[Southern Shelf] A Whole New Not-So-Super World

Her visor scanned over the horizon. Much of it was a blur, lost in the haze of the snowdrifts. They had been blowing through for the last couple of hours. They did not seem to be clearing up any time soon. However, three blips down the cliff face and by a frigid body of water indicated life forms. Distinct holographic images highlighted estimated points of egress towards the new destination, visible only to the one surveying this scene from high above. She checked their footing, in their current position as well as behind them. The earth here was even ground, bereft of ice that would make this hazardous. The figure, who stood at least seven feet tall in bright armor plating, took a few steps back, preparing herself. She ran forward, placing her cannon arm forward first. A flash of blue light escaped the barrel in one instant, then in the next, transformed into a solid beam that clung to one of the designated points. She pulled that arm, then lurched, thrusting her whole body into the motion. At the apex of her movement, the beam disconnected, dissipated, launching her forward and downward, before her cannon fired that same blue light. This motion was repeated two more times; within a matter of seconds, the figure had brought herself down to a neighboring snowbank. She lowered herself closer to the ground, resting her arms on her knees. Gravity took care of the rest, as she slid down the rest of the way. The life forms remained unaware of her presence.

Once she had reached the bottom, the figure stood up and began walking towards the group of three. It was mostly a group of two, on account of the size of the third. The snowdrifts were heavy here. Her otherwise heavy movement was muffled in part, sounding no different than any other person trudging through the arctic muck. The intention of these men were crudely clear. The little one was...? She paused, then continued. Priorities first. As she started to close her distance, she broke into a sprint. Her cannon arm whipped in front of her. In the same motion, a beam of light was generated and launched forward. It went for the neck of one of these men. Once it found purchase, there was a tug, and then another. If the force of being thrown violently by the neck did not kill him, being plunged into frigid waters this far north most certainly would. As for the other man... the stranger finished coming at him, reaching with her human arm to seize his face.

As far as any of them were concerned, this was an abominable menace, towering in armor that had come out from the flurry like a thing possessed.

The life sign that had been sent for a dive quickly faded.

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The man in her arms struggled for a brief second, his arms flailing helplessly.

CRUNCH

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The body was tossed aside, not unlike how one disposed of an unwanted bag of trash. The towering figure stared down at Marten's form for one second, two seconds...

Small arms fire rattled against their back. The stranger tensed, bending forward momentarily to cover the creature in his entirety. She turned toward the source of the shooting, and thrust her cannon arm forward. There was a series of dull thuds and clicks from within the suit, audible only to the animal that she had just protected. Then, with surprisingly minimal kickback, a missile launched forth from the cannon. It arced through the air with incredible speed, sidewinding towards its crowd of targets before detonating in a bright blossom of flame and shrapnel. Another series of dull thuds and clicks. Another missile, fired from the cannon.

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She briefly turned towards the animal. She stared at his juice box, then his face. With her human arm, she made quick gestures towards the ground. He needed to lay low. There was no time to communicate further. She turned her attention back towards the enemy. The armored stranger dove through the snow, tucking into a roll and then a slide to a conveniently shaped ice outcropping that could serve as suitable cover. Relying only on her peripheral sensors, she jutted her cannon arm just out of cover, shooting out a spray of covering fire that took the form not of bullets or missiles, but of bursts of blue energy.

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There was enough time to register a new threat, but not enough to engage it. The Hunter ducked low to avoid the shotgun fire, which was chipping away at her cover. A half-second later, the heads-up display within her visor shifted from combat functions to analysis. To anyone else, it would not appear as if anything had changed. When there was a moment, she popped her head out of cover, allowing her visor to take in the target in its entirety, while assessing the rest of the situation.

Analysis complete.
"Goliath (Organic)"
Gigas deliris
Large bruiser class found within the ranks of Warzone psycho-forces. When the head is exposed to air, the creature is stirred into a killing frenzy, unable to distinguish friend from foe.

The words scrolled down the periphery of the HUD. She skimmed over it, confirming what she had already known. This was not the first time that she had faced one before, but it had been some time. He must be getting desperate.

A quick swish and flick motion of the arm cannon releases the grapple beam. It arcs through the snow-tilled air, quickly finding purchase with the Goliath's helmet. Then, she pulls, and ducks. This was a target-rich environment. She looked in the direction of the animal. Her sensors had pinged him as soon as it had registered him as a friendly combatant. In a place like this, he would be a green dot within a sea of red. So long as he had survival instincts, there was no need for concern.

If not, additional action would need to be taken.