Uninvited Ch. 03: You Shouldn't Be Here

She grunted as I played my wet tongue over its surface, sucking it between my lips and pressing it gently, and her tunnel accepted my finger, her now slippery hole contracting around it, trying to pull it deeper.

"I owe you, let me take care of it." I said, pushing her gently down onto the bed so that she lay on her back, I sank to the floor on my knees, resting on her squashy lap, and continued my invasive probing. I went slowly, building her arousal over time, like blowing up a balloon she would eventually pop, and hopefully release all of her tension along with it. She lay back, compliant, breathing heavily as I mouthed and licked, pulling apart her layered folds with my fingers in order to expose as much of her engorged protrusion as possible.

She began to squirm under me, her long, chubby tail moving rhythmically and pressing against my erection. She lay with her arms stretched above her head, the weight of her heavy breasts deforming them as they hung to her sides, the firm tissue underneath just enough to retain their shape. She rolled her wide hips gently, the protruding pelvic bone casting a shadow in the low light from a solitary, naked bulb hanging from a rafter. My eyes lingered on her abs as she flexed them, firm bundles of muscle protruding from under her silky belly, glistening with beads of sweat.

I gazed at them longingly, almost forgetting what I was supposed to be doing, mesmerized by their hypnotic motions. I dove back in, the metallic, slightly salty taste of her fluids tickling my taste buds. I felt her agile tail creeping back in my direction, twirling around my leg and reaching for my groin, its tapered tip massaging my growing bulge gently through my pants. Her hands reached down and nestled in my hair, the heat of them permeating my scalp and making my heart flutter. She kneaded like a cat, the stimulation forcing my eyes closed as I continued to service her, reaching my finger deeper into her hot, textured insides, beckoning in an attempt to find her sweet spot. I was getting pretty good at it now, usually able to locate it. She jumped, yep, there it was. I teased it, applying a slow, light pressure, and she moved to grind against my hand, her wide hips reaching up to press me deeper.

I drew out her swollen protuberance, enclosing it in my lips and applying suction to it, while pushing my finger into her weak point, she came hard, her writhing tail knocking over a plastic lawn chair, she gripped fistfuls of my hair painfully, pressing my face into her hot groin. The tip of her tail clenched around my leg a little harder than was comfortable, and she let out a long hiss, like steam escaping from a broken pipe as her toned body roiled. After a minute she cooled down, her violent movements slowing and becoming a peaceful wriggle, I rubbed her mound gently, keeping her afterglow going as the placating waves washed over her.

She lay back, panting, and I slid up her body to lie down next to her, my arms draped around her waist.

"Feel better?"

She was still off color, but my plan to calm her down had partially succeeded, and she planted a kiss on my cheek, purring gratefully.

We fell asleep together.

I awoke to a knock at the door, I rolled out of bed, trying to escape Vi's coils without rousing her. She opened one amber eye, then rumbled her displeasure, rolling over to face the wall sleepily. I walked towards the door, rubbing my eyes groggily, and unlocked it, opening it a crack and sticing my head through.

"Yes? Who is it?"

A rebel soldier I had never seen before was standing outide.

"You the viper guy?

"I guess so." I replied.

"The boss wants to see you in the large building, over to the East side."

"Ok, tell him I'm on my way."

I took a minute to pull on some pants and freshen up, then made my way to what I had to assume was the HQ, it was a large, long building, it reminded me of a Viking longhouse from a history book, it made sense to use old construction techniques when the building materials were limited to wood. All it was missing was the carved figurehead, I amused myself by imagining the bust of a viper perched above the entrance.

There was a long wooden table in the middle of the hall, papers, tablet computers and laptops were scattered across its surface, and a dozen men leaned in, having a heated discussion.

I knocked on a wooden beam, the sound echoing in the space, the men turned to look at me.

I cleared my throat.

"You wanted to see me, Boss?"

"Yes, viper guy, give me a minute."

It sounded like that nickname was going to stick, it was appropriate, but it irked me that nobody had taken the time to ask my name.

I waited patiently, leaning on the beam as Boss wrapped up his meeting, whatever it was about. Although I had seen the darker, oppressive side of ADVENT, I had no love for terrorists, regardless of who they claimed to oppose, their bombs and attacks resulted in the deaths of innocent bystanders. I could appreciate their point of view a little better after recent events, but not their methods.

I idly wondered if turning them in would see me and Vi pardoned, and might allow us to resume our normal routine, but it wasn't worth the risk.

The men seemed to conclude their business, and filed out of the building, leaving me alone with Boss.

He wandered over to me, his hands in his pockets.

"So, viper guy, I've been in contact with XCOM, they're very interested in meeting your viper friend."

"They're not going to dissect her?" I asked warily.

"I doubt it, they probably just want to see what she knows, nothing like this has ever happened before that we know of. No ADVENT has ever gone rogue, I've seen a Berserker barrel through a trooper that got in his way once or twice, but that was never an intentional act of defiance. My guess is your viper is some kind of mutant, something went wrong when they were growing her in a vat, whatever mind control signal or conditioning that keeps the other critters in line doesn't work on your friend."

I nodded, it made sense. We knew that the Elders, the shadowy ruling class of ADVENT society controlled their forces from the top down, commanding absolute loyalty. It was entirely possible that the X-rays were not fighting of their own volition, but that there was some kind of control signal or psychic hive mind compelling them to carry out their orders. Would they not have guessed that Vi was a reject by her behavior? Maybe if she just did what she was told anyway, because what else could she do, they would never suspect her.

I pondered this as Boss continued talking.

"They're going to send a Skyranger to pick her up in a few days, and probably you along with her so they can question you about how the hell this happened."

"Not probably, wherever Vi goes, I go too."

Boss shrugged.

"Looks like separating you two would be more trouble than its worth, but take my advice, XCOM are not a rag tag rebel group as ADVENT propaganda would have you believe. They're a professional fighting force developing technology and tactics that rival those of the X-rays, think twice before you mouth off to them."

"So, what shall we do while we wait?"

Boss brought a cigarette from his picket, and lit it with a match, shielding it with his hands. He took a drag then exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Honestly, don't care, if you can find a way to help out around the homestead, I'll make sure nobody stops you, but the men don't like X-rays, you might want to keep your viper girlfriend away from prying eyes."

My heart stopped, did he know about our relationship? No, he was being facetious.

An explosion rolled in from the forest, the boom shaking my bones and chattering my teeth, making me jump out of my skin.

"Slow down kid, that's just your truck, can't have the X-rays tracking it here."

My heart beat like a drum, and I held my chest.

"Is...is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Boss considered, then replied no.

I left the HQ building and made my way back to the cabin, observing the work that was going on around me. There were one or two new buildings being erected, their wooden foundations and log walls well underway, the Toyota with the mounted gun was in the middle of the clearing in the center of the compound, and seemed to be manned at all times, I assumed in case an ADVENT dropship should fly over the treeline. There was a well, several electric generators that poured dark smoke angrily as they hummed, and a large communications tower that protruded above the trees, it looked like it had been made from scrap metal and salvaged satellite dishes. Most residents seemed to be preparing food or cleaning weapons. A couple of people worked on the vehicles, black oil staining their clothing.

Boss had described XCOM as being a separate entity from the rebels, an organization in its own right. That confused me, ADVENT propaganda had told me that XCOM were the rebels, they were one and the same, poorly equipped preppers and insurgents who matched the description of these homesteaders pretty accurately. It sounded like Boss answered to XCOM, they must be leading the rebellion and organizing things from afar. The way he talked about them, it made it sound as though they had actual resources, maybe that really was the best way to keep Vi safe.

As I approached out cabin I saw Vi outside, she was perched on her tail, resting her arms on the roof as she surveyed the compound, her large head swiveling on her flexible neck. She noticed me, and her hood flared happily, she slithered over to meet me.

The world exploded.

I was lying on my back, staring at the sky. I tasted dirt in my mouth and my ears rang as if someone had hit a church bell with a sledgehammer. My head ached. I was being lifted, moving fast, faster than should be possible. I saw a hooded head peering down at me, Vi must be carrying me. She set me down gently, I tried to sit up but she placed a clawed hand on my chest, 'stay down'.

She turned to the sky and hissed, fangs the length of my finger unsheathing from her fleshy maw. She dashed off, moving almost faster than my eyes could track.

I heard shouting, I turned my head and saw the Toyota rocking back on its suspension, the AA cannon expelling heavy brass shells, smoking as they bounced on the ground. Red light blinded me, an ADVENT dropship, passing low over the compound, it fired mortars at the soldiers below, great eruptions of soil being thrown into the air where the energy blasts landed.

Men and vehicles were thrown like toys, the ship rocked under the impact of the AA shells but stayed its course, ablative armor deflecting most of the damage. I saw a mortar land dead center on the Toyota, throwing it into the air, it fell heavily a short distance away, crumpling as if were a discarded soda can. A rocket was fired from out of view, the smoke trail missing the dropship by an inch, curving as it fell away into the distance over the forest.

The ship closed in, hovering low over the compound, side doors opening to disgorge troops. They leapt heavily to the ground, Mutons, clad in green armor and rebreathers, their tribal tattoos swirling across their exposed skin. They hefted wicked plasma rifles with serrated bayonets. There were seven of them, and they immediately dashed for cover, laying down suppressing fire as they crouched behind buildings and ruined vehicles. One tossed a plasma grenade, the glowing green objected bouncing off the hood of one of the camouflaged pickups, it exploded in a ball of emerald energy, melting the metal as if it were paper held over a flame.

The rebels returned fire, the sniper dropped one Muton with a headshot and its limp body fell heavily to the floor, but on its way out the dropship launched a mortar at the guard tower, which exploded in a cloud of splintered wood. It accelerated, disappearing into the distance, and the rebels fired wildly at the aliens.

Their armor seemed to shrug off small arms fire, they loosed green bolts of energy with impressive accuracy, knocking rebels off their feet, their cries of pain as the super heated plasma burned through their flesh suddenly silenced as the projectiles reached their organs.

Boss emerged from cover, firing at the aliens with his automatic rifle and rallying his men around him, they moved forward, taking cover opposite the brutish X-rays.

The clamor of battle overwhelmed my senses, I sat up gingerly, checking that all my limbs were still there. I looked fine, no damage, my clothes were torn and dirt stung where it had been forced into small cuts and abrasions, but I wasn't injured, just shaken. I stood, my legs wobbling, where was Vi?

Suddenly some kind of smoke bomb hit the Mutons, they scattered, leaping from their cover. A mist of green tinted vapor was dissipating on the wind where they had been only a moment ago. Two of the Mutons were cut down by concentrated fire, the other four scrambled for cover. A red laser beam hit one in the back, it stumbled, roaring angrily, it turned about to aim its large rifle but a second laser beam hit it between the eyes, leaving a smoking, cauterized hole. It fell, and I noticed lightning fast movement on a rooftop, the large figure ducked out of sight.

The rebels gained ground, keeping the Mutons suppressed as the figure darted to an adjacent roof. Another green puff of vapor, the brawny aliens scattered, was it acid? Poison?

It had to be Vi, she was supporting the rebels against the ADVENT troops, spitting clouds of venom to drive them from cover, she must have somehow retrieved and concealed the laser pistol I had put back in the truck. Clever girl, not wanting to be unarmed amongst the rebels. Lord knew how she had concealed it.

She fired from above the scurrying X-rays, they span around, unloading flaring energy bolts at the roof, but she dodged, her long, sinewy body making an impossible target as she writhed and sped out of sight. Her agility was a sight to behold, powerful muscles driving her like a brown missile.

I wanted to help her, but I didn't have a weapon, and even if I did I had no idea how to shoot a gun, I was a fucking factory worker. A stray grenade tore through one Muton, vicious shrapnel eviscerating it, it dropped like a sack of bricks. A second, the arm it had used to shield its face peppered with shrapnel wounds that oozed yellow goop, fired back one-handed, killing a rebel who fell to the floor in a screaming heap.

Vi's laser hit it in the back of the neck while he was distracted, the energy pistol driving a beam of photons through its vertebrae, the smoldering exit wound appearing below his throat.

There was still one left, it charged, loosing an intimidating battle cry, thundering forward with its bayonet up. It went straight for a rebel who fired fruitlessly, emptying a magazine into the great creature at point blank range, but it didn't even slow it down. It barreled into him with the force of a freight train, driving the gruesome bayonet through the man's chest, his rib cage splintering like so many toothpicks, gore and viscera exploding as the blade exited his back.

The Muton dropped the man to the floor like a doll and turned to Boss, who unsheathed a sidearm, some kind of revolver, and fired into the creature's face, fanning the hammer like an Old West duelist. The Muton roared in pain and fury, but advanced, raising the bayonet above its head.

The Muton fell on its face, looking back, confused, as Vi's sinuous tail coiled around its legs, dragging it backwards across the dirt. It dug its fingers into the soil, panic in its eyes, slowing itself slightly. Vi heaved, her powerful muscles tearing the massive alien from its hold, when it came into range she wrapped it, like she might a lover, but this was no gentle embrace. Her taut muscles, flowing under her smooth skin like a roiling river, closed around the powerful creature, straining and shuddering. The Muton began to scream through its mask, a horrifying, piercing sound, I heard bones snap and pop, its limbs contorting at unnatural angles. It tuned my stomach, but I couldn't look away, Vi squashed it as if it were a mouse, a torrent of blood erupting from the grill that covered its mouth and nose silencing its pained screams, its eyeballs protruding.

Vi spat and hissed, her massive fangs bared like twin swords of hollow bone. Her hood flared in triumph and anger. My heart dropped, would they shoot her too? But Boss called for them to stand down, and Vi dropped the limp, ruined body of the Muton heavily to the ground, uncoiling, her laser pistol still smoking.

I jogged over to her, still shaky, she spun her head at the sound of my approaching footsteps, then her expression softened, her long fangs drawing back up into her mouth. She craned her neck, seeming to examine me for injuries, checking I was intact.

Boss holstered his revolver, walking over to us. People scurried around us, putting out fires, dragging the dead and wounded away, shouting instructions.

"Well now I'm starting to think it was 'our' luck that made us run into you on that road, not yours."

"What the hell was that?" I panted. "They just landed and attacked with no warning, didn't even give you a chance to surrender."

Boss shook his head in disbelief, then chuckled quietly, lighting up another one of his cigarettes.

"Just what the hell do you think ADVENT is, kid? They're not cops, they don't read us our rights and ask us to lay down our arms and come peacefully, they're an occupying army, they kill dissidents on sight when nobody is there to film it. The second you mindless drones in the cities stopped towing the party line, they'd round you up like cattle and exterminate you."

I thought about the people who had been killed in the protests, maybe he was right, I had suspected that the ADVENT leadership might be inept, but not evil, genocidal. I looked around me at the chaos, smoke billowed from destroyed vehicles and the roof of a building that had caught fire, the cries of the injured floated over the compound, which had now become a battlefield.

I looked to Vi, towering over us, extended on her tail, her amber eyes reflecting the orange glow of the fires as she surveyed, alert for more danger.

Boss took a drag, the tip of his cigarette flaring. He gestured to her.

"This thing is a fucking godsend, nice to have one of these on our side for a change. I'll let her keep that laser pistol for now. Hard to question her allegiance when she pops a Muton like a grape ten feet from me."

"You seem pretty aloof, has this kind of thing happened before?"

"Not to us personally, no, but it's a common occurrence for homesteads and bases like this. I expected it to happen eventually. Surprised it took 'em this long really."

I was really starting to see ADVENT in a new light, in just a few short days, twenty years of propaganda and lies was being unraveled like a ball of yarn, how could I have been so blind? How could I have swallowed down the shit ADVENT fed me, how could I have made excuses for their mistreatments and their abuses?

Because it was easy, I realized. It was 'what you did', you didn't make waves, you kept your head down, ignore the things happening around you, because it's easy, because it's painless. Numb yourself to the world and the people that surround you, keep your eyes low, because looking up and seeing their faces, seeing the injustices might spur you into action against your own best interests. It might make you a dissident, an objector, a rebel despite yourself.

I remembered the quote, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, and these rebels, these 'terrorists', they were the good men, doing something.

They risked their lives, the lives of their families, friends, acquaintances, all in an attempt to save people like me, like I had been, an enabler. Well no more.