The Red Twin howled like a wolf at a full moon as he slowly pulled the long tungsten spike from his leg. Although it cooled from glowing red hot to dull gray, it was still very warm to the touch. Luckily for him, his energy shield had slowed and stopped the spike from burying too deep.

Meanwhile, the firefight continued to rage on all around him. Beside him, Private Singh switched targets as they heard a side door open.

"Chieftain! Chi-" she warned before taking a face full of plasma and falling back.

The assault rifle fell from her lifeless hands and clattered to a stop right in front of Mar. He growled.

Yelling in agony and fueled by a mixture of anger and adrenaline, he pulled the spike the rest of the way out of his leg and tossed it aside in disgust. He grabbed the bafflingly light Human weapon and stood, favoring his good leg.

A Brute Minor standing in front of the Chieftain caught the worst of it. Mar emptied the weapon's entire magazine, with only a few bullets hitting and bouncing off the Chieftain.

"You think you can fight me!?" the Chieftain asked incredulously. "I am Bupubus! All will kneel before me!"

Bupubus pivoted with his plasma cannon. Before Mar knew, thick blue bubbles of boiling plasma were splashing him across the chest and arms. He fell just as he saw the Demon break cover and sprint full speed toward their foe.

The Red Twin was on the floor, writhing in pain and waiting for his shield to recharge as the Demon and Bupubus duked it out. He saw the Demon kick the plasma cannon to the side and thrust with a combat knife. The blade caught the Chieftain's armor at a slight angle and grazed it, leaving behind a long scratch instead of puncturing through.

Bupubus head butted the Demon and knocked him back, but by then, the Red Twin was, albeit wearily, back on his feet. He had no time to reload, and even if he had ammunition, he was unfamiliar with the mechanics of Human-manufactured weapons. The Red Twin flung the rifle overhand at the Chieftain as he dashed in. The Demon reached back and retrieved a battle rifle and held his ground, firing.

Bupubus was bringing the cannon back to bear when the thrown gun cracked him in the side of the head. He foolishly switched targets again, but couldn't land any shots. Soon, he was frantically defending himself from the Spartan of Spartans on one side, and one of the most dangerous hand-to-hand Elites alive on the other. Bullets, then blows.

It was all over when the Red Twin kicked Bupubus in the back of the knee and made his leg buckle. The Chieftain's arms shot out to the side to grab onto something, or perhaps even someone, but it was all in vain. He dropped the plasma cannon as the Demon darted forth and shouldered him to the floor. Bupubus, with all his Brutes already lying dead all around him, fell flat to his back, defeated. The last thing he saw were two warriors towering over him.

Then the Demon calmly aimed, and fired.