When Angels Cry
3,000 words. A short story about a Blood Angel, and his brother who has fallen to the Black Rage.
My first time writing something like this. Please enjoy.
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Sergeant Marneo was well built, even for a Primaris Marine. The Blood Angel was already a tall boy before the surgeries, and he emerged from them even taller. His brother Hadrian had joked with him that the apothecaries had switched Sanguinius’s gene seed for Vulkan’s during his surgeries. He was less than receptive to these jests. As Hadrian placed his hand on the console to open the door, he remembered those joking moments fondly.
Whatever jokes Hadrian may have made before, they were quickly put to bed by the sight that lay before him. His former Sergeant was chained to a wall at the far end of the room. Needles and tubes filled with various fluids and pharmaceuticals probed his skin in numerous places along his chest, upper arms, and thighs. Marneo appeared to be in a state of delirium, but the burning black eyes that stared at Hadrian betrayed that conception. What stared at Hadrian were not the eyes of some washed out drunkard, or half asleep vagrant, but the eyes of a killer overcome by rage.
As the door closed behind him, Hadrian slowly removed his helmet, and mag locked it to his side. The sound of the armor clicking into place caused Marneo to stir. His head rolled upwards, and his eyes narrowed at Hadrian. He said but one word, filled with malice and hatred. “Brother.”
Hadrian felt his hearts sink upon hearing the hatred in the word. “Hello Brother. How are you feeling today?”
Marneo lurched forward from the wall in an attempt to claw at Hadrian. He was held back by the chains and various needles holding him back. “Why do you care Traitor? Why do you continue to torment me with these visits?”
Marneo seemed to relax in the chains, but the black orbs of hate in his skull remained fixed on Hadrian. Hadrian reached into his back pocket and produced a small, orange fruit. “I brought you something brother. Mangoes. From our home world. Chauntea. Do you remember it brother?”
The scent of the fruit worked it’s way into the air toward Marneo. The scent only seemed to enrage him. “I remember we ate these together before you betrayed our father. Before you led your Black Legion against him.”
Hadrian was disappointed by this response, but he remained determined to get through to him. “Would you like a mango brother? It will help you feel like yourself again.”
Marneo’s face tightened. “Is it poisoned? I would expect nothing less of you traitor. Now I ask again, why are you here?”
Hadrian’s hearts sank further. Still he refused to accept the truth. “I’m here to bring you good news brother. I’ve been promoted. I have your job now brother.”
Hadrian tried to force a smile onto his face. Marneo thrashed angrily in his chains in response. “TRAITOR! YOU DON’T DESERVE THE GROUND YOU STAND ON HORUS! NOW GET OVER HERE AND FACE ME!”
The stone door opened again. The figure of a Blood Angels Chaplain stood in the doorway. The Chaplain called forward for Hadrian. “He is gone brother Hadrian. He belongs to the Death Company now.”
Sergeant Hadrian hung his head low in defeat. He put the mango back in his satchel and turned to leave. Marneo’s continued thrashing and screaming echoed through the room as the door closed once more. Outside, the Chaplain pressed a button on the door console. A warning klaxon sounded inside the cell, followed by a rush of pharmaceuticals flooding into Marneo’s body. The anger drained from his eyes as the drugs worked their way through him. He slumped back against the wall, propped up by his bindings as he entered a deep sleep. “Brother… why…”
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Lieutenant Hadrian Antinous of Wyvern Squad entered his brothers cell once again. It had been many years since he had seen his brother Marneo, and he was eager to deliver the good news to him. A small part of him hoped that Marneo would have come to his senses by now, that he would take Hadrian in his arms and cry out in joy at his brothers success. The rest of him knew this to be a farce.
Marneo was chained to the wall, in the exact way he had been when Hadrian left him. Marneo was fully awake upon entry this time. He made no effort to acknowledge Hadrian's presence. Just like before, Hadrian removed his helmet and hung it at his side. A faint smile adorned his lips as he spoke to his brother. “Brother Marneo, it is good to speak with you again.”
Marneo looked up at him, but made no effort to speak. Hadrian continued. “I’m a lieutenant now brother. We fought a mighty battle against the Orks on Madrigal. We killed so many my armor was green rather than red when we were finished!”
Hadrian forced a short laugh, hoping for his brother to respond. A glance. A movement. A word. Anything. His apparent lack of aggression gave Hadrian hope. Hope that maybe the Rage had left his brother. Maybe he had been cured. Maybe he had been saved. Maybe the Sanguinor-
“SHUT UP TRAITOR!”
Marneo lunged at Hadrian from his position on the floor. Once more, the chains and needles kept him from attacking his brother. In the rattling of chains and the screams of his brother, Hadrian heard the sound of his hope shattering. He watched on in despair as his brother continued screaming at him. “YOU BETRAYED ME! YOU BETRAYED OUR FATHER! YOU BETRAYED THE IMPERIUM! WHY HORUS? WHY?”
Hadrian hung his head low. He removed his helmet from it’s mag lock at his side, and placed it on his head. His HUD blinked back to life, displaying readouts of Marneo’s physical condition. Several warning klaxons blared at him pointing to elevated hormone levels in line with the Black Rage. He felt a tear well up in his eye as he turned to leave. Marneo called out after him. “YOU SCORN ME HORUS! GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT!”
Hadrian wheeled around, his hearts pounded in his chest, anger flowed in his veins, the Thirst flared in his mind as he spoke. “I AM NOT HORUS, BROTHER! I AM HADRIAN! I AM YOUR BROTHER! YOUR… friend…”
He took a deep breath to pull his emotions back under control. He felt his Angel’s Teeth had been stirred from his gums, and he forced them to retract. “Goodbye brother.”
He knocked on the stone door three times. The door grinded open slowly. He turned to look at his brother one last time before leaving. Marneo continued screaming after him, until the warning klaxons in the cell blared again, and once more he was sedated.
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Captain Hadrian Antinous of the Blood Angels Third Company was a sight to behold. His armor gleamed from a fresh coat of polish put on by his serfs, while numerous trophies and embellishments decorated his Gravis pattern Primaris armor. His helmet kept his face hidden as he stomped through the deck of the ship. Chaplain Relus followed him closely, listening to every word he spoke. “I want them ready to move by the end of the next planetary rotation.”
Relus stroked the head of his crozius staff and nodded. “Will you speak to… him, before deployment brother Captain?”
Hadrian froze. He hadn’t even considered that. He had been too wrapped up in the battle preparations to remember. “I-”
He felt a tear welling in his eye. He took a breath and tried to force it down. Relus looked at him quizzically.
“Brother Captain?”
“Yes. Yes brother Chaplain. I will speak with him.
Relus had his own reservations about his Captain’s decision, but the sound of thundering guns outside reminded him there were more pressing problems at hand. “Very well. I will leave you undisturbed.”
Hadrian continued down the hall to the cell of his former sergeant. The Death Company had already been deployed three times before Hadrian had been made a Captain, and each time Marneo had survived mostly unscathed. Protocol would have dictated his immediate execution, but Chaplain Relus felt he could still be of use to the Emperor, and so he was allowed to live. As Hadrian approached the cell, he had a feeling in his gut that this would be Marneo’s final stand. As he punched the authorization codes into the door console, memories replayed in his mind of their time together. Joyfully stealing mangos from their neighbor on Chauntea, playing various games together with their other brothers in training, fighting together on Talos III where Marneo was lost to the Rage…
Hadrian blinked that last memory away as soon as it appeared. In time for the stone door to grind open once more, for what Hadrian hoped would be the third and final time. He stepped into the room, leaving the door open behind him. He did not intend to stay long this time.
Marneo again, was already awake. This time instead of being chained to the wall nude, he was fully armored in the black battleplate of the Death Company. He lunged for Hadrian the moment he entered the room. The eve of battle always stirred the thirst of the Blood Angels, and the Death Company was no different. Marneo’s eyes screamed with intense fury, scanning the room for any possible threat. The only threat he could identify was Hadrian, so he focused on him. Gnashing his teeth and pulling on his restraints. “WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE ARE THE TRAITORS?”
Hadrian smiled under the helmet. Part of him was glad he wasn’t the target of Marneo’s fury for once. “They will be here soon brother Sergeant. You will have your revenge.”
Marneo threw his head back and roared. “BRING ME THE TRAITORS! BRING ME HORUS! I WILL TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB!”
Hadrian stepped closer to Marneo. He reached into his satchel and produced a small, orange fruit. He had pocketed the mango from the mess hall earlier, intending to eat it while in his quarters, preparing for battle. Instead, he held it up in front of his brother. “Would you like a mango brother? It will help you keep up your strength. You will need it if you are to emerge victorious against the traitors.”
Marneo snarled as the scent of the fruit worked it’s way into his nose. He breathed it in deep. Hadrian thought he saw the Rage flicker in his eyes for a moment. After a moment of deliberation, Marneo leaned his head forward, and took a bite of the fruit. Hadrian continued to hold it for him, as if he were feeding a large animal. Soon, only the pit of the fruit was left. Hadrian placed it in his satchel to dispose of later. “How do you feel brother?”
The Rage returned in full force as he struggled against the chains. “I feel like tearing off Horus’s head and presenting it to Father stuffed!”
Hadrian removed his helmet and held it under his arm. He held his brothers gaze for a moment. The thought of what was to come returned to his mind, and his head drooped. “Brother… I know you do not remember me anymore, I know you do not remember the things we did together, but I want you to know I am proud to have fought at your side, and I am eager to see you fight once more.”
Hadrian turned to leave, placing his helmet back on his head. He was about to exit the room, when he heard a voice. “I am proud of you too.”
Hadrian paused. The words came from Marneo, but they did not belong to him. He suddenly felt his blood slow. The Red Thirst had been dancing in him as he awaited the coming battle, but now it fell completely silent. He felt a uniquely divine presence radiating from behind him. He wanted to turn around, to face whatever was there behind him, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He felt as if he was frozen in place.
“Your brother cannot say it, but he is as proud of you as I am, my son.”
Those final two words finally snapped Hadrian out of his stupor, and he wheeled around to face whatever was behind him. What he saw defied all logic. Throughout the halls of the Blood Angels ships and fortresses, there were countless paintings of Sanguinius. His golden blonde hair flowing magnificently from his head while pristinely white wings carried him across the battlefield. The face of his dead Primarch was well known to all Blood Angels for this reason. Standing before him was that same divine visage. The form of Sanguinius appeared to hover over Marneo, emanating divine power and grace. In one hand he held a mighty golden sword, and in the other a golden chalice filled with blood. Hadrian’s jaw dropped open as his armor’s sensor suite failed to identify what was happening. “F-father?”
Sanguinius’s mouth did not move when he spoke. His words came from Marneo’s mouth, as Hadrian looked on in awe. “You care deeply for your brother. You care for your Chapter. You care for the Imperium. You are the heart of your Chapter, Captain Hadrian Antinous. You are the swift hand which will guide them to victory this day, and beyond.”
Hadrian fell to his knees. No amount of effort from him could stem the tide of tears streaming from his eyes. A direct vox line from Chaplain Relus opened on his HUD. The Chaplain’s barrage of inquiries and commands were ignored by Hadrian, still too enraptured by the sight before him.
Sanguinius’s face remained stoic throughout the whole exchange. He turned his head to the side and raised the chalice. Blood overflowed from the chalice and spilled onto Marneo, coating his black armor in red. Hadrian watched his brother bathe in the blood flowing from his Father’s chalice, before a hand on his shoulder pulled him back to reality.
“BROTHER HADRIAN! DO YOU HEAR ME?”
Hadrian snapped his head to attention and launched off the floor into a battle stance, the Red Thirst suddenly pounding in his veins. Chaplain Relus yanked his hand from his shoulder in surprise as Hadrian scanned the room for threats. He turned back to look at Sanguinnius, and saw he was now gone. Marneo was no longer covered in blood either, and he was back to screaming and thrashing angrily, demanding to be loosed upon Horus and his legions.
Hadrian took a deep breath and focused on quelling the Thirst within.
“Hadrian?”
Relus’s tone was marked with a single shred of worry, something he often did well to hide. Hadrian rolled his shoulders and took another breath. “I am fine, brother Chaplain.”
“Brother Captain I must insist on-”
“I said I am fine!”
Relus sensed the hostility in his words and decided to back off. Hadrian looked back to Marneo’s screaming, thrashing form, and finally closed the door to his cell. “Continue your preparations brother. I will check in with you before we deploy.”
He did not wait for Relus’s response before leaving. The tears streaming down his face persisted for several minutes before he finally reigned himself in.
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“Are they dead? All of them?”
“Yes brother. All of them.”
Hadrian’s battleplate had sustained significant damage in the battle against the Necrons of this world. He was missing a pauldron, and his breastplate was in pieces. Saying nothing of his various trophies and embellishments which had been destroyed in the fight. Chaplain Relus finished reading off the Death Company battle report, while Hadrian listened attentively. “…Brother Marneo died gloriously. He tried to fight an Overlord by himself and nearly won. He died in the battle, but his efforts weekend the beast enough for one of our tanks to land a scorching final blow.”
Hadrian nodded curtly. “Thank you, brother Chaplain. You are dismissed.”
Relus saluted Hadrian, and both men left the war room. Hadrian returned to his chambers, and called in his serfs to begin the rites of unarmouring. As he waited for them to arrive, he realized one of his side pouches was still intact, and that it had something inside it. He reached into the pouch and fished out a small seed, with bits of orange still stuck to it. The mango pit. He had forgot to throw it out before the battle.
His serfs entered the room, and hastily began preparations for the rites of unarmouring. One of them noticed the seed in his hand and approached him. “My lord, do you wish me to dispose of this?”
Hadrian looked to the serf, then back to the seed. “No. Have it cast in amber and hung on my breastplate. This will serve as a replacement for the many trophies I have lost.”
The serf bowed and took the seed from him. Hadrian watched him leave, before stepping up to allow the remaining to serfs to begin. As the armor was stripped from his body, and the glove underneath was unfastened and removed, he felt the weight of his sorrows lifting from him for but a moment. While he waited for his serfs to fetch him proper clothing, he stood at the viewport in his quarters, gazing into space. The Cicadrix Maledictum would be coming into view soon, and he would need to close his window. For now, he simply took in the sight of the endless stars, and the ships that danced through them. Picturing his fallen brother, dancing somewhere amongst those stars.
