Chapter 24: Food Court Showdown
Gerald could hear the action from the movie and after listening a few lines from the dragon character he knew they were in the avalanche scene. He had seen it twice with his daughters when it first came out, they begged to see it again before Jenny came by to pick them up, and he loved it as much as they did. His favorite was the dragon, mostly because the actor doing the voice was also a favorite of his. The only sound he didn't hear was the sound of gremlins.
"Are you sure they are in there?" He asked as he leaned in closer to the door. "I can't hear them." He raised his large ears and pointed at them. "And yes they hear very well."
"They are sitting still and are silent," Chuck explained with a shrug. "It's like they are entranced by what they are watching."
"It's a good movie," Gerald said and placed a hand on Brody's head. "I'm going to buy the VHS and we can all watch it at my place when it comes to video."
"Popcorn?" Brody asked with a pleading look in his eyes. He had brought along the bucket of popcorn and box of candy that was on the counter.
"Of course, and candy and maybe I'll put some pizza rolls in the microwave." Those snacks sounded pretty good right now and he was a little hungry. "May I?" he waited for Brody to nod before he grabbed a small handful of fluffy white kernels.
"How are we going to kill these guys?" Chuck asked as he leaned back against the wall. "Can you radio the others?"
"On it," Valerie said as she pressed the button on the radio. "This is Mall team three and we have gremlins in the theater. I repeat a full room or house of gremlins."
"What in the movies?" Clamp's voice was heard.
"Just the one theater or all of them?" Kate was the second to respond.
"None in this one," Chuck said after he had checked another theater. "Nope." He limped to the last one and looked inside. "Not a single one, just watching the cartoon."
"They are only watching Mulan," Valerie explained.
"I love that movie," Clamp said on his end. "Do you have any ideas on how to take care of them?"
"Last time they watched a Disney movie we blew up the theater," Kate said. "And I agree with Billy, we really don't want to have to blow up anything again."
"Okay no go on explosions," Clamp said. "Anything else?"
"Do we have enough ammo?" Gerald asked and realized that wouldn't work. "No several will still escape, and we don't want to burn the place down." The gremlins would just use the emergency exit….and get fried by the sun." He grinned as the idea came to him. "I know we are not supposed to cry fire in a crowded theater but if they think the front is burning would they try to use the emergency exit?"
"Not if they know it's still sunlight out," Billy said through the radio. "You are on the right path."
"Not the exits near the front of the screen," Chuck said. He was staring at a door that said employees only. "They exit through there." He pointed at the door. "It goes into the halls the mall employees all use. I know where all these tunnels go and sure it can be like a labyrinth at times but I know where to lead them. We are close to the Unlimited store and their loading dock which we can access through here. We get all the gremlins in there and open up the garage door."
"And fry them," Gerald said in a grin. "Peltzers you have that?"
"That would work," Billy's voice was heard. "Great idea."
"We need someone on the outside to open the garage," Gerald said.
"Leave that to me," Clamp said. "Forster and I will go out and Murray will stay here with Darwin. We'll let you know when we are in position or have someone on the outside ready for you."
"Whatever we do I don't want to get that poor kid involved," Gerald said as he thought of the girl hiding behind the counter. He felt like crap making her more scared than she was before. "Just leave her out of this."
"That poor girl," Valerie agreed. "And I feel sorry for you, Mr. Hopkins. You were kidnapped and forced to become the creature you are and people see you like this and treat you like a monster. I vow not to rest until we can turn you back."
"I appreciate your kindness," Gerald said. "Promise me you won't run yourself ragged to the point you get sick from working so hard."
"I will try." She smiled
"I think I have the details figured out," Chuck said. "We wait for Clamp to get outside and near the garage, but don't open it. One of us goes upstairs and turns off the movie. Then another explains what is happening and the others direct everyone out into the tunnel."
"I'll go up and turn off the movie," Valerie suggested.
"No I will," Gerald said. "The two of you have to inform the gremlins and lead them out." He pressed his lips together. "Okay I know I don't want to involve the girl but maybe ask to borrow her vest. Chuck works in security so it makes sense for him to divert them for security purposes."
"I will see," Valerie said before she headed back to the lobby.
Gerald approached the door that lead to the projection room. He was ready and he nodded at Chuck who had the walkie-talkie. They just needed to wait for Clamp.
The stroller had been ditched the second they came across a skateboard that was propped up against a potted plant, most likely left behind by some gremlins who snagged it from one of the shops, and the two mogwai were able to travel even faster as they followed down the path of the last gremlins. It wasn't just the random vegetable they were able to find or the distant laughing but also the occasional punched in cracks along the walls.
The skateboard slowed down as they grew closer to the food court and the sounds of laughter had increased. The two of them had abandoned their ride and ran up to the nearest trash can and peered around.
"Ya!" The punching kangaroo gremlin jabbed a fist forward and then jumped twice before he struck out his fist in another direction. "Put em up. Come on. Put up your dukes. Fight me."
"He's the guard," Gizmo said after a few seconds. "He doesn't seem that bright."
"How are going to get past him?" Gene asked.
"Like I said not that smart. He should be easy to sneak past." He pointed to the nearest table. "As fast as you can and go."
The ran towards the table and hid under it before they turned around. The puncher didn't even notice them. Gizmo pointed to the next table and the two of them ran using the various tables as covers.
A crash came from one of the eating establishments and they peered out and around. The gremlins were knocking stuff over, probably looking for something to eat.
Gizmo was ready and he was far away from the puncher that he stepped out into the opening. He looked up at the one gremlin sitting on the counter of the Taco place with his back turned. He removed an arrow from the quiver, took aim and fired.
The pencil arrow shot forward and shot through the gremlin's neck.
Gizmo dropped to the ground and rolled back to where Gene was waiting and watched the gremlin as it gurgled and flailed before it grabbed at the wooden piece sticking in its throat. Bubbles of saliva and green blood formed in its mouth before it keeled over.
"Nobody noticed," Gene said with his eyes wide open. "There is another one at the ice cream place."
Gizmo nodded and crawled out from under the table and snuck closer. The gremlin in question was gorging on waffle cones. This was going to be another easy shot. He docked his arrow and let the arrow fly and landed right in the chest. He ducked behind another trash can and watched.
The gremlin looked down at his chest and pulled out the pencil, only for green blood to shoot out and all over the counter before it also fell over.
"He dead," a gremlin had said.
"So is this guy," Another one added.
"What is going on over there?"
Gizmo ducked under another table while he watched as chaos unfolded and also tried to find Gene but he couldn't find the other mogwai.
Gerald had the door to the stairs open and was ready to run. He just had to wait for the moment.
"We are ready," Clamp's voice came from the walkie-talkie. "Got some people to come help us. Are you ready now?"
"Not yet," Chuck said into the radio. Valerie had handed it over to him. "Got to get the little bastards there, Gerald go."
Gerald ran up the steps and heard Brody following behind. He could use the help from the reluctant gremlin. It was quiet in there and only one projector was running and that had to be the movie in question.
"Where is the off switch?" Gerald asked as he examined the machine. He had no idea what to touch.
"Off," Brody said as he climbed onto the machine and pulled the reels off one at a time causing strange flashes of color to appear on the screen followed by several gremlins shouting boo and angry growls and hissing.
"That's one way to do things," Gerald said as he scratched his head. "I guess even you can be destructive as the others." He pat the gremlin on the back.
"Did I help?"
"You did great, little buddy." He stared down and could see a tall figure walk up and down one aisle and he strained to hear, although he didn't strain that much.
"We have to use a different route to evacuate," Valerie's voice was heard. "We need to follow the security officer to safety, please leave in an orderly fashion."
Of course the gremlins were anything but orderly. They vaulted themselves over the chairs as they ran towards the exit and raced as fast as they could. They were screeching, whooping and laughing as they ran out.
"Okay guys," Gerald as he leaned back against a wall. "Good luck." He took a deep breath before Brody sat down next to him and together they munched on their snack of popcorn and candy.
"Everyone listen up and you will be okay," Chuck lied as he lead the gremlins down the hall. He looked behind him and the small horde was staying close behind. "Now turn left and I'll get into a room with a big door that will let you out into the mall."
It didn't take him long before he reached the loading dock. He opened the door and watched as the little imps ran inside. He waited for all of them to enter before he closed the door behind him.
"Clamp now!" He shouted and pressed his back against the door. He could hear the door open followed by pain filled screams. The door behind him vibrated and shook as he heard several of them trying to get out. The screams increased while scratching sounds were heard. It only lasted for a few minutes before the sounds faded. He waited one more minute and opened the door and was greeted by the warmth of the late afternoon sun and a hundred green puddles. One puddle had a small trench coat and a pair of sunglasses.
"How did we do?" A figure appeared in front of the garage and waved. It was Clamp. "It looks like we won this part of the battle."
"Don't know how much more battles we will have to face," Chuck said. "We just turned a bunch into goo. "We need to regroup and maybe have Mr. Forster guide this cinema employee in here outside. She is traumatized."
"There are still employees inside?" Clamp asked in a confused tone. "No problem we will get her to safety."
"I'll go back to the others and let Team Peltzer know what happened." So far, so good they are going to get rid of the little creeps.
Gene couldn't let Gizmo do all the work while he just sat there. Sure his genetic father had many years of experience, but he had shared some of those memories with Gizmo and should know how to fight, granted he was not proficient with a bow and arrow like the older mogwai he could at least help out in another way.
He found one of the nearest eateries had a little swing door section as part of the counter. He ran towards and pushed with all his strength and that was a little too much because he tumbled into the place. Well he was inside and it was time to cause a distraction. He used his spear to knock over some red and yellow condiment bottles and while it did make a sound it didn't seem to call attention. He needed something louder.
He found a bright red plastic bucket and turned it over before he climbed up on it and reached up and pulled on a shelf. He pulled it all the way and it did come out and of course he couldn't hold it. He fell backwards while he spilled the knives that were in the drawer.
"Something is from over here," a voice cried out.
"Distraction," Gene said as he lifted the bottom of the bucket and slid under along with his spear.
It wasn't long before he could hear a gremlin enter the establishment. He could hear the grunts and footsteps of the enemy and the sounds were growing closer. Gene just had to time it just right and he stuck out the blunt end of the spear.
"Oof," the gremlin grunted as it tripped.
It was now or never. Gene tossed the bucket aside but instead of his spear he grabbed one of the knives and plunged it into the chest of the gremlin and for good measure he shoved two more knives into its body.
"Wow," he gasped when he realized what he had done. He had killed his first gremlin.
Snarling brought Gene's attention to what was behind him and turned around to see another gremlin that was about to pounce on him. He grabbed another knife and a spear and was ready to defend himself when the gremlin pounced.
Instead of landing on Gene who stepped to the side at the last second it landed on one of the spilled condiment bottles and the bottle rolled backwards with the gremlin trying to balance on it, the bottle finally came to the a stop at the leg of a table and the gremlin went flying and landed head first in the grease filled vat of a deep fryer.
"Time to cook," Gene said as he ran over with the bucket. He climbed on top and turned on the fryer and jumped down when the bubbling of grease cooking was heard. The smell of deep fried gremlin was horrible, almost bad enough to cause Gene to vomit.
He covered his nose as he walked away and almost walked into leafy green legs with ears of corn growing out of the thighs. He looked up as the vegetable gremlin stared down at him.
"Mogwai," the gremlin said as he pointed at him with carrot like fingers.
"Not afraid," Gene said as he stepped backwards and felt the presence of another gremlin behind him. "Uh oh?" He reached behind and felt something sharp and spiky.
"Uh oh, yes," the voice behind him said, causing a cold fingers to climb down Gene's back. "Gene, Caca."
"Razor?" Gene asked as he turned around and came face to face with the spikey gremlin.
"I hoped to find you sooner or later," Razor said. "Never thought you would be stupid enough to try and look for me."
"Maybe I want to prove a point," Gene said. "That I don't have to eat after midnight to become a vicious killer. See I killed those guys all by myself."
"Oh I know you did and you think I am pleased that you killed two of my shrinking army?" He picked up the trembling mogwai and glared at him. "It won't be much longer now. In a couple of hours it will be night."
"Our friends are looking for uh-me and they will find you."
"I know. In fact I'm hoping for it and that grease will be a part of it, soon we will have a fire and that will cause to sprinklers to go off and that means more of us."
Gene tried not to show fear as Razor carried him from out of the eatery. He didn't know where any of the other gremlins are except for the punching one who was now standing in the middle of the food court and next to another dead gremlin that was embedded with two more arrows.
"I know who did that," Razor said. "I know because we have him."
Four other gremlins walked up to them. One was pale and short, another was tall and fat a third was teal in color and covered in metal hangers, jewelry, office supplies and other forms of metal including a cheese grater, and the fourth would not stop laughing. Gene recognized them as Chuckles, Garrison and Butterball, but seeing the three of them did not put Gene into unease it was what Chuckles and Butterball were holding. They were both holding onto a sad Gizmo.