#advent lancer

[mecha-slut]

mecha oc lore???

ok bc I’ve been thinking about it all day and need to get it out of my system, I’m gonna just do like, an OC Character Sheet thing for Lunar Orbit Lunar Orbit’s (she/her) a freelance mech pilot on the run from the secret paramilitary unit she was trafficked into. Extensively trained to pilot mecha and drones, Lunar currently pilots the Jade Rabbit; a heavily refurbed Queen-CUSTOM unit. It makes use of a custom A.I. model named AURA, which was stolen from Lunar’s previous employers. While she refuses to adopt a pseudonym (aside from her call sign, Queen Bee), Lunar DID think the best way to change her appearance was to dye her hair, put on big sunglasses, and gain about 200lbs. The results have been mixed. Her rival is Amber Waltz, Lunar’s ex-girlfriend and C.O. of her former unit. Lunar shot her (literally) in the back to secure her escape, and she remains pissed about that. Amber saw right through Lunar’s “disguise”, and constantly needle’s Lunar about how big she looks all stuffed into her cockpit (Lunar gets huffy and mad in response, but still chugs soda on mission like it’s water). Lunar is about 5′10″ with soft features, and is fairly stock and (very) fat. She has a shaggy, grown out wolf cut that was subjected to a bad blonde dye job she’s currently growing out. She dresses pretty casually, usually with her pilot suit tied around her middle and a crop top over a sports bra. Anything casual and easy to wear. She’s overconfident and a little dumb, and frequently gets herself into difficult situations that she usually can, at least in her mech, get out of. She’s a brat and is pretty selfish, but deeply cares for the people in her life. Currently, she’s struggling to reconcile that with the betrayal of the person she loved the most. Is a slut and is frequently found under other women.

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

Armor Astir: Advent

Armour Astir Advent is a gundam and escaflowne inspired ttrpg set during a conflict between the fascist Authority, and the rebellion. and that's all you need to know about the setting, any further details are chosen by the players, it's in essence a mech game like lancer, but trying to emulate the felling of shows like Gundam, which focus more on faction fighting and the psychological toll of war.

[flodoeslancer]

making a campaign where the premise is it's LANCER but-

it's the dawn of civilizations as we know it in a fantasy universe. A massive conflict has several celestial, infernal and even unaligned gods and their favorite creations battling Demons. Mechs are weapons designed by the gods to fight one another, [they call them Hexblades] but with the advent of Demons, they've been repurposed to be used by their mortal followers to slam-dunk the Demons straight into the Abyss to restore some semblance of peace. I am looking into renaming the big four for the setting and already see Harrison Armory as Hemesh Arsenal, a conglomerate of Dao, Efreeti, Azer and the Nine Hells, a literal Burning Crusade of disciplined [if evil] Hexblade pilots and their terrifying array of literally flaming war machines. SSC, I envision as Seldarine Starchild Corps, a proto-elven sect of the classically 'Elven' gods, and their sleek, stylish battlecraft. I'm entirely ready to saddle HORUS as just... it's Horus and his pantheon, and all their humanoid followers. A huge, disjointed conglomerate of neutral and [very old] divinities that rarely agree, but all want to curbstomp Demons. Nothing so far for IPS-Northstar, there's probably something I've overlooked/forgotten. now, it's not the big four, but General Massive Systems is just same name, run by Giant gods and their giant peoples. Fully prepared for the option for pilots in this to be size 1, as they're not going to be humans, and in many cases might be weird elementals, angels, devils, giants and just straight-up dragons. Wont say no to making them also humans, just you have far more options. I have no intentions of adjusting any other parts of the stats of anything, pilot or otherwise beyond that.

[etherealvoidechoes]

Hollowed Defiance - Chapter 27 - A Little Crossed Pt. 1

Back-to-back operations just like the old days. XCOM heads in hot to provide the Silent Striders some assistance with evacing the Haven under siege. But they're in for a surprise.

Hey all. Thanks for your patience. Life has been busy as always besides some /other things/occurring. So a fresh new chapter, working on more for this and the other fics still. And other fandom-related fics.

Also, a minor spoiler, this chapter is pretty self-contained with everything happening at the haven, I just felt like the next one is closely connected and the title would fit it too.

Also some bonus treats and this is more related to Ao3. It will be awhile before I have everything updated on Tumblr and Ao3. I have done a lot of revisions and cleaned up the older chapters. Probably still missing some grammar mistakes but hope I found all of the worst offenders and made my writing style more consistent. AND a bonus new chapter to slot in with the old ones. "Chapter 11: Retrieval"(posted on Ao3 so far). The rescue of Mox and a more "proper" introduction for the Hunter.

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Ao3|| FF.net || Fic Hub

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Like an ordered flock of migrating birds, ADVENT dropships zipped across the night sky. Moonlight was snuffed out by rising columns of smoke.

The chatter of ADVENT soldiers and the rhythmic fire of magnetic guns filled the area as they invaded the Terelj-based haven. Strategically ordered pods of Stun Lancers accompanied by Trooper support worked to cut off fleeing civilians and their Silent Striders guardians.

The Silent Striders had grown used to the more frequent attacks in their territory, but this was different again. Their previous harasser was more animalistic, barely held in check by the accompanying Officer, Captain, or General, as he did his own thing to collect heads and occasionally used his own men as sharpening stones if they got in his way. The platoon of accompanying ADVENT soldiers did their best to stay clear of his path and do their basic search and destroy as they cleared the Haven. It was predictable, and the Silent Striders — with adequate forces — could hold them off as they evacuated most of the people.

But with this one. There was a sound mind behind this assault. One the Silent Striders hadn’t seen in months. Rapid adaptation. Ever since XCOM did whatever — as the finer details were still sparse —  to free their Commander from the alien’s clutches and damage that Psionic Network, though ADVENT’s military tactics were still fearsome, in many ways they had become predictable and slower to adapt. But not tonight. This new leader was quickly picking up the tricks the Silent Striders liked to use and finding ways to subvert them to tighten that noose.

Near the front lines of the ADVENT forces was the newest dealer of death, fiercely pointing to the next location a pod of Stun Lancers was gleefully swarming towards. With a quick glance, one could tell this leader was different from their peers. He was a least two heads taller than the standard ADVENT soldier, besides the more customized onyx-colored armor with red highlights and dark blue underarmor. Streamlined, but heavily reinforced, would best describe his gear. It carried the hallmarks of the blocky motifs of ADVENT, yet there looked to be the smoother, organic alien armor similar to the Muton’s incorporated into his fatigues. And his right arm stood out. It was armored revealing the skin tone to be a stark silver and gunmetal gray, it didn’t exactly look like skin as portions of it looked chitinous and others looked fragmented like tree bark.

“››THERE.‹‹“ A distorted bark echoed from his fully enclosed-helmet, as he pointed in another direction.  ”››Escape route of the irritants located. Khra! Khra! Cut them off. Remember the ratios 80/20 and 60/40. The Elders need subjects alive and barely mangled.‹‹” His voice was hoarse and gravelly. “››Including the Striders. Especially, them. Their brains need to be dissected.‹‹” 

With the order given, he continued his march forward with his surrounding entourage. “››Who has sights on their leader? The Elders want her.‹‹“

With another escape route for the civilians cut off, the Striders were scrambling to redirect and keep the others hidden.

“Shit, Fayruz!” A Silent Strider scrambled through a hatch into a crumbling perch, knocking over some ammo crates. “Another route’s been cut! Time to cut and run if those XCOM c—” 

“Bite that trap shut and get your gun back on the lines. ADVENT won’t kill themselves.” Barely raising her voice, Fayruz snapped back at her subordinate. Her eyes barely shifted from her scope as she pulled on the trigger to let loose a bolt of plasma at their unwelcome invaders. “You know how we operate. You know the orders I gave. We retreat when that point has been reached.”

There were grumbles and a faint “yes, ma’am” before they resigned themselves to restocking their reserves and getting back to the fight.

She raised two fingers to her headpiece. “Longeyes, Fives, Foil.” As she spoke, she scoped the landscape to find that ADVENT leader. “Do you have a clear shot on the snake?”

“Yes.”

“Window closing for me, rifle overheating, but yes.”

“Ready to take that head off.”

All three responded.

“Good.” Fayruz tapped her teeth as she watched the leader pause in his march and bark out more orders. “Perfect. Remember, fire at the same time. See if that will overload that AI and his senses.”

“In five, Fayruz.” Longeyes said.

“Good. Move once done. Immediately. I’ll be listening.” She instructed before partially cutting her transmission. As she did so, a loud hiss made her pull away from her rifle. Lips curling into a frown, she watched the slates to the vents slide wider to allow the visible jets of white smoke out. Across the energy cells of the jury-rigged rifle was crackling with yellow-green energy.

“Tch. Reaching your limit.” She cast a glance around the room at the rest of her subordinates. Several busted jury-rigged plasma rifles were scatted on the floor, several in the perch had switched back to their old magnetic rifles. “Just like everyone else.”

She glanced around the room once again, this time to take in the current stakes. Several walls were close to crumbling away into nothing, their ammo stores were nearly empty, and a few more of her men were wounded and were being carried out.

They better be here before ADVENT reaches the mark. Fayruz flared her nose. Despite how stubborn she could be on holding onto her territory, she had a faint feeling she would have to make the call to fully soon if she wanted her faction to survive.

“Everyone, we need to leave this perch before it’s fully compromised. Head to points, M, V, Z. If those are cut off, then you must—”

“Fire!” Longeyes voice caught her attention. Eyes back to her scope, she immediately focused on the ADVENT leader.

Those familiar hums of charging plasma weaponry filled Fayruz comms before three distinctive discharges rang out. Three bolts of plasma flashed through the air from three different angles all quickly homing onto the leader’s head.

The leader almost seemed obvious to his incoming death as those bolts inched closer and closer.

Until he suddenly thrust his off-colored right arm out and then up.

“››On me!‹‹“ He barked. 

As the words left his mouth, a couple of Stun Lancers rushed to his position. As they moved, the flesh on that arm before to splinter and break before layers and layers of “bark” formed and spread out into a shield-like shape. As he raised the shelf to cover the front portion of his face, the Stun Lancers leaped behind and to the side of him, intercepting the plasma fire. 

The bolts struck; energy surged and crackled. There was a cry of pain, a grunt, and the sounds of metal and bark snapping and reshaping. 

His reaction time was nearly perfect. Just a partial bolt snuck through and struck the left side of his helmet. A loud hiss could be heard as spiderweb cracks splinted across the impact site.

The impact of the one hitting his arm and the other hitting his helmet threw him off balance for a moment before he quickly regained his footing. 

“››General Cross!‹‹“ A Trooper was at his side immediately to help him.

“›› Cotalo.‹‹“ He pushed the Trooper away. Shifting his plasma rifle to one hand, his other went to the side of his helm to check the damage. “››Structural integrity of helmet: 73%. Shift yoke to the left side as added security. Depressurizing as added security.‹‹” As he muttered his thoughts, he adjusted the high-collar-like shielding to the left. “››A Lancer dead insured my survivability. Striders adapting again. Counter. Sending out rough coordinates of the trajectories. Find and kill those snipers. Burn them out.‹‹”

“You can’t be…” Longeyes muttered.

“Are you serious?” Foil said. 

“You have to be shitting me!” Fives couldn’t believe their eyes.

“No time to gawk.” That stern voice of Fayruz made them snap too. “You three start moving now.” She could already see the ADVENT pods breaking away from the main forces to where each was located. “If you can, set up again. Looks like we cracked that helmet.” 

“My plasma’s done. I’ll see if I can find another.” Fives said.

All three quickly worked to relocate before they were cornered and killed.

“How many working plasmas do we still got that haven’t burned up or exploded?” Uro, her second-in-command, couldn’t help but voice her thoughts on their comms.

“Uro.” Fayruz didn’t sound pleased.

“Thinkn’ we ought to take Bones up on his of’er for them weapons like his weeks ago.” She continued to speak her thoughts. There was a faint hiss from her before a more aggressive venting hiss and crackle came over the comes. “Dam thing is melting in my hands. His crew’s gear is—”

“Silence.” Fayruz sneered. “Do. No. Bring. That man up.” Partially, the cold aggression was from the stress of a situation and her natural dislike towards Bones. She barely tolerated the odd man despite his questionable, yet good intentions to be the liaison between her and Volk and some nearby Skirmisher clans. And part of her didn’t want to acknowledge Bones’ questionable higher-quality weaponry. All signs pointed to him having some people on the inside and she questioned how.

“Good news, boss!” A stressed, but more happy voice hoped on the comes.

“What is it, Yukon?” Fayruz said. There were only a handful of events that could qualify as good right now.

“XCOM’s ship is coming in hot!”

That was good news.

Fayruz didn’t have to look far before that Skyranger graced her eyes. Engines burning bright, moonlight that slipped through the smoke glimmered off that metal exterior.

“Finally.” Feyruz said. A few binds unraveled themselves from around her heart, but she knew things were far from saved. If she noticed them, so did ADVENT. She barked out a new set of orders. “Those that can, provide XCOM covering fire so they can get on the ground!” 

“Opal, get me patched through to XCOM and get the others set up on similar lines.”

—————————————————————

“Central. This is Stellar Echo. At the AO. The squad is being deployed as we speak.” The pilot spoke as she kept the craft steady. “Looks like the Striders are providing covering fire for me.”

“Reading you loud and clear, Stellar Echo.” Central replied. His eyes glanced from screen to screen, taking everything in. “Once all boots are on the ground, head to the coordinates that are being sent over first. You’ll be running civvies and injured Striders to another secure haven. Watch for any followers. Assume you don’t have the luxury of what Bones’ man did to City 22.”

“Affirmative, Central. Will keep my eyes peeled for any tails.” 

“This Haven strike is more ordered, like a Chosen is running the show.” Commander Reeves was already taking in all the information she could see. “Though none have been reported since the Striders called.”

Central couldn’t help but nod. “It is the Hunter’s territory, but we knew he’s out of commission right now.”

“For how long?” They didn’t know how long it took a Chosen to recover. Reports for each constantly varied.

“True.” He nodded again. “We should be patched in with the Striders momentarily.

Seconds after the words left his mouth, they had established their connection with the Silent Striders.

“Finally, your men have arrived Central. About time.” Fayruz spoke, barely a hint of happiness in her voice.

A faint chuckle left Commander Reeves’ mouth as she shook her head and silenced her mic. So many memories flashed through her mind. “Displeasure. Impatient. Grumpiness. Just like old times indeed.” 

“You’re welcome, Frost Owl.” Central replied, barely phased by her tone. She wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last. “The squad designation is Shatter. Six soldiers. We all should be connected by now.”

“Let’s see what they can accomplish. I believe you can see how dire the situation is?” Fayruz asked. 

“It’s a massacre.” Commander Reeves jumped in. “This strike looks to be more organized than the norm.”

“Exactly. They have their newest leader to thank.”

“Fill us in on that in a moment. What do you need my men to do…?” Commander Reeves’ voice trailed off as she was watching the action on the screens. Driving ADVENT off would not be an option here. “If you don’t mind me voicing my opinion, this Haven is lost. The best we can do is rescue and escort the civilians and any of your injured men out of here.”

Only a series of grumbles came from Feyruz. An astute observation that she didn’t want to acknowledge, but this was a losing battle. A sigh of defeat finally slipped from her lips. “Yes, that would be best. We’re running low on supplies and our plasma weaponry is overheating. We need to find any way we can to stall ADVENT. I can’t lose any more people.”

“Who’s the newest leader? I’m seeing several Officers that could be killed to disrupt some flow of information.” Central said as he had them marked for the soldiers to keep an eye out for.

“You can’t miss them. The tall one. Different armor.”

“Tall?” That both had the Commander and Central concerned for a moment before one of the Communication Officers and the ship’s AI found and isolated the leader.

“Okay, not a Chosen.” Central was relieved.

“They look interesting.” Commander Reeves muttered. “Orion, see if you can tap into the Psionic Network and isolate all commands given by this leader.”

“On it, Commander.” He responded.

As he did that, and she gave a few basic commanders to their soldiers to stay vigilant and keep close as they moved, she couldn’t help but find herself engrossed by the appearance of the ADVENT unit. She was getting that faint, yet deep feeling there was something about this leader that was familiar.

She tightly closed her eyes before pinching the bridge of her nose. “I would kill to have clear memories again.”

“Commander?” Central raised a brow.

She rolled her hand in a way of telling him “Don’t get too concerned”. “Having that feeling this one feels familiar.”

“Vestigial memories from when you were… connected?” He spoke the last bit in a whisper.

She closed her eyes tighter as a rumble in her throat slipped out. I’ll never be free of that. Opening her eyes, she glanced at him before looking back at the screen. “Yes and no. I don’t know how to put it. Feels almost closer.”

“Tapped in Commander, sending the information over to you.” Orion said.

A mix of feelings washed through the Commander’s body as the information came onto her screen. Her eyes focused on the leader’s credentials. 

“Field General Cross Murdoc. Designation: ADVENT PROXY(PXY) - M -  C1(II) - 01.” She read off the information. 

“Proxy? That sounds new.” Central said. The term didn’t ring a bell.

“Whatever he is, he’s looking to be one of a kind with his designation and high ranking.” Reeves noticed a golden motif of the Elders on one of his shoulder pads. Then she noticed something more troubling. Something that made a shiver go down her spine and the back of her throat ache. 

“And he’s processing a vast amount of information. Greater than the standard Captain processing and delivering commands to their subordinates. He’s taken note of our arrival, gathering information on what they have and where they are moving, but has yet to issue focused attack orders on us. Just continue forward and around. Find and cut off all escape routes.” 

“Wait, what?” Central took his eyes off the main action and looked at what she was looking at. Though he was still learning the finer details of the ADVENT language forced upon the Earth and the variations used specifically for more classified projects, the information that was being processed and released by this general was parsing too fast for him to read. “How are you getting all of that?” The harshest of glares made him want to take back that question. “Pretend I never asked that.”

“I will.” She rolled her eyes. “I see he wasn’t disturbed by what happened in City 22. Or they’ve managed to section off that part of the Network until it’s fixed for the region.” She soon began to mutter as she went back to deciphering the incoming and outgoing information from this Cross to see how they could counter him.

“Would you like to give orders for our soldiers to attempt to take out this General?” Central asked. “Cut the head, cause a communication breakdown to take the heat off of us and the Striders. Though that’s some heavy armor…”

“No, if the Silent Striders haven’t taken him out—” She paused. A thought crossed her mind. “Frost Owl,” she called out to her, “why is this General still standing?”

“General? Tch, looks different from the standard lot. More bloody annoying.” Fayruz grumbled. “We have tried. I can only assume inhuman reflexes with assisted AI like the Hunter, allows him to predict our shots. We finally, but barely, scratched his helmet before you lot arrived. That off-colored arm of his can form a shield that can block our plasma, and he ordered his troops to take several shots for him.”

“Hm, perhaps some pre-cognition like the Hunter?” The Commander mumbled her thoughts. 

“Just don’t waste your bullets.”

“Noted. Limited engagement with the General, buuuut…” She noticed a pattern in the information flow. “Those Officers and Captains, each a head of some pods, are handling more information than what they are built for. It is possible we can cause some minor disruptions by taking them out. It may even cause some negative feedback for the General” 

“One of my people noted that they become less organized if one of them is killed, but another quickly replaces the fallen, making the point moot.” Feyruz wasn’t convinced.

“Then we just need to keep the pressure on. Officers and Captains are more valuable than the standard units, it may cause this General to recall them to stay with the central strike force.”

“Hm, I’ll relay the information. If it doesn’t work, we’ll go back to our current tactics.”

“Understood. Every second counts.”

“Central, give the same orders to our soldiers, but reiterate the main focus is excavation.” Commander Reeves said. She took a moment to sink into her chair as her brain was beginning to struggle to process all the information. “Reiterate that strongly.”

“On it, Commander.” He nodded. 

“Shatter 1, additional orders. When you can, eliminate any Officers and Captains you come across. The goal is to cause information disruption. But keep your main focus on evacuating the civilians and assisting the Silent Striders.” He gave the orders.

“What for? We’ve got enough of the regulars and those Lan— FUCKING DIE ALREADY!” Raven had to pause as she body slammed a stubborn Stun Lancer into a wall before unloading on it with her Shard Gun into its chest. “Lancers, breathing…” Again, she paused to catch her breath, “breathing down our necks and you want us to bother with the red ones?” Raven said.

“There’s a small chance it’ll take some heat off of everyone as ADVENT loses some information with each death.” 

“If it’s information disruption the Commander wants…” She looked down at her forearm. Skulljack. Another joint idea from Dr. Tygan and Shen and their Foundry crew created after taking some of the alien’s hardlight technology to build the gauntlet and its blades. Supposedly, if used right, they would be able to tap right into the brain and the chip of the unlucky ADVENT Officer to get a glimpse into the network.

“Negative, negative.” Commander Reeves quickly interjected. “Unless you can isolate either. Right now, it would be too risky.” But she was silently sending orders for Tygan and his crew and their other data processing crews to be on standby if the chance came about.

“Understood. But if the opportunity arises…” Raven wasn’t exactly looking forward to trying out this untested device, but her blood was boiling to plunge it into a skull.

“Eliminating some of the reds?” Razor cocked his head to side a few sides as he was fiddling with the bandoleers on his chest, counting how many grenades and satchels he had left. “Should be easy like so. Yukon, you guys managed to plant those satchels I gave you guys and clear out?” He was speaking to one of the Silent Striders.

“Yes, but this better be worth the lives cost. 7 seconds out.” Yukon responded.

“Oh, it will be.” He darkly chuckled. “6…5…4…3…2…1…0.”

Several explosions went off across the haven, rocking the ground underneath them.

“Hot damn! Did you steal from Errol again?” Raven asked.

“Borrowed.”

“Well, if we barely had their attention before, we have it now.” Central muttered as he looked at the other screens, seeing the aftermath of the explosions. He couldn’t quite tell it put a dent in ADVENT’s forces as there looked to be more debris than bodies but could see the more fringe group of Troopers recalling themselves to the main horde with their chase route seeing cut off. Slowly, moving back. Maybe some Captains and Officers had been killed.

“Let’s get back on the clock!” Count shouted as she reloaded her Mag Revolver. “…3…4…5. Loaded. Strider and Owl and those Striders will be to the next area before we’re even there.”

“You all split?” Central had finally noticed the slightly smaller group.

“Yes’m. Strider’s been itching for a good perch. Owl’s old, but has some speed. And his faint ‘psi’ powers are picking up where the pods are going to move to so, he’ll dodge ‘em.” She explained.

“Hm.” Central’s eyes shifted to the two that split. The Silent Striders’ escort was decent, but it was still dangerous they didn’t have the varied firepower of the rest of the squad. “Get moving and keep these split-ups to the minimum.”

“Oh, shit.” The near-silent exclamation left the Commander’s lips.

“What now?” Central looked at her.

She simply pointed at the screen. “‘Voss. Voss. Voss. The Silent Striders spent their explosives ammunition hours ago. Where is XCOM? Where are they now? Where is their Grenadier? Where are those medics? I want them. 70/30. Alive or dead. At least one must be captured alive. I’ll do it myself, if I must.’”

“Shit.” He understood. “Team, keep on moving. You’re about to become priority targets!”

—————————————————————

Shatter 1-4 and their Silent Strider cohorts started moving again to catch up with the compatriots. It didn’t take long for them to notice the increased heat focusing on them. It seemed nearly any pod they crossed that was capturing or executing unlucky or engaging the Silent Striders, would immediately switch targets and focus on them. Especially, those pesky Stun Lancers. 

“Fuckin’ heeeeeeell rrrrrrgh.” Raven growled as that medspray from Sol’s Gremlin, Paprika, burned through her lungs as she sputtered back to conciseness. It took her a few seconds to get back on her feet and get her gun. She readjusted her singed armor before repeatedly kicking a dead Lancer at her feet. It had been a “mutual kill”. “I am going to hate red and blue with a passion after this.”

“Not sure I have enough another to handle another volley of those guys.” Sol muttered as she was getting the only surviving Strider back on their feet. “Trying to keep the best saved for any of us that go down, but… had to tap into some of it with the hit you took.”

��Yeah, I know. Thanks. Let’s keep mov—”

“››XCOM there!‹‹“ Looked like more had found them. A hail of magnetic fire came down their way. So far, there were no crackles of energy from hot lancers.

“Oh, for FUCK’S sake.” Raven was hastily reloading her Shard Gun as she rushed for cover.

“Don’t need you going down again!” Sol, was dragging the barely alive Strider into cover.

“Razor!” Count shouted as she laid out covering fire.

“Give me a second!” He was scrambling for cover as he was searching for just the right grenade. “Maybe this one? Which way’s the wind? Which way’s the wind?”

“Just throw the damn thing!” Count and Raven yelled.

“HOLD YOUR BREATHS!” 

Razor had pulled two of his Gas grenades and threw them. The grenades bounced a few times and rolled in the midst of the Trooper pod before they exploded, erupting into a thick, sickly yellow cloud of gas.

There were several choked gasps. Three Troopers hit the ground. Lifeless. The others retreated and looked for another route around. 

“That’s… some… breathing… room.” Raven let out a sigh of relief. 

“We need to keep moving. Hopefully, Owl and Strider are still there and are off to the other area.” They all started to get moving once more. 

“They’re at the location, safely. One you guys are a few klicks from. Marionette Owl is getting people stabilized before the Striders move them to evac for Stellar Echo. Frost Owl and her surviving crew are moving to the location as we speak to meet up.” Central said. “Update, you may only have one more location to rescue civilians. The other two have been lost.”

A few curses came from the squad but was to be expected. 

“Shit, meant for that to be a regular and a gas.” Razor grimaced as he caught up with the others. “Still have some regulars, two incendiaries, a few proxy mines, and satchels.”

“Don’t matter. It’s giving us cover. Hope that gas spreads further and keeps them stalled.” Raven said. “Wonder if you can get your hands on that more potent stuff I’ve heard has been showing up on the Markets.”

“No.” Razor’s tone immediately became serious.

“Fine with overpowered explosions, but not gas?”

“I heard that stuff melts bodies. Not messing with it. Nor the people that make it. Lunatics.”

“Coward.” She joked.

“Do you guys always banter during combat? The Silent Strider, still hobbling despite Sol’s treatments, questioned.

“No.” Raven said.

“Yes.” Razor said.

Count rolled her eyes. “I’m scouting ahead.” She picked up her pace.

“It helps with the stress. Even in… moments like these.” Sol sighed.

“Sounds like my mates, to a point.” The Silent Strider chuckled.

“Heads up team, you have more closing in on your area.” Central said. “Triple-time it.”

“We’re moving, have a lot of debris and fire to get through, Centy.” Raven talked back, somewhat playfully.

“Less excuse—”

“Move now!” Commander Reeves cut him off. “General Cross is rapidly closing in on your position! We’ve lost sight of him on the screens.”

“Oh, you have to be shitting me.” Raven grumbled as hastened her steps.

Razor moved over to Sol to give her a hand with the injured Strider.

As they were closing in on their location, passing through a partially collapsed corridor(mainly using it for cover), there were a series of faint green lights shimmered through the smoke-filled window of another burning building.

“The end is clear. Hurry up.” Count said as she kept a lookout. “See the point. Last bastion of freedom. Commander and Central. Any eyes on that General?”

“Negative.” Central said. “Still looking.”

“He’s somewhere and still active. The flow of orders has barely stopped.” The Commander said.

The three-story ramshackle house was still standing despite part of it being on fire and a horde of ADVENT soldiers being mere minutes from bearing down on it.

“Hey SS, some of your people still have plasmas?” Raven noticed the green lights in up ahead. She was already at the exit and keeping an eye out for more ADVENT like Count.

“Huh?” The Silent Strider looked around. The green lights grew in brightness for a moment. “Huh, maybe some do. We should all be spent now and back to the magnetics.”

“Any superior firepower is better than nothing.” Raven mumbled. “Plasma cracks through armor better than our stuff.”

As Sol, Razor, and the Silent Strider continued down the corridor, the Silent Strider couldn’t help but feel something was off.

“With all the action, those lights shouldn’t be so bright… or should be near critical… constantly flickering a cracking.” They mumbled under their breath as they watched the lights. As they continued to mumble, the lights started to glow brighter and brighter suddenly. There was no hint of flickering or visible energy crackling around.

“Wait…” Something just wasn’t right. “Shit!” It clicked.

“You need to move!” The Silent Strider managed to get out of Razor’s grip, knocking him into and through a weakened wall, before shoving Sol to the ground. Just as he did so, the sound of plasma weaponry discharge rang through the air.

Count nearly shrieked as hot plasma zoomed past her face. The Silent Strider wasn’t so lucky. The bolt of plasma hit them square in the face. They didn’t even get a chance to yell, as the mere impact knocked them off their feet as the heat seared their flesh. The smells of burning flesh, fabric, and metal filled the air.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Razor yelped as he had just the luck to land in some fire and was desperately trying to put himself out.

“Oh, oh, go-, oh go-, oh go-—” Sol eyes were fixed on the fallen Silent Strider. Her mind had seen many things over the decades, but it had been forever since she had seen the damage plasma could do to human flesh in the heat of battle. What wasn’t burned to the bone was melted. And the smell. The contents of her stomach were screaming to meet the ground. Through a series of concerned beeping, Paprika was urging her to get up and move.

“What the hell!?

“Who the hell was that!?” 

Both Raven and Count had their weapons trained on the window the plasma bolt had come through while moving to nearby cover. There we no more green lights.

“There’s no Mutons or Vipers here, right?” Raven asked.

“None, none. Purely ADVENT in this Haven please.” Central said but he was double checking to make sure they didn’t miss a call for reinforcements.

“Well then wh—”

Two glints whipped out from the smoke in that window. Two glints bounced off the ground and ticked off some fallen metal roofing.

“Oh, you have got to be—” Raven was done.

“Less yap! MOVE!” Count thought her complaints could wait.

The two moved from their respective cover as fast as they could before the grenades went off. Before either had a chance to double back, the familiar crackle of lancers caught their ears. Both cursed.

“You two run, now!” Central barked the orders. They didn’t hesitate to listen. “Sol, you need to get on your feet now!” He ordered her next. She was still panicking. 

“Shit, who could this be?” Central mumbled as he was digging through all the information they had. No alien units were there. Just ADVENT. He then heard the Commander muttered. He glanced at her. Those eyes were fixed on the information stream from the General Cross.

“‘XCOM and Silent Striders are thorns. Haven cleansing is only at 77.48% efficiency. Vaoss. Vaoss. Vaoss. Black mark on my reinstatement. Tsk. Tsk. Their ship has been evading our trackers. Will order scouting parties to sweep the surrounding region.’” Commander Reeves said and only seemed to be more taken in by this information trance. “‘Targets located. Separating. Strider was alert, ‘saved’ two of their comrades, but was not alert to save themselves. Demolition specialist separated, but currently a fire hazard. Cautioned approach. Separating the other two. Stun Lancers sweep them away. Medic isolated. Frightened. Has one of those drones XCOM uses. Unit designation Specialist. They could be useful. Capturing.’”

“Oh, shit.” He realized who was. Then he noticed the video feed. That onyx-armored figure jumped out of the building and landed. “Sol! Get on your damn feet and run! It’s the General!” Still no response from her besides that stammering.

Cross landed on the ground with a solid thud. He let his plasma rifle fall to his side before he pulled a baton from his side. With a simple flick, he extended it to its full length “An XCOM Specialist. You look like you know something.”

“Laney!” Central barked again. He started calling out to the others nearby, but Count and Raven were still dealing with their chasers, with Count getting cornered and pulling out a Flashbang followed by a Needle grenade and letting both go off too close to her. Razor had finally put himself out and was having a standoff with some Troopers. He was pulling several pins in such a way that if they downed him, they would die too. Looked like they understood his gestures and warnings well.

“I wonder how long it will take you to break?” Cross’ grip tightened on the baton, causing arcs of white electricity to appear before he sprinted towards her.

Cross was mere feet from crossing the threshold of the corridor before he suddenly stopped, throwing up his shield arm to protect his head. 

A hail of magnetic fire rained down on him, causing him to stumble back. Just as it felt like there was a brief window to move, two plasma bolts cracked through the air. One hit his shield, causing part of it to splinter and shatter. The other him square in the chest before he could shift his arm, knocking him off his feet. Just as he was about to recover, one more shot rang out. Magnetic fire this time. It found its target.

Black shards from his helmet flew around. Cross cursed as his head was thrown back. He was off-balance for a few seconds before quickly rightening himself and moving to cover before the next hail of bullets could strike him.

“Heh, he, he he! Loving this new scope!” Strider’s giddy little giggle was almost a relief to Central’s ears. “Nice shot. Frosty.”

“Huh, the sensory overload worked. He’s not invincible.” Fayruz added. “Keep track of him!” She barked at her people. “He does not catch wind where we are evacing the last groups!”

“’Vaoss. Snipers. Nest of insects. Clever. Tsk. Tsk. Sloppy me. Black marks are sure. New orders: TEAR IT DOWN.’” Commander Reeves continued to read his transmissions. “‘Structural integrity of helmet: 52.089% and dropping. Otherwise, minimal injury. Backing off. Searching for another opportunity. The Grenadier… Orders: Back off from him. Too close. His payload would affect me and the Specialist. The other two… Sniper support one? Predictable. The other with the revolver? Self-damage with two grenades and purposefully set off the self-destruct system on the Lancers weapons? Intriguing. Her status? Alive, but heavily injured. Good. Press their medical supplies. Isolate if you can. That one deserves capture too. Choice DNA for that strong ill’isha in the face of death.’”

“Nice shot Strider and… Striders.” Central did his best to hold back a chuckle finally noticing that. “Laney—Sol, you back with the living yet!?”

Sol was still stammering. Her eyes were transfixed on the dead Silent Strider.

“Have her Gremlin zap her if she’s still out!” Owl joined in. Override code: Zeta 10-10. Small little shock, bring her back to senses.”

“Did not know that. Giving it a shot.” Central found a way to send the orders to Sol’s Gremlin. The next second, Paprika let out a little buzz before pulling itself close to her chest and letting out a small burst of electricity. 

She let out a shriek before batting it away. Her churning stomach finally won she vomited for a few seconds. Clutching her chest, she looked around. “Oh, god. Sorry, buddy.” Her Gremlin let out a few beeps. It wasn’t offended.

“Back to your senses?” Central asked.

“Sorry, Central.” She apologized to him as she got back on her shakes legs. ”It’s been… ages since I saw plasma do that damage. It was just so—”

“Sudden. I know, but keep your wits.” He understood all too well. “You all need to regroup. Head to where the others are before Cross gets the jump on you again. And looks like Count will need some patching up Sol. Hope she can still hear.” He was already submitting an updated brief to the medical team on the potential injuries that needed to be treated if all made it back alive.

A series of explosions and a building coming down nearly had everyone on edge again until Razor came back on the comms. Just him tossing the grenades he accidentally armed in his standoff. He was mostly fine minus the burns.

With that heat mostly cooled down, Central turned his to the Commander who was still engrossed by Cross’s transmissions.

He knew calling her name wouldn’t work. Instead, he stepped behind her chair, bringing his arms around and down on her shoulders, and gave her a hearty shake.

“‘—pod of Troopers lost, but the Officer survived with injuries? Acceptable. Find your way back, stick to the shado—’ Wha— What!?” Commander Reeves snapped too, bristling like a startled bird(and if she had hair, it would be as puffy as their plumage). She looked around until she noticed Central step back into view. “Not again.” She sighed as she rubbed her temples.

“Lost you to the information, but if you weren’t talking, we would have lost Sol.”

“Mhm.” She didn’t like that. “There’s an oddly… pleasant familiarity with his thought process.” She wished it were the opposite. There was a shakiness to her voice. “The whole process really. It’s like I’m—”

He silenced both their mics for the moment. He offered his hand to her. She gladly took it. “Back in the system? Your old prison.”

“Yes. Like my brain is wired to want this information streaming in and through me again.”

He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “That’s not gonna happen.”

“I can only pray and hope so.” She sighed. That fear would always linger at the back of her mind.

“Weeeeeell aren’t you alone.” Raven nearly sang as a red armored treat crossed her path. An Officer. And one that was injured. “Central, get the teams ready!”

That caught the attention of Central and the Commander.

“Oh, no. That could be a trap. Raven, do not engage! I repeat do not engage!”  Commander Reeves yelled.

“Crap, out mics.” He scrambled to get them back on.

“Show me that lovely skull of yours.” Priming the Skulljack, she rushed the Officer.

“Raven, do not engage! That could a tra—” Central was too late.

The dazed state of the Officer made it easy for Laney to disarm them before ramming the hard light blade into the back of the chin and right into the brain. 

“Shit!” He quickly shot off a message to Tygan, but was more than relieved to see someone on his team was keeping close tabs on the operation. 

“We have complete access to the ADVENT Psionic Network.” Tygan said. “I have dedicated our systems to processing the new data, but we will need to work fast. It’s only a matter of time before they detect our intrusion.”

“Make it quick, this guy’s heavy and the Jack is heating up!” Raven said. She selected the large intel cache and was waiting for when it was okay to let the deadweight drop.

“They better not be able to trace this hack back to us.” Commander Reeves said. 

“We implemented a safety cutoff if they—” He suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” She asked, but saw the red screen appear on Raven’s gauntlet and words in all caps. INTRUDER DETECTED.

“Shit!” Raven’s Skulljack gave out and the Officer dropped to the ground. She jerked her hand back, shaking it as smoke rose from the now sparking gauntlet. “That’s hot.”

“Commander, ADVENT cut the data transfer, but we blocked them from tracing the connection back to the ship, but not the solder. Something is coming their way.” Tygan said with utmost haste. “Scanners are detecting incoming psionic activity.”

“Ah, dammit.” Central was already looking for what headache they would have to deal with next.

“Raven, you need to move—”

Before Commander Reeves could finish her sentence, a strong psionic ping rang out mere feet from Raven, followed by several other high-pitched sounds. The bright purple light washed out the screen for a few seconds before they saw what came through.

“What the hell is that?” Both Raven and Central said.

Just mere feet from Raven was this semi-transparent golden-yellow female figure, featureless face save for a pair of glowing, white eyes, and a plume of a black, smoke-like substance flowing out of its head resembling hair. Its body seemed to be in constant flux; like parts of its body were glitching to sustain its existence from where ever it came from.

“Move, it has a Beam rifle!” Commander Reeves noticed the more dangerous item it held.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Raven finally noticed and moved before a beam of energy struck her. As she dove behind cover, took a moment to get her Shard Gun, and looked back. The being had disappeared. “What the… anyone catch—”

A psionic ping rang out and in a flash, that being was next to her again. 

“Shit! No, no, NO— AAA—!”

Raven was barely back on her feet, but as she turned, that beam struck her in the back. All air escaped her as she crashed to the ground. Her vitals crashed.

“Shit! The rest of you stay sharp. This threat can teleport! Have your Gremlins scanning for any sudden psionic activity.” Central gave the rest of the squad more information on the new threat as that psionic ping rang out once more and it was gone.

“Commander, from the information I’ve been able to decipher, that appears to be the ‘Codex’ responsible for safeguarding the alien data stores.”

“Codex. We have a name.” Her eyes watched the screens and scanners, but there was no hint of the thing. At least the group was back together and heading to their final destination but had some Troopers hot on their tail.

“Hm?” She noticed a change in General Cross transmissions. She felt herself being drawn to it again. “Hey, hey.” She tapped Central a few times.

“Hm?”

“Shake me again if I get lost. Something’s different. He looks to be in pain since the arrival of that Codex.” She said before she began to read it. He was about to stop her, but it was too late. He just kept an eye on her, the screens, and the scanners.

“Incoming Priority Transmission… from an Elder.” That was a surprise.

“What does it say?” Now Central wanted to hear this.

[ELDER:] ” ››PROXY Cross. Effective immediately, you are to withdraw from the field. Your sortie is over. You have done well despite the arrival of outside factors.‹‹”

[CROSS:] ”’ ››With highest respect, Elder Ororos, this cleansing is not done. I have

[ELDER:] “‘››That is now irrelevant. Your lessers will take over. You, a valued asset to Us, cannot be lost. The data guardian will dispose of the insects.‹‹“‘

[CROSS:] “‘›› ‘Eadto… Data guardian…? Network intrusion. Explains the feedback I am receiving. Vata. Vata. Vata.‹‹“

[ELDER:]  “‘›› A minor intrusion. The data will be recovered. Now, I repeat, withdraw immediately. There is a ship waiting for you—”

[CROSS:] “‘››Request denied. Partially illogical.‹‹‘“ 

Commander Reeves paused in her translation as she reread what she had just spoken.

“Did he just… ignore a direct order?” She said.

“It looks… it looks like it.” Central nodded.

There too was a pause in the transmission. 

[ELDER:] “‘››How dare… WHAT. WHAT!? Are. You. Damaged?‹‹’”

The Elder was just as shocked.

[CROSS:] “’››Chip status: Sound. Your logic: Vind’eadto’ill. My logic: The arrival of the data guardian can be used as leverage and acquire more combat data. Receiving broken data from the guardian, it killed one of XCOM and is closing in on the others. Let’s see how they react. Leverage and wipe them out. Ish’no? Then the opportunity is lost. Combat data lost. I want to understand the enemy. I will not vo’ish now. Can fight through the feedback.‹‹‘”

[ELDER:] “‘›› That accursed language. Maker… CROSS. YOU ARE TO WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY. I WILL ASSUME—‹‹‘“”

The Elder’s transmission was suddenly cut.

[CROSS:] “‘›› I will accept all punishments once done. Now, I must strike.‹‹‘“

“And looks like he just cut off that Elder. I can’t imagine he’ll live longer.” Central shook his head.

“Nor can I— wait…” The Commander finally noticed something. ”Cross has been using some Fragmenta language here and there. Explains that ‘accursed language’ remark. I wonder why that choice of language?” 

Before she could dwell on that longer, the psionic scanner alarm went off. She looked back at the screen just as Sol’s Gremlin was marking the area.

On a smoldering roof, above the squad, that Codex reappeared with another ping. This time, its beam rifle was missing from its hands.

“Why is it unarmed now?” Commander Reeves didn’t like that.

“Doesn’t matter, team, shoot that thing!” Central said.

“Need a better angle and some cover from those Troopers!” Count said as she was moving to get a better shot.

“Can’t give another volley, our location is compromised. The Silent Striders are starting to pull out.” Strider said. “Finding a new perch and Owl’s on the way to you guys. His Gremlin has a charge it can set off on that thing.”

“We got you covered.“ Sol said as she pulled the pin from her Smoke Grenade and threw it near them.

“Last of my mines and satchels!” Razor said as he threw what he had left past the smoke and headed for cover to reload his Mag Cannon.

The Codex watched where the group was moving. Its attention focused on the two closest to each other. The Codex let out a few sounds as its form continued to glitch before it raised its hands.

The psionic scanner alarm went off again. Sol’s Gremlin let out panic beeps.

 “What the hell is —” Commander Reeves scanned through all the transmissions from ADVENT to see what was going on. She saw the repeated message: “STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFT.”

“Guys! You need to—”

The next second, a roar of energy ripped through the air, as a mass of purple energy swirled all around Sol and Razor. 

“What the hell?” Sol did not like the eery feeling that drowned her senses. “Paprika, come on!” Noticing her Gremlin was stunned, she quickly grabbed it and kept moving.

“Nice light show, now smile— huh?” As he pulled the trigger on his Mag Cannon, Razor found it empty. “What the hell? I just reloaded this thing?”

“That thing has psionics?” Central said. It barely looked organic.

Commander Reeves on the other hand nearly jumped out of her seat as she yelled. “Get out of that Rift now!” She hadn’t seen a psionic Rift in years and who knew those things had grown more dangerous.

It took Razor noticing the energies of the Rift growing more chaotic before he moved. Just as he dived out of the thing, it collapsed on itself before exploding throwing out some debris. 

“How the hell is my cannon empty? I just reloaded?” Razor growled as he pulled himself to cover. He was getting dangerously low on ammunition.

“Knock, knock, knock.” Mag Revolver raised, Count pulled the trigger. “3, 2, 1.” Fan Fire.

Each shot rang out. One whizzed right through the Codex’s form as it merely shifted to avoid the fire, but the other two struck its head. It shrieked as it fell back for a mere second before it shifted a few more times to reappear standing up.

But as it did so, it let out several sounds as it rapidly shifted around, its form distorted and split in two before reforming into one. As it did so, that split shifted with a psionic ping on the ground and reappeared near Count and the others. This one had a Beam rifle in its hands. One actively charging and pointed at Count.

“Are you kidding me!?” Count whipped around as fast as she could to shoot at the thing, causing its shot to go wide before she got back into cover.

“That thing can split? Or did another one of those things come through? Tygan, any ideas?” Central did not like the idea of a self-replicating foe.

“That is outside my expertise as we have lost direct connection to the Psionic Network, but scans are showing this ‘clone’ is sporting similar damage to the ‘original.’”

“It ‘fragmented’.” Commander Reeves said.

“You sound a little too sure about that.” Central said.

She simply gestured at the communications transmission. “What the General said. Seems to be a defense mechanism in response to damage, but it can’t keep it up forever risking a critical error to the data it stores and protects. At least he’s telling his forces to keep distance since two are out right now.” That would take some pressure off their soldiers.

“How many more times before it’s done? Anything we can do to keep that from happening?”

She simply shrugged. No answer from the transmissions. “Taking a guess, needs to be a hard, lethal shot. Or if anyone has any of those Bluescreen rounds. ”

“Shit.” None of them did. 

As Central was seeing if Fayruz could spare any of her men, which was slim as they themselves were pulling out and making sure the last of the wounded were out. Hearing that, he informed the squad the final location was scrapped. The new order was to survive as long as they could until Stellar Echo was back. 

The squad did their best to deal with the two teleporting nuisances that seemed to dodge their shots with ease. As one would teleport away, the other would either fire their Beam Rifle before the squad could reposition, or set off another one of those Psionic Rift. Any chance one of them got caught in the roof would mean lost ammo and they were running near dry.

“Dammit!” Razor cursed as he caught just on the edge of a Rift and he finally managed to hit one of the Codices. Thankfully, it didn’t split, but the Rift cost him his potential to deal heavy damage. “I’m OUT!” Just as he got out of the Rift, Razor angrily threw his Mag Cannon at the Codex, which only teleported away before it could hit. “Of all days to not have my pistol.” His eyes darted around the battlefield searching for a weapon. Any kind of weapon. 

“Razor!” Sol called out. “You can have mine!” She threw it to him.

“Thanks, shit!” He had to dive back down as a beam of energy headed his way, but quickly scrambled to get that Mag Pistol.

“Marionette Owl, ETA to the others?” Central asked.

“Nearly there.” Owl responded. “Crossed paths with Lancers, nasty buggers, but a Flashbang let me escape through some tight squeezes. Sending Nostrumo ahead of me. She’s programmed to zap one of those things plaguing the others once in range.”

“Nice thinking. Strider, your status?” 

“Nearly all these roofs are compromised. I’m on foot, heading there, but there’s still a lot of forces on the ground.”

“Keep your eyes peeled, but move fast. The others are just about dry.”

As Central was contacting Fayruz again, Commander Reeves focused her attention back on that data transmission.

“Hm, things may cool down to a point as General Cross is giving orders to start securing bodies and not give chase to the fleeing forces. He’s not happy at the less-than-ideal success rate of his sortie.”

“Barely good.” Central said. Maybe that would allow Strider and Owl to move more freely. “I would say a dent is better than nothing, be we lost an operative and could potentially lose more if these things aren’t killed.” 

“Wait…” She noticed something had changed. That odd thinking of Cross popping up again. And those words. “Target isolated. Capturing Specialist.”

“Specialist? SOL, YOU NEED TO MOVE NOW—”

“AAAARRRRRGHH!!” 

Too late. 

Sol felt a sharp stab to her back before electricity coursed through her body. It was a never-ending torrent of pain as she screamed until she no longer could. As the faintest of whimpers left her mouth, her vitals dropped as she hit the ground. Before her Gremlin could react, he stabbed that shock baton right between its eyes, and another high course voltage caused it to blow up in smoke. A smoldering wreck crashed to the ground.

“Target secured. Drone lost, but the shell can be studied.” Cross let out a proud chuckle. “This will please Ororos.”

“Shit, Sol!” Both Count and Razor were about to fire on Cross before the Codex reminded them to pay attention.

Cross dragged the unconscious Sol away from the ensuing chaos. As he raised himself back up, he grunted and stumbled. “This close to those guardians is causing more disruption. But there’s a chance to gain another subject. The risk may be worth it.”

He was studying the fight, watching to see how he could get Count as she had caught his attention earlier. Just as he saw an opinion as one of the Codices was about to open another Rift on top of Count, an angry buzz caught his attention.

“The other Specialist’s Gremlin.” He reached for his rifle.

Before he could draw it, Nostrumo whipped around the building, pausing for a moment to take in data, before swiftly flying over to the Codex with the growing psionic power. As soon as it was next to the thing, it let loose its last Capacitor Discharge. 

The Codex let out a series of shrieks as its form distorted and it grabbed its head. With a final shriek, its form imploded and all that was left was a black brain-shaped case that clattered to the ground.

“Thank you, little buddy~!” Count sang as she focused her fire on the one still pestering 

“Intriguing. Its form disappeared and left that.” Tygan commented. 

“Tygan, save your science for later. Need to other one dead and the General gone before you can start dissecting.” Central said.

“Cross is retreating.” Commander Reeves said.

“What?” Central looked at her with his brows furrowed.

She just pointed at the transmissions. “He was seeking to capture Count, but Nostrumo killing that Codex caused feedback he can’t ignore. He’s grabbing Sol and retreating.”

“What!?” Count was already turning on her heels to stop him. “We need to get So—”

“Leave her. We have more pressing problems with that last Codex, and if it duplicates again…” Commander Reeves cut her off. She didn’t need to explain that further. “There’s a chance we’ll be able to rescue Sol another day.”

“Shit.” Count cursed under her breath and turned back to fight the Codex.

“If I had another grenade.” Razor too cursed as he took potshots at the Codex when he could.

The remaining Codex disappeared with another ping before reappearing on the rooftops again. Beam Rifle missing from its hands.

“It’s going to open another one of those Rifts!” Razor was already moving. “And with how angrily Nostrumo’s beeping, it’s a big one.”

“Always moving out of shot! Always!” Count was looking for just the right angle. 

The air around Count began to distort.

“No, you don’t.” Strider said before a shot rang out. He finally found a perch.

The Codex shrieked as the shot struck its skull. Its form began to distort as it shifted through various stances as it struggled to keep its form together and keep the flow of energy to that forming Rift.

The distortion began to fade. But suddenly began to stabilize as its form looked splitting.

Another shot rang out, hitting it dead in the skull, again causing it to let out its death screams as it contorted once more and its form imploded, leaving behind another one of those cases. The energies of that forming Rift fully dissipated.

“Goodnight.” Feyruz said.

“Finally…” Razor let out a sigh of relief, but didn’t let his guard down.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Count mumbled as she rushed over to Razor to check on how he was doing. She gave a good kick to what remained of the Codex, only apologizing when Central scolded her, saying they needed what remained intact.

“I see I missed the party, but I have the meds.” Owl finally arrived and immediately with his two remaining allies.

“Thanks, Frost Owl, for the support.” Central said. He was surprised to hear her voice on the comms. “Thought you were long gone by now with how you were no longer answering my calls.” 

“I was looking for a gun since my plasma blew up while I was talking to you.” Fayruz replied with a gruff snort. Central just rolled his eyes. “Besides, it wouldn’t be unfair for me to cut and run with you losing two of you men and the risk of the others being lost.”

“How kind of you.”

“Once we reestablished ourselves and licked out wounds, we’ll keep an ear out for any nearby prisons holding an XCOM operative.” Feyrez offered.

“Thank you, we can use all the help we can get.” A mild bonus to a pyrrhic operation.

“Shatter squad, regroup and head to the evac, ASAP. General Cross has pulled out, but ADVENT is still active.”

“We need to get Raven’s body.” Count said. “Can’t leave behind another.”

“Negative. It’s too dangerous. And from this partially corrupted transmission from Cross, it looks like they retrieved her body.”

Count only cursed. 

The squad retrieved their gear and the remains of the Codices before regrouping and getting themselves to the Skyranger. They had a little trouble but were able to escape full-blow engagement with the remaining ADVENT troops sweeping the area.

“Tygan, have your teams ready to study those Codices on arrival, AND,” Commander Reeves didn’t mean to make such a dramatic pause but an important thought crossed her mind, “have psionic shielding constantly active. Already ordered Shen to have psionic containment ready for the handoff as soon as the Skyranger touches down.

“My team is already preparing for their arrival, Commander. Hopefully, studying these beings will provide some insight into the aliens’ ongoing plans.” He responded before cutting his transmission.

—————————————————————

Jynn took a few moments to go over any more after-operation information and issue a few more orders before slipping down her chain. She could feel a headache coming on.

“Oh, those pills are wearing off.” She could feel a palpating pain blossoming against her temples.

“You okay?” Bradford noticed her mutter.

“Medication wearing off. Headache, no, soon a migraine is coming on.” She grumbled.

“Want me to call the doctors?’

“Help me down to the Infirmary,” she extended her hand to him, “it’ll be faster.”

It took a few pulls to get her up, and once she was up, Jynn found herself leaning on Bradford.

“Oh, I am going to be bedridden for a few days.” She had a sinking feeling that would happen.

“Stay positive, maybe a few hours.” He said.

“No, days. I can feel it in my bones. My throat still freakn’ hurts. Manuke, manuke, manuke.”

“Rude.”

“I was calling myself a moron.”

The conversation grew silent as they made their way down to the Infirmary. Once Jynn was admitted and the doctors worked on her, their attention turned back to how the operation when.

“Now this is pointed at Jody…” Jynn warned Bradford before taking in a sharp breath. “I want to wring her neck and tan her hide, manuke!” As she cursed, her Cajun Southern accent fully came through. “Darn girl just had ta use that con’tra’tion on the Officer. Allons! Let me strike the lone Officer! Oh, no! A tataille emerges and much rracas for all!” She let out a slew of other curses before finally calming down. “Bless her damn heart… sincerely, but also, you idiot.”

Bradford, and any listening in, was doing his best to keep a straight face. He understood her frustrations and disappointments, but sometimes how strong that accent would come out would catch him off guard. “Yes, snrk, right, heh.” He turned to clear her throat before looking back at her. “A mild positive is that we know the Skulljack works, but needs more tweaking to avoid triggering more of those Codices.”

“Agreed.” She nodded.

“And see if we can use those upgrades Bones provided for future endeavors.”

“I wonder why…,” Jynn paused, “his gift was a surprise. Our teams are still looking at it, so of course, Tygan didn’t account for that.”

She noticed Dr. Chalsa come back around with her tablet in hand and Gremlin hovering over her shoulder.

“How am I looking, Chalsa?”

“Elevated adrenaline levels again and those neural pathways are active again. Picking up faint… faint psionic activity.” Dr. Chalsa said. Almost hesitant to mention the psionic activity.

“How long am I staying?” Jynn just wanted answers. She would moan and groan later.

“Overnight at the most.”

“Not… terrible. But may change once I explain why I suspect those pathways are active.”

“You… you know why they are active.” Chalsa raised a brow at her before looking at Bradford. He just raised his hands in defense.

“I was looking at communications data from an ADVENT General. There was something about the data, the way he spoke and processed the information that just… entranced me. That’s the best way to describe it.”

“Like your brain is still wired to want that information Network streaming in and through me again.” Bradford recalled what she said.

“Thank you… John.” She did not want to be reminded of her words.

“That is… intriguing. And concerning. I’ll fill Dr. Marin and the others about this.” Chalsa was already updating the others and Jynn’s health history. “You know exactly what that means, yes?”

“Tests? Yes. Better now than later when something in me snaps again.”

“Jynn.” Bradford shook his head when she said that.

“You know it’s true, John.”

Bradford stuck around for a few more hours until Skyranger was back and he had to make sure the handling of those Codex brains went properly. 

Until sleep called her, Jynn wrote out a report to the best of her ability on what she could recall when she wasn’t so enthralled by the information coming from General Cross. She wondered if they would meet that specialized General again and any more of those under the designation PROXY.

“Need to put some feelers out with the other Factions if they’ve heard anything with the designation PROXY. Maybe those Void Walkers know. Knowledge is their business.” 

[kiddoovanilla]

💄 Inventaire makeup de fin d'année

💄

On ne m'a rien demandé mais ...Fin 2023, il était temps pour moi de me lancer dans une tâche ... qui m'excite et m'effraye à la fois : l'inventaire de ma collection de makeup.

Première fois que je me prête l'exercice, j'ai essayer de procéder méthodiquement par catégorie. ☑️

Catégorie 1 : palette pour les yeux 👁️

Je dois avoir des palettes Makeup Revolution depuis mes 16 ans ... increvable, j'ai encore ma toute première palette la Chocolate Vice #nostalgie (je l'ai finalement donné à ma petite soeur hier) 🥰 Et quel bonheur d'avoir pu me procurer les palettes d’ Ayo Coralie et de Marion Caméléon😭 🙏

Honey chocolate - i ❤ revolution

Gingerbread - i ❤ revolution

Wonder palette Chocolate vice - i ❤ revolution

Reloaded Iconic forever - Makeup revolution 

Reloaded hypnotic - Makeup revolution

Black pearl mini chocolate - i ❤ revolution

White noise - Makeup Obsession

Tasty coffee - I ❤ revolution

Ultimate brights - Nyx

Néon shadow palette Electric dreams - Makeup revolution

Calendar Limited edition mini 2020 - Makeup revolution

Calendar Limited edition mini 2019 - Makeup revolution

Mini pastel - Natasha Denona

Unicorn heart glow - i ❤ revolution

Forever flawless Into the night - Makeup revolution

Wild Pyton - Huda Beauty

Wild Jaguar - Huda Beauty

Wild Chamaleon - Huda Beauty

Lovefest - Huda Beauty

Marion Caméléon x Sephora vol1.

Marion Caméléon x Sephora vol2.

Ayo Coralie x BeautyBay

Norvina vol5. - Anastasia Berverly Hills

Douce Romance - Ayo Coralie x BeautyBay

Nébuleux secret - Ayo Coralie x BeautyBay

Rose metals - Anastasia Berverly Hills

Cette catégorie va grossir à coup sur cette année et surement plus tôt qu'on le pense 🙄🙄👉👈

Catégorie 2 : palette visage 👩🏻

Merci Ayo Coralie , aujourd'hui je n'ai plus peur de briller de mille feux ! Elle m'a fait aimer les highlighters comme personne 😍  Je me rapelle également piqué le blush irisé de ma maman au collège et aller en cours avec des joues si foncées 😂 ET IRISEES ! Mes boutons d'adolescente et ma peau grasse ne me diraient pas merci avec du recul #facedefritteuse

Flatter me - BH cosmetics

Tasty cupcake Vanilla swirl - I ❤ revolution

Mrs bella Goldies - BH cosmetics

Mrs bella Peachy - BH cosmetics

Rose gold glow mini chocolate - I ❤ revolution

Home made with some NYX highlithers (advent calendar 2018)

Mini cheek duo - Natasha Denona

Spotlight & highlight - BH cosmetics

Sugar and spice - Makeup Revolution

Catégorie 3 : produits teint 👩🏻‍🎨

J'ai une peau grasse qui a longtemps eu des imperfections et de l'acné. 😐J'ai toujours cherché de la couvrance tout en ayant peur que mon makeup n'aggrave mon cas... Epoque révolue, je cherche aujourd'hui simplement à unifier et lisser mon teint. 🤗

The first prime - BeautyBay 

Matt finish setting spray - NYX

Set it don't regret it - BeautyBay

Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation 250 - Fenty (il n'est même pas à ma teinte donc bye bye !!!)

Base Proof it - NYX

Eye prime - Relove Revolution

Loose setting powder travel size - Anastasia Berverly Hills

Pro filt'r retouch setting powder travel size Banana - Fenty

Magic mango setting powder - MAx&More

Shape tape mini 35N - Tarte

Plump right back base travel size - NYX

Pore filler base travel size - NYX

Pro/bas concealer - MUA

Bare with me BLUR foundation 09 light medium - NYX

Complexion pro Buttersotch - Sheglam

Complexion pro Sand - Sheglam

Blusher reloaded Peach bliss - Makeup Revolution

Blusher reloaded Violet love - Makeup Revolution

Poudre bronzante - Makeup obsession

Fard à joues Rose acajou 10 - Yves rocher

Highlighter Moonside Celestian gaze - Sheglam

Matte liquid blush Swipe right - Sheglam

Matte liquid blush Hush hush - Sheglam

Matte liquid blush Bithday suit - Sheglam

Highlighter - DWTN Paris

Blush 2en1 - DWTN Paris

Magic Check stick Vitamin Pink - My little beauty

Le blush Pêche 160- L'oreal

Blush liquide Terracotta - Modelite

Blush Le rosé - Pomponne

Blush stick Blossoming - Sophia+Mabelle

Catégorie 4 : produits yeux et sourcils 🤨

Que dire ... c'est cette catégorie qui a forgé ma passion pour le makeup 🥰 voir ma maman se mettre crayon et mascara tout les matins pour aller au travail à du jouer son rôle !

Mascara Smart noir - KIKO

Mascara Smart bleu - KIKO

Mascara - Anastasia Berverly Hills

Mascara Kush hifh volume - Milk

Mascara Fullest volumizing - Ilia

Mascara Mini good drama - Chella

Mascara Go big or Go home mini- KVD

Mascara Lash princess volume - Essence

Mascara Magic extension - MAC

Mascara Sensational - Maybeline

Retractable waterproof eyeliner Matte cobalt 28 - SEPHORA

Crayon contour 12h Black lace 01 - SEPHORA

Crayon contour 12h Tiramisu 13 - SEPHORA

Crayon Vert bronze 477 - Christian Dior (qui n'existe plus 😭)

Crayon khôl marine - Peggy Sage

Crayon khôl vert bronze - Peggy Sage

Rebeleyes Seaweed 106 - Mesauda

Xtrem liquid gel liner Silver 004 - Gosh 

Crayon highlight Cloud - Sheglam

Colored eyeliner Sweet love - Maw&More

Colored eyeliner Island oasis - Maw&More

Colored eyeliner Rock the boat - Maw&More

Colored eyeliner Bright sunlight - Maw&More

Crayon Faux blacks Blackberry 05 - NYX

fard à paupière liquide Mushroom - Sheglam

fard à paupière liquide Walnut - Sheglam

fard à paupière liquide Sun Glow - Sheglam

fard à paupière liquide Jasper - Sheglam

fard à paupière liquide - Sheglam

fard à paupière liquide - Sheglam

Eyeliner noir pailleté - Marion Caméléon x Sephora

Highlighter Watt's up - Benefit

Ombre Blackstar mini Bronze moon - By Terry

Jelly Wow Delirious - Sheglam

Jelly Wow Stay golden - Sheglam

Cream Eyeshadow Champagne - PS

Colorful monofard Ballet shoes - SEPHORA

No budge cream eyeshadow Dune - ELF

Eyebrow gel - Makeup Obsession

The brow glue - NYX

Clear brow gel - Anastasia Berverly Hills

Brow glue - Makeup Revolution

Lift and Snatch Espresso - NYX

crayon sourcil 07 - Puro bio

Crayon sourcil - Makeup obsession

Micro brow pensil Espresso - NYX

La suite de l'inventaire dans un prochain billet 🥰

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Fate/Else Night

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Tmq2wgi

by KingAnisona

Angra Mainyu boiled in anger. Anger for humans. He had plans to wipe them out entirely, but it would only effect this timeline. From his... unique position he could see beyond just the one timeline he was stuck in. He could see other timelines, and was digusted by them. He could see more, the pruned timelines. Lostbelts, they were called. They intrigued him more, in many humans were extinct or subjugated. But there was more... there was something... Else. Worlds. Entire stable universes and multiverses. He couldn't see too far into them but he could see enough. Humans. It was somehow always humans! They had be be extinguished, everywhere. But this all also gave him an idea.

Soon after, the Masters of the 5th Holy Grail War found a second set of Command Seals on their other hands. How were these 'Else-Servants' being summoned and, more importatly, why?

Words: 8992, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night (Anime 2006), Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014), Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel (Anime 2017), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies), DCU (Comics), DCU, Undertale (Video Game), Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Touhou Project, Fairy Tail, Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Characters: Tohsaka Rin, Emiya Shirou, Matou Sakura, Matou Shinji, Illyasviel von Einzbern, Kotomine Kirei, Kuzuki Souichirou, Matou Zouken, Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Archer (Fate), Gilgamesh | Archer, Cú Chulainn | Lancer, Medusa | Rider, Medea | Caster, Hassan of the Cursed Arm | Assassin, Sasaki Kojirou | Assassin, Heracles | Berserker, Tony Stark, Bane (DCU), Sans (Undertale), Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Izayoi Sakuya, Erza Scarlet, Angra Mainyu | Avenger

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Tmq2wgi

[writer-and-artist27]

[Image Description: Four screenshots from Fate/Grand Order showing in order, (1) the Bond Level Up screen for Lancer Ereshkigal, where her Bond Level has gone up from 9 to 10; (2) the “Craft Essence Extracted” screen that shows Ereshkigal's Max Bond Craft Essence of “Flowers Blooming in the Underworld”; (3) a screenshot of Ereshkigal’s Servant card, with emphasis on all 10 of her bond diamonds in the level screen being filled and about to be enhanced to Bond 11; and (4) a “Bond Level Limit Released” screen that shows Ereshkigal’s Bond Level limit being broken to reach Level 11. End Description.]

Back on Christmas Eve 2019, Ereshkigal surprised me on a single ticket pull. I was still a new player back then, barely having any 5 star Servants, so for my first 5 star Lancer to be Ere-chan...

Well. There's a lot I'm grateful to her for. For holding me up through Camelot and so on. Getting me through Part 1.5. Letting me bond with her when things could be scary and downright mind-breaking in Part 2.

Thankie, Ere-chan. Thankie for staying.

This story is for you. Song and all.

----------------------------------------

Ereshkigal could hardly remember a moment before her time as Vy's Servant where she could feel the sunlight. For all of her life as the Queen of Kur, the ruler of the Underworld, she had only seen souls and darkness.

So many cages made, so many dead to house for eternal rest.

So many who couldn't talk to her. Even with her authority as the Goddess of the Underworld, Irkalla.

It was her duty, of course. Watching over the dead. Being lonely was a mere byproduct she couldn't complain about.

It was why it was so out of place and unexpected to witness the flower she knew as Vy summon her to the original Chaldea three years ago, surprised tears in her eyes and hands clasped in front of her chest. Ereshkigal knew from those teary brown eyes behind her glasses that this Master was different from the other humans. Was it the brightness of her soul that made the sun feel pale in spite of its warmth? Or the faint sensation that she was a little lonely too, just like her? In spite of all the company she kept and the warm smile she kept painting onto her face, whether naturally or by force? What was it really? Ereshkigal was still unsure as to what compelled her to answer the girl's call in the end.

The flower of her Command Seals — the lotus flower that kept them together — seemed all the more dim in the face of how much respect and kindness the little mousy Chaldean Master kept giving.

It was odd enough seeing the Caster version of Uruk's own Gilgamesh demure in the face of Vy pouting and firmly telling him "no" when it came to berating with his younger child form, but to see even Ishtar — her own sister Inanna — grow affectionate towards the young Master was a different kind of sensation.

It was only with the advent of Ashtart's kidnapping that Ereshkigal decided.

Chaldea could only be warm when Vy was in it.

Not even the bright rainbow flame of a Bond Chalice meant much in the face of the red lotus petals on the back of Vy's left hand as she offered it to Ereshkigal with the same smile.

The calm of her vessel's heart was immediately disrupted at the sight of the thing, skipping some as Ereshkigal raked her eyes over Vy's figure. For a moment, she could have sworn there was a slightly taller, somewhat plumper dark-haired woman behind the Chaldean Master, giggling and wrapping her arms around the younger woman from behind, but a blink had her disappear as quickly as Ereshkigal noticed through her vessel's eyes.

Could that have been—?

Vy's precious family was still wandering the world somewhere after the Foreign God's Bleaching. Whether dead or in a state of half-being, half-living, no one in the Wandering Sea was truly sure. The entire state of Proper Human History itself was in peril, after all.

But Vy murmured sometimes. Saying, "cảm ơn, Dí Thúy,"* and "Bé Vy con thương Ông Ngoại,"** when she thought Mash and the others weren't looking.

Only Ereshkigal and some others could really see the transparent hands patting Vy's head when the lights were out. Pale lips pressing kisses to the girl's hair when she was asleep in time to the occasional tapping of a Buddhist gong. Irkalla had a feeling not even that Egyptian pharaoh Nitocris could talk to them, though. And if she was right about who was there, especially with the Holy Grails augmenting her powers—

"Ere-chan?"

Irkalla startled. Vy, her little grape — no, her flower — was blinking owlishly at her again, her hands gloriously warm against Ereshkigal's own cold ones as she reached over to take them in her grasp, squeezing the bright gold Bond Chalice between them. "Are you okay, Ere-chan?"

This time, the goddess could clearly see the faint outline of the woman from before, standing behind Vy with a soft smile, and Irkalla nodded. "That is my line, my flower."

Do not worry, Thúy Duong. Ereshkigal thought to herself, reaching over to pull the Chaldean Master into a tight hug before she could say anything else. Your baby girl of a niece will be safe within Chaldea and my Kur. I swear upon it — she won't join you that quickly.

The woman standing behind Vy smiled brighter and with a mouthed "Thank you", turned back into the heart shape that made up her soul as she flew back to what laid beyond Irkalla's Underworld to join her father waiting there.

----------------------------------------

*Cảm ơn, Dí Thúy = Thank you, Aunt Thúy

**Bé Vy con thương Ông Ngoại = Baby Vy still loves Grandpa

[govindhtech]

Browse ADATA’s DDR5 Cooling Technology Pioneers

Heat-Dispersion Coating Provides Groundbreaking Cooling XPG, the e-sports brand of ADATA Technology, is the world’s top DDR5 Cooling module and flash memory brand. It specializes in high-performance and attractively built e-sports goods that are aimed at gamers, tech enthusiasts, and over clockers who are interested in gaming. Performance, stability, and dependability of the system are all negatively impacted by the high temperatures that are created by high-speed overclocked gaming DDR5 Cooling.

When it comes to applying PCB (printed circuit board) thermal coating technology to overclocked DDR5 Cooling , the XPG is at the forefront of the market. This technique efficiently reduces temperatures by more than 10%. With the intention of ensuring a stable and efficient operation in this grade of DDR5 Cooling , this new PCB thermal coating technology will be released in the second quarter on high-end overclocked DDR5 gaming memory with a clock speed of 8000MT/s or higher.

A revolutionary coating that acts as a heat dissipator is able to successfully lower temperatures by more than twenty percent An optimized solder mask that not only insulates, but also dissipates and conducts heat in order to provide a greater DDR5 Cooling effect is used for PCB heat dissipation. This technology incorporates heat conduction, heat radiation, and insulation into a single product. Thermal radiation and heat dissipation properties of this coating significantly enhance dissipation area and efficiency, hence reducing the amount of heat generated at high clock rates. This is in comparison to the heatsinks used for conventional overclocked DDR5 gaming memory. Overclocked DDR5 Cooling with PCB heat dissipating coating technology had a temperature drop of 8.5 degrees Celsius when compared to regular overclocked memory.

Additionally, the effectiveness of heat dissipation was improved by 10.8 percent. These results were shown via real-world testing. It is possible for users to experience severe overclocking while still keeping great performance, allowing them to achieve all difficulties without making any concessions.

DDR5 Cooling Compatibility Leading the way in DDR5 memory technology, ADATA focuses on more than simply speed and capacity. Acknowledging the possible heat requirements of DDR5, ADATA is dedicated to working with a range of cooling options.

On memory modules operating at 8,000 MT/s or above, a heat-dissipating layer is applied Despite its position as the industry’s preeminent memory brand, ADATA Technology is committed to the pursuit of innovation and breakthroughs. Consequently, temperature difficulties that are the result of high performance have also been a common problem for everyone. This is because speed has become a common target for the market as a reaction to the advent of artificial intelligence computing. It is expected that the new LANCER NEON RGB and popular LANCER RGB series memory modules will be launched in the second quarter and officially unveiled at Computex 2024. XPG has made the application of the most recent thermal coating technology a priority in order to overclocked DDR5 gaming memory that is operating at 8000MT/s or higher.

ADATA DDR5 Cooling Features As of right now, ADATA doesn’t provide any unique cooling features for their DDR5 memory modules. They do, however, have an integrated aluminum heatsink with their XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 RAM. Although it’s not as efficient as some of the active cooling options for other components, like as CPUs and graphics cards, this passive cooling solution aids in dissipating heat produced by the memory chips.

In general, DDR5 memory doesn’t need any extra cooling because of a combination of lower voltage, a more efficient design, and better thermal management on motherboards. However, ADATA doesn’t include any particular cooling features for their DDR5 memory modules.

Regarding XPG( XTREME PERFORMANCE GEAR) XPG, which stands for “XTREME PERFORMANCE GEAR,” was founded by ADATA with the intention of delivering high-performance goods to gamers, e sports professionals, and passionate tech fans. In order to obtain a better understanding of the actual requirements of consumers, they collaborate closely with the gaming and e sports community. This is because they are dedicated to providing solutions that give exceptional performance. Their goods include systems, components, peripherals, and devices, and they are designed with the highest standards of stability, dependability, and performance in mind.

They provide a comprehensive variety of products at competitive prices. In addition to this, they create items that have designs that are so incredibly fantastic that they have won us a number of honorable international prizes, such as iF Design and Good Design. To actualize extreme gaming experiences at the highest levels, they not only provide goods, but also actively participate in the sponsorship and support of e sports events and teams all around the world.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[eparmoryblog-blog]

For day 12 of our advent calendar we are selling our purple Lancer magazines for $17.50!!!

#eparmory #adventcalendar #christmasdeals #christmas #tactical #magazines #ar15 #556nato #223rem

[mightylancergames]

Welcome December we have not seen you for ages. As we count down to Christmas let’s see what you got behind your Mighty Lancer Games hobby Advent Calendar.

Remember we also do gift vouchers that can be used online or in store so spread the word

https://www.mightylancergames.co.uk/pages/christmas-gift-ideas

#MLGadvent #christmas #flgs #lgs #hobby

[fan-da-engraver]

Tiny ADVENT calendar - Day 24

[mecha-slut]

Have you ever played any ttrpgs involving mechs like Lancer?

no LANCER yet, but I've played a ton of Beam Saber, and I'm slowly winding up an Armour Astir Advent game as we speak!!!

[battlebreasts]

Please play other ttrpgs than dnd there are so many excellent ones with mechanics specifically designed for the type of game you wanna play and they're SO much more accessible than dnd, both in price and time required to learn. Heck, you can even ask most indie devs for community copies for libraries they truly kick ass and I want more ppl to understand what it's like to play ttrpgs that don't have to be hacked up to hell n back to accomplish what playstyle or genre you wanna run

[etherealvoidechoes]

What If? - Sinew & Crimson - Blood Hunt - Vampire Zhang Au

Art drought incoming. I am not in the best of moods and may be a touch depressed, but here is some writing.

Zhang and Karris taking out a bandit encampment and Zhang indulging in a darker side of himself.

Warnings for blood, gore, cannibalism, and mild language. Oh and liberal use of Google Translate. So sorry.

6.8k

---------

Zhang softly hummed to himself. Head swaying side to side, foot tapping to the beat to the harsh electronic music playing through his earbuds. Even his soldering tool was matching the beat as he went about desoldering some components from some old broken tech that had been recently found. Scavenging and recycling were a necessity to survive, and he just couldn’t give up his love for making IEDs. It was a stress relief and then his skills came in quite handy for the wandering group and an absolute nuisance for ADVENT.

He continued to work contently, a few times his hand went over to his music device to skip songs as he worked or pause it to give a few thank you’s to those bringing in more stuff for him to salvage and put to use. 

“Next time, Orkos. Until that venom is out of your system, you know you can’t handle the wires.” He had grown fond of the former Stun Lancer who had started to hover over him roughly around the time he “deemed” he could during his “poor health”. She was quick to pick up the art of IED making and became a great help. Though right now, after a nasty run in with those dreadful bugs, she couldn’t lend him a helping hand like she usually did.

“I understand!” Her tone was cheery like a songbird. “I have other things to keep me occupied like learning from my Skirmisher brothers and sisters on how they disable and remove chips!” She was just beaming with excitement. “I must get going as lessons are starting!” 

She gave Zhang a few playful pats on the back before running out. Zhang just shook his head and chuckled. He returned to his work.

Then he felt something. A presence. Someone lingering about. His nostrils flared, as he took in several quite breathes, quickly processing new and familiar scents. His eyes closed, rolling them. He didn’t need to look to see who it was. Just someone familiar and probably just entering their “hunting study” mode. How nearly everyone in the group had their quirks.

Ignoring the lingering presence, he continued his work. Until a few crates nearby by rattles, and then the table shook.

“Gāisǐ. Lái ba…” Zhang jerked his tool away from the delicate circuitry he was working on and the other hand slammed down on the table to brace it. 

The table shook under his hand for a few moments more before stopping. 

“That damn animal brain of his.” Zhang’s brow twitched as he kept his eyes from looking at the nuisance disturbing his work. “Though I cannot judge too harshly as I have my own special quirks now.” 

A grumble slipped out before Zhang went back to work. A free hand went over and lowered the volume to his music so he could keep track of his friend. Though the man had never attacked anyone when he was in his “hunger study” mode, it never hurt to listen to any sounds he would make just to track his mood.

His friend was pretty quiet. Just deep and slow steady breathing. 

Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…

One nail after the other slowly drummed against the metal crate. And this continued… for several minutes.

Zhang furrowed his brows, grip tightening on his soldering iron, as another grumble came out. He could imagine those brown and blue eyes were locked onto him with great intensity. 

PLOP!

His eyes quickly darted to the left. They quickly fell onto something red and shiny that jostled about. It was a packet of blood, filled to the brim. From the looks of it, it looked to be human blood. He felt his throat tremble and teeth ache for a moment.

“No, no, no…” He quietly muttered to himself as he returned his attention back to his work. He didn’t want it. He didn’t need it. That dreadful blood he craved more than a Hybrid’s. How much he hated that.

PLOP! CLANG!

This time the table shook as two items, much heavier Thant the blood packet, fell onto the table. There was the distinctive sound of soft fabric touching the table and then the clinks of metal armor tapping together.

He glanced over again and save indeed there were some clothes and armor on the table. Looked to be some dark gray unders-uit of some sort. It had swirling alien markings on it that reminded him of Lynette’s and Marcus’ symbiotic armor. Then the actual armor, repurposed ADVENT armor, but looked the Skirmishers had done the work with their own flair. The plating was a dark sandy brown and white. The group had been in contact with the local tribes and had been supplying them with any armor they recovered from slain ADVENT for some resources. Perhaps the group had commissioned some armor?

“Hm.” He couldn’t help but raise a brow. He continued his work.

Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…

A few minutes passed back until a smell struck him. Tickling his nose like a siren song. Sweet. Savory. His throat trembled; swallowing hard fighting back the building saliva. His eyes darted back to that blood back in a heartbeat. 

A finger was now tapping away at that bag. Nails as sharp as his had pierced the plastic shell and sweet globules of crimson were slowly flowing out with each tap.

This had to be an offering. Eyes narrowed quickly onto the culprit. Mismatched “dead” eyes — one brown and the other blue-ish green — locked with his.

“What do you want, Karris?” Zhang’s lip raised in annoyance, though he did his best to hold back a sneer. 

Karris was perched, hunched over like a prowling cat, on top a crate adjacent to the table. His response did not deter him; fingers continued to tap away at that blood bag and his eyes stayed firmly on him. Really, Karris looked barely fazed as he constantly had a more “dead”, plain look he wore consistently. Though those canines… sharp teeth. His teeth were barred revealing both sets of canines were oddly elongated, curving over his other teeth and lips.

“It’s a,” that low, rough voice of Karris paused, taking in a raspy breath, “fresh draw from some volunteers.” He tapped the bag in quick succession, piercing it in a few more spots. “All human… well… maybe one or two Hybrids are in here. But it is good.”

A little system that was developed to help ward off Zhang’s occasional thirst for blood as sometimes he had cravings for human blood and no amount of Hybrid or alien blood and flesh could satisfy it. 

Zhang’s nose wrinkled as more of that blood flowed out. It smelled so good. Feeling that feral thirst grow, he forced himself to look away, rubbing his nose in a futile attempt to get the scent out. “I’m good.” 

That didn’t stop Karris. That finger kept on tapping, punching more and more holes in the pack. He then suddenly stabbed at it, not taking his eyes off Zhang, and slowly pushed the pack towards him. A streak of crimson stained the table. 

Zhang’s brow twitched. The next moment, he slammed his tool down on the table; his other hand clawed into it. A flash of gold crosses his eyes as they narrowed. “Why are you here? Out with it.” 

The blood packet stopped just a few inches away from Zhang. Karris didn’t remove his finger.

“Craving some people.” He nonchalant answered. His canines flexed in and out. “Heard you are too.”

Craving some people. 

Sharp nails scrapped the table, causing the wood to splinter. A few curses in Mandarin slipped out. Zhang felt like a vein on his head was about to burst. “You know I don’t like eating humans, Karris.”

“Unless they’re the loathsome kind.” His face barely changed.

“… mhm.” Zhang couldn’t deny that. One of the few exceptions to his no hunting humans rule.

“So, I’ve found a nasty bandit camp we can make our dinner.” He tapped the blood pack a few more times, coating his finger quite heavily in blood. He then retracted his finger, bring his hand to his face and licked it off. “Mm, sweet and sharp. Your favorite right?”

“Fuck you.” 

This time a little smirk peeked through before Karris’ face became plain again. “So the bandit camp. They’ve attacked the local trading hub we’ve become friends with. Some kids got killed.”

Feeling his brow twitch ones more — and giving himself a headache — Zhang raised his hands to head and rubbed his temples. Karris, oh Karris. He wanted to strangle the man, but did he knew how to get to that animal side of him for certain hunts, and then the emotional side. Explained why camp was light this morning and some of their more resource people and “pack animals” had left around noon. Must have been helping survivors of that trading hub.

Just how many bandit groups had they run into now that were more troublesome than the local ADVENT patrols? Far too many. And he had killed more than a handful himself.

As he mulling over how he would respond to his pestering friend, he noticed that hand inching its way back to the blood pack. Oh, hell no.

Like a cracking whip, Zhang’s hand quickly snatched that packet up before Karris could start tapping it again. Then he bit into it, teeth sinking in, a spray of blood bursted out before he threw his head back and drank the blood. Sweet and sharp. Just delicious.   

Once every drop was gone, and his elongated tongue had cleaned up the mess he made of his face, Zhang tossed the pack aside and looked back at Karris. 

“When do you want to do this?” He was still annoyed, but could tell Karris wasn’t going to leave the subject alone. And after tasting that blood, he wanted more. Especially some fresh flesh.

“Tonight, if you’re available.”

“Tonight works.”

“Good.” The corners of Karris’ lips turned upwards as his canines partially retracted. He then patted the clothes and armor he brought. “Something for you to wear tonight. Should fit your flexibility. Supposedly the under-suit is made from the same symbiotic stuff Lynette’s and Marcus’ armor is made from.” Pressing his hand down on the pile, he pushed it over to Zhang, avoiding the blood streak on the table. “Unless you feel like hunting in the nude.” Those brows raised up in down quickly. A rare time for him to joke.

“Gǔn dàn.”Zhang’s remaining patience was thin.

“Meet you around the south side of camp tonight.” With that, Karris hopped off the crate and made his out of the tent. Still on all fours. Looked like that “hunt and study” part of his brain wasn’t off yet.

Zhang slumped deep down in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Claws digging deep into his skin, almost drawing blood.

“I’m going to regret this aren’t I?” He just grumbled under his breath. How much he hated part of the new him; how easily it could be manipulated at times.

“Just hope neither of us go feral tonight if things get too hot.” 

He looked over to the clothes and armor Karris brought and picked them up and some examined them. As he ran his fingers over some of the armored platting, he felt it reverberate and a few psionic sparks popped off of him.

“Huh?” He ran his fingers along the metal again, nails skipping across the scratches and dings as his psionics fully activated. There was a pull coming from the armor, somehow entangling and enhanced his psioncs. “Part of this looks like that Priest armor. So… elerium has to be in this… Where did they get this?” Now he was curious. And he couldn’t wait to try this out.

“Tonight will be interesting.”

——

Hours passed, and day turned into night. A bright crescent moon shined above, accompanied by hundreds of stars. A chorus of bugs were happily chirping into the night.

Camp was humming with some activity. People were back from helping out the survivors of the trading hub and back to doing this usual duties around camp.

“I have a lot of questions concerning this armor, Karris.”

“Ask Burne and Navi when we get back. Just know they told me to deliver it to you.”

Karris and Zhang were are their meeting place and Zhang was showing off his new armor. Light, flexible, and plated sections covered the most vulnerable parts in all the right places. 

They started hashing out their plan. They would work carefully survey the bandit camp, get a headcount, and figure out their movements before striking. 

“Quick or slow?” Karris asked, picking at his teeth with a claw.

Quick or slow. A question Zhang didn’t want to think too much about. That wild part of him enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, his prey struggling to survive as he overpowered him. Sometimes he wondered if it was slowly eroding his humanity.

“We’ll see what happens.” He answered. 

After a few more plans being made, the two set off towards the bandit camp.

——

It took a few hours, but the two located the bandit camp. It was just a small shopping center they had taken over. There was some decent activity, people moving gear around, chatting around the fires, or messing around and firing off their guns are some bottles. There was a decent amount of rabble from those talking about some of their recent raid and plans to commit some more.

Nearby the east end of the center, perched high in the thicket of some deciduous trees were Karris and Zhang. Glowing eyes peeked through the dense foliage and scanned the camp.

“How many are you picking up?” Zhang asked.

Karris took in a deep breath, flaring his nostrils. He then exhaled sharply, causing a white mist to wick out. “Good amount. Over 20, possibly more. Decent feast.”

“Hm…” His throat trembled. He could already taste their blood.

His eyes glowed gold for a moment as they darted around picking up small little pings as he did a quick scan. “Around 25, give or take.” That nose of Karris seemed quite accurate. ”Something’s blocking my psionics with counting some of them.”

“Probably some shields they stole from the trade hub.” Karris growled.

“Who ever has them may be a minor nuisance.”

“Locate them first?”

Zhang nodded. 

“Hm…” Karris scratched at his throat. His eyes bounced around the landscape, taking in all the people and the buildings. “Find, mark, and meet at the top of the Burger Town.” He pointed a claw in the direction of the old abandoned fast-food chain.

“Sounds like a plan. Stick to the shadows.”

“Fadâye saret.” Karris chuckled before he carefully made his way down the tree and slinked off into the shadows.

Zhang soon followed, using his psionics to put out a small distortion field on any who may cross him.

Their reconnaissance began. 

Zhang prowled the grounds, shifting from wall to brush to dumpster as he searched for those with those troublesome mind shields. As he was doing so, he was making mental notes of what these bandits had. They had amassed a collection of weapons and armor; a decent amount was ADVENT. Though those DNA locks on the ADVENT weapons made them practically useless, especially if one didn’t know how to disassemble them safely. Then they had an abundant amount food. Canned, MREs, dried meats and more. Looks like they had food for months. 

Once done here we need to get the others so we can make better use of it.

As he continued his scouting, finding a few of those wearing the mind shields and making note of what they looked like and where they were; his disgust towards the bandits grew immensely. Those sharp ears overheard conversation after conversation of them gloating on their raids. How they easily overpowered them. How they slaughtered them. And then the trophies they took. Articles of clothing, jewelry, stuffed animals. The last made his chest hurt; a great fired burned within.

“All will die tonight.”

As he continued to skulk, his cover was nearly blown. By chance, he bumped into one who had one of those pesky shields. They are wandering, if not staggering, around out back, but he got them. A quick dash forwards, claws extended, and they dug deep into that unprotected neck before ripping it out. A gasp barely sputtered out as blood gushed out, crashing to the ground. Except it didn’t. Just mere centimeters from touching the dirty asphalt, the globules of blood began to pool just above, slowly pooling together into an ever shifting orb of shimmering crimson. Wisps of golden energy surrounded it.

Another gasped sputter came forth from them as eyes their trembled; mind trying to comprehend what just happened. A pained gasped slipped out. One that was twofold. What had happened had just set in and then they were feeling something else. Something being pulled out of them. Something warm.

Eyes shifting down, golden wisps circling around their gaping wound as their precious life blood was being pulled out. Their hands flew to their neck, grabbing at the blood in a desperate attempt to keep it in, to close the wound. But the liquid just slipped through their fingers. They opened their mouth to yell, to cry for help, but nothing came out. As they took a step away from their attacker to get back to their friends, sharp pain shot their spine. A swift pounding headache before everything grew numb and distant. Those hands loosened around their neck. Wobbling, they fell. 

Zhang quickly caught them before they hit the ground and dragged them away towards some bushes nearby. That floating pool of blood followed.

With the body out of site, he kneeled down, head closing in on their neck. Flesh around his mouth quivered as his maw split into two revealing rows of teeth, all closing in on the neck of his victim. Just a quick bite. A taste. And to put them out of their misery.

As his teeth sank in, a ragged gasp came out and hands quickly flew to his face; nails scratched at it. Looked like they still had some life in them, but that didn’t matter. That maw clamped down even more, crushing what was left of their trachea as more blood spluttered out. There was another ragged gasped as those fingers tightened on his face before they loosened and dropped to the ground. His tongue lapped up that flowing blood before he pulled back, tearing out a hearty chunk of flesh. 

First kill and snack of the night.

The meat was everything he had been craving for a while. Savory and sweet. And that blood. It had a slight buzz to it; hints of alcohol was in the victim’s system. 

“Something new to jot down in my journal.” A few dark chuckles slipped out as he took a few more bites before hiding the body some more and plucked the psi shield off of them and pocketed it. As he was cleaning his face, that blood gathered by his psionics caught his eye.

The ever shifting orb of blood, sweet crimson twinkling under the moonlight. He couldn’t let it go to waste, he had to collect it. With just a thought, a simple flick of his finger, the blood traveled to his mouth, and he sucked it up. Delicious. After indulging, he went back to prowling.

He had no other run-ins as he located those other potential problems before heading to the Burger Town to meet Karris.

As he swiftly scaled the barely hanging on gutter, his ears twitched, picking up the sounds of someone gurgling and flesh being torn. He darkly chuckled. 

Reaching the roof, he had his answer. Karris hunched over the body of a bandit. Looked like he had claimed his first kill for the night and was tearing away at their throat.

Ears twitching, Karris slowly turned his head; those mismatched eyes met his. A thick chunk of flesh between his teeth and face covered in blood. He quickly snapped up the meat.

“See you indulged quite quickly.” He noticed the blood on Zhang’s armor and bits that lingered on his face.

“Shut up.” Said with a half-heartedly tone. ”Had a run in. Took care of it. See you may have done the same.” Zhang replied as he went over. “How many did you find? Located about five with the shields, minus one I eliminated.

“Found four, killed two.” He tapped the body he was eating. “Drunks away from camp, no one should notice they are missing.”

“Mhm.”

“So,” Karris paused, picking at some meat stuck between his teeth, “quick or slow?” A deep rumble of a growl came out. His canines shuttered.

Quick or slow. That question again.

Zhang just grinned, eyes twinkling gold as his lower jaw split open for a moment. “Terrorize.”

“So slow.” A smirked peeked through that usual dead expression. “Psi madness bomb?”

Zhang nodded. He raised his hand, flittering his fingers as a golden psionic orb appeared. “Turn them against themselves. It’ll give us an edge during all the confusion.”

“And single out the shield wearers.” Karris liked the plan. “Now where did you find yours?” 

Zhang told him the locations of the other shield wearers were before they would spring their plan.

——————————

Taking a few minutes to indulge in his kill once more, Karris left the roof and headed back to the sections where he had found those with the shields once they finished their talk.

Zhang stayed on the roof. Hand rotating a psionic orb around as he watched the activity below. The bandits were still partying, doing their own things, completely oblivious to their presence. 

He focused on the area with the biggest campfires. Most were there. Chest flexing, a deep dark chuckle escaped. A carefully planted psi bomb would allow him to ensnare their minds.

“Been a while since I pulled at fears. Wonder if I’m rusty.” 

He mused to himself how he was going to twist their vision and thoughts to cause infighting. 

“In position. Set it off.”

Receiving a message from Karris, he grinned. 

Outstretching the hand holding the orb, his eyes glowed brightly. More golden wisps appeared around it as coils traveled down his arm. A few more seconds of intense concentration, he clutched is fist, and the orb disappeared in a flash.

“Let’s begin.”

——————————

Things were mostly nice and calm down in the camp. Music jamming. A little revelry amongst friends and lovers. Target practice bets going on. The night was good and tomorrow would be even better. More plans for more raids. This territory was theirs.

The celebrations continued on without care until… there was an odd sensation that crept in. A small tingle in the air, like little sparks of electricity was dancing on their skin. Then a breaching surge crashed forth, sudden skull-splitting shocks made everyone stop.

Before questions could be asked, a golden orb appeared in the middle of camp. Shining brighter than all the lights around. It lazily hung in the air, bobbing like a fishing lure.

“What the?” A few muttered as they fought to get their barrings. Maybe they were seeing things? Most had been drinking; some to excessive levels. A few went over to investigate.

The orb shuttered and grew. That just attracted more attention. Like a siren call, more went over to the possible new entertainment for the night.

“Wait…” But one didn’t. Pesky psi shields. “GET AWAY FROM THE THING IT’S PSION—“

The orb shuttered and grew once again before collapsing on itself like a dying star, then exploded outward throwing back those where too close to it. Psionic energy lashed out like a cracking whip, striking hot, linking on after another, ensnaring all minds without mercy. 

Cries of pain filled the air. Screams of terror soon followed. Gun shots rang out.

The world was thrown into disarray for all this affected, twisting into an ever turning, ever shifting, chaotic flurry of colors, thoughts, and hallucinations.

Friend became foe. Guns changed into biting cobras. Drinks and foods burst into a mass of spiders.

Those wearing those psi shields were not affected. But they had to worry about their friends trying to kill them now. Desperately, they were trying to snap some sense into them, but nothing they could do would shake off those entangling psionics.

There was one that finished putting a few bullets through their crazed friend’s chest and was making a break for the trees.

“Gotta get out of here! Damn ADVENT… This is probably that Warlock and his guys!” To them, it was every person for themselves. Too great of a risk to try and help any of the still sane out with how thick the madness was.

Just as they reached the tree lined, something hard hit their chest. A burst of energy reverberated through their body, knocking them onto their back hard. The trees and stars spun above them as their vision flickered in and out. Then something from the corner came towards them. A being shrouded in shadow. Their eyes glowed a bright gold. Didn’t look like the Warlock or any of his Priests.

A wheeze came out as this being placed a foot on their chest. The bandit grabbed at it and tried to shove it off to no avail.

“Bù, bù, bù.” Foreign words came from them. White teeth showed a twisted smile and oddly sharp teeth.

“Who… the hell… are you!?” 

The being kneeled down; the unnatural darkness shrouding them never shifted once, nor did that smile. 

“Ó, zhǐshì yè zhī èmó.” Still, they spoke in a foreign tongue. 

“Speak English you— ah!” A sharp gasp came out as they felt something in their throat. Something pierce their throat and dig around and pull at the muscles. Plucking at them like their were strings on a guitar. 

The bandit quickly shifted their hands to free their throat from the new pain but quickly found both hands pinned to the ground by the being’s hands and psionic coils. 

“Nǐ zhā zhā de èmèng.” The shrouded being growled. 

Then a terrifying sight unfolded before the bandit. How much they wanted to run away but all they could do was scream. That lower have of that smile split open like unfurling bat wings, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The next thing they felt were a searing pain and intense pressure on their throat. Desperately their tried to breathe. Desperately their fought trying to break free to get away from this monster. All was for naught as they felt their flesh being rendered and trachea being crushed. Then another searing pain came and so did a futile gurgled cry of pain.

“What the hell is this man?” Though the world was growing cold to them, that thought was clear in their mind as they watched this mad cannibal eat a part of them. And they were enjoying from the series of chuckles coming out. “To die to a freak like this!?”

The shrouded being’s eyes wandered to the side as they raised a hand to their face, that was coming back together, tapping at it “Kěkǒu. Duìyú dìqiú de zhāzǐ lái shuō, yīdiǎn yě bù chā.”

The bandit wanted to scream at them, curse them out. What sort of freak were they!? The only thing that came out were gurgles.

“Hm?” Golden eyes darted back down at them. That smile came back, but it was now crimson. “Bùnéng ràng zhè kǒu xuè báibái làngfèi.”  

Raising their free hand, golden energies swirled around it. The bandit “gasped” as their whole body shuddered. Energy coursed through it like a million needles were pricking them everywhere and something was compressing them. And then they felt an ever growing chill slowly form over them, starting at their toes and heading upwards.

“What’s… going… on… now…?” They could feel their mind grow heavier as the cold grew stronger and stronger with each passing second. Eyes felt like anchors as they futilely fought to stay awake. But the end was coming. And they saw how. Just from the cracks of those falling lids, they spotted something else swirling in the hand of their attacker besides the psionics. Glistening red. It was blood. Their blood. And their attacker was flicking a few globules over to their mouth like they were grapes.

“Cannibal freak.” Those lids closed fully.

——————————

Zhang finished siphoning the blood from the bandit and soon drank it all down.

“Heh, heh, heh.” He darkly chuckled as he licked his lips. “Wonder how they enjoyed the show.”

As he was kneeling down to get another bite out of them, a series of gunshots, shooting, and an animalistic roar caught his attention. His head jerked back in the direction of the bandit camp and he caught a glimpse of Karris scrambling down a gap between the building and to the rooftop and a small group giving chase. He wasn’t quite sure if they were ones with psi shields or ones driven insane as a few were partially overcoming the psionic trickery.

“Looks like he needs a hand.” Zhang quickly got back to his feet and moved to help his friend.

In little time he closed the gap. Though he had to put down a few of the surviving maddened that attacked him as he moved passed, but that took little effort.

He struck first at the last bandit that was climbing up the ladder to the roof. Dragging them down by their legs and throwing them to the ground. He was a silver blur as he pounced on them and clawed at their chest and throat with a furry of swipes like a rabid animal; snarling all the way, ignoring their cries of pain that quickly grew silent.

Shots rang out. There were a few pings then a hiss. A sharp, piercing pain to his left shoulder made him stop. His eyes met the shooter. Teeth bared, a snarl came out, and he darted off as more shots were fired; heading towards the back and out of sight.

The bandit followed only to be surprised by this human leaping the height of a single story building with little effort. Shots and snarls rang out until both stopped and a cry of pain was cut short.

“We’ve got another freak!”

“What the hell!?”

“There two of these cannibals!”

Zhang was barely done tearing into his target when he heard them, but he looked over and saw at least five guns trained on him. Beyond those targeted him were a few others still giving chase to Karris who looked to be holding his own.

He snarled, unfurling his jaw and thrusted a psionic imbued hand at them. Two cried out, clutching their heads. They fired at him, but he was already on the move. Towards them. The two he ensnared soon fought their friends, attempting to disarm them, and before they knew it Zhang had pinned the free one down and was tearing at their throat. One by one the others feel to his blood-soaked claws, desperately trying to close a wound before all went cold.

Zhang was about to pause to collect the blood until a pained yelp of a cry caught his ear and his eyes snapped to where Karris was. Looks like a shot found its way through Karris’ armor and nailed him in his stomach from the way he was clutching that area. He snarled and quickly headed over to him.

Just like the others, Zhang ensured the minds of the weak and had them turn on their friends, allowing him and Karris to eliminate the others with ease.

Finally, the night was silent — minus the music still jamming away.

Zhang panted hard, wiping the sweat away from his brow smearing more blood on his face. He looked over at Karris, panting as hard as him, and just blood soaked as he was, who was still clutching his stomach.

“Rrrgh?” A growl came out as he gestured to him and towards the wound. He raised his hand and let his psionics flow. Karris shook his head. A few grunts and he dug the slug out, tossing it to the side. Seeing that, Zhang turned his psionics onto himself to treat his own wounds.

Once done, he sniffed the air a few times. Nose tempted by the smells of blood and flesh, Zhang got down and sniffed at the bodies, figuring out which one he wanted to dig in first.

“Hm!” One that reeked of alcohol tickled his nose and he quickly made his way over to it. He wanted that buzz of a spice flavoring again.

As he reached the body and was about to grab it, it moved away. Furrowing brows, he looked up and soon snarled. Looked like Karris had similar ideas.

“RARGH! With a deep, ferocious snarl, Zhang quickly grabbed an arm and pulled back. He bared his teeth.

“RRRGH!” Karris snarled and pulled back. He too bared his teeth.

The next second, the two were wrestling, clawing and biting at each other like a pair of angry dogs. The fighting went on for a while, at times the two nearly rolled off the roof, until one of the came out on top. It was Zhang.

Deeps lines etched into furrowed brows, eyes glowing with great fire, his face twisted into a grimace. That maw opened wide as a long, deafening roar came out as he closed in on Karris’ face. Karris turned away, slightly closing his eyes.

Once that roar finished, Zhang panted. He was still angry. Karris barely made eye contact with his, but closed his mouth and kept his palms open. Submission. Zhang let out another snarl followed by a snort before getting off of him and claimed his prize. He dragged it away from him before he dug in.

Letting a few minute pass, Karris finally got up and found another body to claim.

The two ate their fill for the night, thankfully not getting into another spat. Instead, there was more play fighting like brotherly lions once they had their initial cravings satisfied. Tug o’ wars over arms and legs and sometimes bone.

 Before the food would make them drowsy, the two swept the camp and gathered the leftover bodies into one spot so Zhang could “preserve” them for later. After that, Zhang then set up a few psionic traps and alarms just in case they could have visitors.

They then found a place to turn in for the night after their invigorating hunt. They found some bed rolls and blankets and brought it to one the fires that had more secure surroundings with at least three walls standing.

Enjoying the warmth of the fire, Zhang was busy cleaning a few chunks of flesh stuck under his claws and occasionally licking off the blood. Though his sane mind was not fully there as his more animalistic side was still strong, he knew he was going to take a long soak in the local river to clean himself.

He barely noticed Karris move over to him until he heard a few clangs on the floor. Glance down, he saw several of this psi shields. A few were broken. He looked at him; the man was on all fours and avoiding eye contact. Zhang flared his nose rolled his eyes. A peace offering. Still must be a bit leary from earlier.

 He let out a gruff growl pointed at Karris’ bed roll before patting the spot next to him a few times. He was over the spat they had and didn’t care where he slept. With non-hostile approval, Karris fetch his roll and came back over and got himself comfortable. 

Zhang noticed something on his head. Blood running from a portion of skin split open around those black and red implants on his head. Must have come from a bullet.

“Rrrrgh…” A sad, annoyed growl slipped out. He leaned over and picked at it with a claw. Karris growled back and pulled away only to yelp when Zhang grabbed him by his collar and pulled his back. He picked at it some more before letting some psionic energy loose and into the wound. Karris gritted his teeth as the energy burned the area as the flesh stitched itself back together. After it did so, Zhang picked at it a bit more, studying his handiwork, before he looked him all over like a worried hen, making sure there was no more damage.

“Hmph. Mhm.” He let go of Karris and went back to picking at his claws. 

A few grumbles and gruff snorts came from Karris as he got comfortable once more.

Eventually their meals caught up to them and the two were out like a light. Soundly slumbering, huddling together, until morning came.

——————————

A deep groan came from Zhang as he came to, knuckles firmly planted to his temples and rubbing furiously away.

“What the hell?” He grumbled under his breath with eyes closed tight. 

Not only did his head hurt, but his whole body hurt. There was just a numb soreness radiated through all his limbs that would occasionally become a shooting pain.

“What happened…?” He muttered mostly to himself. His hands shifted to his and gave them a good rub. Which was somewhat hard due to the lingering stickiness. A stickiness that made him pause. 

Eyes fluttered open as he pulled his hands away. They were mostly clean. He glanced down. His armor on the other hand was not. The dark sandy brown and white plating was coated in dried blood with flakes of flesh decorating it. Looking down further, there was more blood on his pants and his feet were just coated in dried blood.

A deep sigh slipped out as he pinched his nose. “Ugh… how did last night go?” It was all a blur to him and that worried him.

“Pretty well.” Karris answered, followed by some smacking.

Zhang’s head spun to find him. Karris was sitting a few feet away. It did not surprise him to see he was snacking on someone’s leg.

“Your definition of well is different from mine.” 

“We’re still alive, minus a few wounds.” Karris grinned.

“Niánqīng rén…” The small chastisement only made Karris let out a gruff laugh.

“We both went a bit feral after you let off that psi bomb.” Karris began to explain as he had near perfect recollection of the night. “Got into the slaughter, especially with the few that remained. And then…” He paused taking a bite of the leg.

“Then what?” Zhang just felt a lump grow in his throat and no matter how hard he swallowed it wouldn’t go away. And Karris was taking his sweet time eating that leg. “Spit it out!”

Barely phased, Karris took his time with the meat before swallowing. “We attacked each other.”

Zhang’s brows went up. They did that? He was expecting something bad happened, but that wasn’t too terrible. “We… we attacked each other?”

“Had interests in the same meal. Time to assert dominance.” He bared his teeth for a moment. “You won, got the point across, and I backed off once free. You’re pretty strong.”

“Huh…” Still that did plant a few seeds of worry in Zhang’s mind. An animalistic part of his brain though could make him turn on his friends at a possible challenge or slight. He need to see if he could wrangle that part with his psionics. “Sorry if I… If I caused you any harm.”

Karris waved him off. “What’s done is done. Small spat, no real harm done. Probably less testing for dominance in the future.”

Zhang wasn’t sure what to make of that, but didn’t feel like dwelling on it for the time being.

“You mother hen-ed me later anyway.” He tapped at the side of his head, near a inflamed slash by those implants.

“I did what now?”

Karris explained it and then filled him in that he had already fetched the more “open-minded” part of the group to come and get the bandits’ ill-gotten gains while he was still slumbering. Since many at camp would throw an absolute fit if they brought back human corpses as food for certain people, they would just leave the bodies here. And the two had already had their fill for human flesh. Hopefully that craving would be satisfied for a long while.

Once Karris finished his breakfast, the two did a few more rounds around the place to make sure nothing was missed before heading back to camp.

“Do not speak of last night to anyone. Understand?” Zhang said with a slight growl to his voice. Narrowed eyes shimmered gold for a second.

Karris barely raised a brow, barely breaking the “dead” look in his eyes. “Understood.” He pinched two fingers together before sliding them against his lips. “And you mother hen-ing my wounds.” He grinned.

“Good.” He really didn’t want to think about his actions, but he knew he would have to make contingencies for them in the future. His brow twitched hearing the mention of that. “Shut it.”

[nero-draco]

[twistedtummies2]

Count-Down: Number 16

Welcome to Count-Down! All throughout the month of October, I’m counting down my Top 31 favorite portrayals and reimaginings of the King of the Vampires, Count Dracula! We’re now at the halfway point of our countdown! Today’s reimagining proves that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Number 16 is…The Version from Fate/Apocrypha.

This is one of the most interesting and unique takes on Dracula I’ve ever seen, and I actually feel a bit bad for not placing it higher in the ranks. I struggled for a bit with where to place this entry, and sixteen ultimately felt like the best spot. Hopefully people won’t be too disappointed. I mentioned the “Fate” series on a previous month-long list – my Top 31 Sherlock Holmes Portrayals back in May – but for those who don’t remember, didn’t check that out, or just don’t know about this franchise to begin with, let me give you a brief little summation: this franchise focuses on a repeated event throughout history called The Holy Grail War. It is…basically exactly what it sounds like, although this Grail does not just grant eternal youth: rather, it allows the bearer to make One Perfect Wish, allowing them to make almost anything they desire a reality. The Grail War occurs every sixty years, and during this war, mages worldwide summon Heroic Spirits – famous figures from history, literature, and mythology – to do their fighting for them as Servants. I should immediately state that “heroic spirits” does NOT mean the characters are all heroes: considering the likes of Jack the Ripper, Professor Moriarty, and Blackbeard are just a few noteworthy figures featured throughout the franchise, we’re talking Heroic in terms of grand and glorious, not so much in terms of morality and ethics. Dracula appears as a Servant – the Lancer of Black, by title – in the anime series “Fate/Apocrypha.” However, the way he is depicted is not what you might expect. Unless you’ve been living under a rock in Whitby for a few years, then you probably already know that Count Dracula was partially inspired by a real-life Transylvanian monarch, Vlad Dracula, a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler. Many incarnations of Dracula have played with the historical connections, but this one does so in a very fascinating way. You see, this Dracula IS Vlad Dracula, NOT the infamous Count at all. In fact, his whole motivation revolves around that fact: Vlad feels disgusted by how his image has been tarnished by history and Bram Stoker’s work. While he was certainly a violent ruler, in Romania, he’s actually considered something of a national hero, and in his time, he was revered as much as he was reviled. He was an extremist, but he was also a patriot, and a man who wanted to help his people. Naturally, this does not excuse his INCREDIBLY violent activities, but you can understand his reasons and his goals. Vlad is fully aware of his reputation in his homeland, and he is fully aware, too, of what his true purposes, plans, and motives were. He is also a religious man, and to have his name, his likeness, even his origins all tied to a fictional, vampiric villain is galling to him. His plan, if and when he and his Master get a chance to use the Holy Grail, is to wipe the book from history, and make sure Count Dracula never existed. Having said all this…a lot of you are probably wondering: why is he on this list? If he’s not the fictional Dracula, and he’s not someone who likes the story to begin with, why include him? Well, this is where things get REALLY interesting: each Heroic Spirit is able to use what is pretentiously called a “Noble Phantasm.” These are specialized powers these Spirits have that can only be activated in an emergency, and are the strongest abilities in their arsenal. When Vlad’s Noble Phantasm is activated…he TRANSFORMS into Count Dracula. He BECOMES the fictional vampire, the villain he HATES with a passion. This is his “ultimate superpower,” as it were, and it is a power he NEVER wants to use: he would sooner die than become the wicked Count. As the legendary vampire, Vlad now has magical vampiric abilities on his side, making him stronger, faster, and deadlier than ever…but once in that state, he ironically almost WANTS to be killed, crying out how he’s not a monster…it’s both tragic and intensely intriguing, and it makes for frankly the single most ingenious and unique blend of the historical and the fictional character I think I’ve ever seen. In the anime, Vlad was voiced in Japan by Ryotaro Okiayu. In English, he’s played by Ray Chase. Neither does a bad job – Chase apparently relished the role in the English dub – but I personally prefer the original Japanese voice for this one. Whichever you pick, this is a one-of-a-kind Dracula that definitely deserves high marks…but ultimately, perhaps a little TOO different to fit into my Top 15, if that makes sense. Tomorrow, the countdown continues! Hint: He proves that family matters.