Axis hadn't taken off his helt imdiately, so when he entered the grand hall, Russ didn't recognize him at first.
"Welco, honored Custodes envoys!" Russ nodded to the assembled Custodes, then his gaze landed on Axis.
There was sothing a bit odd about this Custodes, why was he so short?
Although being just over two ters tall was normal for an Astartes, in a hall full of Custodes, all over three ters, Axis looked like a runt.
But he wore golden power armor, and those massive power gauntlets at his sides were unmistakable.
On top of that, he was clearly leading the group, this short Custodes was obviously their commander.
Suddenly, Russ's eyes fell to the furry, bushy tail wrapped around the armor's waist.
And in a flash, Russ rembered a certain young boy whose tail he had once cut off.
It had been twenty-four years since that day!
"My little wolf cub, is that you?" Russ asked, his voice tinged with emotion.
"Haha! If I didn't show my tail, I bet you wouldn't have recognized , right?" Axis grinned at Russ and finally removed his helt.
Even after more than two decades apart, Axis still looked like an eighteen-year-old youth.
Thanks to gene-modification, he barely showed any signs of aging.
On top of that, the natural Saiyan body ant that, after reaching adulthood, his appearance never changed, he would forever look as young as the day he matured.
Russ let out a booming laugh and strode forward, arms wide, and scooped Axis up once again.
Even at just over two ters tall, Axis looked like a half-grown child in the massive arms of the nearly four-ter-tall Wolf King.
"Oh co on, I'm already this big! Can you please put down?" Axis said, half-exasperated.
It was a little embarrassing being held like this by a giant!
Axis shot a quick glance at the Custodes who had co with him, but none of them so much as batted an eye.
The whole scene was pretty comical, but the Custodes were trained to keep their expressions perfectly neutral, none of them would ever poke fun at their commander, even in a mont like this!
"Hahaha! My little cub, the All-father has truly given a surprise! I was planning to return to Holy Terra next year to fetch you myself, but here you are, already running back on your own!
"Have you already beco a Custodes? Or is your modification only half-finished? Why are you still so small?" Russ set Axis down and patted him happily on the shoulder, a broad grin on his face.
It wasn't quite what he had expected.
Why was Axis so short? He was the sa height as a regular Astartes!
Could it be that his Custodes augntation wasn't finished yet?
"My modification is complete! As for my height, just chalk that up to a little racial advantage of mine!
"After all, being this height just makes it easier to find a wife, doesn't it?" Axis showed no sha about his two-ter-one fra, thumping his chest.
To him, that was the perfect height! Among ordinary people, he was the very image of a strong man.
And when Axis used his Super Saiyan transformation, his height would increase, along with his build and weight.
In fact, if he really wanted to, he could match the height of a regular Custodes.
"So, you're thinking about finding a wife? Do you want to find you a strong Fenrisian shieldmaiden?" Russ bood with laughter, "I guarantee she'll give you a healthy little cub of your own."
"Oh, please! Are there even any beauties on Fenris?" Axis rolled his eyes.
With the brutal, freezing conditions on Fenris, the won looked just like the n, broad-shouldered and stocky.
Now that he was in the Warhamr universe, and had both strength and status, he figured he might as well find soone pretty.
"What do you an, there aren't any? Besides, the won from other places aren't strong enough!" Russ protested, "The skinny ones look like they'd get blown away by the wind, and they're so weak they can barely lift a bucket of water."
"I don't know, I kind of like that type," Axis replied with a shrug.
Who the hell wanted a wife bigger and tougher than himself?...maybe it wasn't so bad afterall.
Russ let out another deep laugh, clapping Axis on the shoulder.
Truthfully, he'd never really cared about won; the confusion and restlessness of adolescence had always been foreign to him.
That was just how the Primarchs were made by the Emperor, calm and cold, never troubled by base instincts.
Even Fulgrim, the third Primarch to return, had only married a few mortal won for political reasons. Love had never been a part of it, it was always about politics.
So, to see his wolf cub actually interested in won? That was a good thing, a great thing in fact! At least the boy wasn't just another emotionless war machine like most Primarchs and Space Marines.
He had a spark of humanity.
"Ahem! Lord Axis, shouldn't you be reading the Emperor's orders by now?" Kasha interrupted coldly from the side.
Seriously?
These two are talking about this kind of thing, and in front of everyone, no less!
"Alright, back to business, Dad. My Custodes modification is fully complete. I'm here under the Emperor's orders, to help you take down the Second Primarch. After this mission, I'll be leading my sixteen Custodes to serve under you."
This was the Emperor's reward for Russ: a faster-than-light ship, new energy weapons, and these Custodes as symbols of Imperial authority.
Sotis, they'd help Russ carry out the Emperor's special missions.
"Is that so? Looks like your strength has already surpassed mine," Russ said with a wry smile.
Axis nodded, if he wasn't strong enough, the Emperor wouldn't have sent him.
"I understand. With you and your sixteen Custodes, I have absolute confidence in bringing down my brother," Russ sighed.
Who would ever want to beco an executioner? Who would want to be the one to kill his own brother?
But soone had to do it.
Among all his brothers, Russ had always played the part of the wild beast, the barbarian. He was the most suited for this task.
He already knew what his brothers would think of him once this was all over.
Axis seed to sense what Russ was feeling behind his sigh.
His father might have looked rough and crude, but there was a sharp wisdom beneath that surface.
"Dad, this ti I'll handle the Second Primarch. You take care of everything else," Axis said.
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