Carrie heard Mary's response between gunshots, frowned, and turned towards the group of approaching flechpeckers. Gritting her teeth, she shouldered her carbine and went to ground on one knee. She mouthed her command to Carnivore so softly it could barely be heard.<span style="color: #BF40FF">"Defender mode. End. Optimize fire, flak rounds. End."</span>The massive machine crouched a little lower, its braces locked to the floor, levelling its longshot rifle. The moment Mary's shots bring a cluster of the little creepers together, Carnivore's rifle let out a 'clang!' and a soft thud, sending the flak round soaring through the air. On impact, it exploded into tiny pieces of shrapnel, tearing at least three birds from the sky. The sound and killing was repeated four more times. A soft click marked that Carnivore had changed ammo type, and leveling its twin-linked gatling gun, it began roaring death. Carrie, on her end, fired only when in immediate danger, which was rare - thanks to Carnivore's effective sentry work.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BF40FF">"Sergeant, get inside! You're a soft target, and Carnivore can't stand sentry for both of us!"</span>