Night Haunter? I hardly know 'er!

Tic, tac...

The clicking tick around his ears. An already familiar sound that follows the ticking of his hearts.

Moving around the halls, his company already made most of the carnage. He stood in front of a pile of bodies. His attention went to an almost severed hand. Small rivulets of blood were pooling around the palm, creating a little creek of crimson, dripping slowly from one of its fingers.

Tic, tac, drip...

The sound perfectly encompassing with the rest of the rythm.

Perfection. Is always perfection what must be achieved. As cogs in a clock: everything must be aligned.

Tic, tac, drip, drip, click...

The sound of the security system being carefully breached, to open the cockpit joins the melody.

A round of bolter fire engulfs the hall in a lighting blue. The smell of ozone reaches Takis's breather, in small huffs , as he is being surrounded in smoke.

No.This is not right. This noise is too loud, too quick.

Takis advances quickly between rounds of bullets, and easily enters the room. A soft swift of his sword cuts the arm of one of the few survivors of the ship, making him drop his gun. The same movement decapitates another.

Tic, tac, drip, drip, swish... following a melody of his own. What a beautiful tone! Perfect pace. Perfect . It must be perfect.

Soon, the room goes silent. The captain of the crew is face to face with a towering monster. Half of his face is fused to his helmet. A pair of glowing, unblinking eyes, as if it were the headlights of a Rhino, stare back at her. The figure aplroaches her in slow steps.

She raises her lasgun, aiming at the head. Her head is spinning, she feels her fingers trembling lightly. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the trigger.

Tic, tac, tic, bam!

The creature didn't even moved. The bullet got trapped in its forehead as if it were a stone wall.

Takis raised one of his hands and gestured with it:

"Perfect"

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Aradegi was a doting partner, he prided himself on being loving and understanding towards his beloved husband, to being engaged in his interests and encouraging him to pursue what made him happy. Bardil loved to fix things, but above all he adored nursing injured animals back to health. The latter made him a pariah amongst his Iron Warrior brothers, and if it wasn't for Aradegi, he would still be alone and terrified in some chaos port.

His beloved's birthday was coming up, and of course, he had to plan a grand present. He'd been tracking Inquisition shipments, looking for the perfect gift. It was hard to find an interesting pet, but, when he'd found a ship with some interesting cargo, he gathered his followers and allies and set course to intercept the ship first chance they got. It was a cruiser, small and quick, but also easy to cripple. Bardil was, of course, confused when they'd gone off course, but Aradegi had ensured that he was none the wiser. He sighed as he made his way through the ship, his chest-length veil billowing as two of his arms swung scimitars that glowed with chaos-fueled energy, the other two holding the chains of canine daemons that lunged and devoured any of the Inquisitorial agents that got in their way. His many eyes trailed the hallway, and his hooves clicked as he pranced, "Where oh where…"

The sound of more human footsteps filling the hall annoyed him, and he stretched his arms, more hounds lunging out from warp tears and sprinting down the halls, screams and cries of agony filing the air. The corpses were stepped over, and he ran his fingers over the walls of the hall, humming as he did. Bardil would be awake soon, if he wasn't already, and he'd have questions about why Aradegi had boarded this seemingly random Inquisition ship when their supplies were full to the brim.

"We must be quick, my hounds." He snapped his fingers, the red skin of the beasts stretching outward as they fused together into a far larger beast, its many heads snapping and snarling as it barreled down the hallway and cleared the way. It was exhausting to commit these rituals, but he knew the work wouldbe over soon. He saw the door, and he smiled as he lifted the severed hand of Inquisitor Yamil and placed the palm on the scanner. The Inquisitor had been so verbose, it was obnoxious, and resisting the urge to turn him into mush has been hard, but he could practice restraint for his warrior. He giggled in delight as the door slid open, revealing a dark room. The smell of rotting flesh, bodily fluids of all varities hit his nose. He pinched the bridge as he turned the lights on, and he walked in. The lights were blinding, and the figure in the back of the room huddled into a corner. It was hard to tell if he was looking at man or. beast, but he supposed, Astartes were somewhere between the two. This one though, was especially sickly. His long white hair was matted and bloodied, his frame pitifully thin.

His smile widened, "Hello sweetheart, I'm here to bring you home."

-

Bardil never understood what was running through Aragedi's head. As much as he cared for him, the Word Bearer was strange. He devoted himself fully to Bardil without hesitation, he was an agent of Chaos and yet he extended kindness and compassion to anyone they came across, but he was also quick to turn on any threat, ripping their enemies to pieces without hesitation, indulging in cruelty that made even Bardil shudder. Aradegi was also thoughtful. So thoughtful, that he remembered the day Bardil had been 'born', and thoughtful enough he had spent months planning and plotting to bring him an emaciated Celestial Lion.

The Astartes was unresponsive as Aradegi knelt down and laid him and the pauldron of the lost legion on the floor, wrapped in white silk that was already stained by the open wounds that covered his body, "I…I don't know what to say, how did you..?" Bardil lowered himself from his command throne, lifting the head of the loyalist. His breathing was labored, his eyes glazed and bloodshot. He was in horrific shape. Bardil scooped the limp figure up, "Thank you, he's perfect."

"I'm so happy, my love." Aradegi embraced him with all four arms, kissing his cheek and nuzzling the smooth skin he found there, "I figured you could get him all patched up, then keep him for your own."

Bardil nodded and kissed Aradegi, "Want to watch me patch him up?" He asked. Aradegi nodded, interlocking their arms as Bardil led him to his clinic. As he opened the door, a few of the creatures he'd already rehabilitated began to stir, squeaking and croaking as they greeted him. Most he'd found in the Flesh Markets, all of them incredibly rare. It had taken work to get them to a healthy state, and he was working on finding them a place to go. A serpentine beast blinked all eight eyes as it rubbed on the glass, singing a song as it did. The equipment he had was all custom built, all of it based off the designs of the Merciful. He set down the Astartes on one of the metal exam tables, removing the silk so he could get a better look. He grimaced. The skin damage alone would require weeks to begin healing, and as he checked over his face he noticed the orbital bone on the left side was broken.

His black carapace was becoming visible due to multiple puncture and burn marks, and much to his dismay, he would have to sever the right arm and fit a prosthetic. There were signs of damage to the ears, and he grabbed an internal scanner, checking each ear. The damage would cause him some hearing loss, but not complete. That was an upside at least. He stepped away and guided over the limb removal machine. It was a piece of art, it could sedate, clean, remove, and suture without any input from the user, even going so far as to save information on the removed limb so it could be used for a prosthetic.

The machine whirred to life as he hooked up a few monitors to his rescue. The machine whirred and groaned as it worked, the limb soon being neatly disposed of and the stump bandaged. Bardil grabbed a cloth, cleaning his rescue and getting to work cleaning up other injuries. He would need a hefty dose of antibiotics, and painkillers to make him as comfortable as possible while he recovered. He motioned for Aradegi to bring him a more comfortable long-term bed. He took a sample of skin to grow as a graft from his rescue's thigh, and he and Aradegi moved him to the bed. He used soft restraints to secure him, turning on the movement mode so the bed would adjust here and there to keep his blood flowing properly.

There was then the careful preparation of a few IVs, inserting them into his arm. He motioned for Aradegi to turn when he inserted the catheter. They'd be lucky if he woke within the next month, nonetheless, the work would be worth it.

-

Ra'thati had spent every moment since stepping aboard the Crown of Dawn in agony. He had been stabbed, burned, beaten, had acid thrown on him, and had his bones broken. For the first time in a long time, when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in agony. He was sore, yes, but, it was manageable. He was warm, and comfortable, faintly buzzed even from whatever was in his system. Had…He been saved? He looked around the room and heard the faint drone of machinery whirring around him.

Was he in a Merciful facility? That would make sense. They were the best at tending the injured, and his injuries were severe. He began to look around the room, noticing the lights were dimmed, the walls were painted a soft shade of yellow, and that there were xenos animals in cages. That couldn't be right, the Merciful didn't tend animals as far as he could tell. He tried to sit up but his ankles and wrists were secured in soft, padded bonds. He tried to jerk around but found himself unable, a light on one of the machines began to flash.

He could feel the vibrations of heavy footsteps as a dark haired Astartes came into view. He was smiling, and leaned closer, "Hi, how are you feeling? My name is Bardil."

His head was gently lifted, and the bed was adjusted so he was sitting up and could see another Astartes sitting at the end of the bed. It took Ra'thari a moment to realize that the Astartes he was looking at was visibly corrupted. He had tall, curled horns that emerged from his long dark hair, three sets of eyes, big soft lips, and cloven hooves. He was wearing a veil that was sheer, not doing much to hide his face. Panic set in and he gripped at the sheets. No. No he was supposed to be safe, had he been captured, healed, just to be subjected to more torment? He made an attempt at kicking only for his eyes to lock on his right arm. No. Oh Emperor no. They had mutilated him. He kicked and thrashed and he was swiftly pinned to the bed by Bardil.

"Shh, shhh, poor thing is scared, Aradegi help me hold him down and bring me some sedative. Poor thing, shhh, you're safe now." He soothed, petting the short hair on Ra'thari's head. The Astartes at the end of the bed moved to grab a syringe, two of his arms gently pinning him as he handed the syringe to Bardil. He kept fighting before growing too tired to move. He felt winded, and he struggled to remain awake as his face was stroked. A blanket was tugged over him and he was wrapped tightly, secure and comfy, "There we go, good boy, nice and comfy, hm? Sweet boy, you must have been so scared…"

Aradegi rubbed his shoulders gently, "Just sleep now, just relax, good boy. Such a good strong boy."

Ra'thari drifted off, unable to fight any longer.

-

Bardil had moved the Astartes to a proper room while he slept. It was clear he was distressed by his restrains despite the necessity, and he figured it would benefit him to rest in a private room with a bigger bed and some nice fluffy pillows. He had sorted through the reports Aradegi had retrieved and found a name. Ra'thari. It was a beautiful name, and he'd inscribed it onto the collar he'd been working on.

He'd been proud of the piece, shining silver that would stand out against the deep, bronze tan of his skin, blue crystals that would bring out his large, dark gray eyes, and clasps in the shape of a hand pressed to the head of a lion. A unique design, but he hoped Ra'thari would appreciate it. It was hard to approach him, he was a nervous creature, always tucking himself into corners whenever Bardil opened the door.

It was no different this time as he entered with the collar, "Ra'thari, its me." He announced, ensuring the Celestial Lion could see his hands as he closed the door behind him and set the tray of nutrient-rich broth and vitamin enriched crackers down on the small desk, "I brought you some lunch."

The white-haired astartes was tucked into the corner, knees to his chest and his arm resting on them. He bared his teeth, and hissed. He had yet to speak. Bardil assumed it was the trauma of what he'd endured keeping him quiet. Bardil knelt down, "C'mere sweetheart, I need to take a look at some of your injuries, and I don't want to have to sedate you again." He offered his hand and Ra'thari adjusted awkwardly for a few moments before shuffling forward. Bardil offered a smile and slid forward, taking a look at him.

The two months he'd spent in a coma had allowed him to gain substantial mass, but he would need more time before reaching a healthy weight. He looked over him and was pleased to see his scars had healed well. He reached out, "Ok, let me see your teeth.."

Ra'thari immediately scooted away and hissed again as he pressed against the wall. Unfortunately, his teeth were sensitive, especially after Bardil had to remove several rotting and broken molars from his mouth. It was clearly an area the interrogator had focused on. It hurt Bardil's hearts to think of how much he'd endured before being rescued, "Shh, it's ok. I'm just going to check how your new molars are, I promise, no poking or prodding, just looking." He offered his hand and Ra'thari shrunk away, continuing his snarling before reluctantly opening his mouth, letting Bardil take a look at his teeth. He was gentle as he leaned in to get a good look. They seemed settled, and Ra'thari quickly pulled away again.

"Good boy, there we go. So brave." He grabbed the bowl of broth and offered it to him. Ra'thari sniffed, looking at the bowl and its contents before taking the bowl with his remaining arm and beginning to slurp down the contents. He seemed to be adjusting well to the loss of his arm. He had a prosthetic he was working on but he needed to focus on bonding and recovery first. He grabbed the crackers and set offered one. Ra'thari set the bowl down and tried to take it with his hand, but Bardil pulled it away, "Here, take it from my hand, gently."

The white-haired Astartes just stared at the cracker before going back to the broth, finishing it. Bardil offered the cracker again but Ra'thari refused, turning his head and grimacing. Bardil sighed, "At least you didn't bite. Do you want a bath today? Nice warm water, lots of bubbles, some nice oils?" He offered.

The loyalist paused and took a moment to think over the offer. Bardil had been giving him some wet wipes for the time being, but he could only imagine how long it had been since he'd taken a nice, warm bath. Ra'thari eventually shook his head, pawing at the collar around his neck subconsciously as he tucked his face into the corner of his elbow, "Maybe another time." He sighed, and he gently reached out, offering his hand to sniff.

It was strange to do so with an Astartes but it was clear Ra'thari appreciated being able to see his hands at any time, to sniff him and see exactly what he'd been handling before entering the room. The Celestial Lion pulled back, seeming satisfied as he leaned on the wall and waited for Bardil to leave. He wanted to stay for a few moments, to try and speak or touch him, but it was clear what Ra'thari wanted. He rose up, making sure Ra'thari saw his hands as he took the empty bowl and tray. He left the crackers, just in case he grew hungry before he brought dinner in.

He turned as he walked, listening for any movement. There was none. Good. He didn't want to have to wrestle him into submission. He exited the room, closing the door and sighing. There was a long road ahead of them.

- Ra'thari grimaced as he scratched at himself. These heretics were strange. He didn't understand how they worked, why they behaved the way they did. They took care of him, they fed him, they cleaned him, and they always ensured he was comfortable. The bed they gave him was big and soft, the pillows plush, and the room was always kept cool. The only time they were physical with him was when he refused to let himself get checked. He especially hated when they touched his teeth. He'd become more accustomed, but, it made him react. Instinct he supposed.

He kept scratching before forcing himself to stop. His skin felt oily. He needed a bath. Bardil and Aradegi both had offered him the chance to bathe, but the idea of them seeing him nude made his skin crawl. Sure, they'd seen him naked, but in the bath it felt different. More vulnerable. He squirmed, uncomfortable as the door slid open. He looked up. Bardil and Aradegi were both standing there, Aradegi holding a tray with some medicine, and Bardil was holding a bottle of medicine, "Come here, sweet boy, last round of antibiotics." He approached and knelt.

He knew there was no point in fighting. Ra'thari opened his mouth, willing and compliant as the pill was placed on his tongue and a glass of juice was given to him. He swallowed down the juice and pill, and he looked up at Bardil. His lips parted and he tried to remember how to speak. It'd been so long, "…Bath." He managed, his voice hoarse and awkward.

Both heretics exchanged a look, confused. Aradegi cleared his throat, "I believe he wants a bath, my love. Shall I go prepare one for him?" He offered, shifting on his cloven silver hooves.

"Yes, use the soothing mix."

"Already planned on it."

Ra'thari watched Bardil for a few moments before standing. He was smaller than him, leaner too. The Iron Warrior had been trying to fatten him for reasons unknown. He assumed for his own enjoyment. To see him soft. Bardil was patient as he approached, "Steady now. Let's get you cleaned up." He was gentle as he placed a hand on Ra'thari's back, guiding him out of the room. The halls were brightly lit, in stark contrast to the warm, low light of his own quarters. Ra'thari felt wobbly as he was guided into the baths. Aradegi was knelt down by the baths, adding oils to the warm water and stirring it with his hand, singing as he did.

Ra'thari felt his cheeks flush as he shifted around awkwardly but neither of the men turned away from him. He'd stripped down in front of his battle brothers, and his time he'd been fostered by the Emperor's Spears had made nudity even less taboo in his own mind, and his privacy had been non-existent with that…Monster. Still, he felt flustered as he tossed his robes and slid into the warm water. Aradegi and Bardil stripped before joining him. Their touch was gentle, and warm. Aradegi massaged his shoulders, and Bardil got to work scrubbing his hair.

He expected the worst, that they would hurt him, or worse, but, they didn't. They were soft, they were just cleaning him. Bardil rinsed his hair and began conditioning it, "There you go, good boy. That must feel good, hm? Nice and clean."

Aradegi began to wash his back and sides, "Do you like the smell? It's lavender and chamomile. If you want something else, feel free to let me know." He began to work on his thighs and glutes with his other hands, sliding both hands up and down, interchanging them.

Ra'thari did like the smell. It was warm, and musky. A little floral too. They were both gentle, and neither made an attempt to do anything other than clean him despite the power they had. He relaxed, closing his eyes and finding himself leaning into Bardil's hand. He'd been alone for so long without the touch of another, he could blame the show of affection on that. Aradegi purred, "So sweet, there you go. So alone for so long.." His touch lingered on his upper thigh.

He was being given a choice.

Ra'thari watched Aradegi for a moment before parting his legs. Bardil took notice and sat down, coaxing Ra'thari to settle between his legs, gently guiding his thighs over his own, nuzzling him. Aradegi knelt between his legs, patting them and pressing chaste kisses, "Good boy, you must be needy." He murmured.

"All animals go into heat at some point, maybe that's what's going on." Bardil murmured, and Ra'thari made a displeased sound.

He wasn't some beast. He was just like them, not that they seemed to care. Aragedi pinched his tdick between his fingers, squeezing gently, "Definitely in heat. So swollen and needy, perhaps we should leash him, Bardil." He began to pumping his fingers up and down, and Ra'thari closed his eyes and shuddered.

"Perhaps."

It was hard for him to breathe as he was jerked off, the sensation foreign and overwhelming. His hand grabbed onto Bardil's arm, seeking something to ground himself with as he arched his hips into the touch. It felt wrong to seek pleasure in them, to allow them to do this to him, but, was it so bad to let them take something from him after all they had done for him?

"Breathe," Aradegi urged, "Go on, deep breaths. You're going to cum, you're going to enjoy it, and then Bardil is going to spoil you."

His hand spun up, jerking him off Ra'thari felt a twist in his lower belly, and he made a choked sound as he came heavily. Bardil rubbed his belly, gentle as he nuzzled his face and kissed his cheek, "Good boy, there you go. Just like that."

Bardil shifted back and began to clean up Ra'thari's pulsing cunt, fingers rough but his touch gentle, and once he was finished he shifted so he could cradle him, pressing his face to his chest. He felt sick, like he was going to puke as he was rocked gently, the Iron Warrior mumbling reassurances as Aradegi sat beside them, assisting Bardil in rocking him as he sang a hymn.

The sounds that left him were pathetic as tears welled in his eyes. The realization fully began to settle on him that he would never go home. He would never see his battle brothers again, he would never set foot in the veil, and the rest of his days would be spent among strangers, drifting place to place. He gurgled and gagged, his sobs strained and wet as he clawed at the tunic Bardil wore.

Tears began to run down his cheeks as he smacked at the firm muscle he was cradled against. He wanted to die. He wanted to be nothing but dust. Aradegi stroked a hand through his hair, "There you go, let it all out. You're not alone, we're here to help, just cry."