Corrin crouched behind a small defensive turret, its barrel smoking in ruin. The city was a wasted rock of concrete and steel. It had obviously been bombarded for some time. Dead bodies of soldiers and citizens alike littered the ground. Though, sickly, Corrin enjoyed being back on the battlefield. He wasn't alone. He was fighting for his country again.
He covered his head as the window ahead of him blasted open. A Merican fell into the shattered glass. Corrin looked sadly for a moment, and then reached for the slug rifle lying beside the man's body. It fit snugly in his hands. He half-smiled. He was back.
An Imperial approached the window with a smug smile. It faded instantly to terror as Corrin's determined face shown to him. He brought the rifle to bear. The Imperial seemed to have no intention to move. He nodded at Corrin respectfully. Corrin nodded back and shot him down.
Some Imperials, Corrin knew, were no different than himself. Nevertheless, they were all the enemy. There was a blast as a chunk of concrete fell beside him. Snipers. He was on the battlefield again. He careened down the road, merging with other Mericans.
An Imperial looked briefly from his defenses. Corrin relished in the click of the trigger. The man fell to a precise headshot. They rushed on. Corrin quickly clambered the defensive barricade and fired down at the fearful Imperial's.
He loved the thrill of running with his comrades along the battlefield. "Frak!" Someone roared. "Everyone down!" Corrin turned to the direction of the voice. He fell to the floor as a massive building before him exploded in a flash of light.
A figure emerged from the smoking wreckage of the tower. He simply hovered above the ground like the psyker Corrin had met before Ferius had saved them. Corrin held his hands to his ears as a piercing sound shook them. I am the Controller. Your mind is mine. Corrin shook his head and looked around. Men lay on the pock-marked road, clutching their heads in pain.
The man emerged from the smoke. Interesting! You choose to resist… Corrin spat. A surge of utter fury rushed through his blood as he saw the man. His shaved head was crackling with energy. His eyes, black as the night, shone with evil. He wore a billowing cloak sporting the Thunderbolt of the Emperor. His eyes shot down to Corrin.
A terrible pain struck his head. He gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "Riktus, I am Corrin Grant, Merican 6th. You have taken my friend. I want him back." His face tightened. "Now."
The man smiled. "To think such a puny thing as yourself would even imagine challenging me!" Corrin noted he had ceased the use of his mind. Riktus lowered himself to the ground. Treacherous Ones stalked out behind him, their blank eyes fixed on him.
"You fear me, Riktus. I know, in the forest, you tried to break my morale. You tried to shatter my hope. You failed." Corrin smiled. "You fear me."
Riktus laughed. "This will silence you…" Time froze in Corrin's eyes. A white sparkle shot from Riktus' chest. Corrin dug his heels into the ground and cleared his mind. The thing pierced his head. He felt a shiver run through his body.
Voices rang in his head, his own voices. They urged him to do things. They urged him on. He lurched forward. The voices disappeared. Corrin laughed. "You cannot stop me Riktus. I will kill you." A hint of fear shimmered over the Controller's face.
Without a word, the Treacherous Ones began to move. Riktus floated above their heads and disappeared into the smoke once more. "Not today…" Corrin muttered. He barreled forward. Shots rang out. The blank eyed men fell to his ravenous shots.
Riktus' form moved quickly over the horde of mindless warriors. Corrin crashed head-on into the crowd. There were several grunts as he knocked some aside. A Treacherous Soul lunged for him. Corrin threw him aside and fired into his back. He threw his fist into another's face.
They surrounded him. He roared as he spun about in a circle. Dry blood covered his face. The Treacherous Ones fell, only to stand again as he shot them down. He felt fists pounding him. Inhuman roars came from their hollow mouths.
He fell to the floor. It was his nightmare made real. A bolt gun was pointed at his face. "Kill the nonbeliever…" The Treacherous One muttered. Corrin began to loose focus on reality. Light flooded his vision.
"Pacify!" Someone roared. The things stopped immediately. His eyes flashed. The Treacherous Ones scattered. A man stood over him. "Stay with me…" His eyes fluttered. Light exploded into his retinas again. "Stay with me…come one!" His eye slipped closed. It was black.
He felt something pick him up. It grunted. The sound drifted away slowly.