Esone dove into the fight, whirling and dancing hungrily. The Scarlet Blade and the Breaker's Hand had faded with the rest of his primordial panoply, leaving him with Metallica and a sniper rifle he'd commandeered. The original owner wouldn't be using it anymore. The only advantage Esone had over the average Marine now was the unlimited endurance of Running to Forever, and a few other passive combat charms. His overdrive pools weren't filling quickly enough to pull off anything flashy.<br/><br/>A praetorian claw arced overhead, missing the Scourge by a hair's breath but impaling an unfortunate marine behind him. Esone avenged the soldier a moment later, burying both fist into the creatures mouth and unloading a full belt of shotgun rounds. His hands came back soaked in ethereal blue fluid, glowing ever so slightly.<br/><br/>Metallica whirred, dispelling it's spent cartages as a hollow rain. Esone yanked another two belts out of his dwindling Elsewhere stockpile, flicking them up into the air. Primordial essence guided their descent, Esone sweeping his arms up to reload mid-fall. Metallica cycled it's action, arm guard plates shifting and snapping back into place. Instinct took over again as more husks advanced.<br/><br/>Three immediate threats were mowed down in rapid succession; one scion was scooped up by the feet and used to bludgeon two husks into submission. It wasn't quite the same as a Collector, but it was just as satisfying.<br/><br/>Another praetoran cost him the scion however,   it's heavy plating breaking the cancerous husk before Esone switched back to his Soulsteel fists.<br/><br/>Overhead, the Walker lowed a maddening call, more troops dropping from it's sides like shed parasites. Esone hefted the newest Praetoran corpse and chucked it at the creature's maw, corking the windy hole for a few glorious minutes.<br/><br/>"How do you like that, you goddamn bugs?"<br/><span style="color: #000000">Careful. You almost lost yourself to your Past Life back on the ground. You don't want that here either.</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">At least mine isn't too strong. I'd hate to have inherited Gorol Thrice-Damned. Such a pity that the greatest piece of the Ebon Dragon's genius was also his most spiteful. Even the Abyssals get clean Exaltations.</span>