The Deep End

The Deep End: Part 4

"OHDEARLO - NOO!"

          The words expelled from Mira-3's mouth in a rush as she wildly dodged the incoming Vex Wyvern as it curled its jelly-fish like wings inward and pounced at her. Rolling behind a nearby rectangular pillar, the Hunter's teal cape whipped behind her as she scrambled behind it for cover, the giant machine landing in the spot she had been standing in just moments before. She panic tossed a Void grenade around the corner at the creature as she hurriedly went to reload her Ace of Spades handcannon. Hearing the Wyvern shriek as the grenade began to consume it, Mira-3 took the moment of respite to collect herself as she cocked her pistol to survey the rest of the chamber - and her heart sank.

There were still so many Vex.

          Across the platform, Kreig's hulking Titan form was pummeling his way through their cycloptic enemies. If he wasn't slide-blasting them to death with his shotgun, he was punching or tearing them apart with his bare hands. She grimaced slightly as she watched Krieg toss an icy grenade into a group of Goblins, shoulder charge them into chunks, then with a cry of fury leapt on top of a Hydra to blast it right in the face with his weapon. Yet as a dark shadow fell over the Hunter and she whirled to see the Wyvern stomping around the pillar, Mira realized she had bigger problems herself.

          As the angry red eye of the beast focused on her to unleash a deadly wave of energy, the Exo Hunter rushed swiftly between its feet, holstered her Ace of Spades, and grasped for the hilt of her Falling Guillotine. The Wyvern barely had time to bellow a death cry as Mira carved it from crotch to crown, watching it fade away to nothing. Then a furious cry and a strange shifting of the air made the Hunter turn.

Mira-3 barely had time to jump out of the way as a wave of thick, ice spikes raced in her direction.

           Swearing loudly, the Exo jumped as high as she could, grasping onto an overhanging platform and scrambling over the edge, only to find a pair of Vex Hobgoblins standing on top of it. Wasting no time cutting them down with her blade, Mira-3 turned the singular optic of her Holdfast helm back towards the platform to witness a massacre. Krieg was furiously slamming the ground all around him, sending out wave after devastating wave of ice formations that shredded through the Vex or froze them in place. For an instant, the Hunter stared agape at the destruction of the Dark Super wielded by the Titan, shuddering to think she might have been caught in that. However, Mira-3's gaze was torn away as something big struck her violently in the side and sent her flying.

          A sharp grunt came from the Exo as her back slammed into the cavernous wall of the chamber, the force knocking the wind out of her, and she tumbled to the floor, somehow catching herself on her hands and knees. The Hunter coughed and clutched at her chest with a free hand as she forced herself to her feet using the blade for balance. Something was definitely broken and no longer functioning right in her sternum; she cursed her lack of situational awareness as she righted herself.

           The ground around her began to shudder and Mira-3 weakly lifted the sword to block the incoming blasts from what she finally realized was a Vex Minotaur that had drop-kicked her off the higher platform. Pain radiated through her chest as each heavy blast shook her body, yet the Exo Hunter held her ground and waited for the Minotaur to grow impatient. The moment it teleported, Mira-3 was ready.

          Vanishing from sight, the massive Vex Machine suddenly appeared right on top of the small Guardian, lifting its arm to strike her down, but with a cry of fury Mira-3 spun in a violent circle, waving the Falling Guillotine over her head. The whirlwind attack did its job and sliced up the Minotaur like he was made of butter in an arc of vivid light. The Vex monster let out a massive death groan as it digitized into thin air. Yet more laser fire started coming in from several Vex Goblins as the Minotaur fell. Mira-3 tossed a smoke bomb at her feet and faded into the concealment of the Void.