserve to suffer so much like we have. Like the voices have.” She muttered. Asaru’s voice echoed just behind it. “Poor them… poor them…”

“They deserve more tha— wait, voices?” This was something Bradford hadn’t heard about. Nor did Geist ever make mention of it. “What voices?”

“Not the Elders’. Not Dhay-Vol’s. Barely hear them now after everything. Dhay-Vol’s keeping his distance, licking his wounds.” A dark chuckle escaped her lips. “Voices of the Elders victims throughout the galaxies. Those bodies in those Endless Waves. Just… clearer than ever. Searing thoughts… Endless battles…” She shook her head as she could see those desecrated and desiccated corpses of so many species in that Gap. 

“Oh.” That place.

“I… We… Hear them.  Can feel it all. All talking. All dying. It hurts… so much.” She broke down again, pressing her face into his lap.

It was another round of calming and consoling to get her to calm down. He managed to coax her out of the water some more to draw her into a proper hug. He just wasn’t expecting her to just fall over him, wrapping all four arms around him and nearly causing him to fall back. It took a little work to get her to shift most of her weight off of him so he could stay upright.

“We can’t lead… I can’t lead XCOM like this.” Jynn’s and Asaru’s voices shifted back and forth like a flickering switch. “Our minds… my mind barely feels put together. Everything’s so clouded and just… and just. UGH!”

Those tentacles angrily smacked the ground and water. There were a few loud sparks in the surrounding psionic energy. 

“We want to kill them! Take back what was robbed from us! Drink all the precious life from their most ‘prized’ Chosen, Dhay-Vol! Turn that wretched ‘prized son’ into a—!” Jynn’s and Asaru’s voices were fully intertwined now.

“Hey, hey! Calm down. Both of you.” Shifting his hands up to her face, he gently pulled her down. “Calm down, please.”

The anger in their eyes glowed brightly. They closed them tightly, biting their bottom lip so hard causing purple blood to come forth. A heavy sigh slipped out before those eyes opened again. The glow was gone. “Sorry… Sorry…” Jynn’s voice slowly became dominant again.

“Things will be… okay.” He squeezed her. There was some doubt in his voice, but he had hope for the future. “Even if, even if… this… can’t be fixed, the Elders don’t have the both of you.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Really, they got more than they bargained for and ended up losing more than they gained. You hurt their prized children.”

“Hm.” A throaty growl came from them. “Wish we tore them apart some more and drained all that life—“

“Hey.” Bradford brought her face down some more until their eyes met. “Stop that. Your health.”

Another growl slipped out before those eyes closed once more, and a heavy sigh came out. “Sorry.”

“Stay calm. Don’t need all that work Geist and his followers did coming undone.” He gently stroked her cheek. He slightly bristled, feeling some bite of their negative emotions in that bond and what angry thoughts lingered in the air.

A few more grumbles came out. Slowly, that negative psionic energy dispersed.

“Better.” Bradford smiled. “Get your mind off the negative right now. The both of you. Especially…” He paused. A second later, he leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her head. “From my sad, saaaad fish.” He said in a singsong manner.

“Sad fish?” Jynn questioned, almost snorting at the horrible joke. Then it clicked. Her face was flushed with purple. “You… you still…?”

“Always.” He smiled, kissing her once more. “Even when I saw you that night. I’m not giving up on you. We’ll work through this.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wrapped herself around him; this time, she knocked him over and to the floor. Bradford had to tell her to loosen her grip a few times, as it was rather crushing. Felt like a few ribs were going to crack.

John? John!? Can you hear me? Geist’s voice pierced Bradford’s mind. Blast, I hope you can hear me. Jynn and Asaru sent out a nasty psionic wave and crippled us, and left some traps in the water.

Bradford’s eyes lit up. Explained why there was no contact. I hear you. I’m fine. Water lodged, but fine. They, more or so, Jynn, wanted a private talk. He replied.

Thank the void. Geist was relieved when he got a reply back. Is everything okay? My senses are fuzzy, but I believe I’ve been faintly feeling the emotions of those two.

Things are… okay. Slowly getting better. They both needed to vent. Still probably need to do so. He was blindly searching for that wet shirt of his so Jynn could wipe her snot and tear-ridden face. “I think I’ll be here for the rest of the day. Think you can get someone from the Avenger to bring over a fresh set of clothes. And LOTS of towels.

Geist laughed. I’ll see what I can do. Continue to keep the two calm.

Will do. And take your time. Still need to calm them down.

I think I can do that.

—————————

With the quick conversation over, Bradford turned his attention back to Jynn and Asaru. It took some time to get Jynn calm again, but once he did, he helped her get comfortable, helping her over to a questionable amount of blankets and pillows piled in a corner, as she tired herself out. Once she was comfortable, they began to talk.

The conversation shifted back over to what Bradford had said. More or less, he had the same feelings despite all the changes, which Jynn was having a hard time believing. She listed off all the obvious changes, counting everything on three hands before a kiss on the lips from Bradford silenced her.

“We’ll… figure this out.” He said as he pulled away. 

His eyes slowly looked her up and down. Deep in his heart, he couldn’t deny there was a faint fear that something in his mind would shift and he would reject the new her. He didn’t like to acknowledge that with how far they had come.

He moved closer to her before placing a hand softly on the center of her chest. There was some faint hesitation. He felt her heartbeat quicken slightly before she used a few tentacles to move the hand away.

“It’ll… take some time. But…” He let his eyes drift away for some seconds before looking at her. “I believe in us. You’re still beautiful to me.”

Jynn’s face flushed purple before she whipped her head away. Her gills shuddered. She chewed on the inside of her cheek for some time as her face grew a brighter shade of purple.

Bradford held in a snicker as he could faintly pick up that Asaru was saying something encouraging to her.

“Thank you… For believing… even if I’m unsure.” Jynn said meekly. She reached up and stroked his cheek. He smiled.

He found one of her free hands, took it, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Think positively.”

She snorted. “Funny, coming from you.”

He rolled his eyes, but a chuckle came out. “I’ve… gotten better with your help and Dr. Veer.”

A little laugh came from her before it trailed off into a more despondent one. Looking away from him, she gestured with one of her free arms at her body and then her face.

“You really still find this ‘beautiful’.” She couldn’t help but question that.

He is being 100% truthful. Your bond with him is damaged, but you can still sense that. Asaru’s voice was barely audible. He sounded a bit peeved that she was questioning that. She rolled her eyes.

Closing his eyes, he let out a sharp snort. Should have expected this. “Yes.” He didn’t mean to sound blunt, but it came out like that. 

Really, I wish I had that ring on me. Not like it would fit on her hand now. He was thinking of a way to try and convince her he was being truthful.

“Though we weren’t quite at that stage in our relationship yet…” He let his voice trail off as he let his eyes wander across her body. How so much of it was different, and yet oddly the same. 

Noticing how he was looking, Jynn’s chest started to flush red before plumes of purple took over. Shifting her arms, she tried her best to cover herself; a pair of arms tried to cover her double set of breasts, and another tugged at a blanket to cover her lower half. It was mainly done out of personal dislike of her altered being.

He wrinkled his nose for just a moment before shaking his head. He drew himself close to her face and whispered in a low, husky tone. “I would still propose to you now. Right now.”

She froze, hearing that. Her tail flicked around as she studied his face. It was serious as ever. “S-seriously?”

Told you. Asaru tutted. The barely audible interjection made Bradford stifle a chuckle. Jynn glared, but mostly at Asaru.

“I have a ring waiting back on the ship, already to go.” He continued in that low tone. Raising a hand to her face, he gently stroked under her chin. “Though… have to get it resized or strung on a necklace. Whatever you would like.”

A brief hm came from her, making her throat tremble. Her own tumultuous thoughts clouding her mind, she brought a tentacle to his head. The bulbous tip gently pressed against the center of his head before it began to softly glow. The man winced as their damaged bond was probed. Strands struggled to reconnect, but enough came together for her to find just what she was looking for.

“Oh… oh…” She quietly muttered as she felt his true feelings and worries. “You’re not joking.”

“No.” He nodded. “I wouldn’t joke about this. Especially with how you’re feeling.” Leaning in more, he kissed her on the lips. “I love you, Jynn. Now, forever, and always.”

Her throat trembled as she made some uncomfortable clicks and caused her gills to shut. She looked away from her before one of her arms wrapped around him and pulled him down and closer. It didn’t take long for her to wrap her other arms around him and for her to press her head against his.

“I’m… sorry…” Her voice cracked.

Bradford wrestled his arms free so he could touch her face. “Don’t apologize. You don’t need to.”

“But I—”

“That’s an order.” As serious as his voice was, there was a faint tease to it. He was repeating something she would tell him when he would get himself worked up about some minor detail of their private courtship.

“Okay.” Just a faint snort slipped out, and a meek reply.

It took some time before she released him from the hug, but he stayed close.

In between Jynn wanting to re-tread old discussions on what happened when XCOM found her and Asaru again, as she felt like she could never stop apologizing for nearly killing them with a vicious psionic life force drain, she hesitantly showed him her body. Though he had seen her altered naked form numerous times by now, but not in a more intimate fashion. And then she didn’t exactly like being touched by anyone or anything, with how sensitive every fiber of her being was.

Bradford had to tell her to stop apologizing for what happened during that rescue mission. No one was holding that against them due to their frenzied state and the pure chaos of the situation, as the Elders were constantly teleporting in units to try and capture them. Unless she wanted him to comment, he just let her make small comments here and there as she pointed out what was new. What he wasn’t expecting was for her to grab his hand and gently guide it around her body. He nearly resisted, but her claws tightening around his wrist for a split second made him relent. 

She’s doing this for a reason. Calm down. He thought to himself. He could faintly sense the tension of self-loathing and embarrassment from Jynn. A minuscule fraction of disbelief remained that he would never truly love this new her that would most likely be permanent. It just made him sigh. Despite not wanting to think about it, some part of that could become true once things got “better.”

Eventually, Asaru was dragged into their conversation when they started talking about their relationship again. Asaru was almost hesitant to voice his thoughts, sensing the ebbing and flowing of muddled thoughts from both of them, but he spoke of how he would be intruding more on the two’s private conversations due to the changed state of his and Jynn’s bond. He couldn’t exactly “fade into the background to ignore and be ignored” like he could before.

Bradford said that had crossed his mind, but he felt like they would be able to figure things out when both of them were in a more stable condition. Perhaps by then, Asaru could “fade away” again and not be more of an awkward third wheel than he already was. Throwing the alien a bone, he pointed out that Asaru had been doing pretty good with giving the two private time and rarely intruding unless something was urgent. 

It was just the right amount of reassurance, the strange alien(and Jynn) needed.

As their conversation dwindled to a natural lull, Jynn pulled Bradford down into a hug again. Despite all her nerves screaming at her, she really wanted to snuggle. Something she missed doing. 

Bradford happily obliged, sensing that he was helping her, and by extension, Asaru, stay calm. He just reminded her it couldn’t become a hard nap, as sooner or later, Geist would fetch him as he had to return to his duties on the Avenger. She grumbled at that and just tightened her grip on him.

—————————

 About two hours passed before Geist contacted him again. A fresh change of clothes and lots of towels were waiting for him, and some important information he needed to view. He asked if Bradford needed assistance coming back to the surface as he had finally locked onto his position, but the man quickly refused it. Bradford did not want to disturb Jynn and Asaru’s better mood.

Waking Jynn from the nap she had dozed off into, it took a fair amount of coaxing to get her to take him back to the surface, as she still wanted some private time with him since it had been some time since they had seen each other in person last. And then, she and Asaru had a faint feeling Geist would want to run some quick probing checks to make sure this little stunt didn’t undo anything. But, after a little more coaxing and a promise to come back around as soon as possible, she took him back to the surface. 

The two apologized quite a bit to him as they helped him out of the water, but Bradford wasn’t upset.

Jynn and Asaru would have gone back down to avoid the Templars, especially Geist, but that sweet, alluring smell of fish caught their collective attention. There was a growing knot in their stomachs, and a nasty gurgled growl soon followed. It had been some time since they had eaten.

Bradford grabbed his fresh clothes before he was escorted to another room to change. Coming back, he noticed one of the Bridge crew was there with a laptop.

“What’s going on?”

They handed the laptop over to him and quickly updated him on everything going on regarding ADVENT activities and the Resistance. The Elders’ retaliation attempts were still coming in relentless waves, but in turn, the executions were growing increasingly sloppy. None of the Chosen were there to lead the major assaults. ADVENT unit actions were de-synced, leading to many occurrences of the attacks being turned on their heads and some units outright defecting with a little nudging for psionic capable combatants. It was a mess. Whatever Jynn and Asaru did those days before they had found them had severely affected the Psionic Network.

So, it was a mix of good and bad news. Bradford gave instructions for some squads to be assembled and sent out, and for them to hit up the local Skirmisher clans for some assistance. They needed to provide support where they could and move civilians to safety. Geist butted in and offered the services of his people so they could teleport to each location. Much faster than having to travel via foot or by vehicle. Bradford accepted.

Bradford sent the crew member away, but kept the laptop. He glanced over to where Jynn was and held back a snort. She was really tearing into those fish like there was no tomorrow. Shredding them into bits, throwing scales and bones everywhere.

With laptop in hand, he headed over to her.

“Hey, Commander,” he softly called out to her, “want some updates on how the Resistance is going?”

Pausing halfway through biting into a fish, she looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

Once he reached her, he sat down and turned the laptop towards her. “Feel like it would be best to keep you, both of you, in the loop.”

She glanced down. Teeth slowly pulled away a chunk of flesh to munch on. “Maybe...” She spoke with a faint voice. But she moved closer to him, soon peering over his shoulder.

He updated her on how things had been and what was currently going on and would occasionally nudge her(or Asaru) into giving input on where XCOM’s focus should be. She was slow to respond, but with enough prodding, that old leader in her came forth and gave some orders. 

Bradford stayed for a few more hours until Jynn said she and Asaru were tired. He said he understood and would come back in the morning unless something happened. She gave him a tight hug and a peck on the head before diving back down and heading for that little cave.

Geist was fine with him coming back and even encouraged it. He had a strong feeling the two would react to the psionic treatment better if they continued to see friendly faces. That was some comforting news for Bradford. Though he told Geist they would have to hash out all the details, as he wasn’t sure how long they would be in the region. Never a time for rest for XCOM.

That was why he always laughed--internally--when Abyzou called their little worker drones their “children.” It wasn’t such that he hated their creations (he hated everyone, but that was beside the point), but he just could not look down at any of them, not even his own Gur-Rai, and see anything but a machine. Maybe an employee at best, and employees could be terminated.

This one, though, he had to admit, had stolen a tiny piece of his cold, dead heart. Maybe it was the eyes: the color of snake venom, similar to his. Or maybe it was that charismatic smile: they had made him for one reason, and that was to win over the crowd. But really, it was probably the way the Speaker, even as he bowed low, practically prostrating himself before the Elder, still managed to hold onto a portion of that power in their face. Abyzou would hate it, if she ever noticed. Camazotz saw it as something to respect.

“Glorious Elder Camazotz.” The Speaker looked up at him from his position on the floor, and Camazotz saw a glint of yellow behind those glasses. “You know I would never interrupt unless for the most urgent news.”

“Of course.” Camazotz chuckled. “I assume it’s something I’ll be happy about.”

“An associate has informed me that they have three of the Commander’s Inner Circle right on their doorstep.” The Speaker rose to his feet. “Jane Kelly is among them, as is Shaojie Zhang, and a name I’m sure you have not heard in years, the legendary Taymallat.”

“Annette Durand? That is a rare sighting.” Camazotz chuckled. He almost regretted that Annette had managed to escape so early on. She had been stronger than most humans he’d encountered. Maybe she could have managed where the others failed. “But she is not as important as the others. Jane Kelly is out in the open? She is practically giving herself up.”

“I believe from here, her capture will be swift and simple.” The Speaker continued.

“She is a wily thing, Navisor.” Camazotz knelt down so he was closer to the Speaker’s height, although the cold floor hurt his knees. He reveled in the pain. It meant he was still alive.

“This time is different.” The Speaker insisted. “She is looking for Vahlen.”

Camazotz clenched his fists in laughter. “Humans are so sentimental.”

“Aren’t they? But she’s still convinced, deep down, that to reconcile is possible. And I think with a bit of twisting, that could work in our favor~”

“You sound like you already have a plan.” Camazotz said.

“I do, but I would never do anything without consulting you.” The Speaker bowed low again.

“Navisor, whatever you are planning, you have my permission to execute it.” Camazotz assured him. “Especially if it will cause my beloved wife a headache she’ll suffer for days.”

The Speaker faltered at that, but only briefly. “I shall prepare to fly out at once. And on the topic of consulting you, Vox Camazotz, I do again require your wisdom.”

“Speak freely.” He waved a hand toward the Speaker. “You know there are no secrets here.”

“The humans are beginning to question the absence of the Chosen.” The Speaker raised his head, green eyes peering over black sunglasses. Both mirrored Camazotz’s own reflection back at him. He saw his own, sickly eyes looking back, and he may as well have been staring at someone else entirely.

He sighed. “And I suppose they will start causing problems if we don’t offer them an explanation soon. Or at the very least, distract them.” Camazotz raised his four arms and clasped his fingers together.  “There is another gala coming, is there not?”

“Indeed, in no less than a month.” The Speaker said, and he could feel Camazotz’s satisfaction.

“I believe I may have a solution. If Xezbeth and Tiyanak have decided they want to play mad scientist, perhaps I’ll make them earn the title.”

.

.

“I apologize, I am not very skilled…” Kon-Mai admitted as her fingers ran through the long, black tresses that fell to Aisha’s waist. Her hair was coarse and thick, but looked healthy beyond measure. Reaching back toward her own curly locks, Kon-Mai acknowledged how she had been leaving them down recently, and unfortunately they’d developed some rather embarrassing tangles as a result.

“An extra pair of hands is appreciated.” Aisha assured her. “It doesn’t have to be a perfect braid, I’ll be putting it under a cap anyway.” Speaking of, she reached over and grabbed a satin underscarf and handed it back to Kon-Mai. “Can you hold that? I’ll put the hair in a bun.”

“Of course.” Kon-Mai took her hands away as she watched Aisha work. The yurt they sat in was hers, and of course since Aisha was the Jinong, it was slightly bigger and more elaborate than the other single houses in Karakorum. The walls were made of stone instead of leather, although the roof was still thatched like the others. On said walls, a few keepsakes hung, some carvings in rock done presumably by a child, a few arrows with feathers on the end, some strings of beads, a bow…and other than that, it was clean, almost pristine.

In the center, the two sat beside a small fire pit that was unlit at the moment, relying on the light flooding in from the open door. The ground was swept as clean as it could be in the steppe, and out of the corner of her eye, Kon-Mai saw a beetle saunter by lazily. She put one hand down on the cool ground and took a deep breath, rooting herself in this place.

She looked up as Aisha reached back for the cap, but instead of handing it to her, Kon-Mai (her hands seemingly moving on their own) raised the cap to Aisha’s head and slid it on for her in one fell swoop, covering her hair almost perfectly. Aisha seemed to startle, and Kon-Mai reeled back at her own forwardness.

“I’m so sorry…” She stammered. “I…I don’t know why I did such a thing.”

“No, it’s okay.” Aisha smoothed out some of the baby hairs around her face and chuckled, tucking them under the cap. “I haven’t had anyone do that for a long time.”

“I’m sorry.” Kon-Mai said again. “…Was that another practice Monkh performed for you?”

“When I was little.” Aisha said quietly. “ …She was so good with hair. Her hair was so different from mine, it was really curly and kind of coily, but she could pull it back in braids, or smooth it down, or…” She paused, laying her hands in her lap. “ …Thank you for helping me with this. It’s nice to not be doing my hair alone…”

“No one else comes over?” Kon-Mai asked, getting to her feet and walking over to the wooden table that held a series of metal pins and brooches, all adorned with Elerium glowing in various colors.

“No…” Aisha shrugged. “I do not mind. The others…they feel more comfortable around each other.”

Kon-Mai herself had been slightly apprehensive to come over when Aisha invited her, even more so when the Jinong had asked for help doing her hair. She had cited Kon-Mai’s own silver locks as inspiration for asking, but Kon-Mai still felt a bit guilty that she had hesitated at all. Aisha was already so isolated, and to be honest...so was Kon-Mai.

“They should not exclude you simply because you are different.” Kon-Mai scoffed, turning over a few of the brooches in her hands, and finally selecting one shaped like a seashell with a faint purple glow.

“I don’t think that’s the entire reason.” Aisha assured her. “It’s a mixture of things…jealousy is probably a root.”

Kon-Mai chuckled. “There might be much to be jealous of, but it is their own shortcomings that hamper them.” She sat behind Aisha, who was wrapping the dark purple hijab round her head. “They should use their envy to become stronger.”

“I think they think I’m the weak one…” Aisha sighed. “And that I didn’t earn my place as Jinong.”

Kon-Mai scoffed. “Monkh would disagree. She loved you too much for you to think that.”

Aisha froze, and Kon-Mai froze with her, and the two sat in silence for a moment.

“It still hurts.” Aisha admitted. “And it’s never felt right without her here, the Khatun hasn’t been the same…”

Kon-Mai quietly pinned the hijab in place with the purple brooch. It sparkled in the sunlight, turning pink then red, then purple once again.

“I need to do some hunting before the sun sets.” Aisha got to her feet and took her bow off of the wall. “Will you join me?”

Kon-Mai raised a brow. “Proper hunting? I’m afraid I am terrible with a bow.”

“I can show you how.” Aisha assured her. “And I’d like the company.”

Kon-Mai mused on this for a moment, watching the look in Aisha’s eyes go from painful reminiscence to anxious desperation. She stood slowly, brushing off her knees, and nodded.

“Thank you.” Aisha sighed in relief. “...You can take Nergui. He’s big enough for you to ride.”

“Nergui?” Kon-Mai faltered. “...But that was Monkh’s horse. You said he does not let anyone get close…”

“He was Monkh’s horse, yes.” Was all Aisha said, her eyes unreadable. “But…”

“But?”

“He’s one of the biggest ones.” Aisha stepped away, avoiding Kon-Mai’s gaze. “If you want, you can take one of the smaller ones, but I don’t think they’ll handle as well.”

Kon-Mai wanted to insist on doing so, but when she went to protest...found she was unable to speak. 

.

.

Malinalli was waving in the distance as the cart came into view, and Dhar-Mon made himself smile for her. But as the cart drew closer, laden with metals and processed Elerium, she saw his face, and saw the worry lining it.Her own smile dropped.

She embraced him as he came close, squeezing around his waist and burying her face in his chest, and he put his hands on her shoulders and brought her in close, seeking comfort in her embrace.

“What happened?” She asked softly, looking up at him with worried eyes. “Did something go wrong at the mines?”

He sighed, shook his head...and then sighed again. “I do not know. And I feel we cannot discuss it here.”

Malinalli looked around, then grabbed his hand. “Let’s go somewhere private then.” She began to pull him away, stopping only when one of the warriors Dhar-Mon had been traveling with, Uyanga, called to them.

“Hey, Purple Man! You’re strong!” She jabbed her thumb at the cart. “Help us unload.”

“I was going…” Dhar-Mon began to protest, his voice shaking as he tried to find the words. “...'Purple man’?”  

Malinalli stepped up and put a hand on his arm. “I’ll help too. Those look heavy and you could use all the help.”

Uyanga raised a skeptical eye, running her gaze up and down Malinalli’s body. “No muscle on you. Only fat.”

“That’s correct.” Malinalli gave her a smirk as she pushed past and grabbed a chunk of Elerium with both hands. “So you don’t want the extra help?”

Uyanga eyed her for a moment more before nodding slowly. “Just keep up.”

Dhar-Mon approached his lover, who was faring okay carrying the smaller chunks, but when she reached for a piece almost as big as her head, he stopped her. “Are you sure-?”

“Please, don’t you underestimate me too.” She said softly. “I can carry these fine, holding down patients is a lot harder.”

“I…y-you’re right, I am so sorry…” He stammered, looking down and blushing purple, his skin growing hotter until Malinalli climbed up on the cart beside him and kissed him on his scaly cheek.

“Now, tell me about the mine.” She whispered in his ear.

“We are exposed here.” He looked back at Uyanga, who was unloading her own batch of Elerium near the town’s center plaza. “If only we could talk like before…”

“The mental link.” Malinalli chuckled. “I miss you on the inside sometimes.”

“I believe I have a substitute for that.” Dhar-Mon couldn’t stop himself blushing as he said that.

Malinalli snorted, almost dropping the Elerium she had picked up. “In my head, you dummy. But maybe later, we’ll see~” She winked.

He chuckled, then his smile fell and his heart sank again. “It was everything the Khatun says it is, a great hole in the earth that slips into darkness, but the walls are lined with glowing Elerium. They process it, and in turn stabilize its radioactive properties. For the most part.”

“So you won’t become fully irradiated from wearing a necklace.” Malinalli nodded. “Smart…”

“Indeed.” He didn’t quite know what else to say on it. “The workers…seem indifferent. I met one that was friendly, but the others did not pay me much mind. Several were…they were scared of me.”

“I’m sure they were just startled, they might not get many visitors…” Malinalli looked over her shoulder, then leaned in again to kiss him, whispering as she did “But that’s not all, is it?”

“There is something amiss within the mine.” He said. “And I do not believe it is benevolent. Screams echo from within.”

Malinalli pulled away from him, worry more apparent in her eyes. “I’d love to see it.” She tried to keep her voice chipper. “You’ll have to insist the others take me with, next time they go.”

“Next time?” Dhar-Mon blinked. “...Oh. Yes. When next we go, I will take you, my darling.”

Malinalli winked. “We should go early. So we aren’t missed too much here.”

“I’m sure it will not take long. We only want to see the outer mine, after all…” Dhar-Mon looked over at Uyanga, who only generally glanced in their direction. It seemed like she hadn’t heard them.

“Maybe with some luck, we can sneak away together~”

.

.

It seemed like Hong Kong was always kind of dark. Then again, everything was dark around Jane Kelly.

She crossed her legs, leaning back against the metal bench plunked smack in the middle of a park that was way too pristine. The sky was a soft grey, and the sun hid behind a thin layer of cloud that dimmed its light just enough that the shadows covered her face.

She knew she was taking a risk out here, but she had to get away. Do something. It felt like they were getting nowhere with Dax́iiu: Zhang kept giving him good reasons to defect, and Dax́iiu just kept kicking the can farther down the road. Her comrades had assured her that it would just take time, but Jane wasn’t going to sit around holding her breath.

Time was passing, far too quickly. She’d already lost so many years, she wanted as much time as she could pry from the cosmos’ cold, dead hands. And if Vahlen was here? If Vahlen was somewhere in Hong Kong?

Jane stood up and walked briskly across the street shoving her hands into her pockets. She had to keep moving, always keep moving. Bradford used to call her a hamster, running on its wheel. Maybe that was true. Maybe she should go back to-

Footsteps behind her made her slow, and she took a quick turn down a dirt maintenance path, ducking behind a beat up truck. A couple of Trooper helmets lay on the ground beside their wheels, and the footsteps drew closer to her hiding place and then stopped.

“I know you are there.” A familiar voice called out, stilted and awkward, in broken English. “Come out.”

Jane took a moment to remember where she’d heard that--him--before. When she did, a shiver went up her spine, and she was definitely no closer to revealing herself. She envied Kon-Mai in that moment, being able to go invisible would have been really handy right now.”

“I am not going to hurt you.” He said again. “I know what you seek. I want to help you.”

Jane still hesitated. “ …I’m armed.” She said. “If you try and drag me off to ADVENT, I have absolutely no problem shooting myself.”

“Please don’t.” He said. “Please, I want to help.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Jane reached for her pocket weapon, ready to make a run for it. “You’re in Dax́iiu’s pocket. And he might be talking, but he sure hasn’t made things easy for us.”

“Please.” He said again. “I don’t know how to say. Please…”

Jane kept silent for a moment longer, then stood up and looked into the black eyes of T8Y47.

“I know what you seek.” He said. “I know...who you seek.”

“How?” Jane drew her gun and pointed it at his shoulder. His eyes were gleaming with what looked like tears, but she could never be sure. “ …How much do you know? How do you know? Who told you?”

“ADVENT knows all.” He said, his hands in the air. “I know that your name is not really Jane. I know that your mother abandoned you. I know where she is.”

Jane felt her hands starting to shake--probably from holding the gun up for so long. “You…you know? You know where she is?”

“Dax́iiu knows too.” He said. “He wants to help you.”

Jane snarled. “That weasel needs to pick a side and stop sitting on fences.” She hissed. “Mother can wait that long, if he keeps wanting to drag his heels.”

“But she can’t.” The hybrid lowered his hands. “That’s why I came to find you.”

.

.

The nearly black horse looked up at Kon-Mai with sad, dark eyes as she approached. In her arms, she held a knitted saddle blanket and a pair of reigns, and as she drew close to him, his ears folded against his head.

“Aisha, are you certain?” Kon-Mai turned to the woman who was already seated on her own horse. “He looks forlorn.”

“Do not force him.” Aisha assured her. “But…you’re doing well. He doesn’t seem agitated.”

Kon-Mai looked back to Nergui, whose ears perked up slightly as she did. They locked eyes again, and she set down her tackle and approached him slowly, hands out, just as she was.

“You were her horse.” She said softly, reaching out ever so tentatively. “You were Monkh’s horse”

Nergui let out a soft nicker and shook out his tangled mane, turning away from her.

“I know you must miss her.” She continued. “I am no substitute. I am not Monkh.” With barely a touch, she put her hand on his nose, and gasped as she felt its velvety softness. “But I…I want to…” What did she want?

Nergui knew far better than her, obviously. He responded to her touch by pressing his nose forward into her palm, then stepping forward and bobbing his head slightly, as if telling her to pet him. She stroked his nose while he brayed happily, closing his eyes and turning his face up towards the sun.

“I had a feeling!” Aisha called to her. “Do you need help with the tackle gear?”

“No.” Kon-Mai said, far too quietly. “No, I’ll be fine!” She reached down for the saddle blanket (forgoing the actual saddle, as she was far too tall for any of them) and then picking up the bridle and placing the metal bit in her palm, gently holding it against his lips, waiting for him to bite. And bite he did, taking the bit from her with the kind of ease that could only come from years of trust.

“Do you need a leg up?” Aisha called after her again, crawling closer on her horse.

Kon-Mai gave her a look. “At your height? Do not try it.” She walked around Nergui’s side, heaping her hand on his neck the whole time. “I’ll be alright.” She bent one knee slightly, throwing her arm over the top of his neck, and ran forward, kicking up and over his back and landing, seated, on the saddle blanket, pulling herself upright into a sitting position.

She straightened up, shaking out her hair, and noticed Aisha staring at her. Her expression was…unreadable, but her mouth was set in a thin line.

“What is wrong?” Kon-Mai took hold of the reigns.

“Nothing, just distracted…” Aisha turned her own horse towards the gate. “Have you hunted before?”

“Not like this.” Kon-Mai chuckled, feeling Nergui paw at the ground excitedly. “But I am always ready to learn.”

.

.

For once, Betos found herself really wishing Geist was here, if only so she didn’t have to feel like the odd one out.

Drakaina and Volk each sat on an arm of Drakaina’s throne, passing a glass of vodka back and forth between them as they chatted in their native tongue, completely acting as though Betos did not exist. She understood the hesitancy to discuss anything more serious before Senuna arrived, but occasionally they would glance pointedly in her direction and Betos, despite being invited here, felt as though she was intruding.

Part of her wanted to leave, just walk right out and communicate the level of disrespect that she felt. But as soon as she gathered up the strength to turn on her heel, the doors opened and Senuna walked in, flanked by Bradford.

“Sorry about that!” She giggled, flipping her silver hair. “I was sure I had enough time for a quick nap and well, time got away from me.”

“It’s fine, you are here now.” Betos grumbled and turned to Drakaina, who stood so Volk could keep his seat on the arm rest.

“I brought you all here to discuss preparations on an outpost attack.” Drakaina said. “We have discovered ADVENT has a city center near Erdenesant, that is small enough that my army could take it, if we had help.”

“Hold on.” Bradford held up a hand. “You said no city centers.”

“I said settlements.” Drakaina clarified. “This is technically one of those. The center was constructed only a month ago and its defenses are still incomplete until more troops can be allocated.”

“Commander.” He looked to Senuna. “Back me up here.”

“How big is the settlement?” Senuna asked. “City centers aren’t usually small. I’ve been to plenty, trust me.”

"It has a population of about 3,000 people, and as of right now about half as many hybrid soldiers guarding them.” She looked to Betos. “Guards that, perhaps with your help, could be made to quietly walk away.”

“We said we weren’t taking on a city center.” Bradford insisted. “Infiltration is one thing. This is an all out attack.”

“This is our chance to save these people.” Drakaina insisted. “Or would you rather they starve under the tyranny of our invaders?”

“I’d rather we not lose this war by getting our skulls dashed against the sidewalk while the general population cheers.” Bradford crossed his arms. “And answer me this: how do we convince them we’re the good guys? I’m not just talking about the soldiers; the civvies are going to be terrified if we run in there guns blazing to drag them from their homes.”

Drakaina seemed to hesitate a bit, and then Senuna interjected, looking toward Bradford. “I might be able to convince them to come quietly. And I could evacuate the city before the attack happens.”

“I’m not sending you back in there, Sunny.” He hissed. “Not a chance.”

“A leader should fight on the field with the rest of her warriors.” Drakaina insisted. “I have heard tales of your great power, Commander.”

“I won’t have to get close.” Senuna assured him. “Just enough to project my voice.”

Betos chuckled nervously. “You plan to perform a concert?”

“Who knows? Maybe I have some fans in the city~” Senuna winked. “But Drakaina does have a point. If the city center is that small…it’s conceivable that we could crack it. And--I’ll be honest--taking on a city center is risky business, but if we have a chance to help people get out of there...”

Bradford looked away, glowering at Senuna’s answer, while Drakaina smiled. Her nearly white eyes seemed to glitter. “I see why you are the Commander, you know exactly what must be done.” Drakaina looked back at Volk. “Your Reapers are very good at remaining unseen.”

“I’ll have Elena take a couple and scout out any weak points.” Volk stood up and downed the rest of his vodka. “I know it’s a scary concept, John, but it’s about time we start taking the fight to the Elders. Can’t play defense forever.”

.

.

“Does Zhang know you’re talking to me?” Jane asked, glancing sideways at T8Y47. The hybrid held the door open for her, gesturing for her to continue. When she hesitated, he entered first.

“Nobody knows.” He answered. “Chilong and Taymallat are...focused. On other things. Not you.”

“I’m focused on the mission, too.” Jane said. “This is a side quest at best.”

“You have been searching for so long.” T8Y47 led her down a hallway similar to the one in the penthouse, but instead of gold, this one was lined with silver and marble and dark green gems. “And you came all this way. I understand why. I understand you want to know.”

Jane scoffed. “Yeah, sure you do.”

“I do.” He insisted. “I had a mother too.”

Jane stopped. “So you’re one of the ones they ‘rewarded’, huh?”

He slowed his pace, probably realizing she was no longer following him.

“Do you remember your family at all?” She asked. “Do you remember your mom?”

He shook his head. “I do not know if she lived or died. I do not know if she would want to see me again. I only have the memory of her smile, a faint outline of light in a dark void..”

Jane swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not a therapist but…” She said softly. “...You should find her.”

T8Y47 stopped briefly in his tracks at that, looking back at Jane with black eyes.

“I’m serious.” Jane insisted. “Hey, if you’re helping me find my mom, maybe I’ll help you find yours.”

He kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. “...You would do that for a stranger?”

She shrugged. “I repay kindness. I know I don’t seem like I do but…I will.”

T8Y47 stood still for a moment longer…and then put his hand on the glass doorknob. “You will find what you seek in here.”

“Thank you.” Jane stepped in front of him, her heart pounding, her hands shaking. “...What’s your name?”

“I have no name.”

“When I’m done in here, I want you to have thought up a name.” She looked back at T8Y47 and winked. “See you in a bit.”

Jane hadn’t had time to prepare for this at all, this moment was supposed to be magical, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself a child once again, running across marble floors to finally land in her mother’s arms…

The door swung open and she stepped inside, her heart instantly dropping as she saw the spacious, dark, nearly empty interrogation room. Across the wall, rows upon rows of televisions blinked, cameras scanning what looked like a prison. In front of her was a desk, and at the desk sat a slimy looking man, smiling behind his sunglasses.

“Hello Jane.” The Speaker said as the door closed behind her. “...Or should I call you Sinéad? It’s such a pretty name.”

.

.

The wind in her hair, whipping past her face, tickling her cheeks, the sound of Nergui’s hooves thundering against the ground hard enough to shake the mountains around her…

Kon-Mai hadn’t felt such joy in years. She threw her head back, looking up to the golden sun glowing through the clouds, just as a purple arrow whizzed past her head. She looked behind her as Aisha cried out “Sorry!”

Tugging the reigns to one side, Kon-Mai moved out of the way just enough for Aisha to ride past and hold out her hand, calling the arrow back to her and scooping up the animal she had killed with it. She checked it briefly, then gave Kon-Mai a thumbs up. “Instant!”

“You are quite talented!” Kon-Mai cried, guiding Nergui over to her companion.

“Speak for yourself.” Aisha chuckled. “I didn’t know you could ride so well.”

“I’ll be honest, neither did I.” Kon-Mai leaned down and patted Nergui’s neck, and he whinnied happily at her touch.

“He’s…not usually this happy.” Aisha added. “After Monkh died…I used to try and take him out, he refused to go each time.”

“You were the one who offered for me to take him.” Kon-Mai raised a brow. “Giving me a troublesome horse on my first ride? Quite irresponsible, Aisha.”

“Well, he’s also one of the biggest ones, I knew he’d be able to hold your weight…” Aisha coughed. “No offense, I mean-”

“I know, don’t worry.” Kon-Mai giggled. “He handles like a dream.” 

“I think he just likes you.” Aisha threw her leg over her horse and slid off, taking the reigns in one hand.

“Have you caught all you need for today?” Kon-Mai asked.

“Not yet, but I thought this would be a good place to stretch our legs.” Aisha said as she drew her sword. “You could show me a few tricks.”

Kon-Mai raised a brow. “That is incredibly foolish of you.” She said as she slid off Negui’s back. “My sword never misses a target.”

“Then I’ll have a real challenge.” Aisha shrugged. “That’s perfectly fine.”

“You can’t get such a challenge elsewhere?” Kon-Mai asked as she let Nergui to a green looking patch of land.

“Perhaps I could.” Aisha shrugged. “But why not you? And besides, we’re all the way out here.”

“I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.” Kon-Mai smirked as she unsheathed her sword.

“And I don’t want to be hurt.” Aisha giggled. “So I guess I just have to be good.”

.

.

“No!” Jane turned on her heel and slammed her shoulder into the now locked door. “FUCKING BASTARD! YOU TRICKED ME!”

“Sinéad, let’s now make a scene now.” The Speaker stood slowly. “I’m here to help you.”

Jane began searching for screws along the hinges, maybe she could dig them out with her fingernails, but froze as she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“You want to see your mother.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry she couldn’t be here today, she’s a very busy woman after all, running all those experiments, corrupting the Elders’ hard work, I’m sure it’s a taxing job. But she’s so happy you came all this way just to find her.”

“I don’t believe you.” Jane hissed. “You’re a fucking conman! You tricked me! She’s not actually here, is she? She never was!”

“I think you’ll find my offer is sincere.” His grip on her shoulder tightened. “You’re smart, that much I know, and you’re smart enough to know what I will do if you resist me.”

Jane froze, her body going limp as she let the Speaker guide her back to the table. He sat down across from her, gesturing for her to do the same in the chair provided.

“...How did you find out?” Jane murmured. “I’ve never gone by my birth name.”

“It wasn’t hard to piece together.” The Speaker reached across the table to where the pile of files sat, dragging one over. “Your records may not be public per se, but they were not exactly hidden either. You have a paper trail miles long whether you like it or-”

“Did she tell you?” Jane was afraid to know the answer to that. People cracked under pressure all the time, good people, but after all that if her mother had given her away…

“No, which is no surprise.” The Speaker looked over the top of his glasses, his green eyes boring into her. “Moira Vahlen is not a weak-minded human. She never even mentioned she had a daughter before. But the papers speak for themselves, don’t they?”

Jane felt her shoulders relax and droop, just as the Speaker slid her old, yellowed birth certificate across the table.

“Sinéad Vahlen.” He said, his tongue hissing against his lips ever so slightly. “You’re a very long way from home.” 

.

.

Two swords clanged against each other, and the frosty air was filled with fire.

Kon-Mai’s eyes were alight, and her hair flew out behind her in a wave of snowy locks. Aisha darted to the side but still had to raise her own blade to parry Kon-Mai’s swipe downward. She blocked it, then her leg bent and she rolled away from under the Shrinemaiden’s pin.

“You fight well.” Kon-Mai said with a smile.

“I take a lot of pride in that.” Aisha got to her feet with a smile and twirled her blade in two circles, almost mimicking Kon-Mai’s own movement with her blade. “All those years of training, I would hope I’m good.”

“You…” Kon-Mai shifted backward again, getting back into her stance. “You have a good disposition for combat. Loose, almost casual, but not so easily distracted!” She dipped and darted forward, and Aisha barely had time to bring up her blade in a parry once again. She slid backward briefly, putting one hand down to steady herself, and then ducked away, letting Kon-Mai’s sword embed itself in the ground.

Aisha rolled into a standing position and plunged her blade into the ground, a purple glow emanating from her eyes. “You’re as nimble as they say, Shrinemaiden.” She drew her blade back, carving a curve into the ground, with a cloud of pink dust rising up around it. “Let’s see how you dodge this!”

Kon-Mai could only brace herself against the...wave of psionic energy that crashed over her, sending her to her knees. She squeezed her eyes shut, mind and heart both racing.

How did Aisha know that? That was her move. That was her Harbor Wave.

When she heard footsteps approaching, she looked up and saw Aisha was holding out a hand to her, but Kon-Mai only stared up at her in shock.

“How do you know that move?” She stumbled to her feet.

Aisha pulled back. “Mai…”

“Don’t call me that.” Kon-Mai hissed. “Just answer me. Where did you learn that?”

“I’m sorry.” Aisha reached out, and Kon-Mai took another step away. “Kon-Mai please-”

“Where did you learn that?!” Kon-Mai shrieked. “Nothing makes sense here. The horses, the language, Nergui acts like he knows me, and now this?! What are you hiding from me?! Who are you?!” Not waiting for an answer, Kon-Mai turned on her heel and began to walk away-

“Wait!” Aisha reached out and grabbed hold of Kon-Mai’s hand, finger’s lacing around hers.

A flash of orange light surrounded them as the sun set, and she grabbed hold of the little girl and lifted her in the air. Her braids flew around her like branches of a tree, and as she spun and the two of them laughed, Monkh felt free.

Kon-Mai pulled her hand away, shaking as she stared at it. Aisha, too, stumbled back, looking down at her hand, then up at Kon-Mai.

“...It…” Aisha shook her head, her lip quivering. “It’s you…it’s really you…it’s impossible but it’s you!” 

Kon-Mai took a single step backward, her entire body shaking like a leaf. “...How do you know all this?”

“Monkh.” Aisha put her hand to her face, her lips trembling. “I...I learned that move years ago. From Monkh.”

Kon-Mai turned on her heel and ran. She heard Aisha screaming her name, running after her through the treacherous step, but she simply closed her eyes and ran forward into darkness.

.

.

.

.

.

Summary: The chapter begins with Camazotz meeting with the Speaker, reflecting on how the Speaker is the only one of his creations he is actually proud of. The Speaker reports that Zhang, Jane and Annette are in Hong Kong, and that he has a plan to capture them, which Camazotz approves. Afterward the Speaker confesses that people are becoming restless not knowing where the Chosen are, and Camazotz decides to enlist the help of Xezbeth and Tiyanak.

In Karakorum, Kon-Mai is helping Aisha style her hair and put it up under her hijab, and the two talk briefly about how Aisha is seen as different from the others, and some believe she did not truly earn her place as Jinong. Aisha offers for Kon-Mai to come hunting with her, and suggests she takes Nergui, the old Jinong’s horse.

Dhar-Mon returns from his trip to the mines, and Malinalli welcomes him home. The two quietly discuss what Dhar-Mon saw there, while helping to unload the Elerium harvested from the mine. Dhar-Mon and Malinalli make plans, in secret, to return to the mine again.

Betos meets with Drakaina and Volk, and feels left out while they wait for Senuna, the two actively talk with each other and ignore her. When Senuna finally joins them, Drakaina confesses she wants to attack a (small) city center. While Bradford is hesitant, Senuna agrees to help

In Hong Kong, Jane takes a break from her current dwellings to walk around the city, and is stopped by the hybrid assistant of Dax́iiu, T8Y47. He tells her he knows what she is seeking, and that he can help her find her mother. T8Y47 leads Jane back to the hotel, where he double crosses her and locks her in a room with the Speaker, who reveals that they discovered her true identity: Sinéad Vahlen, daughter of Moira Vahlen.

Back in Mongolia, Kon-Mai and Aisha have success in hunting, and Aisha comments on how good a rider Kon-Mai is. The two stop briefly to practice swordwork together, and after a brief battle, Aisha uses Kon-Mai’s own Harbor Wave attack, which scares the latter. Demanding to know where she learned that, Aisha reveals she learned it from Monkh, the previous Jinong, and then grabs Kon-Mai’s hand, triggering what seemed to be a flashback. Kon-Mai pulls her hand free and runs away, overwhelmed.