Xabungle Ep. 19: Condor, Take Flight

Kotsett announces to the Iron Gear crew that they are going to leave in one hour to find a new bazaar if Elchi doesn’t return. The Sand Rats are pleased with the news. Rag tries to stop Jiron from going out to search for Elchi, and he tells her he doesn’t want to simply stick around here on the Iron Gear. Kotsett spots a Walker Tanker nearby under attack. Knowing they have limited fuel, Rag tells everyone they should go out. Meanwhile, Horla watches from afar and talks to Geraba revealing this is a trap set up by them. The Walker Tanker’s pilot says the brakes don’t work and he nearly runs into Rag’s Walker Machine. Jiron yells at Horla’s men and they have each of their three Walker Machines stand on the other to be as tall as the Xabungle. This causes them to have difficulty walking and Jiron easily takes them out by shooting a nearby tree. Meanwhile, Rag and Blume check out the Walker Tanker, which has crashed into some trees and realizes it has no fuel in it. Rag goes into the cockpit to see the pilot who says he sold his fuel to the men who were attacking him. They had pursued him in order to steal their money back. Meanwhile, Elchi walks after El Condor asking him to let her come to El Dorado with him. She says the people of El Dorado hate him, but he is still intent on going. He heads out on the Ottrich. Meanwhile, the Walker Tanker pilot reveals to Jiron and Rag that he sold the fuel to Horla and that Horla plans on attacking someone, who Jiron thinks is El Condor. Jiron wants to head out to rescue Elchi and Rag tries to stop him, saying they should send the Iron Gear. Meanwhile, Elchi heads to El Dorado and sees some men in the town blaming El Condor for the recent battle. Suddenly, smoke starts rising from the woods outside the town. The men in the village immediately start blaming Condor for this. Jiron realizes there is a fire near El Dorado and starts heading over there, bringing him to a swamp. Attacks immediately start being made and Jiron realizes he’s fall into a trap. The Xabungle falls into quicksand and stinks down to its waist. Jiron panics as it continues to sink and he spots Horla nearby pointing a gun at him. Horla says after the Xabungle sinks he’ll be able to do anything he wants with Elchi and the Iron Gear. Jiron proclaims this as a pathetic way to go as the Xabungle sinks down to its head and mud starts pouring into the cockpit. Horla says now all that’s left is for him to become the main character.

Horla laughs about the Xabungle and Jiron being finished, but the forest fire spreads behind him, forcing him to flee. Meanwhile in El Dorado, El Condor fights off the enemy. Elchi asks him why he’s using expensive ammunition to save the townsfolk. He says it’s his duty. Elchi hears Jiron struggling over the radio. Within the Xabungle cockpit, Jiron can barely keep his head above the mud, but calls out to the Iron Gear. Elchi and El Condor head in that direction. On the Iron Gear, Kotsett and the others realize that the Walker Tanker pilot has tied up several people and headed to the engine room. They confront him there. El Condor grabs a hold of the Xabungle with his Walker Machine and is able to pull it out of the swamp. Elchi gets angry at Jiron, who had called out for Rag over the radio. Fatman grabs a hold of the Walker Tanker pilot on top of the Deck and he admits to Horla’s plan. Meanwhile, Horla attacks El Dorado, saying someone from their town attacked his landship. El Condor approaches Horla in his Walker Machine. He says they should fight outside the village, but Horla refuses. He tells Condor to get out of the cockpit of his Walker Machine. As he approaches Horla, El Condor is shot by him in the shoulder. Elchi continues piloting the Ottrich, rushing past Geraba. El Condor grabs a hold of Elchi, saying they mustn’t leave El Dorado. Elchi says she’ll take him to the Iron Gear, but he doesn’t want to go there and says he can still fight with one arm. He tells Elchi she’s getting in the way and to get out of the Ottrich. Jiron comes across several men surrounding a couple of Walker Machines. Elchi says she refuses to get out, but El Condor continues to demand she leave and says he hates any woman who doesn’t accept the way he lives his life. Horla has a hard time finding the Ottrich due to a smokescreen El Condor has put up. El Condor lets Elchi out of the Ottrich on a tree branch. Elchi spots the Xabungle and calls out to Jiron, who nearly steps on her. She tells Jiron about El Condor and gets in the Xabungle, calling out to the Iron Gear to help. They spot fighting occurring near the ruins. There Horla and his men have outnumbered El Condor, but he still manages to shoot Horla’s Walker Machine off an abandoned temple. Jiron shows up in the Xabungle, shooting Geraba’s Walker Machine. El Condor refuses Jiron’s help, saying his family fought against the Innocent on their own and that’s why those of El Dorado hate him. He partially destroys Horla’s Walker Machine. Jiron calls out to El Condor to not be stupid, but when El Condor runs out of ammo, Horla is able to punch the cockpit off the Ottrich, which crashes nearby, killing him. Horla flees. Elchi worries about El Condor, telling Jiron he was kind and not like him. Later, Jiron talks about how the people they have come across defend their land. He and the others laugh about how they prefer not to put roots down and Elchi gets angry, starting to push and slap around people. Jiron stops her, saying she’s been reckless. Elchi cries over El Condor’s death. Jiron says he is flying, pointing to a condor flying in the sky.