A/N: EDIT: hardly any feedback, despite the massive chapter. That's a real spirit breaker. I really tried to make this long one...T_T
See what happens when you let me cook~?
Sorry for the schedule mixup; got my update days confused. I'll fix that, but this week has been...ugh.
Despite my best efforts, it hasn't been at all relaxing for me. Good news, though, its made this chapter loooooong as a result. Hence the two-parter.
Life kept me away longer than intended, to say nothing over other events. Still, I'm back, more or less, and might be slowing down a bit this week, if only to ease myself back into things. Car repairs are driving me around the bend once more, however, I've sunk so much money into that old rust bucket this year already and now I need to throw even MORE into it. To make matters worse, I don't have a ride right now with it stuck in the shop, which means, you guessed it, a rental. Which costs even more money!
*exasperated writer noises*
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. Many thanks to the reviewer "cmacenka" for offering a massive font of ideas on Warhammer. I'm still relatively new to it, but I'm learning more and more everyday.
I can't say too much up here for fear of spoiling this chapter, as I desperately want it to be a surprise. There's a whole heap of tributes, and I did my best to be respectful with them, chief among them "Not Sorry for Loving You" and the like.
We'll be moving back a few minutes before the battle starts to meet the other Warhounds. From there, we'll move to the proper fight, all in the same chapter. Worry not. Minor paraphrasing from the Wikipedia regarding Kharn...
...as well as a tribute to a now rather-infamous scene from DBZ.
I was blasting Bruce Falconer's "Destruction" track once THAT scene kicked off and it was GLORIOUS. You'll know when you reach it.
Naruto's changed a LOT by helping Angron and this chapter truly reflects that change.
There's just one problem. Who else likes change?
TZEENTCH.
"But let us speak now of the Orks. Our Lord of Ramen encountered them upon Nuceria with the first of his sons, Angron. Alas, I was not present for that first fateful battle, but my dear brother has recounted to me in great detail many times since. I believe the best description of went something along the lines of WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
Angron insists that the Orks were arguing with Lord Naruto about colors for some reason...
...I suppose you had to be there to truly understand the intricacies of it.
For it was there that our Lord revealed His divinity.
Allow me to show you of what I speak.
Bear witness!"
~Lorgar, Leader of the Word Bearers, also known as the Cult of Ramen.
Kill the Orks
Kharn was overjoyed.
Downright ecstatic and utterly overwhelmed.
Every other word that symbolized happiness, really.
He had begun to doubt, you see, to fear that this day would never come; that the WarHounds -or whatever their Primarch wished to call them once they met- would ever be reunited with their Father. Yet here they were, a scarce hundred of them, disembarking the vessel, descending the ramp to meet their genesire; the man who would lead them into battle only a few short hours from now.
Kharn had suffered much to make it here. Countless insults, humiliations, wounds...to say nothing of his "recruitment" itself.
Born upon Terra, the cradle of Humanity, one of the very first neophytes to be chosen as a part of the nascent WarHounds. After his selection, he was savagely trained under the scathing scrutiny of one Centurion Gruner upon the training grounds of the vassal world Bodt, along with nearly ever other neophytes assigned to his instruction. In time, he rose through the ranks of his so-called comrades to become a Centurion himself, leading the XII Legion's elite 8th Assault Company against the foes of the Emperor wherever they found them.
Until today, this most glorious of days.
They called him the Red Angel and he hadn't understood why at first, because apparently their Primarch was neither red, nor did he wear any such color. The matter had confounded him for a time until old Mago took him aside just before planetfall and informed him that Angron was called such for the sheer amount of blood he spilled in battle. Beyond that he was warned that he must be kind to the civilians; that no harm could befall these squishy ones, else their primarch would take it most poorly.
...Kharn could understand that much. They were Astartes, after all. The Emperor Protects; as did they.
Besides, soon they would have Orks to kill. No need to think when face such a foe. Also good.
He need only hack and slash. Sever and shatter. Rip and tear.
"GOOD."
...had he heard a voice, just now?
Nonsense. Hearing things. The Emperor Protects.
Tossing his head from side to side, he forced himself to follow his fellow War Hounds down the thunderhawk's ramp as they disembarked. They were the first of the hundred to arrive, and well that they were; because that meant he would be among the first to lay eyes on their Primarch.
A great crowd had gathered to greet them; he paid little head to the disparate band of gladiators and freshly-freed slaves, nor the women and children amongst them. It was good that this lot had cast off their chains and thrown down their oppressors, and ordinarily he would have happily assisted them in such an endeavor, he was not here for their sake today, but his own. Now where was...?
Belatedly he glimpse other faces in the ground, one of whom was a towering beauty of woman clad in a white-gold robe. Her eyes were deep, piercing forest green, her gentle face framed by red hair a bemused smile, and perhaps most notably of all, pointed ears. He did not fail to notice the other, smaller alien with her in a most curious servant outfit of black and white.
Eldar?! Here?!
Kharn bridled, not in vehement disgust as some of his brothers would, but disbelief.
Well, if it was the Emperor's will, surely they couldn't be so bad.
Strange times made for strange allies, no?
Someone else was standing beside the woman, a small spectral figure of some sort. They were very red, and he could see right through them, but Kharn didn't care about them; because they weren't his primarch.
Lhorke had regaled them with tales of a great giant, nearly of a size with the Emperor himself.
There! Movement near the back of the crowd!
Could it be...? It was!
His liege was...not as he expected him to be. Angron stood tall and well-muscled, towering head and shoulders over all. A deeply bronzed warrior with a long-yet-noble face, his gaze was keen and sharp, his hair long and dark, rather akin to that of the Emperor himself. His body was proudly clad in armor of battered blue on white -someone must've forewarned him of the legion colors ahead of time- while a pair of mighty chain axes hung from the broad black belt looping his waist...
.
..
...was that a child sitting on his shoulder?
Kharn paused and reassessed for a moment, watching the little girl in threadbare rags currently sat upon his primarch's shoulder clap and coo at the sight of them. She leaned in to whisper something in their Primarch's ear, which in turn drew a chuckle from the towering giant; as Kharn looked on, handed her off to another woman who rather resembled the child and lumbered forward to meet them. He even smiled but a little when the child waved at his slowly retreating back and gave her thanks to "Mister Angron" as he ambled away.
Had he been carrying her on his shoulder so that she might see the thunderhawk's descent?
Kharn hadn't thought he could be more proud of his Primarch.
He was wrong.
The people parted before his liege with the reverence one might give towards the Emperor himself; civilians bowed, while gladiators-men and women alike-thumped their chests in further acknowledgement of his genesire and his mighty deeds. Angron did not speak to those, but he made sure to look each and everyone one of them in the eye when he loped past.
That confirmed it; this was not some berserk gladiator as Kharn first feared but a true noble soul; gentle, proud, and above all kind.
Everything a Primarch should be.
Before he knew it, Angron stood before him. The presence of a Primarch was a powerful thing to experience; Kharn basked in it, his every emotions rendered down to their most base components.
This was his Father, and he was Good, and Kharn was Happy.
As one, his brothers knelt, and Kharn knelt with them.
Silence reigned supreme over the courtyard, broken only by the howling winds in the distance. Kharn knew there was little time to stand -or kneel!- on ceremony; they must face the Greenskin menace soon, lest the Orks have time to recover from their crash and assault the walls.
And yet he couldn't bring himself to move.
"So." Angron rumbled softly, his voice torn somewhere between a smoldering growl and quiet curiosity. "You're my legion, then."
Somehow his words truly brought the moment crashing home, once and for all; that their Primarch had returned.
A ripple passed through his squad, his brothers in arms. Kharn knew their names well.
Vorias, the Librarian.
Gahlan Surlak, sullen Aapothecary.
Mago, weathered and experienced Sniper.
Korit, their Techmarine, clever and quick with his tongue.
And one couldn't forget Lhorke the First, the mighty dreadnought towering over them all as he watched with paternal pride.
Kharn couldn't claim to have half their skills. He was no psyker, not particularly savvy in the realm of technology, and he possessed no knowledge of the healing arts nor ranged weaponry. Likewise, he had no particular desire to be interred in a Dreadnought anytime soon either, despite the overwhelming power granted its tortured occupant. He'd heard the stories and seen the aftermath of those twisted surgeries. Lhorke was the first of the War Hounds to be granted that "honor" but he would not be the last.
Someday, Kharn knew he would join him in a coffin of his own and serve the Legion in his own way.
But it would not be this day; today, he served a grim and glorious purpose.
For you see, he had miles to go, and a promise to keep.
His place was on the frontlines of every battlefield, slaughtering the enemies of mankind. He was both the Assault and the Vanguard. He was good at killing things. He lived for the slaughter. That was the long and short of it. Give him an enemy to kill, or better yet, an army to face, and he would fight to his last breath in the name of Mankind.
Yet, like his liege, he was no mindless berserker; he wasn't afraid to think for himself, nor speak his mind. Thus, when he saw someone emerge from the crowd to stand by Angron's side, Kharn dared to raise his head, to move now, before anyone else.
"You do realize they're just going to keep kneeling if you don't say anything, right?" a new voice interjected. "At least let them stand up...
The giant grunted in acquiescence, looked directly at Kharn and rumbled but a single word. "Rise."
Kharn did as he was bid, as did his brothers, eyeing the newcomer warily.
Oh, yes. He knew well who this was. The one in Orange-and-Black armor, a battered coat of similar colors slung loosely over his slim shoulders. The battered material seemed to shimmer in the afternoon light as a stray breeze tugged and snapped at the sleeves like some long lost flag, ready to burn a great glorious gold at any given moment.
He had heard tell of this Golden God already; he who had found their Lord and looked after him since he was but a boy, protecting him until he could fend for himself. A...what was the term again? Foster father? Yes, of course. That made sense. Someone to look after him after on this world. By the look of Lord Angron, he'd done a good job of it.
The Emperor had spoken most highly of both him and his efforts; looking upon him now, he could see why. The blond one was human, yes, but he could also sense the power in him, strange as that might sound. Like their beloved Primarch, he possessed a unique presence all his own, but unlike him he was...not tense, that wasn't the right world, but rather coiled, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.
And all this without possessing a single visible weapon on his personage. Or perhaps his body was the weapon?
Kharn could respect that, from one warrior to another, but his loyalty was not so freely given.
Questions, however, were. "And you are?"
"Naruto."
...I am Kharn." he replied in return.
"Pleasure to meetcha, Kharn." The blond human beamed up at him and offered his hand, the gesture clear. "I hear we'll be killin' Orks together. Put 'er there."
Kharn seized the young man's palm with all his transhuman might and squeezed, intent upon testing his worth then and there.
Imagine his surprise when it was he who found all five of his fingers nearly crushed within that grip!
A startled grunt pushed past his lips, narrowly muffled behind his helm; he was suddenly and immensely grateful he'd chosen to wear the blasted thing; if only because it the the expression of complete and utter shock he now wore. The man before him was not of the Adeptus Astartes. He was no Space Marine. No Angel of Death, he. By all accounts he appeared human. Smaller than him, too, but his strength was...extraordinary. He had no doubt this seemingly "harmless" could prove his equal in strength, if not more.
Kharn made up his mind in that moment; if Angron was their father, then this man clearly deserved a place of honor as well.
Grunting in approval, the Centurion released Naruto's arm and inclined his head instead. "Well met, LordGrandfather."
"Yeah, you too-HEY!" Naruto sputtered in abject disbelief. "What was that just now?!"
Kharn grinned behind his helm, pleased by his victory.
Now that was a proper human reaction.
"Come, brothers!" Lhorke boomed a laugh above him and his weapon high. "The slaughter awaits!"
Kharn thumped a fist to his chest and looked to his Primarch. "Command us, my lord!"
(.0.0.0.)
"Command us!"
Angron very nearly balked at those words.
Easy for Kharn to say! He wasn't used to commanding...well, anyone!
So many soldiers! So many astartes and centurions and psykers, all looking to him like he was some sort of god. So. Very. Many! He didn't know what to do with them all. What should he do with them? How could he possibly prove himself to so many people without making a complete and utter fool of himself?!
Dad and the Emperor were of no help at all; each stood on the sidelines, content to let him speak. Even Lady Isha and Talia -ignore the maid outfit, Angron, don't stare!-were watching, curious to see what he might do; to say nothing of his legion.
He was utterly alone in this endeavor.
What had Dad said? Fake it until you make it?
How on Nuceria could he possibly do that with so many people watching?!
He was good at fighting and saving people. Great, even. Dad had taught him well.
This wasn't something he could fight his way out of.
So what. Did. He do?!
He'd always had a gift for healing the pain of others and empathizing with them. Maybe use that here...?
.
..
...nope! Couldn't do it. He was far too nervous!
Desperate, he looked out amongst the sea of faces before him in search of an answer, any answer, until finally, his eyes settled on Talia. She noticed him at once and her bright gaze widened with panic, long ears drooping in distress as though to say "why are you looking at me?!" but he couldn't help himself. His gaze was drawn to her all the same. Not to her ridiculous getup -though it did draw one's eye- but rather, her face. She looked just as panicked as he felt.
Indignant at being silently called out, she glared at him, adopting what she no doubt thought a fearsome scowl when he didn't immediately tear his gaze from hers. The standoff lasted approximately three-point-five full seconds and was verging on four when she abruptly capitulated.
Slowly, she granted him a nod. Just the once, little more than a jerky bob of the head, but he still saw it.
Her lips parted, mouthing words. "Encourage them. Tell them to fight for you."
Was it truly that easy? His heart soared.
This baffling Eldar woman who'd dared to kiss his cheek back in the arena after he freed her, who always lingered nearby, who was ever so flustered around him even now. For some reason, the sight of her smile and those quietly mouthed words gave him strength; though he wasn't quite sure why. In the end, it didn't matter. He happily accepted it.
And just like that, Angron knew exactly what to do, no, what to say~!
He raised a fist. "WARHOUNDS! TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!"
His legion roared with him.
(.0.0.0.)
"May we speak?"
Naruto winced.
Just a little.
He'd known this moment was coming for awhile now; he hadn't exactly tried to avoid it, mind you, but neither did he find himself entirely ready for it, either.
Really, he didn't know what to do. What to say. What to feel, even.
How should he feel? Happy? Concerned? Afraid?
He had no answer.
As everyone made their last minute preparations to face the Orks, Isha cornered him behind one of the Imperium's tanks. Rather nice tank, at that. It was good cover, he'd admit; someone had tucked it into a corner near the high wall, even with Isha's height, few could see them here. Better yet, it simultaneously shaded them from the sweltering sun and provided some small semblance of solitude from the prying eyes of the Imperium. A win-win, insofar as he was concerned. Someone would try to move it soon enough no doubt, but right now none dared when they were all but leaning up against it.
What had they called it, again? A Baneblade? Yes, that was the word. He took comfort in that.
Her words, less so.
"I know we've not had much time to talk...
Her hip brushed his as she sat beside him, and in an instant he became intimately aware of her; she wasn't wearing perfume, but there was a rich earthy scent about her today-something he couldn't quite quantify despite his best efforts. Whatever it was, it smelled rather...nice.
"S'fine." he waved a hand halfheartedly. "We've both been busy."
"No, it is not fine." she laid a pale hand over his. "I have been distracted by my duties. I've neglected you."
She really hadn't, but he found it cute that she thought so.
I should also warn you..
"About what?"
"I have no doubt that we will win today's battle." Nevertheless, she ran a hand through her crimson hair with a weary sigh. "It possible Kharn might try to influence you in the battle to come. He's been suspiciously quiet as of late. The other Ruinous Powers have all shown interest in you."
Tzeentch hasn't, though...?"
"He has." her finger poked his chest. "We wouldn't have escaped Khorne and Slaanesh if not for him."
He shook his head, dismissing her concerns as unwarranted. "I'm used to bloodlust. I won't let it overtake me."
"Spoken like a warrior who's railed against it before." Isha granted him a small, sad smile. "But you misunderstand. He will be stronger now. He's always thrived on conflict, and with Nurgle's defeat, he will seek to expand his domain by way of trying to claim you; that makes him dangerous and-
"I'll be fine." His fingers squeezed hers, cutting her off. "Getting the feeling you're not telling me something here, though...
She leaned against him. "The Chaos Gods...many of them are darker reflections of the Aeldari. Just as Nurgle was for me, and Tzeentch is as to Cegorach, Khorne is...well." she struggled for a moment, then rallied. "I suppose you could call Khorne a shadow of Khaine.
"And that is?"
Isha looked away from him. "My Father."
Naruto winced, flinched, and cringed all at once. Hoooooboythatwasacanofworms...
What did say to that? What could he say? Sorry sounded so...insufficient, but in his shock, it was all he could think to muster."
"I'm sorry...?"
"Do not mourn him." she looked back to him and squeezed his fingers, threading her digits through his own. "In the end, his downfall proved his own doing; he refused to move on from the War in Heaven, and that greatly shaped his identity. He is...not dead but broken at present, his soul shattered. Slaanesh and Khorne tore him apart." a small, hollow laugh tumbled from her lips, empty and sad. "Doubtless it was something of a humbling experience for him. Perhaps someday he and I will be reunited again and he will learn from his mistakes."
Again, what could he say to that?
"I've gotten distracted, haven't I?" shaking her head, he looked back to him. "Here I meant to warn you about the remaining Three, not delve into my past like some lovelorn girl." With a steadying breath, she wrestled her thoughts back under control and picked up where she'd left off. "Khorne and Slaanesh are seldom subtle. But the Changer of Ways stands in a league of his own. In many ways he's a reflection of my brother Cegorach, but far more insidious and unstable. You cannot predict whether he will help or harm you at any given moment. Such is his very nature."
Sounded strangely familiar. "What does he want?"
Another laugh, soft and sardonic. "What they all want. Chaos. Or in his case, change. And speaking of change...
Isha looked his way and something in the air shifted between them.
...I suppose we should speak of us now, shouldn't we?"
Naruto gulped. He couldn't help himself.
"Where do I begin?" for a moment it looked like Isha might take her hand from his, stand and start pacing, only to think better of it at the last second. "You're unlike anyone I've ever known." She leaned back against the Babeblade and loosed another of her little laughs, a soft-yet-bitter sound that made him wince. "Most likely due to the fact that you're the first and only human I have truly known."
He perked up. "I am?"
"You are." she ran a hand through the air, absently conjuring a vine from the earth to caress it. "My kind has a word for yours. Mon'keigh, they call them."
Right, he was dense at times, but not stupid. "Sounds an awful lot like monkey to me."
Isha's pretty face pinched in apology and realization dawned.
...oh."
"You see now my conundrum." she absently reached back and tugged a stray strand of scarlet from her face. "For your deeds against Nurgle, I named you both Champion and Chosen before my little kin; many of whom will soon be coming to Nuceria at my given invitation. They may...dislike you."
How much?"
Her face pinched in quiet concern. "Things will change after today. So very much will change and I...!" she took a breath and palmed her face. "I am not entirely certain how to proceed from here."
"Isha-
"Let me speak!" she snapped at him in a rare burst of melodius anger. "When you first broke my cage, do you know what I felt?"
Naruto dimly recalled her startled, dirty face as he shattered her prison, and hazarded a guess as best he could. "Fear?"
"Hope." Her reply proved instantaneous. "For the first time in centuries. It was like a breath of fresh air and I...
She averted her gaze, ears drooping just a little.
...I think I love you."
Thump!
The words struck his heart like a sledgehammer, forcibly making it skip a beat.
Critical hit! Massive emotional damage! All hands to battle stations!
"I'm not sorry for loving you." As he balked, Isha sprang to her feet, crossed both arms beneath her bountiful bosom, and probably began to pace before him as. "I can't be. I won't be." she tossed her head to and fro with a wild shake, sending her long hair swaying every which way as she did. "I've never felt so alive. I'm energetic, I'm restless, I'm happy in a way that I haven't been in eons. Eons!" the last word burst out of her in a laugh, light and lilting. "Can you believe that? I don't want to ambush you, push you, or come on too strong, but I just can't help myself."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she wasn't finished with him.
"I thought you were a dream at first, a figment of my imagination. Did you know that?" When he made to reach for her she stepped back, suddenly nervous, skittering out of his grasp. "Even now there are times when I look at you and think you can't be real."
That, at least, was an avenue he could pursue. "Why?"
"Because you're you!" the words exploded out of the Aeldari goddess as she flung up her arms, the sudden motion did fascinating things to her breasts and it took a physical act of will to focus on her face as she ranted and raved at him. "You fought a Chaos God in your dreams for me! Who does that?! Not even Asuryan himself did such a thing!"
"It really wasn't such a-
Her finger pressed into his lips, binding them shut with more strength than the strongest seal.
"If you say rescuing me wasn't a big deal," she absolutely hissed at him, "I am going to be VERY cross with you. It was a big deal. It was all the deals. Are we clear?"
Oops? He nodded numbly and projected sincerity until she took her finger away. She'd absolutely mangled her grammar just now. Poor goddess. She really was stressed out, huh?
"What exactly do you want from me, here?"
Errors were made and he realized them too late.
Isha made a noise caught somewhere between a sigh and a sob.
Kurama spat in disbelief, chastising him as he hadn't since the old days. "Idiot!"
"I want you to chase me, try to embrace me, take me!" she shivered and hugged her arms close to herself, trying to shield herself from the whispers of Slaanesh she was no doubt experiencing at this very moment. "Even forsake me! Anything would be better than this uncertainty between us!"
Right, okay. Now he felt like a jerk. Best fix that.
...I don't know what love is."There it was, the honest truth. "Kinda hurts to say, but I'm inexperienced in this. Ask me to fight or talk someone down, and I'm your guy. But love?" He dragged a hand through his hair, nails digging into his scalp. "I don't know love. Never did, really."
He wasn't talking about Sakura. Never would, for that matter. He'd been an idiot; honestly, sometimes he wished he could go back and smack his young self upside the head. In hindsight, he could see now just how very many opportunities he'd wasted by pining after her. Perhaps that was stupidity on his part. Maybe she'd left him emotionally stunted. Regardless, the fault lay with him.
Slaanesh crooned darkly in his ear. "Coward."
Naruto growled, fingers biting into his armored knees. "I'm not!"
He wasn't a boy anymore, hadn't been one for quite some time, frankly.
...very well." Isha stiffened at his reply, shoulders tense in the face of his shout. "That's fair; you aren't mine to save, anymore than I was yours to rescue." she turned away and for a moment he glimpsed a trickle of tears down her face. "We found each other. It was luck, some might say, nothing more. If that's all, we have a battle to prepare for."
Everybody panic!
"Wait!" he lunged to his feet and grabbed her wrist before she could slip past him. "Just...just wait a second! That wasn't what I meant.
"Why?" she wouldn't look at him; he didn't blame her. "We've said all that needs to be said, clearly."
"No, we haven't. You're being awfully distant all of a sudden there, Isha..."
Her lips trembled. "Do you not wish me to be?"
"I'd rather you be yourself."
"Are you certain?" she tilted her head to look his way at the last, and he didn't miss the faint note of hope flashing across her face, ringing through her words. "My true self might be too much for you. "
Why was she so hesitant now? Undaunted, he released her wrist and crossed both arms over his chest until his armor creaked. "That's my decision to make, ain't it?"
"You misunderstand." she squirmed under his gaze, confidence faltering. "I do not understand the concept of restraint as I know it. I may make mistakes."
He shook his head. "Everybody makes mistakes. They're part of life. That's how we learn.
Her ears perked up. "Then...?"
"I don't know where this'll go," he shrugged honestly, "But I'm willing to give this whole-dating-thing a try, if you are."
"Date?" Isha blinked quickly, quite confused. "Aeldari do not "date" as you call it, we court."
His brow furrowed. "Aren't those concepts the same thing?"
For some reason, that made Isha bite her lip and consider him very intently. "Not as you understand them...
"You've seen my memories." he reached out and dared to take both of her hands in his. "You tell me."
Her face flushed deeply, hints of pink dusting her cheeks. "... you wouldn't mind courting me?"
He ran his thumbs over her palms. "Don't see why not."
...and marriage thereafter?"
Naruto nearly choked.
But then he had a sudden and wild vision of little Aeldari children with red hair and blue eyes running around underfoot. One of them, a girl, tugged at his sleeve and he looked down at her.
She smiled happily up at him, whiskered cheeks dimpling with innocent glee. "Papa!"
Laughter tumbled out of him as he snapped back to reality. "Screw it. Why not?"
Something came loose in Isha's soul when he laughed; he felt her joy wash over him like a gentle breeze. "You truly know nothing, Naruto Uzumaki."
"Hey!" he huffed indignantly. "I do know some things. As for the rest, that's why I've got you."
Isha preened, confidence returning at long last. Boldly, she scooted towards him.
Leaned in closer, now, looming over him "May I, then...?"
Her eyes flicked up to her full lips.
They looked soft.
She accepted his silence for the invitation it was; her gaze became half-lidded as she leaned down.
Naruto leaned up to meet her.
"..."
This was unwise. From a rational standpoint it was supremely stupid to engage in such acts before battle. He knew that. The commander in him was currently hollering him to stop and focus. Falling in love with a goddess? Dating with an aim to court? Courting with an aim to marriage? And children thereafter? Angron would have questions. The Emperor probably wouldn't be pleased. This couldn't possibly end well. But the rest of him...
Full steam ahead~!
He wasn't sure who found whom first, only that they did; her lips were suddenly on his and by the sage it was wonderful.
She might be taller than him, but this felt...nice.
Wonderful, really.
At some point, goddess that Isha was, she must've changed her size on him again when he wasn't looking; because she was suddenly able to step into him and fling both arms around his neck even as his hands were able to settle upon her full hips, the better to draw her closer and press her firmly up against the unyielding surface of the tank.
She gasped but a little and latched onto him, ground herself against him, hands drooping over his back, fingernails biting pleasurably into his shoulders. That emboldened him further;he allowed his palms to glide down her flank and lift her left leg, which she promptly used as an excuse to jump onto him, wrapping both around his waist to hold on for dear life. Hefting her upright, he settled both hands beneath her hindquarters and glimpsed a glazed flash of green in her gaze as he dug his fingers in, a pleased smile she settled her weight against him fully.
Complete, utter bliss.
"Don't worry, my champion." she laughed, wearing a little smile all her own. "Someday, you'll be the same size as me. Until then we can enjoy ourselves as such...or any such way you want...
What did she mean by that?
"Hey-
Isha didn't give him a chance to speak further; her mouth muffled any words he might've said as she pushed against him, wrestling him down to the ground, riding him into the dirt.
Their kisses were chaste; until they weren't; until passion overtook them. Her hands gradually began to roam over his armor, as did his over her pale robes. Losing her patience at last, she took ahold of one of his hands and guided it up to her breasts before diving down to kiss him once more. They were the both of them, clumsy, their clothes and armor in the way, but not for much longer. She was already reaching for his belt, while his hands sought the release of her robes. He felt his self control slipping, gradually gliding away in a pleasurable haze...
And then Slaanesh cooed in his head, ruining the moment. "Oooh, yes, just like that...give it to her HARDER...!"
Isha made an annoyed noise and slumped against him. "Blast it all, I'd nearly forgotten about her!"
"Alright." he sighed into her. "I think that's enough for now.
She sulked. "I don't want it to be."
Neither did he.
He wanted more. So much more. So did she. Isha looked like she wanted nothing more than to pin him down, ride him into oblivion and have her way with him.
But there wasn't time. They'd delayed the battle long enough; already he could hear Ork shouting in the distance beyond the walls, punctuated by the sound of stamping feet.
It was time.
"Boo! Hsssss! We were just getting to the good part!"
Ignore the crazy pleasure god. The crazy pleasure god cannot hurt you. The crazy pleasure goddess does not exist!
"We should talk more about this" he leaned into Isha, pressing his forehead to hers.
She hummed in approval."We really should."
"After the battle?"
Her lips graced his one last time. "I would like that very much. One last warning, however." She pulled back to her guard him sternly, blending further weight to her words. "Orks only respect strength and rarely listen to diplomacy. Make a spectacle of yourself out there if you can. Cow them, and you'll win the battle easily. You may even convert a few of them to your cause.
He squinted at her, momentarily bemused. "...are you...are you trying to get me an army?
"I'm trying to keep you alive, you silly fool." but those words lacked any sort of bite.
Laughing, he let her help him rise to his feet once more. "Promises, promises...
Isha fondly pinched his arm in retaliation. "I meant what I said earlier. Don't underestimate the Orks, or their Orkish power of belief. This mysterious "waaaaagh" energy of theirs lets them do terrifying things; achieve feats you wouldn't think possible, and so much more. You need to hit them where it hurts.
"In the face?"
She flicked his noise. "In their belief. Make it something...big."
"Alright, then." A wicked grin split his lips. "I can do big."
"I know. You nearly did back there."
His face went red. "ISHA!"
"Not sorry, beloved." She returned to her full, towering height, and bent down to kiss his forehead one last time. "To battle~!"
-
(.0.0.0.)
-
Say what you would about the Orks, but they didn't lack for zeal.
Every single one of them charged up the hill without fear; and why shouldn't they?
Bad terrain or not, they clearly had the numbers, they clearly had the advantage, they had...
.
..
...blood.
Lots of it, apparently.
Their forces collided in a clash of steel;
Blue met green, met white and gold, met FIRE and all the hells broke loose.
Naruto threw himself headlong into the chaos ahead of the rest, punched the head clean off one Ork, grabbed two more by the skulls and bashed them together, then used their corpses as clubs to flatten three more. He wisely turned his face aside from the ghastly mess that followed, but even then fresh ichor clung to his whiskered cheeks as he struck at another. What the Orks possessed in quantity they certainly lacked in quality, but there were just so very MANY of them...
"I want prisoners!" He bellowed over the mad melee. "Leave some alive if you can!"
To his great delight, he wasn't the only one to shout.
"FORWARD! WITH ME! WE HOLD THE LINE!"
Angron stomped forward and casually cleaved an Ork in two with the biggest smile. In the same movement he whirled, crushed two more underfoot and pulped the skull of a fourth. A mortal shell bounced off his shoulder and he whirled with a boisterous laugh to cleave the cannon in two. All this, in less than an instant.
A hundred Warhounds stomped in their Primarch's wake, roaring in triumph.
The Red Angel's reputation would grow this day.
Naruto couldn't help but pause and preen a little at the sight.
His boy was a weapon unto himself, as was Lhorke to say nothing of Isha, and himself, all of whom were rampaging through the Orks with vicious precision. They were essentially force multipliers, rendering a ragtag band of space marines and gladiators into a deadly fighting force.
Kharn bounded past him and he resisted the urge to yank the impulsive young centurion back...
...right before he lopped the head off an Ork impaled another, and launched him at a third.
On second thought, he'd be fine.
Everything dissolved into a muddy mire of a mess from there; he could only tell friend from foe by color, and even then, just barely through all the mud and blood. He fought on through it, reaping a bloody toll wherever he dove into Ork squads, ripping and rending with knives and fists and chakra. And all the while, as he fought...he heard it.
Kill.
He heard him.
Kill them.
His voice, urging him on.
KILL THEM ALL.
Blood for the blood god. Skulls for the skull throne.
KILL EVERY LAST ORK IN MY NAME!
Khorne -who else could it be?- gnawed at him like the infamous Butcher's Nails of Nuceria, spurring him to greater and greater acts of violence as he waded through the enemy. Naruto grit his teeth and shut the bloodlust out, even as a smile split his face. He would enjoy himself, but he wouldn't lose his soul here. He refused.
A particularly plucky Ork somehow got inside his guard when he wasn't looking and decked him in the schnoz; the impact drew a startled burst of laughter from him.
"Bahahaha!" His tusky foe, just as surprised as he, did the same. "Youz can take a punch, umie!"
"Thanks." his right arm swung back even as he spoke. "Can you?"
The Ork blinked. "Whuzzat now?"
Clenched knuckles barreled into his face, snapped a tusk, and laid him out cold.
Surprising. He'd meant to take their head clean off their shoulders.
Alright, he'd leave a shadow clone and let that one live.
Another Ork jumped him from behind; their blade shattered on his armored back. Grunting in mild amusement, he caught him by the face, slammed them down, and pulped their skull. Another he caught by the leg and flung into his fellows, scattering them in the dozens, then hundreds. Chakra flowed freely through his limbs as he fought on with reckless abandon, unleashing his techniques one after the other.
His staff cracked ribs and stove in skulls as Rasengan and Rasenshuriken flew freely, but no Bijudama were unleashed.
He was saving Kurama's chakra for the big boys.
Assuming there were any here.
Most of these Orks were strong, but most could barely make him feel pain, let alone bleed. Some of them must've realized it and taken it as a personal challenge; because the bulk of the horde began actively targeting him to the exclusion of all else. Not that it did them any good.
More than once, he caught one of his victims screaming something about a "propa scrap" or Gork and Mork.
The names tickled his psyche, but he didn't know them; the heck were those guys supposed to be?
More of the Orks? Would he have to fight them, too?
Bullets bounced off sage-hardened skin as he waded through the wave of greenskins, clenched knuckles plowed through armor and muscle alike.
More than once, he swooped in to save an Astartes where he could, but those events were few and far between. The War Hounds were well-tested and eager for blood. He hadn't sensed a single death on their side yet. If they were lucky, there might not be any at all.
The same couldn't be said for the Orks; their numbers were down by half now; they'd bit off more than they could chew and had begun to realize it. On and on he fought, blood splashing beneath his boots, until finally, he glimpsed a proper opponent lumbering through the broken trees of Isha's fallen forest.
Aha~! Now there was one of the big boys...
A grin split his face.
"MINE."
An unlucky Ork got in his way and was summarily slapped to death with his staff; he mule-kicked another so hard that its corpse bowled over at least two dozen more. He waded forward in their wake, weaving around a web of tangled vines that were quite literally choking the life from a squad of unlucky greenskins-Isha's work, no doubt- as he bounded toward his prey.
A shadow fell over him from on high.
Kurama hollered a warning. "Incoming!"
And well that he did; because an unlucky Warhound came crashing out the sky and slammed into him, forcing him to break his stride stand his ground or be squashed flat. Catching him stole a rare grunt of surprise from him.
Space Marines were heavy bastards!
Grabbing him by a bloodied pauldron, he helped the poor bastard up to his feet. His helmet was long gone, jump pack a savaged, sputtering mess, armor torn and tattered by a great many blows, but he still stood, leaning upon a heavy thunder hammer. This close, he could see the young man's resemblance to Angron. These soldiers really did have his geneseed.
The Centurion-who-was-not-Angron granted him a grim grim and a nod besides. "Many thanks, Grandfather."
A wave of fresh heat rose to Naruto's face. That damnable term again! "Damnit. This is going to be running theme with you Hounds, isn't it?"
The unnamed Astartes shook his head. "Not at all, Grandfather."
His right eye twitched. "Don't call me that."
"My apologies, Grandfather."
"You just did it again!"
An Ork wielding a red axe leaped up at him as he spoke, and without thinking, he drove a fist backward to obliterate its skull. Its headless corpse toppled to the dirt at his wet with a wet splat. Three more of its kin paused, just shy of jumping him and the space marine with their own axes; only to freeze up as he glared bloody red daggers at the lot of them, seething killing intent.
"SURRENDER."
Remarkably they obeyed, all but fling their weapons down in the face of his fury.
"Yessir!"
"As you say boss!"
"Don't want me skull popped like 'ol Bert over 'dere...
Blowing out an exasperated breath, he looked to the battered space marine. "And you? What's your name?"
The bloodied man thumped a fist to his sundered chestplate. "I am Tobias, Grandfather."
Grrrrr...! Note to self. Thrash Kharn later for coining that term towards him.
"Take these three back to the command tent." restraining his temper, he looked to the newly-named marine. "They so much as sneeze? Kill 'em."
Their new prisoners didn't much like that, naturally.
"Oi!"
"Wasn't nothin' personal, boss!"
"We was just havin' a good scrap, is all! S'hardly fair, lockin' us up!"
"Aye!" chimed the second. "Proper unOrky it is! You should let us go just cuzza that!"
A blond brow rose. "You wanna scrap? I'll turn the three of you into scrap if you don't behave. How's that sound?"
To their credit, the Orks didn't protest overmuch after that and promptly clamped their hands behind their heads. Good. Perhaps they had some sense of self preservation after all. Then again, they could be cowards for all he knew. He didn't really understand Orks-
A defiant shout from the frontlines snapped him back to reality.
"WAAAAAAAAAGH! C'mon then, umies! Gimme all ya got!"
Yup. Boss time. That sounded like one.
Tobias looked his way "What of you, Grandfather?" Do you aim to face that menace alone?"
Must! Not! Punch!
Holding his tongue didn't help matters any. Tobias only stared, awaiting an answer.
At length and realizing the space marine would continue to wait patiently, Naruto heaved a sigh. "Just...don't call me that, alright? You've got a job to do. Now hop to it."
"As you say, Grandfather.
Aaaaargh! Leave it to his son's legionare to get the last word in!
Spitting furiously, he stormed up the hill to where he knew the remainder of the Orks awaited.
In short order he fought his way through to where the fighting was the thickest and came face to face with a truly towering specimen; a massive monstrosity clad in ramshackle scrap armor, with a massive gun in his left hand, while his right had been cut away and replaced bearing a ghastly pincer claw of some sort, one used to devastating effect against his foes. Bodies lay strewn at his feet, some nearly cleaved in half, but still clinging doggedly to life.
Bugger. Those were gonna be a pain to heal. Best get to work.
Kharn and Lhorke were still fighting the thing; even as he crested the hill and saw them, the dauntless marine bellowed a challenge and threw himself headlong at the Ork, willfully enduring a flurry of gunfire to reach him. His chain-ax struck true and slamming deep into the beast's side, only for it to look down on him and laugh tusked face splitting in a feral grin.
"Stupid git! Ya can't kill me! I'm immortal!"
Was he? Probably not.
But did he and his "boyz" believe himself to be? Most likely.
To Kharn's credit, he didn't flinch; his only response was to rip his his ax free and hit him again.
Here at last, the Ork grunted in actual pain and lost his toothy grin. "Didn' ya hear me, umie?! GET OFFA ME!"
A single devastating blow from his claw sundered Kharn's armor and sent him sprawling into the dirt, back digging a great furrow in the mud. Before he could hope to rise, the Warboss stomped down on his ravaged chest and leveled his cannon at his struggling form, cackling as he taunted him.
Naruto grimaced and started forward. "We should probably do something...
Kurama held him back. "No, no, let him squirm a little~!"
With a triumphant cry, the Warboss prepared to fire.
"Now die!"
The blond rolled his eyes and flickered forward.
Lhorke beat him to it; if only because he was closer bless his boxy soul; in a single bound he lunged forward and shot the Ork in the back, inadvertently causing him to miss and saving Kharn's life. Alas, in doing so the Dreadnought drew the beast's attention his way.
"Oi!" The Warboss rounded on him, uncaring of the grievous wound he'd been dealt. "Two on one ain't fair!"
The massive Ork warboss whirled with an inhuman snarl, far faster than should've been Orkly possible for one so large and slashed at him with his ghastly claw. While he couldn't hope to breach his mighty armor with raw strength alone, the blow raked three wicked lines across Lhorke's mounted coffin and caused him to stumble, opening him up to a fearsome firestom.
Once more, Naruto contemplated intervening, only to be pleasantly surprised was the War Hound dreadnought barreled through the blaze and slugged the Ork in the face. Naturally, the Warboss couldn't take that lying down and punched the armored behemoth right back, which in turn invited another devastating roundhouse of his own. On and on it went, an endless cycle without end as the war raged on around them.
Honestly, Naruto was almost tempted to leave it at that; to watch the two titans duke it out, but no; he wouldn't be satisfied by such an ending.
Skirting the battle, he strode over to Kharn's entrapped form and gave him a nudge.
"You good?"
An annoyed growl was his answer; a bloodshot orb glared at him through his sundered helmet. The Ork had stomped him so deep into the earth that he was practically wedged against the bedrock. Space Marine strength was a might and impressive thing, but it didn't mean jack if you couldn't move now, did it?
Naruto clicked his tongue in mild admonishment toward the battered astartes. "Use your words."
A pause. And then: ...assistance would be appreciated, Grandfather."
His right eye twitched. "...I hate you so much right now."
Reaching down, he hefted him upright; the moment he did, Kharn tried to push past him.
"I must return to the fray."
Naruto blocked him. "Not lookin' like that, you're not. I've got this."
"You?" Kharn looked to him, incredulous. "I do not think you weak, but even brother Lhorke struggles against this brute."
Now, he could hardly ignore a challenge like that. "Don't believe me? Just watch."
He really ought to intervene now, shouldn't he?
After all, he liked Lhorke alive.
Besides, he'd called dibs.
Pausing just long enough to dispatch a wave of clones for the wounded, he whirled and brought both hands together in an almighty clap, the thunderous sound of which momentarily stunned the Ork. Lhorke lurched away, carapace sparking, but otherwise intact, though he was raising his plasma gun to fire...!
Naruto saw it and snapped at him before he could ruin a perfectly good fight for him. "Hey! Back off! I called dibs!"
The dreadnought complied, but not without a bemused rumble. "...as you say, little grandfather."
"NOT YOU TOO!"
With all of his pent up frustration, he barreled into the Ork Warboss.
In all fairness, the Ork saw him coming and tried to snap his head clean off quick as can be. Faster than he looked, he'd give him that. He caught the claw before he could and wrenched it down with his staff, forcing the Ork to glare at him while stalemating a clash between them.
He wasn't prepared for the beast's grin. "You fight pretty good, umie!"
Was that all Orks really cared about? A good brawl?
"I'm getting a lot of that today. And you are...?"
"Klaw!" The Ork snapped the pincers of his hand for emphasis, producing an awful clack as he tried and failed to break the deadlock. "Boss Big Klaw if ya feelin fancy."
He was not. "Why are you here...?"
"Why else?" The Warboss leered at him over their interlocked weapons. "Me and me boyz are here for a propa krump!"
Naruto blinked at that bit, baffled. "And that is...?"
"A fight, you git! You gonna gimme a good one or wat?!"
"You do realize you and your "boyz" are currently dying in droves...?"
Klaw shrugged. "We is Orks. We ain't afraid of a bitta bleedin'. Now quit your borin' yappin and-
A wave of flame went up from the southern front, both drying their eye and baking at least a hundred Orks outright.
Huh. The Emperor must be really bored if he was throwing himself into the fray-that or the battle was nearly over. Which meant, once he beat this guy...
"Enough borin' talk!" Klaw leveled his weapon with a mighty roar, distracting him. "Time for dakka-waaaaitaminute." Abruptly, he paused. Leaned down. Squinted at him now. A massive eye focused upon his jacket, still slung over his armor. "You ain't blue or white like the rest a' dem umies. Why is you wearin' orange, git?
"Why am I?" he sputtered, then said the first thing that came to mind. "Why aren't you?!"
Klaw recoiled. "Because green is da bestest!"
Naruto paused, mightily offended. "Excuse you!? Orange is clearly the best!"
Klaw scowled. "And why's dat?"
Because it was the first color he ever wore as a boy. Because that orange-blue-jacket made him feel warm and safe. Because that beloved jacket hugged him back when no one else would.
But he'd never say those things aloud.
Instead, he defaulted to Ork logic. "Because orange is a blend of yellow AND red!"
The Ork paused, utterly flabbergasted. "It iz?"
Naruto squinted right back, aghast. "You didn't know that?"
...nah!" he could tell the lie right away. "Course I did! Maybe youz got a point der.
...do they not realize blue and yellow also make green?"
"Shhhh...don't tell 'em that."
Klaw was still thinking, as only an Ork could. "Red means fasta and yella makes explosions bigger so maybe yer ORANGE, is da best of both!" a feral grin split his face now as he thumped that clawed hand into the ground. "Fine, den! Lessee which is betta! Green or orange!"
They collided in a maelstrom of movement; two titans waging war, one large, the other small.
Klaw nearly cut him open on the third pass with that awful arm of his; it was only superior reflexes and armor that saved him, though the latter was left horribly mangled. Pivoting away, drove a blistering punch into the Ork's knee and shot the greenskin a baleful glare.
He'd almost hurt him just now. Not out of strength, but belief. Because the Ork believed he could, as did every other Ork here.
Yikes. Waaaaaagh energy really was dangerous. Holding back really wasn't an option here, was it?
"Alright." Stepping back, he shucked aside his ruined breastplate. "That does it; you wanna see what I'm really capable of?"
Klaw scoffed. "If yer holdin' back, then it ain't a propa fight!"
Something snapped deep inside him, just then.
It felt like his patience.
"Fine. You're about to find out what its like to fight a real golden bastard." He took a step forward. "And I'm not talking about the Emperor."
Klaw laughed anew. "Whatcha gonna do, umie? You's too weak ta beat me!"
Naruto simply beamed.
Isha had asked him to make a statement. Until now, he hadn't really decided what that statement would be. Something with overwhelming force, sure, but what?
An idea dawned.
Something he'd seen back in his world when he was but a boy, an old cartoon that filled him with...inspiration.
'Meh, might be a little on the nose, but it'll make an impression...
It certainly would.
Clenching his hands into fists at his side, he slowly brought his arms up and tucked them towards his chest, elbows jutting out well past his back as he adopted a loose stance.
Time to show off a little.
A low growl built in the back of his throat as he slowly but surely drew upon Kurama's cloak, letting his hair gleam gold, burning with fresh fire. Wild yellow sparks skittered around his body, the dark whiskers of his cheek elongating into thick black stripes across either cheek as his skin became pale. His eyes began to glow, once round pupils warping themselves into a cross as he simultaneously drew upon the latent natural energy within the air to accompany Kurama's energies.
He could've transformed easily. Effortlessly. In an instant, even.
But that wasn't the point here.
Not at all.
If the Orks only understood brute force, then he would show each and every one of them what true strength was.
SHOW THEM ALL.
The air shivered around him.
The ground cracked underfoot.
The very world of Nuceria began to tremble.
Klaw's laugh died with a wheeze. "Oi, you git! Whatcha doin'?! Stop that! STOPPIT RIGHT NOW!"
Naruto didn't answer with words, but rather, action; he threw back his head and hollered unto the heavens, his shout piquing into a roar that momentarily deafened everyone present. The moment he raised his voice, Kurama flooded his entire body with golden chakra all at once; so much so that a brilliant pillar of towering golden light erupted from his body; it pierced the clouds, then the very skies themselves. Indeed, the sheer force of his explosion was so intense that it momentarily obscured his vision.
As such, he didn't see what followed.
Orks were blasted backward for miles in every direction, their wargear scattered to the winds like so many leaves in a storm.
Astartes dug in their boots for traction; even then they found themselves slowly-yet-inexorably pushed back.
Isha preened, ears twitching with naked glee. "Now that's a statement...
Kharn regarded the spectacle with wide eyes. "What is he...?!"
Angron raised an ac and hollered his encouragement. "That's the way! Don't hold anything back!"
And the Emperor? He uttered but one word. "Acceptable."
Once more, Naruto neither saw nor heard any of this.
He simply couldn't at the moment.
Yet others could and did; not only that, but there were remembrancers among them; this day would live on in sheer bloody infamy. It was at this moment that the whispers about him would begin, and one day soon those whispers would accidentally create a religion, a massive cult spanning countless planets across the galaxy.
But right now...
As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, he was ready. Surrounded by Kurama's cloak once more, he concealed a cough by laughing into a fist.
"Note to self, maybe don't do that again...'
Hollering like that really wore out his voice. He'd be hoarse for the rest of the day. How did those anime folks even do that? He tried speaking, only to grimace at just how rough his voice sounded. Yeah, he'd definitely dropped down an octave from all that screaming. He'd need at least a gallon of water after this...
Little did he know he'd cemented his legend even more.
Klaw wasn't laughing anymore; quite the opposite. He'd gone pale as a ghost, which was saying something for an Ork.
"Zog me...
Naruto beamed. "That about sums it up."
"Oi!" Klaw thrust a metal pincer his way. "Yous gone yella, now! No fair changin' colors in a fight! Its UnOrky!"
"Maybe, but I'm no Ork" he began crackling his knuckles, savoring the silence that followed. "What did you say the color yellow did again?"
Klaw scoffed, momentarily regaining his bluster. "Well, every Orka knows yella makes ya explosions...betta...oh." realization dawned and his pallid complexion returned tenfold. "Aw, zoggin' zog!"
"Exactly."
Naruro stepped forward and, for the first time since they'd met, since their bout began, the big brute took a step back.
Klaw was quick on the uptake, he caught himself a moment later, but by then it was already too late.
Far too late.
Every Ork saw it.
When their boss faltered, their belief wavered and with it, the might of the waaaaaaagh flickered.
In that moment of hesitation, Naruto flickered forward. To the untrained eye his body seemingly teleported between one space and another. The truth was far simpler; with naught but a single step, he was upon him. An arm-his right arm-drew back like a piston powering up and-
CRUNCH.
His fist found Klaw's gut; his foe crumpled like a wet paper bag.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice, now.
Klaw staggered backward, clutching his gut, eyes wide, bulging with disbelief. His metal arm lashed out and tasted empty air.
For you see, Naruto was no longer there.
He tapped the Ork's shoulder.
Klaw spun about and-
WHAM!
An unseen uppercut caught the Warboss' jaw from below and launched him into the air.
SLAM!
Naruto caught him by an armored ankle before he could break orbit, whirled, and sent him crashing back to earth facefirst. He thrashed him left, right, then left again for good measure; flailing him about like a child's toy, leaving a decidedly Orky-shaped impression behind each time.
BLAM!
Releasing his leg, he slammed him down one final time and left him there, wheezing in the dirt, but only for a moment. A boot reared back and stomped upon the Ork's chest with a snarl, buckling armor, bruising flesh and forcing him deeper into the ground, much as he had Kharn only a few minutes before.
Khorne rumbled his approval. Yes! More blood! Tear him apart!
'Shut...up...chaos...!'
Reaching down, he seized the Ork by a tusk, yanked him upright, and continued to perpetuate this farce of a fight. "Isn't this fun?! Are you having fun yet, Klaw?! I certainly am!"
The Warboss yowled in pain and thrust his massive gun right in his face, forcing him to stare down the dark barrel-a barrel which even now glowed white hot. He grinned into it, wholly without fear. Not a moment later, an explosive round smashed into his skull at point blank range. He could've dodged it, could've slapped it right back, done any number of things with it, really.
Instead?
He tanked it.
Left his face nice and warm, it did.
Mercifully, the impact created a mighty crater, tore Klaw from his grasp and propelled him backwards to relative safety...
.
..
...but not for long.
No sooner had the smoke cleared than he descended into crater after him.
"What's wrong?!" he raised both his arms at his side, pitching his voice for all to hear. "Are you not entertained?!"
Klaw struggled up on one arm and tried to fire on him again.
Red eyes rolled in mild annoyance.
"Nope."
A wave of one glowing hand reduced the weapon to superheated scrap, forcing the Ork to release it with a yowl.
"What is you?" he slurred brokenly, all but lisping the words. "Is you a god? Like Gork and Mork...?
Kurama scoffed in his head. "More gods to worry about...?"
Naruto considered telling the poor bastard the truth; he didn't believing himself anything close to divinity. But the Orks wouldn't exactly fear him if he said he was a normal human now, would they? There was a power in words. In belief. And he had their leader on the ropes. No point in letting up now, ya know?
Isha wanted a spectacle? She was going to get a bloody big one, unlike anything she'd ever seen.
"Something like that." he settled for a selfsame smile and a shrug. "Had enough yet?"
A wide grin was his reward. "NEVAH! Isn' every day I gets to fight a god!"
He shrugged. "Have it your own way."
Klaw swiped at him, overextending himself.
From there, the ending was merely a matter of formalities.
Ducking low, he stepped in, snapped off the Boss' claw at the elbow, spun around, and drove it through his chest; forcing the crude implement out his back in a shower of grisly green gore. Unprepared for such savagery and the wound that came with it, the Warboss crumpled with a startled grunt and fell to his knees, coughing up great gouts of blood as he clutched at himself.
Even then, the fight didn't leave him; not immediately. It was a testament to the devastating power of the waaaagh and Klaw's own alien biology that he managed to tear his own claw out of his body and survive, that he made it to a knee before his sundered form finally gave out on him.
Defeated, he nevertheless managed one last rasp of defiance. "I ain't done wit' you, Whiskers!"
"Maybe not. But I'm done with you, big guy." And then, because he felt a flicker of pity for this poor creature, "For what its worth, I had a blast; it was fun."
Oddly enough, that seemed to bring peace to the old Ork. His struggles stilled and his body went slack; all semblance of resistance leaving him.
"It really was, wasn't it?" his face split in a snaggle-tusked grin. "...fine. Go on, take me head. Just lemme tell ya one last ting befur I go...
Naruto squinted down at him, half-expecting an explosion, or one last suicidal gambit. "What?"
Boss Big Klaw GRINNED up at him deliriously. "The lads are gonna LOVE you."
...we'll just see about that."
No more words were said between he two of them, nor were any needed.
Naruto grabbed Klaw by the skull...then he yanked with all his might.
Muscle ripped. Flesh tore. A single squelching sound.
Blood flew through the air.
Victory was his.
A/N: Have we seen the last of Klaw? Who knows? Beheading an Ork doesn't always kill them. Looking at you, Gaz.
Great, now I'm imagining a talking Ork head...
Part II of the Ork saga will be next week. Working chapter title will be Kill the Waaaagh
After that...
...COLCHIS IS COMING.
And we all know who's there, don't we?
*hoists bolter with intent* Looking at you, Erebus and Kor Phaeron.
Not yous Lorgar, yous a good boi...wel, ya waz befur ya went crazy, ya silly git.
Gah, accidentally went Orkish there! Gotta watch that, its difficult changing gears like that.
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)
"And das what happened. Da umie gave us a right propa krumpin' he did. Tor' da boss's head right off. Wit one hand!"
"'E did?" the scarred Ork squinted at the one-armed Ork, green brow furrowing in confusion. "How's u know?
"'Cuz I saw it! And 'e let me go! Told me and somova m'boys to sod off and learn our lesson.
"Did 'e now? Who's this blond humie then, oi?"
"Well, 'e said his name was Naruto. Boss called 'em Whiskers. Funny 'ting though, he took prisoners...
"Oi, why'd 'e go an do dat?"
"Dunno."
We gonna fight 'em again?
"Course we is~!"
-
Isha began to giggle.
Naruto flailed his arms at the sight before them.
"Oi! Stop that! It ain't funny!"
"It really is!"
-
You ain't a purple umie, is ya?"
"No, why?"
Can't shoot a git if youz can't see em. Fink smart.
-
"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 as they broke the atmosphere. "DYNAMI RE-ENTRYYYYYYYYYYY!"
He had time enough to brace himself; then a roaring 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."
Kor Phaeron never saw the blow that struck him.
One moment the blond man was staring at him, scowling.
And in the next, the dark cardinal found himself flat on the ground, a hand wrapped around his throat. He gagged in surprise, clawing at the fingers slowly crushing the life from him.
The blond berserker dangled him a meter off the ground, leaving his feet flailing feebly in the air.
And so he spoke, so he spoke, that golden god...
"You reek of Chaos...
"You don't want to do this. I can give you everything you want."
A moment of silence followed. He took a deep breath...
THEN DIE!"
...and stabbed down.
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!"
R ~!