"The sun is said to burn at 5,778 Kelvin or roughly 5504 Celcius. Luckily for us, our distance from the sun plus our atmosphere protects us from this outrageous heat and the radiation that it produces. Yet still, the goal for creatures and machines that wish to operate outside is to beat the heat on hot days such as today. So now comes to the question of how do we enjoy a relaxing day in the sun without burning our butts on the ground. The easy answer is laying in the shade or grass but what if you don't have either? Well, that is why I prefer to lay on quartz which, thanks to the low specific heat, 44.5 J/mol°C, and a low density to boot quartz slabs are perfect to sit down on in these intense conditions even if you don't have any soft grass to relax with. Honestly, I think that more cities and businesses should incorporate quartz into their parks and decorations so that children can play on it without burning themselves during the summer. Wouldn't you agree?"

Above him stood a woman with dark blue pigtails sticking out from a hardhat atop her head. Confusion and enjoyment battled with her face as she slowly responded, "Ya'know I only asked what you was sittin on right?"

"I... I rambled again... didn't I?" embarrassment visible on his face.

"Relax, I think it's cute," she leaned in closer to him. He was still smiling beneath her avoiding eye contact and muttering beneath his breath. He was truly adorable in her eyes with that luminescent smile and ridiculous lisp. "Besides, if that's true then I bet people in the Dunes are dying out there," she opinioned hoping to brighten his mood. She squatted down onto the quartz slab beside him. He sat with both legs crossed like a child while she took a more relaxed approach stretching both legs out in either direction sighing as her rear met with the cool quartz surface.

"Yeah," his mood brightened as the concentration was taken from him again, "It's probably nearly 70 Celsius out there. If they haven't had a heat stroke then the heels of their shoes will probably be a gooey mush in an hour."

"Hey!" a high pitch scraggly voice called back to the duo. "You two look like ya enjoying ya selves but I need ya back in here, just got an order and we gonna need all hands on deck." They looked back to see an old man with a white, jagged beard waving wildly in the air before returning into the cave they just exited.

"Damn," the woman gruffly mumbled as the old man went back inside, "Looks like we don't even get to have a break huh?"

"Well, I for one think that gem mining is not only important for our world's economy but fun as well. I also believe you like it too."

The woman smiled mischievously as an idea came to mind. She leaned in close to him, her breath fogging the metal plating on his jawline, her nose touching the cartoonishly large hardhat covering most of his face. The goggles that housed his fluorescent eyes burned brighter with her proximity. "I can tell ya what I like in those mines." She was on all four crawling towards him, her surprisingly large rear sticking out behind her. He could tell how much stronger and larger she was than him. It was unsettlingly yet strangely arousing. "It's so dark in there no one can see a thing I do. I can do anything I want, to anyone."

She could hear the mechanisms in his head going into overdrive trying to process the situation he was in. He could feel the air blowing from her smooth lips. The soot and grime on her face added to her mystic and those dark blue eyes sucked him in as he lost all control. "Tanzanite," he whispered out.

"What?"

"Your eyes, they look like Tanzanite. One of the rarest ores in our known world. It's estimated to be worth tens of thousands of coins even more valuable than diamonds," he meekly peeped out. The air was silent after he finished his explanation. Her face didn't show any emotion. She just stared into his eyes. Or were they orbs, perhaps bulbs? He couldn't decide and would look into it later. Currently, he just wanted to stare at her and await her response.

She burst out laughing, rolling around on the slab while the robot beside her just looked with confusion in his eyes. "That is the strangest, sweetest compliment I have ever heard," she gasped between fits of laughter. His face seemed to get red from a build-up of heat in his face panels. She jumped up from her spot in the quartz reinvigorated by her talk with the bot. "C'mon Carl, I wanna see if I can beat Mike's record with the biggest explosion yet."

"Umm, Jacky, I don't think that is the best way to mine gems..." he stuttered out, but she was already running headfirst into the cave system screaming like a banshee. "Guess I better go play damage control." Carl stood up and pressed a button on the quartz slab that made it shrink into a small briefcase-sized square. As he strolled back into the cave he looked up to the bright sun and had one final thought.

'I wonder if there are people foolish enough to be traveling through the Dunes in this heat?'

~--~

Nix glared into the bright blue sky, sneering at the sun with discomfort. There was not a single cloud in sight, looking ahead, there wasn't a spot of shade for kilometers. "This had better be worth it Samuel," he grumbled. Sam strolled past him with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

"Worth it? Dude, this is gonna be the shit..." he slid behind Nix, disappearing into a blind spot. "the whole shit..." he called from behind Nix who turned to face him. When he turned around Nix did not see Sam but rather was greeted by the indifferent eyes of Veronica and a delighted smirk from Shelly.

"and nothing but..." Nix heard the disembodied voice of Sam call again from an unknown location. Nix began to spin around as he tried to find where Sam was hiding from his sight. His search stopped when Sam's face suddenly appeared in front of him upside down. His grin was immense and his eyes shined with a disgusting joy that made Nix cringe.

Sam leaned in close to Nix cupping his cheeks as he whispered finally, "...the...shit." Sam jumped off Nix's back and began to walk ahead, Shelly and Veronica walked past a frustrated Nix as they followed behind the giddy Sam.

Nix begrudgingly followed along as he took in the new view proceeding him. The entire team had ditched their usual darker colors for brighter tones to bounce the sun's rays. Veronica had ditched her usual black garbs and turban for marron leggings that hugged her toned thighs and stopped at her tight calves. Nix knew that she was in incredible shape but looking at her now without her body covered in shadows was enlightening. The top she wore was a light blue crop top showing off abs that she kept hidden from the world. Her black hair was tied into a small bun atop her head, but the one thing that never changed was her masks. Her lower face and neck were still hidden like always, but now she was wearing a black and white bandana. The design of a cartoonish panda snout in the center where her mouth would be.

Nix chuckled to himself as he thought about how the cool exterior she would usually show on missions seemed to die whenever they went out on these little day trips. He then took a gander at Sam, the positive energy still radiating off him brighter than the sun that was melting the top of Nix's head.

Sam would usually be equipped to the teeth with different firearms, ordinances, and medical supplies on their missions. Today he was still equipped to the teeth but now with buttons from random fandoms and sports teams. He wore a light blue tee-shirt that matched Veronica's but in the middle of his shirt was a cartoonish character head wearing a red helmet with a yellow streak down the middle. He had on khaki shorts with large cargo pockets on both sides. Even the hat he wore had a character attached to each hole. On his back was a fully loaded backpack with contents that Nix didn't care to ask about, probably figurines or toys to show off when they got to this mysterious event. Nix looked at him thinking about how much of a dork he was off the clock.

Nix prided himself on staying professional even when off duty. Though the sun did force him to wear lighter clothing than he was used to. He had on a plain white tee shirt that hugged his already massive frame making his incredible size and strength more obvious. He wore a custom made pair of loose black jeans with matching black combat boots that sunk into the sand. He wished he could wear a pair of sneakers but any he tried to buy would be too small and split at the seems from his massive steps.

Shelly noticed Nix struggling behind them and stopped her conversation with Veronica. Well, less of a conversation and more of a question and answer seminar with Shelly doing all the talking and Veronica responding with gestures. She smiled back at Nix as he fought the ground like it was quicksand gripping at his ankles. "Hey big guy," she called back to him, "when ya gonna get those sneakers ya ordered?"

"I dunno, hopefully, sooner rather than later," he grumbled as the group sped up.

Luckily, lagging behind gave him the chance to inspect Shelly without her noticing. He was still coming to terms with the events a few days ago. That strange teasing and the bet that brought it about between Veronica and Sam. At first, he was going to blow it off as just her playing along with their game but the statements at the end laid heavy on his heart, "He's my puppy and nobody else's."

Those words made him feel uncomfortable, yet strangely aroused. 'Oh crap, am I a sub?' he thought to himself. He pushed this thought to the side for later contemplation on another day, today he was going to enjoy the mysterious event that he was being led to. He looked to Shelly and smiled fondly.

She had on a purple tee-shirt, the same shade as her hair, with a skull and crossbones across her bust. Her hair was still tied up in the back defying gravity but currently, Nix couldn't take his eyes off her shorts. Those extra, extra, extremely extra short, shorts. Nix swore she wore clothes like that just to tease the wandering eyes of men around her, or maybe just him. The thought that she was teasing him specifically made Nix blush but the heat from the blazing sun was already planting a flush across his dark face.

"Sam, how much longer we gonna be walking for? The sun is gonna melt the soles of my boots," Nix complained from the back of the group. Sam turned around wildly still sporting that sickening smile.

"Oh don't worry big fella, we got maybe one or two."

"One or two what? Minutes? Hours?!"

Sam scratched his chin as he looked ahead into the barren horizons, "Maybe three." He glanced back at Nix as he continued his trek into the vast wasteland that was the Greater Sand Dunes. Shelly and Veronica were just laughing as they followed along. Behind them, the steam coming out of Nix's ears would have made a bull proud.

"Why... don't we... have... A CAR!" Nix shouted between gasping breaths. The group had been traveling the desert for an hour now and Nix was finally at his limit. The heels of his boots stood up well to the immense heat but his body was on fire.

"For once, I have to admit, Nix is right. This event better be worth it Sam, I been sweating so much I could use the salt to season tonight's dinner." Shelly had joined Nix in panting on the ground for air, water, and a break from the hike Sam forced them into.

"Look at those two babies, can't even handle a light stroll through the dunes." Sam and Veronica were standing atop a large dune ahead of the struggling pair. Sam was lightly sweating but he was used to these long walks through the sun. Living in the sun all your life gives you a unique endurance, but looking down at Nix and Shelly, he couldn't help but laugh as they seemed to suffer under the sun's rays. "We need to do more jobs during the day to get their endurance up. What do you think Ronnie?"

Sam looked over to an expressionless Veronica who just looked into his eyes.

"Yeah I think so too," Sam replied. He looked at Veronica one more time and jumped back with fear. Veronica cocked her head to the side from his sudden reaction.

"Ronnie, you're... sweating."

She quickly wiped her hand against her forehead to inspect this ridiculous claim. She had walked all over the Dunes and not once had she lost a drop of liquid in the unrelenting heat. When she looked at her hand and saw the slight sheen of perspiration on her palm her eyes bulged out to cartoonishly large proportions. They both looked back down at the two suffering bandits with concern.

"Maybe we have been making them walk for too long," Sam hissed as Nix tried to walk again only to land on top of Shelly. "We better go help them."

Sam and Veronica supported Nix helping him stand as they continued their trek. Shelly rode on his broad shoulders and upper back. Teetering on consciousness Nix asked one final time how much further they were to their destination. Sam and Veronica began to lead them to the top of the dune as Shelly started to play with Nix's ears.

"You guys when did we get such a cute gorilla, imma name 'em ZoopZoop," she giggled with a goofy smile on her face.

When they finally reached the summit Sam looked ahead to see the heat warped silhouette of a town before them. He smiled at Veronica and pointed down to the bottom of the hill. "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you Oasis, the city in the sand."

Nix and Shelly looked down at the hazy image that seemed to materialize before them. They saw a small town with wooden homes and buildings circling one giant tower in the center. "Is that..." they began to brighten up together. "A WATER TOWER!" they rushed down the dunes slipping and falling the entire time. Sam just chuckled as he led Veronica to the sanctuary.

It wasn't shining with bright lights or the technology that you would find in Niagra, rather the town was filled with taverns and old wooden cottages. The people walked around with umbrellas to block the sun and large ten-gallon hats that gave it an old fashioned western feeling. As the group made their way through the old fashioned haven, Nix and Shelly saw a lively building with people moving in and out constantly. A peek inside revealed the different food and drinks being served within. The duo ran inside like a blur of purple and white with just a hint of brown from their skin.

Sam and Veronica followed them inside, calmly inspecting their surroundings. The tavern was alive with small talk and musical numbers from a stage in the back. The people within brandished smiles across their faces as they casually mingled together. Some drank till they were carried out by their friends, others sang along sloppily with the singer on stage. The patrons seemed to be having the time of their lives. In contrast, Shelly and Nix were like two wild animals at the bar demanding drinks.

"Cold, Hot, Lukewarm I don't give a damn just gimme some H20!" Shelly called out to the bartender preparing their drinks. He was shakily pouring two glasses one considerably larger than the other. He looked back and visibly jumped with fear as he looked past Shelly at the giant, dark shadow looming over her. He shakily presented the glasses which they swiped away with lightning speeds. They chugged the contents in an instant, their moods getting lighter with their thirst quenched. The shadow of rage that was Nix had turned into a humungous, soft plush toy that beamed fondly requesting another glass, Shelly following suit.

"Haha, you folks are defiantly not from here, my guess is this is ya first time finding Oasis," a soft voice called beside them. They looked over to their left to see a man sitting beside them with a large black sombrero on, his face hidden in the shadow it cast. The brim of the cap had a beige pattern of what Shelly swore were spoons dangling from a trim line on the top of the cap. At his feet sat a large black case.

Nix responded, his voice reverberating through the tavern, "Well we have some friends that have made this trek before but they are monsters that refuse to inform their friends of how horrible the trip will be." Sam and Veronica were getting closer as they heard this. Sam put his hands up in submission to the clear discomfort that radiated off of the calm Nix. He looked towards Shelly and saw in her eyes the rage and anger of a person with a vendetta lasting over twenty years. He quickly hid behind Veronica who didn't give a reaction to their looks, only patting the head of a cowering Sam.

"Well if it's your first time let me give ya the run down," the mysterious man said. "Round here the water flows freely thanks to some special pipes and the spring that seemed to have formed beneath the sand thanks to underground rivers and estuaries." Shelly looked at the man and got lost in his voice. The smooth sound of his words seemed to relax the tissues in her ears and aching feet. "Now to be very clear, this town is mighty peaceful but that doesn't mean we're a bunch of pushovers."

His hat brim tipped towards the group but his face was still concealed beneath it. He passed to Shelly a small blue hat. "You stick out like a sore thumb, Ms. Gem Bandit"

They all looked surprised by his sudden callout to Shelly. Nix reached down for a stool stand, preparing for a fight. Shelly stopped him. "So my reputation proceeds me even this deep in the middle of nowhere," she chuckled to the man.

"Lady, your reputation makes you a legend underground. Every crook and goon in Brawltopia knows ya face, that makes ya a target for people looking to make a name for themselves."

"My face," Shelly questioned, "what about my name."

The man tipped his brim up slightly to get a look at her face. The tavern was dim and the shadow from his hat kept most of his face completely hidden, except for a bright white smile stretching ear to ear. "Rumor has it that in one of your raids on the streets of Niagra you made a lapse in judgment and uttered your name allowed. Then ya blew the whole place to high hell, but one cop made it out. Now what did she say your name was?" he began to tap his finger on his exposed chin.

Veronica slyly bumped Sam's arm, motioning towards the man. "Yellow?" Sam asked in confusion at the color of his hand and matching chin. Veronica tapped him again and pointed one more time. Sam was confused as he tried to see what she was seeing. Then a deeper inspection past the yellow tint of the man showed the real oddity. His fingers were strangely boney like there was no skin on them.

The yellow of his skin was not missed by Shelly or Nix but they were too focused on his next words to notice the boney fingers he was stroking his bare chin with. "Now what did that lady cop say? Shana... Shauna... no that ain't it, it was something quick and easy. Maybe Nelly... Kelly...," he leaned in close to as he whispered to the group. "Shelly, Shelly the Gem Bandit. That ring any bells?" Nix was visibly uncomfortable and beginning to regret going on this trip without proper protection. He looked around the tavern and noticed one or two faces looking at them, muttering under their breaths. Sam and Veronica noticed as well but thought it best to not make any movements until they could assess how many people may be after them. Shelly, however, was silent as she looked down at the floor.

"Guess he always told me not to let my ego get in the way of my reason," she mumbled barely audible. She looked up with a smirk at the shadowed man, "Tell me, mystery man, you trying to make a name for yourself right here." She spread her arms out as her allies stood behind her looking down on their audience. The man simply rose to his feet with that strange smile still bright on his face.

Standing up they could get a better idea of the man's size. He was hysterically small. He wasn't even taller than Shelly so he had to be just at 5 feet. The black suit he had on with matching slacks didn't expose any of his body but they could tell he had a slim build. So slim that they couldn't see him getting into a fight ever in his life.

"Me, nah, I'm just a traveling musician looking for a new song to play-," the sound of glass shattering cut him off as two men started fighting near the stage.

"I just wanna give the lady my congrats on her performance," a man drunkenly slurred as he threw a haymaker right hook to his oppressor. The people around them started to roar with his sudden attack. He jumped on the stage, grabbing the singer by her arm while he tugged on her dress. Shelly and her gang just watched from the background as the scene unfolded. They watched as two men stepped up on stage to stop his assault only for three bigger men to drag them back off the stage. The sounds of heavy blows landing followed by screams came from the crowd.

Nix looked down at Shelly, nonverbally asking for permission. She just slowly waved her hand in the direction of the drunken bastards, "I hate when people can't handle their drinks," Nix grumbled as he began to walk towards them. He was stopped by a hand pulling at the back of his shirttail. He turned to see the top of the sombrero that the mystery man wore, his yellow hand pulling Nix back.

"Please, you are guests in this town. I can't ask you to get your hands dirty with our problems." He walked back to the bar, opening the case to reveal a guitar. Looking at the guitar Shelly could see that it was custom made. It had a bright pink body with a yellow skull at the head. The skull's eye sockets had what looked like bright green flower petals circling it. He turned back to Nix and played a chord, it was smooth yet for some reason it made Nix strangely uneasy, goosebumps running down his back. "They say music heals the soul, but I always thought that music can also bust some skulls."