As the smoke raised by the teleportation lightning cleared, that towering figure appeared once more on the deck of the Vengeful Spirit.
He looked just as he had before, with a Wolf Mastiff pelt draped over his shoulders and a well-balanced warhammer in his hand.
For an instant, every Chaos veteran present froze. The oppressive aura unique to a Primarch left them at a loss, while the ten-thousand-year veterans of the former XVI Legion were visibly overcome with emotion.
"Warmaster—no, Captain, our father has returned!" One Veteran of Ten Thousand Years gestured wildly with excitement, unable even to keep hold of his weapon.
"Yes, he has returned," Abaddon said, narrowing his eyes.
"Our great cause will surely succeed! We will tear apart the False Emperor's hypocrisy!"
"Enough!" Abaddon roared, snatching up a skull and hurling it.
He rose to his feet and glared viciously into Horus's familiar eyes.
From the very first glance, Abaddon had been certain. This was his father in the flesh, the true Horus Lupercal, not some shoddy imitation created by Fabius.
"He is here to kill us, you fool!"
At once, the ancient veterans present looked incredulously at Abaddon, then at Horus.
"It seems our father has quite a grievance against us. Enough to rebuild the old 'Luna Wolves.'"
"And unless I am mistaken, he has already made his preparations to erase the stains of the past."
With that, Abaddon's sharp gaze stabbed like a knife at the figure standing closest to Horus.
First Company Captain Naruf stood beside him, unable to make sense of the situation. He looked questioningly at several of his brothers, only to find them just as bewildered.
Then he looked back at his Gene-Father, whose face remained expressionless.
"I do not hate you," Horus said.
His habitual, confident smile and the