10490/Lessons to last a lifetime... 101

Lessons to last a lifetime... 101
Date of Scene:	19 December 2019
Location:	Danger Room - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Lessons are taught, lessons are learned. Guns are dangerous, mmkay?
Cast of Characters:	Samuel Morgan, Prismatic, Nightingale, Cannonball

---

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There is, as they say, no time like the present. So as soon as Bean got the approval from Cannonball to run a training session, he had barely spent any time doing anything but preparing. Studying teaching methods, figuring out the best environment, considering the lessons to be taught... and yet in the end he threw it all away and decided to start from basics.

    To start from the way he was taught.

    As a nod to safety, and showing a clear break with the harsher environment that was his childhood classroom, the session is to take place in the Danger Room, a custom program running. It shows a bar, without any patrons, seemingly frozen in time. The clocks on the wall don't move, the bar tender is in mid-wipe of a glass. All the scene needs now is its participants, who should hopefully be on the way.

    Hopefully. Bean despises not being punctual.

    He paces back and forth, hands behind his back, a few minutes before the start of the session. He's dressed in all black, with his black combat boots, black combat trousers and black long-sleeved muscle shirt. Of perhaps more obvious and slightly concerning note, is the black pistol holstered on his right hip. This may get intense.

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis was just awarded her personal Bumblebees in interest of pursing a career within the Xavier Institute, and she arrives before time's up, adjusting her gloves a little bit. He rdark hair is pulled back into a bun, and it's clear how some could mistake her for being a student; she hardly is older than the senior class.

    "Good afternoon, Bean." she gives Samuel a smile, though it's slightly nervous. She hadn't expected him to be armed, and even though it's the Danger Room for a reason...

    "... it appears this is going to be quite the training."

Nightingale has posed:
     The 'bumblebees' were a personal point of pride for Shannon, and if there was a training session, it didn't matter how out of place she looked. Unless she was told specifically otherwise, she relished the opportunity to wear hers. And this she has done, and has likewise pulled her hair back in a bun--even the little blue braid with its silver beads was tucked away for safety. She knew well enough that Bean had harsh training growing up, and if he was teaching the class? Well, chances were this was going to be a very eventful session, indeed.

     There is a certain confidence in her stride as she joins Alexis and Bean in the Danger Room, though definitely anything but cocky. She'd felt the sting of this room more than once, and knew all too well that if a training session was called for in here, it could sometimes get very nasty, very quickly. She keeps her wings tucked in neatly behind her, and her hands relaxed at her sides as she offers a warm smile to both. "Alexis... Bean..." Her eyebrows loft as she catches sight of the pistol. "Scheisse..."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean turns when the door opens, and he nods to 'his' students with a smile, appreciating their efforts to be on time. Unlike his own tutor, he would have been unlikely to do anything but frown, but that it wasn't necessary was at least a good start. Shannon gets a raised eyebrow as well... The unspoken 'Sprache, bitte' is loud in its utter silence. "Before we start, this training is going to be very hands on. We're talking about a serious topic, and I'm going to be teaching it in the most serious manner I can. My goal is, that when you leave here, you will have learned to keep yourself safe once firearms are being discharged, help others get to safety, and have gained a healthy respect for the dangers of even lower caliber weapons, even if you happen to be bullet proof."

    "Please take a seat where you please."

    And Bean waits until his students sit, arms crossed, preparing to continue once they are settled. As opposed to other tutors in the Danger Room, he has no need to use tablets or give visual cues to the person running the simulation. Things could happen without any warning or notice.

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis raises an eyebrow, but she sinks into a bar stool easily. She glances around to see if this was the same bar she and Sam got to fight in the night before, drawing one leg up to set her chin on as she listens. A very attentive student, her dark eyes are set on Bean -- but at the addition of the 'Happen to be bullet proof, she gives a little sidelong smile.

Nightingale has posed:
     When out in the field with Bean, Shannon had learned the hard way to do her best to keep her eyes open. She'd often seen him glancing at odd things, like reflections, the positioning of entrances and exits, placement of windows, who was in a room and where... so many things to keep track of. And she wasn't perfect, but had an inkling to have a look at these things as well. She's also looking around for where, if necessary, one could take cover from bullets flying about. Was there a back door to the bar? Or was there only one way in or out? She glances around the room quickly as she slides into a seat at the bar, where hopefully there is a clear view of the main entrance and, if indeed there is one, a back door as well.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Where they choose to sit tells Bean a lot about his students, and how much they already know. But he doesn't make comment on their choices, only continues what sounds like the instructional part of the lecture, noting with some approval that both are sitting where they can see the mirror above the bar. Abruptly, the bar tender goes on with his work and seems to be ignoring everyone else. Time is very much flowing normally now, it seems.

    "Now, you may have noticed that we are indoors. What I am about to teach you is obviously applicable outdoors as well, but just for the sake of completion there will be a short section outside on the street later. However, I feel that we have to start from the beginning, and cover a very important topic... the distinction between cover and concealment. Most people get this wrong, and it's the kind of mistake that might very well end up being fatal. And yet most of the time, this mistake is actually caused by instinct. Let me be clear, it is important that you keep your head about you when bullets are flying around."

    At that precise moment, there is a momentary glimpse of three figures approaching the framed glass front door, dressed in black and toting pistols. A mere second after that, the door shatters as a boot connects with the frame and violently kicks it open. Bean stands and watches to see how his students react.

Prismatic has posed:
    This was probably not the best time for Bean to be teaching this course for Alexis, who had recently come out of a firefight. The door gets kicked in and she's hesitant, looking at the three gunmen and freezing like a doe looking at the oncoming semi truck.

    When she moves though, it's a simple leap, slide, and duck behind the bar, figuring with pistols the bar might grab them enough time to get something, looking for anything nice and heavy to bash the fellows with!

Nightingale has posed:
     Uh-oh. This did -not- look good at all! A quick glance around the room told Shannon that there really wasn't very much cover other than the bar. Thankfully, both she and Alexis were sitting right there, and she takes advantage of the fact, diving behind the bar. Gently nudging Alexis on the shoulder, she gestures for her to keep silent, pointing up at the mirror, watching the gunmen's reflections.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "And freeze time." Bean's voice calls out. The bartender's glass was still in mid-fall, not having had time to react to any of this. "If you could stay where you are for a moment, that would be great."

    The face that shows up over the bar is not that of the gunmen, but of Bean himself, expression unreadable. He makes a note of the position where his students are sitting, and comes around the bar, grabbing two bottles of white wine. "The difference between cover and concealment, is that concealment is designed to remove you from the line of sight of anyone wielding a firearm. This makes most sense if you haven't yet been seen, and are making your way towards an exit or other escape route. Not being seen means you are less likely to be shot, although this will not protect you from stray rounds."

    He marks Alexis' position with bottle of wine, and then does the same for Shannon. "If you could both please walk to the front of the bar. Don't worry, the simulation is paused, you won't get shot."

    Doing the same, he pauses for a moment by the bar itself, giving it a solid kick which is answered by a wooden *thump*. "Cover, on the other hand, is where you go when you don't want to be shot at all. Cover is any solid object that is reliably bullet resistant, depending on the kind of threat you have just identified. I'm sure none of you have failed to spot that our would be assailants are all armed with pistols. You chose to put the bar between yourself and them. May I ask why? Would you rate the bar as cover or concealment?"

Prismatic has posed:
    "... bars are typically made of strong wood, have to be to hold up the weight of the bar top." Alexis points out as she comes around, rubbing the back of her head a moment as she looks at here the bottle marked her position. "Should at least hold off a couple rounds of light fire arms, I should think. There's also incidental things to hit with behind the bar -- spirits, cleaning materials all have warnings about not getting in your eyes, heavy bottles and even knives, though they're typically small." she rubs the back of her head.

Nightingale has posed:
     Stepping out from behind the bar, Shannon gives some thought to Bean's question. She's holding her hands behind her back, somewhat at attention; it seems that, in some ways, her bestie's been rubbing off on her. "The bar might not be bulletproof, but it could buy us some time. Also, as Alexis pointed out, there are multiple items behind the bar that can be weaponized with a few moments' time and a bit of creativity. More likely to be kept behind the bar than a knife would be matches or other source of flame, for flaming drinks. It's not that far a cry to create some real trouble for the gunmen with a bit of fire." A lift of her chin is given towards the mirror, and she continues. "There's also the mirror, which would offer us the chance to observe the gunmen without exposing ourselves further, and plan what to do from there."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean joins his students at roughly the position the gunmen were occupying not long before, nodding to their reasoning. "These are good answers. Your reasoning is sound, but your knowledge of the facts is mistaken. That is only to be expected, because these are the kinds of incidents that don't normally happen often. Now, firearms incidents with mutants are becoming more common, so now it is vital that your knowledge of material facts improves. That is why we're here."

    First off, he points to the mirror. "As you rightly point out, you can see the gunmen from behind the bar. Unfortunately, mirrors work both ways. If you can see them, they can see you." Indeed, the bottles of wine are clearly visible from this position in the mirror. "A trained agent will be checking these mirrors and see you getting ready to counter attack. So good initiative, but keep the drawbacks in mind."

    Next, he draws his own pistol, slowly and deliberately. "This is a simple nine millimeter. It is the most common handgun round found in the world today. It is cheap, it is reliable, and it's the one you're most likely to encounter." He looks to Alexis. "Bars are made of sturdy wood. You are correct." A moment later he has flash sighted along the pistol and six shots ring out, two groups of three. There is not just the sudden and jarring report of a pistol being discharged indoors, which is quite a shocking experience in itself, but also the sounds of splintering wood... and the breaking of glass. "This is a common nine millimeter. It takes more to stop it than most people realise. You were not wrong to believe, at the time, that the bar would stop pistol rounds. After all, a bar is made of sturdy wood, and it has structural elements that are surely strong enough to stop a bullet, right?"

    Another shot, another neat hole through the bar. The two wine bottles that indicated relative positions have been shattered. "Alas. But as I said before, your reasoning is sound. But now you are more familiar with the facts."

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis looks horrified, and a dark look cosses her face as she grips her hands into loose fists, turning her away and giving a low shudder as she crosses her amrs around her chest.

    Her fingeertips begin to turn violet.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon winces a little bit as the glass bottles that were stand-ins for Alexis and herself shatter. Her cheeks flame with embarrassment at such a gross oversight about the mirror. She takes a few deep breaths to center herself, closing her eyes for a moment. If class was in session, then surely a few questions to the 'teacher' wouldn't go amiss? "What would have served as better cover, then? Or what if none is present?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean knows that this is a harsh lesson, that it challenges a few very firmly held beliefs in the most inescapable way. So the shock to his students was expected, probably even intended. "Please, sit down for a moment. Relax, take a deep breath. I know this is hard. When I got taught this, my combat instructor had me stay behind the cover I'd selected and fired five rounds through it, as close to me as he could, just to teach me the lesson. I asked him, what if he had hit me? He said that either way I would have learned a valuable lesson."

    Bean himself sits down, taking great care to put the pistol away first. Enough care that his students can see him doing it, hopefully removing a source of anxiety. "You've seen me look around when I come into a room, check angles, reflecting surfaces, entrances, exits, angles... I think now you know why. I'm not expecting you to do the same, but I'm asking you to be aware of it when you're out in public. As you've just seen, these things can happen fast."

    He nods to Shannon. "Good questions. What would you have used for cover, had you known that the bar wasn't solid enough?" And he addresses the next question to both. "What /is/ solid enough to be reliably bullet resistant? To pistols, at least?"

Prismatic has posed:
    The brunette doesn't appear to have much to say, but her body language is speaking for her. Her fingers remain purplish, her eyes downcast or looking to the side. Her shoulders rise up, and her fingers curl behind her elbows, her eyes close half way and she appears visibly upset.

    She shakes her head and goes to stand. "Maybe... this wasn't such a good idea for me yet, Bean."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon furrows her brows lightly, not sure what that particular shade on Alexis means, but can see she is visibly upset. Putting her answer to Bean's question on hold for the moment, she moves over to her sista from another mista, and very gently hugs her, wings and all. That's all she does, is hold her for a few moments, just to let her know she's safe, and not alone. "You were incredibly brave to face this," she says softly, smiling somewhat. "I'm proud of you for it."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    For his part, Bean doesn't stand. Seated, and seemingly relaxed, he looks over to Alexis and nods after Shannon's reassurance. "It's true. This is a very challenging lesson, and it's shocking even to those who haven't been through your trauma, Miss Carr. If you want to leave, you're of course free to go. But I would appreciate it if you would stay. I'll warn you if there's any gunfire, and I think that if you stay until the end, you'll likely get some peace of mind."

    He looks at her with perhaps one the most sincere expressions he has ever worn. "You're strong enough for this." And then, a half smile. "Besides, otherwise I won't be able to give you a passing grade, and you'll have to take the class again."

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis shrugs out of the hug, and very gently says "Please, Shannon, that's not... I don't think that helps." she states gently, stepping out of the wing cuddle as she turns back to Bean.

    "I was piling unconcious, panicked people behind the bar, Bean. I was grabbed, and had to shoot myself in the breast in order to shock the gentleman that had grabbed me into letting go just long enough for me to get a better grip of the situation and very likely break his knee." she replies, and rubs the back of her neck as she looks up to both Bean and Shannon.

    "And now knowing that my actions wouldn't have helped anyone, or in fact could have hurt more people... it's a little disconcerting to say the least."

    And she looks over to Shannon. "And before you start pontificating, pidgeon, unless you've somehow secured a psychological shingle on your wall, you are probably not quite qualified to help, in this case.. but I did promise I would speak to someone about it."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannonjust looks taken aback, cheeks aflame, her eyes misting over as she steps back. What could be said? All she does is nod once, fighting back the tears. To see someone hurting, and be this helpless to do anything for them, it was perhaps one of the worst things of all. She takes a deep shuddering breath, and lets it out with a long sigh that is too heavy for someone her age.

"I'm sorry. You're right, I'm not a psychologist. But I've also been in situations where my actions could well have caused a lot more harm than good, even with the best of intentions behind them. And those have been enough to have me also talking to someone. It wasn't all that long ago." There is a very pointed look to Bean; surely he must know what she's talking about. "Our situations were different. But both are still very powerful, and even the best-meaning of friends can't always help." She sighs softly, ducking her head. "Neither of us can really understand what the other went through. But... my door's open if you ever want. Even if I can't quite hang out a shingle, at least I've got two good ears to bend, and two shoulders to cry on."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Still Bean doesn't stand. He doesn't offer any comfort, simply goes on in his same, level voice. "You were in a difficult position. A position nobody wants to be in... and you did the best you could, the best you knew how to do at that time. Now you've learned that what you did may not have been ideal under those circumstances. So yes, it's normal for you to feel mortified, perhaps even ashamed?"

    Now he does stand. "But that is the entire point of this lesson. Now you do know better. And if you stay until the end, you will learn where it is safe to shelter, where it is best to take people to when they're afraid and panicked, possibly even injured. The reaction to having made a mistake is not to reject reality and return to ignorance. You learn from your mistake, you train, and next time you do better."

    Without a sound, without any visible cue, parts of the bar start lighting up in solid green, parts in yellow and some of it in red. The bar? That's a solid greenish yellow. "Proper cover can be found behind brick walls, solid concrete and steel. In short, support structures. Things strong enough to hold up a building." There's strong emphasis on 'building'. "That's what it takes to defeat a pistol round."

    After that, he looks at Alexis. "And now you know. Now you know where you can be safe." Bean, it turns out, is not the most gentle of instructors, but not ignorant of his student's difficulties. "Stay or go, the decision is yours. I believe you should stay, but that's not my decision to make."

    After that he takes two steps back, arms crossed again, seemingly waiting for his students to either compose themselves or walk out. "Next part, by the by, is about the reactionary gap, and how that can be exploited to disarm someone."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie comes walking into the danger room after checking to make sure there was no combat going on in the room. He will step in to see whats going on. As he sees Shannon tearing up and the body language, he will raise a brow "Everything ok in here?"

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis steadies herself, guiltily not looking at Shannon as the angelic girl tears up, her own face impassive and patient. She shakes her head. "No, I'll stay, I... just needed a moment to gather my thoughts" she replies to Bean quietly, and then looks as Sam walks in.

    "Just ducky." she states, rather flatly.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon only shrugs, her expression remaining pained and stricken, perhaps a little bit guilty as she looks over at Sam. What could be said? She had done wrong and knew it. But from there, she only glances over at Bean and nods once. There was no sign of her going anywhere.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean turns his head when Sam walks in, and gives his team leader a solemn nod. "The first part of the lesson is unfortunately, by its very nature, quite unsettling and often shocking. It challenges notions of safety and things that students might have accepted as truth their entire lives. It's not an easy lesson, but I'm glad to say that both of my students took it about as well as I would have any right to expect. Some lessons were learned all around."

    Next, the scene changes, the bar is reset, the startled bartender goes back to cleaning the empty bar top. "Now that you know where to shelter, what to do if you didn't see the assailant, or they are simply trying to rob everyone? More often than you expect, someone with a firearm is likely to get quite close to you. This is, on their part, a mistake. The advantage of a firearm is range." Bean turns around, and another gunman appears, pistol outstretched and aimed right for his chest. "Try to stay behind me for this demonstration, and whatever you do, don't move to my left."

    "Now, it should come as no surprise that action is faster than reaction. If you take an action, even someone who is expecting it needs a short while to react. This can work to your advantage in this situation." Bean takes three steps back, stretching out his arm and showing that his hand can't reach the pistol. "From here, I have no advantage. I would have to step in and attack. That's two actions. My only other option is to kick, which is a relatively slow attack. In short, I'm in a position where my attacker's reaction to my action is likely going to be fast enough to harm me."

    Now he takes a step forwards, showing that his hand can now comfortably reach the pistol. "Even here, I can attack my attacker, but I would have to lean inwards to do so. I know from personal experience that I'm not fast enough to stop this person from shooting me from this distance. So, the advantage is still with the enemy."

    One step closer, and now the pistol is practically pressed against Bean's chest. "From here, however, I can attack my assailant before he has a chance to pull the trigger. My action is faster than his reaction. This is what we call the reactionary gap."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie 's brow raises a bit but he will wait, watching. He crosses his arms looking between the three but just says "Samuel G, not here." And the danger room will react as if he is not here ignoring his presence as he watches them.

Prismatic has posed:
    The quiet dancer watches, walking around the attacker, exhaling a moment as she walks, stepping lightly around them before she tands to the back of Bean, and to his *right*. Most certainly to his right. She doesn't care to be shot several times in the same week!

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon steps neatly behind Bean and Alexis, and keeping just to the right. Her wings are still drooping, though her expression has become more even, almost stoic, with only the barest hint of mist obscuring those pale azure orbs. She'd only been hit by stray bullets once or -maybe- twice, but it was enough to drive the lesson home already. "Is it a general rule of thumb that the closer you are to your attacker, the more to your advantage it will be? Or is it on a case-by-case basis?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "An excellent question." Bean beams and turns around for a moment. "When it comes to firearms, the general rule is that, yes, you are ironically safer the closer you are. At least, if you can get them to come to you, or they tell you to approach to a distance where you can attack. Not so much with knives and some swords. Generally, if a weapon is designed to engage at a distance, you should try to get close. If the weapon is designed to be used in close quarters, you should try to get away."

    He turns back to the attacker, resuming his position. "Now, I will warn you, this next part may be a bit frightening. If you want, I can do this without the audio?"

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis glances back to Shannon, looking back to Bean as she listens for the explaination, and gives a bit of a nod. "Makes sense." she replies, "Fight on your terms, not theirs, yeah?" she ventures, and she looks at the attacker, takes a deep breath and lets it out.

    "I'll be all right. Pidgeon?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmmms a bit to this. He starts walking the circuit of the place looking at it from all sides as he seems to be taking in both the lesson and how the lesson is taught as well.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly to Alexis. "Trust me," she says, her voice unusually calm, even a touch somber. Her expression is now... well, expressionless. Bean has seen this look on her a few too many times. "I've dealt with worse. I'm more worried about you."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Another nod from Bean, ignoring Cannonball walking around. "Very much so, yes. You dictate the engagement, but you never let it appear that they're not in control. Like so..."

    And the scene unfreezes, the gun man immediately pushing the pistol forward, jamming the barrel into the teen's chest. "The wallet! I said, gimme the wallet, I ain't playin' with you! You wanna die shrimp? You wanna get shot?!"

    Bean's hands come up immediately, in an imitation of a frightened kid. "Jeez, no, please I'm... I'm getting the wallet, I'm getting the wallet..." His hands are waving back and forth, up and down, never really steady... like a man in utter panic.

    "Faster man! I ain't got all day, gimme the god damned wallet!"

    "Please, I'm getting it, I'm getting it..." and indeed, Bean's left hand lowers down, unsteady and jerking, trembling. He's avoiding eye contact, looking anywhere but at his assailant's face.

    "You're playin' with me!" The pistol is poked again, the robber impatient, it seems, to be gone. Hands are still being waved about.

    "Please, I've..." *SLAP*

    "Freeze!"

    Time stops.

    One moment Bean was fumbling with his left hand, the next it came back up in a flash and knocked the pistol sideways, to his left. In the same instance, he twisted his torso and leaned in, grabbing the now flailing gun hand with his own right hand, clamping it down over the slide and twisting it to the right. That's how the scene freezes, and Bean uses his left hand to motion people closer. "Come have a look at this."

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis breathes out, hearing the demand in the stranger's voice, the aggression.

    'Everybody get on the floor now, or we will shoot.'

    She grips her hand in a fist again, breathing out -- but there was no gunshot, the slap and the Freeze command makes her jump though, and she blinks as her breath holds. She setles, taking a step back, and comes around the side.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie finds a stool that he can watch from and has a seat. his eyes go from one to another. He checks out teacher and students seeing how they are doing making mental notes.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly, stepping around behind the attacker first, to view Bean's reaction from their point of view. Simple, effective, and she could imagine the man's surprise on being bested by someone around half his age. Holding there for a moment, she thinks, and then shifts around to stand next to Bean. But instead of just looking, she finds herself attempting to mimic the deflection and grip on the gun in slow motion, to get the feel of it while there was a chance, and it would be in a safer situation.

Pursing her lips for just a heartbeat or two, she glances between the attacker, and Bean. "I did note," she remarks. "...that you made your move the moment he thought he wasn't in control, before you lost the advantage."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Good spot again." Bean nods to Shannon, and looks around to see the apprehension on Alexis' face. Likely he knows exactly what causes it, and that's why he asked to make sure people were fine with the full experience. Well, nearly full...

    "You may have noticed that most of the time, my hands are actually over the pistol, or between his body and his weapon. They were never there for long, and it was important that he got used to my hands moving around. This is where practice is important. Too much, and they'll know something is up. Hesitate just a bit too long, and impatience can turn to outright murderous intent. You correctly spotted that we were at that tipping point. But, and this is equally important, by that time he was expecting my hands to move all the time, he stopped tracking them." Bean explains the lead up, and then gets into the detail, letting go of the pistol for a moment, resuming his position.

    "This attacker is right handed, as most people are, so I chose to attack with my left, knocking the weapon away from me, and away from his center of focus." He mimics the strike with his left hand in slow motion, rising and turning. "At the same time, my right hand made a grab for the pistol. That takes a bit of practice, but you will usually have a second or two to take hold before they recover, before their reaction." And so he grabs the pistol as he did before, body half turned and leaning in.

    "Now, notice how the palm of my hand wraps around the slide, and covers the ejection port. That's important. I twist the pistol to the right, away from his body, because that is how his grip is weakest. A pistol is designed to be braced against recoil, using the heel of your hand. Pushing it in is a non-starter, because that is the force a pistol is designed to absorb. Same with rifles. If I twist to the left, I have to bring the pistol towards my center of mass again, and I can expect to be shot. Further, the grip is strong, because I would be twisting against four of his five fingers, including the thumb, which is surprisingly strong."

    Instead, Bean continues the rotation he gave the pistol before. There is a click, but no shot is fired. "As I twist away from myself and from him, I'm pushing against only one finger, the index finger. Now, I'm sad to say that, if you use this technique, you will break his trigger finger as it tangles up into the trigger guard. That's a level of aggression you must be willing to display." And, Shannon might recall, not the move he pulled against the woman with the grenade launcher in the back yard.

    "If you pull off this move, the pistol /will/ fire. I've emptied the chamber for this demonstration for obvious reasons..." and he looks up to Alexis for a moment before he continues. "Because my palm is blocking the ejection port, the case will fail to extract and bounce back into the chamber. This has three immediate consequences. One, the next round will fail to load. Two, the pistol is now jammed out of battery and will not fire. Three, you will receive one almighty bruise and burn on your hand. But you'll be alive."

Prismatic has posed:
    "Makes sense, the art of distraction and normalisation." Alexis replies, a good bit calmer since there was no BANG. She walks around as Bean explains, making sure Shannon has plenty of room to move about, drawing herself a couple of steps back. as she weighs the information, taking mental notes.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms a bit and will pull out his tablet, and looks through some things. He will study some of the readings on it, as he continues watching the three as well.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon does look mildly confused on one point, peering between Bean's hand and the muzzle of the pistol. "How is it you end up with just a bruise and a burn, but the bullet doesn't become lodged in your hand? Though... agreed, that would certainly be a lot easier to deal with from a healer's standpoint." Not pleasant, but more bearable, for certain. She glances over at Alexis and nods faintly, but gives her plenty of space for the moment.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    For a moment there, Bean looks confused, and then nods just once. "Sorry, my mistake. Let me explain a few things about how a pistol operates, which might make this easier to understand." The attacker vanishes, and so does his weapon. Instead, Bean draws his own pistol and hits the magazine release, leaving it with just the one round in the chamber, pocketing the magazine.

    "When a pistol fires, the slide, as the name suggests, slides backwards. The mechanics of how that happens don't need to concern us overmuch, it's enough to know that all automatic pistols work on this principle. This unfortunately doesn't work on revolvers." He actually gives a wink there, and then continues, holding the pistol with two fingers by the grip, so he can point out parts to his students.

    "The top assembly here is known as the slide. Once it comes back..." and he pulls it back slightly "You can see that the ejection port becomes visible, through the hole cut in the slide here on the side. Now, once the slide comes back far enough..." and he gives it a firm pull, enough to engage the extractor which sends the bullet flying out in a high arc. "... the extractor kicks the case out of the chamber. As the slide goes forwards, a new bullet is fed into the empty chamber and then the slide locks." It is, in point of fact, the breech which locks, but he doesn't concern himself with technical details too much. "If anything is stuck in the chamber when the pistol tries to pick up the next round, that round has nowhere to go, because there isn't enough space for it. And so the entire weapon jams. The brass case that comes out of the ejection port is moved only by the force of the extractor, usually just a flat piece of metal acting as a spring, which doesn't have enough force to actually hurt you."

Prismatic has posed:
    "But you do get a nasty burn on your hand due to the firing itself, yeah? Compustion of the power that makes the bullet 'go'?" Alexis questions, finding comfort in talking and technocal details. Not so different than talking fencing.
A
    "So, the entire things jams, and you can try and take the pistol, leave it and force your enemy to clear it, which opens up counter attack?" she questions gently back to Bean, raising her eyebrows.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smirks a bit at the mention of revolvers. He was wondering if Sam would think about that or the fact he is so used to automatics that he might not think to mention this.

Nightingale has posed:
     "No, just bruise the hell out of you." Shannon just shook her head, having had very few dealings with firearms in general. It was confusing as hell. "At what point would the bullet become a real danger, instead of just a bruise and a burn? If the only real force behind what's coming out of the gun is that little spring..." Her brows furrow as she tries to think this through.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Correct." Bean smiles at Alexis despite the subject matter. "Some pistols use the pressure from the round firing as the mechanism to move the slide, which is known as a blow-back action, you find that usually with lower power rounds. Most other pistols use some kind of mechanism to delay the opening of the slide so that the pressure in the chamber has dropped before it unlocks. Unfortunately, in practically all cases, some hot gas from the combustion remains."

    When it becomes obvious that Shannon is still struggling, Bean puts the pistol away and picks up the bullet that was ejected from the pistol during his demonstration. He holds it up to his two students, pointing first to the rounded front. "This, is the bullet. Exactly, or near enough, nine millimeters in diameter. That's how it gets its name." Next, he points to the brass sleeve making up most of the rest of the bullet, which seems to grip the 'head' with a small ridge. "This is the case, which contains the powder. In simple terms, a pistol strikes the back of the case, which contains a primer or small explosive. This sets off the powder, which in turn causes a larger explosion. This explosion, contained by the chamber walls, propels the bullet the only way it can go... forwards, out of the barrel. What remains is the case, now empty, which is pulled from the chamber by the extractor, given a small kick by the ejector, and then flies off. Like a wrapper around a candy bar."

Prismatic has posed:
    "'Wrapper from a candy bar' is such a weird simile." Alexis comments, and she breathes out, rubbing the back of her neck in concern, looking a bit concerned as she rubs the back of her neck, and then states: "I should probably figure out at which calibre of gun my armor stops being effective."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "So if your hand is there before the bullet has a chance to take advantage of the force from the explosion... just not enough time for it to really do much damage." Crossing her fingers, she hopes she got it right. From the increasingly rosy color of her cheeks, and the increasingly hesitant pace and tone of her voice, it's plain this young woman is out of her element, and yet still valiantly tries to understand. A little extra study and practice would be needed for this one.

"Not exactly a very sweet treat, regardless of the shiny wrapper." At least there is a touch of humor in her voice at the end, perhaps poking a bit of fun at her own ineptitude--even if a smile is lacking.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will give Alexis a rough guess on the caliber from her previous tests. He will add "And if your dealing with a fully automatic gun it would complicate things as well."

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis's shoulders sag with a sigh of relief, "Oh, good, we don't have to test that by shooting me more. Thank you, Sam!" she calls back to Guthrie with a small smile.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Despite the explanation, Bean doesn't think Shannon gets the mechanics. But that's okay, it's not really necessary. "Not quite... but... just keep your hand on the top of the slide, over the ejection port and away from the barrel, that's the front of the pistol, you'll be fine."

    Having said that, he looks over to Alexis, wondering how to broach the subject. He hears Sam's estimate, and then has to add his own caveat. "While caliber is usually a good indication of actual force delivered, it's not always the case. A twenty-two long rifle and a two two three are practically the same caliber. The first would struggle to break a pane of glass..." a slight exaggeration "... while the latter has been the military standard assault caliber for the past five decades. The equation basically comes down to the weight of the bullet and the velocity. Speed defeats armor. That's why the five-seven is such a lethal round. It's small, but it's going amazingly fast." He leaves out that it was his own favorite round for exactly that reason...

    "And then there's the thirty automag and the magnum rounds, not to mention the fifty action express... Basically, try not to get shot?"

Prismatic has posed:
    "Ordinarily, Bean, that is the plan, trying not to get shot. It hurts like hell and itches for weeks afterwards if I can't get to Wellness Center." she jokes, rubbing the back of her head a moment before she gives a shrug. "Just won't be able to rely on the shielding is all."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon doesn't quite think Bean is getting what she's trying to ask; pinching the bridge of her nose, she shakes her head, not quite sure how to get past the knot tied in her tongue--and apparently, her brain--to convey what she's trying to ask. Yeah. She's an idiot and knows it. But damned if she isn't going to learn somehow.

Peering over at Alexis, she smiles a little bit. "It might not be as full a healing as Chris could manage--not yet, anyways--but I'm willing to handle what parts I can, till he's able to see you. At least -that- much, I know I'm capable of."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's time, however, to impart one more lesson. Bean looks at his students. "I've now shown you a way to disarm an attacker with a firearm. However, the technique I showed you wasn't the safest. There is a potential for it to go wrong, and there is the chance a bystander might get hurt."

    "There was a safer way of dealing with that situation. What was it?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and adds into it "Could be armor piercing or such as well." He will stand up, and walk over to Alexis. The casing ejection aint so much based on time.

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis gives a smile to Shannon, and very, very gently reaches over and pinches the girl on her arm.

    "That you do, Pidgeon." she states, then turns to Sam, and rubs the back of her head "Give the man your wallet?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon draws her arm away, but smiles faintly at Alexis. "I'm willing to see you in the Wellness Office, then. At least it might ease things for you a little bit. Even if that's the only thing I can do to help you."

Her expression goes completely stoic once again as she turns her attention back to Bean, and nods. "If your hand isn't in the right place when you move to disarm the attacker, then there's nothing to stop the bullet from hitting a bystander, instead of just bruising you." See, she wasn't a -total- idiot....

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The smile lights up Bean's face. He nods, tapping the side of his nose and pointing at Alexis. "Exactly that."

    "I've shown you where to hide when the bullets start flying, where to be to stop them from getting to you, and how to disarm someone threatening you with a pistol standing close by. All of these things are dangerous." He nods to Shannong. "If you perform the technique I showed you to perfection, the weapon is still going to fire. No matter what, there is danger, to yourself and to bystanders. If you can avoid all that danger by simply complying with demands, then the safest option is always not to resist. Don't fight on unequal terms unless you absolutely have to." At that, he checks the time and realises this has taken much longer than he had expected.

    "I fear we may have to do the outside section some other time."