Not far ahead now, Blaze is calling out to them, beckoning even as she pulls the hitherto-unused rocket launcher from her back, lifts the heavy weapon to her shoulder. A vandal tries to come in from behind before Natasha’s new shock pistol turns its helm into a smoking mess. A moment to sight, and then the Guardian sends one, two rockets whistling over the field – up to those servitors lurking in the trees up-slope. One is a near miss, the explosion splintering a tree and rocking the nearest machine; the other hits almost directly. It’s too far to see what damage is inflicted, but in a flash both servitors teleport further back, out of sight. Blaze glances at Ghost’s damage estimate, then twists away to shield herself as a grenade lands in front of her. Another explosion, another shock and scorching heat on her plates.
By now the Titan's armor is muddied and torn, the white paintjob boiled away in splashes, the golden emblem that sways at her hip streaked with organic ash and fluids. Some of it's her own. She can feel the slowly healing rents in her side from a shock blade missed, the grind and burn in her hip where a sniper round punched through. But the convoy is free and clear, and those servitors won’t be firing on them. She is an Exo and a Titan. Pain is irrelevant. Death is irrelevant. They’ve got this. She’s got this. With every kill she makes the Light comes burning stronger within her.
A roar from behind shakes the air... and around them, voices are raised in inhuman answer. A cheer spreading throughout the Fallen troops. Another skiff is dropping out of the sky, and there’s something a little different about its shape. Blaze is already moving toward it when something new and massive grabs a hold of the lower grips and slings itself easily to the ground.
Where the big captains stand near eight feet tall, this one must be nine feet without the helmet. It towers over everything else on the field, lean and powerful. A pair of horns jut from either side of its helm, arching back like a crest; its great pauldrons are ridged with spines, its sigil-marked armor trimmed in heavy fur and decorated with cloth emblems in blue and white. In its upper hands it bears a cannon longer than the height of a human, blades sheathed at its side. A half-dozen of the lesser captains drop down around it, swords unsheathed and armor gleaming.
Reload. She has to reload fast as she walks. The new arrival speaks, and its voice is a guttural rumble of contempt through the air above them. The giant wades through carnage and broken bodies as if through so many discarded toys – and then it lifts its mighty cannon and starts firing heavy explosives toward the convoy…
…No. Toward Azwel?
It gets off two rounds and then- finally- her rocket streaks into it, closely followed by another. And the explosions splash harmlessly against the blue halo of energy that flares around the giant’s body. It turns to snarl mockingly at Blaze. She shoulders the launcher and charges in, calling out on the radio, ”All of you go! Go! Get the hell out of range! Protect the payload!”
She doesn’t know the name of the noble she’s about to duel. It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t even matter if she wins. Not if the food gets away. If she fails, if she dies, she can come back for this beast later. She slings a grenade up and sees it stick, feels the burst of Solar Light bring down the noble’s shield as she dashes past the guards-
And then it very literally puts its foot down.
The giant’s stomp is ground-shaking. Even with all her mass and momentum Blaze is sent flying through the air, plows into dirt and muddy snow before she can catch herself. The massive Fallen laughs at her, harsh and mocking. Then it’s gone, into the trees with a teleport flash. Its guard move after it, purposeful and watching their backs. They stalk through the trees after the convoy.
Swearing, Blaze hauls herself to her feet and charges after them, leaving Natasha to keep up. If they bring the vehicles down that’s the end of it. She can’t see them any more… but she’ll catch up.
Player ??? Has Entered The Game
By now the Titan's armor is muddied and torn, the white paintjob boiled away in splashes, the golden emblem that sways at her hip streaked with organic ash and fluids. Some of it's her own. She can feel the slowly healing rents in her side from a shock blade missed, the grind and burn in her hip where a sniper round punched through. But the convoy is free and clear, and those servitors won’t be firing on them. She is an Exo and a Titan. Pain is irrelevant. Death is irrelevant. They’ve got this. She’s got this. With every kill she makes the Light comes burning stronger within her.
A roar from behind shakes the air... and around them, voices are raised in inhuman answer. A cheer spreading throughout the Fallen troops. Another skiff is dropping out of the sky, and there’s something a little different about its shape. Blaze is already moving toward it when something new and massive grabs a hold of the lower grips and slings itself easily to the ground.
Where the big captains stand near eight feet tall, this one must be nine feet without the helmet. It towers over everything else on the field, lean and powerful. A pair of horns jut from either side of its helm, arching back like a crest; its great pauldrons are ridged with spines, its sigil-marked armor trimmed in heavy fur and decorated with cloth emblems in blue and white. In its upper hands it bears a cannon longer than the height of a human, blades sheathed at its side. A half-dozen of the lesser captains drop down around it, swords unsheathed and armor gleaming.
Reload. She has to reload fast as she walks. The new arrival speaks, and its voice is a guttural rumble of contempt through the air above them. The giant wades through carnage and broken bodies as if through so many discarded toys – and then it lifts its mighty cannon and starts firing heavy explosives toward the convoy…
…No. Toward Azwel?
It gets off two rounds and then- finally- her rocket streaks into it, closely followed by another. And the explosions splash harmlessly against the blue halo of energy that flares around the giant’s body. It turns to snarl mockingly at Blaze. She shoulders the launcher and charges in, calling out on the radio, ”All of you go! Go! Get the hell out of range! Protect the payload!”
She doesn’t know the name of the noble she’s about to duel. It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t even matter if she wins. Not if the food gets away. If she fails, if she dies, she can come back for this beast later. She slings a grenade up and sees it stick, feels the burst of Solar Light bring down the noble’s shield as she dashes past the guards-
And then it very literally puts its foot down.
The giant’s stomp is ground-shaking. Even with all her mass and momentum Blaze is sent flying through the air, plows into dirt and muddy snow before she can catch herself. The massive Fallen laughs at her, harsh and mocking. Then it’s gone, into the trees with a teleport flash. Its guard move after it, purposeful and watching their backs. They stalk through the trees after the convoy.
Swearing, Blaze hauls herself to her feet and charges after them, leaving Natasha to keep up. If they bring the vehicles down that’s the end of it. She can’t see them any more… but she’ll catch up.