"And after I managed to drop said scalpel into the chest of the corpse...things sort of got out of hand." Edwin explained, his head resting against the wall of the chapel. "I mean...it would have been fine if I hadn't panicked...." He grimaced at the memory, that they had simply settled for throwing him out had been a small miracle all things considering.
There was no reply from the kneeling sister next to him though, her covered head turned towards the outside, where nothing had changed. He sighed, as always nothing had changed, there was the same bloody thing every day! Even if they had food to continue indefinitely he was sure he was going to go mad after a while.
Looking down he saw the others, most didn't even listen to the incessant speeches of the preacher today, too tired to listen as they barely kept themselves awake. A combination of weariness and starvation had left most of them weak and tired, at times someone coughed. "Man...half of the ones down there hate me by now, but I can't very well help them without any medicine! It's frustrating...at least you guys don't seem to get sick, you got to teach me that trick someday."
No reply, the sister content to mutter her prayers. Edwin frowned, figures...
Then the sister suddenly stirred. Flinching Edwin followed her gaze, seeing something...burning coming down from the sky.
A second later he found himself falling over as the ground shook with a massive impact, then another, and another...Edwin found himself holding unto the floor in an effort not to roll around as the impacts continued. He felt warmth against his back, a crackling sound reaching his ears, a crackling of fire...Putting his arms over his head he screwed his eyes shut, a muttered prayer escaping his lips as he waited for the strange fire to consume them.
The ground heaved, someone screamed. He was sweating, the extreme warmth forcing all moisture out of him... Pebbles rained over him as the roof shuddered, ready to collapse.
Though it felt like an age he knew it was just a few seconds before it stopped.
All was quiet...
Gingerly getting to his feet he looked back, finding the others huddling around the preacher, pale faces looking to him for strength as he pushed his hands out, voice strong as he called out. "The day of judgement is at hand! The emperor is here to save us! All shall be judged!"
Edwin managed to suppress the urge to run down there and join the others, but not to look out through the window.
There he found the ground scorched by fire, the zombies that had surrounded them reduced to nothing but a few charred remains. A few buildings around theirs had been completely levelled, others torn to a few shreds of upright stones...yet theirs still stood, virtually untouched. Why?
It was a miracle! The world was right now scoured of the evil that had infested them! They would be free to rebuild! All horrors would be gone! All suffering gone! They had passed the test and been found pure!
"Praise the emperor!" The preacher cried out, and Edwin found himself echoing the sentiment.
Then the scream of an engine reached his ears, craning his neck out the window he saw a massive shuttle hurtle over them. It was dark red in colour and square in structure, a golden imperial eagle etched over its side. The wings sticking out of the main structure surprisingly small while the engines at its back were obscenely large. Edwin bet it could fly really fast...though as he watched it turned mid-flight, wobbling slightly as it came down for a landing....right in front of the chapel!
Rooted to the spot Edwin could do nothing but grin, they were saved!
With a clank the strange shuttle landed upon the plaza, crushing zombie remains while the ramp already begun descending, a hazy white smoke escaping it.
Then they came out.
At least nine feet tall in height the giants were as wide as a car by the shoulders. Clad in dark red armour and black shoulder pads they almost looked like machines, if Edwin hadn't seen the heavily armoured battle sisters he wouldn't have believed them to be human. But they all wore the golden imperial eagle on their chest...and carried bolters that were even larger than the sisters', all marked by the imperial eagle.
It couldn't be...Edwin couldn't believe that....the stories of that were not only real...it was here!
Space marines!?
With a crash the front gate was smashed open, splinters sent flying inwards as the foremost marine simply bashed his way in, the group marching in with confident steps. They were saved!
Still, the others on the table cringed back, having not seen all he'd seen they were still afraid, probably expecting the monsters to enter at any moment. The sisters weren't saying anything, though they had turned to look at the large warriors stepping into the chapel, their muttered prayer still continuing.
"Liberation is at hand!" The preached exploded, leaping forward he stretched his arms wide, smile equally wide. "The angels of death are here! Coming to free us from the shackles of chaos! We are liberated! The emperor be praised! Great warriors! We hail you as saviours!" He dropped to his knees, face shining with tears of happiness.
Edwin couldn't help but smile as well, though the silent behaviour of the giants was confusing. Ten in numbers they had already spread out across the main floor, two of them stood at the head though. One of them wore a white armour in strange contrast to the dark red of the others, the other wore armour more adorned than the others, a heavy looking pistol in his hand while the other clutched a glittering sword from which arcs of lighting escaped at times.
None had his face bared, black eye pieces looking the gathered people over.
Inching closer the preacher held out his hands. "Speak oh mighty champions of the emperor! Impart your wisdom! Tell us what to do oh mighty-"
A curt wave from what obviously had to be the leader silenced the preacher as the adorned marine turned to the white armoured one. "Apothecary, your opinion?" His voice was like gravel, harsh and uncaring. But it human, human and full of power, power to save them all!
The white armoured marine looked about himself, black lenses taking them all in. "Twelve sororitas and four other women...useless, five of the men aren't even worth testing...marked."
Edwin frowned in sudden confusion, marked?
"Very well." The leader replied.
Then he brought his pistol to bear and blew a hole straight through the still kneeling preacher.
Blinking Edwin found his mouth turning dry as he watched the preacher sag to the side, torn organs and blood pouring out over the floor behind him. Parts of...him...was splattered over the huddled people on the floor.
What...had just happened?
Then all turned into chaos, people screaming, sisters raising weapons...bolters firing.
The two sisters on the second floor opposite him twitched as bolter fire tore through the floor they stood on and smashed through them, tearing apart their legs and dropping them to the floor.
The pregnant woman jerked, the top of her skull exploding.
Her boyfriend rushed forward with a roar, but none shot him, instead he was backhanded by the apothecary, teeth and pieces of his jaw sent flying across the floor.
A sister had her right arm torn off, sagging to her knees she tried to grab it with her remaining hand, only to fall forward and land head first in the floor with a crack.
Another sister's hip exploded, bone and blood spraying the inside of the chapel wall.
A third opened fire, only to have her chest explode as bolt of blue energy enveloped her torso, melting her armour into her body. She fell without a sound.
An elderly man stumbled sideways as his ten year old granddaughter blew into pieces, her blood covering him. A look of shock crossed his face before a massive fist caved his skull in.
Then the sister he had been 'talking' to stepped forward, bolter levelled. She fired twice, both shots bouncing off a raised shoulder plate of the leader of the marines...who fired back. With a jerk the woman was tossed back by the power of the shot...right into Edwin.
Desperately grabbing her by the shoulders he tried to steady himself as he found them both stumbling back against the window...then she jerked under a second shot, sending them both tumbling through the window.
The world spun for just a moment, then his face became mashed into ashen grass, choking him with black flakes, the smell of sulphur irritating his nose.
Struggling to his knees he saw the sister lay a few feet away from him, face downwards, a small trickle of dark blood running down from the hole in her stomach. She was stirring though, bolter hanging from her shoulder via a strap while her trembling arms pushed her upwards, a cough escaping the sagging helmet.
Behind him he heard guns still going off...and screams...so many screams.
They would kill them!
Shaking off his dazedness he stumbled unto his feet, eyes wide as he looked around himself. Far in the distance down the streets he could already see shambling shapes appear, slowly moving towards them. Zombies... Behind him another scream was quickly ended by the sound of a gun going off.
A grate! A few feet away, once hidden by the horde of undead, a grate no doubt leading to the sewers was!
Suddenly decisive he leapt forward, grabbing the sister under the armpit he pulled her with her, eliciting a small moan from her as he whispered. "Come on! We must leave!" He coughed, flakes of ash escaping his mouth. "We must...move!"
Dizzy he forced himself to move on, the pair slipping on ash and stumbling on the ground as weary and shocked limbs tried to move.
Any moment now...any moment a giant would appear in that window...see them and...
Slipping Edwin came down on one knee, fingers instantly gripping hold of the grate and pulled, it was heavy, but he was desperate.
Any moment...he could feel it...gaze boring into his back...gun trained on him...
With a clank the grate was pulled off, landing heavily a few feet away from them as the desperation granted Edwin power enough to pull it off and then some.
There was no more firing...they had killed them all...soon one would appear and....
"Come on! You have to wake up!" He slapped the sister, new pain entering him as the hard steel met his fingers. She barely stirred. Instead he simply grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her towards the dark hole before them. "Grab unto the ladder there! Yes that's it!" A feeble hand came to rest on the top rung of the ladder leading into the dark sewer, the sister obeying despite barely being conscious.
A bullet in the back...tearing through him...his body afire...
Holding her by the stomach he guided her to climb down...too heavy!
Yelping Edwin found himself falling for the second time this day, this time it was head first though as he was pulled down by the weight he was holding unto. He saw a blur of steel rungs hurtle past him...a horrible stench of decay struck him...pain mixed with terror as his knee hit a rung on his way down...he heard a thud as the sister landed somewhere beneath him.
Then all went black.
