First Contact

Well, I don't need sleep and waiting around does me no good. The system dictates around four to five hours until ready for deployment. The gear upgrades aren't the problem I'd imagine. I think it's the stinger. They're probably implementing the coat's blood veil into the genes of my marines. Wait, if my marines can do something I can't then– never mind.

The same stinger I used when the Silver Garb was equipped protruded from my lower back. This time though, it was from my body and not clothing. It was hard to notice, but it grew to seven feet long. Exactly one foot it grew. The spear head was larger and the coils had a new found girth to them. I wonder if gene related upgrades also affect me?

No time for thoughts, the work of the Emperor isn't going to handle itself.

I ran on foot, the closest towns and cities near me were already decimated and picked clean of xenos filth. Of course I'm only counting surface dwellers, I don't have enough men to deal with underground nonsense. Too many corners and spots for four marines and one Primarch to consolidate.

I ran miles down south, picking off small packs here and there before arriving at the city of Milwaukee. Walking, screeching Legion Points and items. Most of all, new types. That's what I saw as I entered the streets of the city. Going to be here for a while before my marines finish upgrading. May as well get them more in the long run.

Making my way around the city, I wasn't even nine feet from the entrance before–

—Svlwick!

Having to dodge a spider attempting to cream on me. A powerful step back, I did. Bewildered, I was. Need nuke, for spider, I do.

EDF Spiders or 'Aggressive Alien Species Beta' or 'Species Beta' for short were jumping spiders that liked to shoot strands of webs. Tan and big eyes, almost perverted looking when you stare long enough. This hairy fucker was annoying in game, almost had a sixth sense on dodging rocket shots or plasma shots whenever I played Wing Diver or Ranger. The harder the difficulty, the larger the spread and number of their strands they shoot out. The missed shot hit an unimportant building with… 20- 40 strands of webs– times like these I wished I had a ranged weapon– oh wait.

The spider crawled out of an alley it was camping in, clicking its mandibles as it watched me with its eyes. It watched my attempt at picking up a car, watch being used loosely here as it jumped high in the air in my direction. Forced me to combat roll out of there; a smart arachnid.

I wasn't given time to breath as it raised one of its hind legs to smack me aside. But to its dismay–

—Grip!

I caught its leg and dug in on its skin. Purple ooze colored my hands. It attempted to jump, hoping to lose me in the initial motion– maybe in the air. But I held on; in fact, I pulled down. It crashed hard from the peak of its jump. A crater underneath it.

I gripped harder and ripped its hind leg, leaving seven left. It squealed like a bitch… and I treated it like one as I punctured its ass with my fist. Nothing sexual about it, just pure, unadulterated violence as I climb up to its back– making sure to put a hole on the spider as I did. At the top, I felt it lower itself. This sucker was going to jump, can't have it do that.

—Wham!

I palm striked what would be the head of the spider, leaving an even bigger crater below it as it crashed from the force. Unfortunately, that fractured its skull and turned its insignificant brain to liquid.

The fun wasn't over–

—Svlwick!

I turned around and quickly grabbed a strand of 20 plus web strings coming at me. As I held on the strand with one hand and the others attached themselves to me, I now understand why one takes damage in EDF if hit by these. I felt my hand burn– these were acidic. Honestly, the feeling was revelating: I was human. For the first time, I felt pain.

"Hmm, you need a reward," I gave it a creepy smile, "lucky for you, I'm feeling ROMANTICAL!"

Even as a xeno, its offensive nature understood the basic rule of law. The law of finding out.

I pulled it, the grip on the string as strong as a brother's bond to one another. It back flipped in the air as its abdomen was pulled in. I jumped, its strings were nothing but an annoyance. Still in the air, the spider was met with the force of a thousand speeding trucks, its air knocked out of its system as it fell back first into the black top of the road. In its blind spot, I was there. I gave it a classic closeline– and now I weaponize my elbow–

"AND FROM THE TOP ROPE…!"

I commentated my way down before–

—Boom!

Another crater was made beside the carcass. I drove my elbow in between its Cephalothorax and abdomen. Some blood and webbing squirted out of the thing, but its heart still beating. To rectify that, I stuck both hands elbow deep into its flesh. The sound of it like a symphony on a Tuesday afternoon: completely random and annoying. I exerted opposing forces, like breaststroking on water, ripping the bastard in half.

I fell in between the bodies and made my way along the road. This was going to be a fun day.

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"This is ranger seven, we need back up! I say again: WE NEED BACK UP!"

"God DAMNIT!"

The assignment was simple: investigate and report back. Ranger 7 consists of 12 rangers. Now there's only five. Throughout the city, they found burrows and tunnels leading underground. Initial success infiltrating the area led to the lowering of their guard. That led to now, broken and falling. They held PA-11s, an M16 able to somehow kill giant bugs and alike. They were surrounded by all sides. Every alley blocked, surrounded buildings turned to rubble. Their enemies thirst for blood.

Black ants, common and numerous. Spiders, common and numerous. Web and acid alike gave them no breathing room; and if it wasnt that, it was the mandibles of the ants that gave them trouble.

All but 30 minutes, and they're low in ammo. While the rest of the rangers wore green, an individual with a red helm stood out from among them. He was the commander, and his face was dire. 

"We can't take much more of this commander!" one of his subordinates exclaimed.

Rubble and cars were their cover. The bodies of the fallen insects and arachnids piled higher and higher.

"I know private, all we can do is fire our guns. If you're out, throw a fucking rock. If we die– we die fighting!"

"Hey! At least they're big enough to where we don't have to aim!"

"HHAAHAHAH!"

The sound of broken morale quickly turned into bravado. Their fear is masked by camaraderie and acceptance. 

"To Save our mother Earth from any alien attack!"

One of them started to sing; and like an infection, others joined along as they fired round after round.

"From vicious giant insects who have once again come back!" 2x

"We'll unleash all our forces, we won't cut them any slack!" 3x

"THE EDF DEPLOYS!" 5x

—Fwaph!

—Booph!

The rangers were hit with a sudden explosion in the middle of their defense.

"GAph! What in the…"

"What'd you eat, Jeff?"

"You're mothers chile!"

They coughed until the dust settled. A silhouette of a man slowly arose from the smoke. A crater under him. The rangers craned their necks up as the man reached peak height.

"Nice singing boys!" A voice charismatic and boisterous boomed from within, "why don't we make a tune to accompany that?"

As the dust settled, they found the man handsome. From another man to another, the truth must be kept honest: the tall giant was easy on the eye.

His question didn't fall on deaf ears, "wh– with what instruments?"

The man smiles; and with a deep murmur, he answers, "the screeching of insects."

From his inventory, he pulls out a Heavy Cannon; not caring if the onlookers saw a gun appear out of nowhere. Shouldering it, he squeezed the trigger. Heavy kickback, an even heavier sounding thunder as a round exits the barrel. Shells ejected at a medium pace, a testament of the never ending barrage his enemies are now subjected to.

"More~" the Primarch Duraeus demanded, "I need MORE!"

He made it so as he summoned from his inventory another Heavy Cannon. Taking a step on rubble as if posing for a George Washington painting, he squeezed and held the trigger of the second gun.

Ants and spiders were shredded. A weapon meant to kill demons was no match for insects. As he laid out judgment, the others arose from their stupor. They too laid out judgment.

~Crrck~ "This is HQ, your request is acknowledged. Support is on its way."

"Understood," the commander took his rangers, "hear that boys? Reinforcement!"

"EDF!" 4x

"BY THE EMPEROR! DIE!"

Duraeus's warcry fell in deaf ears as the others were preoccupied by the notion of help coming soon; and soon they did as engines roared. Duraeus was the first to notice; and as he was almost running out of ammo too.

To rectify that, he lowered the muzzle, confusing the rangers.

"Big boy, you out of ammo?" the commander asked.

"No," Duraeus replied back with a wicked gaze. The two Heavy Cannons were put back in his inventory; he picked up a rock, "I've got plenty right here."

"You can't be–"

—Swoosh!

Bug after bug the rock was not stopped. It dwindled in its original size of a fist, but it never stopped piercing ants and spiders alike. Due to the close proximity of tunnels, the size of the bug horde didn't dwindle, but that throw alone killed dozens.

The rangers were bewildered. Upon entering, this mysterious giant summoned weapons from mid air, only to throw rocks at the end; both methods lethal in his hands. They were accepting at first; why refuse help in a dire situation? Now, they have even bigger questions aside from who he is. Judging from his attire, not from around here. 

The questions only grew as he entered melee with the giant bugs, with fist and cannon. A certain pattern arose in the eyes of onlookers. The giant would spray the two giant guns, sometimes rockets or a singular powerful round would come from the gun. Only when his rounds were low did he enter melee. Caving the heads in as easily as folding paper.

Then the impossible happened. The insect horde actually slowed and dwindled. By the time two ranger squads arrived with APC support, the first thing they saw was a man. Dirtied yet pristine in condition. He looked as if he didn't just massacre multiple waves of insects. Missing legs, punctured carapace and torn ligaments and body parts spread from one side of the city to another.

Duraeus smiled. Today, he got thousands of LPs and items to sort through. He also made a good impression on the rangers today. Hopefully that carries to the higher ups.

Now is not the time for hiding. The aliens aren't going to burn themselves.

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The EDF forces were warry– understandable. Before them stands a man bordering godhood. A giant, strong willed and physical embodiment of violence; the evidence is plenty. 

The five rangers including their commander got immediate aid. As for the newly enforced squads that arrived. A blizzard of clicks and buzzing came from their radios. From their eyes, one can guess their thoughts as they look at the Primarch with caution and intrigue. They watched as the Primarch walked from one field to another.

To them, Duraeus was a specimen of question and mystery. Even now as he walks from corpse to corpse, they can't fathom his actions. Is he on the lookout? Making sure the aliens are dead?

In reality, Duraeus was just collecting his due. All attempts at communicating were met with deaf ears. With the amount of bodies, he had to pick up the pace before the sun sets.

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An hour, that's all it took. Now, he sits atop a turret on one of the APCS. He was too large to be inside. He happily complied when requested to join them back to HQ. He'll need to cooperate with this world's resistance if he'll make a good impact. Fighting alone with his marines did come to mind, but opted for a more mercenary/supporting role in this fight. In the end, these guys are human too. The very same he's meant to protect.

Nothing more glorious than fighting alongside humanity.

All digressions aside, Duraeus's eyes were too busy scrolling the system's upgrades and inventory. This ride just gave him a perfect reason to further improve his marines and maybe himself.