fandomhigh | How to Blow Things Up

Aly was more subdued than she normally would be as she met the students in the Danger Shop.

"Okay, everyone," she said, glancing around at the class. "This is going to be our first practical class here in the Danger Shop to help get you guys used to the feel of explosives before we work with them in a less controlled setting - or before you can actually blow yourself up instead of what you're aiming for."

"We're going to deal with improvised devices today, and two in particular, but first you do need to know a bit about the theory," Aly gave a concise but thorough lecture on explosive materials and the science behind them. The impression she gave off was one of a child dutifully eating his meat so he could get to the pudding. Practicalities were obviously more interesting to her.

"The two explosives we're going to work with today are two improvised explosives. You don't always have access to military material and you definitely don't always need it. One of the most common explosives in this word - and also one of the easiest to make is anfo - fertiliser and fuel oil. It sounds simple, but it's an immensely powerful explosive. A ton or so in a the right place could blow up a cargo ship and the harbor it's sitting in - if you can get it into the cargo ship, of course. The other is less an explosive than a weapon. Molotov cocktails - half gasoline, and half motor oil - you've probably already heard of them if you're from this world. They're easy to make and can do a lot of damage especially against gasoline engines or wood structures."

"What the plan is today is to spend some time discussing tactics with these weapons. When would one of these particular types of explosive devices be useful? Then make the anfo into a bomb, put together a Molotov cocktail, and blow some stuff up."

[OOC: ~~Please wait for the~~ OCD is up. All links in this one go to Wiki so no worries about the Feds. More explanation in the OCD threads. As a side note, the idea of anfo blowing up a ship and the harbour it's in is from an AWESOME series of books that begins with Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. Go read them. Seriously. *finishes pimping for the day*]

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"Because, no one can take an arsonist seriously unless they've developed the perfect 'Evil Laugh'; duh." He stated this as if it were the most commonplace knowledge next to "breathing good; drowning bad."

"So, uh...I'm St. John, mutant manipulator extraodinare!" He held out his smoke and ash-dusted hand.

"Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," Luke replied, taking the offered hand. "So you want to sound evil?"

He gave Luke a smile. "Nice ta meetcha!"

John shrugged and made an "eh" noise at the question.

"When ya work for a egotistical wannabe "emperor of all that is human"--funky helmet, cape and all--ya gotta go with what pays the bills. He likes to think of me as some nutter who'll take a week's pay and some free kero, and do whatever he says. Of course, what he doesn't know is...I think he's a bloomin' idiot, and the moment I find a better job..."

John snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Bam! Out like Scout, and he'll have to move on to some other immigrant."

That went against, well, everything Luke had ever done. He took a step backwards. "And you think that this person who's obsessed with ruling all things human is just going to let you walk away?"

The expression on his face was half hope, half "how dumb are you?"

John opened his mouth to respond...and found he didn't know how.

"I-I never thought about that, mate. Truth be told, I never figured I was useful enough to hunt down if I defected."

The thought was actually kind of frightening, really. Magneto had taken him from Australia, had gone through enough precautions so that St. John was declared legally dead...what would Ol' Buckethead do if John said "Hasta La Bye-Bye?"

"...Heavy stuff."

Luke gave him a reassuring smile. "If it makes you feel better, it can be done," he said quietly. "I had a similarly...intense...recruitment speech by the guy who was running my galaxy at the time last spring. Turned him down flat."

St. John looked over at Luke hopefully, but then the expression died.

"Yeah, but I already said yes, mate," his tone was borderline morose, and quieter than it had ever been. "I'm just some kid; a pimple on this guy's arse. What could I do against him? Any lighters on me'd be crushed, and matches won't cut it. The bloke'll slice me up like julien fries 'fore ya can say 'Bob's your uncle'!"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, before grinning again.

"Hey, but what am I whining about? You're not my shrink; you're an alright fella." He clapped Luke on the back good-naturedly. "Forget I said anything...So, some wanker was trying to rule your galaxy? Wiggy."

"Around here there's always someone who's been there," Luke told him. "You should talk to my father--he teaches Ethics during the school year and might be able to help."

He bit his lip. "Oh, he was running the galaxy for my entire life. There was a rebellion against him--long story--and he decided he wanted me to help him run the galaxy--an even longer story--I said no, he tried to kill me, my father dropped him down a great big hole and he died. Um, the Emperor. Not my father."

"Yeah?" Evil people falling down holes sounded cool. On second thought, so did fighting in rebellions and saving the galaxy.

"Your dad sounds pretty nifty," John commented with a distant smile. "Think I'd like to meet 'im sometime."

"He's hard to miss," Luke said with a smile. "He's tall, blond, wears a swoopy cape and killed a T-Rex over the weekend."

John blinked. A T-Rex? Is that what that noise was?

"Oh...even cooler!" His grin was wide and real. But what was he gonna ask Luke's dad in the first place? Pardon me, Mr. Luke's Dad, but how does one defect from megalomaniacs bent on ruling mankind? he thought to himself. Yeah, that'd work just fine.

"I'll keep an eye out for him."

How to Blow Things Up - Period 1, Week 2

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Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Blow Things Up!