A/N: EDIT: Not as much feedback for this chapter, which is a pity given its one of my longer updates. Still not at my best, and sick as a dog. Sorry... T_T
Nevertheless, I've updated FOUR STORIES in the last two days. Please, have mercy.
Update schedule is a little scuffed due to my health, so we're switching things up this week, Claws isn't ready, but ironically this is; as one my mates popped over and helped me finish it up. Still haven't been able to get my hands on Space Marine 2...
*sad poor noises* Why are games so ludicrously expensive these days?!
Sadly my health is running amok, affecting my...well, everything. In other news, Advent is working on Dance of the Dread, Dylan Millwood is working on another crossover with me -can't mention it yet-while Slifer is helping me with the next chapter for Father of Monsters, which was updated Thursday. In conclusion! We're all very busy!
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no obscure references, silly quotes, themes or memes. They are tributes one and all
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild wacky world, one word at a time.
Pre-nails Angron is a good boi and I shall not be told otherwise.
Away we go~!
"I am free. And now, so are you. And you, and you, and you...
... lets not forget you over there...
...and you too, of course~!"
~The Goodest of Bois.
Kill the Nobles
Naruto hit hard.
Angron felt that a fair estimation of his teacher's martial prowess given the stars he was seeing at present; his bones were broken and his muscles mangled, his body quivering from sheer exhaustion. Truly it was a miracle he remained standing at all; anyone less would have fallen long ago. Only sheer will and grit kept him going.
They'd been fighting for the better part of a week this time around, a constant on-and-of-and-on-again battle that pushed both his body and spirit to their limits and beyond. Nearly seven days without rest or sustenance, nor any of the quiet comforts he'd come to appreciate, only the constant attack, attack, attack that was his master's style.
Yet still he stood, wasted and gasping for air perhaps, yet standing still. A cold mist fogged before him as he exhaled heavily, sucking in a ragged breath to steady himself as the snow fell. The falling ice crystals cooled his fevered flesh momentarily yet melted off his scalding flesh soon thereafter, creating an ever-present could of steam. He knew not where the next attack would come from, only that it was coming. Had to keep standing or else he'd be eating dirt again...
Three years.
Three years he'd spent training like this with the Master of the Mountain. That was thirty six months. One thousand and ninety five days, if one was feeling clever. He didn't even want to think how many hours, minutes, or heavens forbid seconds had elapsed since he'd undertaken this rigorous regimen.
Of course, that wasn't to say he hadn't benefited; because he had.
He had a better grasp of combat now than ever before; he had learned well the flow of battle both within as well as without. With them came control of his sometimes less-than-tenuous-temper, which in turn granted him further understanding of these many blessed abilities he'd been endowed with.
Better yet, he'd grown taller still. He towered over his Teacher now in stature, but not strength.
In all likelihood, he never would.
He'd learned well what the Golden Man was capable of; a single blow from him burst boulders and sheared snow from the ground. He moved faster than lightning, could -and had!- utterly torn entire squads of slavers apart like so much wet meat.
And that was when he wasn't trying!
On the rare occasion when Master actually chose to exert himself, he became a truly terrifying foe. He had seen him command the very elements themselves to wreak untold havoc on his foes. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. All these and other esoteric techniques he didn't understand, but respected nevertheless.
In truth, he'd no choice but to; such was the nature of the man his called Teacher. His strength, his resolve, his unshakable power.
Have you ever seen a slaver choke and die as the air was pulled directly from their lungs?
Angron had. It was a bad way to go.
But he had other, far more frightful means of fighting when the mood suited him. Angron himself had yet to understand by what his mentor called the "one-punch" technique, and frankly, he'd no desire to ever experience or see it firsthand. Hear of it was more than enough!
And when his mentor's wrath was truly roused...well. The results already spoke for themselves.
The so-called High Riders of Nuceria had sent air support against them, once.
ONCE.
Fa-urk! He meant Naruto, not dad, never dad, not within his hearing, had proven his worth that day. He'd blasted a full squadron clean out the sky, reducing them to burning wrecks on the plains below. From there, he turned his ire upon the nearby nearby mountain they raiders using as a staging ground. He'd annihilated it with some kind of black-light-blast.
Angron knew light shouldn't be black, couldn't possibly be such a color, yet there it was. He'd seen a massive peak obliterated until naught but a smoldering crater remained. While the occasional sporadic raid upon their humble mountaintop home continued every few months -he did not those mind overmuch, they were a fine chance to sharpen his skills, as he was always eager to squash slavers- no ships nor armored vehicles had been sent since.
Nuceria sorely missed that mountain; not only was it a staging ground by which to attack them, but there were also a great many arms and armor factories there. As a result of its destruction, the overall quality of their attackers had fallen into severe decline.
Nevertheless, a point had been made that dark day; we repay kindness with kindness, cruelty with cruelty. Send us slaved and we will return them as corpses, but send us ships and we shall give you craters and cataclysms. Such was the reason Angron called him Master. And if he sometimes slipped and called him Father, well. Naruto corrected him less and less these days. One day, someday soon, they woils go down the mountain and free this world and THEN-
"Oi!"
A staff briskly tapped his chest, returning him to reality.
"You're spacing out again. I've been talking to you for the last ten seconds." Bemused blue eyes squinted up at him from a weary, whiskered face. "Had enough?"
Angron gripped his shoulder and popped it back into place with a grunt. "No."
His mentor made a displeased noise, only to tap his leg and drive him to a knee. "That is why you fail."
The young Primarch and future leader of the War Hounds sputtered incredulously. "Fail?! I thought I was doing well!"
"And you were," His mentor walked past him. "Until a moment ago."
His brow furrowed and he made to follow. "I don't understand."
"I had a teacher once, too." Naruto looked past him, mildly bemused as he slung his ringed staff over both shoulders. "His name was Jiraiya. I had other names for him, he was a bit of a pervert frankly, but he understood the basics of training.
Angron frowned down at him. "Such as?"
"Such as knowing when to stop." The sage clear away a patch of snow with a burst of fire, sat before him, withdrew a flask from his hip, and began to drink. "Lest we lose ourselves in the present moment."
The Son of the Emperor lowered himself onto the now-warm ground as well. "You almost sounded wise for a moment there, Master."
"Brat!" Naruto smacked his bicep with the staff. "You should listen to your elders."
His brow furrowed. "You're not that old, though...
"Boy!"
The flask sailed at Angron's head, forcing the empath to catch it or be left with a rather nasty bruise. Uncorking it, sniffed and took a whiff of its contents. Water. He wasn't sure why he expected anything less. It wasn't as though they could afford the finer things up here. Shrugging, he took a drink of his own, savoring the cool water coursing down his throat.
A shadow fell over him.
He didn't deign to look back, but he did scowl. "This isn't for you, beast. Dinner will come later."
An irritated growl was his reward, yet he remained undaunted, even a heavy weight settled on his shoulder. Hair tickled his nose, prompting a sneeze.
Naruto chuckled. "I think our friend disagrees with you, ya know. Perhaps you should listen to him."
Angron chucked the canteen back at him. "I don't have time for this; I need to train."
Master's minion redoubled its efforts to pin him in place.
The beasts of Nuceria were a strange lot; savage but noble, with the strength to match. Naruto had befriended one such beast, a crafty cat that rather resembled...what had he called it, again? A snow lion? Was that the word? He supposed it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it was colorful and LARGE, nearly of a size with him; enough to give him pause. At the end of the day, a beast was a beast, tame or no.
The crafty cat yawned once and laid down beside him, all but curling its massive body around him for warmth. Within moments, it was fast asleep.
Angron laid a hand on its mighty mane, unable to quite stop himself from rubbing the beast's head. "Damn cat...
Naruto chuckled. "That cat's got the right idea. We should rest for the evening. Sun's getting real low."
Angron grunted at that, but didn't protest...at first.
Still, he felt he ought to ask something.
It had been gnawing on his mind for some time now; not merely the matter of the raids, but the fact that they persisted at all. He hadn't failed to notice his mentor's failure to discuss it these last three years, and as such, he was determined to get one last jab in. "When do we go down the mountain?"
Naruto blinked at him. "Why do you want to go down the mountain?"
Wasn't it obvious? "To free this world, of course."
"And what do you consider freedom?"
For some reason, that irritated Angron. He couldn't quite say why. No matter; he'd been waiting for this moment for some time; now came his moment, the chance to spring the trap he'd been preparing.
"Freedom is freedom," he grumbled, pushing himself upright against the slumbering cat. "I wish to break the chains of the people, cast the High Riders down and make this world a better place."
"And you will; I promised you that, and I intend to keep it." Naruto's face was a study of contrasts. "We'll go when you're properly prepared. Not before."
He burst to his feet, looming large over him. "But I AM ready NOW! I want to go down there and fight! Every day we delay, people suffer!
At that, his mentor merely sighed. "You're talking about starting a war."
"Then let there be war!
"War." an angry, ugly scowl curled at Naruto's lip. "War, war, war." he shook his head from side to side, blond bangs swaying as he bemoaned the word. "War never changes. Yet the young are so eager to throw themselves into it. Why is that, I wonder...?"
Anger sparked in Angron's caring heart and just this once, he gave himself to it, letting it further embolden his words. "What do you know of war? The blood shed? The lives lost! The bodies piled high!" Naruto didn't rise to the bait, sparking his ire further, fists clenched at his side as he shouted at him. "You know nothing! Not of me, nor of war! Nothing at all!"
He winced, regretting his words too late. No, wait, he hadn't met that last bit...
A raspy chuckle filled the air. "I know nothing, eh?"
Despite himself, Angron flinched. "I-
"I do know some things, Angron." Naruto's staff tapped down lightly upon the ground, just the once, but it was warning enough to silence him, even without his voice raised. "I have seen everything you just described and more. I've lived them. By comparison, pain's an old friend. Misery loves company. Death, a constant companion." a weighty pause followed and Angron bit back a grunt as he felt the sheer force of his master's full focus on him, head tilted to regard him like some foolish pup, not the warrior he'd become. "Yet you, who have never seen a proper battlefield, think to lecture me?"
Further inspection revealed something worrying. Naruto's gaze had gone red again. Nothing good ever happened when his eyes went red.
Angron bowed his head instead, a shallow dip, not daring to break eye contact. "I misspoke, I meant no disrespect-
"I am talking."
The young Primarch subsided into silence.
"You should count yourself lucky; you haven't seen half the horrors I have." Something cold and sharp and dark flashed across his foster father's face, there and gone in an instant before he could hope to comprehend its true existence. "I've fought on battlefields before, faced down creatures you can't even begin to comprehend. I've seen the dead torn from the afterlife to fight in indestructible bodies formed from friend and foe alike as the moon bled red.
Angron gulped, terrified and fascinated in equal measured. "And what happened next?"
"Death happened." The whiskered warrior did not rise to his feet, but he looked at him and in that moment, his glare made him feel small. "You ask me what I know of war, Angron...I AM war."
He'd anticipated a response like this; thankfully, he had prepared his plea well in advance and still had one last card to play.
"Then help me!" he held out his hand to him. "If we work together, we could conquer this planet in less than a week!"
"And then what? We rule?" he scoffed aloud in open scorn. "We'd be no better than those so-called nobles."
"No." Angron shook his head in disagreement. "We free the people and let them choose their leaders."
His mentor fixed him with a steel glare. "You do realize they'd choose us, don't you?"
He huffed. "If they do, then so be it. Such would be their choice."
Naruto kept staring.
"I want war, yes." he admitted ruefully beneath his mentor's less-than-pleased-stare, "Because war is the only way. Don't you see? We have to help them. We've already waited too long as it is. Every night I sense their suffering." his hands ground into fists at his sides. "I'd hoped It would become inured to it, that I could learn to ignore it, but...
...I didn't realize you were that sensitive toward." his mentor blew out a breathy sigh. "Why didn't ya tell me?"
Angron tore his gaze away. "I did not wish to be seen as week."
Naruto was wavering. He could sense this. See it.
Time for his ace in the hole.
"Father, please...
Naruto made exasperated Naruto noises and palmed his face to hide his eyes. "Told you not to call me that...
Angron stared fiercely.
"This'll end badly...
Kept staring.
"Stop that!"
STARED.
"Fine!" with a noise akin to grinding bones, Naruto dragged himself upright, brushed the snow from his knees, and stood. "But if we do this, and we're clearly doing this, we do it my way." a finger jabbed up at his face, barely able to reach his chin. "That's the price you're gonna pay for dragging me into this mess early."
Angron nodded curtly on the outside, even as he howled with triumph internally. "By your lead then, Teacher."
"Brat of a boy." he whacked a knee with his staff. "I hope you can keep up with me."
His brow furrowed in mild consternation. "Keep up with you? Easily."
A hint of his old self shone through in a smile. "Is that so?"
"Wait, wha-
Naruto barked a laugh and vanished in a streak of golden light.
Angron bounded down the mountain after him.
He wore the biggest smile.
(.0.0.0.)
To say they conquered the planet would have been an understatement.
A Son of the Emperor and a Fox From Another World.
They descended the mountain like an avalanche.
All of Nuceria trembled in their wake.
The Nobles never stood a chance.
(.0.0.0.)
Angron tore the cell door from its hinges with a triumphant snarl!
Metal buckled and squealed in his grasp as he swung it around, wielding it as an impromptu bludgeon against those in the halls to smash his way forward down the corridor. Small arms fire pattered harmlessly across his broad back, unable to pierce his crude leather armor and find the flesh beneath. It barely tickled.
Undaunted, he marched on.
All the while, he kept his temper in check, fighting with controlled rage, never the once letting his wrath slip its leash. He would do as he'd been asked and hold the line here, buying Father time to escape with the city's captives and ferry them away to safety. He had full faith in both himself and the man who had taught him.
Someone slashed at him with a sword, only for the blade to shatter against his ribs.
He backhanded them, casually obliterating their head.
Heat seared his chest and he scoffed at it.
His makeshift shield brained another.
A grenade whistled his way, lazily batted back into the enemy soldiers to detonate among them in a haze of fiery smoke.
Angron loomed large out of the haze, covered in blood like some grisly avenging red angel.
"This is not enough." he whispered the words ever so softly. "Not nearly enough."
Here at last, a pause followed in the fighting.
It did not last.
"What are you fools doing?! Shoot him!" A High Rider brayed at the head of a small army, his-once white robes stained red as he thrust a pudgy finger his way. "Shoot him! I SAID SHOOT HIM!" wide piggish eyes regarded him with abject terror as he frothed at the mouth. "I'll promote the next man who brings me his head! Whomever fails gets the Butchers Nails! I'll hammer them into your skulls myself!"
Angron rumbled at that, low and deep in his throat. "You will do no such thing...
"The beast speaks?!"
Was that what they thought of him? So madman come down from the mountains? Fools.
He paused, considering the quivering guardsmen before him. Their emotions were clear to an empath such as he; low on ammo and morale alike. He pitied them.
"I know many of you aren't here willingly." he held out a bloody hand to them. "Lay down your weapons and surrender. Those who do so will not be harmed. My mentor awaits you outside."
Nearly three dozen did just that, throwing down their guns to flee, much to their patron's sputtering dismay.
The Red Angel stared at the rest. "Last chance."
A dozen more fled with a whimper.
The rest remained.
Angron nodded once and made his judgement. "So be it."
"Fools!" The last living High Rider stamped his feet, heedless of his impending oblivion. "When we take back this world, I'll throw you into the arena myself-
Angron stomped a foot down and lunged.
"Remember," One of Naruto's lessons came back to him in a rush as he waded through the stinging staccato of shots, "Some leaders like to lead from the front, but there's an inherent risk to that. When one commands ones troops, one makes oneself vulnerable. And if you take out the enemy leader in full view of said troops...
He closed the distance between him an' his target in an instant, batted aside a guard with his makeshift shield, stomped on another, then reached out to seize the Noble by the face. It wasn't difficult. The once proud portly pig howled imprecations at him, gripping his wrist now as he hoisted him into the air. His feet flailed to no avail; all his wails and threats and promised were muffled against his fingers and palm. Even if they weren't, it did not matter. There could only ever be one end for one such a shim.
Angron squeezed with intent, popping the Noble's skull like an overripe grape.
From there, he dropped the pig's now-headless corpse to the ground.
The enemy lines broke soon thereafter; he saw to it personally.
Whirling, he raised the cell door like a battering ram and bulled forward, disemboweling dozens as he went. The act of doing so killed the last remaining guards, rendering them a pulpy mass against the nearest wall. He paid them little heed and dropped his impromptu weapon to tread over their corpses, seeking the next cell door.
Metal buckled easily beneath his grasp and just like that, he was granted egress once more.
Ducking low, he slipped into the chamber beyond, squinting into the darkness within.
"Do not be afraid." he spoke slowly, calmly to them. "I'm here to free you."
Figures shuffled in the shadows.
"Allow me."
Naruto reappeared at his side in a sudden rush of golden light. Beaming, he leaned past him to ignite a torch mounted into the wall, bringing light into the gloom. Angron took a moment to appreciate the irony. Father had a habit of doing that; bringing light into dark places. For that alone, he was grateful, but for now, he forced himself to focus and gaze upon the captives.
These were no gladiators, nor was this a proper cell he realized, but an opulent chamber, the likes of which he'd never seen before.
Women and children stood before him, garbed in robes of silk, the purpose of which even someone like him could guess at.
Pleasure slaves? Concubines? Small wonder this last bastion had been so well guarded.
Some of the women were holding infants.
A muscle jumped in Angron's jaw.
Naruto stepped up, bless him. "Alright, everyone!" clapping his hands, he bid them approach. "Everyone outside. We're rounding everyone up in the arena and we'll have those chains off quick as can be. Anyone here have the Butcher's Nails?"
The concubines shook their heads silently.
"Great!" That charming smiled flashed forth once more. "Right this way, then. Single file now...
Mildly bemused by the act, Angron led them out of the dank and damp room and to what -he hoped- would be their freedom.
In short order they were led outside with the others, to a great clamor; emptied of its customary combatants, the arena was full to bursting with hundreds, if not thousands of people, many of whom were former slaves or gladiators. They were, all of them, victims of Nuceria and its brutal ways. Their relief washed over him in palpable waves; he could sense their every emotion, their confusion, and the uncertainty that came with it.
Desh'ea had been the grandest of the hive cities, and the last to fall, yet fall it had. It was never a matter of "if" but only when. Once its armies were routed and its fleets destroyed, all that remained was a land battle; the brisk fight to breach the gates and take the city. The outcome of said battle was never in question.
It felt...good, to liberate a planet.
There were still roving warbands to deal with, and there would be much work to do in the coming days, but for now...
Naruto nudged him with an elbow, reminding him where he stood.
There would be time for speeches later.
Yes, for now, he had another a task to which he must attend.
Looking to the nearest slave, a wisp of a girl only seven years old with a wrought iron collar around her neck.
He broke the shackles with a stern tap of his finger, drawing a gasp from her.
As she babbled her thanks, he turned to face the next.
So began his great work; one by one, he unburdened them of their shackles, liberated them from their chains. Those who had the Butcher's Nails would be seen by Naruto, though he admittedly wasn't sure what could be done for them. He could only do what he did best.
By breaking chains.
"I am free." one after the other, he released them, speaking to each in turn, soothing their fears and worries with his innate ability. "And now, so are you. And you, and you, and you... ... lets not forget you over there... ...and you too, of course~!"
On and on he went, until finally, he came to the last of them.
"You are a slave no longer." Angron reached in and broke a sobbing woman's chains with his bare hands. "You are free."
Odd. She looked different from the rest. He took her in at a glance, her red hair and pointed ears, those piercing green eyes, a strange mark on her forehead. Humanoid, but not human, clearly. What was she? She held a passing resemblance to those strange aliens who had attacked him so long ago, but she was not of them. One of the concubines by her clothing. Her chains had been stronger than others, more difficult to break, but break them he had.
Curious.
She stared at him for a long moment, sniffling a little, trembling where she stood. Why did she not flee like the others? Ah. She was afraid of him. Yes, that must be it. But of course. He must look like some red angel to her, covered in the blood of her captors as he was-
Angron was wholly unprepared when the woman jumped him.
Hugs?! He didn't know what to do with hugs!
Someone send help!
Naruto laughed in the background. "I warned ya...
That was no help at all! What was he to do with a crying woman in his arms?! He'd not trained for this!
Her emotions washed over him, grief, regret and gratitude all blending into one as she buried her head into his bloody armor. He had to do something. Awkwardly, he patted the redhead's cranium until she ceased crying. It was all he could think to do in the moment.
It must've worked too; because looked up at him, eyes shining with tears. "Thank you for being merciful, red angel. We were wrong about you. I will spread word of your deeds here today."
His brow furrowed. "We?"
Something warm and soft graced his cheek. Naruto laughed anew, even as he sputtered.
A thunderous boom from on high caught their attention.
Angron looked up, made curious by the noise.
He wished he hadn't.
A great golden vessel loomed large in the sky just over their heads, descending from the atmosphere. More of the High Lords? No, he'd never seen anything like this in his life. He had no words for such a ship; it was large and golden and big. He was no shipwright, the finer aspects of such were lost on him. He sensed something. A presence looming deep within.
The strange woman who-just-might-be-an-Eldar took the chance to scamper, melting back into the crowd. Angron barely noticed her. He only had eyes for the ship.
As he looked on the mighty ship opened a ramp of some sort, allowing a single figure to stride down its length.
No, to leap from the ramp like some kind of lunatic; right down into the arena before them.
He landed with a mighty crash, kicking up dust to startle the people.
Teacher hadn't said a word.
And he still didn't speak, even when a glorious gilded figure emerged from the haze of dust, standing large and broad and tall.
The crowd of freed slaves murmured among themselves at this new arrival, but none dared approach.
Angron couldn't blame them; not when he looked like that.
There were no words to describe this majestic man, this towering titan of humanity, so he didn't make a proper attempt. Whomever he was, whomever he might or must be, his face shone like the sun, so bright that he could hardly see anything about his visage beyond the laurel crown he wore, nor his dark hair. When he spoke, when he looked to him, when he smiled, his voice reverberated with the weight of ages.
"My son. I have found you at last."
Naruto went terribly tense behind him. "Son...?"
Angron frowned, decidedly unimpressed by the new arrival's theatrics. "If you are my Father, then where were you?"
"Searching for you." The Odd Gold Man remained undaunted in the face of his. "You were torn away from me, my Son. You and your brothers. I have been seeking your whereabouts for quite some time. You are among the first I have recovered."
Naruto found his voice at last. "And you are...?"
Here at last, the larger man deigned to address him. "I am the Emperor of Mankind. You have my thanks for looking after my Son all these years. But now we must return. You must come with me at once. The stars await and we can ill afford another delay."
He wanted to take him to the stars?!
Naruto frowned and Angron with him. "But these people-
"There are greater concerns, Son. Rest assured, my Imperium shall see them looked after.
Angron twitched. He kept saying that. Son, son, son. As if he were allowed to say such a thing. Like he had the right.
All this time he had been gone. Lost and forsaken. Only now, in his moment of triumph, did he arrive...? And now he just wanted him to leave? To up and abandon these poor people they'd freed? To entrust these people -his people!- with another Emperor after just freeing them from the cruel despots of Nuceria? It wasn't even laughable; it was abusrd.
Something cold curdled within him, not feral anger but glacial rage. "No."
His so-called father blinked down at him, nonplussed. "No...?"
Angron lifted his chin."You are no Father of mine."
(.0.0.0.)
Defiance was not something He had expected.
To be rejected outright by one of his Sons...he should've been angry. Furious, even. Such would've been the natural reaction of any father.
And yet the Emperor of Mankind felt only pride. How curiously quaint.
He couldn't remember the last time one of his offspring had stood against him. It had been some time. Not for greed or glory, but principle. Yes, some time indeed...truly he embodied the best of him. Unfortunately...
"...nevertheless, you remain my Son."
Angron bridled below him, incensed by his words. "Say what you will. You'll need more than words to convince me."
Hrrrm. Clearly he couldn't just hand Nuceria over to his Imperium, then. His Son would not take it well.
But neither could they afford to tarry here. Angron's legion awaited, as did the Crusade.
There was work to be done. Emotions would only-
"Oi."
The Emperor looked down, momentarily nonplussed at being interrupted.
"You wanna be his dad?" the whiskered warrior beside his Boy stared up at him defiantly, claiming his attention. "Then be a good one to him. Taking him offplanet against his will?" he shook his head, setting blond bangs swaying. "That ain't good parenting, pal."
The Emperor paused, considering his Son's protector anew. "...what is your name?"
The mortal lifted his chin. "Naruto."
...curious.
The Emperor stared at him intently, this seemingly frail, fragile creature that dared defy him so. Short of stature though he was, and wounded in spirit he might be, he still stood tall. He seemed prepared to do battle with him, unaware of the pointlessness of such an endeavor. It might well come to blows between them. He would not relish such a fight, though he was certain he would win a confrontation between them.
And yet...he had protected his son. More than that, he'd raised him to be a good man. Better than expected.
Very well indeed, if he was so loyal to this pitiful planet.
Who knew what Angron would have become, if not for him? He had power, yes, but it was not of Him, nor of the Warp. It was something else. Something different. Something new. An aspect he had not encountered before. He was touched by Chaos, yet resisting, had resisted for some time now, it seemed. That spoke well of him. But no matter his merit, he could not afford to simply surrender his Son to him, no matter how much of a positive influence he might've been on what otherwise would've surely been a shattered soul.
Wait. A positive influence...
Something to bind his sons together.
To be a shepherd where he could not, a guide by which they might abide.
Behind his golden veil of light, his eyes widened. An idea dawned just then, brilliant in its simplicity. Malcador would've chided him for such. But his old student had always been the suspicious sort and moreover, Malcador was not here. He was back on Terra, looking after the recently reclaimed Horus. Which left him to make this decision, alone. He weighed the pros and cons of it for a moment, considered them as he'd considered other, less earth-shaking decision in the past.
.
..
...the outcome was never in doubt.
Opportunity knocked at the door of Destiny and the Emperor of Mankind seized it with both hands.
He turned a small smile upon the blond one. "Shall we make a wager, then?"
Naruto squinted at him. "What kinda wager...?"
A/N: Daddy's home...and he's up to something.
But in what order has Angron been found? I'll let you guess that much.
Once more, we can jump ahead if you prefer... ...or we can stay in the moment awhile longer. Perhaps the best of both worlds? Your choice. Do let me know.
Feedback is important! Reviews are the fuel that keeps me writing. That's no joke. I really am sorry that the chapters are shorter these days, and the updates slower, but I'm trying my best. Silence hurts more than any flame...without feedback, I can't write a single world. Seriously! So speak up! Every word -and every review!- really does matter!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... ...Review, Would You Kindly?
Here, have some previews. Lemme know what you think!
And as ever: Possible spoilers! Seriously!
Mostly the same previews here.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT AHEAD!
YOU WERE WARNED~!
(Previews)
Isha opened her eyes within her cage.
A golden star stared back at her.
She blinked and it was gone.
Had she imagined it...?
...I cannot see your death. Why?"
Been there. Done that. Guess what? IT TICKLED."
"Very well!" Rocking back on his heels, he turned his head and spat out a bloody tooth. "I acknowledge your strength."
With a grunt, he reached up and donned his helmet. Red eyes blazed from within.
...you're about to wish I hadn't."
"...Stop it. Just stop it, Fulgrim. Get some help. You're better than this."
"But I wanted it to be perfect-
"No buts!" the wooden club thumped him over the head again. "Perfection is a lie! Now fix your legion or so help me I will FIX you!"
EDIT: Obligatory Tea Common Shark reference here. If you know, you know.
A shadow fell over him.
The Primarch looked up, squinting into the son
That proved a mistake. Too late, he spied a spot of darkness.
Was that a bird? Or a vehicular craft of some sort? No, wait...it was...
His brow furrowed in absolute disbelief. "What in the Emperor's name...?!"
A singular shout was all the warning he received. "LET'S FUCKING GOOOO!"
He had time enough to brace himself; then a screaming Naruto Uzumaki drop-kicked him into the ground and everything exploded.
"You're fine just the way you are." Much to his mounting annoyance, the blond didn't look away from what he was constructing. "Ain't nothing wrong with wanting to build stuff, ya know?" as he looked on, he settled the wooden beam over his head, affixed it in place, and hammered another nail in. "Be your best self."
Perturabo physically flinched. How long had he waited to hear those words?
"Say that again."
"I'll say it as many times as you need!"
He offered him his hand. "Friends, then?"
Horus clasped it. "So may it be."
A shadow fell over him. "Oi, Lorgar."
"What is it now-"
CLONK!
Erebus ran for his life.
"GET BACK HERE! I ain't done with you!"
Something barreled into him from behind, smashing him down into the dirt.
Clawed fingers bit into the back of his bald head. "You and Kor Phaeron, there's only one thing to be done with people like you!"
She blinked. "Curious...
R ~!
