Monsters and children and...more monsters, oh my!

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Everyone in the Badlands fighting!
Content: The Badlands is being attacked by monsters! And children!
Setting: Various places in the Badlands, plus the Convoy itself for gunners and powder monkeys
Notes: Remember, the Convoy and the Amestris are heading for the south, while Serenity is in the Garrettstown/mountains area. However, if you

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[surfaceshine]

The mare threw her head and protested their lack of movement when she seemed to realize what kind of danger they were in; Dean kind of agreed, but there wasn't a lot for it. Instead he soothed her quietly and, while it was headed for them and Hisoka was keeping an eye on it, backed he back down the rise and out of sight of it. When she'd finally stopped flicking her ears back and forth in agitation, he dismounted and slipped the bridle off her face to hang on her neck, trading it for the halter and leadrope to tie her off to a nearby log. He patted her neck as he walked back up the hill

[surfaceshine]

Stop panicking, Dean. Just breathe. John's voice ordered from somewhere in the young hunter's memory, and he forced himself to listen; he finally gained a slow, steady breath, let it out every bit as slowly, and took another. And then Hisoka landed next to him and Dean startled visibly, the gun in his hand raising reflexively before he heard the voice.

"Dude." There was relief there, a shitton of it, but also now that he'd decided he wasn't dead and was not grievously injured the next emotion that welled up to take the place of the panic was annoyance, and that manifested in the growling undertone of a voice otherwise pretty rough through his throat. He twisted to try to get back over onto his stomach and lifted his head, able to find his friend with the added directive of a voice to follow. Green eyes squinted, narrowed and hard. "'s it dead? We get it? You okay?"

Then, the important things out of the way, Dean nodded and stated stubbornly - "I'n help. Gimme a sec."

[son_of_the_lake]

"I'm ok," said Hisoka. "Don't know if it's dead. It's not saying. Or moving."

He slid his arms under the broken end of the valigarmanda's leg, and prepared to lift, using his leg strength as well as his arms and shoulders. "Help would be good, if you can manage it."

[surfaceshine]

"Yeah. Yeah, I got it." He sounded more certain than his efforts at that point actually were, but his stubbornness had brought him through far, far worse than this. He did get a hand and an elbow under him, setting his shoulderblades to the weight of the leg, and shoved upwards as hard as he could from the awkward angle when Hisoka began trying to lift - it didn't move much, but it was more than what Dean needed to wriggle clear. Dean rolled away as soon as he was able to unwedge his torso and hips, less concerned with getting his feet under him than getting some distance between himself and the heap of newborn wreckage

[son_of_the_lake]

Since Dean had wriggled out from under the valigarmanda's broken limb, Hisoka didn't have to try to swing it sideways. He only had to lift it up a few inches (with a little help from Dean), and as soon as the hunter was completely clear, Hisoka simply dropped it with a crash. He hopped backwards, tripped over a stone, and landed on his ass with a jarring bump. More dust rose, and he sneezed.

Then he laughed, and pushed himself up on his elbows. "I'm all right, yeah," he said, "just a little dizzy. You?" For he was as concerned about Dean as Dean was about him.

[surfaceshine]

Dean's muscles had kind of flinched as he thought for half a second that he might actually catch Hisoka before he hit the ground - but there was no way that was going to work, and it wasn't worth it to try to make it since the other man was unhurt by that particular fall. When Hisoka laughed, the young hunter grinned back, wiping dust and sweat across his face with a forearm.

"Takes more'n a halfass metal bird-spider... thing... to put a good Winchester down, dude. And I'm the best." Well, he may not be the best, but he's pretty damn tough; he's already decided he could probably trust himself enough to walk over and offer Hisoka a hand up, so he does so.

[son_of_the_lake]

Hisoka gripped the hand, and hauled himself to his feet. "I know," he said, his teeth flashing in a quick grin.

He gave the valigarmanda one last, appraising stare. Then he said to Dean, "Hey. Let's get out of here. I'm gonna get my shotgun. You think the mare is still where you left her? I hope she's of a taciturn nature, what with all this racket!"

[surfaceshine]

Dean just grinned back for a second, letting the expression linger when he switched his attention over as well, eyes narrowing on the fallen beast. He'd have liked to take the time to salt and burn it, just to be sure, but he didn't have that much salt; also, he didn't think it'd burn to begin with. Instead he twists and shades his eyes to look in the direction he'd left the mare.

"Oh, don't you worry about her. She'll be around long after you and I both do something stupid enough to get killed." But he nods, and starts back up the hill at a much slower, more ginger pace than he'd originally come down it.

[son_of_the_lake]

Hisoka started to follow, but in this he was interrupted. The valigarmanda's flame-throwing limb suddenly gushed a last gout of fire, nearly frying Hisoka, who escaped only because he had already stepped six inches past the gripper (which had lain so innocently and brokenly on the ground). The fabric over the calf of his left leg smoked.

"What the hell!" he yelled, leaping out of the way, and smelling charred denim. Then, instead of sensibly running away, he turned and darted back, lifted his foot, pivoted, and landed a solid blow of his boot heel to the side of the offending limb: BAM! and BAM! again. "You...fucking...STAY...DEAD!!" he screamed. He stopped, panting. Then he folded his arms, lifted his stubborn little chin, and hrumphed, waiting.