The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"So…what are we supposed to do?" Ladaee look to Henry for guidance.

"I honestly don't know," was all Henry can offer as he placed his empty champagne flute on a tray carried by a gilded Servitor designed to look like a prostrating angel.

"I was hoping you would have some pointer for me," Ladaee glanced nervously around the gigantic ball room of the Xyla Manor, a place that was the epitome of luxury turned up to a hundred. Angels and seraphim of stone, rendered to life like splendor, watched them from the vaulted ceiling of arching glass that granted an unobstructed view of the heaven above. The pillared circular hall Henry and Ladaee now occupied was bathed in warm, radiant gold, so bright that no patch of shadow could be seen. The dancefloor was filled with hundreds of figure in silk, velvet, gossamer and leather, every man and woman twirled and spun in jubilation, each a dazzling constellation of vivid color. So far, Henry and Ladaee had given the place a wide berth, deciding instead to lurk near the buffet tables.

"Well, I've been to a few parties," Henry said shyly, remembering the stale beer inside red paper cup and shitty dance and dubstep music, "but nothing as formal as this. To tell you the truth, this is the first time I've been to an actual ball."

"You and me both," Ladaee cast her gaze down at the very simple military uniform she wore then up at the noblewomen in flowing gowns that cascaded like ocean wave, their headdresses and jewelries gleamed like medals of honor. "I feel underdress."

"You look better than everybody else here," Henry said easily.

"Oh hush! Don't think I didn't notice you stealing a few glances at those dancing twigs," Ladaee nudged him in the rib good naturedly, the gloom that was looming over her dispersing.

"Kinda hard not to miss, they're everywhere," Henry grinned toothily. "And I can't stop imagining how much better those dresses would look on you."

"Thank you," Ladaee took his arms and leaned her head on his shoulder. "But you have to admit, they look a lot better than us."

Following Ladaee's pointing finger, Henry could only grunt as the elegant pair of Ciaphas Cain and Amberley Vail glided gracefully across the dancefloor. The inquisitor was clad in a red low cut, backless gown that accented her powerful, yet alluring, feminine body.

"Inquisitor Amberley Vail certainly knows how to dress for the occasion," someone gave voice to Henry's thought.

"Madam Lithia," Henry and Ladaee bowed at the approaching mistress of the house, and he couldn't help but quirked a brow at the woman's attire. Expecting something flamboyant and sexy, Henry was honestly surprised to find the Madam wearing a form fitting conservative dress of velvet black that covered every inch of her body. The garment itself was beautiful, full of intricate laces and brocades that highlighted her shapely curves, the fabric's tightness was certainly appreciated, but given how she was supposed to be a playgirl billionaire, the funeral garb was truly a weird choice.

"You don't like my dress, lord general?" Lithia's lips thinned sadly.

"Oh no Madam Lithia, your dress is amazing," Henry blurted his apology. "It's just…a little dark, you know?"

"I have always preferred solemn clothing," Lithia chuckled softly. "It is a bad habit of mine, I admit."

"I did not mean to offend you, truly," Henry bowed at her again.

"Think nothing of it, lord general," Lithia waved it off easily. "How do you find the hors d'oeuvres and the main course? Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Everything is delicious, Madam," Ladaee began but stopped herself with a strained smile.

"You need hold nothing back, lady commander," Lithia smiled disarmingly. "I would appreciate an honest criticism."

"It's not a criticism, per say," Ladaee began. "But given how opulent this gathering is, I couldn't help but feel guilty for indulging. Millions of soldiers and civilians must be without food and shelter at this very moment, trying to survive the war, while we pretend that all is right with the world."

Madam Lithia nodded understandingly and gazed into her wine cup, a smile ghosting across her face, "you must be the first to voice such complain to me."

"I'm sorry Madam Lithia, but you did ask for my honesty," Ladaee said demurely.

"Oh no lady commander, I'm not angry, if anything I'm glad," Lithia sipped her wine slowly. "It was both heartwarming and disappointing in equal measure."

"What do you mean?" Ladaee asked.

"Every guest that I've spoken with had all offered condolences for the diminishing quality of my food," Lithia's smile was brittle. "Most of what you see here come from my own stock, grown within the greenhouses inside this very estate. It would appear that the taste was not agreeable to the palates of the echelon of Gothicipolis, who would hoard the best supplies from the planet at large. Sad isn't it? That the only people who care about the citizen of Leenisium are the outworlders, and not their own lords and ladies."

"I'm sure you've done your part for Gothicipolis, Madam Lithia," Henry put the socializing to an end with a polite bow. Time to get down to business, let's see if he can crack open Bruce Wayne.

"Indeed lord general," Lithia smiled brightly, unaware that Henry had gone on the offensive. "Our foundation has been at the forefront of the relief effort."

"What about other ventures, like say, military and armaments?" Henry had to stop himself from grinning when the Madam's amiability sharpened suddenly.

"Well, the Xyla Consortium's fortes are in the field of technology, construction and medicine," Lithia recovered her façade quickly. The doe eyed, bashful little smile was very convincing. "Although it is true that we are currently taking on military contracts, any supports we give to the PDF have been limited to disassemble weapons parts."

"Are you sure there's nothing more…direct?" Henry pressed on, but the Madam showed no opening in her equanimity.

"I'm not sure I follow, lord general," Lithia tilted her head like a confused puppy.

"I think your Consortium is arming and harboring the Avenging Knights," Henry wasn't surprised that Lithia responded with laughter.

"Oh lord general," Lithia finished her wine and gave it to a passing Servitor. "You must have drank too much champagne, to even conceive such an absurd notion that my Consortium is somehow in league with those vigilantes."

"That's not what Arbites Jerimiah told me, he said they're a Sororitas order," Henry continued undaunted. "And I believe him."

"Well, believe what you will lord general, but those Avenging Knights work against the law," Lithia said. "And the Xyla Consortium doesn't associate ourselves with criminals."

"Right," Henry was as convinced as an atheist in a church.

"Ah! It looks like Kalina is about to grace us with one of her song," Lithia announced excitedly and waved at the dancefloor where a circular stage had materialized. And standing on a raised dais surrounded by a twelve-piece orchestra was a beautiful woman in glittering dress of starry silver; the silky fabric clung pleasingly to her lithe body. She smiled and waved at the cheering crowd. "If you would excuse me lord general, lady commander, I need to fight for my spot in the front."

"Have fun," Henry bowed and Lithia bounced her way toward the crowd.

"Well that was pretty tactless," Ladaee commented and helped herself to a mint green macaron, "even for you."

"Dude, she's totally in league with the Avenging Knights," Henry lowered his voice for only Ladaee to hear. "Hell, I'm willing to bet that she's their leader!"

"The Madam's right, you drank too much," Ladaee rolled her eyes and downed the confection with wine. "You actually believe that the dainty little highborn over there is an Adepta Sororitas?"

"She has the perfect cover," Henry went on enthusiastically, "a billionaire playgirl who's the head of the most powerful corporation on the planet, possessing a near unlimited resource to do what the hell ever she wants. All of this," Henry waved at the party around them, "is an act to throw people off, to make everyone think she's just another bubbly rich girl who won the inheritance lottery, while in actuality she's leading an army of vigilante Sororitas in a war against crime and Chaos."

"Why in the Emperor's name would she go around fighting criminal and the Ruinous power?" Ladaee was still not convinced. "She could just hire people to do that."

"Personal vengeance," Henry puffed his chest up like a cocksure university professor. "Her parents were murdered by a random lowlife in some shitty back alley on their way home. I'm not making this up by the way, it's in her dossier."

"The hypothesis sounds plausible," Ladaee nodded slowly then looked at him. "The only reason I'm even entertaining something this stupid is because you're the one saying it."

"It's not stupid, it's the truth!" Henry hissed indignantly.

"I guess we will find out eventually," Ladaee finished her glass and pointed at the singer. "She's really good by the way."

Henry turned toward the stage and couldn't help but agree with Ladaee assessment. Kalina's mezzo soprano voice was angelic, the slow song of love and lost that poured from the depth her soul swept over the room like magic of the sirens and enchantresses of old, commanding rapt attention from every party goer in the room.

"She is pretty good," not as good as Laura and Yuki though. Henry was reaching for another flute of champagne, he shouldn't but it's free, when discordant murmurs rippled through the crowd, growing to such a volume that Kalina's beautiful singing stuttered to a stop.

"Look!" A heavyset man decked out in an excessive amount of bionic pointed up at the glass ceiling. Other guests followed his stabbing finger as gasps and cheers started, rising in earnest elation. Plastered upon the starry canvas, illuminated by a super powerful spotlight, was the Bat – no! Not the Bat-Signal! Henry put himself in the correct 40k mindset and looked at the symbol. It was an angular six pointed star, the spokes were in the shape of a narrow four-sided diamond, radiating from a central orb.

"What in the Emperor's name is that?" Ladaee had to raise her voice over the excitable din.

"It's a signal the Arbites used to call the Avenging Knight to help them," Henry said nonchalantly.

"How can you be sure?" Ladaee asked him.

"I'm well versed in this kind of thing," yeah, a lifetime reading DC and Marvel comics pretty much prepared him for this moment.

"What do we do?" Ladaee stood at the ready, her Imperial Guards persona returning in a flash.

"I'll need to contact the others, they don't put those signal up unless shit really hits the fan," Henry glanced around the animated ballroom. "The singer's gone, and so is our host."

"Huh?" Ladaee's head darted across the hall, frowning when she couldn't find Lithia or Kalina. "That's strange."

"Those two are probably sliding down a fireman pole and suiting up," Henry grinned like an idiot at the image of those two snuggling up inside skin-tight spandex suits, God Emperor have mercy.

"Do we retire to the camp?" Ladaee gestured for the exit.

"Nah, we can stay here," Henry sat down at a table and beckoned Ladaee to join him, the engineer commander seated herself with clear reluctance while he took the data-pad out of his awesome general coat, gave it a few tabs and placed it on the brocaded surface.

"Don't you feel a little guilty being here while our friends are out there fighting?" Ladaee's admonition would've carried a lot more weight if she didn't snag a plate of ribeye, set it down beside the data-pad, and started eating. "By Throne this is really good."

"Good to see you comfortable," Henry's snarky observation earned him a punch to the shoulder. "Anyway, let me get in touch with Tangmo, his column just launched a cruise missile at some buildings…hey Tangmo, you there?"

"OH MY FUCKING GOD KILL THEM ZOMBIE MOTHERFUCKERS!" Tangmo's shout, intermingled with the furious staccato of discharging weaponries, blared from the data-pad's speaker, drawing startled looks from nearby party goers. "HOLY FUCK, THEY'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN!"

"Well, that doesn't sound too good," Henry leaned easily into his cushioned chair, crossed his legs, sipped his champagne slowly, savoring the taste, and got to work.

"Watch the windows!" Laura sprayed the third floor of an apartment complex where shotguns and assault rifles were poking through windows and walls, the super-heated laser melting bricks and steels like white hot knife through butter. She shot the building a few more times and, because she must've hit a gas pipes or something, blew the entire floor apart. The building groaned like a dying monster and the upper five stories above the burning tenement collapsed down vertically, demolishing the building in a spectacular plume of smoke and fire.

"Nice shot!" Yuki smirked from beside Laura and fired her eldar submachine gun, which looked like a bony P90 that spew shurikens, at the long line of wharfs, piers and warehouses on the other side of the Banisius River. The four great bridges that connected the island dock to the mainland were being hotly contested by the attacking Immortal Spirit battlegroup and the defending gangers and heretics.

"Why are we not pressing forward?!" Miriya materialized on Laura's left, scowling as always.

"Because the bridges could be rigged to blow," Yuki's pitying look, like how one would give to an idiot child, was not received well by the growling Celestian. "But yeah, go on ahead a drive across the damn thing. We'll fish you out of the river later."

"We'll maintain position then," Miriya spat and unload another burst of bolts across the river as the main characters gathered around them.

"Erik, how're you doing love?" Laura sang into her earbud.

"Found the bombs under the bridges," Erik deadpanned in response. "Holy shit there's a lot of them."

"You need any help down there?" Laura offered.

"No thanks, I just no scooped all the goons manning the detonators," Erik said. "My team of crack eldar commandos just secured the entire place. Give us a few minutes to defuse the bombs."

"Thanks love!" Laura hefted up her hellgun and fired into a crowd of gangers mustering around the piers. Are those morons seriously trying to attack them with boats?! Sure, it looked serviceable, like something out of a Vietnam War movie, but…laser mate!

"What do we do in the mean time?" Commissar Raine asked.

"Shoot the boats," Yuki stated the obvious.

"Besides that!" Colonel Evangeline of the Iron Guard groaned.

"How much of a collateral damage are we allowed to make?" Al-Rahman piped up.

"Well, Tangmo just blew up a few blocks with a cruise missile," Laura drew the data-pad from her awesome inquisitor coat and tapped the digital map. "I, for one, am not about to be outdone, so I say we call in a Destoroyah barrage and sink the island."

"The planetary governor had specifically asked that we take the utmost care not to make any unnecessary, wanton destruction," Crestienne, canoness of the Argent Shroud, spoke up after sinking a dingy, the dog paddling survivors were quickly finished off by a hail of lasbolt. "The populace will need a proper civic infrastructure to rebuild their lives after the war is won. If we destroy everything, then we are no better than the heretics."

"Oh, spare me you bloody paladin!" Laura stuck her tongue out and blew Crestienne a raspberry, the canoness giggled at the immature display.

"Enemy forces around the piers still need to be neutralized," canoness Bellona of the Bloody Rose spoke up, a wicked grin carved across her face. "I'm sure a rocket barrage from the Exorcists will be adequate in evicting the defenders."

"…It's still a rocket barrage," Akecheta, the Wind Walker colonel, deadpanned, to which Bellona just shrugged.

"She has a point," Erik added. "With the software upgrade we did on the Exorcists guidance system, along with the new payloads, you guys can pretty much light the place up without causing a Godzilla grade damage."

"You heard him ladies, rolled the Exorcists up here, time for those sexy babes to shine," Laura told the canonesses and tapped her earbud. "How long until you diffuse those bombs, mate?"

"Uh…five minutes, I think?" Erik said as fifteen Exorcists rolled to a stop behind them, the large organ tubes angling downward as the trajectories were calculated. Seeing what was about to happen, the heretics scrambled faster to their boats and launched them across the river, all semblance of order and formation forgotten as each individual craft sped toward the battlegroup, firing their weapons with reckless abandonment. Predictably, the battlegroup made short, easy work of them. Before long, an almost carnival like atmosphere appeared along the Immortal Spirit's line, humans and eldars alike cheering and laughing at every successful kill. Even some of the Sororitas, thanks in part to the raucous Frost Bringers, were joining in on the festivity. The last boat was sinking below the water when the Exorcists unleashed their payload, the wail of flying rockets strangely melodic. Pillars of fire erupted across the piers, painting the night in angry red, the battlegroup cheering like they were watching fireworks.

"Alright! We got all the bombs defused," Erik said as the last salvo wiped out every remnant of the pier, the destruction absolute. Nearby, Laura caught a glimpse of Bellona flashing a toothy grin at a frowning Crestienne.

"Prepare to move out!" Laura bellowed her command. "Immolators front and center now!"

"Dame Inquisitor, the Death Korps would like to volunteer as vanguards," colonel Hildebrandt of the Krieg stepped forward and stood at attention, major Moltke and his grenadiers forming up behind him.

"We would also like a place in the vanguard," Elraleath, the Dark Reaper exarch, came to stand beside Hildebrandt with his heavy weapon Aspect Warrirors. The masked humans and eldars traded unreadable look, but said nothing.

"Sure mate," Laura waved at the three Immolators than made up the tip of the spear, Galatea own flag-tank at the center, the canoness herself was propped above the hatch like Rommel. As the Kriegs and Dark Reapers formed up behind the Sororitas's war machines another three Immolators took position at the infantry's rear. Laura nudged her head for the Martyred Lady Celestians and Battle Sisters to follow. "We're taking the second wave, come on."

Laura and the Sororitas marched to their place at the back of the rumbling Immolators, Yuki and her Banshees joining them a second later, the female of both species glaring at each other.

"Hey! Can we please not do this now?!" Laura barked at the glowering Sororitas. "Bloody hell, the enemies are over there! Not here!"

"We're about to go up against Chaos heretics, and possibly Chaos Astartes," Yuki hissed lowly at Firnera, her Banshee second in command, "so can you please act like a goddamn adult?!"

"As you command, lady exarch," Firnera said tightly, obeying Yuki with clear reluctance.

"Well Miriya?" Laura cast an obnoxiously expectant look at the Celestian.

"Your wish is my command, lady inquisitor," Miriya droned venomously.

"Great! Now was that so hard?" Laura said perkily, making sure that her adorableness was as grating as possible. "Besides, you guys are more alike than you think."

"Do not spew such heresy upon us!" Miriya growled at Laura.

"We don't appreciate being compared to animals, lady inquisitor," Firnera's serene response was sharp enough to make her bleed.

"Seems like bitchiness is a cross species phenomena," Laura grinned insidiously at Miriya and Firnera before taking her place beside Yuki, "celebrate what you share, lovelies."

"Lady inquisitor, the attack column is in position, we are ready to move out," Galatea voice blared in her earbuds.

"Take us in, lady canoness," Laura hefted up her hellgun, made a quick ammo check and raised her voice to the Battle Sisters and Banshees. "Lock and load ladies, show time!"

The Immolators roared, spewing black fume from the exhaust pipes, and trudge forward at an easy speed, slow enough for the foot soldiers to follow and provided them with more than adequate cover. The Sororitas held their weapons at the ready, bolters, heavy bolters, flamers and meltas ready to be brought to bear at a moment noticed, while the Banshee swept the short barrels of their P90s across the landscape with crisp precision, their movement reminding Laura of how a SWAT team moved.

"No swords?" Laura asked Yuki.

"Charging machineguns and lasers with swords isn't a good idea," Yuki smirked.

"So you turned them into Navy SEAL instead?" Laura was both impressed and disappointed at the same time, "shame, I kinda like how you guys…charge into the fray."

"I bet you do," Yuki put a delicious sway into her shapely rump, Laura almost fainted from the sight. "But don't worry, we'll melee them once we're close enough. I'll be sure to give you the best view."

"And I'll be right behind you!" Laura added enthusiastically.

"Umm, guys?" Erik interrupted the little banter. "I'm already on the other side of the river and, well, let's just say the welcoming committee really went all out. As in, they have a dozen heavy bolters, vulcan cannons and autocannons trained your way, backed up by a hundred more heavily armed scary looking dudes."

"Do you see any fallen Astartes, Ranger Erik?" Galatea's voice cut in.

"No. Wait, let me double check that," Erik was quiet for a moment. "Okay, I'm a hundred percent sure there are no Chaos Space Marines guarding the approach. Not sure about deeper into the island though."

"We will deal with that when the times come," Galatea said. "Bellona, give me another salvo from the Exorcists, anti-personnel yield."

"With pleasure, sister," Bellona said as the rockets' melodic shrieking tore the night sky asunder. Explosions rattled across the ground like the battering blast of a Death Metal drum, heralding plumes of swirling dust that rushed over them. Laura caught her awesome inquisitor hat just in time before it got blown away by the gale.

"Unleash hell sisters!" Galatea bellowed and the scream of discharging meltas and bolts erupted from the spearhead, violent muted flashes danced maddeningly across the murky veil like demonic will-o'-the-wisp.

"Forward! For the Emperor!" A titanic roar answered Hildebrandt as the Death Korps charged the heretic defenders.

"No mercy! Mael Dannan!" Not to be outdone by the gasmask wearing Imperials, the skull-face Elraleath and his Dark Reapers added their firepower to the fray. Soon, glaring white explosion joined its hellish red brethren in gleeful destruction.

"Galatea, how are things over there?!" Laura tapped her earbud. "I can't see shite!"

"We've broken through," Galatea said. "But many of the heretics had retreated deeper into the dock and are hiding inside the buildings. Their suppressing fire are hampering our advance, I could use more men up here."

"You mean more women!" Yuki chirped up as the Immolators in front of them sped forward, their mounted heavy guns tearing chunks of cloud away until bright neon shone cleanly through. "Come on ladies, let's shown the Sororitas how we Banshees win our battle! Let's go! Mael Dannan!"

With a mighty, shrieking war cry, Yuki and her Banshees stormed passed the Immolators, gliding passed the war machine with the grace and nimbleness of a flowing river, the muzzle of their submachine guns flashing sliver.

"You guys gonna let the eldars have all the fun?!" Laura hefted up her hellgun, grinning toothily.

"Not a chance in hell," Miriya snarled lowly, behind her the Celestians and the Battle Sisters prepared themselves for a sprint, eager not to be outshined by the Banshees.

"Let's kick some arses then! For the Emperor!" To a resounding roar, Laura and the Sisters of Battle charged after the Banshees. Although lacking the lithe, ethereal elegance of the eldars, the crisp, unrelating discipline of a Sororitas attack formation was still a formidable sight to behold. Clearing the bridge, Laura found the path ahead littered with corpses, enormous chunks of debris and flipped over flaming vehicles. Galatea, the three Immolators, the Kriegs and the Dark Reapers had formed a firing line on the two flanks, peppering the surrounding warehouses with suppressing volley that kept the hunkered enemies pinned. Ahead, bullets and las whizzed over their heads, prompting the column to crouch as they pressed onward. It wasn't long before they found the Banshees taking covered behind abandoned cars and trucks. Across the six-lane road, also filled with empty vehicles, the heretics were firing their weapons blindly at the approaching battlegroup.

"Those bastards are turning this into a running fight," Yuki said when Laura dropped down beside her, she and the Banshees were hunkered down behind a pickup truck riddled with scorching bullet holes. Things got a little cramp when Miriya and her Celestians joined them, not that Laura minded one bit.

"I can see that love," Laura liquefied a car and the three knobheads behind it. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You think they're ready for it?" Yuki asked, quirking a mischievous brow.

"Only one way to find out!" Laura said brightly.

"Iron Lotus formation ladies!" Yuki practically squealed into her earbud. "Just like we've trained, pick your partner and prepare to move out. Play nice and try not to step on each other toe!"

To a very audible groan and mumbling curses, both in English and elvish, the Sororitas and the Banshees started to mingle. Well, more like reluctantly went to stand beside the other, the humans and eldars unabashed in their disgust and contempt for the opposite species. Ever since the Adepta Sororitas and the Aeldari joined the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, Laura and Yuki had taken it upon themselves to strengthen the bond between the female warriors. One of the exercises they had developed to increase the camaraderie amongst the Sororitas and the Banshee was the Iron Lotus. The battle tactic was a simple one, combining the Battle Sister's brutal firepower with the Banshee's unstoppable swordsmanship, they were to advance on the enemy as a single impenetrable unit.

"Okay, time to take the fight to those heretic arseholes!" Laura yelled. The response she received was halfhearted at best. "Me and Yuki are gonna take the lead, so if you gals forget your routine just copy what we do. You ready love?"

"Oh yeah," Yuki crooned, strapped the P90 to her back and drew her twin eldar katanas.

"Shall we then?" Laura braced her hellgun.

"Of course, milady," Yuki teased and the two of them bounded from cover, running side by side into the flashes of gunfire. Laura swept her hellgun in a suppressing arc, the super-heated red laser tearing into the heretic's flimsy cover, killing those too slow to duck. When the firefight stuttered and ceased, Yuki unleashed her Banshee scream, the shockwave slammed into the cowering heretics like a battering ram as she sprinted for her prey. Jumping easily, and gracefully, over the busted-up row of cars, Yuki cackled dementedly as the sliver of her blades descended on her victims. Laura laughed aloud as fountains of blood erupted from behind the cover, glittering sprays of crimson shooting skyward along with severed arms, legs, fingers, foots, hands and the occasional heads until fresh sheen of red coated metal and tarmac alike. As the carmine storm died down, Laura slid over the hood of a car and found Yuki kneeling amongst the gore, her posture was that of a warrior readying herself for another bout as swarm of heretics closed in on her, brandishing their melee weapons with mad determination. Laura gunned every last one of them down until nothing but sizzling carcasses remained, the aroma was sickeningly decadent. Not stopping her advance, Laura plowed deeper into the disoriented heretics, her hellgun spewing fiery death upon all that stood in her way. Figures darted at the edge of her vision but ceased to exist a second later, courtesy of Yuki who was watching her flanks.

"That went well," Yuki commented as they ducked behind a truck to catch their breaths.

"Oh yeah, that was spectacular," Laura agreed wholeheartedly then reached her hand over to wipe a drop of blood dangling from Yuki's bangs. "And…there, nice and clean, wouldn't want to get blood in your eyes."

"Thanks," Yuki smiled in that adorable, endearing way and Laura reciprocated with a sweet one of her own. "You were amazing out there."

"And you were beautiful," Laura's voice was deep and rich as she leaned in closer to Yuki, uncaring of the grime and gore they wore.

"Playing it a bit dangerous, don't you think?" Yuki's warning was invitingly wicked, around them the ambience of war reign untamed.

"You like it dangerous," Laura giggled huskily.

"Well, you're not wrong," Yuki crooned seductively.

"Probably gonna be a while before the others catch up," Laura scooted closer and was making the final approach on Yuki's waiting lips when explosions and death cries made its interruption, "oh, bollocks."

"Better luck next time," Yuki winked teasingly as she placed a finger on Laura's lips and pushed her back. They regained the appropriate distance the same moment the Sororitas and Banshee stormed into view, and things were looking better than what Laura had original anticipated. Despite a few bumping shoulders and missteps, the Battle Sisters and eldars were actually pulling off an impressively deadly display. To their immediate left, sister Isabel and Baeletha made a pretty good, but still a little rough, imitation of hers and Yuki routine, the Celestian and the Banshee taking turn advancing and protecting the other. On the far right flank, Cassandra was turning everything in front of her into minced meat while Isenris hovered close behind her, dropping any sharpshooters that tried to take aim at the Celestian. Miriya and Firnera was about thirty paces behind them, both wielding melee weapons and kicking up a violent maelstrom that tore mercilessly into the fleeing heretics, the Celestian and Banshee looked to be lock in some kind of competition to see who get more kills. All in all, things seem to be going pretty well. Laura and Yuki were reloading their weapons when Verity, along with a whimpering eldar girl, crouched down next to them.

"Oh hey Verity, how's it going?" Laura asked and let out a few bursts across the street as they waited for the others to join them.

"Pretty well so far," Verity shrugged easily.

"Who's your friend?" Laura gestured to the cowering eldar.

"This is Alnelle, she an eldar medic," Verity laid a reassuring hand on the eldar, who glanced up through a messy curl of black blue hair, fear gleamed unhidden in her cyan eyes. "As you can see, she's a little green to the fighting, like all the new volunteers, so I've decided to take her under my wings."

"So much death…so much screaming," Alnelle's voice was a pained whisper, her gaze searching for comfort. "Do you ever get used to it all?"

"You will go numb to it eventually, for better or worse," Verity offered Alnelle a sad, but strangely reassuring smile, the eldar visibly calming down.

"Wait, eldar medics?" Laura tapped Yuki on the shoulder. "Hey, when the bloody hell did this happened? I'm pretty sure eldars don't have battlefield medics, they have healers, and those guys stay off the battlefield."

"I know. That's freaking stupid, right?" Yuki headshot at spikey hair cultist then ducked back down beside Laura. "I mean, Aeldari are the 'dying race' yet on the battlefield we don't have anyone to take care of the wounded. So Lita changed that, and made a call for eldar civilians to volunteer for the medic corps. The response was pretty good, but as you can see none of them really knows what to expect in actual combat."

"Yet we heeded the call," iron seeped into Alnelle's timbre, "because we want to help."

"Hey, I'm not dissing you, we really appreciate you being here," Yuki smirked nastily. "Just try not to get kill too soon, okay?"

"You are not helping!" Verity hissed as the Sororitas and Banshee joined them, spreading out around the wreckages and exchanging sporadic gunfire with the heretics hunkered down not three hundred yards away, the bastards were being bolstered by fresh reinforcement.

"Is everybody here?" Laura cast a quick glance over the gathered Celestians. "Where's Marcia?"

"Here!" The brunette Sororitas, bent low to avoid flying lasers and bullets, scrambled toward the truck they hid behind, a limping Banshee draped across her shoulders. The scene of sisterly camaraderie lasted until Marcia threw the eldar, Elavena if Laura remembered correctly, at the truck, before crouching down beside Danae.

"You stupid mon-keigh, I'm not a sack of wheat!" Elavena shouted at Marcia, rubbing the back of her head where it bounced off the tire.

"The only word that should be coming out of your mouth is thank you, xeno," Marcia hissed poisonously. "In fact, you should be kissing my feet for dragging your deadweight all the way here."

"I was more than capable of reaching safety on my own," Elavena sneered as Alnelle and Verity went to check on her. "It was just a scratch."

"The wound looks deep," Alnelle pried Elavena's shin guard off, grimacing at the blood before turning to Verity, "right?"

"It is," Verity nodded. "Do you know what to do?"

"I do," Alnelle nodded nervously and took out her medic kit, hands quivering.

"It's alright Alnelle," Verity smiled warmly and laid a calming hand on the eldar's shoulder, the jitters subsiding. "I'm right here with you."

"You know, all of you should take a page out of Verity's book," Laura gestured at the hospitaller and the eldar medic, causing the gathered Celestians and Banshees to frown and mumble grouchy words under their breathes. "I mean, how bloody hard is it just to be kind to each other? It's gotta be easier than being bitchy all the time, right?"

"You see the world through the eyes of a child, lady inquisitor," Firnera huffed down her nose at Laura. "You lack the aptitude to see the nuance and depth of our current situation."

"Yes, because what you're doing is so mature," Laura snorted as the Death Korps and Dark Reapers thundered passed their position, the humans and eldars working in such fluid tandem that the Sororitas and Banshee turned to gawk.

"That was unexpected," Cassandra couldn't believe what she was witnessing. The Krieg and the Dark Reaper were providing covering fire for each other, laying down suppressing barrages on the heretics, pinning them flat to the ground as heavy gun emplacements rolled into position. Soon, the roar of heavy bolters and D-cannons joined the cacophony of gunfire, the combined firepower swept over the heretics like a slashing scythe.

"Elraleath should know better than to associate himself with the lesser sorts," Isenris observed pompously.

"Hey, they both like skulls, death and probably Death Metal," Yuki shrugged. "All in all, the Krieg and the Reaper are a perfect match for each other."

"Men are so inept when it comes to recognizing what they should and should not do," Miriya commented.

"Shortsightedness is the benchmark for the males of all species, it seems," Firnera said and traded look with Miriya, something of an understanding passed between them in that three seconds their eyes locked.

"Would you look at that, the two of you actually agreed on something!" Laura perky announcement shattered any bond that might have formed between Miriya and Firnera, the Celestian and Banshee glared at each other, offended by the fact that they shared the same opinion. "Oh come on! Would it kill for the two of you to…"

Bright explosion erupted across the advancing Krieg and Reaper, the reddish purple fire consuming the guardsmen and eldars in a violent conflagration that send body parts flying. The heretics cheered uproariously and started to press their advantage, using overwhelming number to steadily push the Krieg and Reaper back. And amongst the staccato of gunfire and deranged laughter, the heavy footfall of ceramite boots echoed poignantly off the ground, the rhythm easy but growing in volume as the seconds passed. Yuki poked her head above the truck, Laura joining her a moment later, the two of them uttering the same word in unison, "fuck."

Towering above the scuttling heretics, proud lions of midnight amongst screeching hyenas, were four Chaos Space Marines, black ceramite armor gilded in blasphemous effigies and runes, the horned helms adding to their already imposing height. They marched at an unhurried pace, bolters hung easy at their hips as they gunned down the faltering Krieg and Reaper.

"Hildebrandt, Elraleath, fall back to our position now," Laura hissed lowly into her earbuds, the tone brokered nothing but absolute obedience. She just hoped it was enough to convince those stubborn arseholes to live and fight another day.

"At once, Dame inquisitor," to her relief, Hildebrandt possessed more commonsense than most Krieg and ordered his men to fall back while the heavy guns provided covering fire.

"As you command, lady inquisitor," bloody hell, even the Dark Reapers were acting reasonable. Seeing how the Imperials and eldars were giving ground, the heretics cheered uproariously and renewed their attack with spirted gusto, weapons flailing madly in the air to the chorus of incomprehensible scream. The Black Legion Astartes didn't flow with mob's bloodlust though. Noticing how the battlegroup was not acting like a bunch of suicidal, bayonet wielding lemmings, the traitors Space Marine instead moved to take cover behind trucks and buildings, staying clear of the Imperial and eldar covering fire. Well, they didn't live for ten thousand years by sucking.

"You okay?" Yuki asked Elraleath and Hildebrandt when they dropped in among the Sororitas and Banshee.

"We are unharmed," Elraleath checked his Reaper Launcher, grunted in satisfaction and swung the weapon at the wall of closing heretics. Little shuriken missiles shot forth from the sharp, bud like muzzles, scoring hellish explosions across the cultist's ranks, stopping the advance dead in its track.

"All batteries, open fire," at Hildebrandt command, the repositioned heavy bolters and autocannons let loose their barrage, adding their destructive firepower to Dark Reapers' salvo. The merciless counterattack destroyed not only the heretic's momentum, but also the cars and trucks, leaving the traitors exposed on the killing field.

"The mon-keighs are in retreat, after them!"

"Sit your ass down!" Yuki grabbed the plume of Firnera helm and wrenched her back behind the truck, a nanosecond before a bolt streak passed where her head used to be.

"Everybody stay low!" Laura yelled into her earbud and stole a peek above the truck's hood, around her D-cannon platforms and heavy gun emplacements were going up in flames, the crew splattered into wet red smear on the ground. The Black Legionaries were on the move again, and Laura was deeply disappointed that they didn't come at them like a bunch of berserkers, instead moving from cover to cover, advancing with the discipline of SAS commandos, two covering, two attacking.

"Shite!" Laura growled and grabbed Hildebrandt. "Call in a mortar strike on their position! Now!"

"Mortar shells are not going to make a dent on their armor!" Miriya yelled over the rattling din, to their right a group of Battle Sisters and Banshees were grinded to mush by a storm of bolts.

"No shite!" Laura shot back. "We just need to distract them so we can start firing back!"

"We can stun the Marines with the Banshee's scream," Yuki offered but Laura shook her head vigorously, earning an annoyed frown from the Japanese exarch. "Don't worry, we're really fast, remember?"

"Not fast enough," Isabel piped up, looking as unconvinced as Laura. "They know there are eldars amongst our ranks. You lots wouldn't make it five steps before getting cut down…not that it would be much of a loss."

"You got a better idea?" Firnera scoffed. "You must know what to do they are your kinsmen after all."

"They are not our kinsmen, xeno!" Cassandra growled at them and tapped a digital console installed on to the heavy bolter's carrying handle. The feeder belt whirled and the brass rimmed standard bolts slid into the ammo backpack, to be replaced by bright red Kraken rounds, "why are we even having this discussion?! We are Adepta Sororitas! We do not skulk around like cowards while our enemies stand before us, no, we meet them head on without fear or hesitation. Come sisters, let's us take the fight to the fallen Astartes, our zeal and fury will be more than enough to end them!"

"Well spoken, sister!" Miriya's eager smile was unsettling, even Verity was spooked.

"We will be right behind you," Hildebrandt drew his chainsword, more than intrigued by the Sororitas's fiery declaration, even Elraleath looked interested.

"Go ahead then," Banshee Baeletha, Isabel's partner in the attack earlier, spat disdainfully. "Nothing of value will be lost."

"Okay all of you, stop it right now!" Laura cut in crossly like a headmistress asserting order on an unruly classroom. "Charging straight into the fire is exactly what those Black Legionaries want us to do, and forgive me for not wanting to indulge those Chaos arseholes! Now, our best way of dealing with them is to…"

The lights went out, all of it. Despite being an active warzone with three battles raging simultaneously, Gothicipolis's basic amenities, that being water and electricity, were all functioning like nothing was happening. The fighting at the dock had been done under bright neon glare, granting both sides ample visibility, which was both good and bad, since sneaking around was near impossible to accomplish. Now all was darkness. The sudden return of the night was so abrupt that the firefight stuttered and ceased. Murmurs and curses of incomprehension rose from the battlegroup, while hisses and whispers of fear rippled from the heretic's forces.

"What in the bloody fuck?" Laura was just starting to complain when the lights blared back to life, the glare so sudden and bright that she had to shield her retinas from getting scorched raw. "Gah!"

"Oh my God…Laura!" Yuki was shaking her shoulders with unrestrained urgency.

"What is it?!" Laura wiped her eyes and blinked the world back into focus.

"Over there, look!" Yuki pointed at a gothic clock tower, decked out with gargoyles and sharp ominous buttresses, looming about two hundred yards behind the heretic's forces. The four Chaos Astartes were also staring at the huge timekeeper.

"I don't see…oh my God!" Laura squawked and started stabbing her finger upward. "Look at that!"

Wailing despair rolled forth from the cultist ranks, with many of them dropping their weapons and fleeing the battlefield, uncaring as the battlegroup gunned them down. Some were even praying, knees bent and heads mashed to the ground in cowering submission. Only a few were raising their weapons in a haphazard gesture of defiance. The cause of the pandemonium was standing on a demonic looking gargoyle, boots planted firmly between the goat horns, a cape of deepest night billowing dramatically around the unmoving figure.

"What is that?" Miriya demanded. "Is it friend or foe?"

"Give me a sec," Laura pulled a binocular from her belt and pressed it over her eyes, zooming in on the fluttering shape, mouth hanging open as the picture became crystal clear. "…It's fucking Batman."

"What?! Give me that!" Yuki snatched the binocular from her and trained it on the supposed Caped Crusader. "Well, the cosplay is spot on, but she's a bit too curvy and busty to be our boy Bruce Wayne."

"She?" Laura grabbed the binocular but Yuki refused to let go. "Let me see!"

"I'm not done checking her out – I mean, I'm not done assessing the situation," Yuki countered lamely, still clinging to the binocular despite Laura persistent attempt to wrench it from her hands. "Wait, wait, wait! She's doing something!"

Laura looked up and saw that the woman had threw her cape wide, the velvety fabric suddenly becoming rigid and taking on the very obvious, and quite derivative, shape of a menacing jagged batwings, "wait, so she's not exactly Batman, more like Batwoman."

"Yeah, but which one are we dealing with here?" Yuki pulled the binocular from her face, "because I doubt its Barbara Gordon or Stephanie Brown up there."

"Oh, absolutely not, she's obviously a Kate Kane…nah, more like a Cassandra Cain," Laura said, "or a Lady Shiva."

"Subtlety is not one of your organization's strong points, is it?" Firnera's grin oozed venom.

"You will never see us behave with such theatric frivolity," Miriya groaned exasperatedly. "Why can't our lost sisters behave normal for once?"

"She's jumping!" Verity cried and Alnelle clasped her hands over her mouth, gasping daintily as the Batwoman pushed herself off the edge and nosedive down the clock tower, wings folded tight around her body. Half way down the building she unfurled her wings, arrested the trajectory of her descend and glided smoothly, swiftly, toward the four Black Legion Space Marines. The traitor Astartes was raising their weapons at the easy target when gunfire erupted from the buildings around them, the roofs and upper floors bursting into a conflagration of rattling staccato.

"What the bloody hell?!" Laura and the main characters went prone on the ground. "I thought we had the entire area swept with drones before we moved in?!"

"We did!" Erik answered her.

"Then where the fuck did they come from?!" Yuki waved wildly at the surrounding townhouses and spires, it looked like there were weapons inside every crevice and shadows. In front of them, the Black Legionnaires managed a scattering return fire as they scrambled to find cover, while the fleeing heretics and cultists were mercilessly cut down, none made it more than a couple of feet before the hail of bolts tore them to pieces. It was nothing short of a massacre.

"I don't know! But at least they're friendly," Erik told her. "There's a group of them on a rooftop next to me, I'm waving at them right now. Ha! They're waving back!"

"If they are opposed to the Ruinous power, we should be providing them with fire support," still crouching, Elraleath hefted up his Reaper Launcher and braced it on the truck's hood.

"I don't think they need our help," her heavy bolter hanging slack by her side, Cassandra rose to her full height and strode up to Elraleath's side, nudging her chin at the sprawling carnage that littered the road. With the cultist reduced to nothing but twitching gibs of moaning meat, the salvo shifted its concentration on the four Black Legion Astartes, well, two of them at least, because the other pair was nowhere to be seen. Probably ran away like a bunch of bitches.

"Danny Elfman's theme is totally playing in my head right now," Yuki said dreamily and smiled at the unfolding scene. "And it's reaching a crescendo! Look!"

Laura was looking, hell her eyes never left the Batwoman Sororitas as the Caped Crusader of the forty second millennium made her final approached on one of the Black Legion Astartes. Instead of planting an epic kick on the Astartes's face, like Laura had hoped, the Batwoman pounced the traitor Marine and perched herself on top of his hulking power pack, lithe and predatory like a ninja about to strike a killing blow. The Black Legionnaire roared in outrage and was reaching back to grab the Batwoman Sororitas when two bolt pistols materialized in her hands, the barrels trained on the horned helm. Bolt rounds tore into the Chaos Marine's face at pointblank, sparks and fire flew as the helmet crumbled beneath the onslaught. But the Astartes didn't die, if anything getting his face blow apart totally pissed him off. Bellowing a guttural curse, the Astartes reached back again, his armored fingers closing around empty air as the Batwoman somersaulted off his back. Tearing off his destroyed horned helmet, revealing a bloody face scarred by a thousand years of war, the Black Legionnaire raised his bolter at the crouching Batwoman. In one swift motion the Batwoman dashed forward, her speed rivaling that of a Banshee, slammed both bolt pistols back on her waists, drew a long staff from her back and swung it upward. The Chaos Marine staggered back, his bolter sliced cleanly in two, and in the Batwoman Sororitas's hand was a beautiful, crackling power scythe. The fallen Astartes drew his chainsword, thumbed the motor to maximum and charged the Batwoman Sororitas, who leapt fearlessly at the bioengineered, daemon infused super solider, her cape billowing epically behind her. Lightning flew as spinning serrated tooth clashed with power sheathed steel.

"Are we just going to stand here and do nothing?" Miriya demanded suddenly.

"Why not? She's obviously having fun," Laura waved at the dueling pair, neither side holding a clear advantage.

"She's going to need our help soon," Firnera hefted up her swords as the other Black Legionnaire took noticed of the fight and swung his bolter at the Batwoman, the suppressing hail having inexplicably ceased.

"Nah, something tells me she got all the help she needs," Yuki had barely finished her sentence when a dark shape flew out of a nearby shadow and dropkick the Chaos Marine squarely in the back, the impact sending him tumbling across the road, his helmed face smashing into a flaming pickup truck. Unharmed, the traitor Astartes sprang back to his feet and spun to face the one who'd dared attack him. It was another Avenging Knight, but unlike the Batwoman Sororitas she wasn't wearing any cape and carried no visible weapon. Sensing an easy target, the Black Legionnaire hefted up his bolter with a low, sadistic chuckle and trained it on the newcomer, who got into a boxing stance instead of running away, the woman's forearm guards shining a radiant gold. The Chaos Marine pulled the trigger, holding it down long enough to send out a burst of five bolts, and the Avenging Knight swung her arms at the oncoming projectiles. There was a series of quick chiming, like the banging of hammer in a smithy, and the Chaos Marine eased his finger off the trigger, staring dumbstruck at the still standing Avenging Knight, a crackling, smoking golden aura now enveloped her arms, totally unharmed, her fighting posture was smug.

"She just deflected those bolts…" Alnelle said breathlessly beside Verity, the two medics watching the Avenging Knight Sororitas with rising awe as she advanced on the traitor Astartes, swathing away every bolt shot her way.

"Love, that's totally Wonder Woman," Laura was super giddy as the Avenging Knight made a spirit for the reloading Astartes.

"This is so fucking cool!" Yuki was bouncing on her toe when the Black Legionnaire unleashed a full auto barrage on the charging Wonder Woman Sororitas, who crossed her arms over her face, the aura on her armguards growing into a sizeable shield of translucent light that now bear the blunt of the onslaught. The Chaos Marine laughed like mad as he closed in on the immobile Wonder Woman Sororitas, the battering bolts were forcing her back steps by reluctant steps, the golden barrier faltering and flickering. When it looked as if the shield was about to collapse, a disc shape object shot across the air and struck the Chaos Marine in the face, flame erupting from the right side of his helm, sending him sprawling to the ground, ending the barrage. The disc reversed trajectory like a boomerang and flew back to another Avenging Knight now standing beside the Wonder Woman Sororitas. Oh, and that disc thing was actually a round, metallic shield.

"That's what you get for showing off," the shield woman tilted her head in annoyance at the Wonder Woman Sororitas, her voice distorted but still very obviously feminine.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," the Wonder Woman Sororitas shrugged with a twinkling chuckle.

"How about you stick to the plan this time?" the woman drew a bolt pistol from her thigh and raised her shield at the rising Chaos Marine, the traitor Astartes was clawing at his damaged helmet, trying to wrench it off.

"Sir, yes sir!" The Wonder Woman Sororitas saluted mockingly and got her guards up, and it was now that Laura saw the pair of glowing power fists on her hands.

"Follow my lead," the other woman dashed at the Chaos Marine, firing her bolt pistol with startling accuracy that destroyed the traitor's bolter and ruptured the servo joints at the arms and knees, rendering the indignant traitor Astartes nearly immobile. Still getting peppered by the woman's suppressing fire, the Astartes can do noting as the Wonder Woman Sororitas charged with a mighty cry and pummeled him in the face, going full ground and pound when he was flat on his back.

"It's a Captain America and Wonder Woman tag team!" Laura squealed in delight, she and Yuki clung on to each other as they jumped up and down in fangirl delight.

"This is amazing!" Yuki exclaimed then gasped breathlessly and stabbed her finger at the other Chaos Marine. "Batwoman's not alone, Batwoman's not alone!"

Laura and Yuki were giggling and jabbering like a couple of idiots when they saw that, indeed, Batwoman had brought back up, a hunched, feral looking Avenging Knight Sororitas with a trio of power claws protruding out of her knuckles. Together, they fell on the Chaos Marines in a dance of ethereal doom, their blade work cutting down the traitor Astartes with unearthly beauty, every sparks and bloods gleamed like burning stars, an artful expression of sublime destruction.

"I'm watching a female Batman and Wolverine taking on a Dormammu possessed Bane," Laura leaned into Yuki, her muscles weak like a flustered damsel about to lose consciousness. "Hold me, I'm about to faint from the awesomeness."

"Elskerinne Eldul, General Sulla, do you read?" Miriya tapped her earbud, assuming command from the overexcited Laura and Yuki. "What is the situation with the other attacking columns?"

"We got help," elskerinne Eldul answered. "Black clad Sororitas that strike at the heretics from the shadow. They are very swift and deadly."

"They killed everyone before we even got into position," there was a clear hint of childish anger in Sulla's voice. "The path to the dock is clear."

"Lady exarch, what is your order?" Firnera turned to Yuki, who was too busy gawking at the coup de grace the four Avenging Knights were delivering on the Chaos Marines. The Wonder Woman Sororitas was dancing away from the traitor Astartes's whirling chainsword, all semblance of martial skill forgotten in the mist of blood red rage. Then, after a ferocious slash that went widely off the mark, the Wonder Woman Sororitas launched a thunderous uppercut that shattered the Marine's jaw, the mandible hanging grotesquely from his ruined face. The Astartes staggered and was starting to tilt when the Captain America Sororitas's flying shield beheaded him. It was a cool and clean display of badassery, an absolute opposite to the horror show Batwoman and Wolverine were putting on. The Chaos Astartes was writhing feebly on the ground, roaring in impotent rage, arms and legs ending in bleeding stump, the mutilated limbs twitching a few feet from his torso. Screaming in fury, the Wolverine Sororitas leapt on top of the defenseless Astartes and unleashed a flurry of ferocious slashes that tore deep into the ceramite plate until streaks of blood replaced oils and sparks. The Chaos Marine's cry of defiance soon ruptured into a terrible wet gurgle when entrails, lungs, hearts and organs flew from his disemboweled torso, the Wolverine Sororitas savaged his body like a hungry lioness making a buffet out of a slain zebra. The Astartes was gasping shallowly when the Batwoman Sororitas swung her scythe down and made the decapitation, putting him out of his misery. Her power claws retracting into her knuckles, the Wolverine Sororitas took in a deep, satisfying breath then got off the dead Astartes, her gait powerful and lithe.

"Welp, time for us to make first contact," Laura smoothen her awesome inquisitor coat and hat, making sure that she looked superbly dashing, and walked toward the four Avenging Knights with Yuki at her side, "stay alert, but don't shoot them."

"I'm trying so hard not to geek out right now," Yuki's face was impassively neutral as they approached the DC and Marvel cosplayers.

"I'm barely holding it together myself," Laura said lowly, the urge to skip and squeal was overpowering. As they drew nearer Laura was able to get a good look at the Avenging Knight's ensemble. They were clad in ceramite armors of almost absolute ebon that appeared to be more forming fitting than what the average Sororitas wore. As Laura and Yuki came to a stop before the blood-soaked quartet they found that each Avenging Knights wore uniquely crafted helms, and beside the feminine busts of their breastplate, they don't have boob plates. She could hear Tangmo wailing in despair already.

"An absolutely magnificent display," Laura took off her awesome inquisitor hat and bowed with a flourish. "Inquisitor Laura, at your service, very pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Lady exarch Yuki, very nice to meet you all," Yuki bowed in her crisp Japanese style.

"Do you now?" The Wolverine Sororitas growled menacingly at the pair.

"Peace Lyca, they are not the enemies," the Batwoman Sororitas stepped forward, the scythe tapping along with her footsteps, cape fluttering majestically behind her. "Well met lady inquisitor, lady exarch, it is good to see that the Immortal Spirit's reputation is well earned. I am Mistress Tenebris, you could say that I am the canoness of the Avenging Knight."

"Bloody cool name love, very dark," Laura and Yuki shared a grin then turned to Tenebris's mates. "So you're Lyca, what about you two?"

"Praelia," the Wonder Woman Sororitas placed her hands on her hips and struck a superhero pose.

"Caesar, reporting for duty," the Captain America Sororitas saluted with military finesse.

"Thank you for your timely rescue," Yuki went on politely. "I believe we should consolidate our resources so that we can more effectively fight the Ruinous power. Because together, I don't think the Chaos forces stand a chance."

"Or goals are aligned, eldar," Lyca snarled at Yuki. "That doesn't make us allies."

"Oh I see," Yuki knowing looks was not making Lyca any happier. "You guys want to do the whole mysterious vigilante crusader of the night thing, I feel you, that's cool. But seriously, joining forces will be great for everyone."

"Perhaps," Tenebris shrugged. "Maybe there is something you can do for us, a gesture of good faith if you will, before further talk of alliance can be pursued."

"What do you have in mind love?" Laura asked.

"Your Valhallan troopers had taken over the port's administrative building and forcibly evicted our sisters from the premises," Tenebris told her. "Tell them to pull out so that we may sweep the entire building and make sure that every trace of Chaos infestation is eliminated."

"I think the Valhallans are more than capable of a little mop up operation," Yuki said.

"We are more thorough," there was an obvious grin in Praelia's voice.

"Okay, can I at least ask why you need to be thorough?" Yuki pressed on.

"You may not," Lyca shot back.

"That's not good enough," Yuki shook her head.

"This is our term if you want us to cooperate with the Immortal Spirit battlegroup," Tenebris gave her ultimatum. "Decline and I cannot promise our next meeting will be as cordial, or that this conversation will have an amiable end."

"Are you threatening us, Mistress Tenebris?" Laura narrowed her eyes.

"I only make promises, lady inquisitor," was Tenebris's stoic reply.

Laura traded look with Yuki before tapping her earbud, "Sulla, you there?"

"Yes lady inquisitor," Sulla replied with her usual energetic perkiness.

"What's the situation at the administrative building?" Laura asked.

"We, the Mordian, the Praetorian and the Wind Walker have the place secured," Sulla went on. "But the Avenging Knights are lurking in the shadow. They're not too happy about us taking this place."

"Have anyone got trigger happy yet?" Laura prayed that she'll like the answer.

"No mam, both sides have shown restrain so far," yep, she liked that answer. "But I don't think that's going to last. What are your orders, lady inquisitor?"

Laura held her gaze on Tenebris's glowing red eye slits and said, loudly and clearly, "general Sulla I want you to maintain your position inside and around the administrative building. The Avenging Knights are not hostile, but if they open fire upon our troops I want you to respond in kind, is that understood?"

"Yes mam," Sulla said then terminated the transmission.

"I expected better from you, lady inquisitor," Caesar said sternly with a very clear hint of disappointment.

"Sorry, we're not into this cloak and dagger shit," Yuki shrugged with an apologetic smile then tapped her earbud. "Guys, get up here. Weapons ready."

"This is indeed disappointing," Tenebris shook her with condescending pomposity. "I had hoped that you would be smarter than the PDF."

"Don't be so quick to judge love," Laura made a pouting face as the main characters joined them, the Avenging Knight showed no reaction to the guns being pointed at them. "Maybe things will be better next time."

"I very much doubt that, lady inquisitor," Tenebris spun on her heel, cape swooshing, and turned to leave, her three subordinates falling in behind her.

"The getting along part or the we'll meet again part?" Laura held up her hand, stopping the main characters from pursuing.

"The dark is no longer your ally," Lyca hissed back at them.

"Oh well," Laura shrugged noncommittally, "until next time then, Madam Lithia."

"Say hi to Henry and Ladaee for us when you get back to the manor!" Yuki added chirpily. The reaction was beyond priceless. Lyca, Praelia and Caesar spun around at the smirking Laura and Yuki, glaring through their helm, the heat was almost tangible. Only Tenebris, aka Madam Lithia, seemed unfazed by the announcement, only turning around when the other three stopped following her.

"I've been called many things," Tenebris said with an air of mockery. "But this must be the first time I am compared to that spoiled brat."

"We're not comparing you to her, we're saying that you are her," Yuki pointed out. "And I'm not hearing a denial."

"I am not Madam Lithia," Tenebris said smoothly, obviously having practiced for this moment.

"Yeah, you should have coached your friends a little better," Laura pointed a snarky finger at the fuming Justice Avenger League. "They're kinda giving everything away."

"Our conversation is over," Tenebris swept her hand toward the main characters, three thumb sized capsules flew out of her opened palm and skidded across the ground, rolling to a stop in front of Laura and Yuki.

"Grenades!"

"Chill Miriya, it's just smoke palettes…" Laura had barely finished her sentence when the capsules cracked open with a bang, unleashing a big arse cloud of smoke that engulfed them in seconds.

"Hold your fire, its only smoke," Laura coughed and swathed her hand quickly in front of her to disperse the rising haze. Only five seconds had passed and the Avenging Knights were nowhere to be seen, having pulled off an impressive Batman vanishing trick.

"Where did they…?!" Firnera began.

"Yeah, they do that," Laura wiped the dust from her awesome inquisitor coat and turned to Yuki who was, with shameless sexiness, flipping her hair free of the powdery debris like she was in a shampoo commercial, "so where to love?"

"The administrative building, of course," Yuki reply with a cute grin. "Let's see what the Avenging Knights want with that place."

"Lead the way love."