Prolouge/Marcus Braed

Arrival
The cold floors felt similar to ones Marcus Braed had traversed before. Steel, cold and uninviting, they represented the fact of never surrendering to anything, even to comfort. Seemed like some things in the military, covert or not, never change. Marcus stopped to look at the symbol of XCOm, the Latin speaking to him on a silent level. Marcus silently stood there, thinking how they could have ever chosen him.

The officers had come to him after he had finished his nightly shift at the clinic. People weren't handling good, even after the Elerium Wars where recovery was priority #1, and some areas of downtown Ontario were downright dangerous, filled with scavengers and thieves. Marcus, as a result, never let his hand go off his laser pistol, one he had procured through means he was not keen to share.

"Marcus Braed?"

Marcus looked up. "That's me," the silently tall man answered.

One of the men flashed an ID, with a symbol unlike any military organization known to the public. "Officer Travers, my partner is Officer Brently. We're here on account of the XCOM Project."

Marcus looked neutral; neither unimpressed or dissatisfied. "The Extraterrestrial Combat Unit? Found back when we first were attacked by the Alien races?" The two men looked dumbfounded, and Marcus added, "I was scouted back when I was with the army. Almost 30 years ago."

Officer Brently looked impressed, "Well then, sir. Looks like you got a second chance. Something big is happening, and XCOM's coming back into play again, Mr. Braed. Are you willing to join this time?"

Officer Travers held out a dossier, and handed it to Marcus. Marcus skimmed through but stopped when he found the "Recruitment Evaluation" section. Officer Travers noticed and commented, "You're a sneaky bastard, Marcus. I've never seen anyone's profile with that much black tape. It's like everything you touch ever was then burned as evidence."

Marcus shook his head. "You don't know the half of it. But tell your boss or however, that I'm willing to join."

Marcus stood there, still staring at the emblem when he felt the ground shake a bit behind him. Turning, he saw the achievement in human engineering, the pinnacle of metal human enhancement. A MEC Trooper, in full MEC, slowly moved over to where Marcus was standing, the man in the metal staring down at him. A thick British accent boomed, "Solider, what are you doing staring at the wall?"

Marcus didn't even flinch and replied, "Sir, studying the emblem of the organization I joined. May I ask who is asking me questions?"

The MEC solider chuckled, loud and hearty. "Oh, I like you. Got some spunk, for an old geezer like myself and you. Name's Colonel Hashim but you can call me Titan, and I'm in charge of training the maggots that come in fresh and raw. What squad are you in?"

Marcus, unflinching, stated, "I believe they are placing me in Main Squad. I trust that it is a good thing?"

Hashim laughed full blown this time, loud, cheer and richly deep. "If you like to face death in the face! Main Squad is the go-to squad for any mission involving anything big. You got place in head of the class, mate."

Marcus nodded, and quickly checked his watch. "If you excuse me, I must be off. Thank you sir." Marcus quickly dashed off, leaving hashim behind to watch the older man move away.

He seemed so familiar...Almost like...''

The thought was cut short by an intercom calling for the Colonel. Hashim wandered off, muttering about the endless supply of recruits nowdays, and how back n the old XCOm, you had to wai at least three days before recruits came, and the like.