4 Vol I | Chapter IV

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

When search parties arrived and found their missing squad of cops battered and heavily bruised, the korpsmen were forcefully detained and subdued as Supergirl watched with crossed arms. 'I have seen insane, and bat-crazy people. But those 'soldiers', were absolutely taking the notch up.' Kara dwelled as she began thinking and pondering, 'Between a hell-bent mentally-ill criminal, and them 'soldiers' – I have to admit, you don't see such devotion being used at most by some criminals… even the Supervillains.' Supergirl was reminded by the sheer will of the soldier who she had arm-locked and restrained, to actually dislocate her own joint just to be freed, and eliminate the target – that being her. The memory sent a brief chill down her spine, almost ironic when Kara remembers she's Supergirl, a Superhero many people on Earth would consider invincible to be spook by a normal, and ordinary human.

Having traversed safely out through the dark foggy woods, the search party escorted the criminals to the police cruisers, until D.E.O Director Alex Denver – personally with other agents halt the police from ushering the korpsmen into the cruisers. "Stop a moment! We'll be taking it from here." Alex stated so as her agents began to take custody of the apprehended suspects. "What?! You can't do that! These cosplaying-shits beat up my boys, and you expect me to just hand them over?!" a police officer furiously asked and complained, "Yes, I expect you to. I also expect you and the police department to cooperate with us in investigating the Ruins at a much later date. For now, you're tasked with surveying the area and making sure no one gets in or out. Am I understood, officer?" Alex said so in an understanding tone to get the officer from being riled up and to cooperate, and without a word and only a grunt the officer let it go as he and his boys went back to their primary task of keeping the large acre of lands on lockdown.

"Now. Let's get going, shall we?" Alex asked, as though their captive that was then in their custody had any option. However, it seemed to have prompted them into a stubborn defiance state – which caused broken and bleeding noses, and a knee to the groin to a couple of their agents until it took a few more men to get the restrained and cuffed captives in line and into the armored truck. "No. Separate them." Alex issued as the agent nodded at the order, and dragged the Grenadier to another armored truck.

As all were done and settled, the convoy began to move out. Meanwhile, Supergirl decided to tag along for the time being just until the convoy has safely returned back to HQ. 'I hope Lena doesn't mind if I'm a tad bit late. I hope.'

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

Alone in a room with an intimidating man – Grenadier 017823-9348 – would not be undermined by any form of interrogation, and should it be torture, this trooper would not budge nor flinch. "Not much of a talker are you." The man's voice struck the elephant in the room. "Look. We could either do this the easy way or the hard way. It is entirely up to you." The black man finalized with a lace of serious consequences should the captive choose to make it difficult, yet the trooper since the start has remained unmoving, silent, and stoic in his posture – that a thought has crossed through the interrogator's mind that perhaps the person in question that sat just beyond the desk opposite to his was; dead.

That was until the slow sounds of its respirator from its gas mask told telltale sign that it wasn't the case. Instead, it indicated that their prisoner was extremely calm about the situation – their behavior has also been noted since their arrival at the D.E.O facility, and it has been duly noted that any signs or attempts to remove their gas mask have invoked a strong and aggressive hostility against anyone in sight. 'It has nearly been a week, and these guys aren't even close to cracking!' Alex watches the situation in the room take place as she looks through the one-way mirror. Until the small creaking sound of the door swinging open alerted Alex. "Still no progress on them, Alex?" Supergirl waddled in, as she joined in watching too. "None at all. However, through some persuasion – I might get something today." Kara thought that Alex would attempt again on playing the good and considerate interrogator. But what Kara never expected was for the Martian to go through another's mind.

It had been a moment at best before the Martian ripped away from the captive whose eyes widen in fueling hate and disgust, and the Martian was too shocked in a state to see an enraged soldier hell-bent on murdering him.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

"Look. I know you hate invading anyone's mind. But we need to know something – anything!" Alex pleaded, desperate for the Manhunter's aid. "I know this might just be me paranoid or anxious, but if there's the possibility of an invasion on Earth – I need to know." The Director stated, and by the sounds of it, it seems she won't be giving in so soon. "Okay fine. But only on last resort, am I clear?" In a sigh of respite, Alex nodded tiredly. "We can do another interrogation tomorrow, for today. Go get some rest Director." J'onn smirked as he looked at the horrible stressful state Alex was in. "Yeah… I could use a bath right about now."

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

"Not much of a talker are you." J'onn was losing patience, but still held hope that he wouldn't be forced to do what he must. "Look. We could either do this the easy way or the hard way. It is entirely up to you." In that sentence alone, as the last string that would determine his next course of action, he knew what he'd had to when silence was all that responded and the uncanny unmoving stare that has been looking right back.

Since the trooper's arrival, both had been interrogated in separate cells, and both produced the same poor outcome – silence and the judgmental stare – which force his hands as push came to shove, he muttered an apology as he flicked forward and forcibly entered the korpsman's mind – who groaned at best without screaming as he felt the Psyker's invasion.

The pain was excruciating as the korpsman and psyker battled out in the mental solitude of the Grenadier's mind. Yet, although undergoing such immense mental damage the korpsman fought toe to toe with the psyker who tore barricades and mental defenses the korpsman put up – until the psyker inevitably won as he gained access to the guardsman's mind.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

"Orders to retreat! Fall back! Fall back!" a tall man in red uniform, equipped with an armored chest-plate and shoulder-pauldron yelled aloud the orders. J'onn as he stood, looked around – only to witness an enormous swarm of soldiers; all distinctive by their uniform's attire and colors – rush in a massive retreat. The sight could only be described as chaotic, and disastrous with so many troops moving about. Yet through a closer observation, as the memories passed through him like ghosts in the past, the soldiers acted accordingly and efficiently in the mass evacuation as he looked at the emptied trenches, bunkers, and tents of operations. 'What has them running?' J'onn wondered, and began exploring the deserted area that could perfectly replicate the trenched warfare in the history books he has studied on Earth. Until the ground shook as the last siege artillery was transported to the mammoth space ships that took to orbit.

Looking back to the desolated world, he walked over to the top of a bunker to gain a better advantage point – and as to where he stood – all he saw in the far distance was a city that looked battered from shock shells and broken from the constant bombardment and assault to it as J'onn imagined.

'All the poor innocents lost.' J'onn was sorrowful at the prospect of war, as to how it had impacted his kind, and drove them to annihilation – The Green Martian Genocide – as one of the many titles the event carried. Reminiscing on where he stood, he gazed upon the ruined city. He began comparing in prejudice hate, and boiling emotions as he sets these Guardsmen with the White Martian as he continued on looking over at the burning city set ablaze and its buildings damaged and on the edge of collapse. 'These Imperials are dangerous.' The Manhunter concluded, and as it couldn't add more to his verdict – from among the stars, up in the clear skies as twinkling light shines – a light as quickly as it appeared struck the planet's core – and J'onn felt it.

As the light continued on its drill to the planet's core, the blast sent the air to shred all that was until fire in frightening speed ate and burnt through all in its path – swallowing anything like the ocean tides. It was utterly overwhelming that the Manhunter felt a hurtful sting as he experienced and witnessed the destruction that was coming at a rapid pace. A destruction that could only be calibrated as 'Extermination' which leads to 'Extinction'.

When he returned, he pulled and took steps away from the guardsman – still trapped in that catastrophic memory, as he failed to realize the hostile with him.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

Various emotions run amok as the guardsman realizes what has been done – his mind contaminated and tainted – touched by the plague of the Psyker that stood immobile just in front of him. "Scum! Xeno filth!" The berserk guardsman charged the Martian, who stumbled back as he had his back slammed against the wall, not that it hurt him. "Not only are you a psyker! But a xeno who hides in the pretense as a human!" The vile act was an afront to Humanity, to the Imperium, and to the God-Emperor that over the time the Grenadier has served as an Imperial Guardsman – This act alone overshadows all committed sins against the Emperor and Mankind.

The outburst of oozing anger shook the dazed Martian, who looked absent from the floor and unto lensed eyes of the terrorizing gas mask. 'Just what are these, "humans"' he quotes and capitalized as these "soldiers" have been more than indifferent than the humans on Earth, if they were indeed humans – that was just in another world. However, the thinking stopped, and continued actions as he prepared to subdue their visitor.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

The Grenadier could feel an urge to cough as he had done his fuming rightful curses, though he couldn't remember such times where he had even spoken, much less than shout in consecutive words. But that xeno posing as a human; had every skin itching about the Grenadier to grab a flamethrower and purify such taints and lies it embodies, and cleanse the floor and ashes it should come and leave in its trace. Therefore, without any further thoughts – he had one objective; and that plan to accomplish it was to murder the filth then and there in the room with him.

He had flung towards the enemy and caught him against the wall as he slams the xeno against it – and continuously offered brutal jabs and knee and elbow to the psyker until men began to flow into the room and restrained him. However, in his maddened state and blazing fury against the sinful act to disguise as a human was still boiling in a steaming bubbling cauldron – he had these affiliates traitorous humans paid homage for even being humans.

Even had the agents wore helmets and protective gears and pads, as well as well-bodied muscles and built – all five agents were struggling in handling the situation presented by one guardsman. Stuck in sickened fury as the insult dugs into the korpsman's mind as it lingered, all the men who had entered the room were bruised and heavily injured while still unsuccessfully in detaining their culprit. Until another person came through the door and shot the Grenadier who then laid still on the ground. "Don't worry, he's just asleep." Alex nonchalantly explained to eliminate any misunderstanding, as was said by the look on the Manhunter. "S-sorry I was just like- I felt like I blackout and-" "Hey, it's fine. Don't sweat it. But I really hope you got something for me."

"Yeah, I do."

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

avataravatar
Next chapter