I stepped aside, letting the Lictor pass right by me, its grace and agility vanishing, causing it to skid across the ground after landing, painting a trail of dirt and blood on the street.
There was a noise similar to a violent cough, a dark stain formed on the stone below, with the pink cloud molding itself around the Tyranid, creating the outline of its body.
It didn't take long for its camouflage to disappear, revealing the giant insect on its hands and knees, spitting rivers of purple blood from its eyes and mouth. I drew my Slugga, aimed at its trembling legs, and made sure it couldn't escape anymore.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The noise it made next was difficult to describe, a kind of choked squeal. Tyranids shouldn't possess complex feelings, but the fire in its piercing gaze made me wonder if there was something sentient there.
It tried to stand, its legs wounded, trembling like a leaf in the wind and coughing like a dying animal, which it was. The tentacles from its mouth swung toward me, accompanied by a defiant cry that I returned with a whistle.
At my signal, my Squigs advanced. The Tyranid tried to leap out of the way, but barely managed to move. Gévaudan launched the first attack, striking the Lictor squarely in the chest with a crushing headbutt, the crack of its shell breaking echoing through the air.
As soon as our enemy fell on its back with a heavy thud, Baskerville and Popcorn came from the sides, the former seizing the giant insect's right arm, treating it like a succulent piece of meat. The second Squig was more practical, rising on its hind legs and stomping on the Tyranid's left arm, turning its bones to dust.
I watched the brutal scene as I removed my Blunderbuss from inside my cloak, approaching with slow, careful steps until I was face to face with the Lictor being torn apart.
I pointed the double barrel at its face, the creature roared, its scythe-like arm reached out, but…
BANG!
…Its head was gone, leaving a mass of flesh, brain, and bullets in its place. The corpse let out a few spasms before becoming limp, and with that done, my Squigs enjoyed their new meal.
I opened the smoking barrel of my weapon, ejecting the spent cartridges and placing two more inside, pumping the Blunderbuss, leaving it ready to fire when I needed to. I was about to leave, but an interesting idea came to mind. Using a Choppa shaped like an axe, I severed the scythe from the Lictor's arm, analyzing its appearance.
Despite its name, the Lictor's Scythe Arm acted like a pincer, gripping and cutting you against the curve of the limb itself, so much so that the sharp part faced whoever held it while the armored carapace lined with spikes faced the opposite direction, serving as a shield should anyone try to strike the scythe.
This biological blade would make a great saber, one made for tearing and crushing rather than cutting. With that in mind, I whistled, calling my Squigs and returning to my warband, preparing to continue with my plan.
-XXXXXX-
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The city was filled with coughs, sneezes, screams, and gunfire. I led my forces, Big Shoota in hand, as we cleared the streets of the remaining Tyranids. The few who were still alive by some miracle lacked the ability to fight back, and soon found themselves covered in holes.
Gargoyles fell around us like rain, making being hit on the head more dangerous than fighting them, and the unmasked Orks, well, most of them seemed to be having the worst allergic reaction of their lives from breathing the gas, coughing and crying nonstop.
Occasionally I would spot lights in the distance, whether from my band's guns firing, a fire that had started amidst the chaos, or the Ork forces that had allied with me to form the City Council.
Now was the chance to eliminate the competition and bring order to the Thumb of Gork, as each of us had enough power and influence thanks to my wonderful proposal to have smaller enclaves and gangs subordinate themselves instead of being destroyed.
Seeing that this section of the city was clear, I ordered us to return to our vehicles before moving on to the next one. I sat in the back of the Trukk, in the side seats lined with rows of Orks under my command. The engine roared, the vehicle trembled, and the headlights illuminated the path through the gas.
The crunching of Tyranids and Orks beneath the heavy wheels was constant, making the journey bumpy and choppy, but after a few minutes of enduring a stifling gas mask and troops complaining about the lackluster fighting, we came to an abrupt stop that nearly pinned us against the back of the driver's cab.
"Boss, ya should see dis!"
I clicked my tongue, muttering an insult and shifting my aching shoulder before leaving the Trukk, accompanied by my Boyz. The Orks in the other trucks did the same, approaching the mountain of flesh and metal illuminated by the headlights.
I couldn't help but widen my eyes in surprise and take a step back, for before me lay a pile of Tyranids, so large and massive that it encircled the Battle Fortress ahead, forming a ramp to its summit.
"Boss, kan we loot dis?!"
A Boy beside me asked with barely contained glee, but I placed a hand on his chest, stopping him from advancing, as my Fight Detecta had found vital signs in the fortress. One weak and five strong ones that disappeared one by one. Soon only the weak signal remained.
"Everyone, weapons ready, now!"
I had to admit, even with little synchronization and care, they did as ordered, spreading out, taking cover and aiming their weapons, whether personal or from vehicles, towards the fortress. The training really paid off.
Nothing happened immediately; my detector kept beeping as the vital sign approached, the distance closing until I could hear distant noises coming from the fortress.
Suddenly, a side door opened and a ramp slid out, sinking into the dead Tyranids with a series of cracks. From there, a metallic thud echoed, two luminous red points appeared in the air, and a massive figure emerged from the darkness.
"TEEF RIPPA!"
You've got to be kidding me!
The voice sounded like an old radio, the appearance was different, almost unrecognizable, but there was only one Ork this big in the city, Rukzod Nidkilla, revived as a Cybork.
For all intents and purposes, he was a head attached to a robotic body. There was barely any green left in his flesh; his skull was composed of a metal dome covering the part that had been devoured, with a pair of rectangular bionic eyes just below, finished off by an iron jaw that looked more like a bear trap.
His torso was a wall of riveted metal plates, a patternless mass painted blue, connected to a pair of bionic arms as thick as tree trunks, the left ending in a Power Klaw and the right in a massive fist with three wide fingers holding a Choppa Scimitar.
His legs, like his arms, were cybernetic, adorned with various tubes, springs, and pistons whose noise I could hear from here; on his back was the same long pipe I had seen the day we first met.
My mouth dropped open and my heart raced; there was only a moment of hesitation where my brain tried to understand what was happening before I acted.
"FIRE!"
Bullets ripped through the air, the barrels of countless weapons gleamed like fireworks; it seemed we would tear Rukzod to pieces right then and there, but that never happened, for a luminous sphere appeared around him, blocking the shots.
The Cybork laughed, a faltering sound that blended into the deafening cacophony surrounding us. The thing on his back descended, resting on his left shoulder, aiming at us. Whatever it was, it wasn't a good sign.
"RETREAT!"
I watched my troops pass by me, getting into the vehicles, but it was too late.
There was the sound of a cannon firing; I raised my staff, creating a green and luminous psychic barrier that cracked like glass. A blinding light engulfed me, accompanied by intense heat, pain, and my consciousness fading.
-XXXXXX-
"GASP!"
I awoke startled, the air filling my aching chest as my mind struggled to comprehend what had happened amidst the worst headache of my life.
My vision was blurry and my ears were screaming. I struggled to analyze my surroundings, realizing I was lying face down on the ground and that the lenses of my gas mask had cracked. Speaking of gas, the pink cloud still covered the area, partially obscuring the destruction that surrounded me.
I struggled to my feet, feeling my entire body ache. If anything was broken, then Ork biology prevented me from feeling it.
A crater occupied the area where I had previously been, with the surrounding buildings destroyed along with some Trukkz. I didn't see my warband, something that changed after taking a few steps forward and finding the bodies on the ground, mangled, cut, burned, crushed, melted, and more, their faces contorted in fury, amusement, or fear.
I had to keep walking, limping all the way while holding my left side, to finally find what had done this. There was his large silhouette amidst the gas, Rukzod piercing a member of my forces with his Power Klaw, lifting him into the air, laughing as the Ork struggled and screamed, swinging his Choppa uselessly.
I looked around, spotting a Trukk still intact to my left. I moved towards it with careful movements, avoiding drawing attention. I unlocked the door, flinching at the creaks and groans, but after a quick check, Rukzod hadn't noticed.
Laying on the ground the driver with half his head missing, I sat in his place, sighing in relief when I saw the key in the ignition. Through clenched teeth, I carefully held and turned it. The engine roared to life and the headlights turned on, causing the large Ork to look towards me like a monster from a horror movie.
My heart stopped. I could run away, I just had to put it in reverse and get out of here, but something stopped me. My dead Orks—it wasn't love or attachment to them, but rage at seeing them like this. So much hard work to end up like that, it wasn't a dignified end. It could have been better; they could have survived and shown what they had learned, but now, that was impossible.
I wasn't thinking straight. My body might even have been acting on its own. I put the truck in the highest gear it could handle, higher than any human vehicle, and slammed my foot on the accelerator, screaming with all my might.
The jolt threw me backward, the tires and engine roared, and Rukzod stood still like a frightened animal on the road. The force field protecting him surged forth for an instant, preventing him from being pushed back, only to disappear in a flash, leaving the Ork unprotected.
The entire Trukk rocked on impact, as if it had hit another vehicle of the same size. The metal crumpled inward as the Cybork found himself trapped in the wreckage, arms outstretched and chin resting on the hood.
I didn't stop, I kept accelerating towards the nearest building, ignoring the shouts and insults directed at me, and with that came the first crash. A bang accompanied by a tremor, I almost flew out of my seat and hit my head on the steering wheel. Dust and debris fell around me, and Rukzod found himself crushed between metal and steel.
He thrashed about like an insect, something that brought me a certain satisfaction. I put it in reverse and drove away, letting him fall face-first onto the filthy street, vomiting dark oil. When I had enough distance, I returned at full speed. The Ork only managed to get up on his hands and knees before the Trukk's bumper sent him flying into the destroyed building.
There he lay, sunk into the wall, sliding out like paint before I advanced a third time, pushing him the entire length of the building. It collapsed around me, the Trukk bounced like a ball, and with the headlights destroyed, I couldn't see where I was going.
The dim light returned as I passed through the building, stopping when I hit the other one ahead, more resistant and refusing to yield. The next impact was the biggest of all; for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness, but when I noticed it, I realized I was still alive.
I crawled out of the driver's seat, seeing the Trukk crushed against the wall, its engine silent and smoking, with Rukzod trapped somewhere inside. I wasn't naive enough to think I had won without seeing the body, and the sign that the fight continued came when the vehicle began to retreat. It was as if a mountain was being pushed; the metal creaked and sparks ripped through the air, revealing the Ork rising from the pile of rubble, like a corpse leaving its grave.
A curse escaped my mouth; I took a few steps back, drawing my Big Shoota and aiming at him. Simultaneously, a mechanical arm appeared on the Cybork's back, with a red magnet at its tip, the kind you'd see in a cartoon.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The bullets never hit their target, being deflected by the magnet. I felt my weapon slip from my grip, but while I tried to hold it in place, all the others I was holding went flying. My Slugga, Dakka Shoota, Blunderbuss, Choppas, Stikkbombz, Knives, and Copper Staff were all stuck to the magnet.
As if that wasn't enough, I had to let go of my Big Shoota when I felt a tug on my face and one of the worst pains of my life, because if I continued like that, my Git Finda would also be ripped off.
"NO DAKKA FOR YER, TEEF RIPPA!"
After Rukzod's shout, the magnet arm spun in a complete circle, throwing all my equipment away, leaving me alone and unarmed against the Cybork.
"TIME TA END DIS, YA GIT!"
I didn't bother to answer; Rukzod's jaw opened, releasing smoke and steam, a blinding light flashed from the back of his throat, and my mouth dropped open in disbelief as a wave of flames was spat in my direction.
Using psychic powers without my staff was painful as hell, but I didn't have many options. I reached out and clenched my teeth, bracing myself for the headache that was coming, using the power of WAAAGH! and conjuring a wall of green fire to combat the approaching one.
A mixture of green and orange filled the air, accompanied by a deafening explosion. I was about to seize the opportunity to escape, but the trembling ground and a gigantic shape piercing through the flames stopped me.
Rukzod, with the pistons in his leg moving up and down, closed the distance like a runaway train, and he slammed down like one, for the barrier I erected in his path did little to stop the Power Klaw punch that followed.
I crossed my arms in front of my body, feeling the armor shatter and my bones almost doing the same. My feet left the ground and my head spun, I couldn't distinguish up from down, and I only stopped flying when I hit my back against a wall.
A scream escaped my mouth, as did the air from my lungs. I took a deep breath, trying to recover and reorient myself, but I had to move again when I saw the Cybork's Choppa descending towards me, revealing several saw teeth ready to tear a piece from me.
I threw myself to the side, barely escaping the swing that ripped the wall behind me; a horizontal blow followed, forcing me to run to avoid being split in two. However, my cloak finally became a problem. I stopped abruptly, and looking back, I saw Rukzod's heavy metallic foot pinning it to the ground, consequently keeping me in place.
The red in Cybork's eyes intensified, causing a wave of heat to fill the air. I wasted no time and unbuckled my cloak, throwing myself to the ground and escaping the pair of lasers that melted a hole in the building across the street.
I couldn't react; I heard a crack and something broke inside me, courtesy of a kick to the ribs that sent me rolling across the floor. Blood leaked from my mouth, filling my gas mask, but if I removed it, I would find myself having a coughing fit.
There I stood on my hands and knees, trying to get up, but I could only scream when a crushing blow to my back sent me crashing to the ground, and a second attack left me face up, staring at a robotic face.
I still tried to fight, but I didn't stand a chance. I received another kick, then a stomp, and another, and another, and another… I don't know how much time passed; my vision darkened and my thoughts became confused. The pain wasn't as intense; yes, I could still hear the muffled sound of the blows, but the broken bones and wounded flesh no longer affected me.
"Tell Skullrippa I said hi."
The Chain Choppa gleamed in the little light that remained, sounding like a hungry predator, but fighting against unconsciousness, I raised my hand and created a bright glyph between us, causing Rukzod to let out a confused sound that turned into pain thanks to the explosion that followed.
He flew away, while I rummaged through my pockets, searching for my last resort: a test tube with a cork stopper, and inside it, green pills, the Battle Juice in its concentrated form. I don't like drugs, but at this moment, I had no choice.
I took a deep breath, then held it, removing my mask, turning the tube to my mouth and swallowing all the pills at once. For a moment nothing happened, but then I was overcome by an indescribable sensation; there was no pain, my muscles expanded, my heart raced, and my head felt like it was about to explode, but what I saw, I saw the power of WAAAGH! exploding around me.
-XXXXXX-
Rukzod stood up with a grunt, more irritated than hurt, which only worsened when he saw Gorlonik standing there, staring at him.
"WELL, YA FINALLY TIRED UV RUNNIN'?!"
But there was no response; Teef Rippa simply stood there, trembling and muttering nonsense.
"TSK, SA BE IT! NAW STAY WHERE YER ARE!"
The Cyborg's eyes gleamed, ready to fire another pair of lasers, but this proved to be a mistake. Quick, so fast he could have teleported, Gorlonik appeared in front of him, covering his eyes with a pair of hands enveloped in psychic power.
It was Rukzod's turn to scream, for with nowhere to go, the released energy accumulated on his face, beginning to melt his own skull with intense heat, then…
BOOM!
A boiling explosion followed by a cloud of smoke, creating a molten hole with two people inside, a charred Gorlonik and Rukzod with his face in the same condition as the place where they both stood.
His opponent's hand on his neck was the only thing that prevented him from falling to his knees, but in his agonizing pain and dizziness, he failed to avoid the psychically charged punch delivered to his chin.
His metallic jaw sank in, locking it in place, and the resulting shockwave pushed the air around him, and consequently the gas, revealing the sun for a brief moment.
The Cybork landed with a heavy thud, but he wasted no time in getting up, ignoring the damage report in the corner of his vision, for the thing that left the hole was no longer an Ork.
Gorlonik was engulfed in emerald flames, his clothes and equipment turning to ashes, as he grew to the same level as Rukzod, his bionic eye being the only difference, glowing a deep crimson.
Now the flaming green giant and the revived Cybork faced each other, waiting to see who would make the first move, which in this case, was Gorlonik.
The Ork screamed even without a mouth, a deafening noise, multiple voices yelling simultaneously in varying tones, a sound so loud it made the mind and soul tremble. An earthquake shook the environment, debris and smaller objects flew into the air, and Teef Rippa closed the distance, delivering a scalding punch.
Rukzod's Power Klaw returned the blow, both colliding in a crushing impact that made the combatants involuntarily recoil. Gorlonik remained unfazed, sending the next blow which the Cybork made sure to return, but not before glancing at the burning dent in his weapon.
Contrary to expectations, there was no collision; Gorlonik vanished, an illusion, the real one reappearing seconds later, delivering a punch to the side of Rukzod's head.
The world spun for the Ork, but he didn't give up. His Chain Choppa tore through the air in an arc, a violent movement that forced his opponent to recoil, receiving a shallow cut on his chest.
Ignoring the insignificant damage, the flaming Ork approached with long strides, spinning on his feet and delivering a blow with the back of his fist to the Cyborg's jaw, trapping his enemy in a permanent grimace.
A brutal exchange of blows followed, each possessing the power of a cannon. Gorlonik unleashed a barrage of punches to Rukzod's chest, turning the thick metal wall that was his body into a crumpled mess.
Not giving up, Rukzod waited, using his Power Klaw as a shield at the precise moment and charging at his attacker, his massive body serving as a battering ram to pin him against what remained of the destroyed Trukk.
Almost being dragged away, the vehicle served as a prison for the flaming Ork, now sinking into its metal with each punch from the gigantic gauntlet he received, practically experiencing being crushed by a garbage compactor.
The umpteenth punch almost made him disappear into the metal, but it happened differently; his body disintegrated into embers, leaving the next attack to tear through the material, and before the weapon's owner could turn to look for him, a pair of arms closed around his waist, boiling what was below.
Rukzod felt his feet leave the ground and the systems that kept his body balanced screamed as they witnessed the world upside down and then darkness as he saw the ground approaching. Rising, Gorlonik grabbed the Cybork by the right leg, and with a grunt of effort, lifted him into the air, swinging above his head and slamming him against the ground.
The earth trembled and a hole in the shape of the Ork formed at the point of impact, with a similar one forming again as he was sent flying in the opposite direction, exactly where he had landed previously.
Letting out an incoherent murmur, Rukzod barely had time to roll aside and avoid Gorlonik's feet crushing his head after leaping an impossible distance for a green-skinned creature.
The earth melted before the power of the attack, orange fire consumed the area, spewed by Rukzod after forcing his mouth open, and to complement the wave of destruction, an opening appeared on the side of his Power Klaw, revealing a Twin Linked Shoota.
"WWWAAAGH!"
Spent capsules rained down, a wall of lead shot through the air, bombarding the cloud of smoke without bothering to detect its opponent. After long seconds of deafening noise, the smoking cannons stopped firing and the Cybork waited.
The dark cloud dissipated, revealing a pitted ground, with no sign of its enemy. Rukzod didn't allow himself to be caught off guard and turned around, only to find an empty space. Frowning, he continued searching, his bionic eyes scanning the environment, focusing on every tiny object or sign of someone's presence.
Rukzod forced himself to stifle a scream, because as soon as he made a half-turn to continue his search, he came face to face with the one he was looking for. Taking a step back, his Choppa advanced for him, never reaching its target, as a green hand made his wrist melt.
No matter how hard he tried, the great Ork couldn't break free. His Power Klaw came to his aid, but a wave of electricity coursed through his body, bringing it to a halt.
He screamed, countless error messages flashed before his eyes, his systems burned out, and the Ork fell to his knees, releasing steam and smoke, unable to rise, as the flaming being gripped his left arm with its right hand, crushing the metal like paper, using its remaining hand to deliver punch after punch to the top of his head.
Blow after blow, punch after punch, the skull and the metal reinforcing it below gave way, as did the joint that held the bionic arm to his body. It seemed Rukzod would lose the limb, but the magnet arm was his salvation, spinning like a wrecking ball and striking Gornik in the head, pushing him back.
The grip disappeared, and the Cybork seized the opportunity. With a swift movement, his Power Klaw acted like a pair of massive scissors, severing Gorlonik's left arm.
The flaming being staggered as his opponent laughed, certain of his victory. He soon fell silent when the one whose limb had been cut didn't scream, only stared at the stump before a new arm identical to the previous one regenerated in its place.
Wiggling his fingers in front of his face, Gorlonik focused on the disbelieving Rukzod, pointing an index finger in his direction, energy accumulating at the tip, glowing like a firefly.
It wasn't necessary to guess what would come next. The Cybork ran to the side, barely avoiding the gigantic beam of pure psychic power that destroyed everything in its path, releasing a light and heat so intense that nothing would survive. Rukzod was certain of it, for although he had been fast enough to escape, his left arm and the Power Klaw he wielded had vanished, reduced to ashes.
Looking back, his mouth dropped open in horror, for there was nothing left where he had previously stood, only a gigantic trench that seemed to stretch for miles. Any Ork, building, and Tyranid unfortunate enough to have existed in his path were completely erased.
He tried to run, but an invisible force came from the sky, crushing all the buildings and alleys to his right, leaving a deep, dark crater. The same thing happened when he tried to run in the opposite direction or retreat, trapping him on a patch of land with the only way out being behind Gorlonik.
"YA ZOGGIN GIT, WHY DON'T YA STOP WIT' DESE TRICKS AN' FIGHT LIKE AN ORK!"
The bravado did little to conceal the fear, but the thing before him accepted the challenge, creating a sword of fire to face Rukzod's Chain Choppa. The revived Ork laughed, believing in a slim chance of victory.
Then the duel began, and it lasted as little as expected. The weapon of pure psychic power clashed against the one born of Ork engineering, splitting it in two, leaving a scorching stump while the other half disappeared into the distance.
He didn't give up; there was one last trick. Screaming like a madman, the cannon on his back rested on his shoulder, aiming directly at Gorlonik's face. The roar of the weapon firing sounded like thunder, but the projectile never exploded, as it remained still in mid-air, floating inches from its enemy's face.
Then the projectile spun, its tip facing its owner, and before the Ork could scream, all went dark.
END OF CHAPTER