A Hunter's Pride

Twenty-eight

Fires. Craters. Screaming.

I pressed my hand against some nearby wall, the screams and explosions bombarding my ears, nearly driving me to deafness. I looked down at my hand, my gauntlet destroyed, my armor cracked and shattered. I ran my hand across my bloodied face, sweeping the hair from my vision. I looked up, Crota was bigger. Angrier. We hadn't won. The wall behind him was blown to pieces, and a flood of Hive entered through the new door. That must've been the explosion that threw me.

Havoc leapt up, punching at Crota, in a seemingly desperate way. Crota grabbed him. I couldn't unsee this. I sat frozen. Havoc struggled to get free from his grip. The fist tightened, and his armor cracked and shattered, falling to the floor. Crota let out a growl that sounded like a laugh. He was getting a kick out of this.

Leo fired a rocket at Crota, but it didn't scratch him. He swung his broken sword down, cleanly cutting through the once brave Titan .

"Leo!" Ferus screamed across the room as his friend was reduced to bloodied halves of what he once was.

My ears and eyes still adjusting, I could only watch in terror at the absolute chaos that was occurring.

Havoc gave one last shout of agony before he went limp in Crota's fist. Then he was discarded like some sort of trash. Absolute terror gripped me. Alli appeared beside me slapping my face. "Get ahold of yourself!"

And I came to my senses. I loaded my gun, and looked her in the eyes. "Where's Ryan?"

"I don't know. Last I saw, they took his body somewhere. He also got Havoc and Leo.. And I think Arya is gone too. It's just us, Ferus and Mason. Now let's finish this."

"Right." I drew my other hand cannon, charging into battle with my newly reformed team. Ferus slid under a pillar, blasting his pulse rifle. Mason leapt into the air, unloading his heavy machine gun. Alli and I charged, blasting with our hand cannons. Crota stepped back a few feet, bombarded by all the incoming fire.

"Jump!"

He swung his sword down, and we all leapt over it. "Ferus, grenade! Mason, fusion blast! Alli, arc bolt!" Ferus backflipped over a Knight, throwing a grenade at Crota stunning him with the blast.

Mason charged a massive heat blast, blowing Crota back. I ignited my golden guns, just as Alli summoned her sword, firing a wave of lightning at the enemy. Crota stumbled back once more, as I fired my golden fire blasts.

"It's working!" Ferus cheered.

The Hive forces began to inch back, fearful of their leader's defeat.

I REFUSE TO FALL ALONE!

Crota roared in our minds, bringing us to our knees.

"Shut up! Get out of my head!" Mason shouted, forcefully charging him.

"Mason don't!" I held up my hand but it was too late.

A loud crack could be heard across the galaxy. Mason's shattered body slid down the wall leaving a gory trail behind it. Ferus quivered in fear.
"Please ! I surrender!" Crota stared down at Ferus, plucking him off the ground. "Please! I'll serve you! I'll do anything!"

I may have use for you, Guardian.

Ferus sighed, relieved.

AS A TROPHY!

Ferus screamed in agony as Crota gripped his arms and legs, tearing him in half. The bones and ligaments snapping violently, his blood pouring out by the bucket load onto the obsidian floor, followed soon by his innards. Crota tossed the corpse aside, before focusing on me and Alli. The sole survivors.