July 22, 2030

Dallas, Texas Outskirts

The Texas heat was annoying to Advent Trooper N4T11-B36G as she and G7A98-N33B continued on their patrol. Loose dirt crunched under their boots as they passed by the western access gates to the small landing pads of the listening post, and N4 looked over to her left, where the glimmering lights of the rejuvenated city of Dallas stood. The area that she was in had used to be a smaller city, another piece of the bloated monstrosity the old Dallas had been; it was a concept that she, as an Advent Peacekeeper, found grossly inefficient.

But, sadly, the small city of Farmers Branch had not aged well under the care of Advent, what with most of the buildings dilapidated and overgrown in wild, mutated plant growth. Even now, N4 could spot the occasional glow from Purifier units off further in the city as they sought to beat back the savage mutations. [Patrol, report,] came the voice of N4's commander from her headset.

[Our sector is clear Sub-Captain,] N4 reported, G7 stepping over the ruins of an aging fountain feature. [No signs of the Lost, or of rebels.]

[Continue patrol for the next cycle,] he stated. [We have reason to believe that rebel forces are in the area seeking supplies for their efforts.] N4 tapped her radio in confirmation as G7 went to the middle of the road, MAG rifle in hand.

[N4, I see no reasonable area where supplies of any kind could have been stashed,] G7 stated dismissively, turning to face her. [I suggest we-] His statement was cut off by his head exploding in a shower of metal, plastic, and gore, the sharp report of a high powered rifle cracking through the air.

[Sub-Captain, I have contact in Sector 3-45B!] N4 shouted into her radio as she took cover, crashing through a building's ground floor window. Rolling through the shattered glass, the trooper got back up and ducked behind a support pillar, a multitude of broken and aged athletic equipment sprawled all over the room. Gripping her MAG rifle tightly, N4 poked her head out of cover and looked around. Across the street, a rebel came out of hiding and sprinted into cover behind a long dilapidated car.

N4 lifted her rifle and opened fire, the stream of magnetic tracers flying through the air and almost nailing the rebel. Alas, not a single round hit, and N4 had to duck back into cover before the rebel returned fire. [Sub-Captain, I need reinforcements at my position!] she barked into her radio. It hissed in static as she awaited a response, her eyes searching for her prey. Snarling, she turned her left wrist towards her and checked the AVR display that appeared in her helmet's HUD. Her eyes widened.

Of the nine troopers, herself included, and single Advent officer that made up N4's unit for the listening post, bio-signs for all but the Sub-Captain and two others besides hers were flat lines. [Elders!] N4 swore as she peeked out of cover again, looking for the rebel. Spotting not a single human soul, the clone decided to book it, hoping to reach the listening post. [R34, are you still alive?] she asked with a shout, sprinting across the street to a building calling itself the 'Addison Ice House.' Bursting through the former bar's door, N4 leapt over the rotted remains of the counter and gasped for breath.

The vital signs to the Sub-Captain went silent.

[N4, this is R34, I'm under fire by rebel forces at our landing pad!] the other trooper responded over the radio. [We must alert the Elders to this attack at once, the rebels are after the unlinked shuttle craft!] N4 looked over the counter of the bar, and spotted the craft in question.

[Can you not access the Network?] she asked, taking aim as a rebel clad in what looked like an Advent flight uniform entered the dropship.

[Negative, the enemy is between me a-] A sharp crack echoed in both her radio and in the air as R34's vitals flatlined.

N4's stomach fell, a sense of unease settling in her body. Checking the chamber of her rifle, N4 slid out of cover slowly, advancing towards the wall of the listening post. If she could reach the power cells that were just inside the post, she could overload them and maybe, just maybe, take some of those rebels out with her!

N4 took three steps out before a high powered rifle round smacked off the side of her helmet, gouging most of the plating off. That however meant that N4 was heavily disoriented, her vision blurry as she stumbled to the ground, her rifle clattering onto the shattered asphalt.

She blinked, trying to reorient herself. Then something exploded, and her world went dark.

[][][]

July 24, 2030

NORAM Southwest Command

N4 stood silently in place as the unimaginable happened not feet away. Before her, her overall commander, Captain Horatio Wells, was trembling as Commander Sinnah himself berated the man. 'You let an insurgent cell sneak into the heart of an urban reclamation project, you let them destroy a listening post, and you lost an unregistered, and UNKEYED, transport craft! HOW do you explain yourself?!'

"C-C-Commander, please," Wells stammered, sweat dripping down his face as he fidgeted. "After the battle in Los Angeles, I-I assumed that there would b-be no rebel activity ANYWHERE in the Southwest Sector! Had I known, I would have requested better t-troops to-!"

"SILENCE!" Sinnah boomed, and in an instant, the entire command room went deathly quiet. N4 was stunned into place, watching as Sinnah's visage seemed to glower at Wells through the expressionless mask. "…your… incompetence has left me no choice, but to take immediate action." On cue, a pair of burly Muton Centurions stepped forward, and Wells began to hyperventilate as he quickly realized his fate. "Your command will soon be transferred to one with proper strategic and tactical sense. As it stands, the one unit you have that has survived contact with this particular group of insurgents will be transferred to another command, to better ensure the security of this planet."

N4 remained stiff as a statue as Wells was dragged out, screaming his head off as Sinnah's projection turned to 'face' her. "A thousand pardons that you had to bear witness to that, our humble servant," Sinnah commented, extending a psionic hand to her. "Fear not, Trooper N4T11, you are not at fault. In fact, it can only be an act of fate that brings you here."

"I-I understand Elder!" N4 stammered quickly, thumping her chest in salute. "Where will I serve you, and the Elders now?"

"We will be sending you to the Arctic Sector, near Moscow in fact, to assist in tracking down a dangerous fugitive from justice," Sinnah told her. N4 glanced over to the Elder from behind her helmet's faceplate.

He can't be serious, she thought to herself as she and Sinnah's projection made their way over to a landing pad, where a sleek, dagger-like vessel was berthed. There was no way that this ship before her was Advent standard…

"Worry not, humble servant," Sinnah said to her, "You are welcome aboard my ship. Rest, I will return shortly. Make yourself… comfortable, if you can."

N4 stepped into the ship, and couldn't help but gasp at the sheer luxury inside. Silken fabrics, rare wood paneling, even a few stim-discs that hovered by a wall. Tentatively, she walked deeper into the ship, unaware that Sinnah had left her. Still, she gingerly made her way to the rear of the ship, unaware of a pair of eyes watching her as she stepping into the small restroom stall inside.

N4 took a deep breath as she contemplated the mirror in front of her. A Commander had told her to relax…

A soft click released her helmet's clasps, and she slowly removed her helmet, the inner padding brushing against her new head wound and making her grunt in pain. Setting the helmet down, N4 looked at her reflection. She was pale after far too long in armor, which made the amber tones of her eyes stand out more. Her nose was sunk into her face, unlike the humans, and as she twisted her head, she saw the deep, scabbed over gash along the side of her head. "Oh Elders," she murmured to herself before stepping away and into the main room of the aircraft.

She spotted Sinnah's projection coming onto the craft, and N4 bowed her head in deference to the Elder. "Elder," she said before glancing up and spotting the positively MASSIVE Hound padding inside behind him. "May I ask who that is?"

"This is Erebus, of the Great River Pack," Sinnah told her. "It is my, and the Council's intent, that you and he work together in your new assignment." N4 felt the craft shudder slightly under her feet, the only sign that they had even taken off. "I am transferring you two to the command of Captain Deucelix. She is currently assigned to tracking a dangerous fugitive."

"The Phoenix Leader?" N4 asked.

Sinnah nodded. "Indeed. You and Erebus shall help her hunt him down, and bring swift justice upon him. He has insulted us, betrayed us, KILLED a member of our own Council, who sought to help him… his crimes are many, and for those, he must pay."

N4 saluted him. "It will be as you order, my Elder!" she declared. Sinnah bowed his head to her.

"Good. Now, please, acquaint yourselves before you arrive," he ordered. "We must find this traitor with… utmost efficiency." With that final statement, his form dissipated, leaving Erebus and N4 alone together.

"…where were you last positioned?" N4 asked after a pregnant pause between them. Erebus huffed, strutting over to a chain and jumping onto it.

"What does it matter to a tank born?" he shot back gruffly. "Your uses are limited to another body to protect the important targets, or to wear the enemy down." N4 stood her ground though, not rising to the barb as she crossed her arms.

"I ask because the Elders have given us a task," she said. "A task I do not wish to fail. I know nothing of who you are, and while that is adequate enough for a mere patrol, I feel that knowing each other beyond our designations will help us increase our chances of mission success." Erebus didn't look at her for several moments before fixing his golden eyes on her.

"Very well. My pack named me Erebus, from an ancient Terran word meaning shadow, and I have hunted many felons in the Elder's name," he began stiffly. "I have killed many who were deserving. And many that were not, but the Elders willed." Something inside N4 twisted, a stab of… something running through her. "I exist to serve the Elders, and my pack. Nothing more."

"…thank you, Erebus," N4 said after a moment, "For telling me all this." She paused, moving to a seat and sitting inside the disturbingly comfortable furniture. "My… pack, as it was, was small before the Elders willed me to work with you. Myself, the sub-captain, and eight others. There was R34, the most… Terran of us. He was supposed to go in for additional education from one of the lower Elders in a week." N4 paused, looking out the window as the clouds passed by. "G7 was from a batch before me, but we operated well together."

"You were… close?"

"As close as us 'tankborn' can be." N4 gestured down between her legs. "We may have the same parts as Terrans, but we have no desire for anything that would take us away from the Elders' vision for this planet. Procreation would just be… a liability for us, and for our duty." Erebus cocked his head, confused.

"You… cannot procreate? I knew you were tank bred, but… surely?"

N4 shook her head. "I am that which the Elders made me," she stated simply. "Nothing more, nothing less. The will of the Elders is my will, and that's all that matters." Curious about what else was on the craft, N4 pressed a glyph on the side of the chair and suddenly, a holographic square formed in front of her, divided into smaller dark and light red squares with figures atop them. "…hmm… how about we test each other's tactics? I believe that if there is one thing that the humans have done well, it's devise ways to test battlefield prowess."

Erebus looked at the board, and then nodded. "Very well. I shall be the black. Your turn, when you are ready." N4 nodded, and commanded her first piece forward.

[][][]

Moscow

July 25, 2030

Saresh'na waited by the airpad, the Viper huffing in weary resignation as the distinctive arrowhead shape of Sinnah's personal craft flew down from the sky. [This… has not been my year,] she muttered, even as the ship finally swooped down to level ground, thrusters flaring briefly before the craft finally touched down. Beside her, Noja waited patiently, the only sign the older Viper was nervous, or otherwise worried was by the subtle ripple of her tail muscles on her left side.

[It will get better Captain, I'm sure of it,] Noja told her as the door to the craft opened, and from within stepped out a dark furred Hound and a standard looking trooper. "And here comes our new help."

Saresh'na nodded, slithering forward to greet the new arrivals. On reflex, the pair stopped, the trooper saluting while the Hound bowed his head. "Captain, Trooper N4T11-B36G and Hound Erebus reporting as assigned!" Saresh'na returned the saluted, eye ridge raised curiously.

"I wasn't aware that any others besides the 77th used trooper-Hound teams," she commented. "Well, besides those in the scouting units that is."

"We seek only to execute the Elders' will," the Hound rumbled, making Saresh'na shiver in her scales. "We do not seek to disappoint."

"Good, because you won't," Noja cut in. "I am Master Sergeant Noja, Captain Deucelix's aide. If she is not present, or any other who would otherwise outrank her, then I am in command. Is that clear?" she asked, folding her arms behind her back.

As one, N4 and Erebus stood up straight. "YES MASTER SERGEANT!"

"Good." Noja turned to Saresh'na, nodding to her.

"Now, as come along, we need to get to our… base," the Viper said, the others falling into step behind her as they made their way over to an armored car. Noja reached the vehicle first, holding the door open for Saresh'na as the slimmer Viper entered, followed by N4 and Erebus before Noja herself entered the vehicle and shutting the door. "To base," Saresh'na ordered the car's basic AI, and the vehicle quickly got up to speed, racing down the Moscow streets to their destination.

"Captain, it is my understanding that we are tracking a fugitive," N4 stated, her mouth held in a grim, professional line. "What information do we have on him?"

Saresh'na took a deep breath. For so long, this mission had been personal… but now, she had one last chance, and letting her emotions run the better of her wouldn't save herself, or her sister. "The fugitive in question is the former Command Sergeant Major of the 77th Human Volunteer Group, Gabriel Hopkins," she said, pulling up a projection of Hopkins, his face scarred. "Our best extrapolation on his records show he was born in 1994, in the United States. He had likely only just finished primary schooling when the Elders arrived and brought the first bits of peace to this planet in 2012, and we believe he was in the United States military when the old world governments agreed to lay down arms."

Noja chuckled. "We know for a fact he participated in the Los Angeles Uprising of 2015," the thick set Viper interjected. "I know. I almost killed him there."

"Indeed. Now, during this time, we can assume he joined vestibules of the XCOM terror group, and was a part of it during the Uprising," Saresh'na continued, watching as N4 and Erebus listened in rapt attention. "After that, he faded off the radar before resurfacing in 2017, taking college courses for material engineering, and in logistics."

"Two fields that would seem to have some degree of overlap," N4 pointed out. "Develop a new material, then devise a method to move its components to be assembled in the most efficient manner possible, or to ensure that said material would reach its destination without issue."

"On the surface, yes," Saresh'na said. "But… in the process of over a decade, hundreds of thousands of line items were either given away by Hopkins as 'relief' to refugee sites, or simply went missing without a trace. And then, not even two years ago, he joins the Human Volunteer Group as a Sergeant, and quickly gets their base in shape, handling logistics, personnel training, and the development of experimental technologies."

"And after that?" N4 inquired.

Saresh'na sighed. She pulled up a new page, and N4 and Erebus saw that it was Hopkins' service record in the Dragoons. Awards for excellence in logistics that never were approved, commendations for valor, even an award for tactical and strategic thinking signed off by Harrington himself. "Hopkins, while vocal on his distrust for Advent, was, and continues to be, an excellent soldier for a man almost forty years old. Officially, only very few can outshoot him in a sniper duel, Master Sergeant Noja being one of them. He has a mind for unconventional warfare, and is able to formulate plans of attack on the fly with the best commanders that Advent has.

"And then we come to this… the Battle of Tokyo." N4 and Erebus straightened up. "Hopkins spearheaded the initial assault by the 77th to secure a beach head in Tokyo, and singlehandedly led forces to not only open a hole in enemy anti-air defenses, but to disable the enemy's attempts to disrupt our communications, and to protect the bulk of our forces in the former Imperial Palace from an armored column. Now, I don't know what injured him to the extent of needing surgery, but…" Saresh'na stopped, holding her temper, and the venom in her words, back.

"Hopkins was in critical condition, and required extensive surgery. Not only physical reconstruction, but… genetic and cybernetic augmentation. Officially, he is registered as having B level augments, when in truth, he is easily an upper A."

"Oh no," Erebus uttered, his expression stunned. "He… he can match a Commander in strength?"

Saresh'na nodded. "We believe so. His reflexes are far faster than a baseline human's, and… because he's spent so much time watching Harrington fight, he knows how to fight augmented humans, and likely can extrapolate for other commanders on the field. It is not recommended that you go within melee range of him, as he will close in on you, and tear you apart."

"Understood," N4 said, nodding. "Engage at range, and with superior numbers in an easily defendable position, flanking him if possible."

"Correct," Noja quipped. "A very keen mind there trooper. Almost officer grade there."

N4 gave a slight, near imperceptible nod to the Viper as she glanced out the window. They were passing through the slums of old Moscow now, and all along the road, humans stood by rusted barrels, or leaning on walls, bottles in hand. And, with very few exceptions, they looked… bitter. Defeated. Angry as they watched the car drive along. I wonder… is that how the humans truly see us? N4 wondered. With hate? Do they not even care what the Elders have done for them?

"Thank you, Master Sergeant," N4 answered instead. Saresh'na flicked away the holographic reports.

"Now, here's the current situation with him," she went on. "Hopkins is in Russia, this much we know. An Advent patrol with a hunter-killer team ambushed a rebel cell, and saw him with them. There were, regrettably, no survivors from the patrol. The cell in question belonged to the rebel faction known as the Reapers, a branch of truly xenophobic humans who refuse to even step foot into the cities in favor of staying out in the wilderness. But… they know how to hide, and they do that very, very well."

Erebus huffed. "Captain, perhaps with a fresh nose, they can be found," the Hound drawled stoically. For once, the Viper seemed to smile, if only for a fraction of a second.

"Indeed. In fact, I am counting on it." The car slowed, the walls of the Advent outpost showing through the windows. "Now, get inside, and geared up. I have targets inside the city center that I believe may be of importance to Hopkins, or at the least, targets of opportunity. Trooper, I am authorizing you clearance for upgrading your weapon as you see fit."

N4 blinked under her helmet, but nodded a split second later. "Understood Captain!" Opening the door, the trooper and Hound scurried out and headed to the armory, leaving Saresh'na and Noja alone in the car.

"…they are nothing if not enthusiastic," Noja commented finally, slithering over to a seat across from Saresh'na. "Captain… Saresh'na, please. Are you okay?"

Saresh'na shook her head. "This is my last chance," she muttered. "If I don't find Hopkins, if I… I don't at least hurt the bastard, I lose everything. My command, my title… my sister. I can't afford to fail now Sergeant." Noja went quiet, looking at the sullen Viper before her.

Saresh'na heard scales move on the seat, and then squeaked as she felt Noja's arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling the Viper into a hug. The scales under her hood flushed red as she felt Noja's chest push into and squash itself around hers, the Sergeant's body, coiling itself around her. "Captain, perhaps you need to relax," Noja hissed softly to her, raising a wrist mounted communicator. "Trooper N4, Hound Erebus, return to the vehicle in thirty minutes. Familiarize yourself with the city layout, and positions of outposts. Formulate plans on what to do if Hopkins is spotted near any of them. That is an order."

"What the-? Master Sergeant, what are you-?!" Saresh'na stammered as Noja pulled away, her hands moving to remove her armor.

"Captain… no, Saresh'na, please," Noja said, keeping her eyes locked onto hers as the first buckle to her chest harness was released. "Right now, I am not a Master Sergeant. I am a fellow Viper, seeing a little one in need of comfort." More buckles were released, and the heavy plates hit the floor of the car. Saresh'na's pulse quickened as Noja slithered closer to her, taloned fingers ghosting up along the side of her torso. [Please… if the worst comes to pass, then I'd rather see to it that you leave this world with some measure of comfort.]

Saresh'na's tail twitched, her blood running hotter and hotter before her hands went down to the clasps of her own armor. Noja chuckled, taking her hands and stopping her. "Let me," the older Viper said. Saresh'na stopped, letting Noja work as she slowly removed her chest plate, exposing her chest to the more mature alien. Noja's tongue flicked out, and she let out a soft hiss. "You didn't tell me you were… well…"

"I've… been busy," Saresh'na answered lamely as Noja settled herself atop her, her body at once something to try and thrash off, and a comforting presence.

"Well, let us change that then." Noja's head went down, and Saresh'na yelped, her body going rigid. Noja didn't relent, not for the next twenty minutes as she made her commander forget the world outside, the car barely even shaking as the pair wrapped around each other's coils in a frenzy. But, soon, the pair had to pull away, Saresh'na almost out of breath as she struggled to put her armor back on.

"That was… thank you, Mas-… Noja," Saresh'na said, trying to stamp out her embarrassment. Noja smiled, her tail wrapping itself around hers.

"The privilege was mine, my Captain," she told her, getting her armor on easily. "I am simply glad to have given you some comfort now." She leaned over and stroked the edge of her commander's hood, making Saresh'na shudder in delight. "But don't worry. I won't let this affect our professional relationship."

"Good, because that would be… inefficient."

"Very."

The pair waited for N4 and Erebus to come back in silence. It wasn't long before they did so, N4 not noticing anything wrong with the car. Erebus though paused, looked between Saresh'na and Noja, and wisely kept his mouth shut. "Captain, your orders?" N4 asked, sitting down with a modified MAR in her lap, an open topped reflex sight atop the weapon instead of its basic 1.5x optics.

"City center, southwest district," Saresh'na said quickly. "We'll begin there. It's where the largest concentration of gene therapy clinics are."

[][][]

Fourteen Hours Previous

Russian Wilderness

Gabriel watched impassively as the Reapers dropped his weapons onto a table, multiple members keeping their rifles trained on both him and Lupa. "A Skirmisher bullpup, their claws, an Advent SMG with only a spare magazine, and not much else besides what amounts to a pocket knife," one of them said to their leader, apparently named 'Outrider.'

"And don't forget the mutt there," another added, pointing to the Hound beside Gabriel.

"This 'mutt' can speak for herself," Lupa retorted, only to get several chambered rounds echoing in the barely lit room in reply.

"Whoa now, hey, let's take it easy, okay?" Gabriel said calmly. "We don't know where we are, since you went and shoved our heads into a bunch of moldy ass burlap bags, and we have no interest in fighting any of you. And come on, we're fighting the same enemy here."

"Not according to the news," Outrider stated coldly. "You, Hopkins, are a traitor. Both to humanity as far as we're concerned, and to Advent. Why would we ever trust you?"

"…Simple. Because I don't expect or want your complete trust," Gabriel said after a moment. "I know exactly what I am, and after this war is over, I'll be happy to let whoever is left decide what happens to me. But my first, and foremost concern, is to freeing this planet from Elder control. Nothing else."

Outrider narrowed her eyes as a door opened, letting in a man who stood easily a head taller than anyone else in the room. "Volk, he's all yours," she said dryly.

Gabriel hummed in thought as the larger man crossed his arms. "Konstantine Volikov. You're a legend," he said, nodding. Volk chuffed.

"Uh huh," the man retorted dryly. "So, why the hell are you in Russia?" Gabriel shrugged.

"Got shot down actually. I'm just trying to get back to my people. That said, if on the way I can fuck up Advent's ability to fight, well, that's just a bonus." Volk looked at him, face scrunched up with scrutiny.

Faster than most could react, Volk was charging at Gabriel, a knife in hand. And, likewise, Gabriel reacted… by effortlessly holding Volk in a headlock seconds later, the latter's knife in his hand. The Reapers aimed, only for Volk to laugh, waving them down. "It's alright, stand down!" the man said, Gabriel letting him go. Volk looked back at him, smirking. "Those moves… those are what we use."

Gabriel nodded, grinning back wryly. "Ran into a pair of survivalists in Alaska, worked with them for a month and a half back in 2013. Picked up a few tricks." Lupa carefully trotted to Gabriel's side.

Volk grunted. "Yeah, that sounds like my parents," he muttered, looking at Outrider. "Elena, get these two some food, and scrounge up something better for our guest to wear than this ADVENT garbage," he ordered, pointing at Gabriel. Outrider opened her mouth to complain. "I vouch for him." Instantly, the Reapers' body language changed, the group relaxing for the most part.

Lupa looked at Gabriel. He looked to her, mouthing 'later' to her before Outrider huffed.

"As you command Volk," she grumbled, glaring at him and Lupa. "You two, follow." The pair did so, passing by the other Reapers as they went through the door… to enter what appeared to be a converted section of metro tunnel.

"Where… where are we?" Lupa asked, confused.

"Metro," Gabriel told her before Outrider could try and silence the alien. "Back in the day, Russia built the metro so that they could function as emergency fallout shelters. Damn near perfect really." Lupa was quiet for a moment before her tail wagged a bit.

"Like Delta Site?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah, like Delta." Outrider huffed, leading them through the tunnels before coming to a side room.

"You will find proper attire inside," she told him. "Change fast, because I want you gone as fast as humanly possible." Gabriel nodded, stepping into the room as Lupa decided to stay outside, looking up and down the tunnel. She saw dozens of people crowding around burning barrels, a few around tables checking weapons and maps… and a few grime covered children sneaking around, pretending to do battle with Advent. Lupa's muzzle fell in bittersweet disappointment at the sight.

"What's the matter with you mutt? Planning to go rabid?" Outrider asked tersely.

Lupa shook her head. "My oldest is their age," she answered quietly. "She almost died half a year ago. Human terrorists." She paused. "They weren't like you though." Outrider snorted.

"Clearly." Lupa sighed as she could hear the 'They didn't finish the job first of all,' from the tone of Outrider's voice.

"For whatever my word is worth to you… I am sorry for the fallen of your pack," Lupa said after a moment.

"And why would you care?"

"…no family should lose members of their own before their time," the Hound said sadly. Outrider scowled as Gabriel stepped back out, a long coat covering his body now.

"Have to say, this coat is hellishly comfortable," he praised, nodding to Outrider. "Now, at the least, I want my guns back, and from there, we'll be right on-." Gabriel was interrupted as a young Reaper rushed to Outrider, seemingly out of breath.

"Gregori, what is it?" Outrider asked, almost alarmed.

"The Skirmishers!" the young rebel gasped out. "Volk is getting a call from them!" Outrider paled, swearing in Russian before running off to find Volk. Gabriel didn't need to signal for Lupa to follow him as he kept pace with Outrider easily, the trio making their way into a communications room where Volk stood in front of a monitor, scowling angrily.

"And how do we know that this information isn't just another trap, kracsad?" Volk asked venomously. Gabriel glanced at the screen, and did a double take at the sight of an Advent officer of some rank… without her helmet on. Her eyes were set wider than a human's, and the nose was pressed into her face, but she wasn't too odd looking, ritual scars aside.

"If this were a trap, we would not go out of our way to tell you this," the officer answered just as hotly. "We lost nearly two dozen of our number just to get this information! Why you refuse to believe us, I understand, but this is of critical importance!"

"Critical importance my ass, the Commander is a myth!" Volk shot back, crossing his arms. Gabriel blinked, stunned before shaking his head and stepping forward.

"Wait, the Commander? As in, the Commander?" Gabriel asked. "Of XCOM?" The officer looked at Gabriel, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Command Sergeant Major Hopkins," she said in awe. "We never thought we'd have the pleasure of speaking to one who threw off the yoke of the Elders like you have." Gabriel waved it off.

"Field Commander now, XCOM Delta," he said coolly, slipping into command mode. "So, this intel. What is it, and how strategically valuable are we talking here?" The former Advent officer took a deep breath.

"One of my patrols were running through the interior of Moscow when they… found an unusually well guarded gene therapy clinic. We sent in the patrol to investigate closer, and…" She took a deep breath. "We think the Commander is locked inside. If we can get in and confirm, then the Resistance could-."

"Again, you're assuming that this even IS the Commander!" Volk shouted, slamming his fist onto the table. "For all we know, you're lying out of your alien teeth and luring us into a trap! And besides, the Resistance doesn't even care!"

The room was tense, tempers about to boil over when Gabriel cleared his throat. "I'll go in and confirm," he said, earning a glare from Volk. "Look, you want me gone, and I get to do some damn good. We both win. Besides," he looked back to the Advent officer, "If worse comes to worse, then you don't even have to worry about an extraction plan."

The officer nodded, smirking. "I'm beginning to see why those in the Dragoons followed you," she said. "You make a fine front-line leader. Very well, if you wish to go in, we can send in the coordinates to do so, and ensure the beginning of the Elder's ruin."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Gabriel said. "We need to confirm that the Commander is even there first off. The only problem though is that, even with a disguise, I'm still recognizable in the city centers. Getting in close enough to find the mission site and confirm target location will be… problematic."

"And what, you expect us to help you?" Volk asked coolly. Gabriel shrugged. "…okay then. Outrider, you're with him."

"What?" Both Outrider and Gabriel looked at Volk in horror and confusion respectively. Volk looked at them both.

"Look, here's what's going to happen," he told them. "Outrider, you will escort the Field Commander into the city, find the target location, and them get the hell out while he holds out long enough for XCOM itself to come and pull the Commander out. Is that agreeable to you?" Volk asked Gabriel.

Gabriel took a moment to think it over and then nodded. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good," he said. "We sneak in via the sewers, and perform preliminary recon." Gabriel looked at Outrider. "I don't expect you to fight, and frankly, if things go sideways, I expect you to run and leave my ass. You're more important to Volk's operations than me. That, and the weapons Advent uses won't work for you without the right genetic markers."

"Markers that you have?" Outrider pointed out.

He nodded. "Only out of necessity." Gabriel looked back at the former ADVENT officer. "And I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your name."

"I am called Betos, formerly one of the False Gods' Commanders, and leader of the Skirmishers," she stated proudly. "Now, I seek to bring their atrocities to light, and-!"

"Okay, okay, I get it, we're on the same side here," Gabriel said. "Now, we're on a clock here, and we need to move fast. Volk, Outrider, Lupa and I are going to get into the city, coordinate with the main forces of XCOM, I got their contact number here," he added, jotting down a radio frequency on a piece of scrap paper. "Betos, if we're gonna overthrow the Elders, then we need to make sure we're all on the same page here. Find a neutral zone, and let's start planning a summit, hash out an agreement."

Volk and Betos shared an uneasy. "And how do we know they won't stab us in the back?" Volk asked warily. Gabriel pointed to himself.

"Uh, hi, I'm technically a traitor to humanity, how can I help you?" he asked rhetorically. "Look, we just have to trust one another, alright?" The two Resistance leaders glowered at each other before nodding.

"Very well. Field Commander, I will do what I can," Betos stated. "Good luck." The screen flickered off, the channel disconnecting as Volk looked at the trio in front of him.

"Alright, well… fuck it," he said. "Outrider, you know the tunnels. Hopkins, you make sure that the Commander gets out. Now, all three of you, out." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, dismissing the three. Without a word, the three headed out, stopping by a makeshift armory.

"Grab what you need," Outrider ordered. Gabriel nodded, looking over the various weapons before merely grabbing a spare knife. "No ammo?"

"Bullets won't fit," Gabriel admitted. "Plus, you need the rounds more than me. I can resupply on the field." Outrider nodded, motioning to a door.

"Good. Through here."

Gabriel nodded, and he and Lupa followed the Reaper into the abandoned metro tunnels, heading towards where they hoped the best chance at humanity's survival lay.

[][][]

Delta Site

Churro stood at the head of the table in the Situation Room, Phoenix Squad assembled in front of him. "Okay guys, here's the sitch," he said, pointing at the monitor on the wall. "Anon called. Apparently, a couple of Resistance factions have located the Commander, and are moving in to assist the primary XCOM group to get in and secure the Commander for retrieval." The entire room went into a hushed quiet as they thought of the implications.

"So… what can we do?" Banshee asked. Churro took a deep breath, looking at the monitor. News feeds scrolled across it, showing people getting ready to celebrate 'Unification Day,' and there was even a massive statue of an Elder to be publicly unveiled in…

"We give ADVENT something to hunt," Churro said, pointing to the screen. "Right now, they think we're gonna just fall back, lick our wounds, wait this mess out. Let's not give them the satisfaction." The Sergeant turned around and looked at everyone around the table, soldier, engineer, and scientist alike. "Look, let's face it. Boss Dog is probably aware of the Commander, and is going to help them find the guy. We're gonna buy him some time. Thor, Banshee, I want you two on mission, grab a rookie and some explosives, we're going to bring that statue down."

"Wait, what?" the marksman said, looking at the German gunner. "But, what about security?"

"Don't worry about it," Churro told her. "Most of ADVENT isn't thinking that they're gonna be attacked. Hell, most of them are off world anyway. But this?" He pointed back to the screen. "This is worth kicking the anthill for. We've been at war the whole time, I ain't gonna lie, but we are going to show ADVENT we ain't ready to give the fuck up yet!"

The room was quiet before Oddball spoke up. "Well… we've come this far, haven't we?" he said, getting everyone's attention. "If this gives our Field Commander a chance at staying out of ADVENT custody, and helps the main branch get back on their feet, let's do it. I'll get Chief to load up for CAS, we'll get the bird we just got prepped in a couple hours."

Churro nodded as he looked to Phoenix. "Good. Now, we do this fast, and hard. We can't give ADVENT time to send a QRF at us, and at this time, we are not going to get the Boss out of there. When he and Lupa are ready, we'll get them out. Clear?"

"Clear!" the entire room responded, nodding solemnly.

"Alright people, let's get this done!" Churro barked, pointing to the door. "Let's kick some ass!"

[][][]

Moscow

July 25, 2030

Gabriel passed by the throngs of pedestrians with barely a glance thrown in his direction. He, Lupa, and Outrider had managed to sneak into the more ritzy part of the ADVENT controlled city, and now he and the Hound were walking around a park, twilight falling over the city. Spotting a bench close by, Gabriel walked over to it and sat down, Lupa sitting beside him on the ground, the Hound keeping a look out for the both of them. "Any of them suspicious?"

"No," the Hound answered. "No troopers coming towards us. No one's spotted what's under your coat either. Gabriel grunted. He still had the SMG and the bullpup rifle tucked under his coat, with barely any ammunition for either, but if things went sideways, well… there were still plenty of perfectly serviceable M21s all over the place. "So, when did you say that Outrider would reach the target?"

"Soon. She does have to sneak in you know," Gabriel commented, leaning back in the bench. A glance to the side showed a gene therapy clinic several blocks down, a few ADVENT soldiers walking around outside as even further away, festivities were starting to go underway. Lupa huffed, laying down and resting her head on her paws.

"She could try to move faster," she muttered. Gabriel grunted in agreement, checking his watch. Sighing, he rolled his head on his shoulders, waiting for some sign that Outrider had accomplished something. He didn't have to wait long.

"Outrider to Old Dog, come in."

"Old Dog, I'm reading you Outrider," Gabriel said on reflex, sitting up straight as Lupa did the same. "Status?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but… the Skirmishers were right. I'm looking at the Commander right now. I've already sent word to XCOM itself, they'll be arriving soon enough."

"Got it. Exfil and retreat from the AO, Hound and I will take care of it from here," Gabriel ordered, standing up and heading to the clinic, Lupa in tow. "Old Dog out."

"Finally," the Hound growled, hackles raised as she padded along by his side. Gabriel nodded. Suddenly, an explosion went off in the distance, making the pair freeze in place. All around, several of the ADVENT Peacekeepers stood likewise frozen before springing to action, many of them running to the source of the disturbance, even as a few remaining behind to guard the clinic. Lupa looked up at him. "Time to dance?"

"Time to dance," he confirmed, reaching under his coat and grabbing the handle of the SMG. Together, the two of them stuck to the shadows, sneaking up to the entrance of the clinic, even as something flew by over their heads. Gabriel ignored it, recognizing the pitch of the aircraft's engines as not being anything made by ADVENT. However, the pair nearly ran into an ADVENT trooper, the soldier surprised at the sight of the hound and human in front of them.

"Not sorry about this by the way," Gabriel quipped, throwing a lightning fast jab into the trooper's throat before reaching over and pulling the pin off the grenade on the soldier's vest. The spoon flew off just as Gabriel gave the enemy combatant a hard kick, sending them tumbling backwards into the side of a car. The trooper had a split second to look up in horror before the grenade exploded, taking the trooper and the car with it in a blazing inferno.

"Gabriel! We're wasting time, I smell newcomers from over by the clinic!" Lupa growled. Gabriel nodded, rushing by her side as he heard gunfire in front of him. The pair ran down the next few blocks in a flash, and he saw an ADVENT soldier drawing a bead on an exposed XCOM soldier.

Gabriel snapped his SMG up and fired, the last of his remaining bullets killing the soldier as Lupa tackled the other soldier to the ground and tore their throat out. Tossing the SMG away, Gabriel pulled out the bullpup as he advanced to the XCOM soldier, taking note of her comrade as the other one made himself known. "You two okay?" Gabriel asked.

The woman nodded. "We, we're fine," the soldier stammered before looking over his shoulder. "Umm, Boss, you send this guy?" Gabriel looked over his shoulder and saw a man about his age approaching him, a massive combat rifle aimed at him as a woman wearing a baseball cap walked behind him.

"No, I didn't," the older man said in a cold tone. "So, who are you?"

Gabriel couldn't help it. He chuckled. "Me? The guy who made sure the Reapers contacted you after we caught wind of that intel the so-called Skirmishers provided. We're all here for the same thing, so if you don't mind," he added, grabbing a scope off one of the fallen ADVENT troopers and tossing it the new guy, "We need to move before reinforcements show up."

"Name and rank first," the man insisted, keeping his rifle aimed at Gabriel.

"…Monnot," Gabriel answered. "Field Commander. XCOM Delta Site." The XCOM soldiers looked at him as if he had grown a second head as Gabriel looked up, eyes narrowed. "We've got Advent inbound," he added, pointing to the sky as he went and picked up a MAG Rifle and checked it, grabbing a few extra magazines from the dead troopers.

The XCOM leader nodded. "Got it, Jane, get ready to breach that door, Osei, Martinez, cover the door with the Field Commander!"

"Yes sir!" Osei replied, taking position behind an armored car as Martinez took the other side.

"You got it Central!" the woman said, a lilting Hispanic drawl giving Gabriel a clue as to where she was from. Gabriel pointed at Lupa.

"Lupa, take position by Central and Ballcap, fangs out!" he ordered, taking position beside a doorway as he entered the lobby of the clinic, Jane and Central beside another door with Lupa ready to tear into anything on the other side. The Hound growled, her ears twitching backwards to listen to the shuttle approaching as its doors opened, a full squad of Advent soldiers dropping out… and Gabriel swore as he recognized the unit's insignia. "Oh you've got to be shitting me!"

"What?!" Central shouted, Jane pulling out a PDA and hacking the door.

"Dragoons!" Gabriel snapped back, looking through his new MAG Rifle's optics. "Looks like Alpha Company… oh thank God, no one I know."

"Friends of yours?" Osei shouted as bullets began to fly, one of the Dragoons moving to flank them before Gabriel snapped his rifle and dropped the soldier out of the sky with a well aimed burst.

"Not anymore!"

The door hissed open, Lupa darting in and looking around. "Room clear!" she snarled, Central and Jane charging in right behind them. Gabriel remained by the door, taking potshots to surpress the advancing Dragoons.

"Osei, Martinez, fall back inside, staggered line!" Gabriel shouted, ducking out of the way of a burst of fire. "Aim for the limbs! There's no armor there!"

Mantling over the wall, Martinez took position and aimed, firing a burst from her rifle and bringing a Dragoon down to the ground with a yell of pain. "Holy fuck, that worked?!" she yelled over to him as Osei mantled the wall next, heading to the door as something hissed open in the other room. "How the fuck did that work?!"

"Simple!" Gabriel popped out of cover, took aim at the squad's leader, and put a burst down range to take off the woman's head. "I'm the jackass who designed their damn armor! Just never thought I'd be on the other side of trying to shot them!"

"Well, now ya know!" Osei shouted, providing cover fire for Martinez and Gabriel to retreat into the next room where Central was hoisting up a body in a crimson suit.

"That the Commander?" Gabriel asked. Central nodded. "Alright, I know you got an extraction plan ready, so do that while I hold them off here, buy you some time before I haul ass!" Suddenly, several flickered as a voice echoed in the room.

"Commander Monnot, this is Sigma," the resident Codex of Delta Site said through the speakers. "Advent QRF and SAR teams are converging on your location, among them additional Dragoon forces and Saresh'na's own unit."

"Who the fuck is that?!" Central asked incredulously as Jane tossed a grenade at a wall, blowing it apart.

"A friend!" Gabriel shouted back as he aimed out the door and sent a charging Dragoon to cover. "Sigma, status of Delta!"

"We are operating as best we can, considering the circumstances," she answered. "Acting Commander Ortega in on mission to provide additional assistance to XCOM Primary in order to retrieve the Commander. Additionally, my facilities have been restored upon access to the Advent Network, and I have located critical files for future extraction, one of which is here." Gabriel glanced over his shoulder and spotted a blinking light above a hard drive.

Osei pulled it out, waving him over to the hole in the wall as Central stood under a bright light, a cable spooled on the ground as it hooked up to something hovering above them. Gabriel followed, reloading his rifle as the XCOM team began to pull out. "Sigma, file is pulled, any others?"

"Two. One is located in Rome, and the other is located on a server in South America," the Codex reported. "Alert. Advent Network Firewall is inbound. Pulling out." Gabriel looked over his shoulder to Martinez and Lupa.

"Yo, you coming?" Martinez asked. Gabriel shook his head.

"Negative. Got to give you all time to bug out!" he answered. "Get Lupa the fuck out of here, that's an order!"

"What?!" Lupa shouted, stunned just long enough for Martinez to grab her and then the cable. "Gabriel! No, no no noooooooooo!" The Hound's voice trailed off as the pair were pulled up into the air as Gabriel began to run, the remaining Dragoons giving chase.

"Sorry Lupa, but I ain't making your pups orphans by following me down here," he muttered, dashing off into an alley and quickly bounding over obstacles. "Not today!"

[][][]

Delta Site

July 27, 2030

Ortega looked at the map in the control room, taking a long, slow breath. Most of the US was covered in red spots as rebel activity flared in the wake of their attack on not only Los Angeles, but then the attack on the statue in London two days ago, and XCOM's retrieval of the Commander at the same time. Beside him, Lupa sat, having just arrived hours ago when Oddball went and retrieved her from the main XCOM group, the Hound sullen and forelorn. "Hey, he'll be fine," the Sergeant told her, getting Lupa's attention. "He's survived and dealt with worse than this, he'll pull through."

"Alone though?" she asked him with a flat look. "James, we're under strength, the enemy is on heightened alert, and we are still missing our own leader. How are we going to pull through?"

Ortega sighed. "I… don't know," he admitted. "A part of me want to do what the Boss would do and press the attack, hit them wherever we can, but… I ain't the Boss Dog, and I ain't the logistical genius he is, or the tactical nutcase that Harrington was. For now though… we hunker down, rest. Take stock of what we can, and can't do. Our primary objective at this point is to assist the Boss in getting those files however we can, and to find a way to take out that battleship."

Lupa nodded. "I… very well," she commented. "But… James?"

"Hmm?"

Lupa pointed to the map. "There are Resistance groups we should try to contact. I know of two. The Reapers in Russia, and there is a group calling themselves Skirmishers. They are former tankborn," she explained, much to Ortega's amazement. "If we, and the main branch of XCOM, can get in contact with them and get them to help us…"

"Then the war will go by a helluva lot faster," Ortega said excitedly. Lupa nodded, just as Valerie slithered in.

"Yes. If we can find them, and convince them to give us a chance…"

"Then we should take it, right?" The pair looked at the orange scaled Viper. "If… if it can help us win this war, stop all of this bloodshed, then… we have to take the chance. For Gabriel."

Lupa and Ortega shared a look and nodded. "For him," they said at the same time. "Well, Lupa, you go ahead and rest," Ortega ordered. "Valerie, you got any new reports?" The Viper nodded. "Okay. I'll look them over, and if any of them are viable, I'll see about getting Roland to start making whatever it is we just researched."

"And our two new recruits?" Valerie asked, tilting her head in curiosity. Ortega chuckled.

"Osei and Martinez? Well, they say they're a heavy and marksman respectively. I'll see what I can do with them. Give them a proper Delta Site welcome." He looked at the two aliens. "Alright, let's get to business. The world ain't gonna save itself."

[][][]

Russia

N4 sat off to the side, watching alongside Erebus as Saresh'na slithered back and forth, hood flared in agitation. Their attempt at capturing Hopkins had passed through their fingers not even days ago, the fugitive striking a gene therapy clinic before a Dragoon QRF squad had touched down to intercept… and then was nearly wiped out by the one man, and an XCOM fireteam.

"Five dead," Erebus muttered to the trooper. "Two injured. And from the reports, he wasn't even wearing armor, or even equipped to take on the Dragoons in question."

"The better question is," N4 pointed out, "Is why he would fire upon members of his own unit?"

At that moment, Noja slithered in, planting a palm in the middle of Saresh'na's breastplate and halting the pacing Viper. "To answer that question trooper," the NCO said, "It would appear that that is because they are not. The members of the Dragoon's Alpha Company, Fifth Squad are not members that Hopkins knew, or even trained. As far as he would be concerned, that are no different than any other trooper."

"Because… he has no emotional connection to them?" N4 asked. Erebus huffed.

"That makes far too much sense," the Hound growled. "They were not part of his pack at the beginning. He would have no reason to accept them as his now." Saresh'na sighed, turning to face them.

"True, but…," she hissed, eyes narrowed in a gesture that N4 and Erebus had quickly picked up as her 'thinking face,' "Recordings from the Dragoons picked up audio of him conversing with someone, giving him locations." Beside her, a holographic map of the globe materialized, and Saresh'na pointed at two spots. "Rome, and South America."

Noja's eye ridges went up in surprise. "Rome? That's the headquarters for Commander Vissta," she commented. "He couldn't possibly be insane enough to try and sneak in there, could he?"

"He's pulled off the impossible before," Saresh'na pointed out. "But more worryingly, South America is the jurisdiction of the Special Activities Division. I… we do not have the clearance to go there."

"But we know he's going to Rome," N4 said. "That means that we can prepare, right?"

Noja smiled. "Indeed. And while he could go on foot, it would take too long. And commandeering a vehicle would not get him far, as he would have to refuel at some point, and all airports are on lock down." She took the globe in her hands and snapped her wrists, turning it into a flattened map before scrolling over to a single line heading out of Moscow. "The trains though…"

"There's only one line that takes him from Moscow all the way to Rome in a reasonable timeframe," Saresh'na said, eyes narrowing. "And it passes through the one place I never thought even he would go.

"Pripyet."

The room went quiet as everyone looked at Saresh'na in utter disbelief. "Pripyet?" Noja asked quietly. "Isn't… isn't that just outside the Forbidden Zones?" Sarash'na nodded.

"Yes, but we don't have much choice," the Captain said. "If we are to stop Hopkins, it is on the train line through there we will have to go to." The trooper and Hound shared a look of unease with each other, Noja herself looked nervous.

"Very well then Captain, I… will make the necessary preparations. We will need the use of the Special Activities Division's Purifiers." Saresh'na nodded, and Noja slithered out of the room. N4 looked at Erebus, and the Hound gave her his best impression of a human shrug. N4 felt a twinge of… something curling in her gut. A feeling of… something ill and foreboding as she stood up and headed to the small armory close by. Maybe working on her rifle would take her mind off of things.

[][][]

Gabriel busted the window to the security station, ignoring the alarm going off as he walked over to the security controls and quickly hacked it. In moments, the alarm went silent, a short message telling the Advent systems that it had only been a false alarm. Satisfied at his new seclusion, Gabriel looked over to the door of the station's armory. Looking at the lock, the Field Commander sighed and took aim, opening fire at the door frame and blasting the deadbolt out. Kicking the door open, he walked in and looked around, sighing in relief. Walls of weapons, boxes of ammo, and a plethora of additional weapon parts? This, he could work with.

Getting to work, he set his weapons on a work bench and quickly got to work, stripping both of them down to their basic parts while removing the genetic lock on the MAG Rifle. He reached over and quickly began swapping out parts, a heavier barrel in the MAG Rifle, a better recoil absorbing stock, a flared mag-well for reloading: all of this was processed lightning fast in the engineer's head as he assembled a new weapon from the parts around him.

He finished up the MAG Rifle's assembly by sliding on a ring swivel on the top, attaching an advanced optical sight on the swivel, and then a fairly basic, but still no less advanced reflex sight with a free-floating reticle. Checking the rifle's receiver, Gabriel smiled at the ease of its action before setting it aside and looking at the bullpup. Unfortunately, it didn't look like the armory had anything specific for it, but…

A couple of minutes later, and the bullpup was getting new parts fabricated from a nearby 3-D printer as Gabriel focused on getting a proper sidearm. Something relatively light, and yet, hard hitting. The answer was, as always for him, easy to see. A revolver. Which would have to wait until he got the parts for the bullpup out.

Ding!

"Ah, right on cue," Gabriel muttered, going to the printer and grabbing the parts. A barrel with a tighter rifling twist and upscaled to accept the standard Advent rifle rounds, a better stock to handle the recoil, and an angled foregrip. And then, much like the larger MAG Rifle, it was finished, though it only had the reflex sight for dedicated close quarter work. Tapping at a terminal, Gabriel brought up a basic frame for a revolver and got to work. A rapid-fire flurry of keystrokes got the printer to begin creating his handgun. And thankfully, minutes later, he got it, and the ammunition he wanted for it.

Putting the parts together, Gabriel slid the six rounds into the cylinder and holstered it, grabbing a standard Advent handgun as well just in case. "Okay Gabe, time to catch a train. And for that…" He looked at a nearby armor rack and shook his head. "Need to armor up."

Exiting the station, Gabriel would have looked like any other Advent trooper on patrol, if a bit heavily armed. Thankfully, his bullpup and revolver were tucked inside of a rucksack, and he began to jog off, heading for the nearest Mag-Lev train station. He needed to find a train to Rome, and he had a pretty good idea which one he needed.

He just seriously hoped that he didn't have to stop anywhere NEAR Pripyet. Because even for him, going there would have been suicide.

"But hey, easy day was yesterday," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Not like you got a choice."

A couple of hours later, and a solitary figure walked to the station, head cocked curiously. It walked to the smashed window, a stream of psionic energy twisting out from its hand and covering the window sill. It saw the impression of a thief breaking the window, its target going inside. It went inside, saw the ransacked armory. It looked back outside, chittering to itself as it too began to jog away. It had the scent of its quarry, and it would go to the ends of the earth to find it.

[][][]

A/N: That's right, this story still lives!