Imperial Orphan. White shield Chronicles.
Disclaimer:
The ownership and rights to warhammer 40K is owned by gamesworkshop and the story that inspired this one is owned by MA7 along with the oc main character of MA7's story
Chapter Two. The great chase part two. And the Inquisitorial hit squad.
Night lord chaos Rapter Augusta Antony Sevenson snarled through his razor sharp warp
mutated teeth as he tore through the rain lashed sky with his roaring jump pack and his fellow night lords in loose formation.
Beneath him was a twisting road that went through a dark and dense forest. Somewhere on this road was his quarry his little brother Franklin. Beloved son of Chaos lord Luke Sevenson and Chaos champion Wendy Sevenson. And somewhere on this road was the armoured prison bus that carried him.
Augusta tore to the ground his Ceramite power armour boots stabbing into the tar aggregate road from the jarring impact of landing. He tore his boots from the holes he made from landing and sniffed the air for any sign of his prey as the other raptors landed around him.
"Hmm...". Augusta thought out loud.
"What is it Augusta". Asked one of the night lords.
"An engine exhaust. About ten minutes old they are up ahead". Augusta rumbled in his deep warp altered voice as he smelled the air. "Let's go!". Said Augusta charging his jump pack.
The other chaos Raptors followed in suit and all of them took to the sky in massive roaring plumes of warp flame and demonic jet engines screaming. A few hundred metres later they slammed down to earth again sniffed the air and took off again. And they continued to do this lest their quarry try to split up and trick them. But the bus exhaust is still fresh and they were still all onboard.
Augusta was absolutely excited at the sport their prey was providing. This had turned out to be far more interesting than they had anticipated to the point where it was almost a challenge even. He should have expected no less from his own brother.
The original plan was to slowly and stealthily pick off the nuns one by one in the orphanage toying with their minds slowly driving them mad with terror. They had been in the shadows when the nuns found their dead sister hanging from the rafters. In the very room where the body was found the entire time watching relishing fear on the nun's faces.
They were night lords, Lords of combat in the dark no other space marine could hide in the dark as well as the children of the night haunter. They were unseen death in the darkness. He himself had gutted the nun and left the message himself for his brother to find.
But Augusta would willingly admit that Franklin and the orphan boys caught them off guard when they opened fire on the cultists and then on him. Augusta had seen an act of Valour from lowly orphan boys. They had the guts to shoot at them even attempt to kill them when even the most steel nerved of men would flee from the sevenson nightlords on sight.
Augusta smiled in genuine pride at his brother's act of bravery and honour. Few adult men had the courage to stand their fear tactics let alone try to fight the night lords. But the child just blasted away at him with an autogun in attempt to defend the nuns few mortals ever showed such bravery it was extremely impressive.
With the boys making a firing line around the nuns the original plan was ruined even a night lord couldn't sneak in to nab a nun without taking fire. The night lords had been in the dark but something suggested to them that the boys knew they were there. They didn't let their guard down for a second it was almost like they were hoping for a fight.
They had been caught off guard by the tactics, intelligence and brutal cunning of these boys and their 'shoot first' policy and take no crap attitude the night lords had paused to reveal themselves, still deciding what strategy to use in the unfamiliar layout of the orphanage.
The boys had home field advantage knowing the layout of the facility far better than the newly arrived night lords and cultists. And had outfoxed them this far. The night lords had been unbalanced, confused in trying to figure out what the boys would do next.
(Behind Argus's moon)
"Inquisitor Thraxx we have just picked up subject Zero he is on the move". Said an Inquisitorial Guardsman.
The person in question walked up to look at the Guardsman's cogitator screen and a venomous smile appeared on his scarred face.
"Prepare project 31 for deployment I want to see how they fare in a live combat environment". Said Thraxx smirking venomously.
(Back on Argus)
In a bright flash of light in the middle of the road a seven heavily armed forms had been teleported to the planet. The creatures sprinted forward at a surprising speed hyped up on a nasty cocktail of combat drugs. With the intent of killing their target.
(Back with Augusta and the night lord strike force).
Augusta looking down on the massive burn mark on the road was trying to figure out what could have made it.
"Could it be lance cannon fire". Asked one of the night lords.
"No... there isn't enough destruction only the top layer of the ground and road are badly singed. This looks like an outgoing matter beam from a teleport platform. Something has beamed down to the planet. And not for the better look here weapons and ammunition cases". Said Augusta before taking a good look and seeing a rotten green ichor on one of the cases.
"We're moving out now". Said Augusta seriously before taking off with his jump pack with his squad following in suit.
The Raptors continued their methodical pursuit voxing their new intelligence updates to the rest of the strike force further behind them. They would not be outfoxed again, the boys only had one direction they could safely move in and would make them unable to outmanoeuvre them again.
The prey would be caught.
'fool us once boys shame on you, fool us twice the shame is solidly ours'. Augusta thought as he travelled.
The night lords would not be shamed by little boys a second time. They would not be fooled again.
(Back with Franklin)
Franklin swayed side to side as he attempted to stand at attention in the back of the bus as disciplined as ever in such a situation. Both the physical emotional and mental fatigue was setting in.
'There are so few of us left now we fought for so long suffered so much and this is how it ends!?'. Franklin thought with despair before the bus hit a sharp turn and send Franklin flying into Sister Mary's lap.
"Ouch! Franklin this is ridiculous come here and sit with me before you break your neck, there's a good boy". Said Sister Mary.
"But".
"SIT!". Sister Mary insisted rather strongly.
"Yes ma'am". Franklin said in a speedy tone before doing what he was told.
Sister mary held Franklin in her arms doing everything she could to keep from crying. "It will be okay dear... My sweet boy I won't let them take you I promise I'll protect you I won't let some hell spawn steal you away I won't!". She whimpered into his shoulder scared out of her mind.
Franklin looked at the nuns and saw that they were all scared out of their minds. Just then an image zipped past in the grass beside the road.
"We've got movement boys arm up!". Franklin ordered taking hold of his Autogun. Just then the bus came under fire an Franklin found the source and opened fire he had hit something as there was an ungodly roar that shattered the silence then it stopped.
Then there was a loud thud on the roof of the bus. Whatever had fired at them was now on the roof. It tried to climb into the bus through the broken rear windshield only to be sprayed with bullets.
After having a bullet splatter it's brains all over the back of the bus and have then having it's body completely shot to hell Franklin examined the dead creature.
"What the hell is this thing". Asked Franklin said surprised. And shocked at the appearance of their would be attacker. Franklin looked at the creature's face and saw what used to be a man. But the flesh looked to have been dead for many many days weeks even. Flesh was cold blood conjealed and a strange green fluid running through out the creatures circulatory system.
It's body was supported by a lean built robotic exoskeleton that had been surgically grafted to the body. And what looked like to be a massive power cell or cooling unit on it's back. Then it dawned on him...
"I know what this is". Said Franklin fear evident on his face.
"What do you mean child". Asked the Mother superior.
"It is part of a weapons development project that the inquisition was working on during the war but it was shut down for it's grotesque Heresy and the combining of dead soldiers with forbidden and xenos technology. Listen to me carefully mother superior these things don't feel pain, fatigue, hunger, thirst or injury and they will not stop until their target is dead. The only way to kill these things is to completely obliterate them or head shots". Said Franklin.
"But it's dead now so we're safe right". Asked Sister Mary.
"No it's very unlikely that this thing was alone there are probably more out there seven or eight in total we don't have the firepower to deal with these things and the night lords". Said Franklin beginning to panic only to be held by Sister Mary as she tried to calm him down.
Franklin felt a great hurricane of emotions roiling inside him Anger, fear, sadness, aggression it was all so powerful and all so fast he couldn't process it. After surviving the war and seeing all that death Franklin thought it was finally over he would never have to see such sights of violence and atrocity again.
They had broken into his home, Began killing his people, and then try to force him to go with them all the while slaughtering everything in their path. A Terrible rage swelled in franklin boiling so violently that it threatened to come to the surface in a great eruption of violence.
Franklin hasn't felt like this since his engagements with the orks. These monsters were intent on killing everyone who worked in the Orphanage.
'Not on my watch bucko. If these night lord bastards were expecting a slaughter then I'll give them a war'. Franklin thought to himself.
Just then Mother superior called out from her front seat breaking Franklin from his dark thoughts.
"I see the listening Gargoyle for the first check point up ahead". She called out.
Franklin looked through the armoured windshield to see a black baroque statue covered in sensors looming over the road. As he watched he saw the sensors light up with a bright red light and blaring warning hymn blasted out of the organ pipes from it's back echoing out through the dark forest.
"Our Presence has been noticed". Said the mother superior.
"Thank the emperor". One of the nuns cried in relief
"Let us say the prayer of Thanks giving 485 in thanks for the emperor giving us his deliverance". Said Mother superior as they all began to pray in thanks. After the prayer session was over franklin acted.
"White shields secure the perimeter!". Franklin ordered as he and the other remaining boys leapt out of the bus and went to make sure it was safe.
"Clear left!". Called one boy.
"Clear Right!". The second boy.
"Clear behind!". Called the third.
"Area is clear Franklin!". Called the fourth.
Just after the boys had secured the area massive flood lights activated revealing a gate house and bunker through the pelting rain with a row of sisters of battle with their bolters trained on the bus. The mother superior stepped out of the bus with her hands in the air showing she meant no ill intent or treachery.
"Mother superior of the orphanage? What are you doing here". Asked a battle sister instantly recognising her.
"The night lords attacked the orphanage! They killed the entire garrison everyone but us are dead they are sevensons and they seek Franklin also I think they are right behind us as well!". Said Mother superior franticly.
"By the emperor this heresy will be purged with flame! Sisters beware! Foul Sevensons approach in pursuit of this bus ready yourselves for battle". Said the sister of battle.
"Hey!". Franklin snorted not appreciating being referred to as foul considering he took great pride in his hygiene.
"Forgive me child present company excluded". Said the sister of battle apologetically.
"I accept your apologies sister now we must ready ourselves. By section 5 paragraph 786 of the imperial doctrine of war. I hereby request for re-armament and additional equipment and supplies as well as more troops for combat". Said Franklin professionally.
The sister nodded and showed the boys to the armoury. They grabbed ammo, various explosives, military ration packs, first aid supplies, a bazooka and rounds for said bazooka extra infantry guns and a heavy stubber with ammo along with some odds and ends for Franklin to use when the time is right.
They brought it all back to the bus and got to work. Franklin had outfitted the heavy stubber to the back of the bus with a box of grenades where everyone could grab one when needed.
"Open the gates! Mother superior let me in the bus I will provide protection for the rest of the way". Said the battle sister.
"Sister there is also something else out there hunting us besides the night lords. We believe it is a forbidden weapon that was created by a rogue inquisitor during the Argusion war we believe there are another six or seven of them tracking us. We've killed one but the only way to kill it is with a head shot so be careful". Said Franklin quickly as he frantically tried to finish getting ready.
The mother superior opened the bus and got in with the sister of battle following behind her as the giant metal gates in front of them began rumbling as they opened.
A demonic roar of triumph was sounded off in the sky behind them Franklin spun around tearing his gaze off the people in his protection to see ten hulking dark blue giants landing behind the bus smashing into the tar of the road like ten baroque meteors. The nuns all started screaming.
The huge figures rose from their landing crouches the rain dripping off the ornate demonic carvings on their power armour. At their head was a giant bigger then the others easily between 9 and 10 feet tall with terrible lightning arcing from the long bladed fingers of a giant metal gauntlet.
The hulking giant wore an ornate helmet as did the others but Franklin felt this one looking right at him in the eye at that moment.
The giant spoke with an altered snarl.
"Give me my brother and your lives will be spared!". The giant snarled.
"Lay Down your weapons and surrender Astartes your surrounded from all sides!". Franklin yelled.
"Even though you killed the people who cared for me without a second's hesitation I am still willing to let you leave here alive don't make me kill you". Said Franklin from within the bus.
The night lords laughed at Franklin's proposal only to have Augusta snarl at them to be quiet.
"Brother you are quite bold and brave to say such words...".
Bang!
Just then Augusta's head snapped back from the bullet that struck his helmet.
"That was your last chance you won't get another warning now one more time lay down your weapons and surrender we have already made our situation known to the main Adeptus sororitas barracks near here we have over two thousand sisters of battle heading for our location. You cannot win this I don't care if your Astartes what can ten do against two thousand". Said Franklin.
'Take my bluff-Take my bluff-Take my bluff oh please take my bluff'. Franklin begged in his mind.
"Fine then hard way it is little brother". Said Augusta chuckling readying his weapons along with the rest of the raptors.
'DAMNIT!'. Franklin thought.
The sisters of battle responded with this by opening fire. Franklin and the boys in the bus did the same. Augusta snarled deafeningly with rage as bolt rounds exploded off his armour while the autogun rounds just bounced off harmlessly.
Franklin manned the heavy stubber and began blasting round after round of ammo at the night lords. Trying his hardest to ward them off but to no avail.
Magenta Fire erupted from Augusta's metal wings as he took to the air launching himself at the nearest sister of battle his lightning gauntlet grabbed the sister of battle and it's claws scissored through her power armour like it was paper carving her in two.
The other Night lords began to join in on the violence. Ripping off limbs from bodies and caving heads in with terrible strength. Two Night lords were bleeding on the ground their armour having big holes blown in them wounded by initial fire from the sisters of battle but the other eight were unharmed and were tearing the sisters of battle apart.
The gate ahead was now fully opened and the mother superior stomped on the accelerator sending the bus speeding down the road at full speed while the monstrous night lords were distracted.
They had to escape.
"FRANKLIN I AM YOUR BROTHER HARKEN TO ME, YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER AWAIT YOU!". The voice of the nine foot giant roared out behind them.
"You stay away from him you monster!". Sister Mary screamed hysterically as she now pulled Franklin into her arms holding him tightly making Franklin's job as gunner very difficult.
The roar of metal wings was heard over all the machine gun fire and Franklin turned to see the giant who claimed to be his brother fly horizontally just above the road coming straight towards them at full speed with a massive trail of magenta flame behind him.
The giant slammed into the back of the bus denting the rear armoured wall of the bus causing more hair line cracks across the already partially broken bullet proof glass rear windshield.
Augusta's Lightning gauntlet sparked to life before punching through the glass melting it into an orange glob as his fist pushed through it. The onboard sister of battle was instantly at the back of the bus and firing into the monstrous space marine's helmet through the melted hole in the glass.
Augusta roared as he shifted to avoid the gunfire and the motion unbalanced the angle of his fire wings spinning off in an angry contrail of fire and frustration before slamming into the trunk of a large tree which exploded into a mess of splinters and foul language.
"Ooh that's gotta hurt". Said Franklin almost feeling sorry for the traitorous space marine almost.
They drove on as Augusta was tangled up in a mangled mess of timber. And as said space marine tried to untangle himself and invent some new extremely foul swear words the bus with our hero his fellow orphans and the beloved nuns sped down the road leaving the night lords behind for the time being.
They had gotten away... Again.
The bus had sped off into the night only the lights on it were visible. A loud voice shouted in rage as the bus gained more ground.
"FRANKLIN!". It roared.
But the bus just kept driving.
"Hey Augusta". Came Sherman who waS helping Augusta to get untangled.
"Yes what is it sherman". Augusta sighed in frustration.
"I don't mean to speak out of turn but these kids especially your brother aren't as weak and helpless as we believed them to be. We may have to get serious I mean two of us almost died your kid brother has been two steps ahead of us since this began maybe we should start taking this mission seriously". Said Sherman.
"We will be fine Sherman". Augusta growled.
"I have holes in me Augusta I have bleeding mud holes blown in my chest because we've been underestimating your kid brother who is obviously in charge of this show!". Shouted Sherman.
Augusta silently stood up after being free. Drew his weapon and placed it in Sherman's crotch plate.
"I am in command here". Said Augusta in a frightfully calm voice.
"Our orders were to retrieve my brother alive and unharmed I see so much as a scratch caused by any of you I'll kill you myself". Said Augusta quietly.
"Do you understand me". Said Augusta who saw Sherman nod before returning his bolt pistol to it's resting place before the group continued their pursuit.
The bus continued hurtling through the pitch black darkness and pelting rain as lightning and thunder crashed in the sky. Apart from the unpredictable flashes caused by the lightning the high beam head lights were the only thing seen in the darkness.
As they drove past the tall trees Franklin again saw movement in the trees. "Our freaky undead friends are back Honoured battle sister when the enemy reveals themselves aim for the head to kill them you must shoot them in the head it's the only way they'll stay dead if you shoot them anywhere else they'll just get back up again". Said Franklin now fully worried.
"What kind of enemy is that". Asked the sister of battle.
"One made of purest heresy through the acts of defiling the dead, using forbidden and xenos technologies and forbidden gene sciences to create monsters". Said Franklin now showing that he was somewhat scared.
(Back with Augusta)
"RooooAAAAR!".
Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam.
The cybernetic undead soldier opened fire on the night lords when they came within eyesight of the creature.
"What the fuck is that! KILL IT!". Snarled Augusta.
The night lords began firing at it only to have it get back up again and again until it had it's head blown off.
(Back with Franklin)
Franklin was doing his best to calm Sister Mary down as she still haven't let Franklin go from her embrace who held him tightly in fear of him being snatched from her forever if she relaxed her grip. She had been sobbing on and off doing her best to try and stay strong for his sake.
"Sister mary you need to let me go for a moment it will be okay Sister Pamela is here she will help keep you safe". Said Franklin as he went to check up on the back of the bus.
Franklin walked to the back of the bus looking out the window with weapon in hand.
"Can you see anything in that pitch black". Came the battle sister.
"As I said before I see everything". Said Franklin.
'Why haven't they attacked these things aren't intelligent being their nothing but murderous meat puppets their cpu units were nothing special and only capable of understanding simple commands. So why are they waiting to attack actions such as these suggest strategy but these things can't think for themselves their intellect is no better than a servo skull'. Franklin thought trying to figure out what was going on while keeping a calm face on the outside before he sat back down with sister mary who saw a swelling in Franklin's pants which is when she began tickling his ear.
Seeing her ministrations work as Franklin's erection began to deflate Sister Mary gave a small laugh.
"Oh Franklin you are true to form if nothing else. And just this once I think I'm almost comforted by it. Even in the darkest of times the Emperor can find the simplest things to make us smile". Said Sister Mary with a laugh and sigh.
'easy for you to say sister Mary you don't have the greatest pair of tits in the imperium pressed against your back like I do'. Franklin thought blushing slightly trying to sit still.
'but I agree with you and thank the emperor everyday for your smile'. Franklin thought quietly.
Until he was broken from his thoughts by the sister of battle attempting to vox the other sisters in the area. Only to me met again with blaring from the vox built into her sacred power armour.
"The night lords are still jamming the Order's frequencies they must be close, we must stay vigilant". Said Sister of battle grimly.
The nuns all nodded darkly in grim understanding.
Franklin however looked at the sister of battle feeling inspired by her intimidating presence. Her name was Sister superior Clementine of the order of the painful path. A ranking leader in charge of the sisters of battle that manned the check point. Her power armour was the colour of fresh blood and her hair was purple like that of an angry bruise.
Her armour heraldry depicted a crossed whip and cane. And flowing in the whites of her eyeballs were excessively tattooed pain repeated over and over in intricate ink script. The mark of an ordained member of the painful path.
Franklin didn't know much about the sisters of battle but he knew they weren't to be fucked with. Even the adeptus astartes showed them respect and that's saying something. Franklin's own orphanage was owned and guarded by the sisters of battle of the order of the painful path.
A minor militant order dedicated to purity through pain. The nuns who raised the children were from different orders not members of the chamber militant at all and seconded to the orphanage from their original orders in non-militant chambers of the adeptus sororitas.
Only progena women with the most discipline in the face of pain could join the chamber militant order of the painful path, almost always recruited from the children of heretics like franklin was himself. And raised in an orphanage like franklin was.
Franklin's life was constant pain be it physical and emotional. If anyone could endure terrible things like getting the whites of your eye balls tattooed it was franklin its all he's ever done endure. He endured life at the orphanage before the war he endured the constant violence and threats to his from the ork horde when they invaded and he would endure through the events of his attempted kidnapping and assassination.
The sisters of the painful path was one of two examples which Franklin drew inspiration from. They were tough strong and relentless... no you did not fuck with the adeptus sororitas of the painful path.
'And having a loaded bolter never hurt either. But still if you put all that psychotic "lets burn everything" attitude they are some of the finest warriors in the imperium. If we could just make it to the main barracks we might have a chance to survive'. Thought Franklin hoping their survival would come to pass.
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