CHAPTER 39 — ENTROPY

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 39 — ENTROPY

Percy's voice rose over the camp.

"Everyone over here."

This time he hadn't shouted. No one objected, gathering around immediately. After thirteen days of training, the students could understand what was coming from Percy's tone of voice alone. This was not his punishment voice. This voice... Was Percy's voice when he had discovered something. William noticed this before anyone else. There was no equipment in front of Percy. No sack of stones. No log. No scorpions. No piranhas. William wondered if he should feel relieved. Then he saw the expression on Percy's face. He didn't feel relieved. Nathaniel looked around as well.

"What's killing us today?"

Percy:

"Science."

Nathaniel thought for a few seconds.

"I'd prefer running."

Arthur laughed. Charlotte moved beside him. Clara stood directly across from Percy. Galahad stood a bit further back. Elizabeth Olsen, Eleanor, and Holar Jun were also watching silently from behind the students. Percy folded his hands behind his back.

"I'm only going to tell you one thing to help."

"Before doing this..."

"You need to understand the current method."

Percy paused for a moment. Then turned to Holar Jun.

"For this..."

"My beloved grandfather."

Holar raised an eyebrow.

Percy continued:

"Savior of history."

Holar raised his other eyebrow.

"Preserver of humanity's continuation."

Eleanor looked at Percy.

Percy kept going:

"Still protecting the world."

Arthur looked at Holar.

"He's not exaggerating."

William:

"No."

Percy:

"The absolute strongest in the world."

Holar:

"Percy."

Percy didn't even hear him.

"The one I want to stand proudly beside one day..."

This time, Holar went quiet. Percy's voice slowed down slightly.

"The one who chose me as his family..."

The smile on Eleanor's face shifted. Galahad looked at Percy too.

"And the First Awakened..."

Percy smiled.

"That perfect man."

Holar Jun looked at his grandson for a few seconds. Nathaniel whispered to Arthur:

"Did something drop on his head?"

Arthur:

"Shut up."

Percy:

"The first time he did this..."

"He was in the middle of battle."

A small Orin sphere formed in Percy's palm.

"He had to give all of his energy in an instant..."

"To kill a monster."

Holar's eyes narrowed slightly. Percy's sphere went out.

"After that, the energy he used was gone."

Percy opened his fingers.

"You all already know this."

"Every time we cast a spell..."

"Every time we physically reinforce ourselves..."

"Every time we use Orin..."

"We can't recover all the energy we use."

William was fully attentive now. Percy bent down to the ground. Drew a circle in the dirt with his finger.

"We generate energy inside."

He placed a small dot inside the circle.

"Core."

Then drew lines pointing outward.

"We use it."

"A portion turns into work."

"A portion disperses into the environment."

"And the system doesn't return to its former state."

Percy stood up.

"The second law of thermodynamics."

William instantly:

"Entropy."

Percy looked at him.

"Correct."

Merak grew in William's eyes.

Percy continued:

"Entropy."

"To simplify it..."

"We can call it the enemy of energy."

Olsen smiled faintly. She was listening attentively to how Percy explained this to seven-year-old kids.

"The universe consists of energy."

"And the universe is heading toward heat death."

"Every use has a cost."

"In every conversion, there is a loss."

"Our difference..."

Percy touched his chest.

"Is that we can generate energy again from within ourselves."

Clara tilted her head slightly.

Percy continued:

"However, here's the interesting part."

"The energy we use doesn't vanish completely."

"It disperses."

"And the process remaining after usage..."

"Slowly strengthens our Core."

William's eyes widened.

Arthur:

"So the reason we develop through battle..."

Percy turned to him.

"Part of it is this."

"Not the sole reason."

"But one of the core mechanisms."

Percy drew a second circle in the dirt.

"And how efficient this development is..."

"Is affected by our Core affinity."

Clara:

"Orin affinity."

Percy:

"Yes."

"That was one of the things the Orin Stone measured."

Clara instinctively looked at Percy. She remembered that day when they were seven. Her eighty-five percent. Then... The light that engulfed Percy. One hundred percent. Percy looked at her for a moment as well. Neither said anything. William looked at the drawing on the ground. Then looked up at Percy.

"Did you..."

Percy:

"Hm?"

"Did you spend the whole night thinking about this?"

Percy:

"Part of it."

William's eyebrow raised.

"Part of it?"

Percy:

"I also examined the Core records."

"And the training results."

"And your physical development."

"And your Orin consumption rates."

"And your affinity percentages."

William went quiet.

Then said very calmly:

"He really got an A+ in every subject."

Arthur turned to him:

"Are you still surprised by that?"

William:

"Yes."

Charlotte laughed:

"Why?"

William looked at Percy:

"Because his behavior doesn't support it."

Percy:

"HEY!"

The class laughed.

Nathaniel shook his head:

"I kept saying I was smart from the beginning."

William:

"You never said that."

Nathaniel:

"I said it internally."

Percy was about to speak again. But a voice came from behind him.

"That's my brother."

Percy paused. Galahad had crossed his arms. Not hiding the pride on his face. Percy's ears turned slightly red. Holar Jun spoke immediately:

"My grandson."

Eleanor:

"Mine too."

Percy turned around:

"Why can't you guys share me?"

Eleanor:

"You shut up."

Percy laughed. Just as he was about to turn back to the class... Clara's voice rang out.

"And the guy I like."

Silence. Complete. Absolute. Terrifying silence. Percy stopped moving. William turned his eyes to Clara. Arthur's mouth opened wide. Charlotte covered her mouth with both hands. Nathaniel's head slowly turned toward Clara. Marcus blinked once. On Galahad's face... A dangerous smile formed. Eleanor's eyes widened. Olsen pressed her lips together. Even Holar Jun stared at Clara. And Clara... Was still looking at Percy. Two seconds passed. Three. Then she realized what she had just said out loud. Clara's face turned beet red.

"I..."

Percy's brain had stalled. The boy talking about entropy a moment ago was gone. Thermodynamics was gone. Core was gone. Orin was gone. Even the heat death of the universe was gone. In Percy's head, there was only a single sentence. *And the guy I like.* His ears turned bright red. Arthur saw this. Looked at Percy. Then at Clara. Then back at Percy.

"Holy shit."

Charlotte slapped Arthur's arm:

"Arthur!"

"What?!"

"Kids are present!"

Arthur pointed at Percy:

"I'M A KID TOO!"

Nathaniel:

"I'm thinking about food."

William:

"That is not surprising."

Clara covered her face with her hands.

"How did I just say that out loud?"

Percy was still looking at her.

Clara:

"Don't look!"

Percy started walking toward her. Clara lowered her hands from her face. Percy stood in front of her. Both were beet red. Percy raised his hand. Gently stroked Clara's hair. Clara went completely silent.

Percy smiled:

"My sweet trouble."

Clara's eyes widened.

Percy:

"You said that one, yes."

Clara was barely breathing.

Percy continued:

"The next one, I'll definitely say myself."

Clara's face turned even redder.

"But I'm still young."

Percy leaned down. Placed a small kiss on Clara's cheek. A collective roar rose from the class:

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Percy instantly yanked Clara's hair. And bolted. Clara froze for two seconds.

Then:

"PERCYYYYYYYY!"

Percy:

"YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

Percy started running around the camp. Clara ran after him. Arthur was roaring with laughter.

Charlotte:

"Run, Percy!"

Galahad:

"She'll catch him."

William:

"She'll definitely catch him."

Nathaniel:

"Should we place bets?"

Olsen:

"No."

Nathaniel:

"Teacher..."

"No."

Percy looked back. Clara had closed in.

"HOW ARE YOU THIS FAST?!"

Clara:

"YOU'VE BEEN MAKING US RUN FOR THIRTEEN DAYS!"

Percy:

"FAIR POINT!"

Clara caught Percy. Grabbed his ear.

"AAAA!"

"Get over here."

"CLARA, MY EAR!"

"My hair, too!"

"It was a joke!"

"This is a joke too."

Clara dragged Percy toward the lake. Percy suddenly stopped.

"Clara."

"What?"

"We can talk."

"Sure."

Percy relaxed.

Clara:

"In the lake."

Percy's eyes widened.

"No."

Clara pushed.

SPLASH!

Percy fell into the water. A second later, his head popped up. His hair was stuck to his face. Clara stood on the shore looking down at him.

Percy:

"You..."

Clara:

"Me?"

Percy:

"Pain in my ass."

Clara smiled:

"I'm your sweet trouble."

Percy went quiet. Clara turned around victoriously.

Percy muttered to himself:

"Why did I say that, damn it?"

Galahad burst out laughing.

A few minutes later, Percy came back. He had changed his clothes. His hair was still a bit damp. The class was waiting for him. Percy stood in front of them. Took a deep breath. Opened his mouth. Stopped. Looked at everyone.

"WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT?!"

The class lost it. Arthur was slappin' his knees. Charlotte couldn't speak from laughing. Nathaniel sat down on the ground. Even William had turned his face away, laughing. Clara's face was still red. But she was laughing harder than anyone.

Galahad:

"Entropy."

Percy:

"RIGHT!"

William:

"Heat death of the universe."

Percy:

"Correct."

Arthur:

"Then with Clara's confession..."

Percy:

"ARTHUR."

Arthur went quiet. Smiled.

Percy:

"Continuing."

He waited a moment.

"In normal Core development..."

"The process left over from the Orin we use strengthens us."

"My question is this."

Percy spread both hands.

"Why do we have to use it first?"

William's smile vanished instantly. Galahad's expression changed. Olsen leaned forward. Holar Jun looked at Percy.

Percy:

"We can already draw external Orin."

"We proved that yesterday."

Clara understood:

"My sphere."

Percy:

"Yes."

"You formed the sphere."

"Then you used external Orin."

"And increased the sphere's speed."

Percy touched his chest.

"Well then..."

"What if we take external Orin..."

"And feed it directly to the Core?"

Silence. William's eyes widened.

"It's not pure."

Percy looked at him:

"That's the problem."

William stood up:

"External Orin is non-homogeneous."

Percy:

"Yes."

"It carries environmental interactions."

"Yes."

"It can carry remnants of other spells."

"Yes."

"It can carry elemental influences."

"Yes."

William looked at Percy:

"You can't take it directly into the Core."

Percy smiled:

"As it is."

William went silent.

Percy:

"That's what I'm saying."

"What if we purify it?"

This time, Holar Jun spoke:

"Dangerous."

Everyone went quiet. Percy looked at his grandfather.

Holar:

"The Core isn't designed..."

"To accept everything coming from the outside."

Percy:

"I know."

"Wrong Orin..."

Holar continued:

"Can disrupt the Core's natural flow."

"Can damage the channels."

"Can ruin the affinity."

"Worse..."

"Can crack the Core itself."

The smile on Clara's face faded.

Percy nodded:

"Which is why..."

"I'll try it first."

Clara:

"Me too."

Percy closed his eyes:

"Clara."

"What?"

Percy turned to her. This time, his voice was completely serious.

"This isn't an order."

Clara went quiet.

Percy:

"I won't let anything happen to you."

Clara looked into Percy's eyes.

"And I won't let anything happen to you."

Percy waited for a few seconds. Then turned to Holar.

"Grandpa."

Holar:

"Yes?"

"How am I supposed to deal with this girl?"

Clara:

"HEY."

Percy pointed at her:

"Look!"

"Doesn't listen to orders."

"Doesn't listen to pleas."

"I say it's dangerous, she doesn't listen."

"I say I'm scared, she still doesn't listen."

Percy spread both hands open:

"What am I supposed to do?"

Holar Jun looked at Percy. Then at Clara. Then at Eleanor. He took a deep breath.

"Son."

Percy looked up hopefully.

"Your aunt was like that too."

Eleanor:

"What?"

Holar continued:

"Still hasn't changed."

Eleanor's eyebrow raised. Holar didn't notice.

"My sweet trouble..."

"She's mine too."

Silence. This time, not Percy... Holar froze. Eleanor looked at Holar. Olsen looked at Holar. Galahad looked at Holar. The entire class looked at Holar. Percy's mouth dropped open.

Arthur whispered:

"What is happening today?"

Charlotte:

"I don't know."

Even William wasn't analyzing. The strongest man in history... The world's First Awakened... Holar Jun, savior of humanity... To the second strongest human in history... Had just confessed... In front of everyone. Holar's eyes slowly widened. He had just realized what he had said.

"Holy shit."

Percy covered his mouth with both hands. Galahad lowered his head. His shoulders were trembling. Olsen turned her face away. Arthur couldn't hold it in anymore. Eleanor... Had turned beet red. Holar looked at her. Eleanor said nothing for a few seconds.

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Then crossed her arms:

"If I'm sweet trouble..."

Holar waited.

Eleanor:

"You're the hardest sweet trouble to put up with."

Holar without thinking:

"You're right."

Eleanor:

"..."

Percy:

"..."

Galahad:

"..."

Arthur:

"..."

Nathaniel:

"Does this count as an admission?"

William:

"For the second time."

Eleanor covered her face. Holar looked up at the sky. Percy couldn't hold back and shouted:

"BOOOOOOW YEAAAH—"

Holar:

"Percy."

Percy instantly shut up:

"Okay, Grandpa."

Clara leaned toward Percy:

"Your whole family is spilling their guts today."

Percy:

"You started it."

Clara:

"True."

When the laughter died down... Holar's face became serious again. Percy shifted too. Now the real topic was starting. Holar stood opposite Percy.

"Are you really going to try this?"

Percy:

"Yes."

"How?"

Percy sat on the ground. Crossed his legs.

"First, I'll draw external Orin."

Holar:

"Then?"

"I won't put it in the Core."

William approached immediately:

"Where will you keep it?"

Percy pointed to the front of his chest:

"Outside the Core."

Galahad's eyebrow raised.

Percy:

"I'll form a layer."

Olsen:

"A filter."

Percy looked at her:

"That's what I thought too."

William squatted down:

"What will you filter it with?"

Percy:

"With my own Orin."

William went quiet.

Then understood:

"You'll compare external Orin..."

"With your own Orin."

Percy:

"Yes."

"I'll discard what's incompatible."

"I'll keep what's compatible."

William:

"Then?"

Percy:

"Again."

William:

"How many times?"

Percy:

"I don't know."

Nathaniel:

"Reassuring."

Percy:

"We're conducting an experiment, man."

Holar knelt down. Came directly in front of Percy.

"On one condition."

Percy:

"Name it."

"At the slightest irregularity in your Core..."

"I step in."

Percy:

"Okay."

"No objections."

"Won't object."

"The experiment ends."

Percy paused for a moment.

Then nodded:

"It ends."

Clara sat beside Percy.

Holar looked at her:

"You won't do it."

Clara:

"I know."

Percy looked at her in surprise.

Clara:

"What?"

Percy:

"You listened."

Clara:

"For your sake."

Percy began turning red again.

Arthur:

"We lost before we even started."

Percy:

"Shut up."

Percy closed his eyes. The camp went silent. No one was joking this time. Percy took a breath. Expanded his Orin perception. Yesterday... He had seen external Orin through a different lens for the first time. In the past, it was like air. It was everywhere. Now... It had details. It moved differently over the lake. Differently over the earth. Around Olsen, it carried a fire effect. Near Holar... Percy unconsciously frowned. The Orin around Holar was terrifyingly dense. Percy spoke without opening his eyes:

"Grandpa."

"Hm?"

"Could you step back a bit?"

Holar:

"Why?"

"Near you, the universe is cheating."

Galahad laughed. Holar backed away a few meters. Percy refocused. Now... He selected a small piece of external Orin. Drew it in. The energy came toward him. Normally when casting a spell... This energy would be shaped directly. This time, Percy didn't give it shape. He just held it. An invisible pressure formed in front of his chest. William's eyes opened:

"I feel it."

Olsen:

"Me too."

Percy formed a very thin layer from his own Orin. Took the external Orin inside it. First contact... Sent a shiver through Percy's entire body. Clara immediately looked at his hand. Percy's fingers had twitched.

"Percy?"

"I'm fine."

Holar:

"Continue."

Percy examined the external energy. As it contacted his own Orin... Certain parts naturally separated. Percy's eyebrow raised.

"Interesting."

William:

"What?"

"I'm not pushing it."

"What do you mean?"

"The incompatible part..."

"Is separating on its own."

Holar's face shifted:

"Don't force it."

Percy:

"I'm not forcing it."

Percy narrowed the layer slightly. The external Orin compressed. Part of it escaped outside. The remaining energy was smaller. Percy wrapped it with his own Orin again. Second layer. A bit more separated. Third. Fourth. Fifth. Sweat formed on Percy's forehead. Clara reached out her hand. But stopped. She had promised. Percy continued. At the sixth layer... Something changed. Percy's face strained.

Holar instantly:

"Stop."

Percy let go. All the energy dispersed. Percy opened his eyes. No one spoke.

Holar:

"What happened?"

Percy thought for a few seconds.

"It wasn't purification."

William:

"What?"

Percy stood up. Began drawing on the ground again.

"I thought wrong."

William came beside him.

Percy:

"I'm trying to clean dirty energy."

"Yes."

"But Orin isn't dirty."

William's eyes narrowed.

Percy:

"It's just..."

"Not mine."

William froze. Olsen's eyes widened. A smile slowly formed on Galahad's face.

Percy:

"I don't need to purify it."

"I need to align it."

Holar said nothing.

Percy looked at him:

"Grandpa?"

Holar:

"Continue."

Percy sat down again. The method was different this time. He drew external Orin. Didn't compress it. Didn't filter it. Encircled it with his own energy. Then... Gave it his own Core rhythm. One vibration. Second. Third. The external Orin resisted at first. Percy didn't force it. Just repeated the rhythm. William held his breath. Clara was looking at Percy's face. Fourth vibration. Fifth. Sixth. And... The external Orin changed. Very little. But it changed. Holar Jun's eyes widened.

Olsen:

"It's aligning."

Percy didn't hear. He was fully focused. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. The vibration of the external Orin... Approached Percy's own Orin. Percy separated a tiny portion. Brought it outside the Core. Holar's hand was already ready. Galahad had stood up. All of Eleanor's attention was on Percy. Clara wasn't breathing. Percy brought the energy close to the Core. One centimeter. A bit closer. Contact. Percy's whole body tensed up.

Clara:

"Percy!"

Holar was about to move.

Percy raised his hand:

"Wait."

Holar stopped. Percy's Core... Didn't reject the external energy. But didn't accept it either. The energy stayed on the boundary.

Percy gritted his teeth:

"Something's missing."

William:

"What?"

Percy didn't answer. He thought. Core affinity. Orin affinity. One hundred percent. Percy suddenly understood. Stopped forcing the energy into the Core. Instead... He opened the Core to the energy.

Holar:

"Percy—"

Too late. The tiny energy piece... Went inside. Percy's eyes opened. For a moment, nothing happened. Then...

THUD.

A small wave of Orin radiated from around Percy. Clara's hair blew backward. William took a step back. Arthur raised an arm over his face. Olsen's eyes widened. The worry on Eleanor's face turned into astonishment. Galahad... Was smiling. Holar Jun was looking at Percy's Core. Percy touched his chest. Silence.

Clara:

"Are you okay?"

Percy didn't answer.

"Percy?"

Percy finally raised his head:

"I'm fine."

Clara's shoulders dropped. Then she slapped Percy's head.

"IDIOT!"

"AAAA!"

"YOU SCARED ME!"

"I WAS SCARED TOO!"

"THAT'S WORSE!"

Percy held his head. But he was smiling.

William came beside him:

"Did you succeed?"

Percy closed his eyes. Looked at his Core. The energy he took... Was there. It hadn't vanished. It hadn't dispersed. It had merged into the natural flow of the Core. But the amount... Was very small.

Percy opened his eyes:

"I succeeded."

No one celebrated. Because there was a different expression on Percy's face.

William noticed:

"But?"

Percy:

"Inefficient."

William:

"How much?"

Percy:

"Of what I drew..."

"Maybe one percent."

Nathaniel:

"That's bad."

Percy turned to him:

"No."

Nathaniel:

"You said one percent."

Percy stood up.

His eyes were shining:

"On the first attempt."

William's eyes widened.

Percy:

"If I got one percent..."

"I can get two percent too."

"Then three."

"Four."

"Five."

Olsen:

"And as the method improves..."

Percy:

"Loss decreases."

William completed:

"Core growth rate increases."

Percy:

"Yes."

Arthur:

"By how much?"

Percy looked at him:

"I don't know."

Arthur:

"Again?"

Percy:

"Again."

William looked at the ground. Then at Percy's drawings.

"This isn't just a development method."

Percy:

"What do you mean?"

William:

"If we can do this during battle..."

Silence. Percy looked at William.

William:

"A portion of the energy we use..."

"We can recover from the outside."

The smile on Galahad's face vanished. Olsen's face turned completely serious. Eleanor looked at William. Holar Jun spoke for the first time:

"No."

William went quiet.

Holar:

"Not yet."

Percy looked at his grandfather.

Holar approached him:

"Discovering something..."

"Doesn't mean you can use it safely."

Percy nodded:

"I agree."

Holar was slightly surprised.

Percy:

"Today, no one will take energy into their Core."

Clara:

"Percy."

"You neither."

Clara:

"But—"

Percy:

"First I'll make the method safe."

Clara:

"Together."

Percy rolled his eyes:

"Grandpa."

Holar:

"I'm staying out of it."

Percy:

"I just asked for advice!"

Holar looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor was smiling:

"I haven't figured her out in years."

Percy:

"Great."

Clara came beside Percy:

"Together."

Percy looked at her. Clara held out her hand. Percy looked at that hand for a few seconds.

Then took it:

"Together."

Clara smiled. Galahad looked at both of them.

Then at Holar:

"Did you notice?"

Holar:

"What?"

Galahad pointed at Percy:

"Thirteen days ago..."

"He was teaching them what to do."

"Now..."

"He's learning what he doesn't know alongside them."

Olsen nodded:

"The second half of being a good teacher."

Eleanor:

"The first?"

Olsen looked at Percy:

"Admitting what you don't know."

Percy heard this:

"I don't know a lot of things anyway."

William:

"We know."

Percy:

"William."

William:

"Yes, President?"

Percy looked at him for a few seconds.

Then laughed:

"One day I'm going to beat you up."

William:

"High probability."

Arthur:

"I'll watch."

Charlotte:

"Me too."

Nathaniel:

"If there's food..."

Everyone:

"NATHANIEL!"

Nathaniel:

"What, man?!"

Holar Jun stepped back a bit. Eleanor came beside him. The two watched Percy. Percy was now doing calculations on the ground with William. Clara sat right next to him. Olsen occasionally made corrections. Galahad stood behind them listening. Arthur, Charlotte, and the others were slowly gathering around them too. No one had received an order. No one was lined up. No one was punished. They were just... Curious.

Eleanor spoke quietly:

"Did you know?"

Holar:

"What?"

"That this was possible."

Holar didn't answer for a long time.

Finally:

"No."

Eleanor looked at him. Holar's eyes were on Percy.

"When I first Awakened..."

"I was trying to survive."

"I didn't think about why I developed the Core."

"It developed."

"Then others followed me."

"Whatever I did..."

"They did too."

Eleanor's face shifted.

Holar continued:

"Centuries passed."

"Methods changed."

"Techniques improved."

"But the fundamental question remained the same."

Eleanor:

"Which question?"

Holar looked at Percy:

"How do we produce more energy?"

He paused for a moment.

"No one..."

"Ever asked why we have to produce it."

Eleanor turned back to Percy as well. Percy was arguing with William at that moment:

"No man, rhythm first!"

William:

"You can't set a rhythm without measuring."

Percy:

"I feel it."

William:

"That's not how science works."

Percy:

"This is magic."

William:

"You explained physics a moment ago."

Percy:

"DON'T BETRAY ME, THERMODYNAMICS!"

Clara burst out laughing. Holar's lips curled up.

Eleanor:

"Your grandson."

Holar:

"Yes."

Eleanor:

"Mine too."

Holar looked at her.

Eleanor smiled:

"What?"

Holar:

"Nothing."

Eleanor:

"Your sweet trouble?"

Holar froze. Eleanor burst into laughter.

Holar:

"Forget that."

"I won't."

"Eleanor."

"Yes?"

Holar took a deep breath:

"The hardest sweet trouble to put up with."

Eleanor went quiet for a few seconds. Then lightly tapped Holar's shoulder:

"You're right."

Holar:

"I said that."

Eleanor:

"Now it's my line."

Percy heard this from afar.

Turned to Clara:

"Look!"

Clara:

"What?"

"Our future old selves."

Holar and Eleanor simultaneously:

"PERCY!"

Percy:

"BOOOOOOW YEAAAAAAH!"

And bolted.