Scott Summers sighed as he glanced at his watch for the eighth time in the last two minutes.
It was hot. It was humid. It was noisy. And they were late. It was the last time he was
going to agree to bring the team out for a summer sale shopping spree. When they last split
up, Bobby was with Hank going towards the music store, Remy was flirting with some cashier,
the women were all giggling and laughing and pointing to big 'sale' signs. And that was over
six hours ago. He even had to eat lunch by himself! And now they were late!
He glaced at his watch again. 5:03 it read. They were three minutes late. They were going
to pay. He'd see to it that everyone would have gruesome Danger Room sessions for the next
two weeks. Yes, that thought made him smile.
He scowled. Damn, he hated waiting. He had already checked the music store and the trinket
shop. No sign of Bobby, Hank or Remy. How the hell can they call themselves men and actually
be able to stand being in the mall for six hours? Six long hours!?
Scott leaned over the railing and watched a women walk briskly in long strides. He wondered
how she could walk that fast in heels that high, and where she could be going. A few seconds
later, he saw a man carrying a grossly huge number of bags and boxes, almost tripping. The
woman spun around and snarled at the man to be careful with her things. The man managed to
squeak what seemed to Scott to be a 'yes dear' and resumed following after her to another store.
Shopping, Scott mused, was probably invented by some sick female to get back at the male species
for whatever wrong they have done to her. It was torture. Painful, sick, torture.
He glanced at his watch again.
And then it happened.
Actually, he wasn't really sure what 'it' is. He was the leader of the X-men. He was calm,
composed, and always on top of everything. But at that very moment, he was anything but. All
he felt was a feeling that was akin to panic. It probably was panic.
The last he remembered was that he was leaning across the railing waiting for the others. The
sun shone a little too brightly for his eyes, his ruby glasses making them a fiery painful shade
of red. He recalled taking them off, only for a second, setting them on the railing and he
rubbed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. When he reached to retrieve them, they were
gone.
He groped around the railing for them. None. He squatted down the floor and grope some more.
None. He swallowed his pride and fell to his hands and knees just to look for them. None.
Mentally, he tried to reach Jean throught their psi-link. He couldn't. Scott swallowed with
terror. He can't open his eyes. He can't.
Jean held up a green dress against her body and looked at the mirror. She frowned. And it
didn't have to do anything with the dress.
"Jean!" Rogue squealed. "That absolutely looks tunning on yah! Hey, whah the frown sugah?"
"I think I heard Scott." Jean replied making a face. The two women glanced down at their
watches. They were a few measly minutes late. They looked at each other.
"Ah think that maybe yoah just a lil worried that he'd be annoyed."
"I think maybe you're right."
Just then Ororo stepped out of the fitting room wearing a stunning white silk dress that fell
unto her ankles. "What do you think of this outfit?" she asked.
"Whoa sugah! Yah look incredible!" Jean nodded her agreement.
The Goddess smiled. She thought she looked pretty darn good too. She held up the tag.
"And it is fifty percent off too."
Jean and Rogue squealed and looked at the respective dresses they had in their arms. They
looked up at the same time and grinned. "Sales don't go on forevah..." Rogue started.
Jean smiled. "Scott's gonna have to wait a little bit longer then." All guilt flying off from
her head and she twirled around holding the fabulous green dress.
Scott stood back up and held the railing. He can do this. All he had to do was stay still.
The X-men would come. They always did. He held up his left hand to look at his watch, then
remembered he couldn't open his eyes.
He muttered a curse under his breath.
"Sir?"
"Wha-?" Scott spun around towards the sound of the voice.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to loiter in this area." The guard took one glance
at poor Scott who was fumbling around the rails, and assumed right away that he was yet again
another drunkard.
"I'm not loitering. I'm waiting for my friends." That last word was a hiss under Scott breath.
"You can wait for them downstairs, sir."
"But but I can't go down. You see I lost my glasses, and I can't see anything. Well, that is
I can't open my eyes without my glasses, because if I open my eyes I... well, I just can't.
And my friends and I agreed to wait here, so I can't go downstairs coz they'll be expecting me
to be here and well sir, maybe you can help me find my glasses?"
Scott blabbled on without realizing the guard had left.
"Sir? Can you help me find my glasses?"
Silence.
"Sir a little help?"
"Sir?"
"Help?"
"Someone?"
Bobby held up a pointy pair of blue tinted sunglasses and smiled. "Hey Blue, what do you think
of these?"
Hank looked up holding exactly the same frame, but in clear glass.
The pair laughed. "Great minds think alike huh, Hank?"
"You can say that Robert." Hank put on his pointy pair and looked in the mirror. Bobby did
the same and stepped beside Hank.
"We have got to get these Hank!" Bobby exclaimed putting his arm around Hank's shoulder.
"They are so cool! We look like twins!"
Hank smirked at the thought. The glasses looked cool though, they'd go well with his blue
fur, or on his human projected self. At least that was what the Hawaiian clad genius thought.
Bobby on the other had just wanted something new and fresh and well, cool.
"I have to get them in my prescription though." Hank looked at the clock behind the counter
where the attractive salesgirl was patiently waiting on them. "It is six minutes past five,
my icy friend. Our fearless leader would have a fit.
"We can get them done in half an hour" she said.
"Just half an hour Hank! I can handle Scott!"
Hank handed the girl the glasses and his prescription and eyed Bobby. "If you say so."
Scott was in hell.
Several kids had bumped into him when he wasn't holding the railing. He heard them laugh at him,
but what can he do? Open his eyes and blast them?
He really shouldn't have left his post waiting for the others. Why did he have to listen to the
guard? That follow-the-leader thing that he had certainly got him into a mess now. He realized
that he should go back, but he had no idea which direction it was anymore. A bratty kid spun
him around til he was dizzy, before the apologetic mom grabbed the brat and walked off.
Actually he wasn't sure where he was. But wherever it was, it sure was close to hell.
He took another step forward. It shouldn't be that bad. The others were bound to come looking
for when they find out he's not in their meeting place.
If they ever show up. Scott gritted his teeth and took another step. He was finally getting the
hang of walking without eyesight and the railing and pretty much could feel that he was walking
along the mall hallway when his left foot suddenly did not meet any floor.
And he proceeded to roll down the flight of stairs.
"So what do you say, cher?" Remy LeBeau smiled at a pretty little thing who was blushing and
refusing to meet his eyes. "You and me and bottle of wine mebbe tomorrow night?"
"I... uh... well, I don't... I mean..." she trailed off uncertainly and bit her lip. She was
flushing ever so cutely, which made Remy press on even further.
"C'mon petite. Remy will make sure you'll be in good hands." He grinned slyly at her.
The little thing with curly blond hair and a sweet smile finally looked up at him. She was about
to agree when she heard someone scream.
"Remy LeBeau! Are you two timing me you filthy rat?" A pretty girl with auburn hair, and what
looked like a white streak in the center came charging towards the charming Cajun. She was
carrying an uncountable number of shopping bags and procceded to throw them one at a time at
Remy.
"Rogue! Cher! Non!" Remy winced as a bag hit him at the side of the head. Damn Rogue and
her superhuman strength. He put on his most charming face to convince Rogue of such, then
decided against it when he saw the fury in the eyes of the Southern Belle who was charging at
him.
"I'll see ya 'round petit!" he called at the dumbfounded blonde who was just staring at the
shorts clad lady chasing the charming man.
He crawled for what it seemed miles. He had no idea where he was. After his fall, where he
probably bruised a couple of ribs, his arms, his legs and was that soda clinging on his favorite
pair of pants? Whatever it was, it was annoying. The wetness clung to his right leg towards
his butt and side. That's where he landed when falling down the stairs.
Scott just wanted to open his eyes. But years and years of training and discipline stopped him.
The moment he takes a peek, the entire amll would find out he's a mutant, with destructive
powers too. After all, how was he to know what he'd be shooting the moment he opened his eyes?
Damn it. He was tired, frustrated, and well, blind! Not a very good combination for someone
like him. He was just so used to ordering everyone to be peaceful and behaved and ordered.
Scott took another step with his hand and suddenly stopped. He lifted his hand and grimaced.
Was that bubblegum his hand just stepped on?
He lifted his right hand and touched it lighty with his left index finger.
Argh. It was bubble gum all right.
Jean and Ororo stared at the retreating figures of Rogue and Remy. Their arms were full of
bags, and their faces had happy satisfied smiles.
"Think we should go meet Scott now?" Jean asked.
Ororo nodded. "Yes. We have been keeping him waiting long enough."
They walked towards the railing on the second floor where they had agreed to meet Scott. "He
said to meet here, did he not?" Ro asked, a confused expression on her normally serene face.
Jean bit back a laugh. "Scott Summers is late!"
Ororo took one look at Jean, her brain processing the statement, and laughed too.
Mr. Sinister he can face. Magneto was okay. Even Sabretooth, he'd have a go at with his bare
hands. But the crowd at the mall on a summer sale, he could not.
After attempting to remove the disgusting piece of bubble gum from his hand, Scott had crawled
to what it seemed a corner. It was nice and quiet and he leaned his back against the wall.
Then he heard someone scream "Buy One Take One Sale!".
From the ground, he felt an earthquake. It didn't really scare him. Earthquakes were natural
occurences. But this earthquake seemed to be growing closer to him. And growing stronger.
Suddenly, the wall the he was resting against disappeared and a mob of females were pushing him.
One loud lady almost tore his hair out just to get past him. Another slapped him and muttered
something about being a pervert. Hey, did someone just grab his... Scott flushed. He had
to get out of this hell hole. Body against body was in front of him, behind him, beside him.
A woman stepped on him. Another pushed him from behind. Ow, another slap.
The crowd of women at the Evening Summer Sale of Victoria's Secret was one mean bunch.
Rogue finally caught Gambit by the tail of his coat and flew off. Nobody really saw her. Every
one was busy running towards the stores that opened for the evening shift.
She dropped him in the lake, dusted off her gloved hands, and flew back into the mall.
"Aww, cher had to do dat when I jus' bo't a new deck o card." Gambit made a face as he fished
out his new deck, his new wet deck, from the equally wet pocket of his wet coat.
Somehow, someway, Scott managed to crawl away from the mob. He rubbed his cheek with the back
of his hand. What the hell did he do to receive that much slaps from that much women? An
angry Jean was one thing, and he'd usually have some sort of clue why she was pissed at him,
but these rabid women were different.
He groaned and sat down on the floor. He didn't care where he was.
He felt movement around him. Probably people walking pass him. And then he felt a figure stop
in front of him.
"Here man. This is all I got." A paper was pressed against his right hand, the one with bubble
gum, and he felt the figure go away.
What the? Scott was confused.
A few minutes later, another paper was pressed against his hand. Then another. Then something
hard hit is face. His left hand groped for whatever it was and found it on his lap. It was
flat and kinda smooth, and round.
It was a coin.
Then it hit him.
He wailed.
Hank pretty much dragged Bobby out of the optical shop where he was attempting to flirt with
the cute salesgirl. Bobby flirting was a painful sight to see. And for the past half an hour,
it pained Hank to see watch best friend. Bobby trying to ask out a cute girl was even more
painful. And when the salesgirl finally brought out his new pointed glasses, Hank smiled at
her, told her how grateful he was, paid, and dragged a protesting Bobby out of the store.
"But Hank!" Bobby whined "I still don't have her number!"
"Robert" Hank muttered "We spent half an hour in that sto-"
Bobby cut him off. "Hey Blue, see that guy there? Doesn't he look familiar?" He pointed at
a figure seated on the floor near the mall centre. The figure was slumped and holding what
seemed to be a wad of bills in his right hand and coins on his left.
"You are correct Robert. He does indeed look familiar." Hank put on his new glasses and
squinted at the figure. "In fact, he seems to resemble our fearless leader..." Hank's voice
trailed off as he looked at Bobby gaping in shock.
Bobby too gaped at Hank.
In an instant, they bounded off towards Scott Summers.
From the second floor railing, Jean and Ororo watched two figures run towards a filthy beggar
in the middle of the mall. Funny how those two figures looked a lot like Bobby and Hank.
Except that the figure which resembled Hank was wearing a ridiculous pair of glasses.
"Jean," Ororo began uncertainly, "do those people look familiar to you?"
Jean leaned further forward the railing and gasped. "Oh my God!"
She ran towards the staircase, Storm hot behind her, followed by the newly arrived Rogue who
called out "What's the rush? Theah anuthah attack?"
A heavy hand rested on Scott's shoulder. He turned around reflexively to see who it was, but
of course he couldn't open his eyes to see.
"Scott?" A soft voice called. From his distant memory Scott recalled the familiarity of the
voice. "Are you all right?"
"Who are you?" he answered hoarsely.
"Oh my god. Blue, maybe aliens abducted him and exchanged his brain for a pea!" Another very
familiar voice.
"Aliens?" he repeated.
A new pair of hands rested on his shoulders and shook him. "Scott. Wake up. What the hell
are you doing begging for money in the middle of the mall? I know the girls are out shopping
up a storm but this is ridiculous."
Storm. Yes, storm, a familiar word again.
Then he heard the voice. The voice he loved. The voice of his angel. "Scott!" it called out.
The sweet beautiful voice. The voice of the woman who's neck he was gonna wring for closing
their psi-link when he needed her.
A soft pair of arms engulfed him. "Scott, what happened?" Jean whispered softly.
"Jean" he answered. "I don't... The railing... the sunlight... I... My glasses... Been waiting
...so long... hours... alone... days... can't see"
Bobby blinked. "Days?"
Scott nodded. His entire body ached. It seemed like eternity that he was stuck in this hell.
But he was right. The X-men came to get him. "Days... alone... mob was gonna kill me...
Had to fend off alone... so dark for so long..."
Hank looked down at his watch. They were only thirty eight minutes late.
Jean nodded softly at her husband and signalled at Bobby and Hank who lifted Scott up. "It's
alright honey. Everything's gonna be alright."
-end chapter 1-