A Bloody Rose Story

 While heavy winds below hectic ash from raging fires, the girls could hear through the train's roar, the sound of thumping engines and mad hounds! As the bounty hunters approached in their small fleet of industrial ships! But while their canon fire would always miss the train, either on purpose or by accident the girls inside did not panic. Instead, they prepared themselves to meet their guest! 

{Mary… turn off the turret!} ordered Layla as she took out her blade. 

[why? Shouldn't we use it?] ask Mary 

{No… I don't want them to target it… we might need it later} replied Layla 

[later? Don't we need it now?] replied Mary 

{If we were alone, I would agree with you Mary… but we have friends!} replied Layla cryptic as she took out a red jewel! 

Bounty hunters POV 

[Nova! our bounty seemed to have powered down their gun! Hehe…ssss.. Do you thinksss they surrendering?] asked a nervous man from the under slums 

[ugh! Wrynes…Who cares! Just blow the train! Right Nova!] screamed a woman in old welding gear. 

[ugh! Will the both of you shut it? And Kora no! We can't destroy the train! The mistress wants her alive! As for you Wrynes… No! They are definitely not surrendering! Just keep firing around the train…] replied Nova, who dressed in the mockery of an inquisitor 

[But why do that?] question back Wrynes 

[sigh, our goal isn't to derail it but simply to rattle their fragile minds…. Also, patch me through to Obed and Ymevek ships!] replied Nova 

[well, well Nova! You're looking good as always…] replied Obed, a man with flowing dreads and is more machine than man. 

[please! Will you give it up already Obed? Our young lass here is just not interested... Get the hint!] replied Ymevek, a man who looks screams 'born to rule' Looks so refined, that one would wonder how such a man could be a member of the under slums. 

[Stop! The both of you! We don't have the time for this! The mistress' patience is already running thin! We have to hurry…] replied Nova 

[pts.… why should we be scared of some demon anyway…] replied Obed 

[Obed! Without the mistress, we'll still be in the under slums working for less than dog shit! Also, you seemed to be forgetting something very important...] replied Nova angrily 

[Oh! Why don't you remind me, Oh slave of our so-called mistress…] replied Obed sarcastic 

[that anything given…can be easily taken back…or did you let you new roll get to your head already…did a new ship and a new body already taint that mind of yours? Maybe you need some re-education about how great our master is…] replied Nova as she stared intently at the screen showing Obed's face. 

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Obed was about to say something, when the part that made up his right arm exploded into tiny shards! With shock and confusion, Obed abruptly screamed, as a new arm grew in its place! A purple and pinkish claw-like arm formed as the flesh needed to make it came from other parts of his body! Flesh that held other parts of his cybernetics in place! 

With that flesh being torn away to be used to make a demonic arm, the cybernetics popped out of his skin like parasites, while his internal organs either lost mass, or shifted into a different position! Watching Obed transformation on the screen, Nova felt nothing but aw to her mistress, while everyone else felt fear! Fear from the man's screams, fear of the pain… but more importantly… fear of becoming a monster! 

As Obed, crew coward in the back, Ymevek winced at the ugliness that Obed had become and said with fear mixed with bravo: 

[mistress will be done! As proof of my loyalty, I will bring back her prize first!] 

But while Ymevek's ship pulled away from the other two, and his men ready themselves for boarding…. That was when the canon fire came! It came from the shadow of the light! With explosions ringing, and alarms screeching…Ymevek screamed: 

[Who is firing at us!] 

[sir…based on the type of weapon… And the amount of damage I can only ensure that its…] replied a random crew member 

[shut up! Just get to the point!] replied Ymevek with throbbing veins on his otherwise handsome face. 

[it... it's the Eldar!] screamed the man, as the light shifted in front of the monitor to transform into a… 

[Shit… it had to be a Falcon!] said Ymevek with disbelieving eyes 

[sir! The falcon is not alone! Two Hornet class fighters are escorting it! What are your orders!] yelled the frightened crew member. 

[Damit! What is the Eldar even doing here? Do they plan to get in our mistress' way?] said Ymevek under his breath 

[calm down Ymevek!] said Nova over their comms 

[???] replied Ymevek, 

[you and I will take care of those Eldar! While Obed will board the train!] replied Nova with glowing black eyes 

[Alright our Storm Eagle will follow your lead... My lady… and my apologies…. though it pains me to have to say this… that little surprise attack of theirs has left our ship vulnerable.] replied Ymevek… 

[It's fine just give us cover from those Hornets! Remember Kill or delay is our goal! Just give time for the Obed to complete the mission and we go home!] replied Nova 

Laylas/girls POV 

[I don't believe it! Where did Bounty Hunters get their hands on those ships? A Storm Eagle! A Thunderhawk and a Stormbird!] said Mary with shock. 

{that's what surprises you? Not the Eldar ships?} replied Layla with a smirk 

[Layla…shut it! Or do you want to get punched again!] replied Mary with threatening eyes 

Knowing when to shut up, Layla didn't say anything anymore, but watched as a ship known as the Stormbird grew closer… With heavy thumps, she heard the sound of footsteps…she saw the sparks of fire that ignited, as the bounty hunters cut away at the steel metal that covered the train! And then she felt it! The pull of a demonic creature! With eyes focused, a claw of a pinkish color burst through the fragile metal from up top! 

While Mary fired her rifle and yelled words of profane, Layla stared at the claw as it tore open a hole! While, Molly stood up and held her mace covered in dry blood, with a smaller old shield than she was unaccustomed to… for it felt weightless in her arms, as this was the last shield left. When sparks suddenly dotted the train cart above her! As Molly looked, she spat on the cold metal floor and said: 

[I don't know what's going on, but my instincts are yelling at me… telling me to fight! Begging me to listen… while my brain is running a thousand different thoughts… my teacher was right… it is better to not think…I was never really good at it anyway!] 

And as she said those words, she listened! As the train cart shook! While the lights blinked and shut off! While the weapons on the racks clanked…With a mind at ease, she didn't think as the bounty hunters broke into the cart! She only acted! With a mace and the feeling of crushing skulls, Molly smiled as he blocked close-range arms fire, while she bludgeoned her foes to death one at a time! 

While hounds tried to bite her, with their enhancement metal teeth, and vision of a hawk! With a robotic tube running through their bodies that connects metal cybernetic to their four limbs. In the end, the room was drowned in the blood of bounty hunters and dogs! While slimy entrails and disgusted feces painted the honor weapons of the battle sister that still hang on the racks. 

But as Molly stood there, looking through the hole of the train, she smelled the ash of a burning jungle, she heard the songs of canon fire… she was distracted as the cursed black blood on the floor, pulled into one body! And like a spell, the corpse of a man rose up, as twitching demonic energy warped his being into a demon of Slaanesh! 

Molly looked perplexed as she had never seen a demon of Slaanesh before. It looked odd to her… with its pink and purplish hue skin, with a crab claw for arms, and with a tongue so long it could measure the length of her legs. When its horn sprouted through what was a helmet, its body grew twice its size, while its face contorted to that of a shellfish! 

[Ah! There I go again... Thinking… I thought I agreed to leave all the thinking to Layla…after all that girl loves to talk!] said Molly to herself and soldiered onward to fight her demon foe! 

However, what she didn't know, was that thanks to the fate weaver intervention, the warp energy was divided… For in truth, all the corpses on that cart should have been demons of Slaanesh! But the Fate weaver simply smiled as he watched through the eyes of his primaris… 

Meanwhile back to a jungle on fire 

As vegetation burned in ashy smoke, the champion of Khorne roared as it stood over a field of scorched corpses made of Tyranids, but when it was done celebrating its minor victory, it looked around to see its fellow demon brethren lying dead! They had died side by side with the son of Nurgle, while its psyker friend that its master hated, laid with broken staff and a lower body turned to dust, while its upper was but a charcoal end! 

The hound had realized at that moment… that his victory wasn't a victory… its prey had escaped. While those that followed him were dead! Injured and battle-scarred the hound of Khorne didn't show remorse for its dead… for this was the way of his master! Death is for the weak and the strong live to fight! And he still had a fight left to finish before he could return to his master's side… 

But while the hound gave chase to a train, the Neurolord fled unscratched… 

[weak… that creature's mind was filled with nothing, but rage and worship… for a being who will one day become one with my master! My god! But I do have to say the knowledge locked away in this specimen's brain is of delicacy! With its DNA I may finally be able to reform myself into the tyrant I was always meant to be! I must head to the pools immediately! Though I'm aware this version of me will die… 

It is… of course of no consequence! This I do for the better-meant of the hive! To make ready the road for my queen! For I am only seeing Her Majesty through a different pair of eyes! We have been separated for so long… that all my brothers and sisters seek now is to rest in her embrace! May our bodies further her greatness in the chaos of the void!] iterated the Neurlord as he slowly approached the reclamation pools! 

But as he stood at the tips of the pool, he looked into its green slush and saw his reflection amidst the dissolving corpses of creatures found throughout the world! Though usually, Tyranids don't have a mind of their own, for in their view it is more of a curse than a blessing for their species… Individualism threatens the hive… threatens their purpose…. But more importantly, it causes them to waver in their dedication! 

[I was really fond of this body… sigh, I still remember the day I woke up… it's so vivid… but now when I wake up again… it will be nothing more than visions… locked away in flashes… I envy my siblings… for they will never know what free thought is… they act mainly on instinct… emotions breed in them since birth… but as for me... As the last of the Nerulords… my duty… compels me… to die!] 

With those as his last thoughts, the Nerulord fell into the pools… willingly! But as he laid there dissolving into mush, while feeling everything! He screeched in his dying moments! 

[EVERYTHING FOR THE HIVE!]