"This is the second time in a week." He wrapped the bandage around Gideon's arm. Asmond walked into the room, his face showing death, his eyes speaking of torture. Grabbing the bandaged arm, he twisted it sideways and growled. Gideon bit into his lip, blood gushed out onto his chin. "When we are doing defensive training, you block. When he strikes high, you block high. The next time you pull a stunt like this I am personally going to break both of your arms." He relaxed his iron grip on Gideon's arm, the bandage was turning crimson. Nethanial shook his head and injected another 5 cc's of Acetomorphine into the wound, causing it to start closing almost immediately. "Forzan is in the other room with a ruptured kidney. Do you know how long it is going to be before we can replace him if he dies?" Asmond moved forward, his nose almost touching Gideon's. "Detention, Six months extra scout duty, and re-evaluation of your command skills. Do you understand?" Asmond was yelling so loud that a couple of watchers that were passing by stopped and peered through the door. Their green robes swaying gently as air was pumped into the base. "Yes Sir." Gideon said it with contempt, but he had said it none the less. Asmond stormed out of the infirmary without shutting the door. "Give it time." Nethanial said "He does this to all the new recruits." Gideon just wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. His wounds had already healed and he was rather proud of what he had done. He walked into the hallway, hearing his boots thump on the plasteel floor tiles. His sparing gear was in his left hand, dripping with blood. Another figure was walking ahead of him, tightening his gloves. He stepped up beside the character, walking at a fast pace. "Heard about the six months, tough break." "Word travels that fast around here?" Asked Gideon "No. I was listening from the hallway. I personally don't blame you. I know Asmond saw Forzan hit you from behind. I don't understand why he isn't punishing Forzan for that." " Couldn't tell you Mike. I have to go Malachai wanted to have a word with me." He broke off and started walking down stairs. Michael had a point Gideon thought. Maybe Malachai would know. After all, Michael had been inducted at the same time as himself. From what was left of his tribe. Gideon put that thought out of his mind. This is my family now, nothing else matters. He slammed the access panel next to the large blast door he arrived at. Mechanical gears grinding themselves, straining to open the three foot block of metal between him, and a techmarine's paradise. The door finally opened, drawing itself into the wall. Gideon stepped in, looking at a suit of power armor on a rack with wheels. It was nice, bleached bone with a broken sword engraved on the breastplate. Wires and tools seemed to protrude from every opening in the seemingly perfect armor. "You're late." The old techmarine said, pushing the armor off to the side. I need to take secondary measurements for your feet. The machine was re-calibrated and I lost some documents." Gideon kneeled down and started to unlace his sparing boots. " I have a question to ask." Malachai sighed. "Why would someone be punished for revenge, and not for initiating it to begin with?" This raised Malachi's eyebrows. His Gray features seemed to warp trying to develop an answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice became a shrill scream. Gideon looked up. A red light was flashing on the ceiling. "We can finish another time." Malachai grabbed a bolt pistol, and threw one to Gideon. He barely had time to catch it before he was juggling two banana magazines with it. He managed to lock one into place and hit the top of the weapon with his fist. The active charge detonation rods whirred into place behind the first bolt that was chambered. "Adaminium depholate charges, they are going to fly a little faster than the average bolt, but I don't have many so use them wisely." Malachai said. They raced upstairs, the alarm still shrieking. Gideon ran into Asmond on the way central command. "Sir, are we not supposed to meet in central command?" Gideon asked. "This isn't a drill boy." Shouted Asmond. " Tyranids incoming, all hands are to report topside for immediate briefing. Get outta here." "Yes sir." Gideon ran to the pulse lifter and waited for Malachi. The old marine had enough crippling wounds to kill an average soldier. Perhaps is what allowed him to pull so much leniency from the techpriests. Gideon had to admit nothing Malachai has built ever failed without some form of outside influence. He pushed the button for the arming deck as soon as Malachai stepped onto the lift. When the lift's gate opened, all Gideon could see was absolute chaos. Boxes were laying all across the floor. Splinters of wood mixed with twisted metal on the ground. A giant animal with shifting black scales was charging across the loading deck. Five scouts already lay dead or dying, and three marines in power armor were trying to keep the monster at bay. The strange thing, Gideon thought to himself, was that it almost seemed like it was fading in and out of sight. Malachai turned to an access panel as Gideon raised his bolt pistol and fired. His arm bucked, and a trail of smoke tread through the air like a dagger. The bolt connected with the creature, blowing one of its scythe-like limbs off. "Lictor in the loading bay, we need back up, repeat..." Gideon stopped listening to Malachi and started pulling the trigger on his pistol. He knew he was aiming right, but the shots just didn't seem to be connecting. The three marines in power armor charged the beast, as it turned toward Gideon, howling in fury. Even though it ran with lightning speed, the monster was intercepted. One power armor marine was hanging onto its leg, shooting bolt after bolt into its hard carapace. The other two were able to reach it as the first was thrown into the air. The Lictor grabbed his arm, and snapped its neck to the left. The marine left his arm in the aberrations mouth as he slid across the floor, a trail of blood and sparks following him. With two marines in armor trying to hold it down, Gideon sprinted forward, slamming his last magazine into its rightful place. He listened to a bolt cycling into the chamber as he jumped towards the Lictor. Resting a foot on the creature's hind leg, he held himself by a spike on the chitinous armor. Screaming, he put the bolt pistol's barrel against the thing's head, and pulled the trigger. Tentacles and spikes whipped out if its mouth, cutting him, and tearing at his arm. After the fifth shot the hell spawn dropped to the floor, jerking in spasms. Gideon collapsed on the floor next to it, and pushed himself up onto one knee. He looked out the arming deck blast doors, and saw two more shapes like the one that was convulsing in a pool of thick, dark blood next to him. He looked back to see that the phase lift was headed toward the bottom floor. Not enough time he thought as he pulled the marine without an arm up to his knees. He gritted his teeth, and thought, as long as I am going to die, I won't go alone. Gideon grabbed the wounded space marine by his good arm, and hefted him onto his feet. The other two marines in power armor were laying suppressive fire, round after round slamming into the Lictors. The lift was only half way up when the monster lunged through the door at them. "Stay here." Gideon shouted to Malachai. The old techmarine just rolled his eyes and cursed then lifted his bolt pistol into the air. Gideon dropped the marine. Though the bleeding had stopped, he seemed slow on his reflexes. Gideon ran across the floor, leaping over the dead Lictor and landing hard against the wall. he grunted, and started rummaging around the crates. The Lictors split up, one heading towards Malachai, the other towards Gideon. The abomination was so close Gideon could smell the rotting flesh on its teeth. He looked at a crate labeled 'Warning, Hazardous Material, Pyrokenetic Warheads'. Grinding his jaw, Gideon ripped the top off, and threw it towards the Lictor, who caught it mid flight, and snapped it in half with its powerful jaws. A large cylinder the size of his arm was packed in foam, with four cone shaped objects about a quarter its size. He grabbed the missile launcher, and one of the four rockets. How do I load this thing? Gideon thought to himself. They haven't taught us about heavy weapons yet. "Through the front" Malachai screamed, firing his bolt pistol at the Lictors. The marine with the bad arm looked over at Gideon, his expression hidden behind his helmet. "No you fool, not with those warheads!" he screamed. But Gideon was not listening. He dropped the cone into the front of the tube, and aimed at the Lictor closest to him. He squeezed the trigger, watching the trail of smoke, as the first Lictor dodged it. The second Monster took it in the chest, disappearing inside a sphere of white light. The ground shook and a blast wave charged through the arming deck. The concussion knocked him into the air, and he flipped twice before landing against the wall. He could see the other marines stumbling backwards. Then his head hit the floor. Black lines blurred his vision, the world spinning in circles around him. He saw flashes of the first Lictor lashing out, and trying to stand up on one leg. Gideon noticed Malachai standing up cheering. With a dim awareness of the other marines firing at the dying Lictor, Gideon let his head fall to the floor one more time, and the world was black. |
OUTSIDE INFLUENCE VOLUME I 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. |
