The tunnels echoed with the sounds of dripping water and heavy metal footsteps. The five Space Wolves marched diligently along the subterranean canals of the underhive, occasionally stopping to investigate a noise or movement. Thankfully, they had yet to stumble upon anything larger than the hairless snake-rodents that crawled in and out of the drainage pipes.
"So… how'd you end up down here exactly?" Garrick said. "People don't just fall into the deep underhive every day."
"Well, I was exploring this big yard full of huge piles of scrap metal with Fen - he's my… dog - and all of a sudden, I saw this strange creature scurry out of the trash and jump into a big hole. I chased after it and lost my footing… and that's pretty much it."
"Don't the people of this world teach their children not to play around in slag pits?" Cassius said.
"Oh, I wasn't raised here." Admu said. "We're just visiting, me and my friend mister… Enoch."
"Figures. Never seen Ogryn like you around these parts… or anywhere else. What planet are you from, anyway?" Garrick said.
"I'm from a planet called…" Admu said.
She furrowed her brow in contemplation. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know what the planet she came from was called… or if it was a planet at all. All she knew is that it was far away, inaccessible to almost anyone, and it's where her family called home.
"Hmm, I don't really know what it's called. Well, it's got forests… deserts… mountains… and some snow…" she said, counting with her fingers as she listed off her home's known attributes.
"That certainly narrows it down." Cassius said with a smirk.
"Where are all of you from?" Admu said.
"The four of us were vat-grown on Mars." Garrick said, pointing to his fellow Bloodclaws.
"That may be true…" Ulfric said. "But our true home is Fenris."
Admu stopped dead in her tracks.
"Uh, w-what did you say?" she said nervously.
"Aye, we're all Space Wolves." Yngvi said. "They may not be Fenris-born, but they've got the blood of Leman Russ runnin' through their veins."
Admu was doing all she could to not let her internal panic show. Not only had she broken the single rule that Leman had stressed above all else, but she had accidentally stumbled upon his own sons. Admu could read Leman's emotions well, no matter how hard he hid them. She knew how much it pained him to avoid revealing himself to his sons and return to his homeworld, even if it was for their own safety. Her presence here was endangering Leman's entire mission, and by extension the people that Leman held dearest. She swallowed the lump in her throat and calmed herself. She just needed to follow these men until they reached the surface, then she would get as far away from them as she could.
Leman is going to kill me if he finds out about this… Admu thought.
The squad of Space Wolves and their "Ogryn" cohort continued into a large atrium, which led to a number of other tunnel entrances lining the central chamber. On the far side of the dome-shaped room, a large metal door was embedded into the rockcrete with a heavy seal that was meant to stop anything in the sewers from reaching the upper levels of the hive.
"So… what were you all doing down here when you found me?" Admu said, desperate to change the topic of conversation.
"Well, we were hunting Genestealers, but we don't seem to have found any." Garrick said.
"Probably all died out after the last invasion." Cassius said.
Admu cocked her head in confusion.
"Gene… stealer? What's that?" Admu said.
"They're big, ugly, purple bastards with claws as big as cleavers. You're lucky you ran into us instead of one a' them." Garrick said.
"Purple… claws…" Admu said.
She remembered the strange creature she had chased down here.
"Do Genestealers… have four arms?" Admu said.
The Space Wolves turned to her with a serious expression.
"Yes…" Garrick said. "...how did you know that?"
"I… I think that might have been-"
Before Admu could finish her sentence, her eyes shot wide open in an expression of shock. She clutched her head and fell to her knees, her face contorted with pain.
"What's the matter?" Cassius said.
"The… voices…" Admu uttered through her clenched teeth. "They're… so… loud…!"
"I… can't hear anything." Garrick said.
Suddenly Admu screamed in agony, her entire body shaking and convulsing. she fell backwards, her head falling to the ground as her entire body went limp and motionless.
The floor underneath them began to vibrate faintly, causing dust and small pebbles to fall from the ceiling. A noise began to echo all around them, emanating from each of the tunnels that connected to the large atrium. It was a distant, muffled sound that was difficult to make out, but sounded faintly like… clawing… and chittering … and scraping.
"Combat positions!" Yngvi shouted, unholstering his plasma pistol and unsheathing his frost blade.
The 5 Bloodclaws all readied their weapons and formed a ring around the center of the room, their backs towards the large metal door that led to the rest of the hive-sprawl. Their eyes darted between the dark sewer entrances that lined the wall of the atrium, unsure of where their foe would emerge. The sounds grew louder and louder as the shaking intensified, until finally the swarm was upon them. pink-fleshed abominations covered in chitinous armor burst from every tunnel in the room, pouring out like a plague of insects. Yngvi bellowed a thunderous war-cry, and the Space Wolves unloaded their weapons into the horde.
Leman watched through the keyhole as the daemon projected itself into realspace. It clearly wasn't able to fully manifest itself outside of merely appearing before the cowering priest, but from the sounds of it the daemon intended to change that.
I could just kill the Cardinal now. Leman thought. Although that wouldn't prevent the daemon from simply finding a new host, and given the Cardinal's importance within the city, the chaos following his unexplained death could simply end up empowering it.
Had he been in the warp and fully armed, this would have been no issue for Leman. He would have simply slain the daemon where it stood, banishing it back to its patron god's realm to be re-formed. This, however, was trickier.
I had forgotten how bothersome daemons could be in the Materium. Perhaps if I can determine the details of this 'ritual' the Cardinal spoke of, I can devise a plan to take both of them out at once. Leman thought.
He returned to eavesdropping on the conversation between the corrupt preacher and his infernal conspirator.
"M-my lord Morax, the, uh, prisoner should be here soon." Bogomil said.
"I sense… hesitation…" the daemon Morax rasped.
"W-what? Well, I… I just… I fear what will happen if the ritual fails… if the people lose faith in me…" Bogomil stammered.
Morax chuckled menacingly, filling the room with a low rumbling.
"Oh, Cardinal… the ritual will succeed because the people have such faith in you." it said. "You are their protector… their savior. Without you, they would still be cowering in their basements and bunkers, waiting for the next bombardment to be their last."
This daemon has certainly mastered the art of flattering mortals. Leman thought.
"Of course, all of that was thanks to my machinations. Everything since then has been all according to my plan… and it will continue to unfold as I planned, so long as you follow up on your end of the bargain." The daemon said.
"I… I know, it's just… an innocent woman… pregnant with a child… I'm not sure if I can…" Bogomil said.
"A great darkness is growing on this side of the Rift, one that not even the gods fully comprehend. Something is gnawing at the roots of the Warp, burrowing through the fabric of reality… and when it emerges it will ravage the worlds of Imperium Nihilus unlike anything this galaxy has seen before. You think the Imperium will save you? Your Emperor? They will retreat behind the Rift, zealously guarding the flickering light of their precious Astronomican, leaving all of you behind to suffer a gruesome fate. This world is doomed. Unless… you complete the ritual… allow the woman to be sacrificed by the zealous agents of the Imperium, and all of the praise and faith they have in their Emperor… in you… will instead empower me. With that power I can protect the people of this world, and they will have you to thank for their salvation. Surely the billions of lives on Vigilus are worth two measly souls?" Morax said.
"Yes… yes, this will keep the people of this world safe…" Bogomil said.
"You will be immortalized, in flesh and in spirit… a true messiah." Morax said, the flattery dripping from his monstrous tongue like honey.
"A-alright. What must I do, my lord?" Bogomil said.
"Reveal the mark of our pact." Morax said.
Bogomil rolled up his sleeve all the way to his shoulder, revealing a well-hidden 8-pointed star branded on the underside of his arm.
"When the prisoner arrives, brand her with the sigil of Chaos. Present her to the zealous battle-sisters in a public place, for all to see. They will see the mark upon her flesh and condemn her to death upon the pyre, after which the ritual will be complete… and all upon this world will be eternally bound to me." Morax said.
"It will be done, my lord." Bogomil said.
So that's his plan. Leman thought. I think I have an idea… but I will need Admu's help. If all goes well, I can turn the Cardinal's own plan against him, and reveal his corruption for all to see.
A rapping noise came from the door, catching the Cardinal's attention.
"Cardinal, we have the prisoner!" a voice on the other side said.
"Do not disappoint me, Bogomil." The daemon said, vanishing as quickly as he had appeared.
Bogomil unlocked the door and gestured for the man to come in. A cloaked zealot armed with a shock maul entered the room.
"Did you find her husband?" the Cardinal said.
"Well, yes, but…" the zealot said.
"But?" Bogomil said.
"He… got away. We sent men after him, but we haven't heard from them since." the zealot said.
Bogomil rubbed his face in frustration.
"No matter... We will continue with the interrogation regardless." Bogomil said.
A group of zealots wheeled in a cramped metal cage, holding a frail and disheveled woman inside.
"She's all yours, your Excellency." The head zealot said, leaving the woman to her fate at the hands of Bogomil.
Once the zealots had all left, Bogomil locked the door once more. He turned to the captive woman with a dignified expression, all of the panic and fear he'd shown in the daemon's presence replaced by a facade of righteous piety. The woman shrank back into the bars of her small prison.
"P-please, just let me go… I don't know what I've done wrong… I just want to see my husband again." Melinda said, choking back tears.
"Your husband was caught by my agents a few hours ago. If you care for your safety or his, I suggest you comply." Bogomil said. "Now stay quiet, or I shall give orders to my men to 'silence' your husband instead."
He reached into her cell and pulled her arm through the bars, laying the back of her hand flat. He carefully placed his index finger upon her skin and pressed down. A baleful red glow emanated from his fingertip. Melinda squirmed and whimpered as it burned her skin, biting her lip to avoid screaming. He seared the 8-pointed star into her flesh, leaving behind a thin, blackened scar. He released his grip on her arm and she quickly retracted it, cradling her injured hand.
"I will return shortly, then your trial can proceed. If you are compliant, the Emperor may see fit to grant you mercy… of a sort." The Cardinal said.
"You… you're no Cardinal. You're the heretic." Melinda said, looking daggers at him through her teary eyes.
"And who will the people believe?" Bogomil said. "The revered and respected emissary of the Emperor, or the witch bearing the mark of Chaos?"
Melinda scowled silently; her fear overpowered by contempt. The Cardinal rose, looking down at the woman before turning to leave.
"Everything I do is for the good of the people. I am their savior. Take heart in knowing that you are crucial in that salvation." the Cardinal said, closing the door behind him.
Melinda sank back into her cell, covering her eyes as she began to sob quietly. Her weeping was interrupted, however, by a strange sound coming from across the room. She looked around for the source of the noise, spotting a small wardrobe a few feet away, with a jewel-encrusted handle that was jiggling slightly. Her teary eyes squinted in confusion, as the jiggling became more and more pronounced. A faint, multicolored light began to emanate from within the cabinet, growing in intensity until the opalescent light filled the room, the door handle twisting back and forth in a wild frenzy. Then, in an instant, the wardrobe burst open and an exceptionally tall and well-dressed man came tumbling out of it. He stumbled onto the hardwood floor, rubbing his head and acting out of sorts. He slowly rose to his feet, stretching his back and limbs as if he had been stuck in a confined space.
"Wh… wha… who are you?" Melinda said, a dumbstruck expression painted on her face.
"The name is Enoch. I'm here to rescue you." Leman said, twisting his neck until it made a satisfying crack.
"Were you… hiding in that wardrobe… all this time?" Melinda said.
Leman looked back at where he had entered, seeing that he had somehow squeezed through a shallow closet designed to hold coats.
"Oh, um… yes, I suppose I was." Leman said.
Melinda simply blinked several times, as if making sure she wasn't seeing things.
"Come on, we've got to get out of here before the Cardinal returns. Bogomil intends on offering you up as a sacrifice to his daemonic master. He must have left a key for your cell somewhere in here…" Leman said, rummaging through the books and drawers in the room.
"H… how did you know I was here? Why are you rescuing me?" Melinda said.
"Your husband sent me." Leman said.
"I-I thought the Cardinal said that Lucas was-" Melinda said.
"He was lying. Lucas is waiting outside, hiding in a safe location. I intend on delivering you to him. Wait a minute… what am I doing?" Leman said, pausing his search.
He walked over to the metal cage and grasped the bars. He tore the cell door clean off in one swift motion, like it was made of twigs. He cast the torn cage door aside, reaching in to offer his hand to the startled woman.
"Please, we don't have much time." Leman said, with a serious expression.
Melinda tentatively reached out, deciding whether or not to trust this man. Seeing no other options, she took his hand, and he helped her out of the cage and onto her feet.
"Alright, I have a plan to get you to safety and expose the Cardinal's treachery… but I will need your help." Leman said.
"If it prevents this from happening to anyone else… and my husband and I can raise our child in peace… I'll help you." Melinda said.
"Good. First, we have to escape, then I'll need to ask for help from a friend of mine." Leman said.
"How are we going to get past the guards?" Melinda said.
"Same way I got in." Leman said. "Through the front door."
He gripped her arm securely with his right hand, reaching out for the door handle with his left.
"I need you to keep close to me, we don't want you getting lost." Leman said.
"I… don't understand…" Melinda said.
"Oh and brace yourself… this may be… unpleasant." Leman said.
He flung open the door, and rushed inside with Melinda, leading her into the sub-Materium twilight realm he had used to infiltrate the spire. Melinda was hit with a wave of intense nausea and delirium, causing her legs to buckle underneath her. Leman braced her, keeping her on her feet until she had recovered slightly. The two rushed through the halls unseen, with Leman on the lookout for the strange Sororitas that had spotted him before.
The Cardinal returned to his study a short time later, with his envoy of zealots and raven-haired bodyguard at his side. He opened the door to his private residence, and the blood quickly drained from his face leaving it pale and clammy.
"Th-the prisoner!" Bogomil shouted.
Expressions of shock, terror, and then fury washed over him, as he rushed into the room. He flung open the wardrobe, flipped his desk, and overturned bookcases in the faint hope that the prisoner was still hiding in the room. When it was abundantly clear this was not the case, he turned to his shocked retinue with a look of desperate rage.
"Lock down the citadel! Seal every entrance and exit! Call up all the reinforcements and have them search this spire from top to bottom! I need that witch found alive!" Bogomil shouted.
Leman and Melinda burst into a supply room a few stories below where they started. Leman locked the door behind him, exiting the strange quasi-warp. Melinda's legs gave out beneath her, held upright. only by Leman holding her arm. She was covered in sweat and had a nauseated expression, her hand held up to her mouth as she heaved uncontrollably.
I should have guessed that a normal human with no training wouldn't be able to handle the tides of the warp for long, even in such a diluted form. Leman thought. At the very least, we certainly threw the zealots off of our trail for the time being.
"Are you alright?" Leman said.
"I'm… I will be alright." Melinda said between labored breaths.
Leman peered through a small window in the door and spotted a mob of guards rushing through the building. Some were armed with simple combat uniforms and electric maces, but others were wearing full body armor and wielding Lasguns. He figured that the Cardinal would want to capture Melinda alive, but he wasn't going to count on any gentle treatment by Bogomil's forces to keep them safe.
I need to contact Fen. Leman thought. Tell him to bring Admu to the warehouse, hopefully I should be able to show him the location through our psychic connection.
Leman focused his thoughts, concentrating on trying to communicate with the disembodied wolf-spirit. His face contorted and strained as he tried harder to focus, for some reason the wolf wasn't responding. He saw glimpses of dark tunnels… slashing claws… and copious amounts of blood and gore… but for some reason it was as if the wolf was trying to ignore him.
Dammit… I can't contact Fen. Perhaps it would be easier in the open air? I'm not exactly experienced with this whole 'psyker' business. Leman thought. Regardless, hiding in here isn't going to help us. We need to find a way out, get to street level. Then we can start preparing a trap for the Cardinal.
He looked around the room and contemplated his next move. His enhanced senses perceived something imperceptible to Melinda, and he slowly walked over to the far side of the room. He placed a hand on the wall, gently sliding his palm along the surface as he focused on something. His hand halted, and he quietly knocked the wall a few times with his knuckle to test it. He walked back a few steps, digging his feet into the floor. Melinda watched in utter disbelief as he charged shoulder-first into the brick wall, demolishing the masonry and leaving a gaping hole behind. She stepped over pieces of rubble and waved her hand to dispel the dust as she passed through the hole. Leman turned to see the terrified clerk whose voice he had heard through the thin portion of the wall, frozen in shock. Her hands augmented with writing implements were shaking uncontrollably and she was stammering incoherently.
"You there. Which way to the closest exit?" Leman said.
"Uh-uh-uh i-i-t's d-down the hall and t-to the left, th-there's a maintenance s-stairwell that l-leads to the g-ground floor." She said, her voice creaking in fear.
"Thank you." Leman said cordially, turning to Melinda. "Let's go."
The two ran through the hallway, abandoning secrecy in favor of speed. The faster they got out of here, the better… and Leman was getting tired of being stealthy. Brute force was becoming the more appealing option by the second. They turned a corner to see a group of armed guards, who quickly noticed the out-of-place intruders.
"There!" One of them shouted, raising a Lasgun.
"Get down!" Leman shouted, causing Melinda to dive for cover. Leman barreled towards the guards, dodging a handful of Lasgun rounds with preternatural instincts. He closed the distance in less than a second, grabbing the gun and sending the guard flying backwards with a roundhouse kick. Two guards charged at him with shock mauls, but he simply grabbed their wrists and used them to smash their heads against one another. He quickly reduced the group of armed assailants into a pile of broken bodies, finding this method of infiltration far more gratifying than the previous method. He picked up a hefty shock maul, weighing it in his hand before deciding to take it with him.
"Melinda! The coast is clear." Leman said.
Melinda sheepishly poked her head around the corner, still shaken by the amount of carnage she had witnessed. She carefully stepped over the… probably unconscious men littering the floor, following Leman into the nearby stairwell. As they rushed down the stairs, Leman heard a distinct voice in his head.
Fen crushed the head of Genestealer in his jaws, tossing its body aside and licking the noxious blood from his muzzle. He waded through bloody pools of his own making filled with dismembered Tyranid limbs and half-eaten Genestealer corpses, making his way into the sewers from the bottom of the maintenance shaft.
Leman. Fen said.
Fen! I tried contacting you, but I couldn't get through… ugh, what's that disgusting smell? Leman said, regretting his psychically linked senses.
Unsure. Seems to be some kind of overgrown cave lobster. The taste reminds me of Kraken meat. Fen said.
Wh- nevermind, where are you? Where is Admu? I need you to bring her to a certain location. Leman thought.
Admu is… not here. Fen said.
…what? What do you mean 'not here'? Leman thought.
She fell down a large hole. I'm currently on my way to retrieve her. I have her scent; I should be getting close now. Fen said.
How did you- argh, not the time. Just find her and bring her to the warehouse as soon as possible! Leman thought.
Understood. Fen said, severing the psychic connection.
He raised his nose into the air and sniffed, picking up the trace psychic presence of the demigoddess. His ears perked up when he heard the muffled sound of distant bolter rounds coming from further down in the tunnels. Putting two and two together, he began sprinting through the tunnels at an urgent pace to reach Admu before things got worse.
Cassius fired a round from his Boltpistol straight into the left side of a Genestealer's head, shredding apart the flesh and bone. Even still, with its discolored brain exposed, the creature continued to charge at the marine with frenzied strength. He was able to get another shot off at the creature's chest, not killing the abomination but slowing it down enough for him to plunge his Chainsword straight into the Genestealer's neck. The horde was made up of a motley assemblage of half-breed and pure-strain Genestealers, the latter being decidedly more dangerous. They were pouring in through the dozens of sewer tunnels that emptied into the central atrium where the Space Wolves were making their stand. The Astartes were fighting bravely and effectively, but the sheer numbers and unnatural resilience the horrid swarm possessed was slowly but surely pushing them back, inch by inch. The Ogryn girl they had come across and had mysteriously fallen ill was lying behind them, momentarily safe from harm with the marines standing between her and their assailants. They shared an unspoken, informal oath to protect her… if not solely for the reason that they had made it this far and were determined to not falter so close to the finish line. Cassius kicked the still-twitching corpse off of his blade, turning to see another Genestealer lunging at him. A bolter round embedded into the side of its head, sending it flying before hitting a wall. A series of consecutive shots perforated its skull, putting the beast down permanently.
"You're getting sloppy, Cassius." Garrick said, slamming his Powerfist into another Genestealer's chest.
"I had him in my sights - was just about to block him with my Chainblade." Cassius retorted.
"Will you two shut up for once?" Jax said, embedding his Frost Axe into a Tyranid's midsection.
The injured bioform continued to struggle and flail its limbs despite its injuries. Jax grabbed one of its feet and arms with each hand and lifted it into the air, yanking them apart until the purple-carapaced mutant tore apart in a shower of gore.
"Damn things just won't die!" Jax shouted, swinging his Frost Axe in a wide arc and sending three attacking Genestealers flying backwards.
"On your right!" Ulfric shouted, firing off a volley of covering fire right next to Jax from his Heavy Bolt Rifle.
The rounds peppered a group of newly emerged Genestealers coming from within the tunnels. Ulfric loaded his underslung grenade launcher with an incendiary round, cocking the barrel to prime it. He aimed towards one of the tunnels the Genestealers were pouring out of, launching the rocket-like projectile firing it straight into the center. As the fiery shell passed through the tunnel, it faintly illuminated rows upon rows of advancing Tyranids crawling through the darkness before delivering its explosive payload.
"Fekke! They just keep coming!" Ulfric shouted, reloading his Bolt Rifle. "Aesir, preserve us!"
Another Genestealer, crawling along the ceiling above them, dropped down on top of the vulnerable marine with its massive dagger-like claws bared. Ulfric looked up with an alarmed expression, raising his rifle in an attempt to block the creature's strike. A blur of pale blue carved through the air and struck the Genestealer in its abdomen, impaling the creature. Yngvi slammed the Tyranid beast into the ground with his Frostblade, pinning it. He placed the muzzle of his plasma pistol directly against its temple, igniting the inside of its skull with superheated plasma. He yanked his sword from the dead Genestealer and charged into the bulk of their numbers, roaring a furious berserker howl that seemed almost to instill the slightest amount of fear into the hideous creatures. The old Huscarl tore into the Genestealers with frightful speed, his blade becoming like a streak of light while his plasma pistol sizzled and smoked from repeated use. With the bulk of the Genestealers dealt with, the 5 Space Wolves took the opportunity to fall back into position to prepare for further enemies.
Cracks began to form in a part of the wall, from which grasping claws began to dig their way out. The entire section of the atrium gave way, revealing a gaping chasm that led into a cavern filled with writhing Genestealers.
"Kjarg's balls, there's a whole goddamned hive underneath us!" Yngvi said. "Keep firing!"
As the marines were pouring bolter rounds into the swarm of Tyranids, a massive shape shifted in the darkness. Out of the throngs of Genestealers, a single towering figure emerged from the swarm. It rose above the smaller Tyranids around it, and the mass of lesser bioforms seemed to part to allow it to pass. It was massive, at least twice the size of a regular Genestealer, and in its clawed hands it held two massive organic blades fused to its flesh. The Astartes' bolter rounds bounced harmlessly off of its thick carapace, exploding either against the wall or into the crowd of Genestealers below. It walked slowly in contrast to its underlings, almost as if it were relishing the fear it wished to instill on its opponents.
"Bloody Hel! It's a damned Broodlord!" Yngvi shouted.
The towering Genestealer raised its chitinous swords and howled with primal rage, staring down the veteran of the Wolf Guard.
"So, it's a duel you want, you overgrown insect?" Yngvi growled.
The Tyranid let out a series of sharp howls, as if accepting the challenge.
"Then have at ye, you bastard!" Ygnvi shouted.
Ygnvi engaged the superior Genestealer while the rest of the horde continued to assault the Bloodclaws. The veteran's Frostblade clashed against the Broodlord's psychically enhanced Boneswords, their impact sending arcs of empyrean energy flying across the arena. The Tyranid moved with blinding speed, with the Space Wolf veteran only able to keep up with the creature's lightning reflexes with his own instincts honed by centuries of combat experience. The Huscarl found himself expending most of his strength simply holding back the creature's immense strength, being pushed back with each strike. They circled one another as their swords clashed, the other Genestealers avoiding their brawl for fear of simply being torn apart by the two warriors' strikes. Ygnvi deflected one of the Broodlord's boneswords with his Frostblade, raising his plasma pistol to fire at the Tyranid's exposed abdomen. Before he could pull the trigger, the Broodlord reacted swiftly and slashed at the veteran's hand. The plasma pistol, now damaged beyond repair, flew from his grievously wounded hand as blood poured from the large gash across his arm. Ygnvi gritted his teeth and lunged forward with a strike from his blade, which the Broodlord blocked with both of his Boneswords. The Genestealer pressed forward with its inhuman strength, breaking Yngvi's stance and sending him reeling backwards. In a move unexpected even by the experienced Huscarl, the Broodlord sank to the ground and swung its leg underneath him, knocking Yngvi off of his feet.
"Huscarl!" Cassius shouted, unable to come to his aid thanks to a trio of Genestealers bearing down on top of him.
The Broodlord stabbed his Bonesword into Yngvi's shoulder, pinning him to the ground and causing the old wolf to grunt and howl in pain. It lowered its head to face the pinned marine, its massive, toothy maw dripping with corrosive spittle. It stared into the fallen marine's eyes with its beady, red pupils, the marine simply staring back with a scowling grimace. Then, out of nowhere, there was a monstrous 'crack' as the thick, bony armor protecting the Broodlord's head was fractured by a single strike. The punch sent the Broodlord flying backwards, slamming into the far wall and falling onto its back. The dazed Tyranid flailed and squirmed like an overturned spider, before quickly flipping itself over and onto its feet. The Broodlord smashed its swords together and let out a high-pitched shriek, a threat display that it had not even shown to the space marine veteran. Admu, now fully awake, stepped over the fallen marine and towards the Broodlord with a slow and deliberate pace. The 5 Space Wolves could only watch in disbelief, and even the other Genestealers seemed shocked by the situation, merely snapping their jaws and shrieking towards Admu rather than engaging her.
"T-Tia?" Yngvi said, struggling to lift himself with his injury.
Admu turned to the 5 stupefied marines, her green eyes blazing with emerald fire.
Stay here. She said, in a voice that seemed to reverberate through their very souls.
Admu turned back to the enraged Broodlord, who was beginning to approach her while continuing its threat display. Admu's face twisted with rage, and she screamed furiously as she tackled the giant Genestealer into the dark chasm. The marines almost considered pursuing her, but the moment she and the Broodlord were gone the rest of the Genestealers resumed their assault.