The flash of gunfire mingled with the searing red glow of lasguns. Countless solid rounds and bolts of light crisscrossed the air. These deadly weapons, born from humanity's most primal killing instincts, danced through an abandoned factory deep beneath the Underhive—a melody and dance of death.
The two gangs of Underhive scum unleashed their firepower on each other. These horrific weapons had been created to face humanity's greatest enemies, and yet, most of the time, they were indeed turned against one another.
Not long after civilization began, back when we were still apes, the first ape made the first weapon out of stone and bone. From that moment on, humanity had been all too eager to use its creations against itself.
There was nothing strange about that, was there? Whether on Earth or among the stars, most of the time, harsh environments and cruel beasts were no match for fellow humans, just as cunning and skilled at using tools and tactics—especially in places where there was nothing but people.
Vito leaned against an iron support pillar, already riddled with several large bullet holes. Solid rounds and laser beams hammered the area around him, but he remained perfectly calm.
He stood quietly amid the bodies. Several corpses already littered the corridor. Most had either been shot by lasguns and left smoking, or torn to bloody shreds by solid rounds.
In the factory's main hall below, the Hammer Gang's hotheaded members worked their Heavy Stubber, roaring like beasts as they unleashed mindless, frenzied fire at the Devout Society members on the other side of the hall, who were hiding behind abandoned lathes and other machinery.
Vito raised an eyebrow as the heavy stubber smashed a Walker Robot that hadn't yet been fitted with armor plating. The Devout Society members hiding behind it immediately began to flee.
The poor bastards didn't get far before the relentless barrage of shells and lasgun fire cut them down like pincushions.
Vito rubbed his chin and surveyed the chaotic battlefield. He was certain that if the Adeptus Mechanicus were here, they'd be charging in with lasguns while loudly denouncing the heretics for blaspheming against the Machine Spirit.
"Looks like I've started a war down here." He stroked his chin, scanning the battlefield for an opening.
And the Emperor be praised, he soon found one.
The Devout Society faithful retreated from one piece of cover to another, but the Hammer Gang clearly had more heavy weapons. They pounded the Devout Society members relentlessly, leaving them in a bad way.
One poor fellow was pinned down behind a hunk of wrecked machinery. He seemed to have been hit, and was clutching his bloodied arm.
Not far away, another Devout Society member was trying to break through and rescue him, though he too was pinned down and unable to move.
Judging by the situation, the man was probably some kind of Devout Society leader. Vito couldn't tell if he'd lost his mind, charging straight into a factory controlled by the Hammer Gang like that.
Or perhaps these men were simply too devout, driven into a murderous frenzy because some heretic had desecrated their Shrine.
Vito stood up and pulled a strange little device from his belt, something like one of those cheap civilian gadgets.
A Mechanicus symbol was stamped onto its dark gray casing. Vito shrugged helplessly. "Did you really have to make sure everyone knew you built these things, Father Omega?"
Vito scanned the arm of a nearby Devout Society corpse. A blue beam passed over the Coiled Serpent tattoo, and he pressed the device against his own arm. In an instant, it imprinted an identical tattoo on his skin.
Vito studied the mark and gave an amused snort. Then he tossed the little machine to the ground and drew his Bolter, aiming it at the device. "Sorry, old man."
A shot rang out, sending mechanical fragments flying. Vito crouched down and inspected the corpse and the bodies around it. Beneath the Coiled Serpent mark on each arm was a small golden olive symbol, making them slightly different from the Coiled Serpent tattoo he'd seen before.
Maybe it was how they distinguished the different branches of the same gang? Well, Space Marines were quite fond of using that sort of thing to distinguish their companies.
"By the Emperor. You..." a weak voice murmured. Vito looked over. The corpse leaning against the iron door wasn't a corpse at all, but a wounded gang member, barely conscious.
Vito walked over and crouched in front of him. The man stared at Vito weakly, confusion in his eyes. "You're with our gang? One of Morven's men? I don't recognize you."
"I just joined, mate. Of course you don't know me. And I didn't expect things to get this exciting the moment I joined."
"By the Emperor, this was a stupid operation. Damn it, our whole gang's dead. It's just you and me now." He spoke feebly. "Boss Morven is dead. You have to warn—"
Vito stood up and smiled. "Let me correct you, friend. There's only one of us left."
He raised his gun and aimed it at the man's head. As the man stared at him in shock, Vito pulled the trigger.
The shot rang out. Now only one survivor remained from Morven's branch.
Vito picked up a lasgun from the ground and slung it over his back. He rolled his shoulders, then suddenly turned and vaulted over the corridor railing.
Vito ran along a pipe, his Bolter roaring in his hands. Shells spat from the muzzle amid bursts of flame, smashing a man's head apart almost instantly.
Vito leaped down from a pipe on the right side of the main hall and landed in the middle of a Hammer Gang position. Everyone immediately turned toward him, but their reflexes were clearly slower than an Inquisitor's.
Vito launched into his killing dance almost at once. Gunfire roared as he blasted apart one head and body after another.
The Hammer Gang members opened fire on Vito, but he was incredibly fast—faster than seemed possible.
Vito darted forward at lightning speed, charging up to a gang member with a shotgun. He fired his Bolter directly beneath the man's chin, turning half his face to mush.
Vito caught the falling shotgun and fired again. A nearby gang member was sent flying. Then Vito rolled to dodge a bolt of light, and after a few more rolls, rose to one knee and fired again. The unlucky man with the lasgun toppled straight out of his cover.
The pinned-down Devout Society member cautiously poked his head out, staring toward the chaos. He couldn't see what was happening, only hear gunshots and screams.
To his astonishment, a man leaped over the cover and danced across the barricades like an actor on a stage, moving as he fired at will.
One moment he vanished, and the next he appeared again, like a ghost on the battlefield.
Vito sprang into the air, spun, and landed. He yanked a steel pipe off some abandoned machinery and knocked a Hammer Gang member off his feet.
On the other side of the barricade, the gunner operating the Heavy Stubber cursed in the foulest language and swung the barrel toward Vito, pouring fire in his direction.
Vito rolled backward, dodging the first burst, then sprinted toward a sturdy piece of cover as the heavy rounds exploded and whizzed behind him.
Vito ducked behind a truck that hadn't even had its wheels installed. The Heavy Stubber pounded into the vehicle, tearing its body to pieces.
The young Devout Society member didn't hesitate. He raised his lasgun, took aim, and fired. Its flash split the air, crossing the entire hall in an instant and burning a hole straight through the gunner's head.
The suppressive fire stopped. At that very moment, Vito stepped out, aiming a makeshift rocket launcher he'd found God knew where at the machine gunner. He pulled the trigger, which looked ready to explode at any moment.
The rocket screamed across the hall and vaporized the entire firing position.
Vito dropped the launcher and leaped out of the Hammer Gang position, running back. The young Devout Society member kept firing his lasgun.
He took down several enemies.
Soon, amid furious curses and roars, several burly Hammer Gang members pushed a heavy laser weapon—God knew if they'd ripped it off a Chimera—onto a pulpit.
One of the brutes immediately leaped into the gunner's seat and roused the dormant, terrifying Machine Spirit into a roar. In an instant, it slaughtered an entire row of Devout Society members.
Their cover was as flimsy as paper. The young member stared at the laser cannon's dazzling red flashes and shouted, "You'd better hurry, mate!"
He raised his lasgun and fired again, trying to snipe the laser cannon's gunner. But the cannon shield blocked every shot, and only drew the gunner's attention to him.
The young man stared in shock at the laser beams aimed his way, but he was lucky: Vito launched himself at him and tackled him to the ground. The laser cannon swept over their heads, smashing countless mechanical components.
"Go!" Vito shouted. He hauled the young man up and ran with him beneath the laser cannon's searing red glow. Debris flew overhead, and the beams nearly formed a solid line, slicing through everything in their path.
Vito dragged the young man into the gang leader's hiding place. The wounded leader grabbed the young member with his one remaining arm and yanked him beside him, saving both his legs from being blasted to pieces.
The three of them huddled behind the cover. Red light flashed around them, and the laser's heat crept closer. It looked like their shelter wouldn't hold much longer.
"By the Emperor! This was a stupid plan, Marshall. You were right. I should have..." the gang leader groaned.
Young Marshall held his gun and leaned beside the leader. "Don't say that, boss. In the Emperor's name, you did your best to talk that idiot Luft out of it. And that idiot has already paid for his stupidity."
"Though we're all paying the price together," the young man added, pulling in his elbow to keep it from being scorched by the laser. The leader turned to Vito, looking at the young man and noticing the tattoo on his arm.
"One of Morven's men? Kid, is Morven still alive?" "No, I think he's dead. Luft called us in to help, but... well, it looks like I'm the only one left from my gang."
"That idiot! Not only did he cost us dearly, he got the faithful brothers from another gang killed! By the gods, may he rot!"
The leader cursed, but the gunner seemed to turn his attention elsewhere. Vito peered out. "Curse him later, Brother Marshall. Help the boss get out of here."
Marshall nodded firmly, slung his lasgun over his shoulder, and helped the leader retreat to one side. Vito stood up and looked at the roaring heavy laser gun, then took the lasgun off his back.
Vito set the lasgun on the broken cover. He lined up the laser cannon in his sights, his breathing perfectly steady, his finger resting firm on the trigger.
One shot. He had only one chance.
Vito took a long breath, finger poised on the trigger. Then, between one heartbeat and the next, he squeezed it.
The bolt of light crossed the battlefield. The shot flew perfectly through the gap between the cannon shield and the space above the muzzle, punching straight through the gunner's head.
The men around them stared in shock. Then Vito shot another man through the head, followed by a third and a fourth. The survivors fled the laser cannon in panic and dove into the nearest cover they could find.
Vito hoisted the lasgun over his shoulder and smiled at the Imperial Aquila on a piece of broken machinery beside him. "Thanks."
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