Lucy and Ethel directed the troops to focus on its legs again. Heavy artillery targeted the joints, but the Apex adapted, raising a shimmering energy shield to deflect the blasts. Soldiers with portable EMP launchers moved into position, firing bursts that temporarily disrupted the shield.
As one leg gave way, the Apex retaliated with its tail, sweeping a group of soldiers off their feet. Ethel rushed forward, casting a kinetic barrier that absorbed the shockwave and gave the troops time to recover.
The Apex's mouth began to glow, signaling another psychic howl. Lucy, seeing the danger, activated her exosuit's thrusters, launching herself toward its head. She fired an energy grapple to latch onto one of its crystalline spikes, pulling herself close enough to fire a concentrated plasma burst directly into its circular maw. The Apex reeled back, its howl interrupted by the explosion.
