Chapter 12 - Warphead

It was a relatively peaceful night in the city called Thumb of Gork, or as peaceful as a city full of orks could be, with its inhabitants eating, drinking, arguing, fighting, and killing each other in no particular order.

Eventually, the daytime establishments closed for the day and the nighttime ones opened up, like bars and canteens, until late at night.

The time came for all the orks to return to their respective homes, leaving the city streets in silence, with some drunken ork or Madboy muttering litanies as he bumped into the walls of buildings.

However, something strange happened in one of the most fortified buildings in the city, built next to the Boss Fortress. However, to call it a building was wrong, it was more like a complex or a prison.

A large metal and concrete construction, but painted in completely different colors, similar to a child's drawing, with tiny windows blocked by thick iron bars.

A large flat, uncovered area, surrounded the complex, a courtyard made of beaten brown earth ending in large walls covered in barbed wire, enclosing the central building in a gigantic square.

Watchtowers stood at the points where the walls met, with orks shining searchlights towards the courtyard, and in the nearby regions outside the complex.

Orks wearing strange coarse fabric outfits consisting of yellow-orange shirts and pants, blue vests, and rubber boots, held Attack Squigs by their leashes, patrolling the complex on constant rounds, while their companions did the same in the central building.

The interior of the central building consisted of long, spacious gray corridors, full of metal doors, leading to the cells of the prisoners there, for this was the Weirdhouse, where all the Weirdboyz in the city were incarcerated after having their powers discovered.

However, despite being prisoners, the Weirdboyz' cells were more like hotel rooms, spacious, well-lit, with large, comfortable beds, closets full of chic, colorful clothes for an ork, bathrooms, food, drink, and much more. However, this was nothing more than a gilded cage for the imprisoned Weirdboyz.

Due to the extreme discomfort and risk of death that using their ability entails, the Weirdboyz are reluctant to allow them to become psychic weapons.

As a result, the Weirdboyz are escorted onto the battlefield by large, sturdy orks whose responsibility it is to look after them. These orks are called Minderz

The Minderz treat their Weirdboy master with the utmost respect, but their task is to ensure that he is always at hand if needed in battle. In addition, the Minderz provided all the luxuries and comforts present in the Weirdhouse.

In the end, this only served to keep Weirdboy calm until needed on the battlefield. Then all kindness and respect would end and the Minderz would show their true face.

Unfortunately, keeping all the Weirdboyz locked up in the same place had its risks, as the emotions of other orks absorbed by them would reach a limit, and with no battles taking place at the moment, there was no way this energy could be released, even with all the contingencies present.

Not to mention, of course, the more intelligent Weirdboyz, would realize the truth behind the situation they found themselves in and do everything they could to escape from their poorly disguised prison.

Azgruz was one of these Weirdboyz.

Azgruz was an ork a little bigger than an ork Boy, carrying a Weirdboy's Stikk, better known as a Copper Staff, and wearing red robes full of bells attached to the fabric, to warn the Minderz of his presence and his location if he decided to flee the fight.

Azgruz paced back and forth in his cell, sweating profusely as he muttered something incomprehensible. Suddenly, the ork grabbed his head and screamed in pain, head butting his desk in the vain hope of making the pain go away.

The Weirdboy could feel the emotions of the countless orks present in the city, not just tonight, but ever since he had awakened his powers, anger, joy, fear, frustration, and more, all these emotions were building up in Azgruz's mind, creating agonizing pain.

More experienced Weirdboyz trained Azgruz in the psychic arts, where he mastered the various ork techniques, but his teachers had already perished in battle or shot down trying to escape the Weirdhouse.

Without those closest to being his friends, or relevant battles to release his energy, Azgruz remained alone with his thoughts and emotions, and it became unbearable.

Azgruz ran towards the door of his cell and observed the hallway through the small opening, where he saw a green light shining through the gaps and openings of the cell opposite his.

"AAAHHH!" Pained screams echoed down the hallway, for Azgruz was not the only one suffering from accumulated emotions.

BOOM!

An explosion shook the building, followed by a metallic clang, and filled the corridor in a dust cloud, blocking Azgruz's vision, although he did glimpsed something green and shiny passing in front of his cell.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

More explosions occurred, followed by screams, shaking the complex. Azgruz knew he had to escape from there, he had always known the purpose of the Weirdhouse since he arrived, but he had never found a breach.

Azgruz clutched his head again, feeling the pain intensify, it felt like, his head would explode. The Minderz would kill him, or he would use the built-up emotions to escape, destroying everything in his path.

Azgruz's vision turned green, and the rest was just blurs and flashes. Azgruz found himself in the destroyed hallway with other Weirdboyz coming violently out of their cells, screaming and punching the walls in a blind rage.

Then the Minderz appeared, opening fire on all the Weirdboyz present, some died, others returned the attack in the form of psychic techniques, spitting fire and shooting lightning from their fingertips.

Azgruz saw a Minder pointing a Shoota in his direction, so he raised his hand, accumulating energy in his fingertips and...

-XXXXXX-

Azgruz was no longer in the corridors but in the courtyard outside the central building.

Looking back, Azgruz saw the building engulfed in green flames and partially collapsed, with dead Minderz and Weirdboyz scattered on the ground, burnt, shot, or crushed by rubble.

Then Azgruz focused on the path in front of him, with Minderz and Weirdboyz fighting on all sides. A Weirdboy raised his hand, causing two stone slabs to come out of the ground and crush a Minder like garbage in a compactor.

Unfortunately, that same Weirdboy died when a Minder let go of his chain and allowed his Attack Squig to advance, biting the Weirdboy on the neck and sending him crashing to the ground.

Azgruz did not know what to do, the alarm ringing muffled in the back of his mind was annoying, and one of the watchtowers collapsing in flaming ruins was an impressive sight, but that was not the point, he needed to get out of there, now.

Azgruz had his answer when a Weirdboy near the wall to his right screamed with all his might as psychic energy enveloped his body, the ork floated and swelled, his body cracking with green light shining through the cracks, then...

BOOM!

The Weirdboyz exploded in a wave of psychic energy, reducing the wall to nothing and creating a passage to the outside. Azgruz had his way out now, he just needed to get past the out-of-control Weirdboyz, angry Squigs, and Minderz shooting to kill, no big deal.

So Azgruz ran towards his only chance of freedom...

-XXXXXX-

Azgruz did not know where he was, after all, he had never had the chance to get to know the outside properly, and now the city was different from what he remembered.

At least he was not alone. Azgruz looked back, seeing the two Weirdboyz following him, with eyes glowing an intense green and psychic energy coursing through their bodies, although one was on fire and the other with both arms missing.

The three of them ran through the city streets, trampling the drunken orks who stood in their way, but any relief the Weirdboyz felt vanished when a blinding light shone behind them accompanied by the roar of engines.

Looking back, Azgruz saw the Minderz approaching on Warbikes as they fired.

Bullets whizzed past the Weirdboyz as they ran, doing their best to escape their pursuers. That is until the armless one stopped in his tracks, turned to the Minderz, and took a deep breath before spitting out a torrent of green flames.

The old wooden buildings immediately caught fire in an intense blaze, while the psychic flames consumed the Minderz and their vehicles.

However, the flaming wreckage did not lose its momentum and slid down the street, hitting the armless one just as the flames reached the fuel tank, generating a gigantic green fireball.

-XXXXXX-

Azgruz didn't feel sorry for the armless one, he died free and fighting, a fitting end for any self-respecting ork, but the flaming one wasn't as lucky, his body giving up after burning for so long and becoming a scorched husk on the ground.

However, the chase was not over, for Azgruz spotted the light of dozens of lanterns shining in the distance, their bolts of light stretching towards the night sky as furious footsteps and shouts drew closer.

Azgruz kept running, reaching a distant section of the city with ruined shacks and abandoned warehouses. Strangely, the buildings seemed to get better the deeper he went into the area.

The Weirdboy glimpsed something around the corner, graffiti of a yellow moon surrounded by black flames, which meant nothing to Azgruz, so he kept running.

However, his luck was short-lived, Azgruz saw the light of the approaching lanterns and the first Minder came into his field of vision, pointing with one finger while shouting to the others who followed.

Azgruz concentrated, with green lightning flowing through his copper staff, and prepared to fight.

-XXXXXX-

How much time had passed? Azgruz did not know the answer. Sweat and blood dripped down his face, his own and that of his enemies, as he gasped and his heart beat like an engine.

The Weirdboy felt blood leaking from his mouth and a few teefs missing, his body covered in cuts, bruises, and squig bites, but his psychic barrier managed to protect him from the shots for the time being.

Nevertheless, the Minderz did not give up; they kept fighting and bringing out the heavy weaponry. A Minder carrying a Big Choppa in the shape of a large axe advanced, swinging the weapon above his head before lowering it towards Azgruz.

However, Azgruz moved faster, swinging his staff and unleashing a wave of green lightning that boiled the air and struck the Minder in the chest, scorching his body and sending him flying away.

Meanwhile, two Minderz taking cover behind a partially collapsed wall opened fire with their Big Shootas, sending an absurd rain of bullets toward the Weirdboy.

Azgruz muttered something incomprehensible and slammed his staff into the ground, strengthening his psychic barrier, and successfully blocking the projectiles, although his barrier cracked with each impact, a sign of the pressure he had to endure.

Simultaneously, two more Minderz, hiding behind a rusty vehicle, pulled the pins out of their Stikkbombz and hurled them toward Azgruz in a shower of explosives.

Azgruz's eyes widened for a moment before he raised his staff and stopped the Stikkbombz in mid-air, but this diverted his focus from the psychic barrier, causing its fall to accelerate.

Azgruz wasted no time in taking action and sending the Stikkbombz towards their owners and the Minderz behind the wall, although not before the barrier broke and bullets grazed his left shoulder.

Then all became silent, after the explosions and the Minderz's death cries, the only noise being what remained of the wall collapsing and the small fires scattered around the area.

For a moment, Azgruz thought it was all over, but the Weirdboy shouted a series of insults as he saw more heavily armed Minderz approaching from an alley in front of him.

Azgruz concentrated, slamming his staff into the ground and using what little psychic energy he had left to rebuild his barrier.

Nevertheless, he tilted his head in confusion as Stikkbombz came from above and landed at the feet of the Minderz in the middle of their run, reducing them to a pile of mangled flesh after the explosions.

More Minderz appeared. This time from a street to his right, but they never had the chance to approach, as several rabid Squigs jumped out of the alleyways and attacked the group, knocking them to the ground with head butts and bites before tearing into their necks.

A high-pitched whistle echoed through the area's labyrinthine streets and alleys, the Squigs stopped devouring the Minderz and ran away, leaving Azgruz alone.

Azgruz scanned his surroundings, turning quickly as he saw dark shapes scurrying across the shacks and rooftops, leaping from building to building before disappearing into the darkness.

BANG!

A shot echoed through the night and a bullet hit Azgruz's barrier, although it only caused ripples due to its smaller caliber.

Azgruz returned the attack by sending a wave of green lightning in the general direction from which the shot came, destroying the roof of an abandoned building with a crash.

However, nothing happened, there were no screams or bodies to prove that there was someone there.

BANG!

BANG!

Two more shots hit Azgruz's barrier, cracking it slightly. The Weirdboy slammed his staff into the ground and sent a wave of stone spikes toward the alley from which the shots originated.

The wave approached, lifting the earth and destroying everything in its path, stopping just short of taking down a shack, but there was nothing there again.

Then Azgruz found himself bombarded from all sides. The sound of gunfire mixed with voices and uncontrolled emotions screaming in his mind as bullets rained down on him.

They came from alleys, rooftops, and windows, it was impossible to focus on a single point.

CRACK!

Azgruz's eyes widened in surprise as the barrier cracked, but he did not know how. The caliber of the bullets hitting the barrier was not enough to damage it, so...

CRACK!

Another crack appeared. This time to Azgruz's left. Looking down at the ground, the Weirdboy saw several crumpled bullets scattered on the ground next to his barrier, but two stood out from the rest.

Two huge bullets, half the size of his head, painted black.

CRACK!

A third crack formed to the right, and Azgruz noticed the lack of firing noise. The Weirdboy roared in fury, fire escaping from his mouth and psychic energy from his eyes.

Azgruz raised his lightning-shrouded staff and hurled it in random directions, hitting buildings, alleys, and rubble. Nevertheless, Stikkbombz came from the roofs of the remaining ones, causing the Weirdboy to interrupt his attack to protect himself.

Azgruz used his powers to hold the explosives in the air, removing his focus from the barrier, and allowing the smaller caliber shots to cause significant damage, and once again, a silent, black-painted projectile hit the barrier, expanding the cracks.

The Weirdboy gritted his teeth as his headache intensified, the various stimuli overloading his senses.

The thunder of the shots, the hum of the projectiles cutting through the air, the metallic crackling of the barrier falling apart, the Stikkbombz coming from above, and the silent shots causing worrying damage, it all became impossible to bear.

Azgruz put these thoughts behind him when the firing stopped and the Stikkbombz fell like rain. The Weirdboy did his best to stay alive, throwing the Stikkbombz back towards the falling ones, creating a huge explosion.

Summoning green flames and shaping them into the form of a flying serpent, which circled its surroundings, devouring the Stikkbombz and detonating them in the air.

Conjuring lightning and transforming it into screaming skulls that exploded immediately afterward, shooting towards the Stikkbombz whose metal served as a lightning rod, blowing them up.

Trapping the Stikkbombz in psychic bubbles, shrinking their size until they crushed the explosives.

Then explosions consumed the air, surrounding Azgruz in blinding flashes, deafening booms, heat, and clouds of dust, dirt, and smoke. Time slowed down as the Weirdboy spun around in panic and confusion, his senses unable to keep up, as the noise muffled in the background.

Azgruz saw a red and purple blur for a moment, but this blur disappeared soon after, returning in a different place, only closer, making Weirdboy frown in confusion.

Azgruz stopped as soon as the blur became clear and saw a figure staring at him amidst the explosions, a large ork wearing purple armor and cloak, a strange container strapped to his chest, and pointing a Dakka Shoota in his direction.

Azgruz's mouth dropped open in a muted scream and his eyes widened in surprise.

The Weirdboy pointed his staff at the ork, but it was too late. The ork pressed the trigger of his gun and the drum rotated, releasing a shower of black-painted bullets from the gun's three barrels.

The barrier did not last long after that, quickly cracking in a mixture of metallic pops and breaking glass, as the ork approached with slow, heavy steps.

Strangely, the ork stopped firing when the barrier fell, preferring to put the Dakka Shoota on his back and advance with raised fists, wrapped in some kind of glove with spikes on the ends.

Azgruz accumulated what little energy remained in his staff and thrust it forward like a shock baton, aiming for the ork's chest, only to discover that the ork had some kind of energy shield protecting him.

Azgruz held back a pained cry as he received a crushing punch to his face, blurring his vision shortly, and making his ears ring, as the Weirdboy was sure he heard a strange high-pitched scream.

"Wawa!"

However, Azgruz did not allow it to knock him down, the Weirdboy staggered backward, swinging his energized staff towards the ork's side, but the ork moved faster, blocking the blow with his forearm and grabbing the staff straight after.

Then the ork pulled the staff, causing Azgruz to stumble towards him, punched the Weirdboy in the jaw with his free hand, knocking Teef out and spilling blood on the ground.

Azgruz landed with a heavy thud, feeling the air leave his lungs, the ork's boot approaching his face was the last thing he saw before everything went dark.

-XXXXXX-

"Well, an out-of-control Weirdboy, surprising but not unexpected." I commented, watching the unconscious ork in front of me.

"Wwwaaaggghhh!" Laenae shouted, pushing the lid of her crib open and shouting at the ork. I could only laugh at the adorable sight, as she made her best fierce face, making it even cuter.

"Calm down, calm down, you'll scare him like that. We've already finished off the Git who interrupted our peaceful night." I replied, patting Laenae's head, and making her laugh.

I put these jokes aside and focused on the Grots coming out of the alleys and buildings, and looting the dead Minderz scattered around the streets. Hm... They are carrying some quality new weapons. Perfect! My arsenal has just expanded.

My Junkka Trukk turned the corner, stopping a few meters from me with its rump full of loot, and with Dobby and Gulg stepping out of the driver's seat.

"Here boss!" Gulg said excitedly, handing me a Copper Staff from the other dead Weirdboyz.

"Thanks, Gulg!" I replied, touching the staff and smiling as I saw the psychic energy flowing through the metal.

"What are we going to do with him boss?" Dobby asked, pointing to the Weirdboy bleeding and muttering on the floor.

"Good question, what will I do with you?" I said more to myself than to the Weirdboy as I crouched down next to him.

I could kill him now and avoid any future problems, or I could do what I have done so far, and turn my current problems into something useful.

I had to choose soon because my Grots and I spotted lights shining in the distance. It would be naive to think that this chaos had not caught the attention of the entire city.

"Let's take him with us! EVERYONE, IT IS TIME TO GO HOME, SEPARATE YOURSELVES AND MEET US AT THE BASE!" I shouted to the Grots as I grabbed the Weirdboy and threw him into the rump of the Junkka Trukk.

The Grots nodded and ran away in different directions, carrying as much loot as they could. I sat in the driver's seat, with Dobby and Gulg in the back, and stepped on the accelerator, heading towards our home.

I glimpsed the approaching lights through the rearview mirror, so I shifted gears and drove faster, getting out of there before someone could identify me.

-XXXXXX-

I lay down on my bed, sighing with relief as I stripped down to my T-shirt and pants. Simultaneously, Laenae's crib rested on a smaller bed next to mine, with Laenae asleep inside.

I closed my remaining eye as I reviewed what we had done recently. We tended to some of the Weirdboy's wounds, and gagged and chained him in the garage, locking him in the storage room full of cleaning materials. I will leave the questioning for tomorrow.

I allowed the lightness to take over my mind, hoping to get a good night's sleep, but I stopped as soon as I heard a noise and felt a weight next to me.

Opening my eye, I saw Laenae sitting on my bed, staring at me curiously, as she bit her hand. Great, she has barely learned to walk and she is already putting it into practice!

"Is there a problem?" I asked the baby.

"Tata!" Laenae exclaimed, touching my cheek.

"Is that so? And how do you feel about that?" I nodded before asking again.

"PPPSSSHHH!" Laenae stuck out her tongue.

"Don't take it to heart, it'll pass with time." I shrugged.

"Hhhmmm!" Laenae mumbled and poked my face.

"No need to be rude."

"Oooppp!" Laenae replied.

So I spent most of the night chatting with Laenae until she fell asleep, apparently, peace is hard to come by around here.

END OF CHAPTER