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XCOM: Ranger

by Wanderer D

Chapter 35: Chapter 33: Cool

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Ranger

Chapter 33: Cool

By Wanderer D

o.0.o Three Years Earlier o.0.o

"Ah, Bradford… it has been a long time, hasn't it?"

The man that appeared on the screen was much older-looking than Bradford remembered. His balding head had already lost all of its remaining hair, and the face was creased with worry-lines as well as a long scar on the forehead. He still wore a lab coat, after all these years.

"That it has, Shen," Bradford said, adjusting the transmitter. "We're just a few days away from your location… I've contacted some of our old friends, as well as new allies, " he hesitated.

"What is it, old friend?" Shen asked, leaning forward. "You seem a bit worried about something. Is there a problem? Were you recognized?"

"Not exactly," Bradford said, "We stopped in a settlement to help them with some drills… my protege is currently practicing guerilla tactics with them."

Shen leaned back, looking amused. "Oh, you took on a protege?" He smiled. "That's good to hear… after all, whenever a resistance fighter figured out who you were, you'd send them away and leave."

"Yeah, well, she's a special circumstance… also, I tried to leave her behind, but she followed me."

"Well, John, I'm guessing now you know what it is like to be a dad." Shen's grin would not diminish. "I would have never guessed."

"I—there's something you should see…" Bradford said, his tone dubious. "And you won't like it."

Shen frowned. "Well… I'll be the judge of that."

"Brace yourself, old friend," Bradford warned, turning the camera around.

It took a moment for Shen to realize what he was seeing, due to the movement of the camera as well as the nature of what was happening. Bradford had focused the camera on some sort of drill that was going on at a small settlement. Two groups of people, guards or resistance were encamped against each other, using non lethal weapons and ammo for practice. Each side had bandannas of different colors, and leading the red team…

"Once we take over your base, you will all kneel and call me your Princess!" Sunset Shimmer declared, one foot planted on top of the barrier her opponents had set up as she shot down an 'enemy' with paint pellets. Her troops ran past her with huge grins in their mouths at her antics, shouting encouragement at each other, all for the glory of their Princess.

"You will all love me—and despair!"

Shen gasped, cleaning his bifocals on his sleeve before leaning in to see closer. "Is that—"

"Sunset Shimmer," Bradford confirmed, turning the camera back to himself. "As you can see, this might raise some concerns from our troops."

"But… that's impossible!" Shen stated. "We all saw the video we recovered from the black box!"

Bradford sighed. "I met her when I was drunk. I'd gotten into a fist fight after drinking way too much moonshine. I thought I was seeing a ghost. Imagine how I felt when I woke up sober the next day, with a splitting headache, and she was there, reading a book on my table as if nothing had happened.

"I thought at first she was some sort of ADVENT creature, but she didn't show any sign of knowing who I was. She wanted training in fighting bigger opponents, and as I taught her a little and sent her off to missions with the local resistance, she sort of …" He shrugged. "Grew on me?"

Shen was quiet, his brow furrowed and chin resting on his fists as he thought. "I see… so that's what she meant…"

Bradford raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

Shen looked up, blinking owlishly at Bradford, before shaking his head. "I'll let the old guard know not to freak out… don't worry, the young lady won't know any different, and the new recruits haven't watched the old missions, concentrating rather on hands on training from Galahad and the others."

"But, she's Sunset Shimmer," Bradford said, trying not to raise his voice. "The moment anyone from the old team sees her, they'll recognize her! I thought you'd want to perform tests on her to make sure she's not a clone or something…" he trailed off. Shen was flipping the pages of an old book full of notes and post-its until he found what he was looking for.

It was an aged letter with plenty of things written on it. Shen studied it for a moment, before folding it back so just the bottom part showed, then her turned it around so that Bradford could see it.

Bradford squinted, slowly deciphering the writing, since the camera showed it backwards.

P.S. Tell Bradford that's not a clone and to take care of me for me. Also, remind him to tell me that "Princess" is not as cool a word as she thinks it sounds on this side of the mirror. Find me a better word for a leadership role to aspire to.

~Sunset

o.0.o Present Time o.0.o

"Oh."

The room was quiet for a moment.

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Jane asked. "That's not an answer!"

Sunset cringed. "I just didn't know I had died that way. Although, I guess that explains why the Commander was ready to shoot me when she saw me the first time."

She could feel Jane's eyes on her. "Okay, look… it wasn't me me that you saw die in that video."

"That makes zero sense, Sunset," Jane said, her tone dangerous. "You'd better start making some before we get physical. I saw you die." She shifted on the bed, so it looked like she was ready to pounce on top of Sunset if she so much as said the wrong word.

Sunset shifted uncomfortably. "Look… it's not easy to suddenly be informed of this, okay? I only knew my counterpart had died and that she had been a friend of the Commander and part of XCOM… I didn't know how."

"What do you mean counterpart?" Jane growled.

Sunset sighed. "The truth is… up until we rescued the commander, I had no idea who I was here… I didn't even know I had… existed."

Jane was quiet, so Sunset took that as a hint to continue.

"I guess… I assumed something was going on… Bradford contacted Dr. Shen the elder before we arrived to meet him and the surviving XCOM soldiers… which weren't many. I think, other than Galahad and Rainbow Dash, maybe three? Four more? Geist knew more than he let on as well."

She laughed, a little self-mocking snicker. "I bought it too. I thought they looked at me like that because I was clearly destined to be great. You remember that."

Jane rolled onto her back as well. "Yeah. It's not often a total rookie walks into XCOM and announces she's going to be the new commander. Now that I think about it, it was mostly us other rookies that laughed at that one."

The pair chuckled at the memories, but eventually Jane sighed. "So, who are you really? And if you value our friendship at all, please tell me the truth."

"How do you think things are going?" Sweetie Belle asked, glancing down the hall at the room where their two guests were supposed to be resting. The truth was, there had been some intense murmuring coming from the other side of the door, and she had had to stop Scootaloo from trying to listen in.

"Come on, they could be planning how to keep us silent!" Scootaloo hissed after Sweetie and Apple Bloom had dragged her down the hall so she couldn't hear anything.

"Ah'm sure things aren't as bad as you make them sound," Apple Bloom hissed. "Not only do I trust them, they've been nothing but civil."

"Just give them time, they'll do something violent," Scootaloo muttered.

"Why are you so… vehement about that?" Sweetie asked.

"What did that mean again?" Scootaloo asked.

"Vehement means intense feelings about something."

"Stupid dictionary…" Scootaloo sighed. "You've seen the videos…"

"...and I've told you that they're heavily edited." Sweetie said. "You know ADVENT isn't as benevolent as you make it sound when you talk to them. What has gotten into you?"

"Well, I—"

They stopped when they heard a thump, then scuffling and then the door to the guest room slid open and Sunset scrambled out, pressing her back against the wall and raising her hands as Jane walked out, pointing a rifle straight at her face.

"Called it," Scootaloo muttered.

"Alright, alien scum," Jane growled. "We're calling Central right now and you are going to explain why exactly you look like a dead XCOM hero!"

"Jane," Sunset said, glancing nervously at the gun, "we can't call Central, that would blow our cover and put everyone here in danger. I think you're taking this a bit too far..."

"Shut up," Jane muttered. "Sunset Shimmer died twenty years ago, and you're not her."

"Like I said," Sunset deadpanned. "I just happen to be her counterpart from another dimension. So I guess, I am her, technically speaking."

"No 'technically' speech!" Jane hissed. "I trusted you! How could you lie to me? And to everyone in XCOM!"

"I did say that the Commander and all senior staff technically knew I was an alien… after I brought Twilight with me… and Geist knew."

"I said no 'technically' allowed!" Jane barked. "I thought you were my friend! How many times have we saved each other's asses?"

"And that is why," Sunset said, using her finger tip to push the rifle to the side, "I am trusting you with this information. Can you imagine what would happen if some of the more… xenophobic members of XCOM found out? There's a reason that information is need to know."

Jane's glare faltered and she harrumphed, turning around. "My parents were killed by aliens."

"I know."

"And I grew up hating them. I grew up figuring ways to kill them. I had a sectoid plushie I used to practice my knife throwing techniques."

"I knew you grew up hating aliens… that's why I was so hesitant to tell you," Sunset confessed, putting her hand on Jane's shoulder. "I didn't want to lose my friend… but…" she cleared her throat. "Did you really have a sectoid plushy to practice stabbing?" She snorted. "Oh, Celestia, that's adorable."

"Shuddup," Jane growled. "I haven't forgiven you yet."

"Um…"

Both agents froze, turning around slowly to face Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"So… XCOM?" Scootaloo asked, crossing her arms.

"You're an alien?!" Sweetie gasped.

"You're dead?!"

"Shit." Both Jane and Sunset muttered at the same time.

"So… let me get this straight," Scootaloo said, "You're both from XCOM, which is, according to ADVENT, the most violent resistance group out there. You..." She pointed at Sunset. "...are an interdimensional clone of the XCOM agent that took down the Temple Ship twenty years ago, but you didn't tell Jane here that you were an alien… and you, wanted to shoot her in the face because you thought she had betrayed your trust. Do I have it right?"

"I'm not a clone."

"I'm sure she meant that as a form of speech rather than a defining attribute," Sweetie said.

"Then yes, pretty much."

The group was all seating around the dining room table, each with a warm cup of tea Sweetie had insisted they all drink. It didn't taste great, but it did seem to calm their nerves a little.

"Well, I think this clinches it," Scootaloo said. "You two should go. Even if Sweetie says that the videos are heavily edited, you're both from an extremist group that kills civilians."

Jane slammed her fist on the table. "Alright, I've had enough of that bullshit. Sunset and I have both seen ADVENT fly into a peaceful camp and set it on fire. We've seen them drop Berserkers and Chryssalids to kill and poison people that can't even defend themselves!" She pulled a pad, browsed furiously through it and played a video, throwing it on the table so it slid over to Scootaloo.

"Jane…"

"No! I'm done with this. If she's going to judge our actions, then she judges them on actual footage."

Scootaloo didn't pick up the pad at first, although everyone at the table could hear the sounds of guns going off, explosions and people screaming.

"Go ahead," Jane dared her, "look at it."

Scootaloo licked her lips and hesitantly picked the pad up so she could see what was happening in the video.

o.0.o End Chapter 33 o.0.o

Next Chapter: Chapter 34: Terror Estimated time remaining: 23 Hours, 50 Minutes
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