Fear Incarnate

Death Mask

Kranx's blood was boiling. He had fought Heretic Astartes before and he relished the opportunity for a fair fight. But this Chaos Lord was proving to be a problem, they had been fighting for only 30 seconds and Kranx was already feeling every second. He had been trained for rigorous combat against psychic foes but the mental attacks of this lord were a handfull. He ducked a strike and slipped his combat knife into a chink between chest and lower armor, the knife was caught and reversed but Kranx proved far more dexterous than his foe. Terminator armor dented from his punch but it did far less than hoped. Kranx threw the Chaos Lord's bulk forward instead and brought a knee into the heretic's chest. Plating cracked, both Kranx's knee and the Lord's chest. Kranx recovered quickly though, quickly enough to lift his bolt pistol and fire directly into the Lord's face. The shell was redirected by psychic power, Kranx cursed but expected this.  He drove in again, his recovered knife flashed and gouged a piece of ceramite out of the cracked chest. The weakened plate was then vulnerable to the pommel of the knife, Kranx cracked the traitor plate even more and the Lord staggered. 

Kranx was about to go in again when his muscles suddenly felt sluggish, he Kranx saw the claw coming and reacted quickly. Letting his knees fall and springing forward with all the might his addled muscles could muster. He ducked the claw coming at him and brought a kick straight into the Lord's back. He felt his shin pop and the ceramite of His Reiver armor crack but his duty was done. The Lord fell forward and caught himself on his forearms. The Lord was breathing heavily and Kranx felt a thousand small pains all over his body, his slimly armored shoulder slumped. He breathed and planted a solid kick in the Lord's ribs. Kranx was lining up a shot to kill him when the Lord let out a loud cackle and disappeared in flash of light. Teleportation. Kranx cursed and looked back, Brother Morelos was down with a bolt shell in his neck and Brother Varnne was missing a forearm. Things could have been worse, Kranx continued to stare when he heard a groan and the rustle of armor. He turned suddenly and stared at the incredibly injured but standing Bunk. "Holy Throne Bunk!" Kranx said as he rushed to the lieutenants side. Bunk was missing half his face and had a hole in his side and form preliminary scan Bunk's intestines were heavily damaged and his liver punctured. But he still lived. And was standing proud, somehow. "I had that bastard by the throat Kranx, you just had to step in." Kranx draped his friend's arm over his shoulders. "Couldn't let you steal all the thunder could I?" Kranx responded and made the hike back towards the rest of the Haunters as they chased their quarry down. 

Seth sat in silence. His Hot Shot Lasgun was prepped and ready, its barrel was primed and the power feeds were cleaned. His dagger was oiled and razor sharp, his grenades were cleaned and blessed. He was ready for this drop, but for some reason he still held reservations. They dropping with little intel into a zone hotly contested by Heretic Astartes. He had only had the misfortune of fighting one of the hulking brutes. But one had been enough to convince him it was bad idea. The Valkyrie shuddered as it passed the atmospheric envelope. Seth snuck a look at his fellows. His Omni-shield tactical helmet gave him small readings of squad status, position, and ident codes. Ammunition feed for his weapon and Vox channel decryption. He was wearing the best gear the Departmento Ministorum could provide, and throughout all that doubt still raged in his mind. Not fear. Never fear. But he doubted the viability of his mission. His considerations were cut short as the Valkyrie righted itself and began to hover. He stood before even knowing that he needed too. ceramite enclosed hands ran along his weapon. Feed, check. Cable, check. Scope, check. Squad designation, check. Ramp, open. Seth began to run with his squad, they leaped out of the Valkyrie and thudded down into a shallow moat. He leveled his weapon and locked onto the first hostile signature. A running cultist, the man was carrying an antique autogun. Seth fired a stream of las fire that decapitated the cultist. Seth stood and looked around, a massive shimmering wall greeted him. Behind it he noticed forms begin to take shape, a castle. He snarled. Sorcery. 

Adora stood on the edge, she watched through the shimmering field as blurred shapes moved from the sky and disgorged other blurred shapes. The sword of the She-ra was in her hand, beside her Glimmer faced the magic of her mom with regretful silence. Adora nodded. Glimmer extended her hand and the field began to warp as Glimmer connected with the empiric protection field. Glimmer groaned slightly and Bow moved to her side. The field shimmered less and began to dissolve into the air, Adora braced for whatever was on the other side. But no amount of bracing could've prepared her.