A wee snippet for @stripeydani based on her idea for the Warlord AU, which I intend to start writing properly after the summer holidays (when I finally get some decent writing time again!)
The Imperium General admired the two offerings presented before him in chains, Cody in particular, whose chin he grasped and turned to inspect every facet of his flawless beauty. As for Punk, he was more interested in his scars, lightly tracing the tip of his finger down the long jagged line on the right side of his face.
'Thank you, King Hunter,' Gunther's voice boomed across the room. 'These are both fine gifts. I believe an alliance can be agreed upon.'
The great and terrifying king nodded his head solemnly, a wicked smile on his lips. For a moment, Cody's fingers brushed against Punk's but he swiftly batted them off. He felt bad for the kid. He was just scared but they couldn't afford to slip up and betray their affections for each other. Not again. For both of their sakes.
'I believe that such a gesture should be reciprocated,' Gunther went on, 'to finalise the truce.' Turning to the officer at his left side, the general gave a silent command with a motion of his head and the young man stepped forward, hands behind his back, chest out and chin high, exuding an air of arrogant superiority. 'Marcel here is expertly trained in the bedroom and is a craftsman between his master's sheets,' Gunther explained and although his expression remained stoic, there was a slight change in his tone that betrayed his pride and fondness for the blonde officer. 'A single command from me and he is yours for the night and will obey you as if you were speaking with my tongue. You will find him most excellent company, I assure you.'
The warlord king examined the offered specimen from head to toe, lewdly and openly. 'I trust he will,' he said at last with a sneer. 'However...'
The room turned tense again. The general's face hardening. 'You are not pleased with my offering?'
'Oh, I am. Very much. It's just...' King Hunter leaned forward in his throne, rubbing his palms together slyly. 'It doesn't seem fairly reciprocated to only receive one gift when I have offered you two.'
His cruel eye then landed on the other man at Gunther's right hand side. The bearded man had, until then, been more aware of his surroundings than of the peace talks, keeping a keen look out for any trouble that would threaten his commander, but when everything went quiet and he noticed every eye was on him, he suddenly returned to the conversation between the two leaders, finding himself the unwanted centre of attention. A quick glance up at the enemy king and then to his left seemed to confirm his suspected fears.
'Me...?' he started to say then shook his head and, clearing his throat, addressed the king in a more appropriate manner. 'Forgive me, your majesty,' he said in a soft, gravely voice with a slight suggestion of a lisp, 'I am only a soldier, not a-'
But before he could finish his objection, there was a harsh clank of metal as Gunther turned towards him and landed a monstrous slap across the officer's cheek. The sound was deafening, stunning everyone present, and the force was so great that the man nearly buckled beneath the blow, if not for his huge commander grabbing him by the front of his tunic and holding him upright.
'You dare to speak out of turn!' Gunther bellowed at his officer. 'Answering for me now, are you?'
'No, sir,' the bearded man spluttered, wincing. 'I'm sorry, sir.'
'I am your Imperium General, yes? You obey me?'
'Always, sir.'
'Then you keep your mouth shut and you do as I command.' Jerking his officer in closer until they were nose-to-nose, Gunther spoke in a hushed tone, one that could still be heard by all around them, including the two trembling punks who were due to spend an entire night in this barbaric man's company, prisoners to his base desires and fancies. 'You will go with Marcel to the king's bedchambers and you will do everything that is required of you. If he wishes you to suck his fat cock, then you will suck his fat cock. If he wishes to fuck you in the arse, then he will fuck you in the arse. Is that clear?'
The bearded man gave a wobbly nod, a stuttered breath catching in his throat. '... yes, sir,' he said at last and he was finally let go. Gunther glared down at the soldier, who placed his hands behind his back and, with his head hanging low, stepped forward to take up position beside his fellow officer.
'My apologies, King Hunter. Tim is more head-strong than Marcel,' Gunther casually explained to the king, 'but he is loyal to me and so now, will be loyal to you too.'
'No need to apologise,' the king returned, sneering viciously at the disparaging officer and the tears welling up in the eye of cheek that had been so brutally struck. 'I have dealt with his kind before.' His gaze moved, turning instead to the inked man in chains, who stood rigid and fierce. 'I enjoy them immensely.'
The peace talks were over. The alliance had been made and the victims to ensure it had been chosen. Hunter's men surrounded Gunther's offerings and lead them away to the king's chambers, while Gunther himself approached the two trembling slaves. Cody cowered beneath the brutal eye of the notorious general, but Punk kept his gaze, glaring defiantly. His gesture of courage mattered naught to Gunther, who grabbed up both sets of his new plaything's chains and eagerly dragged them to his own rooms.
This time it was Punk who was scared. Seeing how this fiend treated his own men he dared not consider how he chose to torment the lowly slaves of his enemy. In that moment, he allowed the back of his fingers to brush against Cody's but only for a few split seconds and no more. He didn't know what the night would bring but he did know - and he wanted Cody to know - that they would face it together.
Few wrestlers have a story quite as interesting as the journey of Marcel Barthel. His family history, the European indie scene, NXTUK, WWE main roster and Ludwig Kaiser, then becoming El Grande Americano by chance and becoming so beloved. It will make a fantastic movie one day!
I hope for Kaiser’s sake that he got arrested for whoopin’ somebody’s ass that was testing him.
Because to let this happen while you’re in the middle of a hot feud is dumb as fuck. This is the same shit that killed RVD’s championship run and Jeff Hardy’s whole legacy.
I hope WWE can look past this the way they look past the Usos’ legal troubles.
I find it hilarious how Los Americanos have Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne, and Ludwig Kaiser as a team since back on NXT UK, Ludwig Kaiser (then known as Marcel Barthel) was part of Imperium with Gunther (then known as Walter) and we saw Walter defeat Dunne for the NXT UK title. But now Kaiser is teaming with Dunne and Bate.
