Editing Meet the Primarchs (Warhammer High) (section)

==Meeting 'The Lost'==
I stared down at the address written on my dataslate, before lifting my gaze to the structure imbedded in the ground like some form of unexploded bomb. The Heavyset rockcrete bunker looked a little out of place amidst the other houses in the street, the front lawn had been torn up, and replaced with some form of dark grey earth. A pair of mounted guns sat idle on the roof, blackened barrels aimed down at the destroyed lawn. I swallowed hard before gingerly walking across the shattered stone path towards the thick bulkhead that formed the door. The sentry guns immediately tracked, turning to follow me as I kept walking. I swallowed hard, this was bloody terrifying. The dull thud of a shell being loaded caused me to freeze. I slowly tilted my head to look up as the weapon took aim.
“Shit” was all I managed before a rubber shell erupted from the barrel with a sharp bang. The projectile slammed into my chest and knocked me flat on my arse. A second shot thudded into the ground beside me. To be honest I was more concerned with sucking air into my crushed lungs, gasping for breath I clambered to my feet and began backing away. Another bark of the gun and I hit the ground once more, staring up at the sky as I felt consciousness slipping away. The faint sound of the bulkhead opening and feet padding across the dirt towards me sounded in my ears, just before Persephone’s face appeared, hovering above me, a mix of concern and rage on her face.
“Kaiden!” she cried out “are you ok?” all I could manage was a pained wheeze. Persephone turned back to the house, glaring at someone in the doorway “DAD!” she shouted “you could have killed him!” then blackness filled my vision and I passed out. 

I came to in a darkened room. Persephone sitting beside me. She was wearing a dark grey vest top, her raven black hair tied back in a ponytail. It took a few moments before I realised I couldn’t feel my hand, for the most part because she was gripping it so tightly.
“I’m so sorry” she muttered “Dad told me he’d turned the defences off” I sat up, my head swimming. Persephone’s other hand came up to steady me
“I’m ok” I assured her. She smiled, the pain immediately vanished and some small part of me felt like I could run the gauntlet of her front yard again. 
“How many times did you get hit?” she asked
“Twice” I grunted climbing out of the small cot and taking a moment to steady myself. Persephone straightened up and took my hand again
“I’m glad you’re ok” she stated, I responded with a weak smile
“So am I” she laughed, before lifting a hand to her mouth to try and stifle the outburst. Leading me out of the room I was guided into what was most likely the hallway. Tall reinforced girders arched across the ceiling, the house seemed much bigger on the inside. The girl at my shoulder observed my bemused expression before explaining
“We’re underground” she stated “Dad thought it the best way to keep a low profile” I chuckled
“Sentry guns are not a low profile.” she shrugged
“Keeps the neighbours at bay” she winked before releasing my hand “I’m going to go get changed quickly, wait here for a few minutes” I dutifully nodded and Persephone vanished through another of the reinforced bulkheads. 
I waited in the room for a few moments before walking over to a series of framed picts on the wall. Several were of Persehpone as a kid, in one she was standing beside a large swimming pool, staring into the water intently. Another saw her seated behind a large cake, grinning, a large silhouette behind her. Another of her lifting her boxing glove clad fists in triumph, an unconscious boy, much bigger than she was, passed out at her feet. I chuckled to myself before moving on to the next pict. Persephone wasn’t in this one, Just a collection of huge men clad in Astartes Plate, in a myriad of colours. Was her dad ex military. I jumped as static crackled through a device in the wall.
“Persephone sweetie, could you bring my combat blade down to the gym, I left it in the hall” the voice echoing through the vox system seemingly shook the room with a deep base rumble. That must have been her dad. I froze for a few moments, unsure what to do. I could see the large blunted blade leaning against the far wall, I bit my lip. Summoning what courage I had I walked over and picked up the weapon before walking through the bulkhead marked ‘Gym’.

Rythmic banging sounds echoed through the dimly lit corridors as I slowly made my way to the gym. This corridor was more decorated than the parts of the house I had seen. Large trophies hung from the unpainted walls, huge Xeno heads and old weapons. Suits of Astartes armour, painted in colours I didn’t recognise from the history books stood to attention either side of me, their knight like faces angled as if staring at someone much taller than I was. I reached the entrance to the gym and cautiously entered. The banging increased in volume
“Mister Rival?” I called out, the noise stopped. An uncomfortable silence filled the air as I awaited a response. I squinted into the gloom at the far end of the room, I could make out a punching bag, gently swinging to and fro and a colossal figure standing beside it, its eyes fixed on me. This had been a bad decision. The colossal beast strode forwards, closing in with frightening speed. The darkness parted to allow the huge man into the light. His top half was bare, a white towel hanging around his shoulders. Like Persephone, his hair was a deep black, his eyes were the same as hers too, a piercing green. In her they made me feel that little bit safer, under these circumstances they made me feel as though my eyeballs were about to melt. Over the man’s right eye was a tattoo, the II that I had seen Persephone scrawling inside some of her textbooks. I lifted the heavy blade into his eye line
“I brought you your sword” I whimpered. There was a long uncomfortable pause
“So” he grunted “you’re Kaiden. I’ve heard a lot about you” I smiled weakly, feeling as though my legs were about to give out beneath me. The man took the blade and examined it momentarily before hurling it across the room, the pointed tip imbedding itself in the punching bag. Then he turned his gaze back to me. His face broke into a smile and clapped me on the shoulder “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist, it’s not often Persephone brings a boy home, I thought I’d have a little fun, please forgive me”
“It’s… don’t worry about it sir” I stammered. Mr Rival laughed
“Sir? Please, call me Valdes” he released my shoulder and turned to remove his towel. I could make out a second tattoo on his back, the familiar shape of the Imperial Eagle printed across his shoulder blades “I’m sorry about that whole ordeal with the sentry guns by the way, completely my fault, I had meant to shut them off, although it seems as though it may have slipped my mind. Good to see you’re alright.” He turned back to me and grinned sheepishly “let me know if there’s anything I can do to make up for that little… blunder” 
“It’s fine… Valdes, really, no harm done” the huge man nodded thoughtfully
“If you say so.” Persephone burst into the room, and quickly walked over to where I was standing. She looked amazing. Her hair was now arranged in a series of elaborate plaits, held together by silver clasps. She glared up at her father, and then to me
“He didn’t interrogate you did he?” she asked. I shook my head.
“You look lovely sweetie” Valdes stated, his daughter blushed, her temper calming
“Thanks Daddy” she hooked her arm around mine and began to slowly pull me towards the exit
“Have fun” Valdes called out “and get her back before twenty-three hundred” he added with a wink.

As we got outside Persephone turned to me, looking a little embarrassed 
“You ok? you look a little pale.” I nodded hastily, before asking the question that had been bugging me since I saw the photo in the hall
“Was your dad in the military?” Persephone smiled
“You could say that.”

END