8.Old friends

'I'm da hand of Gork and Mork, Dey sent me to make war! …'

~ Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka

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"Very interesting!" Ras Al Ghul exclaimed, his voice echoing in the small room.

Talia, seated opposite him, raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, master, if I don't understand why this man piques your interest."

They were just from watching a live feed of the press conference.

"No disrespect intended, of course," she hastily added, fearing to anger the man known to many as the Demon's Head.

Ras Al Ghul chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "It wouldn't hurt you to call me father once in a while, Talia."

"Sentimentality is meaningless, isn't that what you always say...father?" Talia replied after a prolonged pause.

Ras Al Ghul merely shifted in his seat, taking a sip of tea, seemingly unfazed by her retort. "This man intrigues me. Lex Luthor, a man known for his pride, requested my help to eliminate him. That alone makes him worth investigating."

Silence descended upon the room. Talia waited patiently for her father to elaborate.

"He possesses some curious abilities," Ras Al Ghul continued. "Lex claims he seemingly materialized out of thin air." The Demon's Head scoffed, but his years had taught him not to dismiss the occult entirely.

"If he can make Lex Luthor beg for help, then he must be quite the anomaly," Talia remarked, standing before her father.

"Observe. Learn," Ras Al Ghul instructed, rising and strolling towards a hidden door that opened to a small, snow-covered training ground.

"Use and Eliminate ," Talia finished, her voice cold.

Ras Al Ghul flicked his wrist, sending a small scroll towards Talia, who caught it effortlessly. "Don't disappoint me. Now leave. You know what to do."

Talia bowed curtly and retreated into the depths of the League of Shadow's hidden sanctum, passing through a hall lined with the armor of past Demon's Heads.

"A new errand, I presume?" came a silken voice from one of the shadows.

"Lady Shiva," Talia acknowledged, her voice devoid of warmth. "I presume you weren't eavesdropping ."

"Of course not," came the reply, laced with sarcasm. Lady Shiva emerged from the shadows, her movements silent and deadly. "When do we leave?"

"First light," Talia replied. "We'll be embedded with a team of CIA agents tasked with meeting this… anomaly. I want to see him for myself. Few things pique the Demon's Head's interest."

"And it wouldn't be considered eavesdropping if your father knew I was there the entire time, would it? Seems you still have much to learn," Lady Shiva smirked, revealing a similar scroll in her hand.

"Amuse yourself however you see fit," Talia grumbled, striding off.

Meanwhile in an undisclosed CIA black site….

A team of agents listened intently to their briefing.

"Welcome," the agent began. "Director Waller sends her regards. Unfortunately, she couldn't join you today, so I'll be taking her place."

"Such a shame," one agent snickered. "We already miss her."

"In love, are we, Gaz?" another chimed in.

"She is pretty to meeeeeee!" Gaz exaggerated, prompting laughter from the group.

The lead agent, clearly annoyed, slammed her fist on the table. "Alright, that's enough! ."

" Is that jealousy I hear, Jane?" Came a comment .

"You wish, Vasquez," Jane retorted, ignoring Gaz. A screen flickered to life, revealing a map.

"We'll be the security detail," the agent explained. "You'll be meeting Team B at a location to be specified tomorrow at 0400 hours."

"Guard duty again," Gaz grumbled, leaning back in his chair.

"Think of it as watchdogs," Jane countered.

"Team B is transporting high-value cargo. We've been given top-of-the-line weaponry, so expect trouble."

"Need-to-know basis," another agent muttered. "We just follow orders."

0400 Hours, Hudson City Outskirts

Four blacked-out SUVs sat parked on the side of a deserted highway, a few kilometers from Gotham City. Sixteen heavily armed agents waited patiently in there assigned vehicle.

"Why do you even listen to that crap?" Gaz complained.

"Nananana and I need you…" he sang off-key, clicking his lighter repeatedly.

"Go on, I dare you," Jane challenged.

"Nananana and I miss you…"

"Hey, hey, stop it! I was just joking, Alvarez!" Gaz laughed, as he tried to prevent Alvarez from shooting him while dodging Jane's playful punches.

"SHUT IT!" Jane roared, silencing the vehicle seemingly having had enough of the playful joke.

"Eyes sharp,you idiots better not embarass me…." Jane gestured at the side mirror as a line of lights could be seen coming up the road.

"Remember,stay professional …"Jane said as she got out of the heel,followed by the rest of the agents in the various cars.

The lead SUV stopped next to them and the back window rolled down. An Asian woman gestured over the team.

"You may call me Natalia,it's simple we are heading to Gotham to meet someone and transport a gift to them, if everything goes ok you won't have to do your job,, I made that simple enough.." Talia said as she gestured the driver to drive off.

The car soon drove off as Talia sank back to her thoughts.

"What type of man do you think he would be.." lady Shiva asked in a playful tone.

"You talk too much lady Shiva.." whispered Talia in a cold tone as she fell into meditation.

Meanwhile at Ignatius manor ,the person in question was in his study lost in thought. The various happenings over the last few days had made him ponder much,if the artifact was really a portal couldn't he essentially go back.

But why would he,though the thought of being one to conquer a new universe intrigued him, but the thought of perhaps finding a kindred spirit like Fabius Bile intrigued him.

Ignatius looked over the device before deciding to interface with it to see what changes the warp gods had done to it.

Connecting his orgmetics to the device,he was left disappointed at the lack of any change before his consciousness was suddenly pulled into a dark room.

Various images flashed one after another with no order to them "Let's see how this works."

Ignatius focused on one image that flashed by for a second and it seemed to shine for but a second before a great golden figure appeared before him.

Ignatius stared at the figure as it also stared back but Ignatius upon noticing that he had involuntarily summoned a Custodes but not any other but Constantin Valdor felt gears in his body scream as they worked with maximum effort to dodge the strike from the custodian.

"To think I'll see this wretch again,I always knew you weren't dead.." emotionally stated Constatin as he pressed his attack on Ignatius who struggled with all his might to dodge as he knew one strike is all it took.

'Omnissiah save me for I have sinned,deliver me from this brute..' Ignatius said a prayer as time slowed the guardian spear only mere centimeters from cutting off his head.

Seeing no other way ,Ignatius used this opportunity of his hightened sense to focus on another image and to his relief the custodian vanished in a puff of smoke only to be replaced by that of an astertes clad in black terminator armor appeared before him.

Ignatius was immediately filled with a sense of relief and joy as this time he had managed to contact someone he knew, " I told you nothing could kill me Gharrok,I even summoned you to the underworld to see it for yourself." Joked Ignatius as his memory chip resurfaced events of how he met the old war smith defending a no name world with the iron warriors."

"Is that really you Ignatius? Or I'm I finally succumbing to the mechanations of the warp." Gharrok went on bellowing a laugh half believing he had finally been possessed by a demon during a warp travel if he was seeing an old acquaintance.

"We have much to discuss,but first let's get out of this place.."Ignatius stated focusing back on his study and as he looked at the 8 foot tall man who still had a look of resignation staring at the darkness with a smile on his face,but a loud creaking voice ruined the mood as the heavy man caused the floor to crack by merely moving.

"You may be a demon for all I care but at least I managed to save some of my brothers,I have no regrets." chimed in Gharrok with eyes closed .

Memories of the last stand he held against a ork incursion on his ship to allow his brothers a change to mount a suitable defense from the un ending horde filled him with pride.

Gharrok released a heavy breathe before turning to Ignatius,clearly looking for clarification.

But just then one of Ignatius maid knocked at the door stating that his guests had arrived.

"I have much to tell you friend but for now ,move there the cogni arms should be able to get your armor off." Stated Ignatius as from the wall slid out his pseudo body and a set of mechanical arms. "I want you to join me for this meeting,I think you'll find your knew circumstances favorable."

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I'm back fellow followers of the mechanicum,muhahahaaha

To clarify people pulled through the warp don't become mindless vegetables.they are literally pulled from the warhammer universe from various timelines still the way they are.

Thanks for reading everyone I appreciate it.