2017-05-17: Fiery Shootout at Wheat Field

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  • Log: Fiery Shootout at Wheat Field
  • Cast: Kent Hauch, Emma Hetfield, Rudy Roughnight, Gwen Whitlock
  • Where: Old Petra
  • Date: 5/17/2017
  • Summary: Emma Hetfield was just going to Old Petra to pick up a few supplies at a nice specialized ARMs store. Unfortunately, so were the Black Ties. And they got there first. Thankfully, Emma brought help. Will it be enough?

================================<* Old Petra *>=================================

Old Petra -- as it is now known to Adelyn locals -- was once a bustling colliery village back in the heyday of the iron rush. But as the veins dried up, rumors of unsavory business and thuggery began to drive people away from the village. Bandits and monsters became a more and more common sight around this desolate village, and eventually, there was no one left to care for it. It simply became one of the many ghost towns that dot the wild frontier.

But more recently, rumors have been floating around about a resurgence of life in Old Petra. There are those who have observed people roaming around the town at night. Not a lot of people have bothered to look, as far out as this village is -- and the ring of danger still largely prevents people from wishing to come close. Is there something behind this unseeming village?

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRzlHGmr_EE
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

The Black Ties are diverse criminals. Sometimes they do their crimes loud! Sometimes they do their crimes quiet. Sometimes the sun blazes overhead and sometimes, like now, pilot lights are the only illumination on a dark, moonless night.

The Black Ties have been low-key terrorizing the smaller towns in a shockingly broad range around Adlehyde as their numbers and influence have steadily grown. Tonight is a simple re-stock at Wheat Field, sort of famous for their use of a collection of ARMs to assist in bullying crops out of the soil. Wheat Field's ARMs allow it to be one of the largest providers in the area - and these ARMs require fuel to function.

So in the horrific hours of the morning, men and women in clean, well-pressed outfits have descended on the local specialized ARMs Meister's shop, punching out the lone watchman. While most of the Ties here are wandering the area in twos and threes making sure nobody is out and about (and providing decent experience though the encounter rate is a little busted), two brawny men are wrestling with a large red barrel, grunting it across the dry ground toward a large covered carriage. A faint trickle of smoke rises from the roofed cab near the front of the carriage along with a faint snoring.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

EARLIER

"Rudy, I'm going to be going to Wheat Field to get some lubricants," Emma had informed her sort-of-brother. "If you'd like to tag along, I'd appreciate it. I'll buy you the best dinner at the saloon too, but mostly I want to avoid an excessive period of solitary self-recrimination regarding my life choices."

After a beat, Emma had added, "You can bring a friend or two too, if you like. No more than two, maximum, however."

SLIGHTLY LATER THAN THAT

"Science threw a shoe," Emma explained. "Supper will have to be tomorrow. But I'll add breakfast in the bargain."

NOW

An open wagon being driven by Emma Hetfield, who is wearing a duster instead of a blazer (same cut, same garish salmon), pulled by Science and Industry, two draft horses of indifferent quality. The wagon does have the advantage of being extremely well made, which normally means almost nothing, but NOW means the approach is relatively stealthy. There is straw in the back and several large jugs, probably for "the lubricants."

"Hm," says Emma, who had been steering by the light of her ARM and the stars above. "That doesn't look normal." She reaches behind herself, pawing randomly for Rudy to shake him, whether or not he actually dozed off. "Does that look normal to you?" Emma points in the dark towards all the little winking pilot lights, although of course it's freaking dark and so this may elude observation.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

Some people are not one for mornings, but over the horizon comes one who is: Rudy Roughnight. While Emma might have had her own reasons for asking for company, the reason the blue haired boy took away is the one he holds on to. The world can be a dangerous place, he's learned, and he doesn't want to lose anyone else to its perils. On top of this protective urge, Rudy also has a few ARMs that he needs to get checked out. Couple this with what he knows of Gwen, he figures she would likely want to come along too, so he is more than willing to ask for another person to come with at Emma's offer. After all, having Emma introduce you to an ARMs Meister is a handy thing indeed considering how small the circuit of ARMs research and development can be at times.

While Gwen, the +1 to this little gathering, may or may not be resting, Rudy is not. Instead, he has his brown eyes looking about from time to time, though even he seems to stare off into nothing, proving that even he can tire at times. It is at one of these times that Rudy is shaken into awareness by Hetfield's shaking.

At Emma's urging, Roughnight leans forward to peer. "I don't know," Rudy confesses. "But leave the horses here, I'll check it out." After all, if there was something going on, he wouldn't want Science and Industry to pay the price of a stray bullet or a miscast spell. With that, he dismounts from the wagon. He doesn't withdraw his weapon nor does he even attempt to be stealthy. With a slightly furred brow, Rudy just begins to stroll toward the shop, perhaps not noticing (or perhaps not caring) who sees him not stopping until he gets to the door or (the more likely situation) someone offers any sort of greetings or hostility his way. After all, Roughnight seems to be very much a fan of the direct approach for problem solving.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Broken cart axle. Would you like to try to repair it? _

Y_

You were unable to reapir the broken cart axle. You must replace it with a spare part.

SHI_

And that's why Gwen is there, early in the morning, a few steps away from tearing out her hair as she looks at the heavy packages beside her. Of course Gwen has a delivery to Petra on the day her cart broke down in Adlehyde City. _Of course_.

There's also the fact that Rudy's asking her to possibly come along. "Well, I probably should get mine checked out too..."

Which is why she's in the back of the wagon, napping like a pro. It's only when the wagon stops that Gwen begins to wake up, yawning and working some kinks out of her neck. "Hm?" The dazed, bed-headed look lasts only a moment before Gwen seems to get ahold of the situation. "... Wait," she whispers. "I got a good reason to be there. I can check it out safely if you need.... it..." And Rudy is walking away, preferring the direct method. "W-wait..!" She helplessly looks to Emma. "I really don't like the way this is all goin'..."

But she doesn't get out of the cart, just yet. It could ruin whatever surprise Rudy may have. She does, however, begin peeling off her right hand, out of view, just in case.

Maybe, these could just be some nicely dressed customers.

<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

The two brawny Vests, whom we will call Todd and TODD!!! on account of those being the closest things to names they've ever managed to spell, are moving the red barrel in the worst possible way, each hugging their side and kind of pressing together and having to step around it. They are veering steadily to the left of the wagon, course correcting, nearly falling over.

Todd: "You, uh, you hear somethin'?"

TODD!!!: "I ain't never heard nothin' a day in my life."

Todd: "Whoa! Are you deaf?"

TODD!!!: "Yeah back home they used to call me Deaf Incarnate probably because of all the instructions I didn't hear before doin' tasks an' that time I messed up and five people had to climb the hill to the old doctor's place."

Todd: "Wow. That's gotta be weird to think you can hear all this time but it's all like... not that."

TODD!!!: "Speakin' of, you hear somethin'?"

Todd and TODD!!! blunder directly into Rudy's path, nearly walking right into him. As fuel carriers, they were instructed to leave their flamethrowers in the wagon by someone more intelligent than they are. The two of them, nearly identical save for the directions of their broken noses, blink owlishly at Rudy.

"Is he with us?" "With that jacket?" "Hey your pants gotta hole in 'em." "Headbands aren't in." "No headbands in the Black Ties. That's a rule." "Samuelh saw a man wear a headband once." "Once." "Boss." "Boss!" "BOSS" "BOSS" "BOOOOOOOOOSS"

There is a terrific snort from the cab of the wagon, the waiting horses nickering in irritation as it shifts behind them. Metal rattles as the scrap-armored door bangs open, a bulky form levering itself out, still covered by shadow save for some tiny lights at what could be its back. "Fookin' 'ell Todds, if this is another bloody rabbit..." The cherry-red tip of a lit cigar bobs high in the air as it approaches, indicating an exceptionally large individual behind it. The Todds, satisfied, continue moving the barrel toward the wagon as though Rudy isn't there - or won't be for much longer.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"I'll park and come along shortly," Emma says to Rudy.

The horses are parked in the darkness. Emma probably remembers where they are. Industry starts eating the wheat.

Emma does start moving towards Rudy, but not quickly. When the Todds start talking, she freezes, blending immediately into the dusty background and ripening wheat nearby.

"They said Black Ties," Emma says to Rudy through the darkness. "Are you familiar with them?"

YES / NO

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

Rudy doesn't really offer much in the way of what other people should do. Roughnight is not a leader, nor does he often feel he has the right to tell people what to do, more so if he trusts them and/or their judgment. As Gwen speaks her discontentment, Rudy continues to walk with a slow determination. It's slow enough that Emma is easily able to catch up to him, but not before he is spotted. A glance is given toward Emma, but seeing that she is hidden, soon just averts his eyes forward as he speaks. While Rudy isn't exactly the most experienced, he's got cunning in odd ways that some that know him may not expect. And it seems he understand the value of making it seem as if he were alone.

The two people are allowed to run for their boss and when the red light of a cigar approaches, Rudy just stops where he is, standing in the road as if he had nothing to fear. But, ignorance appears to be bliss as he speaks toward Emma.

"Some gang, right?" comes the simple reply, his words calm and soft spoken even as he seems to be stirring up the hornets' nest.

Regardless of her answer, Roughnight merely narrows his eyes faintly to take in this mysterious 'boss'. Perhaps sensing a bit of tension, a keen eye would notice that his stance widens faintly, his boots kicking up a hint of dust as they do.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

With the horses taken care of, Emma departs to go after Rudy. Creeping out of the wagon soon afterwards, she slips her right glove back on. She can't hear what the conversation is (beyond TODD!!!'s own), but the body language of her companions relays some of the situation to her. She knows enough to draw some conclusions.

Gwen is also familiar with the Black Ties. Enough to know what Rudy is possibly going to do is... not smart. Not smart at all. Thank goodness Emma's over there. Wait. What is Emma capable of if things go south? Does Gwen want to know?

Gwen begins to realize the grand scope of the mystery that is Emma.

So, as tension begins to rise and Rudy bravely standing his ground against a foe he seems intent on taking on, suddenly there's Gwen, right there, with a package. A heavy one. "-Oh, hey, sorry about the interruption, need to deliver some goods 'ere. Comin' throug-" Oh my. "... through."

<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

The big man isn't quite there yet. He reaches over his shoulder for something that begins to glow an angry red. "Iss a bit dark out here, innit?" he asks, pointing it to the side.

Sullen red light blooms out as the device emits a stream of glowing molten rock. The man is over six feet tall, his expensive charcoal grey suit holding fast in the face of a broad, dangerous build. He zags the lava stream over to cut off Gwen as she starts walking through, drawing a bright, horrifyingly hot line in the sand.

It gives off enough light to see by, though it's quickly cooling. Anyone who's given recent wanted posters more than a casual look could recognize Kent Hauch, leader of the Black Ties, locally wanted for sacking Tumblus Town and the brazen kidnapping of the King of Lacour. He pinches his cigar between two fingers and lifts it away from his mouth, letting smoke drift from his nostrils and between his teeth.

"Recognize you," he says to Gwen with a predatory grin. "Y'never did thank me fer keepin' ponytail boy from draggin' you off to whatever dire fate." Kent grates out a chuckle. "He's dangerous. Hadn't you heard?" He gestures with Red River, encouraging her to back toward Rudy and the woman behind her.

His revolver-barrel gaze settles on that aforementioned Drifter. He looks him up and down and snorts. "The state of you, mate." He replaces the cigar in his mouth.

Kent briefly considers - try standard intimidation? Act like they're just picking up a legal purchase? Start firing without warning?

Nah. Advanced intimidation. Kent brushes dust from the charred sleeve of his ash grey longcoat before bringing the barrel of his ARM for Rudy's forehead. "What say the three of you just... bugger on home for the night? I'm sure your errands at a place like this can't be all that bloody pressing now, at such an, oh... ungracious hour."

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

The eyes flash with recognition as Kent reveals himself with a dramatic flare, but not a muscle in Rudy's body reveals the hint of concern. The waves of heat and light illuminate the facade of Roughnight as a bead of sweat slowly forms and begins to drip down from a combination of the lava's heat and the tension of the situation.

As Hauch makes his generous offer, the boy doesn't move as the barrel is leveled at him. "I am actually going to ask you to leave." His voice is soft at first, but it doesn't buckle. It doesn't seem meek. Like a feral cat starting to growl, there an underlining intensity about it. "I'm not going to leave you to hurt innocent people. I'm not going to leave if you're threatening my friend."

But this large show suddenly begins to show cracks. While his voice never wavers, a tear forms in his eyes as he considers what will likely unfold. He doesn't reach toward his ARM nor his knife, but his fist clenches. "I was told I shouldn't hurt people, but I will protect them from whoever threatens them. So, I beg you to leave before I have to hurt you."

Rudy's throat clears as he tries the most powerful weapon of peace he feels he has currently at his disposal, the only magic word he was ever taught: "Please."

It seems that while Rudy isn't planning on firing first, for some reason, he feels he'll be firing last. The overconfidence of youth, it would seem.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Emma's eyes widen as Kent approaches Rudy and points his ARM towards his forehead. That won't do. Emma's response is to pull out her tablet computer.

This is not very sensible from a distance. She becomes more visible between the light the Emulator casts and the fact that she just pulled out something that glows. As she starts tapping on it, staring dead ahead, she doesn't call out or say anything in open reply. But then Rudy speaks.

Emma pauses for a moment.

She wipes a tear from her eye even as she levels her tablet towards TODD!!!, whereupon a sickly ray of strange luminosity snaps out from the Emulator towards him. This ray will attempt to steal TODD!!!'s soul - well, not really; it analyzes his nature, his essence, everything in his phenotype and genotype that represents the ineffable, unique, eternal nature that is 'him'.

This will probably lead to a fireball attack of some kind, Emma guesses, but she already has a couple of those so it might not be much use. The experience is also unpleasant and might send the unwary keeling over into the dirt.

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Kent Hauch with Download!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Kent wasn't born yesterday. He also happens to remember what happened beyond yesterday, as well. Gwen cries out, nearly dropping her package as she draws back from the glowing line suddenly drawn in the sand. The casual mask is gone (not that there was much of one she could've put on in the first place), revealing the cautious courier underneath. She isn't quite as innocent of the danger this gang could cause.

"... Uh." She looks up towards the Black Ties' 'boss'. "I, er, recognize you too." She offers an uneasy smile. "Y'talking about Sorey?" She's backing away at the waving of Kent's gun, careful not to take her eyes off of the tall man. "What, a guy like him?" 'Are you scared of 'im?' That quip nearly escapes her lips following that line, but she numbly shuts her mouth.

This is in contrast to Rudy, right by her. Breath catches in Gwen's throat. Is Rudy... crying? Is he crying because of fear? She tries to inch her line of sight towards Emma, trying to get a sense of how she is doing.

Then Kent is pointing a gun right at Rudy's head. ".... h-hey, listen now, it really doesn't need to come to this, now..."

Rudy isn't backing away. Neither, from what Gwen can see, is Emma.

Gwen's right hand grips the heavy box. If she can just... inch closer, just maybe...

Well, those people probably wouldn't mind if their heavy items were used as a shield, or even better, an impromptu weapon.

GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Rudy Roughnight with Hope They Paid Insurance For That!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

Kent starts laughing. It's not entirely a mocking laugh - it's a good, heartfelt belly laugh. His gun drifts aside as he puts one burned hand to his bald forehead.

"Bloody hell, you Drifters crack me up! If I was out 'ere to hurt people, I'd've waited until the damn sun came up and made a big show out of it! This is just some basic larceny, tyke." He makes a shooing gesture. "Come on, now, clear off. Nobody's gettin' set on fire tonight, I'm feelin' right magnanimous-like."

Emma pulls out what reminds Kent of the fancy tablets he's far more familiar with than one might expect. His gaze snaps over to her, noting her down, tongue thoughtfully poking the inside of his cheek.

Then TODD!!! says "horf" and promptly goes limp. Todd says "Oh no!" as he's now imbalanced, toppling forward, Rock Bottoming (rock bottoming, rock bottoming) the red barrel onto his counterpart. He says "horf again", the two of them rolling over as the barrel starts rolling down a slight incline off-screen.

Kent's gaze follows the barrel until it vanishes into the creeping darkness, a vein pulsing out from his temple. "Right, thassit." The chamber of the gun starts glowing again. "Everyone either goes home bloody or goes home in a jar."

The situation has officially escalated past the point of defusal. As Kent swings back around, his eyes click onto Gwen, Rudy, and Emma in turn, Red River following behind. He fires three times, with three thuds, small pellets of dull lava that harden in mid-air to sizzling-hot tephra, going for the center mass. The nearby Black Ties react to the sound of Red River. Gouts of flame shoot out into the air as they start signalling each others' locations, no longer concerned with hiding.

"No, you slaghead!" He barks at Gwen afterward, smoke rising from his cigar and the barrel of his weapon. "That fluffball couldn't hurt a dust devil! The other bloody ponytail, the one what levelled Lahan!" Beat. "And asides, I was just tryin' to be bloody ominous! Never mind!" He puffs out an irritated cloud. "Too many ponytails 'round about."

GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Emma Hetfield's Download for 54 hit points!
GS: Emma Hetfield drains Kent Hauch! Emma Hetfield gains  temporary hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Tephra Snapshot!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Rudy Roughnight with Tephra Snapshot!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Emma Hetfield with Tephra Snapshot!
GS: Kent Hauch has completed his action.
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Emma Hetfield with Tephra Snapshot!
GS: Kent Hauch has completed his action.
GS: Emma Hetfield guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Tephra Snapshot for 49 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Rudy Roughnight takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Hope They Paid Insurance For That for 0 hit points!
GS: SHield and Jam! Statuses applied to Rudy Roughnight!
GS: CRITICAL! Rudy Roughnight takes a solid hit from Kent Hauch's Tephra Snapshot for 132 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Rudy Roughnight!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"If I stole your pants and your ARM and set you among your enemies, would you say I hadn't 'hurt' you?" Emma calls from the audience even as the stolen barrel tumbles down. Hm, she thinks, that's probably bad, but that also doesn't seem like it's going to be bad right now.

See, he's shooting hot rocks at her. One of them wings her in the calf and Emma hisses, lunging away, clutching the Emulator to her bosom. Along the way, somehow she hits a key and fires off a macro:

> shift last load to active

> activate active

And this power, the power of Activate Active, is a powerful command, in which the Active command is Activated. Items used in battle are items!

This stolen soul from TODD!!! takes the form, to Emma's mild surprise, of some kind of silvery chunk of metal flying at great speed. It is actually pretty hot, if not like 'materially add to the damage inflicted' hot, but it's a significant fraction of a cannonball's speed. He might want to not catch that on his face.

"Rudy! I'm sorry for escalating the situation!" Emma shouts. "I thought he wouldn't notice, but I believe this suggests the unit's more cohesive than bandits usually are!"

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Kent Hauch with The TODD!!! Origin Story!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

There is a faint glimmer of hope that somehow, through sheer force of will, Rudy can cause this man to back down. He's done it for thugs before. But the Black Ties are far more than anything Roughnight has confronted before and it seems to be the only one not taking that into consideration. But it isn't either man that ends the stand-off, but the cunning woman known as Emma who strikes with her attack. Rudy understands what this means:

This conversation just turned into a warzone.

A hand moves up, reaching for the wrapped ARM behind his back. In a flash, the gun is raised forward, the Hand Cannon being brought to bear. "I'm sorry," he states calmly toward Kent as he prepares to fire.

Suddenly, the box from Gwen comes out of the edge of Rudy's vision, getting in the way right as the first volley of Kent makes his way toward him, tearing through the box, but lessened enough that the burns that dig into his chest don't seem as bad as they should have been. Still, even with the protection, there is a wince on Rudy's face and the skin gives a nice sizzle. As the fiery attack continues to burn, Rudy brings up the gun without further words, spinning it around a couple of times. As he does, he brings up his left arm and the forearm begins to glow blue. Finally, the gun is trained toward Kent and a powerful shell is launched which may explode if it hits the powerful gang leader. It's clear that while the drifter didn't want to fight, he isn't holding back.

Hit or miss, his verbal response to Emma is still the same: "It's okay!" he calls out, clearly not blaming her for all of this.

GS: Rudy Roughnight has attacked Kent Hauch with Boosted Shell!
GS: Rudy Roughnight takes 9 damage from Poison!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has completed his action.
GS: Kent Hauch takes a solid hit from Emma Hetfield's The TODD!!! Origin Story for 59 hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Rudy Roughnight's Boosted Shell for 134 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Gwen's gaze follows Red River, and, given the status of her box in how close it is to Rudy, she throws it forward, trying to use it to someone soften the shot. Kent's first shot sizzles past her shoulder at the worst possible moment, drawing a cringe of pain. The box is thrown. It works as a nice shield, somewhat.

Unfortunately it kinda maybe hit Rudy's ARM hand there- Gwen didn't exactly have great aim right then.

"I don't know what you did- do I look like a stalker?!" she yells irritably. "There's-" 'Too many ponytails 'round about.' "Yeah, that!"

Looking briefly back at Emma and Rudy, Gwen roughly moves the glove off her right hand. "We'll figure somethin' out," she says to the two of them, willing a crackle of energy to encompass her hand. "Okay-"

She draws her right palm upwards, firing a quick bolt of energy towards one of the gathering gang members, TODD or otherwise.

-Wait. Just what did Kent do to Fei?

GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Kent Hauch with Coil Beam!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
GS: Kent Hauch takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Coil Beam for 77 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

Kent responds conversationally as he starts stepping back toward his wagon, "Now thass a, what's the thing Ribaldy says... bit of a false equivalency, innit?" He frowns down at Red River, pounding a fist on the top of it. The chamber goes from a dull red to an angry red. "Ain't touchin' the equipment, not even burnin' down the shop when I'm done! What's the point of a surplus if someone can't come along and surp it?"

Kent looks down the barrel of the Hand Cannon. "Holy Mother," he mutters, and swings his left arm forward.

The straps holding the lava tank on his back stretch as Kent pulls on a little loop attached to it, swinging it forward like a shield, which seems UNWISE. The shell hits it with a loud gonging noise, visibly rocking the ganger back, leaving a surprisingly small dent behind. "Ha! Built tough as a bloody-" He doesn't get to finish as the shell explodes. Kent stumbles sideways out of the smoke. He coughs, losing his cigar.

Shortly after, a shard of metal flies out of nowhere for Kent's face. He barely sways away from a mortal wound, but it rips at the skin over his cheekbone with a spray of blood. He grits his teeth, wincing. "Light 'em!" he barks.

Black Ties are starting to gather up, approaching in pairs. Four shirts are within pitching distance, producing molotovs from sacks slung across their shoulders, lighting them with their pilot lights and hurling. Flames billow out around Emma and Gwen. Gwen responds in kind with a Buster shot, taking one down hard, smoke rising from his chest. The woman next to him drops, grabbing him under the shoulders, dragging him away into an alley.

Rudy gets Kent's full attention. "More bloody soft people. S'like you don't see what's happening around you." The ganger scowls, levelling Red River toward him, kicking a bench to give himself something like cover. "Don't apologize when you're shootin' at someone! It's fookin' insulting! Like I don't know how this dance goes!" His gun suddenly elongates, the barrel clicking and forming into two, like a shotgun. Kent pulls the trigger and a glowing spray of furiously hot lava rains out at the red jacketed young man. "Iss about honesty, innit? Shoot like you mean it!"

GS: Kent Hauch enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Black Ties - Molotovs!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Emma Hetfield with Black Ties - Molotovs!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Rudy Roughnight with Lava Burst!
GS: Kent Hauch has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Black Ties - Molotovs for 108 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Gwen Whitlock!
GS: Emma Hetfield guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Black Ties - Molotovs for 66 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Kent explains his feelings and his philosophy as Emma finds herself backpedalling several paces. Molotov cocktails are thrown forwards, bursting on the ground. This improves the visbility which is nice, but, Emma thinks, how long can they avoid being hastily cremated?!

I don't want to die here! Emma thinks with sudden intensity.

This intensity makes her fingers fly over the tool even as Gwen unleashes a blast from her own jinzouningen parts towards the Black Ties. What Emma searches for, however, is not returned fire - not launched wrapped burrito pods - no, not even some kind of lethal and poisonous gas.

Emma hits the 'Activate Active' button and there is an unfamiliar smell in the air. A smell not unknown to Filgaia but increasingly rare; a scent that isn't at all like the choking scorched fragrances that the Black Ties leave in their wake. A scent, in a word, of fresh water. Lots of it.

Pouring down from on high.

The fun thing about this is that water has weight and is subject to terminal velocity as well. While this invocation of what the Emulator has autotitled 'Hydro Launcher' makes a noise best described as 'sprraaappppp', the FORCE of it is enough to knock a man down.

Also it's cool water on possible hot things, which may be funny.

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Kent Hauch with Hydro Launcher!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Rudy Roughnight takes a solid hit from Kent Hauch's Lava Burst for 228 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Rudy Roughnight!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Gwen will later perhaps wonder about that shirt. Did she just...? ohgodohgodohgod-

But that's not filtering into her brain right now.

Emma isn't alone in thinking of her squishy morality. Panic and the urge to curl up into a ball cloud Gwen's thoughts, her flavor of fear of death mostly of the 'fire, fire, fire' variety. So much fire. It blots out everything she could possibly think about, right at that moment.

This is why, when water begins to pour from the sky, Gwen looks up with a confused look on her face, then back at Rudy and Emma. Specifically, an Emma that is pressing a button on a strange box. She looks at Emma fully then, much akin to a confused dog who just realized, for the first time, that their Person can throw a Ball.

Gwen will never look at garish salmon dusters the same.

Clenching her right fist into a clawed position, Gwen wills the ARM to project an arc of lightning into the water 'beam', attempting to infuse it with her ARM's crackling force.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

"To be kind is not insulting," Rudy begins softly, his words forced through clenched teeth. The fire burns through his body once more, the price of failure as an attempt to sidestep goes wrong. But he takes a step forward a few moments later, even as the lava burns like a cattle brand. "To not want to hurt someone is not weakness." The ARM is put away, perhaps it might make Kent think that he's pulling away from the battle. But instead, he just pulls out a bowie knife.

A gloved hand moves to remove the lava, tearing off some parts of clothing on his chest and perhaps even some parts of burnt skin, but his gaze never leaves Kent. "But only understand strength and brutality. And for me to have to show you that? That makes me weak and that is a failure."

While Emma and Gwen are not in Rudy's sight at the moment, he can hear them fighting. He only hopes that that they are too busy with their struggle to not see him as he races forward with Bowie and begins to hack and slash with an efficient and methodical nature, just offering a trio of attempted deep cuts with nothing but the pure strength that is anything but natural for a boy his size.

GS: Rudy Roughnight used Mystic on Rudy Roughnight! 100 Temporary HP gained! All statuses cleared!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has activated a Force Action!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Kent Hauch with Emergency COMBO TECH!
GS: Gwen Whitlock takes 5 damage from Poison!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
GS: Rudy Roughnight has attacked Kent Hauch with Pain of Brutality!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has completed his action.
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Emma Hetfield's Hydro Launcher for 95 hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Emergency COMBO TECH for 25 hit points!
GS: weaken! Statuses applied to Kent Hauch!
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Rudy Roughnight's Pain of Brutality for 64 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

Next to the wagon, Todd has gained his feet, and reaches down to help TODD!!! up. "We lost the barrel." "We lost it a lot." "We're gonna get beat up." "We're gonna get beat up a real lot." "Wait, hold on, bear with me, oh man, wait," "what" "What if we go get the barrel?" "That's impossible. Nobody could ever recover a barrel." The heavens promptly dump a small swimming pool's worth of fresh, cool water on them for no reason that they can determine. "NO IT'S SO REFRESHING!" they scream as it washes them completely under the wagon.

Kent's eyes track onto Emma after that one, narrowing. "Now thassa exciting little toy." Red River collapses back down, the chamber and hose brightening, angry light spreading out from Kent. "I'm certain you're not rated for it, little miss. I know some people who'd pay a right good bounty for it."

Then, without even looking, he takes a heavy step toward Rudy, thrusting his left hand out at him. The knife cuts into the thick, severely scarred skin of his forearm. The flesh he offered to the pyre. He doesn't even flinch as the blood comes spurting out. His hands have felt all the pain they're going to. "Boy!" he barks, hand suddenly snapping out, knuckles speeding toward Rudy's face. "I'm talkin' to one of yer bloody women! Get some more miles on you an' come back with all these pretty words! I swear, the Badland would chew you up inna week."

Red River extends out toward Emma then, the chamber glowing blindingly hot. Kent's expression shifts from an angry snarl to a shopkeeper's grin. "Now. I figger you'll be leavin' that behind." He pulls the trigger, and the gun lets out a little unimpressive hiss. A speck of white-hot light jumps from his gun across toward Emma, lighting up the area from the dark of night to the glow of morning for a few breaths. Grass and hay on the ground beneath it are blasted to ash.

It isn't very large. It doesn't last long. But the merest brush brings blinding agony.

In a tone shift, Gwen's devil arm slams power into the water. The electricity courses into the darkness under the wagon. "OH NO ALL OF MY NERVES!" "WOW WHAT AN EXCITING FEELING!" "Whoa guy."

Kent snarls, "Stop pickin' on the poor Todds! They're idiots!" Without letting Red River cool down, he wheels around and fires again. Fortunately for Gwen, another star doesn't come flying out, only a much more normal and relaxed burst of lava.

GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Rudy Roughnight with Doorknocker!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Lava Bullet!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Emma Hetfield with Red River - Core Bullet!
GS: Kent Hauch has completed his action.
GS: Emma Hetfield takes a solid hit from Kent Hauch's Red River - Core Bullet for 308 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock takes a solid hit from Kent Hauch's Lava Bullet for 150 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Gwen Whitlock!
GS: Rudy Roughnight critically Guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Doorknocker for 14 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Goons wash away. Emma looks at them.

She then is being spoken to. "The Emulator?" she asks him. Her head tilts back slightly, arrogantly really. "It isn't for sale. This is the highest evolution of the knowledge of the ARM. You could offer me Aveh and Kislev both and it wouldn't make a down payment."

Emma sweeps around one arm as if to slide the Emulator ostentatiously into her duster and then, perhaps, pull out some kind of firearm or other weapon when something tiny flicks out from that gun and flies forwards. Emma's arm is sticking out and there is a faint crisp sound there.

She freezes, staring dead ahead.

Inside of her mind things unspool. It is an unpleasant bifurication.

On one hand she thinks with equanimity: Well, this is awful. His ARM is interesting. It projects thermal force but it requires a material vessel, and the material appears to be extremely refractory - based on the feeling on my cheek and exposed skin it was hotter than steel. I hope it didn't pass through a nerve channel.

Oh, here it comes, the one hand thinks. On the other hand a cold leaden weight falls on her as the pain hits, shock running through her with a dull certainty as she opens her mouth as if to exhale or say something. Instead she hears some kind of dull monotonous but extremely loud and unpleasant scream, and Emma thinks for a moment that it must have passed through her and hit one of the horses when she realizes, oh, yes, of course: That's me making that noise.

She takes a step forwards, more of a stagger really, and her face starts crumpling. Blister? No, Emma thinks, I'm going to cry. Yes, there it goes, the cold clammy taste and the hot feeling and my eyes squinching up.

This is really supremely unpleasant, Emma thinks as she lets out another of those piteous wails. Her body tries to curl around her arm and she staves it off, halfway, managing not to tumble forwards and pitch into the dark and stinking muck but losing a shoe and sight of Kent in the process. Her glasses are fogging up. I should coat them, she thinks.

I'm not breathing well, Emma thinks a little further as another leaden wave washes through her. Is my heart failing? Come on, I can't die in front of Rudy, or here, at all, she continues, her hand STILL ON THE EMULATOR, which comes back out. She tries to look at the screen but it's all a squiggly mass and so she hits the button again before she ends up pitching partway forwards, landing on her knees again.

The water falls again. This time it is focused on Kent. In, out, Emma tells herself: In, out.

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Kent Hauch with Hydro Launcher!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Unfortunately for Rudy, it's at that moment that Gwen sets her eyes on him, keen on checking on how the younger Drifter was holding up. What she sees instead is another instance of Rudy displaying an oddly organized fury of slashes with his bowie knife. How... How is this the same person who brought her that meal, then held steadfast in her eating it all? The same person who seemed so shy, even bashful around other people? How could these two opposites belong to the same person?

Is that why he held back, even going so far as to ask Kent politely to back down?

While Gwen notices Rudy, Kent seems to notice Emma, as well as her Emulator. Gwen only has so much time before she realizes he's going to focus on them next, starting with Emma. The small hiss and the white speck manage to escape Gwen's attention, figuring it being the first sparks of a larger attack. Emma's cries of pain show Gwen her error. "Miss Hetfield!" Gwen cries out, running to her side. "Hold on, Miss Hetfield, I'll-"

Well, now it's Gwen's turn. Thank goodness Kent didn't fire another spark- just FIERY LAVA, OH BOY. Gwen does her best to shield herself by using her metal ARM, biting her lip against the searing pain as her ARM shakes. "I didn't think he had the ability to do somethin' like that..." Gwen softly says, under her breath. "No wonder the Black Ties get talked about like they are... with that ARM of his..."

Drawing a bullet from the pouch on her other arm, she rolls back her sleeve and pins it back, exposing the brushed metal of her entire arm. Kneeling down on one knee, she loads the bullet into an opening at her shoulder, extending her arm as straight as she's able, still shaking as she is. "... Don't worry, Miss Hetfield. If I have to, I'll cart you both out." She steadies her aim on Kent, and lets loose. "The amount we did here'll ensure the shopkeeper's outta there, at the very least."

She talks, just in case her silence inspires another rapid descent into cold fear once more.

GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Kent Hauch with Coil Cannon EX!
GS: Gwen Whitlock takes 7 damage from Poison!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

The powerful punch of Kent comes with his cutting words. While the words sting, the fist tears into a forearm instead of the tear stained cheek of Rudy. While the hand holding the knife is used to defend, the other unARMed hand turns into a tightened fist, the glove's leather making an audible groan in response. As he looks back to 'his bloody women', he looks back to them for a second in time. The brown eyes take in the fact they are hurt much like himself, Emma's sounds of suffering triggering something within. Gwen is talking like defeat is a very distinct possibility. This is happening because he wasn't good enough. Because he got them into a fight that might be over their heads.

"I'm stronger than I look."

That simple statement of fact given, Roughnight tries to do what was attempted on him, still using relying on pure power of his, not caring that he doesn't know why he has it or if it's something he should fear. There is no refinement to the attack, no finesse or education. It's clear he's never been trained well in hand to hand, merely being the brute than some sort of boxer or martial artist. But sometimes, raw strength is enough. It has to be enough. It has to be...

GS: Rudy Roughnight has activated a Force Action!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has attacked Kent Hauch with Strong Enough For Them!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has completed his action.
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Emma Hetfield's Hydro Launcher for 95 hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Gwen Whitlock's Coil Cannon EX for 124 hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch guards a hit from Rudy Roughnight's Strong Enough For Them for 99 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

"Fire," Kent calls out over the screaming, "is considered by leadin' experts to be one of the most painful things that can 'appen to a living body!" He bashes Red River against his chest, over his heart. "Trust me, I bloody well know!" There are more small fires around, but nothing threatening the ARMs shop - they throw Kent in a lurid light, ignoring the blood dripping from his left arm, updrafts swirling the ragged edges of his longcoat, the chamber of his gun and the hose connecting it to his tank glowing a furious yellow.

He points Red River at Emma again. "An' all you 'ad to do was get back on yer horse an' wait ten minutes." He pulls the trigger.

...an instant before water dumps onto him. There is a terriffic hissing sound as the hose's glow is extinguished. Instead of lava, a spray of hot splintered rocks blast out of Red River. It's still not GREAT but it could be a lot worse.

Kent growls, the water putting out the flames near him, running off his bald head, and soaking his coat instantly. It makes him look less apocalyptic, but he's still a giant man. Rudy comes at him then, and incongruously, Kent knows a little something, a few things taught to him by one of his Suits. Fargo Foobach: Master of the Art of the Hot Body.

Instead of blocking all of his wild swings dead on, Kent gives ground, redirecting, tilting blows aside - until his amateurish jiujitsu fails him, earning him a strike in the solar plexus with Rudy's outlandish strength. The big man grunts, water blasting off his back, and he goes sliding back and one knee dips into the ground, finally dirtying his pants.

The Black Ties, meanwhile, have been streaming onto the wagon this whole time, the Drifters' attention rightly focused on Kent Hauch. A significantly bear-type Beastman fishes the Todds out from under it, wet and twitching. As they're thrown into the wagon, the last of the Ties to get ready to roll, they call out: "BOSS I LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF" "SHUT UP TODD"

Kent turns his head to the side, spits, and suddenly surges forward. A wild light is in his eye. "So'm I!" he snarls at Rudy. He simply crashes right into him, trying to pass through his occupied space. Kent and ARM together are fantastically heavy, only the power of ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY enabling Kent to bear its weight with no apparent difficulty. He surges right into the shot, the blast impacting his chest, fate barely intervening so it hits the metal clip where Red River's load straps come together. He stops dead for a moment, reeling.

<Synchronize>

Kent starts growling, and Red River responds, the water pouring down hissing, steam billowing upward as the tank roars back to life, heat blasting down the hose. He turns, longcoat flapping, and leaps onto the wagon.

If anyone here had been at the sacking of Tumblus Town, this tableau might look briefly familiar. "At least you lot had the stones to stand up! At least thass something I can respect!" He starts to turn, Red River swinging out. "But next time, do a bloke the favor of enjoyin' the tussle! Last time a man apologized to me for a fight I stuck his feet to the floor and left 'im to figger it out!"

Red River's barrel opens out like a nozzle, firing a single arc of lava out at the three of them, splashing past them into the ground. Fortunately, Wheat Field is a spread-out kind of town, and Emma's made sure everything's nice and sodden. There are no fires to put out this time.

MASTERY CHANCE: Give Kent Hauch something to think about on his way home, if you survive!

GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Rudy Roughnight with Bull Step!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Emma Hetfield with Blood of the Earth!
GS: Kent Hauch has activated a Force Action!
GS: Kent Hauch has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Red River - Hell's Smile!
GS: Kent Hauch has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Emma Hetfield guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Blood of the Earth for 55 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Emma Hetfield!
GS: RUIN! All positive status effects and temporary hit points purged from Emma Hetfield!
GS: Rudy Roughnight guards a hit from Kent Hauch's Bull Step for 54 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock takes a solid hit from Kent Hauch's Red River - Hell's Smile for 259 hit points!
GS: Poison and Poison! Statuses applied to Gwen Whitlock!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

The pain is receding, Emma thinks, even as rock shrapnel bites into her. Her glasses fall off without much ceremony and her ears burn a little, probably from being clipped. She exhales and inhales again.

Stupid traitorous body, Emma thinks. Dumb wobbling shaking idiot thing. She makes another sort of noise by way of reply to Gwen. She feels soaked. (She is! Sweat is an awful thing.)

The Emulator makes a musical noise that is familiar to Emma. It can't do much more right now. Swallowing from a dry mouth she slumps forwards, still on her knee. She reaches into her jacket and--

Thankfully the cover of darkness disguises what happens next, although there is what looks like a gun in Emma's hand, and in the cold grim certainty of her mind seizing bone-grinding control over her body, she takes aim. She pulls the trigger although the noise is more of a fat meaty THWUCK of coiled springwork - a crossbow sound, not a gunsmoke sound.

SOMETHING flies at Kent with crushing force - spread out, unlikely to penetrate, very likely to bruise. After that it will fly off into the darkness.

But mayhem and screaming hide that it's a fat little boxing glove.

After this Emma gives herself several moments to see if she's going to pass out, during which really it would have probably been pretty easy to swipe her gear, but that's how these cookies crumble.

I desperately want a cookie, thinks Emma.

Also my glasses. She shifts forwards.

There is a small crunch under her knee and another sprinkle of pain points.

GS: Emma Hetfield has attacked Kent Hauch with Punchy Gun!
GS: Emma Hetfield takes 9 damage from Poison!
GS: Emma Hetfield has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

Gwen looks on the giant of a man as she reaches for another bullet. Despite all the ambient heat, jagged fingers of fear grip Gwen's heart, stopping her in her tracks. Indeed, Kent is correct about the first part. Fire is definitely painful.

And, judging by Emma's earlier screams, Kent's second proclamation is just as true.

Just load another bullet into your arm. Just fire. You can do this. You're still standing, Gwen. Calm down. You're not a child.

Another bullet is slipped out of the pack on her left arm. She tries to insert it with her left hand, trying to block out the shouting of the nearby Black Ties. Just place it in and-

Her left hand slips, the bullet tumbling out and onto the ground. "Damn it-" Gwen scrambles for it, an unsteady logic guiding her to grab it instead of another bullet.

It was all the time that was needed before a lob of hot lava smashes into the courier, slamming her to the ground.

The one strand of silver lining in all of this is that Gwen can't feel or react to any of this, because she's already knocked out cold.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

As Kent begins his charge, Rudy tries to leap out of the way, but ends up getting shoved to the ground. Slowly, he pulls himself up to his hands and knees, looking tired, battered, definitely spent. He just wants to lay down. He is tempted for a second, the desire to leave it to those that remain in better shape. He sees Emma and then... Where is Gwen? From his position, he can't see her, hidden by the tall grass and the chaos of war. He needs to push himself up. Slowly, he climbs up to his feet, his ARM instinctually be pulled into his hand. Where is Gwen? He needs to find her, make sure that she's okay. Make sure that Emma is okay.

Mustering what little strength remains in Rudy, the boy levels his weapon toward Kent. He doesn't have the strength for words nor would he know what to say if he could manage them. No, everything is put into just aiming this shot as best he can, letting a loud bang fill the air as a simple bullet aim right for Kent's arm. The one that fires his own ARM, to be exact. He fires and in the wake of waiting to see what happens, all he can do is grit his teeth with suspense.

GS: Rudy Roughnight has activated a Force Action!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has attacked Kent Hauch with Final Shot!
GS: Rudy Roughnight has completed his action.
GS: Kent Hauch critically Guards a hit from Emma Hetfield's Punchy Gun for 34 hit points!
GS: Kent Hauch takes a solid hit from Rudy Roughnight's Final Shot for 91 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.

In some ways, this is Kent's favorite part. He's gonna be surly when they get outta here and he learns they didn't even manage to get one barrel of fuel, but after the hell this month has been so far for him, hey. He got to get out there. Stretch his legs. Shoot a few people. Set some beautiful fire.

There's a part of him, the part that loves watching things burn metaphorically as well as literally, that loves this last chance. Fargo tells him, time after time, not to wait on the back of the wagon like this. One day, a stray bullet's going to take him ignobly down. He stands there as the horses haul ass out of Wheat Field the long way, waking up the whole damn town. Steam is still rising from him, Red River flash-drying his clothes.

He sees Gwen go down from here, grinning in satisfaction. There's a lesson taught. Maybe next time she won't be so quick to get in the way when Kent's following someone. A large shape comes hurtling toward him. Too big and blunt. His hand flies up at the last moment, arm rocking back as he catches it in one hand. He looks at it from the lit interior of the wagon.

"Fookin' 'ell," he laughs, tossing it behind him.

BANG

Kent Hauch stumbles back, blood flicking onto the side of the wagon. He sways, dropping to a knee again, hand flying up, slapping at his chest. He doesn't feel the pain yet, just the impact. Holy Mother, Fargo was...

He finds it - a wound in his arm. It'll hurt like hell, but Kent has access to certain benefits far above and beyond a common -Lamb-, as it were. His employers are very powerful. Rudy is given a moment to think he's managed to put Kent out... but he grits his teeth, pushing back to his feet. Image is everything for a gang leader. Rudy and Emma are treated to the sight of Kent Hauch unbowed as the wagon hurtles off into the distance, lit from behind by a dozen tiny flickering flames, left arm held out wide in mocking invitation.

Of course, the moment he's out of sight he's pulling off his jacket, dumping the contents of an alcoholic molotov bottle onto his arm and pulling his pocketknife out to go get the bullet. Yikes!

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

LATER

NEAR DAWN

A horse gently gums Gwen's face. No teeth. "I think she's coming around," says Emma, who sounds /weaker than usual/ but otherwise retains her /maddeningly cheerful/ and /slightly flirtatious demeanor/.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

There is a long pause as Rudy isn't sure exactly what has happened as he hears the Black Ties make their escape. Did his group win? Did they lose? In the end, as Emma speaks, it lends itself to the most important question: Did they survive? And the answer appears to be yes. A few tears of joy hit the scorched earth before Roughnight takes in a breath slowly making his way toward the fallen friend, moving to take Gwen into his arms regardless if she's coming too or not. "Thank you. With both of you, the Black Ties wouldn't have been driven off," he states quietly as he places her gently into the wagon. Taking off his vest and balling it up so she has something to rest her head upon. "I underestimated them. Thank you." That said, he moves toward Emma, offering her his shoulder or even lifting her to the wagon if she seems willing or struggling to get onto it. He definately is concerned for her, understanding she is likely far more hurt than she lets on. What will ensue will be Rudy trying to care for the two, then after that making sure the ARM Meister and his guard okay as well. It seems despite the charred flesh of his chest and battered body, Rudy seems willing to offer aid with all he has. He does like helping, after all.

In the end, there was blood, sweet, and lava, but in the end, the important thing was this: They lived. And in this day and age, that's not too shabby.