(Years in the future)
The void tore open with a clean, almost polite rip, which was impressive considering whose hands were involved. Erik stepped through first, boots crunching down on a platform of battered adamantium that definitely wasn't up to code. Lady Death followed, floating with the casual grace of someone who could end gods for fun.
They stood atop a rust-red cliff overlooking a battlefield so chaotic it may as well have been painted by someone having an existential crisis.
Below them, an Imperial armored column was being swallowed alive by a tide of Tyranids, chitin churning and screaming. On the opposite flank, a berserker wave of Khorne's finest sprinted through the carnage, chainaxes revving, blood spraying. All while screaming "blood for the blood god". While artillery lit the horizon as far as one can see.
Erik inhaled.
"Yep," he said. "Definitely 40k."
Lady Death shaded her eyes dramatically, not because she needed to, but because she enjoyed roleplaying.
"I told you it would be relaxing." Death replied cheekily.
"You have the strangest definition of vacation."
Before she could answer, a thunderous, off-beat BOOM-BOOM-CHUG-WAAAAAGH echoed across the valley.
Both turned.
Coming up the ridge behind them was a battlewagon covered in skull speakers, glowing amps, and a massive neon sign that blinked Goff Rockers in three misspelled variations. At the helm, a massive Ork with a guitar made of chainblades was violently strumming something that sounded like industrial metal being murdered.
The engine backfired in rhythm, maybe. Honestly, it's hard to tell.
The Ork band skidded to a stop so close Erik had to hop out of the way. The largest Ork,spikes, leather, piercings, and at least two teeth made of scrap steel, hopped off.
"OI! YOU TWO!" he shouted, voice loud enough to knock dust off nearby ruins. "YOU LOOK LIKE YA KNOW A TING OR TWO ABOUT STYLE!"
Erik blinked. "Are… are you the Goff Rockers?"
"WAAAAAGH," the Ork said proudly. "We're the Goff Rockers. The loudest Waaagh, we's 'bout to invade dat planet." He pointed at the warzone below, overflowing with death and carnage. "Propa' mosh pit."
Lady Death leaned over to Erik. "They're adorable."
"Please don't adopt them," Erik whispered.
The Ork's beady eyes narrowed at the battlefield. "But dere's a problem. DEM SPIKEY BOYZ ALREADY STARTED A PIT WIV DEM BUGS." He spat. "Rude."
Erik shrugged. "Well, you could join their war."
"JOIN?!" The Ork recoiled as if slapped. "WE AIN'T JOININ' NUFFIN'. We's here to headline!"
Lady Death stepped forward, an idea forming. A dangerous one, which for her was saying something.
"What if…" She raised a pale hand and the air around them shimmered. "I make you a stage?"
The Orks stared.
A stage materialized, floating, massive, edges glowing with violet necrotic fire, with speaker towers taller than Imperial Titans. The ground trembled as it touched reality.
The Goff Rockers collective jaws dropped.
"DAT," said their boss slowly, "IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FING I EVER SEEN."
"Erik," Lady Death said sweetly. "Would you like to tune their instruments?"
He looked at the guitars—chainsaws with strings, basses powered by unstable plasma coils, a drum kit made from tank treads.
He grinned.
"Yeah. Yeah, I would. And you know what else."
Lady Death's smile grew excitedly. "You don't mean…"
Erik nodded, a smirk streaking his face. "Ima join them."
The Goff Rockers erupted into a cheer so loud it physically pushed the dust back in a several meter radius.
"WE GOT A HUMIE BANDMATE!" the boss bellowed. "DIS IS DA BEST DAY EVER!"
The Orks immediately began arguing over what his Ork name should be.
"'E needs a propa rokk name!"
"Wot about 'Erik da Shredder'?"
"Nah, 'Erik da Noise Git'!"
"'OW BOUT 'UMIE-WOT-PLAYS-LOUDER-DAN-DA-BUGZ'?"
Erik shrugged. "I'll take the last one."
Lady Death clapped. "Perfect."
And then, out across the battlefield, every other faction finally noticed.
__________
(POV - The Tyranids)
A Carnifex, mid-charge, skidded to a confused halt.
It tilted its monstrous head, mandibles clicking.
The Hive Mind itself seemed to pause.
Across the shared mind/web, an alien, collective thought pulsed:
'this was not in any of the biomass projections'
Dozens of Gaunts stopped and stared up at the floating stage, their tiny brains incapable of processing what a "concert" was but instinctively recognizing one thing:
Loud Noise equals Probably Dangerous
A Hormagaunt hissed at a friend beside it, as if asking: 'Should we… attack that?'
Its friend shook its head with a chittering 'NOPE.'
They collectively decided to wait and see if the noise killed something first.
__________
(POV - Khorne Berserkers)
A Khorne Berserker, drenched in blood up to the elbow, froze mid-swing as Erik strummed a test chord on the chainsaw-guitar. The sound was so powerful it vibrated his skull inside the helmet.
He lowered his chainaxe.
"…Brother," he growled to the marine beside him, "did… did the Orks just summon a daemon band?"
The second Berserker stared, lenses glowing.
"That human. He is joining them."
There was a long, confused silence.
"Is that… is that allowed?"
Khorne Berserkers were not known for hesitation, but this was beyond their regular, (Chaotic) training.
Another impossibly loud riff blasted across the field.
The nearest Berserker dropped to his knees, overwhelmed.
"SKULL-TAKING CAN WAIT. I MUST LEARN THIS SOUND."
Somewhere in the Warp, Khorne himself briefly stopped counting skulls.
__________
(POV - The Imperial Guard's)
Inside a battered Chimera, a commander slammed his periscope downward.
"What in the Throne's name is THAT!?"
His vox officer stared up at the stage, mouth open.
"Sir… it looks like the Orks… are hosting a rock concert."
"That is NOT tactically feasible!"
"Sir, look again."
The commander did.
Erik ripped a test riff so loud the Chimera's headlights flickered.
The commander removed his cap, rubbed his temples, and sighed the sigh of a man who has seen too much.
"Guardsman Byers."
"Yes, sir?"
"Write this in the after-action report exactly as follows: 'Emperor help me. I do not know what I saw.'"
"Yes, sir."
__________
(POV - Space Marine Captain)
A squad of Ultramarines stood atop a nearby ridge, momentarily ignoring the Tyranids they were meant to purge.
The Captain's helm tilted slightly.
"Brother Acastus," he said slowly, "is that… a human playing with Ork instruments?"
"Yes, Captain."
"And… is Lady Death providing him support?"
"Yes, Captain."
"And are the Orks dancing?"
"Enthusiastically, Captain."
The Captain considered this.
"I see. Notify Roboute Guilliman."
Acastus hesitated.
"Captain, with respect, what should we tell him?"
The Captain nodded grimly.
"Tell him: It has happened again."
__________
(POV - Chaos Marines)
A Skull Champion of Khorne, armor drenched in gore, stomped forward until he stood on a mound of corpses with a perfect view of the stage.
He listened.
He blinked.
"This," he muttered, almost reverently, "…is genuinely metal."
His squad murmured agreement.
A single tear of blood leaked from the Champion's eye.
"Khorne would approve."
A Tzeentch Sorcerer nearby, feathers smoldering, scoffed.
"Impossible. This is clearly some form of unusually harmonious warp anomaly."
Then Lady Death flicked her hand, and the amps ignited with violet energy.
The Sorcerer stared.
"…I stand corrected."
__________
(POV - Erik)
Erik rolled his shoulders, fingers positioned over the chainsaw-guitar strings.
"Alright, boys," he said to the Goff Rockers. "Let's show this universe a REAL sound."
The Orks roared.
Lady Death stepped back, folding her arms proudly.
Across the battlefield, Imperials, Tyranids, Daemons, Space Marines, every warrior braced instinctively.
Something in the warp shifted.
Erik grinned, fangs glinting.
"ONE… TWO…"
The Orks screamed: "WAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"…THREE!"
__________
__________
I know early for a side story. But I had to. This scene has been playing in my head for hours. HOURS. I can not just not put it in.
I also had another reason. I showed you the beginning and at the beginning its a little slow and emotional. This is years later when Erik finally chose to embrace himself and not be worried about this or that, just him being him. Yes erik has problems at the beginning and there will be character growth. Im just showing you how he will be once that character growth happens. A little teaser if you will.
Anyway Hope you enjoyed it and any questions or concerns let me know. I really want to have conversations with you all so comment your thoughts. It will encourage me to write more. I have so many ideas for this novel. I love this shit. If you all have ideas, say it, I might implement it.
This will be short, maybe 2 or 3 more chapters.