Chapter 1: in the Beginning
Written by: Freelancer Mississippi
One year ago...
I sighed as I looked out on his fungi farm. The Superbus homestead was flourishing, My eighth child, Octavius. had just turned 14. The Silvius and the Brutus-Collatinus homesteads were flourishing nearby. My daughters had been married off to the four farmers of those ranches.
A dust cloud was kicking up; I was not surprised. Dust storms ravaged this part of the Underhive and the nearby settlement of Qatesh. As I prepared to go inside, figures began to appear from the smoke. I squinted. My eyes weren't as good as they were 20 years before.
"Dad!" shouted Septimus, my 15 year old, seventh son. "It's the Xenonistas!" I was shocked. The Xenonistas were the Outlaw gang nearby who killed anybody in their way. That dust cloud was not natural. It was caused by their bikes kicking up the hive dust.
"Son," I said. "Get inside. Get the guns out." Septimus ran inside. I could hear the clang of guns as Septimus got them out. I could hear Titus, Sextus and Octavius rushing up from the cellar to arm up. I quickly walked in and grabbed my shotgun. Anya, his wife ran from the room her and I shared.
"Tarquin," she said frantically. "What is going on?"
"Xenonista attack," I said. Anya automatically grabbed a lasgun. We were prepared for the fire fight.
Suddenly, round, cylindrical objects flew through the windows. They sprayed purple gas and everything slowly went black.
I slowly woke up. The boys were shaking away the effects of the sleeping gas. I glanced around. Anya was nowhere to be seen
"Anya," I said. Hearing no reply, I said it again, this time a shout. We all started.
She was gone. The bastard Xenonistas must have taken them. The other homesteads confirmed our suspicions; the Xenonistas were looking for women, and they took ours.
Present day…
I crouched behind a rock. I lifted my radio as I watched the patrolling figures inside the abandoned garage.
"Titus," I said into it. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," he breathed. "Taking aim with my grenade launcher now." I switched the channel.
"Octavius, are you in position?"
"Yes, Dad," Octavius responded.
"Good," I said. I switched my radio to the group channel. "Go!" I said.
Gas grenades were thrown or fired by grenade launchers through the broken windows. My vision obscured, I sat, back to the rock. I waited for a few minutes while the gas dissipated. About ten unbearable minutes later, I stood up and called through the channel. "Move in."
The nine of us ran into the building, finding the bodies of the Xenonistas in the main room. "Latinus, Octavius and Septimus, go tie the gangsters up. The others and I will search for the women.
We walked back into the garage, avoiding bodies as we walked. We finally reached a door. I gestured to Titus. "Care to do the honors?" I asked, stepping out of the way. Titus grinned. He reared back and kicked the metal door. It crushed the door and it creaked open.
My wife, along with her daughters, were lying. All had bullets through their heads.
"No!" I shouted as I fell to my knees before Anya's body. I wept over her. I stood after a bit and spun around, a murderous plot happening in my mind. I drew my autopistol. I furiously strode back to where the others were tying up the Xenonistas. A few were beginning to wake. I kicked one in the head and he fell over as he screamed."Why did you kill them?!" I screamed as I broke one of his ribs with another kick.
"They… they kept resisting," he moaned.
"I bet you fuckers raped them too," I howled as I continued to kick him. I beat him to death. The others got the idea. They were angry too, and so they decided to help carry out punishment. Octavius and Septimus executed several with Autopistols, while the Silvius twins were more cruel; they were crucifying one man to the wall. Lucius Brutus and Decimus Collatinus were slicing throats. We finally reached the last man. He seemed to have a mark of honor. I gripped his chin.
"Are you the leader?" I asked.
"Y...y...yes," the man stammered. I curled my lip. I picked up a chainsword next to him.
"Is this yours?" I asked him, looking nonchalant. He nodded. "I like it," I said. I then pulled out my autopistol and fired a burst of bullets into his head. I turned away. We all congregated outside, leaving behind the massacre our anger had inflicted.
"We are pretty good at being at being a gang," I noted. There were nods all around.
"Let us take a vote," Decimus said. "All those in favor of becoming gangsters, say aye!" There was a chorus of 'ayes' around the group.
"It's settled, then," I said. The Sun Zebra Mafia had been born.