A/N: Right, so we've got another casual non-combat chapter to help me cool my jets after the insanity of Bring 'Em On. I had tons of fun with that one, and I really look forward to all the upcoming combat I get to write, but it's also nice to have some easier chapters where the characters just talk with each other.

The good news is this: remember when I asked for awesome upgrade suggestions, and you all came out in massive force to flood me with great ideas? Yeah, next chapter is where you'll start to see some of those implemented. Not all at once, but I'll slowly start adding these upgrades as time goes on when Ruby and Shen get the chance to build and field-test them.

Directly following the firefight in Engineering, Ruby found herself leading one of the sweep teams charged with smoking out alien infiltrators and pockets of resistance from the attack. Ruby expected this, since Van Doorn gave the order for all available teams to assist in the purge. What did surprise her, however, was the willingness of Engineering's blue-shirts to continue following her as Strike Eight left for its assigned section. Not only her friends like Conor, but all uninjured Engineering defense forces, even Timmons, requested permission from Van Doorn to accompany Ruby's team on their patrol of the Satellite Uplinks. A very amused Field Commander granted the request, and watched as Strike Eight left with seven additional soldiers in tow.

As Strike Eight left, Ruby noticed the speed at which XCOM personnel worked to recover from the base assault. Several crews already began clearing the debris from her fight in an effort to regain manufacturing capabilities for Shen's machinists. Before Van Doorn assigned Ruby's squad to sweep the Satellite Uplink Facilities for contacts, she seized a brief opportunity to talk with the Chief Engineer. While several good people from Ruby's fireteams fell in the firefight, it comforted her to know that at least Dr. Shen remained completely unharmed throughout the ordeal. After confirming her friend's safety, Ruby left to run her sweep while Shen supervised the reconstruction effort.

Throughout the entire march towards the Satellite Uplinks, the squad passed by reconstruction crews rushing to and from the sections of the base hit hardest by the alien assault. Some carried scrap metal and debris from the firefights while others hauled equipment for welding, cutting, drilling, and a variety of other constructive processes. Even though it made perfect sense that XCOM needed to return to regular operating levels as soon as possible, the speed at which the base healed itself still impressed Ruby. Within minutes of Strike Eight starting its sweep, the PA system informed the entire base that manufacturing capabilities were restored to fifty percent, thanks to the efforts of Shen's crews.

Ruby also learned later that Dr. Vahlen's scientists immediately set to work examining the smoking behemoth dragged into the autopsy room from Engineering. The 'Sectopod', as the research staff decided to name it, looked to be the ultimate weapon of the alien invaders. Extremely hardened plating, massive plasma cannon, rocket pods that can saturate a target area with high-yield explosives, top-of-the-line targeting sensors… the list of tech the scientists found stuffed into one machine was staggering. It took the machinists a full twenty minutes to just cut off the alloy face plate so that the rest of the team could easily examine the hardware it protected. While the research Vahlen conducted on the Sectopod would almost certainly provide impressive upgrades for XCOM's operatives, the fact remained that the aliens likely planned to continue deploying these harbingers of death until the war was brought to a decisive end.

However, that prospect was Future Ruby's problem. Right now, she had a job to do, and a lot of talkative blue-shirts to do it with.

"Man, that stunt you pulled back there with ol' Metalhead was amazing! I heard rumors that you guys were, like, supersoldiers from back home, but I figured that was just some propaganda shit Bradford cooked up to boost morale."

Ruby continued walking with her eyes looking forward while Conor chattered away at her side. As usual, Blake took point several paces ahead of the squad to maximize the effectiveness of her faunus senses. Ruby would have assigned Weiss to back her up, but the cut she received from the Chryssalid still refused to heal, even with the assistance of Blake's Medkit. So instead, Ruby sent her to the med bay so that Vahlen could have a look at the wound once she was finished with the Sectopod. In her absence, one of the blue-shirts agreed to act as Blake's backup while the Scout 'did her cat thing.' Yang and Ruby brought up the rear with the remaining six soldiers.

"It is pretty awesome," Ruby agreed, "But you saw that it's not without its flaws. Vahlen seems to think that something about Earth is suppressing our abilities, and that only a surge of adrenaline can break through that barrier."

Conor laughed. "Adrenaline, eh? Then all we need to do is force the Commissary to give you unlimited access to cookies, and your blood will be pumping 24/7, right?"

Yang cut in. "Nah, that won't work. Apparently our bodies are such badasses, only extremely dangerous situations will give us enough of an adrenaline hit to break the suppression. That's why you don't see us going nuts with our Aura during every fight."

"Still, it's nice to have an ace-in-the-hole if shit goes south, isn't it?"

"Yup," Yang agreed, "And I'm pretty fired up about Vahlen's promise to solve the suppression problem!"

The chatter continued while Blake used her senses to scan for any contacts lurking within the uplink facilities. After two full sweeps of their assigned section with no incidents, Ruby relayed the news to Bradford.

"Central, this is Strike Eight. Uplinks are clear of contacts."

"Understood, Eight. Vahlen wants to see you down at the med bay. Apparently she's got some news about Lance Corporal Schnee."

"Alright, we're on our way."

When Ruby entered XCOM's medical facility, her attention immediately snapped to Weiss in a hospital gown sitting on one of the many patient beds in the room. The sight of multiple tubes and wires strung up to her sleeping partner caused Ruby to panic and rush to Weiss's bedside and hug her by the shoulders.

"Oh Weiss," Ruby wailed, "What have they done to you? If I'd known the wound was this bad, I would have never left your side! Now, they've got you hooked up to…" She briefly paused her melodramatic lament to glance at the clear plastic bag hanging next to Weiss. "Saline! I don't even know what it is, but surely it must mean something's gone horribly wrong!"

A hand came up and flicked Ruby square in the forehead. She squeaked in surprise before looking down to see the annoyed face of her friend staring back at her.

"The only thing going horribly wrong," Weiss said, "Is my attempt at getting a little bit of sleep while I wait for Dr. Vahlen. I'm not going to die anytime soon, so please get off me."

Ruby grumbled at Weiss's cold reaction, but obeyed her and jumped off the bed, "What about the injury? It still looked pretty bad after the fight in Engineering."

"It's still bad," Weiss admitted. She grunted as she sat up against her pillow, careful to avoid pulling on any of the wires, "It's not getting worse, but it's not getting better, either. Vahlen was stumped after five minutes of looking at it. She had other matters to attend to, so she instructed one of the orderlies to bandage it and hook me up with some fluids until she's able to come back and conduct a more thorough examination." She looked over Ruby's shoulder and smiled. "Speaking of the Grimm…"

Her three friends turned around to see the Chief Scientist striding quickly towards Weiss's bed. Her usually immaculate hair started to look messy, and she wore a tired expression on her face. Ruby couldn't tell if it was due to a lack of sleep or if she had bad news, but she really hoped it wasn't the latter.

"I have some bad news."

Ruby sighed.

"I've been examining the corpses of various XCOM personnel who suffered Chryssalid-related deaths during this attack. We've had soldiers injured or killed by those horrific creatures in the past, but something is different this time around."

The doctor made her way to Weiss's side and began to unwrap the bandages covering her patient's forearm. Weiss winced a few times when the material tore away from the clotted blood pooled up underneath the bandage. In spite of the pain, she didn't make a sound. Ruby guessed that a combination of her hunter training and her pride as a Schnee kept her from broadcasting her discomfort. When Vahlen finished unraveling the gauze, Ruby took her first clear look at the gash since the fight.

It looked bad.

Ugly scabs began to form at the edges of the open cut, but the main body itself still looked like a gaping sore of exposed flesh and blood. Application of medical technology clearly stopped any pain signals from reaching Weiss's brain, because Ruby couldn't imagine any other explanation for her partner's calm demeanor. The raw meat still looked green, though Ruby noticed that it was roughly the same color as when Weiss first received the wound rather than getting worse.

Dr. Vahlen clicked her tongue. "What's most surprising is the resilience to our standard medical procedures. Recovery always takes a long time while the injury sets, but the visual cues resulting from our treatment should be immediately obvious. In this case… not only did Blake apply a healthy dosage of serum from her Medkit within minutes of the event, but I instructed my medics to administer further treatment when Weiss was brought in. And yet, the wound looks as if we've done nothing."

She reached into a drawer in the bedside table and fished out some latex gloves, tweezers, and a small scalpel. She gave Weiss an apologetic look. "Do you mind if I cut off a small piece? I suspect something is happening on a microscopic level, but I can't be sure until I run some tests on a sample of your tissue."

Weiss nodded without saying a word, and Vahlen maneuvered her knife to gently remove some of the sickly flesh from the open wound. Again, a slight twitch of Weiss's face betrayed the pain she adamantly refused to otherwise show. Once finished, Vahlen deposited the tissue inside a vial and sealed it. She set down the container on the table before kneeling down to have a closer examination of the Chryssalid's handiwork.

"Yes, the usual signs of chemical burns are here. The Chryssalids secrete a toxic venom that covers their talons, which is something we've known since their introduction. Along with the acidic spit of the Thin Men, it is why we added neutralizing agents to our Medkits." Vahlen pulled out a cotton swab from her pocket and dabbed at the wound. A mixture of venom and puss stuck to the cotton as she pulled it away. The doctors eyebrows rose once she saw the cotton begin to decompose after coming into contact with the venom. She reached for the discarded gauze wrap and spread it out on the bed. Just like the cotton swab, Vahlen found a small hole in the wrap where the toxin ate away at the material.

"… Perhaps the medical treatment is helping after all. It may not have neutralized the toxin completely, but it appears that the chemical has become more corrosive than it was in previous encounters with these creatures. I definitely need to have a look at that tissue sample now, since the current cocktail of medical antitoxins is clearly not tuned to efficiently counter the new composition. If you'll excuse me, I must get to the lab as soon as possible to work on this." She gave Weiss a warm smile. "I am confident that I will have your wound healed up quickly. In the meantime, I would like you to stay in the medical ward where my staff can monitor your condition."

Weiss nodded. "Of course, doctor. I wouldn't want to run around with this ugly gash showing, anyway."

The Chief Scientist chuckled, then glanced at the gauze strewn at the base of Weiss's bed. "We'll also leave the wrapping off for now. In light of this recent development, think it would do more harm than good to re-apply it." She bid farewell to the other three huntresses and left the room. Ruby turned her attention back to Weiss, who returned to a prone position on her bed.

"Do you want us to keep you company, Weiss?"

Her partner, eyes already closed, shook her head. "I'm pretty beat after all the excitement from Engineering, so sleep sounds wonderful right now. You can probably see what Shen's up to. I know you want to, and I bet the initial rush has died down enough to the point where he's not too busy to chat."

Ruby made a mental note to buy Weiss some ice cream before turning to Blake and Yang, "What about you guys?"

Her sister shrugged, "Your visits with Shen always devolve into nerd talk, so I'll find other ways to make myself useful." Yang flexed her arms and gave Ruby a cocky grin, "I bet the guys on cleanup duty could get some use out of these guns."

"I'm thinking of watching Dr. Vahlen," Blake replied, "Now that the infiltrator sweeps are finished, there isn't really much use for my talents in the recovery efforts. Maybe I can help the doctor in some way."

Ruby nodded, "Sounds good. I'll see you guys later, then." She turned to give a final goodbye to Weiss, but the gentle rise and fall of her chest told Ruby that her friend already fell asleep.

Weiss was right about Dr. Shen earning some breathing room after the first hectic hour following the base assault. Ruby found the Chief Engineer in his office, eyes closed with a steaming mug of tea (Jasmine: Blake's newfound addiction meant that her friends quickly learned to recognize the smell) sitting on the table in front of him. A quiet knock at the door elicited the response of one eye cracking open to see who dared to intrude on his moment of peace. Of course, catching sight of Ruby and not some machinist made Dr. Shen much more receptive to the interruption.

"Ah, the hero of the hour. How may I be of assistance, Lance Corporal Ruby 'No Scope' Rose?"

Ruby let out a nervous laugh, "That's almost like a parent using a kid's full name, and the only time my dad ever used my full name was when I got into trouble."

Dr. Shen sat up with a chuckle, "No, no, I can assure you that you're not in trouble. Just pointing out that you might find yourself commanding a considerable amount of respect from the base personnel after word gets out of your actions down here." He winked, "With great power comes great responsibility. A quote from a comic book, but one that I feel to be relevant all the same. In any case, how may I help you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help you. You're all busy down here, and I'm all done shooting aliens, so I just wanted to see if I could do something useful around here."

Shen raised an eyebrow, "You… do realize that you already did more than enough by repelling the attack in the first place, right? I won't say no to more assistance, but you've certainly pulled your own weight during tonight's events. Which reminds me," he added as an afterthought, "How's Miss Schnee? I heard she had a nasty tangle with a lucky Chryssalid."

"Yeah, I actually just came here from the med bay. Vahlen thinks that the aliens have done something to make the Chryssalid's toxins even more dangerous. Her cut isn't healing with the current standard treatment. We won't know for sure until after the doctor runs some tests on a sample of Weiss's tissue, but…" Ruby cast a worried glance at Shen, "It almost sounds like they're evolving or adapting."

The aging engineer nodded, "It does sound that way. However, I am not worried. You said yourself that Dr. Vahlen is running some tests on the new toxin, yes? I have the utmost confidence in my colleague, and when she finds out the chemical makeup of this new acid, I have no doubt in her ability to design a reagent to counteract it." He took a sip of his tea and let out a pensive hum, "It's interesting, though… this new-and-improved Chryssalid toxin coupled with the introduction of the new alien secret weapon… they're certainly stepping up their game in this war, wouldn't you say?"

Of all reactions to a comment about a deadly invasion force using new and deadlier tools to kill them, Ruby expected amusement the least, "Why does it sound like you're not bothered by this?"

A smile played across Shen's lips, "Because although the aliens are adapting and developing new methods of warfare, so are we. I have four reasons to believe the aliens are not outclassing us in this arms race, and one of them is standing right in front of me."

Ruby paused for a short moment, glanced past her shoulder, then realized the intent behind Shen's comment, "Us? But, what about us? Sure, we make a good team, but you've got lots of those already. I mean, look at Strike One. Van Doorn has done amazing work with XCOM's top operatives, forming them into a formidable enemy for your invaders. What makes you think my friends are any better than that?"

Dr. Shen smiled again before responding, "Three things, Ruby. First, your technology." He gestured towards the partially disassembled Crescent Rose sitting on a counter in the back of the room. "With your help, we'll have new equipment for our operatives that should prove extremely potent on the field of battle. Second, your biology." In one fluid motion, he picked up a paperweight off his desk and hurled it at Ruby. Without even thinking, she snatched it out of the air with her hand. "You have better reflexes, better strength, better skeletal structure… better everything, really. You wouldn't believe how excited Dr. Vahlen was when you and your friends agreed to lend your superior genetics to her soldier modification program."

"And finally…" Shen stood up, walked over to Ruby, and poked her chest. "Your spirit. This war is not only fought with explosives and lasers, but also with willpower and morale. While your superior weapons and incredible physiology are certainly impressive, what matters most is your willingness to fight for us. You come out of nowhere and have no obligation to help our struggle. Despite this, it didn't even take a full day before you decided to join XCOM as operatives and do everything in your power to push back against our invaders. Even when you discovered that you lost huge aspect of your fighting potential, you learned to fight our way."

Shen walked to the front window of his office and looked out, "We may look like a well-run machine here, and that is certainly true. However, that machine is still composed of humans at its most basic level, and the human psyche is very vulnerable. Get a string of flawless missions, and morale hits an all-time high with everyone doing their part to assist the war effort. At the same time, lose a lot of good soldiers in a matter of days, and productivity tanks." He turned around and Ruby noticed a curious look on his face, "Get a kid that puts her life on the line to save the blue-shirts under her command… that's a valuable asset that I can't build on an assembly line."

Silence fell over the two of them as Ruby chewed on Shen's words. Did he really think so highly of her actions? All she did was orchestrate the defense of Engineering. Any other operative could (and would) have done the same, she just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Add to that the fact that she didn't have a flawless record of saving lives: she could now add Fireteam Delta to the list of losses under her command which previously consisted of only Corporal Biggs. Why would they follow her after that kind of track record?

"Because of your actions, Ruby," said Shen, as if he could read her mind. "When you get the chance, you should ask our Field Commander how many operatives died following his lead. You know of at least two, and I can tell you that there are definitely more. In spite of that, the squads he leads are completely devoted to him and follow his orders without question. Do you know why?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Because he leads by example. You don't see him giving orders to charge the enemy from the safety of the rear. He's always in the thick of things, risking his life just as much as anyone else on his team. Tell me, when that hulk of alloyed metal … I believe 'Sectopod' is the name coined by Vahlen's staff… when that Sectopod stepped through those doors into Engineering, who was the one that took decisive action and risked her life to distract it long enough for Strike One to arrive? Certainly not any of the security detail. Even after witnessing the destructive force it wielded, and even after watching how easily it annihilated my SHIVs and an entire fireteam, your first thought was to jump in and find a way to avoid further bloodshed." He walked back to Ruby and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Everyone makes mistakes, Ruby. People die from unforeseen consequences, and everyone here can accept that. What makes a leader special, what makes them worth following, is how greatly they value the lives of every man and woman on their squad."

Shen's words left Ruby in shock. A motivational speech was something she expected from Bradford or Van Doorn, but from the Chief Engineer? She didn't know how much she agreed with his logic, but she couldn't deny the conviction she saw in his eyes when he said his piece. Regardless of the accuracy of his words, Dr. Shen most definitely believed in Ruby, and that meant a great deal to her.

"Well, it sounds like you think I have your third point pretty well in hand. Let's work on getting XCOM equipped with better tech. The aliens have stepped up their game, so I think it's high time we stepped up ours."

A subtle grin played across Dr. Shen's face, "I couldn't agree more, Miss Rose."

"… Jaune? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

The youngest Arc could hear the heavy worry in Pyrrha's question, and it only made him more determined. If something as mild as this caused her to fear for his safety, how could he expect her to trust his competence in a truly dangerous situation?

"I'll be fine, I promise," He assured her, "Besides, even if I screw up really badly on this, that's what Aura's for, right?"

His partner sighed, "I suppose so. Just… focus on defending yourself, okay?"

"Good thing that's the whole point of this exercise," Jaune replied with a reassuring smile. He turned to the figure standing across from him, reflecting on the fact that, for the first time since he started these rooftop exercises, someone other than Pyrrha gazed back at him.

He knew full well of his best friend's determination to transform him from stupid, clumsy Jaune into badass Hunter Jaune, but even The Invincible Girl had her limits. Jaune didn't doubt for a second that she was an incredible instructor, the best he could hope for, but she still didn't fully trust his abilities. She'd kick his ass while training, sure, but she always held back just a little bit. While her methods helped Jaune grow by giving him the chance to succeed, there was still something to be said about learning how to make the most of a horribly lopsided battle.

Even during the few instances when her lesson plan involved the two of them sparring while Pyrrha pulled out all the stops, she still maintained her controlled and precise style. She gave Jaune no quarter, but the fight seemed to focus more on her giving him a glimpse of what she believed he could become rather than a lesson in futility. What Jaune wanted was to square off against raw, unfiltered power. He needed to face down a veritable force of nature and determine if he had the ability to survive. He knew Pyrrha could not and would not offer that kind of lesson; she always held back too much for it to be a real test.

As for why he wanted to get a taste for utterly crushing defeat, the answer was simple. The longer he spent at Beacon Academy, the more Jaune figured out the one thing he could do really well: standing back up after getting knocked down. He knew that his academic aptitude left a lot to be desired, and he was certainly not the best fighter in his grade at Beacon, but he could take a hit. And while Pyrrha's lessons did wonders to shore up his weaknesses, he also wanted to test the limits of his strengths. No, he needed to know how far he could push his stamina.

His teammates all had their roles, and they fit them well: Pyrrha with her finesse to lock down any foe; Ren with his Aura control to provide flexibility and support; and Nora with her crushing strength to land the killing blow. Jaune saw himself as the team's defender, ready and willing to step between any of his teammates and imminent harm. Before any of them could trust him with this, however, he needed to find his limit. Once he found it, he needed to smash it and work towards becoming the best damned tank any team could ask for.

Tonight marked the first step towards achieving that goal.

"Alright Nora, hit me with your best shot."