Also, the original art is by Nalro. Don't know the guy/girl, but that pic is one of my favorites. Sorry for shitting it up to use it as a logo >: (

Last time you were "making friends" with senior tech-marines, and repaying the hospitality of apothecaries like the good chap you are, then got into a conspiracy busting team, dead set to find a would-be assassin who was making an attempt on your Warsmith's life. While riding mag-trains...

>PART II starts from this point

While you wander around the Legion Quarters riding one mag-train after the other you get alerted of an incoming signal on the squad vox channel. It's from Solonis' spotters.
"The assassin has left his hide-out. Your orders?" you hear the voice of a brother marine.
"Follow him, but don't make a move. Keep me informed of his whereabouts." Solonis answers.
"Understood. Transmitting position." you hear the spotter reply, then the link is cut.
Solonis turns towards you.
"Seems like we have him. All we have left is to see whom he leads us to, and catch the bastards." he says, then turns his gaze on the serf you are holding by the arm. "The mortal would only get in the way. Dispose of him, then let's get moving."
The serf is on the verge of collapsing, not only shocked by the dreadful proximity of the Astartes who just tortured and murdered a fellow servant in front of him, but the fears of his impending demise proven true.

<what do you do with him?>

a quick shot in the head, and let's get moving after Solonis

>>11855247
You shoot the serf and leave him where he fell, following the aspiring champion and his squad. You see brother Furion watching you with a half-smile.
"You are cold, Acherus. I like that." he says, his eyes glimmering with unnatural light. "We better hurry. We don't want to miss out on the action." and with that he dons his helmet.

You follow the locator signal relayed by the spotter squad, and eventually end up on the Lower Decks of the cruiser's Central Section, under the Legion Quarters. Stalking among abandoned service tunnels and waste processing modules you finally reach the spotter team.
Five fellow Astartes lead by brother Deimos.
They are lightly armed. Bolters and chainswords. One of them is sporting a plasmagun.
Deimos talks to Solonis, then you split up again, advancing in small attack squads towards the assassin's location.

You enter a waste processor facility, that by the look of it long since fallen to disrepair. Only a few glow globes illuminate the vast chamber, and as you stalk the shadows you see a group of figures ahead.
Your armor's auto-senses switch to low-light vision, and you see twelve armoured battle brothers, one of them facing a group of eleven, talking to the leader of the group.
The lone warrior, the assassin, no doubt, has no weapons save a holstered bolt pistol and a sheathed knife.

You focus on the leader the assassin is talking to. His ornate armour is covered in arcane sigils, bespeaking of the dark arts in which its wearer must adept.

(cont.)

"Recognize him?" you hear the voice of Solonis over a private vox-link. You shake your head in response. "Brother Kerberos, librarian-sorcerer of Lord Solun." he says. "A rival Warsmith. Their rivalry turned quite unhealthy in since Terra, to say the least."
"Why does Solun want the Warsmith dead?" you ask.
"Who really knows?" he replies. "Probably thinks Lord Skraal a threat to his position, as the favoured company captain of Lord Commander Charon."
Hearing the name of the Warsmith, Lord Charon, acting Lord Commander of the Hellbreaker, you turn to face Solonis. "What is this all about then?"
"The Primarch, Perturabo is furious. Succeeding in the Siege of Terra would have proven his superiority over Dorn, and his Fists, but as you know it, we have failed. Lord Charon and his Chapter of ten Grand Companies was one of those tasked with the surface assault when the bombardment was finished. The Lord Commander gave Solun the honour of leading the charge of troop contignents at the walls, while he himself was busy fighting a tank war againts the defenders' armoured forces." explains the champion.
"So Lord Charon blames Solun for failing the assault, thus displeasing the Primarch." you finish his train of thought.
"Not openly, but Solun is about to lose his favour, and Lord Skraal seems like a good replacement." he replies, then points a finger at the group. "Something is going on."
You turn towards the conspirators and listen.

(cont.)

"We've agreed on the price." the assassin says, his tone threatening.
"We have." the sorcerer replies. "Unfortunatelly, you're in no position to bargain."
"My patience grows short." the marine growls.
"You have no use for me any longer, Caras. I'll keep the artefact for myself."
"You are making a great mistake." he says, and you see as shadows shift around him, and his outlines turn fuzzy, as if you were looking at a pict out of focus.
"Good bye, brother." the sorcerer says, and his retinue opens fire on the lone Astartes. The impacts turn him around and the marine collapses, falling face forward to the ground, his armour punctured by bolt rounds in dozen places.
The chosen hold their fire. The sorcerer looks at them expectantly, and two of them step forward with caution, nearing the body, their bolters trained on him. The figure appears unmoving. One of the marines kneel beside him to turn him over. A blur of motion, a loud crack sounds, as the chosen is impaled on a hellforged blade proturding from the assassin's forearm. A split second later huge talons tear his head off before he could even scream.
Seeing his comrade's death the other chosen marine opens fire on the assassin, but only hits the now beheaded corpse, as it is held as a shield by his target.
The assassin kicks the ruined body away, knocking down the chosen, revealing his changed, daemonic form.
"Possessed." Solonis wisphers, staring at the scene, with his eyes cold with hate.
The assassin pounces on the treachorous sorcerer and his chosen, dodging bolter and plasma fire with unnatural agility, slashing open throats and punching through helmets.

>tl;dr wall of text. FINALLY A FIGHT SCENE!

<what do, /tg/? what do?>

>>11855300
We must ponder our situation! Seems dangerous n' all.

>>11855332
it does. fortunatelly, you're Astartes. bred for danger, forged for war.

>>11855300
See what happens next, take action if anything does. Probably.

>>11855300
Fire on the assassin, we might be able to fool the conspirators into thinking we're naïve to what's really going on for a second and double-cross them later.

ask Solonis what the plan is

>>11855385
here
>>11855387
Do this first unless everyone looks to be slaughtered too quickly to discuss things.

>>11855377
>see what happens
Alright, Solonis is tired of waiting. He takes the reins.

***

"No better time to join the fight." Solonis says, activating his powerfist. "Kill them all, but leave the witch alive!" he orders, then breaks from cover, and charges towards the melee. His men rushes after him, readying pistols and chainswords. You follow them, not wanting to left behind.
You see as from different hiding places other warriors emerge, some of them are the men Deimos, some are sentries of the sorcerer, no doubt.

You wade for cover as heavy bolter rounds zip past you, a stray round catches Loki in the leg.

<what do you do?>

>>11855397
That's his problem. We follow the orders' we're given. FIND COVER AND OPEN FIRE

>>11855121
can i get an explanation as to why there are at the least 300 grand companies of the iron warriors.
considering the whole 1000 marines per chapter thing

>>11855407
Space marine legions had about 100000ish men in companies of 100

>>11855407
Not sure if troll.

Not only is the Iron Warriors a chaos legion, but this is before the codex astartes, and subsequently the chapter system, was even put in place for the loyalist side.

>>11855402
>find cover and return fire

You get behind some old machinery just in time to avoid being torn apart by a volley of bolter shells. You risk a look. Separating you from the sorcerer and the assassin, there are three astartes warriors firing from behind some rusty pipeline, one of them wielding a heavy bolter, and two firing bursts from their bolters, providing suppressing fire.
You see two other marines jumping over the pipes, running from cover to cover, no doubt they want to circle the waste processors to get behind your back.
"That's a sticky situation." Aesir says next to you. "Got any useful ideas?"
You look around, trying to sum up the situation.
Deimos and his men are pinned behind some waste container, trading fire with an other squad, and seem to be seriously outgunned. You have Aesir with you, supressed by three, and two other possibly advancing on your position. Loki is out in the open, probably dead, while Solonis, Furion, and Daren vanished, probably pinned down somewhere else, or running towards the melee like the madmen they are.

<what do you do?>

>>11855407
the legions were split into chapters after the Heresy.
this is set months after the Siege of Terra.

fun fact: even before the Heresy, some legions used to divide their forces into "chapters" which meant 10 fighting companies, under the command of one seasoned commander. made no difference, since these chapters were deployed together during crusades, but smaller campaigns usually had chapter strength fighting forces.

>>11855448
Always choose your battles. Try to ambush the ones attempting to outflank you, leaving Aesir to maintain the illusion of being unaware by keeping them busy if deemed necessary.

>>11855422
>>11855418
thank you for your contributions

>>11855470
"Good thinking." says Aesir, then starts to fire a salvo at the three keeping you down, getting their full attention.
Not looking back you run in the opposite direction, trying to figure out where would the enemy come. You slow down, and try to walk as softly your armour makes it possible. Don't have to wait long before you hear footsteps. Two marines wading through scrap with as much subtlety as a tank company would.
You look around, a maze of machinery and pipework surrounds you. Ideal ambush place, unless you want to meet them head on.
You check your bolter, and hear the now familiar scratch of static, and see the ammo counter on your gunsight displaying full capacity.

>>11855508

right...
<what do you do?>

>>11855529
bolter in one hand pistol in other climb to the top of the macinery shot ennemy in head.

>>11855535
That's suicide. Wait for them to get close, then unleash on them and don't forget to call on Aesir to attack them from the opposite direction just before the assault. They'll never know what hit them.

>>11855552
How would that be suicide?

>>11855535
>bolter in one hand pistol in other climb to the top of the macinery shot ennemy in head.

You climb up, but in the process you make enough noise to alert them even in their careless advance. They slow down, and split up in attempt to encircle you. Luckily for you, they aren't sure where you are... yet.
One of them advances in the direction you came from, sweeping his bolter left and right, the other tries to go around the machine, climbing over pipes, one hand searching handholds, the other holding a plasmagun at the ready.

<what now?>

>>11855561
You're in hulking massive armour trying to climb somewhere where shots are being fired and the enemy is on the alert. We're having trouble staying hidden as it is without going on top of something essentially signalling to everyone exactly where we are. We'd be nothing but a target.

>>11855568
Put away bolter pull out combat blade jump at one of the enemys below you and when they are smashed into the ground stab them in the neck.

>>11855568
Shoot the advancing one, he's the immediate thread. The bumbling fool won't be able to react quickly enough. Then the second target will be plasma guy.

>>11855582
>jump at

which one? you can ambush either one.

>>11855597
The plasma guy then take his weapon.

Vote!

A. Shoot the advancing one, [...] Then the second target will be plasma guy.
B. Shoot the plasmagunner first.
C. Leap on the advancing one with knife.
D. Leap on plasma gunner with knife.

D then take take the plasma gun and shot the advancing one.

>>11855604
How about you decide the most tactical choice? It's a little difficult to visualist the battlefield for us it seems.

>>11855608
Urgh, why can't I type straight today? Visualise*

D

>>11855608
>visualize the battlefield

You are separated from the main fight, playing hide and seek in a maze of old machinery and pipes. You hear the echo of ongoing gunfights, but cannot see them. You are barely aware of what's happening beyond this area, the only thing you know, that there are still opposing forces to fight. Not much time has passed anyway. About three minutes.
The two marines trying to flank you are similarly lost / cut off the main action.

>>11855623
Well since our mind seems set on D, let's go for that then, but call in Aesir to help us out once the bullets start raining.

> 2 votes on D. no other votes.

You see the plasma gunner trying to get through a bunch of pipes, but ending up entangled in hanging cables of some ruined machine. He is cutting away the cables with his combat knife. You get ready to leap on him, and he only looks up in the last moment, too late to evade your stabbing blade, too late to raise his gun.
You land with a startling bang, crushing pipes under your feet. Your knife punctures his armour at the neck section, severing an artery. You pull out the blade and a spray of hot blood paints your visor red, blinding you for a second. You bat asside his blade, as he tries to stab you as a last desperate attempt, then finish him off with a slash.
You hear as his brother rushes to your position to aid him, and you quickly scoop up the fallen plasmagun.
The energy coils light up with a humm, and you feel your armour connect with the machine spirit of the relic weapon.

<what do you do?>

>>11855637
You alert Aesir, and he falls back from his position to aid you. Might take some time till he gets here.

>>11855660
Blast away at the guy stumbling your way and call Aesir. Now we need to dispatch of them and use the same route to outflank the rest of the enemy.

>>11855667
run forwords srcreming with vox amplifiers on to try to confuse the enemy then shoot him in the head with your plasma gun.

>Blast away at the guy stumbling your way and call Aesir. Now we need to dispatch of them and use the same route to outflank the rest of the enemy.

You crouch and aim the plasmagun at head height, your finger on the trigger, ready to fire.
Probably alerted by the sudden silence, the rhythm of footsteps slow down, then they cease entirely. You hear a pin pulled, then a grenade hits the plating of the machine to your right, and bouncing off, lands behind you.

<what do you do?>

>>11855697
Oh fuck. Is it within quick reach? If so, use bionic arm to try throw it back.

Se:
>>11855697

>>11855706
>Is it within quick reach? If so, use bionic arm to try throw it back.

It's close, but it may be hard to reach due to scrap and pipework in the way.
Choose quickly.

A. reach for the grenade
B. Break from cover

>>11855715
Then it's too risky, break out.

>>11855715
You leap out expecting the grenade to go off any moment. You don't have to wait much longer. The blast imbalances you and the momentum carries you forward, landing on your chest. That's the only thing saving you from the initial salvo your opponent unleashed. A near miss, a bolt clips your shoulder, ricocheting on your pauldron and detonating in the air somewhere in the distance, then you fall on the floor.
Reflexively you roll over and fire in the enemy's general direction, though knowing the training you both gone trough, he won't be there.
The plasma bolt hits the machinery, turning components into molten slag.

Now it's hide and seek again.
You hear footsteps from ahead, and you raise your gun.
"Coming through." you receive Aesir's vox message.

<now what?>

break out, but with one hand preparing the gun to fire as soon as you spot the other guy

>>11855752
"Good timing. We have two bastards sneaking around. One of them just threw a grenade form that direction. Unless you have a better idea, I say you try to flush them out while I try to take some shots from here with my new friend."

>>11855721

Break from cover, firing plasma at the attacker position

>>11855752
see if you can absorb the plasma gun into you while aesir can cover you

>>11855796
Save it for when we have time to muck about, besides the virus seems to do that on its own accord at the moment.

>>11855802
you might not be able to keep the gun, something might happen, id say you want to keep your abilities low key on the publicity front. so taking this chance in private to absorb a plasma gun whole aesir is pre-occupied with the other attacker might be a valuable ace in the hole in the future

>"Good timing. We have two bastards sneaking around. One of them just threw a grenade form that direction. Unless you have a better idea, I say you try to flush them out while I try to take some shots from here with my new friend."

(it was actually one guy)

You work as a team, covering each other's back, advancing from corner to corner, but the bastard cannot be seen.
Then suddenly a bolter shot out of nowhere. The round hits the side of your helmet, glancing off with a shower of sparks. Stunned, you crash on the floor, only to see Aesir let loose a wild salvo, ripping apart machinery and the attacker as well.
"He got you good." he crouches next to you, and helps you up. "You alright?"
You nod, and pick up your gun.
"Better get going. We took long enough already. Got to catch that bastard witch."

You set off towards the sounds of fighting, trying to find your way through the wreck. In about a minute, you get a decent view on the fight. Solonis and two of his men are pinned down by a unit of seven.

At the other way you see as the sorcerer and the possessed trades blows with blinding speed.
The chosen of the sorcerer lie, scattered, frozen in blood.

Daemonic claws rip through the sorcerer's power armour, only missing the flesh beneath by a milimeter. The sorcerer wields a sword bathed in baleful energies, conjured up from the Warp, his movements guided by the psyker's powers of prescience, foreseeing where his opponent will leave an opening and seizing every opportunity. Matched by the speed and reflexes of the possessed, the outcome is too early to tell.

<what do you do?>

>>11855842

Flank the squad thats trading fire with Solonis.

Bringing a plasma gun to bear from a position where they have little cover from.

>>11855842
do we have nades? or aesir? throw a bunch at the unit pinning down solonis.

if not try to flank the pinners and surprise them, keep an eye on the witch/possessed fight, if it looks like the witch is about to get screwed then fire away at the possessed

>>11855842
(I thought we only killed the plasma guy while there were three in the ambush?)

"Did you bring any grenades? I'm sure Solonis would appreciate one being lobbed into that mob."

If he doesn't have any, vox Solonis himself and inform him of the tactical situation.

>toss a grenade

You set up in firing position, and Aesir throws a grenade at the enemy squad. The resulting explosion leaves them scattered and stunned.
You take two down with your plasma gun, drawing more attention than you planned, and you have to duck behind a container to avoid magazines worth of bolts.
You hear Solonis and his men return fire, and charge forward with a warcry, and you can come out from your hiding place again.

You see Solonis charging in, taking down an opponent with his plasma pistol, knocking back another with a backhand strike of his powerfist, shattering his opponent's chestplate, then putting a plasma bolt through his helmet as he staggers back from the blow. Brother Daren and brother Furion follows him, chainswords roaring, bolt pistols blazing.

You look around. There is no sign of Deimos or his squad, nor Loki.
You turn towards the sorcerer, Kerberos, just in time to see him unleash a volley of psychic lightning at the possessed astartes, sending him crashing into the nearby wall.

<what do you do?>

>>11855927
Slag the assassin while he's in a place we can shoot without harming anyone essential.

>>11855927
shoot his legs to make sure he cant get away then blast away at the possessed with the plasma gun to make sure it dies

>>11855927

How long would it take to absorb the plasma gun?

Looks like Solonis has the situation under control, and the sorcerer is still going to have a bit of trouble with the possessed.

On any account, we dont want to draw the sorcerer's attention to ourselves until Solonis is free from that tangle.

If absorbing would take too long, charge in with Solonis to mock up the marines.

>>11855957
We have no idea how the virus works. So far it's just absorbed a bolt pistol without us really having any control over how and when. We don't even really know what it is we're afflicted with yet.

>absorb plasmagun
You yet to have true insight how your 'powers' work. You can't willfully absorb the plasmagun, and you haven't had much success with a bolter yet, only a bolt pistol.

The possessed doesn't look like, he's going anywhere. Either dead, or knocked out.
The sorcerer is free to do whatever he likes... or it seems so.

>A. Slag the assassin while he's in a place
>B. Fire at Kerberos
>C. Help out Solonis

>>11855998
Oh in that case, I agree with the guy saying we mess up Kerberos' legs.

>>11855998
b fire at kerberus but not lethal shots. aim for the legs

>>11856007
>we mess up Kerberos' legs.

You open fire at the witchkin only to see him raise a hand and your plasma bolts dissipate against an invisible force barrier, without the slightest harm inflicted on him.
He throws his arms forward and arcs of warp-lightning leap from his fingertips. You barely avoid the blinding volley, leaping aside in the last moment. The air smells of oozone and burned flesh, and you see Aesir topple, his armour smoking.

<what do you do?>

>>11856028
While attempting to move towards Solonis, blindfire with bolts whenever we have the opportunity, let's see how many times he can do that trick in a row.

>>11856028
indirect fire? get the grenades from aesirs body and use them on the machinery near kerberos to make shrapnel fly everywhere.

see how solonis is doing, any easy shots to be had?

You make a run towards the melee, firing every now and then. The sorcerer dodges a volley and deflects an other, then conjures up a thick white mist, quickly reducing the range of vision to mere feets.
You reach Solonis and Furion, the only two members of the squad still fighting on, just in time to see them take down the last man. A rival champion of Lord Solun's Grand Company.

<what do you do?>

>>11856096
solonis is boss, report wait for orders *shrug*

>>11856119
This, we clearly need some help with Kerboros.

>Recovered from his fatal injury in the Battle of

erm.... if he recovered from it, then it was'nt fatal.

Spread from Solonis

Fire at the sorcerer while keeping cover. Advance whenever you can. Try to divert his attention to open up him for a Solonis charge - hes the only one who can take the sorcerer down in CC.

>>11856161
if he died for a period of a few mins then revived then it can be called a fatal wound.

>await orders

Solonis loads fresh powercells into his plasma pistol, and looks at you.
"These bastards didn't give their lives easily. Never thought I'll be fighting brothers wearing my own colours after Terra." he grunts. "Let's find that warp-damned witch, and put him to question. You don't have to be gentle. Just leave enough life in him, to answer a few questions." with that, he sets off in the direction of the sorcerer... or at least, where he was seen last time.

As you wade through the mist in search for the sorcerer the temperature in the chamber suddenly drops to freezing cold. You see vapour ghosting the air around the exhaust wents of your brothers' backpack power units. Otherwordly whispers fill the air, their words either too insane or too arcane for the moral minds to comprehend.

"Keep your eyes open. There's something in the mist." Solonis voxes.

(cont.)

You hear sensless babble of child like voices, then Furion yells in pain an frustration as something knocks him over, then disappear. The next moment a running figure passes by next to you, bouncing off your side, giggling manically, and you give chase of the thing, fearing that firing into the mist might end in hitting your brothers.

The mad giggles echo through the facility, and you soon lose your sense of direction in the chase. You hear the rustle of bare feet, and three uneartly figures appear in front of you, their pink bodies a changing mass of long muscled arms, legs, and tentacles. In the middle of their insane form, features of a grotesque face mocking the world of sanity. Dominating their face, an impossibly large maw filled with rows upon rows of serrated teeth, forever closing and reopening in a mad cackle. Dripping with saliva, an obscenely large, blue tounge quests the air for the scent of the flesh of mortals. Above the mouth small eyes, alive with a mad glee, stare at the world with childish wonder and curiosity, untill they find you. With a laugh that's playful and cruel in equal measure, they throw themselves at you.

<what do you do?>

>>11856226
Well, try to gun them down obviously. If they come way up close, give them a taste of Sudden Bolt Pistol.

>>11856226
RIP AND TEAR!!!!

>>11856235

Might as well work on the advantage of having a ranged weapon. Walk backwards while firing, charge in when they get within distance.

"Solonis, engaging 2 or 3 weird things that appeared from the mist in here. Found the bastard yet?"

>try to gun them down
>RIP AND TEAR!

You ready your chainsword, while firing wildly at the closest daemon. The Horrors dance around you in a cacophony of mad laughter and senseless babble, dodging your shots and sweeps with reflexes matching your own. Their physiques lacking the limits a sane world would force upon them, their arms lengthening when their sweeps wouldn't reach you, joints appearing in the middle of their limbs when you'd try to break them, wounds closing in seconds after you inflict them...

One of them taunts you with playful jabs, and you turn your plasmagun at it, but the next moment an other creature launches itself on your hand, disarming you.
You reflexively produce a bolt pistol in your left and snap off a few rounds after it, but by then it is lost in the mist.

A clawed hand wreathed in blue flames slash at your armour, rending the abdominal plating with a single sweep. You whince, pain flaring in your belly, as if the ruined armour section was your own flesh. You block another blow with your chainsword, bright sparks fly in all direction as the daemonic claws tear off a dozen sawteeth, and crippling the mechanism of the motorized blade, but in return, turning its own hand to a ruined mass of burning blood and dissolving ectoplasma. With a scream of pain it pulls its hand back and you slash at it, paying no heed to the agonizing screech of the blade's motor, as it struggles with the jammed sawteeth. As the strike hits home the wail of the machine ceases, giving way to the steady growl of a well-oiled mechanism, and silencing the insane babble of the daemon. Ethereal blue flames envelope its dying body and it vanishes leaving behind nothing but dancing flames of witchfire.
You pull the blade back to dodge the strike of one of the other creatures, and you notice that your chainsword barely shows a mark, and all the missing sawteeth seem to be replaced.

<what do you do?>

>>11856266
this

>>11856320
vox sol to see what his progress is. keep fighting.

>>11856320
I mutter to myself "I'm starting to think this thing I have is a good thing.." and keep fighting. Btw, I'm assuming we have some sort of heads-up that shows the status of our team. How are they faring?

>>11856320
check to see if your armour healed like the chainsword. feel a boost of confidence and go berserk on the demons asses?

>"Solonis, engaging 2 or 3 weird things that appeared from the mist in here. Found the bastard yet?"

After a pause Solonis voxes back.
"There's no sign of him. I can't see a darn thing in this mist. Not on thermal, not on preysight, nothig works! Damned warp trickery!" he rants in frustration. "Furion is gone. Those thing took him. Killed two of them, but I still hear them lurking nearby. Waiting for me to show my back."

You hear the sound of plasma pistol discharges in the distance, but can't identify the direction.
"Can't see your signal on my tactical map." you receive the message. "It's like the mist warps this place. Distance and directions all change."
You hear mad cackling in the distance and a sound of thunderclap, a powerfist hitting home.

(cont.)

>>11856453

>Walk backwards while firing, charge in when they get within distance.

One of the deamon leaps towards you, and you fill the Horror with bolts, silencing its mad cackle as its body bursts like an overripe fruit.
A shower of thick blue blood splatters your armour, instantly catching on fire, the blue flames searing through the ceramite plates. You back away, blinded by the all-consuming flames, barely noticing the third daemon leaping after you.

The large pink body crashes into you, sending you to the ground. Unaffected by the witchfire burning your flesh, it leaps upon you, pinning you to the ground with its weight. You raise your pistol to pump the beast full with bolts, but a clawed hand catches it by the wrist, and your shots go wide. Another hand wrestles the chainsword out of your right, while a third one holds you down by the throat. The daemon lets out an insane laughter, enjoying its cruel game, as the felfire eats away your insides.

(cont.)

>>11856466

Grunting with effort you free your right hand and deliver a bone wrenching blow to the creatures side in the hope of crushing ribs, and rupturing organs, in case it has any. The beast only yelps, then with the growl of annoyance seizes your arm again, strengthening the hold with tentacles.

With a wide grin that bespeaks of arrogance, and superiority he looks down on you, then opens its mouth to slip out its huge, blue tounge, wrapping it around your neck to pull your helmet free of your head. With a loud crack the sealing mechanism gives up, and suddenly the stench of burning flesh and sulphur assaults you scent.

Your helmet thrown away, the daemon opens his maws wide... wide enough for your head to fit in its mouth, then leans towards you. With the desperation of the dying, you pull your left free, and grab the beast by the cheeks, trying to keep the snapping jaws away.
You are nearly dead, and if the flames don't kill you first, the Horror will.
Only the insane determination of staying alive makes it possible to keep the monster away, despite its attempts to force your arm out of the way.

Think fast. You're losing your stength with an alarming rate.

<what do you do?>

>>11856482
Can we grow our bolt pistol from our mouth? If so, do that and give him inverted mouth-to-mouth.

>>11856506
mouth? no. hands/fist/palm? yes.

>>11856515
Then try to get an arm free and grab onto the thing and fire point-blank while having only the barrel out of our palm.

>>11856534
>With the desperation of the dying, you pull your left free, and grab the beast by the cheeks, trying to keep the snapping jaws away.

You already have a hand free.

>>11856571
Then shoot from our palm!

>>11856581
>palm bolter

From the middle of your palm a bolter barrel emerges to the apparent surprise of the trickster beast, and you let loose all your anger, firing burst after burst. The Horror screams in agony as you blow away most of its face, flailing with its fists in wild abandon to destroy you before it's spirited away, back to the Warp. You hold up your left in defence, while you rip your right free in a shower of burning blood, your forearm reshaped as a deadly chainblade. With a horizontal sweep you open the creature's belly, and then kick it off of you before it collapses on you in an aura of flames.
The third beast finally vanishes, and you lie there, a smouldering, charred ruin, staring at the ceiling.

The mist slowly starts to clear. You hear someone approaching.

<what do you do?>

>>11856603
Quickly move to a more defensible position

>>11856623
This, but pick up and put on our helmet first.

>Quickly move to a more defensible position

You sit up, grunting with pain, determined to move into cover. Determined to survive,
Through the clearing mist you see an armoured figure, his right, a massive clawed paw...

A. SHOOT THE BASTARD! AIM AT THE HEAD!
B. shoot the legs.
C. call out.
D. fire a warning shot.

>>11856679
offer him a bannana

it will confuse him!

>>11856679
C.

>>11856711
That, it could be Solonis for all we know

Seriously. Wouldn't want to blow the last friend we have away.

>>11856711
C. call out

You call out, and the voice of Solonis replies.
He comes closer, his armour is similarly charred.

"You still live." he mumbles, then coughs and spits blood on the floor. "We sent those warp spawns back where they belong." he says with a bitter laugh.
"Furion?" you ask.
"I'm afraid we are the only ones left." he replies. "The sorcerer got away. The possessed is gone too. But we yet live."
"We do..." you say, tired, looking at your hands in wonder as they reshape themselves into the armoured hands of an Astartes warrior. In the core of your being you feel a terrible hunger. "What now?" you ask.
"We report to Lord Skraal." he answers curtly.

You close your eyes for a moment. You need to rest. You need to heal. You need some peace.

You hear the scratching again.

***

That was it for today, guys. The thread is in the archives. Vote if you enjoyed it. I'll be back tomorrow with Part III, from 06.00 CET to 18.00 CET

>>11856831

Aww.

>>11856831
Cool, and thanks for doing this at a Euro-friendly time!