Black ooze seeped from the cracks in the walls, a squirming tide of leeches blocking their path.
"Fuck! Irantu, we need to turn back!" the Master Chief barked.
"Agreed," Mole Rat Captain Hollis nodded.
"Take the side route. Munru, Nanku—blow the door."
"With pleasure." Nanku whistled, then glanced at Titus' feet. "Hey, Tin Can! Watch your—"
Squelch.
A leech exploded under Titus' boot. He turned to stare at Nanku.
She twitched. "...Nice boots."
The team advanced toward a side corridor as T-5 Nanku and Munru rigged the doorframe with explosives. Meanwhile, leeches writhed beneath the threshold, widening the cracks—more ooze, more horrors.
BOOM!
The detonation rocked the hallway behind them. As they retreated, Nanku unleashed her flamethrower.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Leeches burst like popcorn in the inferno.
"Pointless. There's more ahead," Onru warned.
Nanku licked her lips. "Tasty~"
They sprinted to catch up—just as the ground trembled. A bloodcurdling shriek echoed from below.
"It knows we're leaving," Deadpool gasped.
"No shit."
Then—
"Containment breach ahead! Memetic hazard!" Onru yelled.
Irantu stepped forward—
WHOOSH!
A blue-armored blur shot past him.
Titus.
The Astartes moved with terrifying speed for his bulk. Irantu gaped. Since when did Tau-5 have this model?!
At the corridor's end, a gaunt humanoid entity—identical to the one spotted earlier via drone—scratched glyphs into the wall with clawed fingers. Sensing Titus, it turned, a single white eye snapping open.
The last embers of Titus' Sigil of Purity burned away.
He didn't care.
Click-clack.
His bolter chambered a round.
The entity lunged, its robe flaring to reveal layers of memetic filth.
Chat Group exploded:
"HOLY F—KING SH*T!"
"Madman! Absolute MADMAN!"
"Gods above—he's MELEEING a cognitohazard?!"
"STRENGTH! DOMINANCE! FURY!"
Warhammer Universe – The Golden Throne
The Emperor jolted upright, something akin to pride flickering in his withered frame.
Guilliman's jaw dropped. "What a fucking legend."
Meanwhile, in the Warp—
Khorne roared approval, battle-joy blazing in his eyes. He tried to bestow a blessing—
ERROR.
The Foundation's universe rejected him.
Back in the Hellhole
BOOM!
Titus' memetic-rounds punched through the entity. Translucent fluids sprayed as it screeched, clawing at the walls to escape.
Click-clack. BOOM!
Another shot. The thing's form destabilized, its glyphs flickering.
Then—
Click.
Out of ammo.
Titus dropped the bolter, drew his chainsword, and—
LEAPT.
The blade became a blur.
SCHLICK!
The entity split in two, its halves slapping against the walls like wet meat.
Silence.
Even the Chat Group froze.
Then—
Munru stammered, "You… you…"
The Master Chief coughed. "My, uh… comrade's… enthusiastic."
Irantu eyed Titus, barely resisting the urge to ask: Wanna join Tau-5, kid?
"Sweet armor," Nanku rapped Titus' pauldron. "Gotta get me one—"
CRASH!
The floor collapsed. A gigantic black leech—rubbery, fanged—shot up like a spring, gulping the bisected entity whole.
Chat Group: "DID IT JUST EAT A MEMETIC HAZARD?!"
Honkai Star Rail Universe – Herta Station
Herta's face paled. "That's no leech… That's the HOST."
If these things infested the walls…
What the hell was the original specimen?
Escape
The team fled through maintenance tunnels, Nanku torching leeches in their wake.
"New path! Move!" Irantu led the charge.
They reached a machinery-cluttered dock—walls already sweating black ooze.
"Munru, Nanku—status?" Irantu called.
Static. Then—
Gunfire.
"Nanku's down! We're—" Munru's voice crackled. "—coming to you!"
They bolted through a staff lounge—only for the ooze to follow.
Then—
Tinkling.
Like wind chimes.
Hollis looked up. "Oh fuck. Crystal Butterflies."
Onru's eyes widened. "Irantu—swarm incoming!"
Deadpool whimpered. "From where?!"
"Vents!" Titus and Onru said in unison.
CRASH!
A glittering storm of razor-winged butterflies poured from the ceiling.
"HIT THE DECK!"
Irantu charged into the swarm.
KABOOM!
Fire engulfed the vent.
When the smoke cleared, Irantu stood—charred, muscles flayed to reveal cybernetics beneath.
Deadpool blinked. "Christ, dude. You got my healing factor now?"
Irantu grinned, flesh already knitting. "Perks of being a god's corpse puppet."
The Final Door
They reached a vault-like door.
"Thresher's behind this," Hollis said. "Locked tight."
Onru sighed. "Wish Munru were here."
Titus cracked his knuckles—
Hiss.
The door slid open. A monitor flickered, revealing a shadowed room… and a warped, liquid-like figure in the corner.
A synthesized voice giggled:
"Hehe. Hey. Welcome. Ohhh…"
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading! Four big chapters today—hope you enjoyed Titus going full BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD mode! (P.S. Data votes appreciated!)