Fulminata- A Warhammer 40,000 Story

Apothecarion

Cicero rose. His gut was still cut open, leaking his insides to the outside, but he rose all the same. Anius tromped towards him in his heavy Terminator armor.

"Good shot," Anius sneered.

Anius motioned forward to support Cicero, but the 1st Captain waved him off.

A squad of Marines entered the Court of Thunder. They were marked as 1st company. Cicero's own. The Apothecary of the 1st Company, Cyrus, was with them.

"You're not in a great shape, captain," Cyrus said, that pleasant venom in his tone. That similar venom to Veydras.

"That's what you're here for." Cicero said, "I'm giving you something to do."

Cyrus got to work patching up Cicero.

"Shall we go after the survivors, lord?" Anius asked.

Lord, Cicero thought. Interesting. Not a bad fit.

"Not yet," Cicero said. "Gather our forces. We're too disorganized. We don't know who's loyal to us and who's not. Keep Voxes down for all but the 1st."

Anius nodded and trudged away.

Cicero waved off Cyrus for a moment. He walked towards the corpse of his old Chapter Master. He leaned over and picked up Kaeso's power sword. A weapon of masterful work. It had been in underserving hands for most of its use. It was time for the sword in be in the hands of someone who truly deserved it.

"Do we know where Gladio went?" Cicero asked.

"Likely the Apothecarion," Anius said.

Cicero nodded. "Contact the gene-seed honor guard. Have them slaughter everyone inside once Gladio arrives."

One of the marines nodded, and went off the contact them.

"We must start a mobilization," Anius said. "Take as much ground as we can before the loyalists dig in."

"We will wait," Cicero said, holding up as hand as he returned to the cracked slab. It was stained with his blood. Cyrus returned to tending to Cicero. "If we can eliminate any loyal captains and lieutenants it will make the culling far easier."

Anius growled as he stalked away. "As you wish."

It took agonizingly long for the Captain to reach the Apothecarion. He was beginning to bear the full weight of Theos's body as the Lieutenant slipped further and further into unconsciousness. His white armor was beginning to be soaked by the blood of two Astartes.

Apothecary Descio greeted him when he finally found the Apothecarion. He immediately took the wounded Astartes from the Captain's shoulders, and an assistant took Titus's remains.

"What did this?" Descio asked, venom lacing his words at whatever the assailant might have been.

Gladio took off his helmet, setting down. He spat at the floor.

"Cicero."

Descio immediately stopped and turned to the Captain. "What are you talking about?"

"Cicero... betrayed us. He tried to kill Kaeso, he..."

Descio walked to Gladio, placing his hand upon his massive pauldrons. "Gladio, the Warp must be playing tricks on you. What are you-"

Gladio hit the Apothecary's hand off of his shoulder. "Cicero killed Kaeso. A bolt pistol to his unprotected skull, like a coward. He'll kill the rest of us too if we don't fall in line."