"Sir, yes sir." He looked back down at his crumpled armor. Crimson fluid poured from the splintered arm, mixing with the hammering rain. Gideon cocked his head. There was a sound in the building. He listened for a moment, but didn't hear it again. Un-hooking the lock for his arm-mounted control panel, Gideon heard the noise again. It sounded soft and slow, barely audible. It burst into a scampering as Gideon drew his plasma pistol. A seering pain in his arm caused him to drop it and cryout. The marine clentched his teeth at the sharp bite. Taking hold of his last frag grenade, Gideon waited. As a large green beam incinerated the door, he tossed the grenade. Alien shouting filled the hallway a second before the grenade detonation. A loud crack shook the room, causing the building to begin crumbling. Debris fell from the roof, and carpet tore as sections of floor dropped off. Below them was a mess of crumbled hardcrete and razor sharp metal. The section Gideon was standing upon started to crack. Large lines stretched farther and farther across the room, making it tilt towards the ground.Gideon lept into the hallway. Then he remembered his plasma pistol. He quickly looked back from the hall to see it slide over the edge and disappear. Felling pressure on his back, he rolled with the bayonet. Putting his hand on the middle of the splinter rifle, he jerked it from the alien's hands. Holding it with his good arm, Gideon drove the rifle into the alien. He didnt stop until it reached the trigger guard. Dark liquid trickled from the warriors helmet. Stepping over smoking corpses, three more Dark Eldar had shaken themselves out of their concussion. Crystal shards raked against his armor, sparking as they stuck. Gideon charged them with his chain sword. The first was struck from his shoulder to hip. The thundering weapon tore through armor, and pulled flesh from the bone. Various black organs spilled onto the floor. With a sweeping motion, he curved the blade up into the gun of the middle alien. It was cut clean through and the barrel dropped to the floor. Following through with his blade, Gideon swung the sword in a low ark, and stepped forward driving the pomel into the Dark Eldar's face. The alien was lifted into the air, then fell to the ground hard. Thick blood was being thrown around the room by the spinning blade. Taking a deep breath, Gideon drove the chainsword through the chest of the last warrior. A thick stream of blood showered Gideon's legs. The alien cocked its head, then fell to the floor. Gideon dropped to one knee. The pain in his shoulder was excrutiating. "Are you just going to sit here and say "oh pity me?" "You like to push, don't you." "Get up and move, now." "I'm on my way." Gideon stood, resting his weight on the chainsword. He began walking down the hall. A crimson rug ran through the entire building. Gray walls were scarcely decorated with various paintings of imperial heroes. Brown doors were dotted across both walls, to the end of the hallway, which had a lift. A large crack snaked its way along the wall. Gideon began to run along with it. Chunks of floor fell to expose a dark hallway beneath. Turning right at the corner, he came to a set of steps moving upwards. A quick glance back told him that time was running out. Using a small burst from his pack, Gideon landed hard on his knee at the top of the stairs. This floor had a short hallway with a wood door decorated with the twin-headed Imperial Eagle. The door splintered under his plasteel boot. Before him was a large recreation room with a stone floor. A guardsman was laying on the ground, facing the ceiling. Standing over the spasaming soldier, was a knarled looking figure. It was pasty white and its armor covered precious little of the body. Looking up at his new guest, the Dark Eldar squinted its eyes. As it stood, a long proboscus retracted into his right hand. Grinning, the shape pointed a long, slender finger at Gideon. "Who are you?" It asked. The voice sounded high pitched and raspy. "Death, to you." Gideon responded, straitening his shoulders. "Strong words from such a weak and wounded little Mon Kiegh." Gideon fired up his chainsword and approached the Dark Eldar. The figure watched the blade for a moment, then drew its own. A six foot long edge rose into view. A serraded edge ran up wards to a sharp point the arched backwards. Black ooze dripped from the sword, sizzling on the stone floor. The alien then pushed a small button on its bracelet. He looked towards the ceiling, closing his eyes. Smiling, it looked back at Gideon. "Lets have some fun." It croaked. Gideon lashed out, cutting upwards with his blade. The alien easily parried, then its blade sparked where Gideon's foot had been not a second before. Following through with his attack, the marine swung around in a circle. The chainsword met resistance as it sliced through the Haemunculi's shoulder. The alien didn't even blink while he punched Gideon square in the Solar Plexus. Staggering back, the marine tripped over the guardsman. The Dark Eldar lunged through the air with its running downwards, and to the side. Using some thrust, Gideon slid across the floor. Sparks followed him to the wall, where he quickly stood up. Already the alien had pulled its sword free from the stone. A small crack begin to spread, then halted. Snarling inside his helmet, Gideon charged. With a small amount of juice, he flew towards the Haemunculi. Exerting little energy, the nimble alien grabbed hold of the marines shoulder, and turned him towards the ground. Gideon could feel his armor crack as he connected with hardcrete. Flipping through the air, the marine turned over, and landed on his wounded shoulder. Blood flowed into his mouth while Gideon bit down on his lip. "Now you die, huuman." The haemunculi said, raising his sword above his head. A loud whistling noise made him turn his head. Artillery rounds slammed into the ground. Buildings burst into red hardcrete fragments. The small crack in the floor quickly grew, then gave way. In slow motion, Gideon saw the alien drop its weapon as it disappeard, then he too fell through the floor. They broke through the next floor down, then kept dropping. The marine fired his jump pack moments before the ground struck him. His helmet flashed brightly, then shut out. Gasping, Gideon unlocked it, then pulled the plasteel helm from his head. Both lenses were cracked and sparking. The Dark Eldar had a metal pipe running through its side. Blood gurgled from the aliens mouth as the bar was slowly pulled out. Gideon searched around frantically, trying to find a weapon. The haemonculi had already removed the metal pipe, and was hefting it like a weapon. Though the Dark Eldar's body was broken and bleeding in several areas, it commenced movement, a wild look filling its eyes. In the rubble, Gideon could see something. Yellow and half buried beneath hardcrete. Crawling along the ground, he wrapped his hand around it. The alien once again lept into the air. The plasma pistol barked, spewing white fumes and blue flame from the side. The Dark Eldar's armor melted, and a hole big enough for Gideon's head appeared in its chest. Dropping the pistol, the marene grabbed his hand. His gaunlets were glowing red from the plasma overload. Cursing, he slowly pushed himself up. Retrieving his pistol and helmet, Gideon found a hole in the wall big enough to exit through. Guardsmen were running around, and a leman russ thundered only a few feet from his face. A Raven Wing bike squad pulled up next to him. "Looks like you have been through the eye of terror and back, brother." The sergeant commented. "Where else would I have gone?" Gideon asked. The sergeant laughed. "Indeed. Where would any of us have gone?" Static crackled from Gideon's helmet, then he could hear Asmond's voice. "Gideon, are you there, where in hades and and the rock have you gotten off to?" His sergeant boomed. "Sir, I'm here, I had a situation." Gideon responded, holding the helmet up to his mouth. "I'll give you a situation if you don't report your postition righ now." Gideon looked at the sergeant. "One Thirty Five dash four." The sergeant said. "Thanks." "Sir, I am at One Thirty Five dash Four." He said into the helmet. "Roger, our dropship is enroute, stay where you are." "Dropship?" Gideon said into the helmet. It sounded like Asmond was responding, but it was broken up by static. "Yeah, were pulling out. Orders from the Inner circle. Something big came up I suppose." The Ravenwing sergeant said. "Can't wait to see what it is." Gideon responded, rubbing his shoulder.

CHRONICLES OF AN ANGEL VOLUME III - DOGFIGHT By Brother Gideon

TOMES OF VALOUR

This story has been reproduced with permission from the author. Many terms used in this story (such as Space Marine, Eldar, and others) are Trademarks of Games Workshop, Inc. Their use here is not intended as a challenge to said trademarks.

CONTINUED IN VOLUME IV SHADOWS

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