Provoked

The Javelin missile streaked through the air, its trail a glowing arc of fire against the dusk sky. For a split second, time seemed to slow as the missile closed in on the stone sentinel. Then, with a deafening explosion, it struck the creature dead center, right in its chest. The shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dust and debris as the sentinel's stone torso shattered into jagged fragments. The towering figure staggered, its glowing eyes flickering before it crumbled into a pile of rubble, collapsing with a tremendous crash.