"Explain," Thragg commanded, his voice cutting through the desert air like a blade.
War-torn Eve clung tighter to his chest, her fingers instinctively curling into the soft fur of the Battle Beast coat as she felt the rumble of his voice through his torso.
The sight of so many Marks - even at a distance - made her heart race, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.
Thragg sensed her distress and, without taking his eyes off the assembled group below, gently ran his hand through her short, uneven hair in a gesture of comfort.
The movement was subtle but deliberate, his massive fingers surprisingly gentle against her scalp.
Three figures had immediately knelt at Thragg's presence - Viltrumite Mark, Mohawk Mark, and Royal Conquest, their heads bowed in respect. The others remained standing, watching with varying degrees of wariness and curiosity.
Viltrumite Mark, still on one knee, was the first to speak. "Emperor, during your absence, this world's Conquest arrived with intentions to begin conquest operations."
His voice carried clearly across the desert, formal and precise. "Since you had claimed this world as your own, Royal Conquest took it upon himself to intercept and engage the intruder. He-"
"Royal Conquest?" Thragg interrupted, raising an eyebrow in question.
His hand continued its gentle motion through war-torn Eve's hair, and she gradually relaxed against him, her breathing slowing as she focused on the rhythmic sensation rather than the frightening scene below.
Viltrumite Mark continued without embarrassment, his expression remaining respectfully neutral. "We needed to distinguish between them, Emperor. Since he serves you, and you rule as Emperor in your world, the designation seemed fitting."
Thragg nodded once, a slight inclination of his head. "Continue," he commanded, gesturing with his free hand.
"Royal Conquest chose to engage his counterpart singlehandedly in this uninhabited location to minimize collateral damage," Viltrumite Mark explained.
"He believed you would prefer the world preserved intact rather than risking destruction through combat in populated areas."
War-torn Eve's eyes darted nervously between the two Conquests, her body tensing at the sight of their battle-ready stances.
Thragg, noticing her reaction, adjusted his hold slightly, angling his body to partially shield her from their view.
"He has been fighting to protect your interests, Emperor," Viltrumite Mark concluded.
Thragg's gaze shifted to Royal Conquest, who remained kneeling in mid-air, head bowed. "Well done," he acknowledged, his tone carrying a rare note of approval. "However, your protection is no longer necessary. I am here now."
Royal Conquest's scarred face revealed nothing, but the slight straightening of his posture betrayed his pride at the Emperor's praise.
Thragg descended slowly, war-torn Eve still cradled against his chest, until he was at eye level with Original Conquest, who remained hovering in place.
The two massive beings faced each other, separated by mere yards of empty air.
War-torn Eve pressed herself more firmly against Thragg's chest, her heartbeat accelerating as they drew closer to the unfamiliar Conquest.
Thragg responded by generating slightly more heat from his body, the warmth enveloping her like a protective blanket.
"You," Thragg addressed Original Conquest, his voice carrying the weight of imperial command, "will return to this world's Viltrum immediately.
Inform your Thragg of my presence. Tell him I wish to meet with him here on Earth. There is much we must discuss, as I find his methods... lacking."
Original Conquest's scarred face contorted with indignation. His eyes narrowed as they moved from Thragg's impassive expression to the girl he held so carefully in his arms.
The gentleness of the gesture seemed to trigger something in the warrior - a contempt that overrode his initial shock.
"I take no orders from you," Original Conquest growled, his voice thick with disdain. "Emperor or not in your world, you are nothing here."
His gaze lingered on war-torn Eve, his lip curling slightly. "I will not carry messages for a soft-hearted fool who coddles humans - another Thragg or not."
War-torn Eve flinched at the hostility in his voice, her fingers digging deeper into the Battle Beast fur. A small whimper escaped her lips, audible only to Thragg.
The change in Thragg was instantaneous. His expression remained impassive, but something shifted in his eyes - a cold, deadly focus that made the air around them seem to drop several degrees in temperature.
Original Conquest, misinterpreting Thragg's stillness as hesitation, launched himself forward, his massive fist aimed directly at the Emperor's face.
The punch never landed.
With a speed that made Original Conquest's attack seem glacial by comparison, Thragg's free hand shot out and caught the warrior's fist mid-strike.
For a fraction of a second, they remained frozen in that position - Conquest straining forward.
Then, with a casual squeeze, Thragg crushed Original Conquest's metallic arm, the reinforced alien alloy crumpling like tissue paper under his grip. Shards of metal and circuitry exploded outward as the limb collapsed into useless fragments.
Original Conquest's roar ofshock and pain was cut short as Thragg released his mangled arm and seized his jaw in a lightning-fast movement.
The Emperor's massive hand engulfed the lower half of Conquest's face, fingers digging into his flesh.
"A dog," Thragg stated, his voice terrifyingly calm, "should show its master more respect." His grip tightened incrementally. "Especially a mad dog, whose life hangs by the thin thread of its master's patience."
With a sharp twist, Thragg dislocated Original Conquest's jaw, the sound of cracking bone audible across the desert.
He released his grip, allowing the warrior to stumble backward in the air, hands clutching his ruined face as he bled and struggled to hold his jaw together.
The display of violence caused war-torn Eve to tremble, but not from fear of Thragg. Instead, she pressed herself even closer to him, seeking the security his overwhelming power provided.
Her eyes, which had been fixed on Original Conquest in terror, now watched with something closer to satisfaction as her protector demonstrated his dominance.
Below them, the reaction was immediate and uniform.
Royal Conquest, already kneeling, bowed his head even lower, pressing his fist to his chest in a gesture of absolute submission.
Nolan immediately dropped to one knee, his head bowed respectfully.
The evil variants of Mark followed suit, some more quickly than others, but all eventually kneeling in recognition of Thragg's overwhelming authority.
Royal Mark and Royal Eve knelt as well, then forcibly pulled Original Mark and Original Eve down beside them.
Cold sweat beaded on Original Mark's forehead as he knelt unwillingly, the display of Thragg's power reminding him forcefully of what he sometimes forgot -
that despite the Emperor's apparent patience and even kindness, he remained the Conqueror of a thousand galaxies, the Terror of the Universe.
Original Conquest hovered before Thragg, blood dripping from his dislocated jaw, his eyes burning with humiliation and rage.
But beneath that anger was something new - fear, the instinctive recognition of a predator far beyond his capacity to challenge.
"Go," Thragg commanded, his voice carrying across the desert. "Relay my message to your master before my patience expires completely. Tell him I wish to meet, or I will feed you your own heart before personally traveling to Viltrum to find him."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Consider this, dog - if conflict arises between myself and your master, your homeworld would not survive the encounter.
I doubt your Grand Regent wishes for such an outcome. If you possess any loyalty to him at all, you will depart immediately."
War-torn Eve watched Original Conquest's face, fascination mingling with satisfaction as she observed his internal struggle.
The proud warrior clearly wanted to continue fighting, but self-preservation and, perhaps, genuine concern for his master's interests finally won out.
With a growl of pain and frustration, Original Conquest knelt in mid-air, pressing his remaining functional fist to his chest in a gesture that mirrored Royal Conquest's submission.
"As... you... command," he managed through his shattered jaw, the words slurred and barely intelligible.
Without another word, he turned and launched himself skyward, accelerating to escape velocity within seconds, a trail of blood droplets marking his departure.
Thragg watched him go, his expression returning to its usual impassive state. Only war-torn Eve, pressed against his chest, could feel the slight relaxation of tension in his muscles as the threat departed.
When Original Conquest had vanished from sight, Thragg descended to the desert floor, landing with gentle precision despite his massive frame.
The assembled Marks and Eves remained kneeling, none daring to rise without permission.
War-torn Eve's eyes darted nervously over the kneeling figures, her breath catching when she spotted Original Mark.
Though she knew intellectually that this wasn't her tormentor, the resemblance was enough to send a spike of terror through her. She turned her face into Thragg's chest, unable to look at him.
Thragg, sensing her distress, shifted his hold slightly, allowing her to hide her face more effectively against him.
His hand moved to the back of her head, gently cradling it in a protective gesture that was becoming increasingly natural to him.
"Rise," he commanded the kneeling figures, his deep voice resonating across the desert.
They obeyed immediately, though many kept their heads slightly bowed, avoiding direct eye contact with the Emperor. Only Royal Mark and Royal Eve dared to meet his gaze directly, and even they maintained a respectful distance.
"The time has come for us to talk," Thragg declared, his eyes sweeping over the assembled group. "There is much to discuss."
War-torn Eve's fingers tightened on the Battle Beast fur, drawing comfort from its softness and the steady heartbeat beneath it.
Despite the frightening situation, despite being surrounded by faces that resembled her tormentor, she felt something she hadn't experienced in a very long time - safety.
As long as she remained in Thragg's arms, no harm could reach her.
The Emperor of the Viltrum Empire, the most powerful being in the universe, had become her protector, her guardian, her shield against the horrors she had endured.
And that was enough for her.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Short again, I know, hopefully I can write the next one longer and faster.
Well, do tell me how you found Thragg showing Conquest his place, as well as war-torn Eve's reaction.
Yeah, she's changed because of her ordeal, and also is very, very attached to Thragg as her father figure and protector.
Fast, I know, but he saved her from her worst nightmare, like a knight in shining armor - well in this case, a coat made from the universe's most battlethirsty warrior.
It will be so much fun, to write her when she recovers past her trauma and regains her confidence, basically Daddy's Girl,
who is very loving when he is around, and a total badass when it comes to protecting his interests against anyone else.
Also, I know you guys probably wanted Royal Conquest vs Conquest, but well, maybe for the future, when Thragg or anyone else isn't around, since Royal Conquest would've whether he liked it or not have been saved if he was truly in danger and that's just no fun.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)