It was a good thing Henry's emotions didn't leak out and that he barely had to try if he wanted to contain them. Because why the hell did people keep walking into his crime scene? He was going to chew out the guys for it this time, he swore.
He turned away from examining the scene to face the man, who was apparently some kind of authority, based on the way he had introduced himself and how he dressed. The Demon had never heard the terms before, so he jumped to the likely conclusion that the newcomer was from yet another universe and had ended in the Nexus by chance. Still, he was barging in on their job, and Henry would've had him leave immediately, if not for the insight he offered on the incident they were currently trying to wrap their heads around. And Tar would not turn down likely options for the who, why, and how of this gruesome scene.
"One, sorry to say whatever authority you belong to does not technically exist here, and in any other case I would've kicked you out and heard you out later. Which brings me to Two: what the hell is a genestealer and how do they usually operate?" Henry asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
It was the man's first statement that caught Grendel completely off guard, something that hadn't happened since an Ork Warboss had survived having a building dropped on it.
"Doesn't exist?" Grendel asks, "This place...It is beyond the Emperor's light?"
After taking a few moments to process this, Grendel shoves this to the back of his mind. This news can be dealt with later. Now he has become even more certain that this may be the beginnings of a Tyranid infestation, as they were said to have come from some other place, this might in fact be the first contact in this new place.
"Let me begin by saying that Genestealers and other Xenos are outside of my area of expertise, as I am of Ordo Malleus. For aliens, you'll be wanting an Inquisitor of Ordo Xenos. What I know is as follows: Genestealers, nicknamed 'Purestrain Genestealers' for reason I'm not entirely sure of, are created by Hive Fleets, placed on passing Space Hulks, and left drifting through space. Upon arriving on a world, the Genestealer will plant a...seed in the first suitable human host it encounters, by some mechanism I'm unaware of. The host's genome will then be merged with the greater Tyranid genome, hence the term Genestealer. The fusion results in the host becoming completely subservient to the brood, having had their lives before infection completely wiped to create a blank slate of sorts for the brood to control. The host is then encouraged to mate and procreate as much as possible, infecting the gene-pool with their DNA. The brood's psychic network ensure that nobody infected escapes this net. The family will grow, now referred to as a Genestealer Cult, isolates themselves to avoid discovery, with particularly intelligent members of the cult performing necessary tasks to uphold this facade. Eventually, it will be large enough to act as a beacon for the Hive Fleet it originated from. When the Hive Fleet comes close enough, the Genestealer Cult will sabotage the planetary defenses to make invasion easier. Of course, the Hive Fleet will consume them as well, but they're not too dissatisfied with that. Again, if you would like the specifics, you would be better off contacting a member of either the Deathwatch or Ordo Xenos, though neither are likely to have followed me."
Grendel takes another look around the crime scene, "It must be an interesting variant to develop natural weapons such as these, however. Given the nature of the wounds, one would think that the limb that made it was prehensile, as opposed to the rigid quality of a Genestealer's...However, if you are so concerned about your crime scene, why are you letting your fellow eat food at this very same crime scene, while standing over the body itself?!"
Rider entered through the barrier as soon as it was opened, and turned to address Adjutor.
"As some massive mana flash blinded me before the fight really got started, I can't really judge, and considering that I kinda jumped to conclusions about you, I can't really call you out for not thinking of the other possibilities...But...I'm guessing that your existence is fueled by mana, and that the massive mana flash that blinded me was from your Pegasus. In that case...How are you doing on your stores? I can easily provide enough to recompense you for this battle", said Adjutor.
"Erm, well, I don't think this is the place for that....
I'm fine for now, anyway, although I will need a source of prana at some point. My reserves were full when I arrived, and whilst the last battle did use a substantial amount, I can still last for a few days yet."
Rider listened as Faust and Adjutor conversed about going outside.
Well, he did say they were allies before. Not sure why he didn't ask me to protect Sakura, though....
Then, Adjutor turned to her.
"That is, of course, if you'd be willing to stay here," he said.
Rider couldn't help but notice that he was avoiding looking at her, presumably because of her outfit. So, with the battle over, she changed back into her usual casual clothing.
"Of course, I would be glad to protect Sakura. I promise I will not allow her to come to any harm."
Adjutor considers the matter further, then notes that if he intends to assist Caster, he'll probably need all the mana he can get at this point.
"Fair point, I probably shouldn't risk not having enough energy to assist the Sorceror," Adjutor nods, "Later, then."
Thank goodness she's not in that outfit anymore...Oh, I don't know, this one might be more fun to take off her...Goddamit, Xarrest, not now! We're in a combat situation!I can wait. Besides, it could get interesting, especially with some creative use of the Arm-Adjutor offers the Darkling nothing but supremely annoyed silence, which gets a laugh from the latter, but not much else.
Fine, fine. This unworthy pervert shall take his bon-There are people at risk in this hospital!With a Conceptual Shield backed by their presence already established and anchored using the building itself? That's a lame attempt at an excuse and you know it. But why bother? You're going out there anyway, so why not enjoy what our minds can dream up while you still can.Shaking his head to clear the unwanted images forming within, Adjutor heads out of the lobby, opening up a rift in the shield large enough for him to pass through before taking a moment to prepare himself for the fight. Noting that Caster seems to be powering up something rather powerful, Adjutor prepares another Shield Concept, waiting for the right opportunity to blast the black-armored fighter away from the hospital, as he seems to be the one who would be the least likely to back down.
