Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Warhammer 40k, Stellaris, Kaiserreich, HoI4, Clannad, Star Wars, or Mass Effect. This is a fanfiction, and I don't have ANY monetary reward for making it. This is purely for fun.
WARNING: This is an M-rated fanfiction. Limes will appear from time to time.
Story update: I changed it to a Mass Effect and Halo crossover, and changed the pairing. It's not Noble Six and Oriana. Same Characters and Noble Six is basically an OC. Nothing has changed in the story.
Author's notes: I'm not sure how I feel about these last two chapters. I wrote them on my phone in my free time, and something just feels off. I don't know, maybe it just me. Don't be surprised if I rewrite them.
Oriana and Erwin's relationship and the birth of the Army of the Wolf was the focus of the story so far. The next chapter might have a large time skip, and the events of ME2 are about to come up. The Precursors were talked about a little more, and I like the back story I gave them. It's a mixture of Halo, Warhammer 40k, and took inspiration from religion.
This is the last chapter of what I'm calling the Arrival Arc. I don't know a good name for the next arc. Maybe, the Three Giants Arc.
Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I hope you enjoy the last chapter of the Arrival Arc.
Chapter IX
The Human Within
Oriana grabbed onto his armor for dear life and squeezed her eyes shut. He could feel her fear from the bond.
He gradually stopped their fall. Then his Armor's DRDs started to overtake gravity, lifting them into the night sky.
Oriana opened her eyes and carefully looked around. He could feel her interesting mix of fear and amazement.
"We're flying!" Oriana yelled out with excitement.
She looked up at Erwin and flashed him one of those stomach-flipping smiles.
The starfighter uncloaked, revealing the aggressive-looking bird of prey. The bottom entrance opened up, then guided the young couple in with artificial gravity.
Erwin's feet gently met the floor of the starfighter.
"Were you scared?" Erwin asked her teasingly.
Instead of teasing back she locked eyes with him, hard gold met gentle blue. Erwin could see the love admiration she held for him within those crystal blue eyes.
"I was protected." She softly asserted.
"Always." He confirmed with a voice he's rarely used. Only Ori could even bring out that last bastion of tenderness.
Erwin sat the blue-eyed girl down and moved towards the back of the fighter.
Towards the back, past a small hallway, was a decent size room. It looked spruce, as all the various furniture and utilities were stored behind the walls, ceilings, or floors.
Towards the back, there were three doors. The right was a door that led to his personal quarters. The middle led to a kitchen and dining area. The last door led to the medical bay. The central area Erwin and Oriana were standing in, functioned as an armory, and training area.
"This is what you call a fighter?" Oriana spoke with an unbelieving tone.
"By Imperial standards, it's a heavy starfighter." Erwin explained.
"Of course it is…" She deadpanned.
Erwin walked towards the front right of the room. On the right wall opened a cupboard the same size as himself. It was only big enough for him to stand in.
He placed his helmet on, faced the cupboard, and took off his Armor. Erwin stepped out from behind, as hard light tendrils and artificial gravity pulled the Armor into the cupboard. The door closed once the Armor was secured.
Erwin was left in his undersuit. He turned back towards Oriana but stopped when he saw her in the sass pose.
"Erwin…" She sweetly pouted.
Erwin sighed.
He moved back towards the cupboard, and the undersuit quickly joined the Armor inside. Leaving Erwin only in his underwear.
"Sanae's right, you're a perv." Erwin playfully picked.
Oriana grinned, then quickly discarded the nightgown. She was left wearing only a set of dark pink lingerie.
"Who do you think I got it from?" Oriana taunted.
Erwin didn't reply, instead, he gained a predatory look in his eyes. He activated the dominating, protective, and lustful patterns.
Erwin slowly walked towards her with a powerful and slow stride.
Oriana exhibited an excited, fearful look of anticipation. Like prey that couldn't wait to get caught.
Erwin grabbed the girl, swooping her off her feet. She gasped, then giggled.
He walked them to the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's chair. She repositioned herself so she was sitting in Erwin's lap.
Oriana snuggled into him and placed her head against his left shoulder. She looked up to Erwin, her eyes full of excitement and want.
"Kiss me." She whispered in need.
Erwin obliged.
Their lips met in a slow, deep, passionate kiss. Their tongues caressed and tangled with each other lovingly.
Erwin was the one to pull back, and Oriana made a little disappointed moan.
"Now, why did you want to sneak off?" Erwin asked.
Oriana got nervous again and wiggled around in his lap. It was a testimony of Erwin's discipline and willpower, he didn't have a tent.
"I wanted to spend time with you, but also ask you something." Oriana timidly admitted.
Oriana didn't say anything but started to caress some of his arm's scars. He was securely embracing the girl around her waist.
"Ori…" Erwin lightly prodded.
"If it's okay… I want to know everything." She confessed with a timid fear of reproach from Erwin.
Erwin thought about it for a moment. It'd be easier for both if she found out now. Right now they could break up, and only be left with major heartbreak.
Their bond always grew faster than usual, but today was almost frightening. If they went too far, a breakup might be traumatizing.
"I'm not twenty-five."
"What? Then how old are you?" Oriana was surprised but curious.
Erwin brought up a life-size hologram of someone. Standing in front of Erwin and Oriana was a child. He looked no older than Kyou or Ryou. A small child with big golden eyes, and wild blond hair.
"Anglians reach physical maturity after a thousand years. This is what I looked like when I was two hundred years old."
"Awe…" Oriana gushed.
Erwin raised an eyebrow.
"Oriana I just told you, I lied about my age." Erwin lectured.
"I'm sure you had a good reason. So how old are you?" Oriana blushed off before asking.
"I'm a little over fourteen hundred years old. I'm still considered very young by Imperial standards." Erwin calmly explained.
Oriana's eyes widened, shock written on her face. Then... she giggled.
"So, I guess you could say I like older guys." Oriana joked.
Erwin could tell she didn't care about his age, but she wasn't getting the severity of the situation.
"Oriana, I'm significantly older than you. Anglians can live for hundreds of thousands of years." Erwin hammered in the situation.
Oriana started to look nervous like something had just hit her.
"What's an Anglian's life span?" Oriana fearfully asked.
Erwin could accurately guess what she's thinking due to the bond. She was terrified of her growing old, and him leaving her for a younger model. It was a common fear for Asari-Human couples too.
"We don't have one."
"You don't mean…" Oriana couldn't finish.
"Yes. Imperial Humans and Anglians don't age. We're by all intents and purposes, immortal."
Oriana held onto Erwin a little tighter. She started to tremble.
Erwin quickly activated his eyes' protective and calming patterns. He moved a hand up to lovingly caress her cheek.
"I wanted to grow old with you…" Oriana somberly confessed, her heart was breaking before his eyes.
"I don't. You're going to stay forever young. I can make you and everyone you know ageless. That is one of my birthday presents to you, Baby Girl." Erwin soothed.
"You can do that?" Oriana asked hopefully, but afraid. It sounded too good to be true.
"Yes, it's just a simple gene modification. Hell, primitive species like Alligators and some rodents don't age. It's a simple fix. In fact, it's seen as an illness within the Empire." Erwin softly explained.
"Immortality…" Oriana was dumbfounded.
"Yes, but Ori you're thinking like someone with a few decades. Not potentially thousands." He seriously told her.
"So, when I make you ageless, what will you do with thousands of years? Will you dedicate yourself to one man, to forever be with him? Have hundreds of children with him? Go experience everything life has to offer? Party, enjoy the pleasures of life, and have hundreds of different sexual partners? Dedicate yourself to a singular purpose? Lay around enjoying existence? There is no wrong answer. There are people… no… entire civilizations that form around the answers to those questions. The Empire is made up of trillions of human souls. If you think of a way to live, no matter how odd, there are probably thousands practicing it. You say you love me, but knowing this, are you sure? You are all but blind to the possibilities of life by your primitive biology. That's why I call people from this Universe primitive. You live tragically short lives and are little more than wise cavemen. It's not necessarily an insult, though is commonly used as one in higher Imperial Civilizations. It's an observation." He continued to explain.
"So what if you find someone better than me? There are men who are more entertaining, suaver, or more handsome. There are men that are the definition of perfection for most women. There are some who control more wealth than that of all of your Galaxy combined. You are a stunning girl, Oriana. There are men who would literally give you a planet just to have you at their side. You should know I'm broken. I'm consumed by vengeance and a lust for revenge. I can't be there for you like other men could." Erwin finished with an even tone.
Oriana thought seriously about it for a while. He could see the gears frantically turning in her head. Erwin was glad she was putting serious thought into the prospect.
Oddly enough he felt… heartbreak from the bond. Along with a strong urge for Erwin's presence and embrace.
Oriana made no move to obtain more of Erwin, but rather kept frantically thinking. He could feel her subconscious snuggled deeper into his embrace.
Oriana looked up at Erwin with determination. He meets her gaze and couldn't help but be slightly surprised. There was a fire in those crystal blue orbs.
She turned around, and straddled him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Erwin held the girl security in the new position. Their foreheads connected, as Oriana's eyes bore into Erwin's soul.
Erwin was stunned, he wasn't expecting this type of reaction.
"I don't have as much life experience as you, but I promise Erwy, my feelings will never change for you. I feel crazy for developing such strong feelings for you, but I can't help it. Soulmate comes to mind, but I don't care how I got to this point. I'm terrified yet eternally grateful that I have them." Oriana said with a nervous determination. At the same time, Erwin's never heard her talk with such conviction.
Oriana kept their foreheads connected but trailed her hand over some of his large scars. The other hand caressed his cheek, gently massaging his facial scar.
She closed her eyes, and Erwin found himself immediately missing her blue eyes. Oriana breathed deeply a few times, then her eyes snapped back open. A new inferno of courage rage within those beautiful eyes.
"I will say it again. I love you, Erwin August Wolff! And nothing will change that. There is no one better than you because you're Erwin. You broke me because now I beg for anything you can give me. That's all I need, yet I want all of you. I want to know more, every flaw and every little quark. Give me a chance I won't fail you." She said with the most determined voice Erwin's probably ever heard. Yet still in a low voice, coated with the tenderness of her love.
"The hell was going on in this girl's head!?" Erwin thought.
Oriana leans in until their lips meet. She poured every ounce of her heart into it. It went from soft and loving to harsh and desperate. She started to softly moan into his mouth.
A growl escaped his throat, and they desperately kissed for what felt like hours. The bond was screaming with simple and complicated emotions of compassion and love. Erwin provided feelings of domination and protection.
Erwin was going to tell her everything because he loved this girl. He pulled back from the kiss, and they locked eyes.
He planned on saying something, but his voice wouldn't work. Her eyes, they wouldn't let him escape.
"Ori… I told you before. I'm a monster and have no regrets for my actions. My life is complicated and hard to explain." He finally spoke.
She gave him a smooth and loving peck on the lips and placed both hands on his cheeks.
"And I've told you, good people can do evil things. You're not a monster." She lovingly reaffirmed.
"I want to know." Oriana softly begged.
Erwin pulled up a hologram of paradise. A planet with green continents and blue oceans, the surface was sixty percent water. The night side was dotted with glowing cities, but nothing to the level of an Ecumenopolis.
Oriana turned around, sitting in Erwin's lap again. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in tightly.
"Even your planets are beautiful." Oriana was amazed by the beauty the green and blue marble exuded.
"This was Ruhe. It was terraformed by the German Empire into paradise from a barren world, five thousand years ago. The population of twenty billion was ruled by the Wolff dynasty." Erwin explained.
"That's amazing, to turn a lifeless rock into a planet more alluring than Earth. Wait… THAT Wolff!?" Oriana yelled the last part incredulously.
Erwin grinned
"I was the heir of the Wolff dynasty." He proudly answered.
"Erwin, you're a prince!" Oriana was ecstatic, she probably had those childish fantasies of dating a prince.
"Technically, yes. Every system within the German Empire was ruled by a king, with local parliamentary representation. The Kaiser ruled over all the German Empire, so it's more of a federal monarchy of sorts." Erwin confessed his royalty status and described the German political system.
The Kaiser was very conservative and embraced monarchy. Many other countries had Monarchies, but only Germany had multiple local kingdoms unified by a single Emperor.
The German Empire was the natural antithesis of the United States and Anglia. The Americans and Anglians were obsessed with Liberty, plus they hated the fact the Kaiser was an Anglian.
If it wasn't for the Empress, Anglia and the German Empire would have already fought it out. If that happened; the Americans, Russians, and Latins would jump at the opportunity to dismantle the Germans. Then the German Allies would jump to their defense, notably Britain and China. The war would have been long and bloody, millions dead, and hundreds of years of progress blown away like ash in the wind.
Luckily, the Empress refused to allow any of her descendants to fight and kill each other. She definitely wouldn't allow her husband to kill their third child.
There was a somewhat large rivalry between the descendants of the Kaiser and the Emperor. To the point of German-born Anglians referring to themselves as "Voltsengel." There was even a more complex form of German to replace the Anglia language, it was simply called "High German."
Anglians tended to have a hands-off approach to other Humans back then, besides a few treaties with the Americans and guaranteeing a few other's independence. The Voltsengel were much more imperialistic, seeing themselves as the rightful rulers over Humanity.
Even the governments were radically different. Anglia was more of a Republic, even if their Executive was called the Imperator. The German Empire was a monarchy through and through.
Oddly enough, the Empress was the reason the Voltsengel and Anglians saw themselves as brothers and sisters. Just… estranged.
The battle of gods could never happen, the prospect of causing the Empress heartache was not worth the prospect of victory.
Germany was the only nation besides Anglia with a large Anglian population. The fact that an Anglian, or Voltsengel, was the ruler of Germany; meant the German Empire was always dominant and growing more powerful.
It was the major reason Anglians or Voltsengel were forbidden to pledge loyalty to any other nation besides Anglia and Germany. Through extension, they were loyal to the Terran Empire.
Anglia and the Americans didn't want another German Empire running around. The German Empire also didn't want another… well… Germany.
When FTL was out of the bag, space allowed old grievances to wither and die. It's quite ironic that the Americans, Germans, Anglians, Russians, Chinese, Latins, and British all agreed to unify into the United Terran Empire. Especially the Americans and their "Grand Republic."
"I don't agree with the political system, but it's cool you're a prince." Oriana said in a little bit more controlled tone after the excitement wore off.
"I know you don't; but if we have a kid, he'll be a part of Imperial and German Nobility." Erwin rolled his eyes before informing her of that important piece of information. Oriana would always be a democratic pacifist.
"What does that mean, and what makes you think it'll be a boy?" Oriana asked, and finished the last part teasingly.
Erwin could feel she was giddy through the bond. Not embarrassed, but excited. Oriana wasn't thinking about "if" they have kids, but "when."
"Certain responsibilities will be thrust upon our son, and it'll be a son because I can control it. Anglians have certain control over their biology."
"You can control it?" Oriana was getting used to the bombshells her boyfriend kept dropping.
"Yes, normally it's the normal fifty-fifty. However, under stressful environments, a son could be guaranteed." Erwin generalized the complex Anglian biology.
"I'd prefer a son, anyhow. Now, what are these responsibilities?" Oriana accepted easily.
"Nobile men are required to walk the path of the Warrior. In the event of war, the nobility are drafted as Officers. Then he'd have to be schooled in mathematics, engineering, science, economics, government, and philosophy, among other things. He'll be expected to responsibly and efficiently rule over an entire star system, then have the capability to defend that system." Erwin elaborated.
"I'm fine with the intensive schooling, but I don't want any of our sons joining the Military. I have respect for those who fight for our freedoms, but I see what it does to people." Oriana sourly rejected the idea, she was a pacifist. She didn't want her son to become a soldier and getting mentally or physically hurt.
"Sucks. If we have a son, he'll be a Warrior and Ruler. It'll be in his blood. The boy may even beg for lessons in the Art of War." Erwin firmly stated, he wasn't going to let her childish ideologies ruin his son.
"That's only if the Empire finds us. You said it yourself, we're probably not going to see the Empire. In all likelihood, he'll never have to fight. I'm not even sure how I like the idea of him being a dictator." Oriana fought.
Erwin was getting angry, she had no idea what she was talking about.
He firmly held her jaw and turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the serious look Erwin was wearing.
"Dictator? No. I'm a King, like my grandfather before me. We weren't just some two-bit military dictatorship. The people trusted us, and we ruled with honor and wisdom. If you had the gall to call my grandfather a dictator in front of a Ruhe citizen, they'd likely run you off the planet." He stared her down, letting her know the insult she just inflicted upon his family.
"But, you're right. They're all dead, so you don't have to worry about any pesky responsibilities thrust on our hypothetical son." Erwin finished by lightly sneering at her.
Erwin could feel her slight fear and regret through the bond.
"They're… dead?" She timidly asked as she paled.
Erwin turned her face towards the hologram, and the familiar-looking Covenant ships approached the planet. There were a few odd-looking curved and flat, black ships among the enemy fleet. They were clearly not Covenant, they seemed evil yet elegant.
The planet spun quickly, and like Harvest, the paradise was transformed into hell by the flames of genocide.
There was a number above the planet, representing the population. It quickly went from twenty billion to zero. There was another number under it, that number was for survivors. It read only one.
"My grandparents, mother, sister, my entire planet was glassed! Oh, but don't worry. This was when the Ilythiiri entered the war, so that 'evil dictator,' my grandpa, died slowly. They wanted to capture my sister, or me, for a breeding program. Instead of just glassing the world from the get-go, they raided us with shock troops. Luckily those subjects must have been masochists because they fought hard enough for me to survive. They just loved living under a tyrannical dictatorship." Erwin sneered and sarcastically finished.
A hologram of his family appeared next to the planet. Everyone but Erwin burned to ash, just like the planet. The spectacle was to highlight the seriousness of her statement.
"Do you understand? Don't worry my son won't have a planet to rule over... I don't have a planet to rule over... But it's for the best right? None of those people have to deal with our low taxes, nonexistent corruption, high living standard, and superb public works." Erwin grilled her.
Oriana was silent as she watched the beautiful world burn to ash. It was Erwin's homeworld. His grandfather ruled over it, and she just indirectly called him a dictator.
"I-I'm sorry… Erwy." Oriana was crying. Tears fell down her cheeks. She could feel his pain, loss, anger, and hurt from the bond.
He could feel her apologizing over the bond, begging for his mercy. For his compassion to return.
Erwin closed his eyes and meditated for a few seconds. He was offended by her words, but part of him was just lashing out to lash out.
He's never been angry with her before, but fortunately, she never feared him. There was fear, but none directed his way.
Once Erwin's psionic presence mellowed out, Oriana calmed down.
Erwin pulled her further in a gentle embrace and rested his chin on her shoulder. His large body engulfed Oriana's much smaller one.
They both looked at the hologram of the dead world and little Erwin. He's never discussed the subject before. All the military wanted to know was if he was mentally stable. Erwin may have his moments, but he wasn't crazy. The Empire wouldn't trust someone unstable with Imperial war assets.
Members of the Matriarchy would constantly make trips to the Imperial Academy to talk to him. The Empress even made a few trips, and she became Erwin's closest person within the Empire. The Empress and Matriarchy would ask him to talk about it, but he never really told them anything.
It was easier to just embrace his role as a Warrior. He still needed to find a level of acceptance over the subject. Otherwise; he wouldn't be able to control his emotions, and that was unacceptable for Warriors.
"I'm sorry, Ori. I shouldn't have lashed out like that." Erwin softly apologized.
Erwin had a hand resting on her stomach. Oriana placed her own over it, and they intertwined fingers.
"No, that was stupid of me. I'm so sorry… I didn't know that…" Oriana didn't complete what she was going to say. She stared at a lonely little Erwin, and a dead world.
One of Erwin's nicknames was the King of Ashes, no Imperial called him that. It was given to him by the Ilythiiri, he hated that particular nickname. The Ilythiiri huntresses would constantly throw it in his face. It didn't end well for the female psionic warriors.
"The German Empire sent a Spec Ops team to secure me, not even my sister was considered worth saving. I was the only one considered worth saving. The danger of me bonding with a high-ranking Ayleian, and having her bare children loyal to the Elves and Covenant was too great. Unfortunately, those Commandos weren't fast enough. My entire family died in front of me, and I killed for the first time that day. The people I grew up around sacrificed themselves to save me. I managed to survive long enough after I killed a few Xenos, for the Commandos to find me. The last time I saw my world, it was being glassed." Erwin confessed.
Erwin had his side of the bond open, and Oriana was begging for him to keep it open. She could feel everything he felt, and her heart was breaking for him.
Oriana started crying and reached out to touch the hologram of little Erwin.
"You were just a baby." She whimpered.
"Shh… you don't need to cry about things that happened long ago." Erwin kissed her neck and caressed her stomach.
Erwin turned off the holograms, but Oriana stopped him. She wanted the hologram of little Erwin to stay on.
Oriana relaxed and regained her composure after a few minutes.
"Why didn't they send more help?" She asked quietly.
The hologram changed to two massive fleets of warships. One was a Covenant fleet with multiple supercarriers. The other was a Terran fleet with a variety of different yet human designs, it had a few dreadnoughts but nowhere near the number of capital ships the Covenant employed.
"This is a visualization of the balance of power between the Covenant and Terran Confederacy. We were outnumbered three to one." Erwin explained.
Oriana intently watched the hologram.
The hologram added two more massive fleets next to the covenant. One was made up of the dark ships from earlier. The other was made up of what looked like elegant flat arrows and triangles, the silver geometric ships looked almost feminine. Both ships looked oddly feminine, but the black fleet looked evil while the silver fleet looked tranquil. Then some of the Terran ships disappeared.
"The two rival Apex races of the Rivendell Galaxy joined the Covenant. We became outnumbered by seven to one. They commemorated the Elves joining with a massive offensive on our Galactic north. We lost an entire sector, they blew past our shield worlds with massive casualties. However, their losses didn't stop them from glassing thousands of worlds. The Confederacy lost hundreds of thousands of warships. Then to top it all off, a million worlds betrayed the Confederacy."
"We had no fleet to send." Erwin somberly finished.
"What happened next?" Oriana sadly asked.
"To me, or the war?"
"Both."
"We eventually halted their advance and built up another line of shield worlds. We managed to recover an intact Elven ship and cracked their technology relatively easily. They didn't use AI, so all their ships were controlled by large Elven crews. Their basic computer systems were unhackable but easy to understand. Then a rapid series of events led to the formation of the United Terran Empire. Half of Humanity left the Confederacy, the other half unified behind the Imperial banner." Erwin spoke the last part with some anger.
"Why'd they betray you?" Oriana asked in her small but curious voice.
"The Ayleids offered any human world that became their vessels protection from the Covenant and Ilythiiri. Worlds were falling, and it looked like we were going to lose everything. Luckily the Lord of Admirals, the Emperor's first grandson, was a tactical genius. He managed to deliver a devastating defeat against the Xeno coalition."
Those treacherous worlds would probably have preferred the quick Covenant glassing over the Imperial military occupation. The sounds of firing squads filled the air of every rebel planet for dozens of years.
"And… Did you grow up in an orphanage?" Oriana was still sad from the previous news but was hopeful Erwin at least was taken in by good people.
The hologram of little Erwin changed so he was wearing a small military uniform.
"No. I had potential, so the next week I was enrolled in the Imperial Academy. From that moment forward the Art of War was my world. I read every piece of literature like scripture, mastered different skills, learned about many different tactics, and was properly introduced to the Warrior's Path. Everything from marksmanship to physics was taught to me."
Oriana gasped. Indicting children into the military was unheard of in her Universe, no one practiced the taboo practice.
A holographic screen pulled up and showed a two-hundred-year-old Erwin fighting an instructor. More like the instructor was beating the crap out of him, it was to make him tougher. It worked, and they were always proud of his performance.
"What do you do, when death calls!?"
Little Erwin didn't respond, instead, he attacked the large Voltsengel.
The larger man grabbed him by his head and slammed his knee into Erwin's stomach. The small boy yelled in pain, then coughed up blood.
The Voltsengel threw the child away, and he tumbled through a series of painful rolls. The larger man wasn't gentle.
"I asked you a question, boy. What do you do, when death calls!?"
Little Erwin stood up on shaky legs and coughed up more blood.
"You… bring… them with… you." The boy panted as he spoke, trying to catch his breath.
The child then rushed the instructor with a renewed vigor.
The instructor grinned when Erwin got a good hit on him, then kicked the small child across the room. Erwin was left bloody and unconscious.
"No… that bastard, how could he!?" Oriana couldn't believe his people would turn him into a child soldier, then beat him.
Then a different video started playing. It was when Erwin was left on a barren frigid world with multiple genetically engineered Abominations. Beast meant for killing sentient beings.
Erwin looked about six in the video and just reached a dead end. He was running from one of the beasts and was injured. Blood was covering his form-fitting training suit. It was a simple piece of clothing, nothing to help him survive the uninhabitable planet. The only mercy given in the frozen hell was a breathable atmosphere.
Erwin turned around, fear in his eyes. There was only one way out of the large ice canyon.
Two voices talk in the background.
"This is going too far. He's just a child."
"You Anglians worry too much. He's a Warrior in training. He'll find a way."
"That boy is an Anglian, not a Voltsengel! I will not let that Abomination end his life!"
"Stop right there! You interfere, and everything he's been through will be for nothing."
"It's going to kill him, Kurtz!"
"No… it won't. This is where the boy shows his true nature."
In front of Erwin, jumped a large creature that stood twenty feet tall. It looked like a furry praying mantis. It was deformed from an unholy merger of human and insect DNA. The being could track Erwin's psionic presence, and was happy to finally catch its prey.
Erwin closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths.
Then his eyes snapped open, revealing cold golden orbs.
Erwin was armed with only a spear. He ran then jumped towards the Abomination, but the creature was fast. It used one of its forelegs to grab Erwin. He tried to dodge, but the razor sharp spikes grabbed hold of his leg.
Erwin screamed in pain as the creature tried to pull him into its horrifying mouth.
He threw the spear into the creature's eye. It made a painful scraping, hissing noise.
Little Erwin then used a psionic blast to get out of the creature's painful hold. He landed on the ground in a painful thump.
His leg was pouring blood, and he grunted in pain when he tried to put weight on it.
Erwin got back up and looked at the beast pulling the spear out of its eye. It's face was a disturbing mix between a human and praying mantis.
It snapped the spear in half. Grinning as it did so, the beast knew Erwin was defenseless now.
Erwin shook with fear at the insectoid's predatory look. He didn't lose control, instead he did what was taught to him. Erwin redirected that fear into something useful, it sharpened his senses.
The fear turned to anger, the beast wanted to kill and eat him. For him to be eaten by such a primitive being was insulting. Erwin was also hungry, he'd be the hunter.
The boy used psionics to grab the sharp end of the broken spear. He used his good leg to jump to a high point on the ice canyon wall. Then used the same leg and psionics to jump down at the creature.
The creature used it's raptor forelegs to grab at the small Anglian, but Erwin used a psionic blast to change direction. It used up all of his remaining energy.
Erwin's velocity carried him towards the beast's head, and it tried to bite him. The boy extended his hand with the broken spear and stabbed it in the creature's forehead.
The kinetic energy gained by the fall was enough to pierce through the thick skull and exoskeleton.
The praying mantis hybrid thrashed around, and Erwin held on for dear life. He wiggled the broken spear, hoping to scramble the monster's brains.
Eventually, the Abomination fell down dead, and Erwin rolled off the creature exhausted. Even though he was running on fumes, Erwin was starving. He hadn't eaten in weeks.
He used all his strength to crack open the beast skull and exoskeleton skin. The boy was rewarded with a warm fatty brain. The heat from the raw flesh steamed around him, the creature's internal temperature was much warmer than outside.
The boy happily dug in, not carrying he was eating raw brain.
The aggressive Voltsengel spoke one more time.
"There's only one predator on this world, and the Xeno dogs will one day fear him."
"Oh… Kami… what was that thing!? Why didn't they help!?" Oriana was freaking out.
While the video played, Erwin had to hold her securely to show her she was protected and he was okay. She was absolutely terrified of the Abomination, and petrified little Erwin was fighting such a creature.
The Abomination did its job with Oriana. It was designed to be horrifying and disturbing. A praying mantis was genetically engineered with human DNA thrown in. Because it wasn't a clone, the creature could use psionics on a basic level.
"That was a survival exercise. They dropped me on a frozen world, filled with genetically engineered monsters." Erwin clarified.
The hologram of the two-hundred-year-old Erwin replaced the video screen. One more figure appeared behind the child, it was an older Erwin.
This new Erwin looked like an eight foot, eighteen year old. His face was clear of any scars, and his eyes were hardened. The teen was wearing an Imperial dress uniform. The black European style military uniform had crimson trims and golden buttons. The service cap had a small Imperial seal, and a golden Imperial eagle donned his upper left chest.
"That's me at two hundred and nineteen. My aging was accelerated, it's unnatural for an Anglians to grow that fast. Then I was given to the Imperial Intelligent Agency. Normally I'd be part of a team, but my talents were tailored for solo missions." Erwin informed the silently crying girl in his arms.
Oriana was heartbroken; she's never seen something so terrifying, and those men just left him alone with one. They just watch as a baby fights for his life against one.
He was forced to grow old, to fight in a bloody war sooner. Her Erwy was pulled into the military as a child and had his childhood stolen. She was starting to hate the Empire.
Then they gave him to an intelligence agency. Oriana knew what they were probably like. The Empire was much more extreme than her Universe's USA and seemed just as ruthless as the USSR. The CIA and KGB did horrific things for the sole purpose of getting a slight advantage over the other.
"H-How could they… be so cruel? How could they… Erwy!" Oriana broke down.
She could still feel what Erwin felt from the bond. The fact he only felt pride about his time at the Imperial Academy, only drove her heartbreak. She thought he was brainwashed to enjoy the pain, but deep down she knew better. Her boyfriend loved war, he was a Warrior.
She turned around, now sitting across his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oriana rested her head against his left shoulder, directly on his large scar. Then simply wept.
Erwin placed one arm around her shoulders and the other over her legs. He pulled her in and gently caressed her arm.
"Ori… I chose to go through that. I wasn't forced to do anything. They offered to turn me into a Warrior, to give me the capability of getting revenge on those who wronged me." He gently soothed.
He leaned down and gave his girlfriend a soft and loving kiss. She responded by moaning in sadness and want, then she deepened the kiss. Their kissing and Erwin's calming pattern made her stop crying.
"Don't get so emotional, Ori. These are all events that have already happened." Erwin said after breaking the kiss.
"It's the first time I've heard of them, and they happened to someone I love." She sniffled.
"There she goes again… it's getting harder to hold back." Erwin thought.
"Oriana, you're seeing me as a victim. You should see the rest. After I was sent to the Imperial Intelligence Agency, I gained a new nickname. The Lone Wolf." Erwin said in a serious but tender voice.
For some reason, the bond wouldn't let him talk harshly to this girl anymore. It was strengthening rapidly.
A hard light screen appeared in front of Oriana, and to the right of Erwin. It showed a video of him killing humans. It was a video from one of his helmet's cameras.
He was brutal, not letting one run away. The room was painted red from the explosions his kinetic rounds caused.
Around the time Erwin entered service, the Empire was using antimatter technology intensively. Most races never used antimatter. It was too volatile, and fusion was good enough.
The Empire used to think the same way. Sure antimatter reactors were well within Imperial capabilities. However, the improved power generation doesn't matter if your ships go nova from a slight bump. Any power loss or damage to the antimatter fuel tanks, caused the ships to atomize themselves.
However, one invention changed that. As far as the Empire knows, Humanity is the only race to develop the exotic technology.
Antimatter powder.
It looked similar to baby powder but was the C4 equivalent of matter annihilation. It allowed antimatter to be safely stored, and detonated on command.
The uses went beyond just new reactors. Bullets could house a few grains of antimatter powder, and be detonated within a target with the force of a grenade.
That's what was happening to the humans in the video, they were being slaughtered by Erwin. Blood and guts flew whenever someone was hit by the explosive rounds.
Oriana went pale and felt sick. She's seen horror movies before, but the level of gore and blood was more than any she's ever seen in a movie. The fact those were real people made the slaughter truly sickening.
After the fighting died down, Erwin messed around with a few computer systems. He was sent to exterminate the rebel group and gather any information.
Erwin turned around quickly and found three people walking out with their hands raised. They all had their helmets off, and the leader was a teenage girl. Her face was stained with tears, and she was shaking. They probably put her in front to gain a level of sympathy from Erwin.
She had blond hair, blue eyes, and creamy skin. She was a beautiful young thing.
The other one was also a girl. She was Hispanic with doe brown eyes, and caramel skin.
The last was a boy of mixed race. Erwin couldn't tell which mixture he was. He had bronze skin with black eyes and curly hair.
All three looked like attractive teens. In times of war, sixteen was old enough to fight. Younger, if things were going to shit.
These three were probably just some ideological teens that got swept up in a local movement.
"W-We s-surender…" The blond girl stuttered.
Erwin hated killing young people. Baseline humans grew frighteningly fast and were often immature and arrogant at that age. It's not like they knew better.
It didn't matter, they were traitors. Their actions could have led to the death of many Imperials. Teens could be unnecessarily cruel too, a side effect of rampant hormones and their ease of manipulation.
"You betrayed the Empire."
"Sir… we just didn't want to die in a meat grinder." The boy respectfully defended.
"The price of treason is death."
"W-Wait… I-I can… m-make it worth.. y-your while!" The blond stumbled out, fear etched on her face.
Erwin killed the two other teens. The blond girl screamed when she was covered in her friend's blood. She fell to her knees and looked down at her shaking hands, they were covered in blood.
"Stay there." Erwin commanded.
He moved around the base, making sure every scrap of information was gained.
The next scene was a half-dressed teen Erwin standing in an airlock with the completely naked blond girl.
"Please don't! I can do more, please! I don't wanna die!" The blond girl cried and started to hyperventilate. She was on her knees begging for mercy.
"Sorry, no prisoners. It's a shame, you were cute. At least you won't die a virgin." Erwin sympathetically told her.
Erwin got on one knee and placed his hands on the sides of her head. He pulled her in for a searing kiss, and the girl felt some hope for survival. While he was kissing her, he used his psionics to scramble her brains.
It was painless and she died with some level of pleasure.
The girl's lifeless body fell on the hard floor. She looked almost peaceful, and no blood stained the airlock. Erwin stepped out and vented the chamber to space. The girl's body was sucked into the void, never to be seen again. Erwin made it so eventually, her body would fall into the local star. It was a respectful burial.
Oriana was crying again. Erwin could feel she was horrified, jealous, guilty, and once again heartbroken.
"W-Why?" Oriana choked out.
"You need to see what I've done. I was called the Lone Wolf because I worked alone, and made insurrectionist groups disappear overnight. Wolf came from my name and the nickname I was given in the Academy. Erwin August Wolff, the Predator of Mors to the Lone Wolf." Erwin tenderly explained.
"Y-You… killed them all… and… raped her?" Oriana asked in disbelief, she was heartbroken Erwin could do such a thing. Tears once again stained her beautiful face.
"That's not how my people would define it, she just used her body for personal gain. Your people have a much broader definition of rape. She was going to die anyway, we had a no-prisoners order. I was young, and hormones were running through me. I even told her beforehand she was going to die in the end." He admitted.
"Oriana, I'd understand if you wanted to break up. I'd still make your family immortal, and you'd never see me again. I've told you I'm a monster. I've killed, raped, and done horrible things. My hands are covered in blood." Erwin gently offered.
He could feel her freak out a little bit when he talked about breaking up. Most likely from his thoughts on the matter, the bond was still open. Erwin should have closed his end, but every time he thought about doing it Oriana struggled against him.
She wanted it open, even now, and he couldn't deny her. Oriana had him wrapped around her finger, but it was a fragile finger. He could snap it in two, but he just couldn't.
"No! Please, I don't want that. It's just…" She quickly shot down the idea of breaking up.
Erwin held one of her petite hands in his larger rough hand.
"Ori… your hands are clean, innocent, and pure. You're a unique girl, and almost too kind. My hands are rough, callus, and stained. You can give life, and always try to help others. You deserve better." Erwin said in a gentle and almost guilty voice.
He caressed her hand, it was soft and small. Erwin loved the way it felt in his hand. He was honestly afraid she'd hate him. What he showed her was mild compared to some of his other missions.
Many in the higher echelons of the Empire credit its early stability to Erwin. He wasn't nearly as important as the Lord of Admirals, that man single-handedly broke the Covenant and Elves. However, Erwin contributed a large degree of stability during the early Imperial era.
No one dared to talk of insubordination towards the Empire. The Imperial Intelligence Agency could learn of it, and if that happened… they sent the Wolf after them. He was ruthless, meticulous, and merciless.
Life under what some perceive as a dictatorship was far more preferable to death. That was the only outcome for those who harmed Humanity's war effort and betrayed the Empire. The sentence was nearly always dealt out by Erwin.
Erwin didn't want her to fully bond with him, only to find out he was a monster. She had to know on some level what he was, who he was. Otherwise, their bond wouldn't have formed to this degree. Still… he wanted the girl to know what he's done. Bonding was funny like that; she knew, but at the same time didn't.
"I don't know what to say. Other than that, I still love you. Does that make me insane?" Oriana sadly mumbled the rhetorical question, while the tears fell.
Oriana kept crying, and Erwin just held her.
"I'm sorry, but you need to know what you're getting involved with." He once again tenderly soothed.
"Do you want to learn about my most well-known nickname?" Erwin softly offered the silently crying girl.
Oriana nodded her head. She was worried it was more evil deeds.
All the previous holograms disappeared, replaced by a unique planet. It depicted Reach before its demise. The Ecuminopolis was a beautiful mixture of greys, silvers, and city lights. Multiple orangish circular patterns could be seen from orbit. The planet was once terraformed into an Earthlike planet, but its constant growth evolved it into a monument of civilization.
"This is Reach, Jewel of the Terran Empire. It had a population of twenty trillion. Its industrial districts and shipyards feed the Imperial war machine, the population was protected by a massive planetary shield, and enormous orbital defense platforms could destroy even Covenant supercarriers." Erwin spoke with a soft pride.
"A city-planet…" Oriana quietly spoke with awe. She was still heartbroken but was slowly getting better.
"Yes. It was a project by Anglia to provide a free trade zone for all of Humanity. Many corporations throughout the old Confederacy swarmed to the world. People from different nations migrated en masse to Reach. It's the only place within the Empire where you could find Americans, Germans, Chinese, British, Latins, Indians, South Americans, Africans, Arabs, and many other nationalities living together. Even Terra couldn't attest to that, the homeworld's borders were tightly controlled. Reach may not be the capital of the Empire, but it's the most important planet." Erwin spoke with reverence.
"It just sounds like a really big Citadel. Though… I'd love to visit it one day if the Empire finds us." Oriana lightly picked. She was still clearly sad but was trying to lighten the mood.
Erwin would humor her, Reach didn't have a good ending. Erwin didn't want to hurt her anymore. Her tears and constant dull heartbreak were tearing him apart.
"Please… Reach had orbital defense platforms that dwarfed your primitive little station." Erwin playfully smirked at Oriana.
"Why are you so defensive? Are you trying to overcompensate for something?" Oriana joked.
He looked down at the teasing goddess on his lap. The city and moonlight streamed through the cockpit, illuminating her. He could have a little fun first.
Erwin leaned down and started to suck on Oriana's neck. She moaned loudly at the sudden act of affection. He slowly moved up to her ear and nibbled on it like she always did to him.
"Careful my little primitive, or I'll pull you into my quarters and take away that cherry." Erwin joked back in a low husky voice.
"Do it." Oriana said seriously. Her voice was nervous and timid.
"What?" Erwin deadpanned.
"I'm serious. It's yours." Oriana girlishly whispered as she held his head in the crook of her neck. The other arm wrapped around Erwin's bicep, she was very flexible.
"I thought you were waiting for marriage? You want to give yourself to a monster?" Erwin quietly asked.
Erwin was very surprised she still wanted him even after what he showed her. Her scent was filling his nostrils, he could tell she switched to a more natural smelling soap. He loved the new smell, her more natural scent was driving him crazy.
"Good people can do evil things. I refuse to believe you're a monster. Whoever heard of a monster named Erwy? As for the marriage thing… I guess you'll have to marry me one day." She softly demanded.
Erwin could feel her sincerity, fear, and nervousness from the bond. He moved his head from her neck, and she removed her arm from his head.
Oriana placed her now free left hand on his large chest scar.
"You know if we fully bond, you'll become half Anglian." Erwin informed the angel in his arms. Perhaps she was more deserving of the name.
Erwin August Wolff? He was a demon.
No… he was worse.
The Devil wouldn't dare insult Erwin, for he was the one who killed even deities.
Oriana Furukawa? She was the angel.
Oriana was too pure for this Universe filled with more death than his own.
Angels were what the locals called Erwin's ancestors on Terra, it was a long time ago.
The name stuck.
Anglians... the people of angels.
"What does that mean?" Oriana curiously asked, still using the small voice.
"In your case, your eyes will glow in blue bioluminescence patterns. Only me and our kids would understand what those patterns mean. Your bones will become more durable, and your ribs would be replaced by a shell of sorts. Your muscles become denser, and no you won't look different. The muscles don't gain any volume. Then your intelligence and reflexes will go through the roof. Also, your psionic powers will grow rapidly." Erwin listed off the improvement.
"Will I still be me, and will it hurt?" Oriana fearfully asked.
"Yes, I wouldn't fall for someone just to replace them. You'll look exactly the same. Unfortunately, it will hurt. Think of really bad growing pains, but nothing drastic. The process wouldn't start tonight, or anytime soon. I'd be the one to initiate the process, and you'd have to accept it. Sounds vague, but you'll instinctively understand when it happens." Erwin relieved the nervous girl. She was terrified of losing her humanity.
"You fell for me?" She hopefully asked, almost too quiet for Erwin to hear.
"Shit… that's the one thing she latched onto?" Erwin thought, almost disbelieving the girl's priorities.
Oriana looked into his eyes; the heartbreak, compassion, fear, nervousness, sorrow, hate for what Erwin was put through, and love for him filled the bond.
"Yes." He still couldn't directly say it for some reason. It was like a roadblock was stopping him.
Erwin could do something special for the girl.
He fully revealed his eyes. Just like he did the first time they met, except this time he purposely showed her.
Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. He felt a familiar snap through the bond. Except this one was like a near-miss of an Imperial sniper. It was almost psionically deafening.
The bond grew exponentially, and he couldn't put any psionic barriers up. It was like his mind wouldn't allow it.
Oriana's reaction was almost immediate. She lunged up at Erwin and viciously kissed him, like the only source of air was from his lungs. Her left arm wrapped around his head again.
Then she did a weird maneuver that could only be pulled off with her flexibility. She somehow wrapped both her legs around Erwin's right arm. He rested his right hand on her ass cheek, and oddly enjoyed her legs locked on his arm.
Oriana was doing more than just physically forcing himself on him. She was crying out in the bond for him.
Erwin met her fervent kiss with equal energy. He was losing himself, they both wanted each other. They wanted to be each other's first.
Erwin never made love before, what he's done with other women was little more than sex. What Oriana was pushing for, and was at the same time terrified of, was life-changing.
He had to pull the girl down a little, to break the kiss. She fought him the whole way.
"Ori… Reach has… a… story." Erwin tried to speak but was interrupted by Oriana jumping up and stealing small kisses. He had to pull her down each time.
"Tell me later." She girlishly demanded before attacking him again.
"Ori, you… it's important… would you…" Erwin eventually had to keep her held in one place.
Oriana struggled, moaning and whimpering at the cruelty of the distance he demanded.
Erwin turned his eyes off and closed his side of the bond. He needed to gain control of the situation, losing control was angering him.
"Please don't, Erwy!" Oriana whimpered at the loss, tears forming in her eyes again.
He immediately felt Oriana's heartbreak increasing at being cut off. Erwin opened his side of the bond again, and she calmed down a little.
"Oriana." He firmly called out to her.
"Turn them back on." She demandingly whined in that voice Erwin couldn't get mad at.
"First listen! I've done far more than you've seen. The Battle of Reach happened. We pushed the Covenant back. I glassed entire Xeno worlds. I have the blood of trillions on my hands!" Erwin admitted in a lecturing tone. She kept trying to jump him every once in a while.
"I want to hear it, but tell me tomorrow morning. I don't want to hear sad stories anymore. I only have one question for now." Oriana sincerely spoke.
"Morning!? Oriana, if we do this it'll be perman-" He was cut off by her lips again.
A sharp psionic pulse of demanding want and warm compassion caused a momentary slip in concentration. Enough for the needy teen to punch through his defenses.
He once again pushed her back down.
"I know, that's the point. Now… will you ever rape again?" She asked sadly, but still using that girlishly demanding tone.
Erwin could feel the heartache, sadness, and guilt. Oriana was asking if he'd cheat on her but was beyond guilty for asking it the way she did. He could feel she truly felt for the blond girl in the video.
"No. That was in wartime, and I'd never cheat on you." Erwin answered with conviction.
"Thank you." She gratefully thanked him before trying the same strategy.
A sharp psionic pulse, but Erwin was prepared. His grasp didn't loosen, but he was getting needy himself. Oriana could feel it, but he didn't outwardly show it.
"Please, Erwy! Eyes on, then let me go!" Oriana struggled and whimpered. She was begging verbally and psionically.
"Oriana, if we do this there's no going back. It'll be as good as marriage. We won't be able to break up." Erwin tried to calm the girl down with reason.
"Erwin August Wolff, I told you… I know! That's the bloody point! Now let go of me, right now!" Oriana was getting agitated at being denied her closeness.
"Oriana! Don't you get it!? You'll be married to a monster!" Erwin scolded the girl, trying to get it through her head.
Oriana started struggling with all her might. Sending psionic pulses, and even trying to use biotics to throw off his hold. Fortunately for Erwin, he was far superior in psionic powers. Oriana's biotics were as futile as her weak primitive muscles.
She was starting to get angry and hurt at his rejection. The hurt and heartache only help grow her budding fury.
"I fucking get it, Erwin! I know everything already, I feel it in my very soul! It's just very, very fucking shocking hearing and seeing it! Now quit being so cruel! Be a man and take me, and never let go!" Oriana raged in an oddly whiny voice. She was crying out to him through the bond, begging for mercy.
Erwin could feel the bond rapidly growing, and he couldn't control it. The full mastery over the bond he once had a minute ago was gone.
He was irked at her last taunt but was trying to keep his mind clear.
"Ori… there ar-" He was cut off by another fit of rage from Oriana.
"Kami, damnit! How many times do I have to say it!? I know! I don't care what you've done! You have my heart, and always will! Now, for the love of Kami, fuck me!" Oriana huffed and puffed, trying her damnedest to attack her future lover.
Erwin made a huge mistake. Unlike most patterns, he couldn't control what his eyes showed. They were every single pattern mixed together to represent his soul. It was beyond intimate.
"Just what in the hell did my eyes project, and what did I fucking project through the bond?" Erwin thought in frustration.
Erwin lost control, and it was unacceptable.
Oriana was getting desperate. She was fighting against him with all her strength, thrashing around on his lap. She was glowing with psionic and biotic energy, even going so far as throwing some attacks at him.
She somehow got her left leg around his neck and was pulling down with all her might. His neck muscles were more than enough to resist her leg. Then she started trying to bite anything not his lips, not that her teeth could get through his skin.
Erwin was now very pissed and very turned on. Her little display of pitiful power was losing its cuteness. Then the bond was demanding his participation. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind.
This was chaos.
Erwin closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. His mind let go of all the conflicting thoughts, and he knew what he wanted to do.
His eyes snapped open.
Erwin was the bringer of order.
Like an exploding supernova illuminating the night sky, Erwin's psionic presence exploded open with all its glory.
Oriana froze. Not moving an inch, but desperately trying to catch her breath. She was beyond happy, and her heartbreak from earlier was healing.
Erwin fully unlocked his eyes again and pumped the bond with his true power. The only reason her mind didn't break was due to his psionic presence's protectiveness. It wouldn't allow anything to harm the girl, not even herself.
With his power flowing through him, he could literally break a primitive dreadnought in two. The Covenant and Elves were right to fear the Precursor's true successors.
This was the power of a true Anglian Warrior. The Predator of Mors, Lone Wolff, Ghost of Reach, King of Ashes, Slayer of Gods, and the Deathnote of the Forerunners; this power had many names. Not even the Didact could stand against this power, what hope did little primitives have?
All that power focused on the mote that was one Oriana Furukawa. The powerhouse wrapped his presence around her, like a protective cocoon that could never be impregnated.
Even God, Kami, or the Devil couldn't touch the blue-eyed teen. She was his, and the very cosmos abided.
The poor girl started to tremble and whimpered in need. Oriana couldn't comprehend the power surrounding her, it was too much. All she knew was it was powerful, safe, warm, and caring.
Her outburst was rewarded by Erwin dominating the girl's lips and mouth. He groped the girl, as they desperately kissed each other.
A second later Oriana violently shook from an Earth-shattering orgasm. She yelled and cried in pleasure, but was muffled by the kiss Erwin refused to let up on. The girl clung to Erwin for dear life.
Erwin pulled back from the kiss a few minutes later and a few of Oriana's orgasms later. The true power of his psionic presence heightened everything for her. A simple kiss could bring the girl to heaven.
To her primitive brain, she was getting attention from a god. Her life and genetic line were all but guaranteed. That primitive part of her brain applauded her choice of a mate.
"I-I… love… you." Oriana whimpered out between gasps for air and massive aftershocks.
"I know." Erwin spoke with a calm but tender voice.
Erwin carried the girl into his quarters.
Neither themselves nor the Galaxy would be the same.
A being once again woke up beneath a frozen ocean. The presence it pulled on was felt again, but it was different. Denser, larger, and far more intense.
More concerning, it was eerily calm and threatening.
The being was far more powerful than itself, but with assistance from its kin, the thrall could be coerced.
"It's far more powerful than anticipated." One of its kin was worried.
"It could be used to ensure our survival." Another one argued.
"Why did it reveal itself now?" A third curiously asked.
"Unknown, but control over the thrall will be difficult." The being answered.
Unlike past cycles, this one would require a more… hands-on approach.
This was their last chance for a resurgence.
A massive spherical structure was slowly drifting in dark space. It was between the First and Second Galaxies.
The structure was massive, with a diameter of three entire Sol Systems. The shell was thicker than thousands of Jupiters. Inside was a Supermassive Black Hole, powering a multitude of sophisticated systems.
Somewhere inside the structure, housed a massive chamber. Inside, a being of incomprehensible power woke.
A thrall humbly and fearfully approached.
"It came from the First Galaxy." The being spoke.
Its caste members all agreed. They were angry that a being of such power got into their farm.
"That Galaxy endlessly struggles." A fellow caste member spoke.
"Survivors of the first Harvest?" One hypothesize.
"It must be corrected." The leader spoke.
All the head caste members agreed.
"Complete your task, thrall." The leader sneered.
"Yes, Supreme Ones." The creature bowed, and thanked its makers it survived the encounter.
The leader reached for the thralls of the first Galaxy.
"Assuming direct control."
"I don't want to die."
"Treason…"
"Help, us! They're in the tunnels!"
"Please, just kill me!"
"You're the last one…"
A massive Covenant supercarrier hovered above Erwin. He stood on the grave of trillions, fire was raging around him. His people were dead, his family gone, nothing mattered anymore.
The war was won. The threats cast aside, Humanity's future was bright.
Humanity's, not his. He was what they needed him to be, for their unborn children.
A monster.
The Xenos learned to fear the little boy that once ran away on Ruhe. He wasn't that coward, he became the demon and predator the Xenos ran from.
The supercarrier's super heavy plasma lance started warming up. He could hear the familiar whining of Covenant plasma build-up.
Erwin closed his eyes.
Death is nothing to fear.
A Warrior dies but once, a coward dies a thousand times.
He fought honorably, just not when it counted.
"I love you…"
Her voice pulled him away from the supercarrier.
Erwin found himself floating in a cold ocean. He looked up to find Oriana floating down towards him.
Tranquil blue rays of light pierced through the darkness.
Oriana placed her petite hands on his cheeks and pulled herself towards him.
"You're aren't a monster. Just a man named Erwy." She told him with soft compassion.
She lovingly kissed him.
He felt peace, and a pleasant warmth flowed through him.
Large deadly squid-like creatures started to swim around the couple. Erwin was prepared to face down the God of War himself for his lover, his future.
The squids started eating people, they were desperately trying to swim away.
Blood and gore filled the water.
Then the squids all stopped and gazed at his Ori.
She looked delicious to the squids.
They slowly moved in on the girl.
Erwin pulled Oriana in close, she was scared. The blood and squids terrified her.
They were sinking deeper into the ocean.
Someone placed their hand on Erwin's back. He looked over to see Ares in human form.
Then he saw the Primarch of his Second Legacy appear next to Ares.
Countless Clones formed behind the pair.
The Clones looked hungry, and they had a buffet of calamari.
Erwin and Oriana were pushed up towards the surface.
"Protect her. Protect them." Multiple voices both familiar and lost spoke at once.
Erwin's eyes snapped open.
He was in his quarters. The dark room was barely lit by dim holographic displays. He looked down to the peacefully sleeping Oriana on his chest.
Her messy hair was sprayed across his chest, and a few strands stuck to her glowing face. The angel on his chest loved him, and he couldn't change that.
He could feel the bond solidified, it felt harder than neutronium armor. Like an electrical cord, she was the core that made it work. He was the thick insulation that protected her spark of life.
The thick bond couldn't be broken. Nothing could come between them, and God help anyone that harms her.
Oriana was truly his.
Erwin was hers.
For the first time in Erwin's life, tears of happiness and relief slowly rolled down his scared face.
He felt the familiar warmth fill his being again, and looked down.
Oriana was looking up at him, with concern and love in her crystal blue eyes. She moved up and wiped away his tears.
"What's wrong, my love?" Oriana quietly asked, her voice was dripping with compassion and love.
She caressed Erwin's cheeks and proceeded to kiss the tear marks away.
Did the Emperor ever cry? Perhaps the Empress is the only one able to answer that.
"I love you, Oriana."
Erwin August Wolff was fucked. He never stood a chance against the little primitive.