A/N: This chapter ran a little long, and I apologize. It's a lot of exposition primarily directed at people not familiar with XCOM, but I think it's still an enjoyable chapter. Action will be coming soon, I promise!

Bradford was extremely wary at first when Yang insisted she wanted to kill some aliens. Here before him sat four girls who couldn't be older than 17, asking to go on life-threatening ops. Ops, Bradford reminded himself, that very often resulted in the deaths of highly trained soldiers from across the globe. If the best of the best suffered high mortality rates in this environment, what chance did these girls have? Yang was persistent, however, and refused to take no for an answer. She described the training she and her associates had gone through, the feats of combat they'd accomplished, and how their chosen career path consisted of honing their skills to fight with even greater skill and conviction. Bradford couldn't tell if this was just some sort of teenage bravado and tall tales, or if Yang was serious. Who sends four girls, ages 15 to 17, off to fight dire wolves and grizzly bears? Remnant, apparently. Well, if they really wanted to do this, the Central Officer wasn't really in a position to turn down potential recruits, especially ones that claimed to already operate like a well-oiled machine. Outfitting them with properly sized armor may be an issue (especially for Ruby), but logistics was something he'd been doing for months now. He'd figure something out.

After finishing the debriefing, Bradford contacted Major Vance and asked him to take the four rookies on a tour of the facilities. Vance was the front man of the original encounter, so Bradford figured he'd be a good choice for helping team RWBY learn the ropes. After a few more minutes of waiting in the conference room, "Mr. Strike One" arrived to greet them.

"Right, then. Seems like we got off on the wrong foot the first time we met, so let's try this again. I'm Major Xander Vance, one of the top snipers here at XCOM." Vance wisely offered his hand to Ruby first, who happily shook it, before offering a handshake to the rest of the girls. "I've been told that Central Officer Bradford has given you a pretty good rundown of what we do here, so my job is to simply show you around and give you an idea of how we do what we do. C'mon."

Team RWBY filed out of the conference room behind Vance, who didn't walk very far before stopping.

"What you're looking at here is Mission Control." He indicated the room behind him. It had several rows of tables arranged to face a large blue globe that was slowly spinning in the center. The tables were lined with computers and about eight people were currently manning stations around the room. There was a small raised podium overlooking the rest of the room, and Ruby saw Officer Bradford standing there, studying the spinning globe. He looked busy, so the huntress decided not to say hi.

"This room is essentially the hub of our operation. The Central Officer receives information about UFO contacts, alien abductions, and various other key events, and it's all fed to him through here. Furthermore, when a team of operatives has reached the mission AO, Bradford is able to monitor their progress and provide feedback from here as well. Since you lot are volunteering to be field operatives and not a bunch of tech heads, there's not much else to show you here. Next up is the barracks."

Before he could continue, Ruby raised her hand. Thinking back to the last time the young girl wanted to ask a question, Vance made an educated guess and preemptively answered her. "AO stands for 'Area of Operation,' like a crashed ship or an abduction site."

"… Oh."

As the little tour group started walking, Ruby remembered the promise she made to herself about trying to convince someone to take RWBY down to the Chief Engineer to make sure their weapons were okay. "Mister Vance?"

Vance glanced over his shoulder at Ruby. "Another question?"

"Yes. I was wondering if it would be possible to go see… Dr. Shen, I think? The Chief Engineering guy."

The Major shrugged. "Sure, can't hurt. You can see all the cool stuff he makes, and it might get you more pumped about field testing it when you start going on ops. Nice job getting his name right, by the way."

Ruby gave herself an imaginary pat on the back for succeeding so easily at accomplishing her goal. The fact that Vance seemed to think highly of Dr. Shen was a plus. If she could be friends with the Chief Engineer, that would also make it easy to arrange for repeated visits later on. She felt really weird without Crescent Rose, and she was sure her teammates felt similarly about their confiscated weapons.

Eventually, the group arrived at what Ruby could only assume to be the barracks. "Alright, so this is where operatives sleep and store their personal belongings. Beds are all numbered, but not assigned to a specific soldier. Basically, pick a vacancy and move yourself in. Operatives caught using more than one vacancy to store their stuff will be reprimanded and given kitchen duty for a month. Barracks are co-ed, but there are gender-specific washrooms down the hall if you feel you need some privacy from wandering eyes." Vance rattled off the barracks rules in a bored, almost robotic tone. Ruby wondered how many times he'd given this same speech before. A small shiver went down her spine when she coupled this with the comment that soldiers were supposed to just "pick an empty bed" rather than have one assigned to them. Was the turnover rate really that high? She decided to keep this revelation to herself for now. No sense in getting her teammates worried.

"You can pick a vacancy later, since you aren't exactly carrying anything at the moment that needs storing. Come on, I'll show you the recreation center and commissary next."

The tour continued as Major Vance showed team RWBY all the various facilities in the "anthill" (the humorous moniker given to the base by the staff) that they needed to know about. Facilities such as the numerous power plants or the satellite uplinks weren't exactly relevant to the interests of Vance's tour group, and so they were only given a passing mention rather than a proper introduction.

"Alright, I was planning on saving my favorite for last, and that's the armory. Since Miss Rose wants to pay a visit to Dr. Shen, we'll hit him up first, stop by Dr. Vahlen-" Vance ignored the quiet chorus of groans at the mention of the Chief Scientist. "… and finish off with the armory. Questions? No? Good, let's get to it."

A brief elevator ride and a short walk later, and team RWBY found themselves in a large room that was unmistakably engineering. The air was loud with the constant sounds of buzzing, drilling, sawing, welding, and just about every other manufacturing procedure imaginable. There was at least 50 people down here, and they all looked busy. Ruby could see people operating assembly lines, mills, workbenches, computers, or the coffee machine. Vance easily found Dr. Shen, who was standing in his office with a datapad and a steaming mug, watching all the activity going on in his little neck of the XCOM woods. Vance knocked on the open door before ushering in his four charges and closing the door behind them in an effort to dampen the noise from outside.

"Dr. Shen, I brought you some visitors."

Shen looked over at the four girls and gave them a small smile. He was a short-ish man with very little white hair on his head. The wrinkles and creases on his face betrayed his age, but the look of cheerful confidence in his eyes showed his experience. Setting down his datapad and mug, he turned to greet the five newcomers to his office. "So you did, Major." He pointed at Yang and asked, "I trust you didn't bring this one down so she could break my legs?"

Yang looked uncharacteristically horrified. After finally meeting Shen, she had decided he looked like an adorable old man who wouldn't harm a fly. Somehow, her empty, bravado-filled threat had reached his ears, and now his first impression of her was a violent nutjob who was going to break his legs if he damaged her gauntlets. "You, uh… you heard about that?"

The engineer chuckled and took a sip from his cup. "Word travels fast in this facility, my dear, especially when that word is about four young adults tumbling out of a strange portal and directly into our base." He faked a conspiratorial glance to make sure nobody was 'listening' before adding in a whisper, "Plus, the XCOM operatives here worship me as 'The Great Maker of Cool Stuff.' I found out almost immediately from my… ah… followers that an attempt on my lower appendages may come at the hands of a yellow-haired assassin."

The four huntresses stared at him blankly before Weiss spoke in a disbelieving tone. "The Great Maker of Cool Stuff? Seriously?"

Dr. Shen looked over at Major Vance. "I take it you haven't given them The List yet, have you?"

Vance shook his head. "I was going to finish the tour with it so that they could enjoy some light reading when I left them at the barracks."

"Ah, yes. 'Light' reading." Shen turned back to team RWBY and winked. "Make sure you read rule number one hundred and twenty-one."

Straightening up, the Chief Engineer switched back to Business Mode. "So what brings you all down here? Interested in the manufacturing side of this operation?"

Speaking up for the first time since the tour started, Blake answered what was on the mind of all four huntresses. "We're actually more interested in seeing our confiscated weapons."

Shen nodded. "Of course you are. I've been instructed by Officer Bradford not to relinquish them until he says so, but I don't think there's any harm in letting you have a look. Might make you feel more comfortable once you see how careful we are with them. Follow me."

The group of six stepped out from Shen's office and made its way over to one of the workbenches at the back of the room. Several engineers were standing around the table, carefully studying one of the gauntlets that made up Ember Celica. They had placed it in a 3-point stand and were currently taking measurements, marking fastening joints, noting directions of travel, and attempting to construct a 3D model on the table's computer. Yang was expecting to see her beloved gauntlets strewn across the table in small pieces, so the sight before her was a pleasant surprise. She also noticed that the bandoliers of shells had been removed and were laying on the table next to the stand. Dr. Shen walked up to stand next to her.

"So what do you think? Are my engineers taking proper care of your armaments?" He smiled proudly when Yang responded with a wordless nod. "We will eventually have to start taking it apart to have a look at the insides, but for now I plan to complete a full external inspection of each weapon." He turned to look at the other three members of team RWBY. "If you have the time and are willing, I would actually appreciate it if you were present for the dismantling of your respective weapons. Despite my engineers being some of the best in the world, none of their experience can hold a candle to the intimate knowledge you each undoubtedly have of your own equipment. Not only would you be able to ensure we are taking proper care of your belongings, but perhaps you could assist us in the analysis process, and even accelerate our understanding of how certain components function."

While Dr. Shen saw all of the new recruits nodding happily at the offer, he noted that Ruby was particularly enthusiastic with her body language. If Bradford hadn't already slated them for Operation duty, Shen would have quietly asked if Ruby could join his engineering team. Her excitement at the prospect of explaining how her weapon worked, combined with how complex it was compared to the other three, was all the evidence the Chief Engineer needed to know that he would be getting along very well with the young woman. For now, though, there were other matters he had to attend to.

"Well then, I could show you four some of the other tech I've been developing for XCOM's operatives, but I have a feeling that this," he waved at the table behind him containing their precious weapons, "was the main reason you asked Major Vance to take you on a tour of my facility. If there's nothing else…?"

The members of RWBY looked at one another. Shen was correct in his assessment that they were here primarily for their weapons, and while Ruby would have loved to spend more time exploring, she was pretty sure the other three were less excited about looking at tech. She'd find some free time later to come down and talk shop with Dr. Shen. "Thank you for the offer, sir, but I think we'll get going with the rest of Major Vance's tour."

Shen nodded. "Very good. Feel free to stop by anytime if you start getting separation anxiety from your personal effects." He glanced briefly at Vance before whispering to the girls. "Don't forget: rule one hundred and twenty-one. Despite what the material would have you believe, I'm growing rather fond of the name." With a sip from his cup and a wave, Shen left the group to return to matters that required attention in his office.

"So, shall we make our way up to Dr. Vahlen's lab?" Vance had to suppress a smile when he saw the reaction his question had earned. Each one of the recruits looked like they'd rather get a lecture from Shen on the mechanical theory behind Fission Generators if it meant avoiding the Chief Scientist. "Well, no point in dragging your feet. It had to happen sooner or later. Let's go."

Dr. Vahlen held a finger up as Vance's party entered the lab, indicating that she was in the middle of something and could not pull her attention away from it. Indeed, her face seemed glued to the monitor before her, and the group had to stand around awkwardly waiting for a good minute while the doctor finished with whatever she was doing. The Chief Scientist looked rather young, much younger than Dr. Shen at least. Her dirty blond hair was cleanly tied back and fastened behind her head, and her body language conveyed a strict no-nonsense attitude. "Workaholic" was the first impression that came to Ruby's mind, and she was certain the others had similar thoughts. The fact that she was still ignoring them in favor of the work on her computer was further proof of Ruby's analysis.

Finally, Vahlen entered a few keystrokes on the terminal and looked up to see who had willingly entered her lair. Her expression lightened immediately when she saw that it was the four strangers that had come through the mysterious portal only hours previously.

"Ah! You're here. Excellent. I've been waiting for the chance to have a chat with you. I was hoping to speak with you sooner, but Central Officer Bradford," the Chief Scientist rolled her eyes at the mention of his name, "deemed it more important that you get carted around the base like a group of tourists at a vacation spot." Dr. Vahlen let out an exasperated sigh before looking at each huntress in turn. "Either way, the important thing is that you're here now, and this is an excellent opportunity for us to get acquainted with one another, and with your… situation. First thing's first. I am Dr. Vahlen, Chief Scientist for the XCOM Project." She made her way around the table that stood between both parties and offered her hand out in greeting. Her bright smile faltered when the four girls looked nervously at one another, none of them taking her proffered hand. Her smile turned into a frown when she noticed that all four refused to make eye contact with her. Her frown turned into a glare as she stared down Major Vance, who's subtle cowering only served to make Vahlen more annoyed.

"You've been talking to them, haven't you? Filling their little heads with all those… lies about me." Major Vance immediately and vigorously shook his head at the accusation. "No, I swear! All I've done is play tour guide and shown them around the base. I haven't engaged in any kind of idle gossip. C'mon Doctor. I thought you'd expect more out of a Major."

Vahlen sighed, again, before turning back to the rookies. "Somehow, a rumor started that I'm this uptight, no-fun monster of a person that delights in the pain and suffering of others, including our own operatives. I suspect that the rumor started due to the fact that I view myself as a professional." She gave Vance a pointed look. "You know, someone who has standards on how they conduct themselves in the workplace. This rumor had the misfortune to somehow become a reputation, and now just about everyone at the base acts like I'm sort of sadistic mad scientist."

The Chief Scientist unceremoniously sat herself down in a nearby chair, adopting a frustrated posture with her hand to her forehead. "I take it the Major has shown you The List?"

Vance shook his head. "Nope. Like I told Shen, I was planning on giving it to them after I was done showing them around."

Dr. Vahlen shrugged. "No matter." She turned to look at the four girls. "It's essentially a list of rules that regulates the behavior of operatives both in the field and at base. It grows larger as the… shenanigans carried out by XCOM personnel continue to stretch the bounds of human idiocy. Would you like to know how many rules on that list had to be made because of my stupid reputation as a, as they call me, 'mega bitch'? Fifteen. There are fifteen rules in that damn list because of this notoriety that I can't seem to get rid of. The operatives all treat me with respect, for the most part, but that respect is apparently borne out of fear rather than friendship. Only Central Officer Bradford, Dr. Shen, and one or two operatives actually treat me kindly." She grabbed some odd piece of tech on the table behind her and started to idly fiddle with it. "So imagine my excitement when four strangers tumble into the base from who-knows-where. Imagine my further excitement at the prospect of these strangers having no idea about my false reputation. Then imagine my reaction when I find out that the reputation somehow stuck even before I get the chance to talk with them." She finished miserably.

While Ruby wasn't really a fan of Dr. Vahlen, she still felt bad for the woman. She was undoubtedly very smart, extremely accomplished, and worked hard to get to where she was. The young huntress could think of a few of her friends who shared those qualities. It was almost sad to see her reduced to this depressed figure seated in front of Ruby, and so the young girl decided she would try to at least give the scientist a fair chance. That fair chance was going to start with a bit of advice.

"Dr. Vahlen? I understand that the lack of professionalism towards you is unwarranted, but if when you're trying to make a good impression on strangers, maaaaaaaaybe you shouldn't lead off with 'Can I please analyze the subjects'."

Weiss snorted, clearly less concerned with the doctor's self-esteem than Ruby was. "She actually said that to you? Sounds like the reputation is more deserved than she realizes."

"Weiss!"

Dr. Vahlen interrupted, tossing the tech she was holding back onto the table and getting up. "No, Miss Schnee is right-"

"How does everyone know my last name!"

Vahlen ignored her. "It was a very… heated event, and my mind was focused strictly on the possible avenues of research at the time. I was certainly going to have to analyze what happened with the Hyperwave Relay, but there was also the possibility to exami-" She caught herself. "Interview the people who came out of the anomaly. Not only would analysis likely help interpret the data gathered on the Relay, but I can think of at least ten other avenues of research that are worth investigating thanks to your existence, and that's just off the top of my head. More will likely open up as I get the opportunity to learn about you." She looked off to the side and quietly added, "If I get to learn about you."

Yang snorted. "I think Weiss is right, and more of your reputation is deserved than you realize. HOWEVER," she interjected, upon seeing the annoyed look on Vahlen's face, "We're willing to drop the first impression and go for a second. Isn't that right, Blake? Weiss?" She elbowed the other two, who both sighed. It seemed to them that Yang had no intention of dropping the first impression, but was willing to subject herself to Vahlen's antics if it meant bringing down her friends with her. For the fun of it, of course. Weiss was going to make damn sure that Yang didn't get the satisfaction of watching her suffer. In fact…

"Of course! It sounds to me like you just need a little help with how you project yourself towards others. As heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, I can confidently say that I know a thing or two about creating and maintaining a good public image." Weiss walked up to Dr. Vahlen and held her hand out. The doctor briefly stared in confusion at the outstretched hand before accepting it in a tentative shake.

"This… isn't some kind of trick…?"

Weiss laughed. "Hardly."

"There's a catch, isn't there?"

Weiss shrugged. "Call it a favor. To be cashed in at an unspecified time in the future."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at her partner. "Weiss…"

Weiss shrugged. "What? The good doctor needs some help. I'm merely offering assistance, and accepting payment for services rendered."

Vahlen waved off Ruby, who was still looking unconvinced. "It's quite alright, Miss Rose. If your friend is certain she can help me," The doctor closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and exhaled, as if she was blowing out all the bad memories of months past, "Then it is worth whatever price she decides upon later. And even if it turns out that my reputation is more permanent than Miss Schnee seems to think, it'll be nice to at least have someone to talk to." She waved her arm, gesturing to all the high tech equipment around them. "It gets a little lonely when all your friends can't talk back when you say hello."

Vance clapped his hands once to get everyone's attention. "Well! Sounds like we've had a productive meeting here. Lots of good stuff happening. If you don't mind, Dr. Vahlen, I'd like to wrap up my tour for the four rookies."

Dr. Vahlen wanted to comment, saying that she hadn't had a chance to ask any of the questions she had for the girls, but she resigned herself to the fact that it would have to wait. Maybe she could talk to Weiss when the young woman came down to talk about her "public image". She made a mental note to remind herself not to get too overzealous with the questions when the time came. "Very well, Major. I'll get back to my research." She turned to the huntresses and smiled. "I would appreciate it if you stopped by later for an actual interview. That data could be helpful in figuring out a way to send you back to wherever you came from."

The members of team RWBY gave responses with varying degrees of enthusiasm, then followed Major Vance out of the lab and towards the armory.

Major Vance was excited. Finally, he was able to show the rookies his favorite section of the anthill.

"Alright, here we are: the armory. When you want to practice with your firearms, you go here. When you want to train your mobility in your full kit through a live fire course, you go here. When your squad is picked for a field op and you need to prep your equipment, you go here. Everything designed by Vahlen and built by Shen can be found at the armory. Weapons, armor, grenades, medkits, special ammunition… the list goes on. And with several exceptions, field operatives have access to all of it. Let's take a look."

Ruby thought it was adorable that the Major was practically skipping as he led them through the doors into the armory. The facility was pretty big. Not as big as engineering, but there was certainly a lot to do here. Vance was heading left to what looked like equipment checkout or storage. Straight ahead, Ruby saw several soldiers chatting as they walked through a pair of doors marked "firing range". Off to the right was probably the practice course that Vance had hinted at in his initial introduction.

Major Vance placed his thumb on a small scanner. With a click, the door opened and the group entered what looked like a warehouse. Several rows of shelves ran the length of the room, with the front end of each labeled as either weapons, armor, or utility. The Major turned to face the group. "Alright, so here at XCOM, there are three categories of equipment operatives use on missions. First and foremost, your gun. We have quite a few classes of guns here, and your specialist designation will dictate which kinds you have access to. For example, a Sniper such as myself should not and would not be found using a Light Machine Gun. Snipers use Sniper Rifles or Marksman Rifles. Light Machine Guns are instead given to Gunner Specialists."

Vance walked into one of the aisles for a moment before walking back out with a small-sized gun that was glowing orange along its length. "Rifles, such as this pulse laser rifle, are the bread-and-butter weapon class available to most specialists. I'd wager that most of you will be spending some quality time at the range practicing with guns like this one. Battle rifles, carbines, and assault rifles all fall under the same category. Each has its own list of pros and cons, and it's up to you to figure out which works best for your needs."

Ruby raised her hand. "What about melee?"

Major Vance raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Melee." Yang repeated. "Like punching the aliens in the face, or slicing them in half with a sword."

The Major let out a small, confused laugh. "Uh, yeah… except for one special case, we don't really do that. First, the aliens generally stay at range, so you'd be spending most of your time chasing them down trying to gut them when you could just be shooting them. Second, if you do get close enough to stab one, congratulations! You've probably been trained as an Assault specialist, and you have a shotgun. Shoot the alien with your shotgun, as field experience has proven very few of the buggers survive a shotgun blast to the face. Third, the only variants of enemies that actually tries to get into melee range with our operatives are the Chryssalid and the Berserker. The former will kill you, implant you with eggs, cause you to rise up as a zombie to fight those who were once your allies, and then the eggs will hatch and a young Chryssalid will burst out from your chest." Vance paused to let the horror sink in for the Rookies. "Berserkers… well, they're a coiled, muscle-y ball of hatred, fortitude, and pain. They don't go down easy, they charge straight for our operatives, and those who find them selves in hand-to-hand combat with one don't last long. So to answer your original question: unless you're piloting a MEC with a Kinetic Strike Module, no melee. Next up: armor." The Major set the rifle down on a table and walked the group to the next aisle.

"The aliens enjoy putting holes into operatives. This usually kills the operative, especially when done repeatedly in a short span of time. Since we prefer our soldiers to remain living, as this allows them to put holes into aliens, Dr. Shen's boys have been kind enough to fabricate protective gear that works pretty well at stopping plasma from giving you a new chest cavity. We have lighter armors for operatives that favor mobility over protection, tanky armors for operatives that enjoy putting themselves in harm's way, and specialized armors that suit more specific purposes. Sniper wants to get a nice vantage point on that roof? Walking is for losers, all the cool kids use an integrated grappling device."

The Major noticed that most of the girls were interested in his talk on the armor, but Yang seemed distracted and unconcerned. While she was very attentive, and even a little excited, about the weaponry, she didn't seem to care about the armor. "Miss Xiao Long? Is there something wrong with our protective gear?"

Ruby's sister shrugged. "I just don't want to use it. We've all got our own combat attire, as you can see." She gestured to the stylish clothing the huntresses were wearing. "Not only does it look fantastic, but I'm sure even your lightest armor is less mobile than our current outfits."

"And my whole bit about the aliens putting holes into operatives means nothing because…?"

"Because we've got Aura. I don't know if it's a thing or not here on Earth, but on Remnant, hunters and huntresses use their own soul's energy to protect them from harmful blows. Sure, it doesn't last forever, but neither does your armor. So if I have to pick between the two, I'll choose what I'm familiar with, thanks."

"… Aura."

"Yep!"

"Soul protection?"

"That's what I said, yeah."

"And it can protect you from anything?"

"Pretty much, yep."

Without a word, Major Vance pulled out a small handgun-shaped device, pointed it at Yang, and a bundle of electricity shot out and struck her square in the chest. Yang's eyes went wide as her form immediately crumpled and fell immobile to the floor. Vance shrugged and stowed his electricity gun.

"Yang!" Ruby squeaked before rushing to see if her sister was okay.

"Seems like your aura wasn't very effective against a stun gun. What's it gonna do against a Heavy Plasma Rifle? You wear armor on ops, or you don't go on ops. Leave it up to the engineering team to make sure we have armor that will fit you, but make no mistake: you will be wearing it. If you'd be so kind, Miss Rose, just sit her down on that chair over there. Don't worry, she's fine." He added, noting the look of concern on the young girl's face. "My Arc Thrower was set to the lowest voltage rating, so she'll regain mobility in a few minutes. For now, she can listen while I finish up my rundown of equipment with utility items."

The other three huntresses lifted the immobile Yang and propped her up in the chair that Major Vance indicated. While Ruby was certainly concerned for her sister, the whole ordeal raised a very problematic issue for the huntresses: Yang's aura was missing here. It was the only plausible explanation for why she wasn't able to resist the shocking blast from the Arc Thrower. And if Yang's aura was missing, that probably meant the other three were in the same boat. Ruby would have to test this out at some point when she had some time alone.

While the girls were done propping up Yang, Vance was placing various items on the nearby table. "So we have a large variety of utility items. First and foremost are grenades. High Explosive, Anti-Personnel, Smoke, Flashbangs… little hand-held buddies that will serve you well if you treat them right. Our Engineers excel at using them to tear down cover used by the aliens, while our Medics excel at using them to protect their allies. If no other utility item suits your fancy, it can't hurt to pick up one of these."

He set down the small explosive he was holding up and moved along the table to the next few items. "Medkits and Arc Throwers. Medkits keep you patched up and good to go in a firefight, and Arc Throwers… well, you've seen what they can do." He chuckled, clearly pleased that he was able to get the better of Yang's boasting. "We use them to stun aliens and bring them in for interrogations. As an added benefit, alien weapons don't shatter into small fragments when their wielder is stunned, unlike when they're killed outright. Let's see… defensive utilities like chitin armor and ceramic plating give an extra boost to your armor, which is nice. Oh yeah, accuracy items."

Vance picked up a small rectangular device, pushed a button, and a red beam shot out of one end and painted itself on the wall. "Laser Sights, S.C.O.P.E.'s, Targeting Modules, and several others. If your aim kinda sucks, picking up one or two of these will help you suck less. Fortunately, you managed to dump yourselves in our lap right when we're starting to transition from Gauss technology to Pulse Lasers. Gauss rifles can shatter your shoulder of not handled properly, but beam weaponry has considerably less kickback, so that'll probably help you out a fair bit. Still, further improving your accuracy is never a bad idea."

The Major looked at the rest of the table. There were a few things he didn't go over, but they were some of the more specialized items XCOM had. He figured that the rookies would pick some of the items he introduced for their first foray into the field. If they got curious about the other stuff, he'd happily give them a rundown later.

"Alright, that about wraps things up. I've got some stuff to do, so I'll leave you guys to find your way back to the barracks once Xiao Long over there gets her mobility back. Before I forget, though…" He reached over and grabbed a sheaf of papers hanging off the end of the nearest aisle. "You guys can hold onto this and look through it. Not only is it important to help remind all operatives of the rules, it's especially important to help Rookies learn their rights. Enjoy!" He handed the paper to Ruby and left. Weiss and Blake looked over Ruby's shoulder as she read the title on the first page of the document.

"Things XCOM Operatives Are Not Allowed To Do. Why is this a thing? And why is it so large?"

A/N: I think now is a good time to briefly mention a few things. First, I wanted to let you all know that I'll be taking a few "artistic liberties" with the IPs I'm playing with, moreso XCOM's than RWBY's. The biggest example of this so far is the Hyperwave Relay's ability to create transdimensional portals, but that was pretty necessary to get the story off the ground in the first place. I'll do my best to stay true to canon as much as possible, but I may bend the rules a bit here and there. Feel free to call me out on it in a review. I'll gladly explain to you my reasoning via PM, or possibly edit it out in a revised draft if you make a solid point.

Related to that, a few of you picked up on my hint at the inclusion of the "Long War" XCOM mod last chapter, and it's blatantly obvious in this one. For those of you who've played Vanilla XCOM and not the mod, it adds a lot of stuff (equipment, classes, mission types) that I think would be a lot of fun to play with in this story. For those of you who are very familiar with the Long War mod, you'll find that my progression of a LW campaign in this story (tech or otherwise) will probably have quite a few inconsistencies. This is because I've never even come close to getting the Hyperwave Relay operational in the few LW runs I've attempted. So I just ask that you be understanding if I don't have the correct timing for when Sectopods should start showing up, or what level a pod leader should be for a given month. This story will have a "loose" interpretation of that sort of fine detail.

Second, I guess doesn't allow hyperlinking or the ability for readers to copy/paste text, but I've been told it's possible for me to make it linkable on my user page. It's quite hilarious, so I recommend having a look if you've never heard of this and are curious.

Finally, I want to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who took the time to write a review and/or follow my story. I'm writing it mainly for my own personal enjoyment, but it feels good when people express interest in seeing it continue.