To everyone else, Russ seemed like a savage monster, a beast. But really, he was a man pretending to be one!
Leman Russ was also exceptionally intelligent!
What would all the other Primarchs think of Russ after he dealt with the Second Primarch?
Everyone knew the answer. Even in the 40K era, there was a popular saying.
If the Space Wolves came looking for you, it meant there was still a chance to explain yourself. But if the Dark Angels showed up, your time was up.
Both the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves did the Emperor's dirty work, but the Dark Angels' jobs were even dirtier. They were almost always sent to destroy things.
"What are you talking about? This is a mission from the Emperor. Naturally, I'll be the one to take down my brother," Russ said.
After his brothers had gradually returned, Leman Russ had realized that his combat instincts seemed a little sharper than theirs, and that his physical abilities were just a bit superior too.
The Emperor had already explained why: Russ had been tempered by Axis's ki, which had greatly improved his physical abilities.
"This is a mission from the Emperor. Your job, Dad, is to help me clean up the Second Legion. I'll take down the Second Primarch," Axis said.
Axis wasn't joking. He produced a mission order personally signed by the Emperor.
The reason he had been sent here was to ensure the Second Primarch was completely eliminated.
Russ's expression changed when he saw the document, bearing the Emperor's own signature.
"I understand. You've come a long way, so get some rest first. Tomorrow, we'll deal with those traitors!
"Axis, come with me. It's been a long time since father and son last saw each other." Russ waved his hand.
He ordered several Space Wolves Space Marines to escort the Adeptus Custodes and Kaisa away, then led Axis to his own quarters.
He needed to have a proper talk with his son!
"My little Wolf Cub! You can't be the one to strike this time. If the other Primarchs find out you killed their brother, things could turn ugly," Russ said, looking at Axis.
Axis had a bright future ahead of him. If word got out that he had killed the Second Primarch and the other Primarchs learned of it, it wouldn't be good for him.
It could even be worse than if Russ had done it. Russ was a Primarch, and he had killed another Primarch on the Emperor's orders.
The other Primarchs might resent him, but not too much. Axis was different.
You're only a Custodian, not a Primarch. What right do you have to place yourself above the Primarchs?
The Primarchs were the mightiest beings in the Imperium after the Emperor. Russ wasn't suggesting that Axis disobey the Emperor's orders.
It was simply that this mission was too dangerous for Axis. It would turn every other Primarch against him.
"But it's the Emperor's order. Am I supposed to ignore it?" Axis asked with a smile.
It was like Frieza issuing an order. Could the Saiyans simply refuse to carry it out?
To Axis, the Emperor's orders were just like Frieza's.
"Understood! You'll be the one to take down the Second Primarch. I'll cover for you afterward," Russ said after a moment's silence.
There was a way around it. He could take the blame for Axis in a way, redirecting the Primarchs' hatred back toward himself.
This mission was completely classified. As long as the Space Wolves didn't let anything slip, in theory, no one would know Axis had killed the Second Primarch.
The Emperor could even tell the other Primarchs that the Second Primarch had gone missing during the Rangdan Xenocides.
But people weren't stupid. They could still piece things together from the smallest clues.
And those clues would all point to Russ. No one would suspect that Axis had killed the Second Primarch; they would only blame Russ.
It was a way to protect Axis!
Leman Russ even suspected that the Emperor had sent him here precisely to take the blame for Axis.
"Enough, Dad. Let's talk about something else. Have you still got my things?" Axis asked.
Before leaving Russ, he had specifically entrusted him with the Saibamen seeds and King Vegeta's Briefcase. He hadn't taken them to Holy Terra.
Those things couldn't be allowed to come to light.
"I've kept your things close at hand all this time. Wait here, and I'll get them for you," Russ said, nodding to Axis.
He turned to his cabinet and opened a safe, then took out Axis's belongings.
He had kept the things Axis left behind close to him the whole time. When he was traveling through space, he stored them in his private quarters aboard the Gloriana-class Battleship.
When he returned to Fenris, he kept them in his room as well.
Axis nodded and accepted the safe Russ handed him. Inside, the Saibamen seeds and King Vegeta's Briefcase were in perfect condition.
"Axis, what exactly are these green seeds?" Leman Russ asked curiously.
He had carried them around all this time, and Leman Russ's psychic power let him sense them clearly.
The green seeds contained immense power, the same kind of power he had once sensed in Axis.
"They're valuable, Dad. They're a kind of biological weapon called Saibamen, and they're incredibly powerful," Axis said.
Saibamen were very useful. Saiyan elites often took them along on missions.
As long as you were strong enough, the Saibamen wouldn't disobey you, even if you ordered them to kill themselves!
"Those really are terrifying monsters! Can you control them?" Leman Russ asked with a nod.
"I couldn't before, but now I can control them perfectly. They're extremely savage and cruel.
"But they obey anyone stronger than they are. Even if you tell them to die, they won't hesitate," Axis said.
"They came from the same place as you, didn't they? Can these Saibamen use ki?" Russ asked, rubbing his chin.
Use ki? Axis's mouth fell open. He looked at his adoptive father, then down at the Saibamen seeds in his hand.
It seemed like... maybe... perhaps these creatures could use ki!
They had come from the Dragon Ball World, just like him. He had retained his ki, so could they have retained theirs too?
A bold idea suddenly occurred to Axis.
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