Vito sprinted at full speed along the edge of the Shrine. The golden Colossus gleamed above him—well, it wasn't looking so good anymore, what with all the charred Lasgun marks and Bolter holes that had been added to it.
Guns roared all around Vito Constantine. Countless beams and solid bullets fired from across the way kept shattering the walls, the ground, and everything around them. Debris and wreckage flew in every direction, turning the place into a raging storm of chaos.
Vito raised his gun and shot down a Genestealer charging straight at him. The Inquisitor raced through the hail of gunfire, weaving between countless bullets as beams and Bolter rounds whistled past his ears. Many of the surrounding Genestealer Cultists were blown to pieces in the barrage, but Vito alone emerged unscathed.
The Inquisitor charged through an archway at the side of the Shrine. The moment he burst inside, he saw a fierce battle underway. The Genestealer Patriarch fought back desperately against two Adeptus Astartes, its claws tracing shining arcs through the air. But the two giants blocked and countered with equal agility.
Ragnar blocked a slash from the Patriarch with his Chainaxe. The Space Wolf from Fenris punched the Patriarch in the stomach, the solid, powerful blow driving it hard against the wall.
But as Ragnar prepared to strike again, a claw from the monster's abdomen suddenly swung up and slammed into his flank, its tough biological armor striking hard. In the brief moment Ragnar lost his balance, the Patriarch backhanded him across the helmet, sending the black-armored giant flying.
Ragnar crashed down nearby. The Space Wolf from Fenris got back to his feet, pulled off his helmet, and bared his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. When he looked up, the towering Tyranid Monstrosity was already in front of him, its massive scythe swinging down straight for Ragnar's head.
But a sudden burst of Bolter fire hammered into the Patriarch's chitinous armor, sending fragments and dust scattering everywhere. The Patriarch looked to the side and saw Vito charging toward it while firing. The Bolter in his hands fired repeatedly in rapid succession, the sustained barrage heating its barrel red-hot, nearly setting it ablaze.
Vito tossed aside the Bolter he'd stolen from a Devout Society guard. "Bell! My sword!" he shouted. For some reason, Vito had timed his arrival perfectly, calling out just as Bell and Olaf rushed into the inner courtyard.
Bell didn't hesitate. He immediately tossed Vito the weapon at his belt, a little shorter than a Space Marine Chainsword. The Inquisitor caught the Chainsword just as he reached the Patriarch. The giant beast swung a claw down at him, but the Chainsword shot up in an instant and blocked the deadly strike.
Vito met the Patriarch's blow head-on with nothing but his mortal strength. Clutching the Chainsword in one hand, he suddenly drew a Plasma Pistol from beneath his arm with the other.
It was a dangerous weapon. All plasma weapons were extremely dangerous, but the pistol was the most dangerous of them all. Almost no one wanted to use one. Its tiny size left virtually no room for cooling or safety features.
Only the Space Marine models could fit a series of safety mechanisms into their larger frames. The versions used by mortals were, quite literally, self-destruct buttons with a trigger. In the Astra Militarum, only the Penal Legion was equipped with them, so they could "better" kill the Emperor's enemies.
But Vito raised the weapon and pulled the trigger without a second thought. Plasma spewed from the tiny muzzle, and countless arcs of lightning burst in every direction, making it look as if the pistol were about to explode.
But it didn't. Plasma pierced the shower of sparks and struck the Patriarch in the face. It melted the armor there, scorching and corroding the flesh beneath and bringing the creature agonizing pain. The Patriarch staggered backward, roaring and swaying.
Bell sprang forward at once. The giant in white armor charged as he raised his Bolter and fired. The rounds struck the side of the Patriarch's head, and the creature instinctively turned to look. In that brief instant, Bell tossed aside his Bolter and rushed forward with lightning speed, seizing the Patriarch's right claw.
The Patriarch was startled and tried to swing its left claw in retaliation, only to find that it couldn't move either. It turned in shock and saw Lancelot pinning the claw tightly beneath his arm.
The Knight of Caliban had discarded his beloved sword and seized the monster's claw with both powerful hands. The Patriarch wore an expression of surprise seldom seen among the Tyranids. It clearly hadn't figured out what these people were doing.
"Ragnar! Get in there!" Vito shouted, like a hunter calling his hound. And his hound was already charging.
Ragnar dropped his Chainaxe and charged with a howl, slamming into the Patriarch like a bull.
The Patriarch crashed against the wall behind it. The two Adeptus Astartes at its sides immediately pinned its claws against the wall. The Patriarch roared and swung the claws on its abdomen toward Ragnar.
But the Space Wolf from Fenris grabbed the claws with both hands, holding them a good distance from his head. He bared his teeth in a grin and laughed as he slowly forced the claws away.
Vito smiled with satisfaction, then turned to Olaf. "Old Wolf! Get ready! Bell! Lancelot! Staple Guns!"
Olaf stamped on the ground. Countless arcs of lightning danced around him, their flickering light illuminating the Patriarch's face. The creature struggled as it watched Olaf, but the two Adeptus Astartes beside it drew Staple Guns marked with the symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus from their belts.
They pulled the triggers, and U-shaped iron staples shot from the guns, pinning the Patriarch's claws to the wall. The creature watched in disbelief as Bell and Lancelot covered its arms with restraining staples. The Patriarch roared and struggled, but row after row of staples held it fast.
"Brothers! Clear out!" Olaf roared, arcs of lightning crackling from his mouth as he spoke. The three Adeptus Astartes immediately backed away, leaping clear.
Olaf swept his arm, and countless bolts of lightning struck the Patriarch. The creature screamed as arcs of electricity danced over its body. Lightning covered it in an instant, and it thrashed its head about, its sturdy back armor smashing into the wall and cracking it in every direction.
The giant beast roared, its armor plates bursting outward. It strained with all its might, pulling its limbs forward. The staples began to loosen, inching out of the wall.
Vito frowned as he watched the Patriarch. He looked at Olaf, whose eyes blazed with lightning and light, all his focus poured into the spell. Vito wasn't sure whether he could hear him.
Saliva sprayed from the beast's mouth, and its braided tongue lashed about. The first staple popped out of the wall and slammed hard into the ground.
"Old Wolf," Vito said, taking a step back. He watched as the staples were ripped from the wall one by one. The claws began to lunge forward. The lightning struck the beast, but only made it angrier.
The last of the staples were torn free. The Patriarch roared and charged forward, straight at Vito and Olaf. The three Adeptus Astartes raised their guns and aimed at it, but Vito shouted them down.
The beast hurtled toward them at full speed, enduring the pain of Olaf's lightning as it charged. The pain filled it with rage, and that rage would make it strike even harder when it reached the two of them.
Vito glanced at the others. Their attention was fixed on the beast, and Olaf was clearly giving it everything he had. Once he was sure no one was watching him, Vito closed his eyes, then snapped them open.
The beast stopped. Its body seemed tethered by some unseen force, then slammed to the ground. Its massive form crushed into the earth, forming a shallow crater as the ground fractured under the strange pressure. To anyone watching, it looked as if the beast had been struck down by lightning.
But the Patriarch looked up. Through the flashes of lightning, it could see the space and arcs around Vito subtly warping. They bent together like the surface of a curved mirror. Even his face blurred in the distorted space, while a pair of faintly golden eyes flickered within the chaotic field.
The Patriarch braced its claws against the ground. Its powerful bones and muscles supported it as it slowly tried to rise, but every movement was as difficult as pushing against a mountain.
"Olaf! Finish it!" Vito shouted, turning his head. The Old Wolf raised both arms, giant arcs of lightning surging from his hands and illuminating the entire inner courtyard like the rising sun. Electricity danced across every metal surface. "In the name of the Allfather! I shall bring down divine judgment!"
The Old Wolf's roar was almost a real wolf's howl. Lightning struck the ground, unleashing a blinding flash like a supernova.
The beast roared at Vito. Olaf thrust both arms forward, and a blinding bolt of lightning struck the Patriarch. The creature let out a scream of agony, corrosive fluid spraying from its cavernous maw. But the lightning vaporized every drop before it could hit the ground. The monster shrieked and struggled.
But the beast couldn't overcome it. The moment the lightning vanished, it crashed to the ground, falling like a collapsing mountain.
The lightning stopped, and the towering giant dropped to his knees. Bell hurried over and caught Olaf by the arm, but the latter waved him off. "I'm just tired, Bell. That's all."
"I know, old man." Bell smiled, then looked at the Patriarch, steam curling from its body. Ragnar came over too and kicked the motionless giant.
"Is it still alive?" "Yes, it's alive. Its vital signs are still registering." Bell looked at the data slate on his wrist. "But it'll be unconscious for a while."
Ragnar burst out laughing and kicked the Patriarch again. "Holy shit, is this the first time we've ever captured a Tyranid Node Creature alive? Anyone bring a camera?"
Lancelot laughed, picked up his Knight's sword, and walked over. "Memory is the best photograph, Ragnar. A photograph of glory."
"I prefer my memories of glory to be something I can touch," Ragnar said, baring his teeth. He was like an energetic wolf cub, always overflowing with enthusiasm and vigor.
Vito rubbed his neck with an amused smile and carried the Chainsword over to the Patriarch's body. He tilted his head, studying the enormous creature. "It'll survive, right? We still need to do something with it."
"Yes, it'll survive. It just won't feel too good when it wakes up. It'll probably start yelling and going crazy, like Ragnar does." Bell helped Olaf to his feet, his eyes fixed on the medical display in his hand.
Ragnar bared his teeth and grinned at the creature. "Your Excellency, we went to all this trouble to take this thing down. We'd better be able to carry it out together and get something worthwhile from it."
Vito smiled too and looked at Ragnar. "Think we can trade it for a planet?"
Ragnar chuckled and bent down to grab one of the Patriarch's claws.
"I'd say so. Come on, Kitty. Let's carry it out."
Before you continue