[Cafe] 126 – A Small Vacation Part 5

[A/N: Final part of this small arc, next arc will feature new games, gameplay, reactions, and slice of life chapters]

Fury, taking a deep breath, stepped into the containment chamber holding the last and most mysterious member of the mall shooting.

Briefly glancing at the man, who stood still as a statue in armor, Fury got the distinct impression and feeling that the man was looking at Fury like he was less than dirt. 

“You are agitated,” the giant stated without the slightest hint of movement.

Clarifying, the giant man in advanced power armor explained, “I can hear your heartbeat. It is beating faster and harder than most in your health.”

“You know why that is?” Fury questioned, taking a seat and crossing his arms.

“You feel threatened. Your instincts warn you that I am dangerous, that I’m a threat to your very survival,” the giant answered.

Fury shook his head, “That was not what I was asking. I meant, do you know why I’m feeling agitated towards you?”

Continuing, as he leaned back in the chair, “I’m agitated because you and your friend decided to kill a dozen men in front of hundreds of witnesses in broad daylight in a public mall.”

The giant tilted its head, as if not understanding the problem.

Fury frowned as he pointed down at the table and leaned forward, “You and your friend murdered multiple unknown individuals when you had the opportunity to incapacitate them until the authorities were on scene.”

“You would leave a threat alive and have the chance to strike again later?” The giant questioned the foolishness of the Director before him. 

“We have laws! You cannot just break them on a whim because you felt it was easier!” Fury responded with anger.

“But I am not a citizen of your…nation, why would I follow your laws?” The giant asked. 

“Because you are on our soil!” Fury furiously shouted, slamming his fist on the metal table, not getting even the slightest reaction out of the armored giant other than a tilt of their head. 

Taking a few moments to breathe and calm down, Fury began trying to grill the giant for information.

“What is your name? Where did you come from? Why are you in armor and carrying around a dangerous weapon? Are you human? If not, what are you?” Fury questioned in a fast manner. 

“My name is Amhrad, Chaptermaster of the Astral Knights under the Imperium of Man and the God Emperor of Mankind. I am an Astartes, a warrior forged and molded to serve the Imperium and the God Emperor and to eliminate any threat that shows itself, whether they be a heretic, chaos, necrons, an inquisitor, or my own brothers.”

“Expand,” Fury demanded.

“On?” Amhrad asked, the lenses of his helmet focused on Fury, giving him the chills from Amhrad’s inhuman movement.

“Everything. Start at what this Imperium of Mankind is and who the ‘God Emperor of Mankind’ is,” Fury demanded to the Astartes. 

Amhrad was quiet for a few moments before he spoke, “The Emperor of Mankind is a Psyker of the highest level, he is the savior and shepherd of Mankind. He and his Primarchs reunited Humanity after the fall. With the help of his sons and loyal followers, he built the Imperium of Mankind, until the betrayal of Horus and the God Emperor was entombed on his golden throne on our homeworld of Terra."

"He is dead?" Fury asked, focused, though that seemed to anger the Astartes before him, who, with a single flex of his power armored gauntlet, crumpled the metal table his hand rested on.

"The God Emperor lives on the Golden Throne. It is only through our sacrifice and faith that he still lives after Horus's Heresy against the God Emperor," Amhrad denied with the sound of crunching metal.

Glancing at the damage done to the table with next to no effort from the Astartes, Fury's estimate of the Astartes' Danger skyrocketed.

"What is a Psyker?" Fury questioned next, moving on from the sensitive subject.

"I cannot tell you that," Amhrad denied without a moment of hesitation.

"Cannot or will not?" Fury replied, confused.

"Cannot. The very knowledge of what a Psyker is and what they can do is knowledge too dangerous for mortals such as yourself," Amhrad explained.

"Is it a cognitohazard?" Fury suddenly asked.

"Explain."

"A cognitohazard is information, ideas, concepts, or items that just knowing about is dangerous in some way, as it will either cause physical or mental harm, or be dangerous to the world, countries, communities, ethnicities, or humanity in general," Fury explained, growing concerned with Amhrad's nod.

"Yes. It is a cognitohazard. Knowing about Psykers and where they gain their power from will threaten the survival of Earth and Humanity," Amhrad continued.

"I...see, and does 'Zerref'" Fury used quotation marks, "Know about this supposed danger?"

"He does. If he wishes to tell you about it, that is on him, but if you fall, I will not show mercy," Amhrad emphasized and warned the Director of SHIELD before him.

"I understand, and I will ask Zerref regarding this. In the meantime, I have just a few more questions I need answers to before I can let you go," Fury informed the Astartes before continuing, "What is a Chaptermaster, and what exactly is an Astartes? Also, what exactly is your armor and weapon made of? They are not made of any known metal or composition known to man." 

"The Astartes were the God Emperor's solution to genetically and biologically enhanced soldiers to take on the more dangerous threats of the Imperium that the Guardsmen and their many branches could not deal with," Amhrad explained.

"Genetically and biologically enhanced? In what way?" Fury questioned, concerned.

"Classified. I cannot tell you," Amhrad warned.

Fury sighed, "And what do you mean by identifying yourself as a Chapter Master?"

"It means I am the Chapter Master of an Astartes Chapter. Astartes come in many different types and gene lines, all at their core designed after one of the Primarchs, the God Emperor's Children." 

"And who are these Primarchs?" Fury questioned.

"Horus, Leman Russ, Ferrus Manus, Fulgrim, Vulkan, Rogal Dorn, Roboute Gulliman, Magnus the Red, Sanguinius, Lion El'Jonson, Perturabo, Mortarion, Lorgar, Jaghatai Khan, Konrad Kruz, Angron, and Corvus Corax," Amhrad listed.

"Sounds like this Emperor of yours had many children," Fury noted.

"The God Emperor created his children; they were not born," Amhrad explained, shaking his head.

"Created? As in, he made them by hand?" Fury questioned, concerned, getting a nod in return from the Astartes.

"That's...all I have to ask for now, you are free to leave and return to your...home, but you cannot leave the states in case we need to ask you more questions," Standing up, Fury flinched when, faster than he could react, the Astartes stood up from the table.

The danger rating of the Astartes only continued to skyrocket in Fury's mind, but that was pushed into the back of Fury's mind as he grew more determined to meet this 'Zerref' face to face.