{{otheruses|USE=Blood Angels|OTHERUSE=[[Craftworld]]|OTHERPAGE=Mero}}{{Character|Portal ={{BloodAngelsPortal}}<br clear|Name ={{PAGENAME}}|Image =MerosLegions.jpg|Caption ={{PAGENAME}}{{Fn|4}}|Title =|Homeworld =|Birth =c. Late [[M30]]|Active Period =[[M30]] - ???|Death =006.[[M31]], [[Battle of Signus]]|Cause of Death =Became possessed by the [[Red Angel]]|Species =[[Human]]|Type =[[Astartes]]|Gender =Male|Relatives =|Occupation =[[Apothecary]] of the [[Blood Angels]] 9th Company|Preceded by =|Succeeded by =|Faction ='' ''*[[Imperium of Man]]**[[Blood Angels]]|Notes ="all" />}}'''Meros''' was an [[Apothecary]] of the [[Blood Angels]] [[Legion]] during the [[Great Crusade]] and the start of the [[Horus Heresy]]. Serving as a "Junior Medicae" or squad level apothecary, Meros served in the 9th [[9th Company (Blood Angels Legion|9th Company]] under [[Space Marine Captain|Brother Captain]] [[FuriosoFurio]].{{Fn|11a}}

===History===Until the battle at [[Signus Prime]] {{spoiler|source=Fear to Tread (Novel)}}Meros was a simple line-[[astartesAstartes]] of solid if unremarkable service. During a war against Following the battle of [[EldarMelchior]], a [[StormbirdFirst Captain]] Meros was riding in was shot down by a [[Soul SeekerRaldoron]] round and tasked Meros slipped into a poison induced coma. In an attempt to save with removing the injured apothecary, [[Sanguinary Guard]] Captain [[Azkaellon]] and [[First Captain]] [[Raldoronprogenoid]] placed Meros in one of the exsanguinators, the blood coffins used in the Blood Angels neophyte transformation process. The intent was to drain the poisoned blood glands from Meros and replace it will fresh, clean blood. During his time in the exsanguinator, Meros met Brother [[RafenAlatros]] through a genetic link they shared and who has in the same exsanguinator, albeit ten thousand years in the future. The two quickly came then instructing him to blows when Rafen told Meros that [[Sanguinius]] never repeat what had been dead for thousands of years and that there was no Blood Angels Legion anymore. Before the two could kill on another they were beset by phantom enemies; blood memories of past victories. Fighting side-by-side the two Blood Angels found a sense of camaraderie but it was Rafen who figured out what the magnitude of the two meeting could mean. Before they were pulled from their parallel yet separate blood comas, Rafen managed happened to utter a single word: [[Horus]]anyone. {{Fn|1}}{{Fn|21a}}===Signus Prime===During the Blood Angels cleansing of the [[Signus System]], Meros served aboard the [[Red Tear]], the flagship of the Legion. When the Legion discovered derelict starshps drifting aimlessly through the system, Meros was one of the apothecaries called to examine the bodies of the slain. To his horror, Meros discovered the bodies simply had no bones, nor was there any trace of what had killed the humans. The blood of the bodies had been a strange pinkish hue that reminded Meros of the color of the [[Warp]].

During a search and rescue mission to war against the planet Holst in the Signus system[[Dark Eldar]] on [[Nartaba Octus]], Meros and his squadwas assigned to [[Task Force Ignis]], along with a seemingly loyal squad Blood Angels flotilla overseeing the evacuation of the human population of the planet before it was subjected to [[Word BearersExterminatus]]. Part of the last group off the planet, encountered the [[Stormbird]] Meros was riding in was shot down by a Warp possessed [[Hive CitySoul-Seeker Ammunition|Soul Seeker round]]and Meros slipped into a poison induced coma. The city itself tried In an attempt to kill themsave the injured apothecary, using Frankenstein-esque monsters Sergeant [[Cassiel (Blood Angels)|Cassiel]] and Brother [[Sarga]] placed Meros in one of rebarthe exsanguinators, concrete the blood coffins used in the Blood Angels neophyte transformation process. The intent was to drain the poisoned blood from Meros and steelreplace it will fresh, clean blood. During their attempted escape from his time in the city's outer precinctsexsanguinator, Meros stumbled upon the body of met Brother [[Rafen]] through a slain Word Bearer genetic link they shared and noticed his blood was who has in the same pinkish hue of exsanguinator, albeit ten thousand years in the future. The two soon found that they were not alone, encountering the Warp touched humans[[Sanguinor]]. Before Unable to believe what he could conduct an in-depth studywas seeing, Rafen pulled his bolter on the Word Bearer's Captain drove him offmysterious entity, and Meros, demanding he leave assuming that the slain warrior at peaceSanguinor could only be [[Sanguinius]] himself, tried to stop him. The When Rafen told Meros that Sanguinius had been dead for ten thousand years and that there was no Blood Angels and Word Bearers Legion anymore, Meros attacked Rafen in a rage. Before the two could kill on another they were only saved beset by phantom enemies; blood memories of past victories. Fighting side-by -side the two Blood Angels found a sense of camaraderie but it was Rafen who figured out what the personal intervention magnitude of Captain the two meeting could mean. Before they were pulled from their parallel yet separate blood comas, Rafen managed to utter a single word: [[AmitHorus]] who used , but the Sanguinor appeared and placed its finger over his mouth, indicating that Rafen was to be silent. At that moment, both were pulled back to their respective realities. Upon awakening, Meros was presented before [[ThunderhawksAzkaellon]] and , Captain of the [[Storm RavensSanguinary Guard]] to destroy a maggot-like creature made from abandoned subway tunnels. Holst who was subsequently destroyed impressed by orbital bombardmenthis resilience. Azkaellon then informed the assembled Astartes that they had received orders from the [[Warmaster]] to gather the entire IX Legion at the [[Signus System]].{{Fn|1x}}{{Fn|12}}

Meros was part ====Signus Prime====During the Blood Angels cleansing of the detachment that traveled to Signus Six and rescued a small band of survivorsSystem, among their number a [[Blank]]. It would be on Signus Prime that Meros would meet his ultimate fate. After Sanguinius was knocked unconscious by served aboard the ''[[Blood ThirsterRed Tear]] [[Ka'Bandha]], Meros took part in a strike team to destroy the deamons fortress', the Cathedral flagship of the MarqueLegion. While When the rest of Legion discovered derelict starshps drifting aimlessly through the legion, save the handful in the strike force under First Captain Raldoron, were gripped by the [[Red Thirst]]system, Meros and his brothers fought through hordes was one of [[Deamonettes]] and [[Bloodletters]] to infiltrate the Cathedral. It was during the final confrontation between Sanguinius and the two head deamons, Ka'Bandha and Kyriss the Perverse, that Meros sealed his fate. After Sanguinius threw Ka'Bandha apothecaries called to its death from examine the tower bodies of the Cathedral, Kyriss offered the Angel a dealslain. The deamonsTo his horror, along with [[First Chaplain]] [[Erebus]] of the [[Word Bearers]] and [[Chief Apothecary]] [[Fabius Bile]] of Meros discovered the [[Emperor's Children]], bodies simply had created a cursed artifact of pure rageno bones, using the half dead body of Captain [[Thoros]] who nor was believed to have been slain on the planet [[Murder]] decades earlier. Stripped there any trace of all that made him a Blood Angel, Thoros was driven mad with pain and rage and was the conduit for the rage that what had consumed killed the Blood Angels Legionhumans. Kyriss's deal was simple: Sanguinius need only step into the swirling vortex of The blood and rage and allow his body and soul to be fully corrupted. In return, Kyriss would cure the Blood Angels of both the [[Red Thirst]] and the [[Black Rage]] forever. Seeing bodies had been a strange pinkish hue that Sanguinius was seriously considering taking the deal, reminded Meros leapt into of the [[Chaos]] realm instead, followed swiftly by Sanguinius. Inside the vortex, Meros refused to let his [[Primarch]] take the deal. Instead Meros cut out his own [[geneseed]] and offered it to Sanguinius before allowing the rage to possess him. Meros the apothecary was dead, and color of the [[Red AngelWarp]] had been born. {{Fn|11x}}

During a search and rescue mission to the planet Holst in the Signus system, Meros and his squad, along with a seemingly loyal squad of [[Word Bearers]], encountered a Warp possessed [[Hive City]]. The city itself tried to kill them, using Frankenstein-esque monsters of rebar, concrete and steel. During their attempted escape from the city's outer precincts, Meros stumbled upon the body of a slain Word Bearer and noticed his blood was the same pinkish hue of the Warp touched humans. Before he could conduct an in-depth study, the Word Bearer's Captain drove him off, demanding he leave the slain warrior at peace. The Blood Angels and Word Bearers were only saved by the personal intervention of Captain [[Amit]] who used [[Thunderhawk]]s and [[Storm Raven]]s to destroy a maggot-like creature made from abandoned subway tunnels. Holst was subsequently destroyed by orbital bombardment.{{Fn|1x}} Meros was part of the detachment that travelled to Signus Six and rescued a small band of survivors, among their number a [[Blank]]. It would be on Signus Prime that Meros would meet his ultimate fate. After Sanguinius was knocked unconscious by the [[Blood Thirster]] [[Ka'Bandha]], Meros took part in a strike team to destroy the daemons fortress, the Cathedral of the Marque. While the rest of the legion, save the handful in the strike force under First Captain Raldoron, were gripped by the [[Red Thirst]], Meros and his brothers fought through hordes of [[Daemonettes]] and [[Bloodletters]] to infiltrate the Cathedral. It was during the final confrontation between Sanguinius and the two [[Greater Daemon]]s, Ka'Bandha and [[Kyriss]] the Perverse, that Meros sealed his fate. After Sanguinius threw Ka'Bandha to its death from the tower of the Cathedral, Kyriss offered the Angel a deal. The daemons, along with [[First Chaplain]] [[Erebus]] of the [[Word Bearers]] and [[Chief Apothecary]] [[Fabius Bile]] of the [[Emperor's Children]], had created a cursed artifact of pure rage, using the half dead body of Captain [[Tagas]] who was believed to have been slain on the planet [[Murder]] years earlier. Stripped of all that made him a Blood Angel, Tagas was driven mad with pain and rage and was the conduit for the rage that had consumed the Blood Angels Legion. Kyriss's deal was simple: Sanguinius need only step into the swirling vortex of blood and rage and allow his body and soul to be fully corrupted. In return, Kyriss would cure the Blood Angels of both the [[Red Thirst]] and the [[Black Rage]] forever. Seeing that Sanguinius was seriously considering taking the deal, Meros leapt into the [[Chaos]] realm instead, followed swiftly by Sanguinius. Inside the vortex, Meros refused to let his [[Primarch]] take the deal. Instead Meros cut out his own [[geneseed]] and offered it to Sanguinius before allowing the rage to possess him. Meros the apothecary was dead, and the '''[[Red Angel]]''' had been born.{{Fn|1x}} ====The Red Angel====

Sanguinius confronted the deamon daemon and demanded Meros be freed. When the Red Angel refused, Sanguinius softly asked if anything of Meros remained that could hear him. After a moment the Red Angel responded that there was a small part. Sanguinius promised Meros that his sacrifice would not be in vain and that Sanguinius would find a way to kill the deamon daemon that now possessed him. Without further words, the Red Angel disappeared into the swirling [[Warp Gate]] it created. {{Fn|11x}} The Red Angel would later present itself to [[Horus]] aboard the [[Vengeful Spirit]] and claim it would be a weapon in the [[Warmaster]]'s hands. When asked by Ererbus Erebus why the deamon daemon thought it could take the name "Red Angel" which belonged to [[Angron]], the deamon daemon merely responded that the name fit it better and that it would fight Angron if the primarch took issue with that. The ultimate fate of the Red Angel is unknown. {{Fn|11x}}{{Fn|3}} ====Legacy====Because Meros removed his geneseed before his sacrifice, his genetic legacy was able to continue. Eventually his geneseed would be implanted in [[Rafen]], who was greatly honored honoured to bear the geneseed of a hero of the Legion and a man who personally saved Sanguinius. {{Fn|2}}

===Sources===*{{Endn|1Citation issues}}*1: [[Fear to Tread(Novel)]] by [[James Swallow]], :**{{Endn|1a}}: ''Prologue: Melchior''**{{Endn|1x}}: {{Cite ThisCME}}*{{Endn|2}}: ''[[Bloodline (Short Story)]]'' by '''James Swallow'''*{{Endn|3}}: [[Collected Visions]] , pgs. 265-266265–266*{{Endn|4}}: [[The Horus Heresy: Legions]]