Chapter 9

He watched as clouds of smoke started to rise into the sky. A quick scan of the minds around the origin point told him all he needed to know.

A couple of wandering tribes were battling for the land and he wanted to stay out of it. He had more important things to do, like retrieving whatever metals he could get his hands on.

The armour he had in mind wouldn't be finished until he found more adamantium and considering the scavenging efforts already made by whatever remained of civilisation... he couldn't be sure to find enough.

He sighed. Looking around the desolated landscape he had trouble remembering how it was once so very green. Full of forests instead of ruins, lakes instead of holes in the ground.

He shook his head. There was no point in thinking about it, not when he sensed a powerful psyker heading where he left his supplies.

His presence cloacked and his footsteps light, he carefully crept around the ruins of a building, expecting a fight. The psyker was powerful but untrained, his senses told him, but that didn't mean he would underestimate his opponent.

What he found was so baffling it took him a moment to get his bearings.

A child, so skinny bones were visible and clothed in what may be graciously called rags was rummaging in his supply bags, having no interest in the metals he had carefully laid out besides his provisions.

An amused smile crept unto his face as the child -a boy, he realised- gave a girlish shriek of surprise when his hand lifted him from the scruff of his neck.

"Wha- Hey! Let me go!"

His smile still in place, he replied. "And why should I? You were the one going through my belongings, why should I let you leave?"

The boy gave him a sullen glare, not answering.

He slowly put the thief down. A frown was starting to form on his face. "Why are you here, all alone? Where is your tribe?"

At that, the boy ducked his head in shame.

"Well?"

The boy's head shot up. "I am a witch, I can do things...", he swallowed, but kept going. "I cannot remain with the tribe." His whole posture was rigid, expecting a blow perhaps? His eyes were daring him to insult him, probably like everyone did after the revelation of his psyker nature came about.

Instead he smiled cheerfully. "I am a psyker as well."

The boy's eyes widened at his answer, before he scowled. "And who are you anyway?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?"

Scowl still in place, he stuck out his hand and ground out. "My name is Malcador."

He grinned and took the much smaller hand in his. "My name is-"

"Sir?"

The Emperor shook himself out of the memory, before glancing behind him.

It was Rebecca and though her expression was blank, he could sense the storm of her emotions.

It was a few days after Cauldron's 'change of management' and though some people had had some trouble accepting the change in leadership, the ones who counted were aware of his power and their goals coincided enough that for now they decided to go along with his plans. He had proved his claims and while their relationship was strained at best, they would come to trust him. Eventually.

The Emperor turned back to the screen in front of him, where he was creating the schematics for small scale energy weapons. They wouldn't be extremely advanced but their versatility coupled with their relatively easy method of manufacture could definitely give an edge to the normal humans out there against parahuman enemies.

"You can go now Lawrence. You did a good job."

The aide that was watching the designs in fascination gave a start, before he nodded nervously to them and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

"You have questions", the Emperor stated more than asked.

"I do", she nodded, before placing a book on the desk he was working at.

The Emperor looked at the title, before a sigh escaped him. He turned the chair until he was looking at her and with a little use of his power her very soul was laid bare for him. She shuddered.

He waved a hand at her. "Then ask."

"Are you... are you really Him?"

He gave a slow nod. "I am."

She swallowed, before taking a deep breath and looking him in the eye. "How? How can it be possible? That such a work of fiction could be real..."

The Emperor chuckled, the sound reverberating across the room. He scrutinised her for a moment, before settling himself in a more relaxed position.

"It would seem", he began slowly, "that both of our realities are pieces of fiction somewhere in the infiniteness of the multiverse."

He nodded again to answer her unspoken question. "I read a novel, back in the second millennium", a lie, but she didn't need to know that, "that perfectly resembles this world."

Silence descended between them.

"Do you want to know more about it?"

Rebecca was outwardly calm, but her soul couldn't lie to him. She was shocked and deeply disturbed by the news. After a moment she clenched her fists and gave her assent.

A soul was made of energy, memories and instincts. Every time a soul was sacrificed to his Golden Throne, he absorbed their energy to replenish his own limited power, but also catalogued their memories, making an oath to himself to never forget those who gave their lives to him.

The last soul he absorbed was no different. Though he may have been presumptuous and arrogant to believe his power could have been his, he still was the victim of a higher power and his gateway to this new chance at life.

With a bit of concentration and a flex of his will, he located the memories of 'Worm' and after carefully editing some contents, opened Rebecca's mind to them.

The process was slow, for he didn't want her mind to be crushed under his own's weight.

Still, when talking about an interaction between minds time was relative and in less than a minute the transfer had been completed.

Rebecca stumbled back a step, her hand flashing to her head in an attempt to sooth a pain that wasn't physical.

It took her a couple of minutes to regain her calm, but her fists were clenched with the power to lift buildings. He could understand her discomfort, after all in those memories she saw her own death.

"It was the work of an entity of extreme power that brought me here. I don't know what its motivation is", another lie, but it was best to leave out the fact her world was used as a playing ground for these R.O.B.s, "but its actions resulted in me arriving in this reality."

"I see."

The silence between them stretched while she went over everything scrap of information he gave her, before her focus returned to him.

"The plan to unite the earth is going well, but it will take months before the first signs will be seen and years before it will bear fruit", she looked at him shrewdly, "and once it's done, this government of yours will need a leader." Her last sentence was said meaningfully, while her gaze remained locked with his own.

The Emperor slowly shook his head. "I won't lie and say I haven't thought about it, but while humanity will always be under my protection, no matter when or in which dimension, I have an obligation to the people in my home."

He pinned her in place with a look when she opened her mouth to retort. "I will help you steer this society into the right direction, give you plans and schematics, assist you in keeping everything working smoothly, but eventually mankind will have to learn to govern itself and I will leave it in your capable hands." And with the various rejuvenation technologies he had at his disposal that could be a very long time indeed.

This was the plan at the start of the Great Crusade. While he and his sons were a step above humanity, it didn't mean they had the right to govern them. He had planned to slowly relinquish control to the High Lords of Terra and once the galaxy was under human control he could finally step aside. It had an auspicious beginning, Malcador kept the High Lords in line and his example would allow a just society to form around them.

Now... If he ever got back to his home the High Lords would know of his displeasure.

In this dimension though, humanity hadn't suffered the treachery of the xenos, they hadn't degraded to the dark ages, they weren't under the oppressive rule of Chaos. This people could prosper, they didn't need a shining figure to lead them through a galaxy thirsting for human blood.

The Emperor stood up and prepared himself for the fight to come.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have a bird to bring down to earth."

In a swirl of psychic energy, the Emperor tore a whole in reality and made a beeline to the angelic being floating serenely in the space above Terra.