"Hold position, we're on our way." Granger says to Nilsson. "Abdellah, hurry up!"
The redguard doesn't respond, causing the group to exchange worried glances as Espinoza rushes to look down at the lot outside. Seconds later, gunfire erupts and the two of you that are still inside hurry to see what's happening. Dropping down to the first floor, you burst out of the building to see another of those insectoids climbing up the wall toward the flashing muzzle of Espinoza's automatic musket. The creature reaches the top before Granger can take aim, it's position preventing anyone from firing in fear of hitting the heavy.
The alien immediately pins the man to the roof, but as you move to pull it off the roof, Louise flies into it at full speed and spears it through the face with her sword. Carried by her momentum, she rides the corpse to the ground and disintegrates the body with lightning on impact. Standing to her full and unimpressive height, she flips her hair and looks at something on the other side of you.
Rather than stare dumbly like the squad leader, you follow Louise's gaze and see two piles of bloody meat and torn up X-com armor. "How unfortunate." You say mildly, dragging their attention away from your apprentice.
"Wha- Bloody hell!" Is Grangers elegant response upon seeing the bodies. Running a hand through her hair, the brunette presses a finger to her ear and says, "Command, Abdellah and Kilton are dead."
The response is immediate. "Understood, regroup with Nilsson and Ebba, I'm pulling you out."
"But sir, they found survivors, we can't just abandon them!" She argues as you move to investigate the dead soldiers. Abdellah looks as though she had something burst out from inside her, confirming your earlier observation about the insects using their victims as incubators.
"I know, but we don't have enough manpower to sustain these kinds of loses with every mission."
Poking Kilton causes something to squirm beneath his skin, so you stab and burn him with flames until the movement stops. "If numbers are the concern, I believe I have a solution." You offer, reaching out with a tendril of magicka to ensnare an unsuspecting daedroth.
In a swirl of violet flames, a
Golden Saint is pulled from her home. Her skin is like burnished gold, her armor golden armor sparkling, a gleaming spear of gold in one hand and a golden shield embossed with a flame motif in the other. The embodiment of perfection before you causes the rest of your group to stare in adoration as she inspects her surroundings. You hear Espinoza whistle as Louise whispers to herself about absorbing the daedroth's soul.
Mentally commanding the daedric creature, you begin jogging toward the warehouse the scouts mentioned, a brief flicker of clairvoyance to point you in the general direction. With everyone following you, you can hear Granger listing off her observations to the commander.
"Do you think me as weak as a dremora, mortal?" The Saint sneers at you, loathing clearly visible in her reptilian eyes. "Easily bent to the will of an insect such as you?"
Giving a sneer of your own, you reply, "I would never imply such a thing. Clearly you follow of your own free will."
The daedra swings her sword in your direction as she runs, forcing you to put more effort into controlling her. Such arrogant creatures the Mad God creates, never willing to accept their own inferiority, even if you shove it down their throat. The gold-skinned woman continues to fight against your control until you reach Nilsson's hiding place.
Entering the shadowed alleyway, Granger motions for Espinoza onto the roof. "Thank God you're here, the flashes stopped a few minutes ago and they haven't brought in any more civilians since then. I'm not sure we can take them... I count fifteen greys in there."
Waving Louise over, you whisper to her, "Pay attention, apprentice. Watch how and what their weapons do, make note of how they move and anything else that may be important. We may be here to help kill these creature, but acquiring potentially useful knowledge is always important."
Looking through her scope for a minute, Granger responds, "Heavies, give us an entrance. Ebba, take cover behind the van out front. Nilsson, go topside and prevent anything from sneaking in or out. Magic man, I've got nothing... do what you thinks best."
Various sounds of agreement fill the air as you cast Stoneflesh on Louise and yourself. Once everyone is in position, Espinoza uses the tube on his back, which is apparently some sort of portable cannon, and blows a hole in the warehouse door. Following his example, Louise proceeds to destroy the front of the building with repeated explosions. Before the smoke clears, you send the Golden Saint inside and green flashes light up the night.
The aliens squeal as the daedra cuts them apart. When the smoke clears, half the aliens are dead and you minion is missing her shield arm. Lightning shoots from her charred stub and kills one more before a ball of green fire removes her head. While moving to investigate the daedra's corpse, seven aliens becomes six as Granger announces her presence by putting a round in one of their overly large heads.
As one, the diminutive creatures turn and fire on her position. You hear her scream in pain as she falls out of view and Louise encircles the aliens in an Ice Wall. Taking advantage of their close proximity to one another, Ebba unleashes a hail of small metal balls from his weapon, tearing spindly limbs from bodies. Two of the aliens survive the onslaught by melting a hole in their prison and escaping deeper into the warehouse as you hear the screech of the once distant insectoid creature. The quadruped rushes out into the open street and is promptly turned into a smoking crater by Louise.
Ebba runs off to find Granger as Louise, Espinoza, and you enter the building. Inside you notice the complete lack of humans or even human bodies. Knocked over shelves litter the rear of the warehouse and in the front is a large area with broken machines and several glowing canisters of green and orange. On the floor around the green canister is a puddle of green slime that you quickly fill a vial with.
"Little bastards are making a break for it." Nilsson says. "I got one, but the other got away."
Status: Healthy
Magicka: (180/650)
Choose 1:
[] Chase after the alien.
[] Secure the area and wait for evac.
[] Take advantage of their weakness and betray X-com.
[] Illusion the squad and head back to base.
[] Kill them quickly and report them KIA.
[] Write in.
[] Write in.
-----------------------------
A/N: Strike two - Granger, Espinoza, Ebba, Nilsson,
Abdellah,
Kilton.
