After the initial shock of seeing a hockey rink set up in the middle of
their front lawn, the mutants listened as Beast explained the rules for the
"exercise". Because of the cloud cover, they wouldn't have to worry about
the rink melting. The game would be played just like a normal game of
hockey, with all the rules of the game applying. In addition, the mutants
would be allowed to use their powers, but not to attack their fellow
players or create situations that obviously affected the outcome of the
game.
"This should force some of you to come up with new plans of actions, as your powers won't be of much use to you. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Now, everybody suit up!"
As the mutants got dressed and divided into their teams of older vs. younger mutants, Bobby came up to Jean. She snorted at him as he approached. "You and your stupid hockey!" she said. "I'm missing the fashion show because of you!"
"Not my fault," said Bobby. "Hey, how about we make this more than an exercise?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've got a little proposition for you," said Bobby. Whichever team loses buys the winners tickets to the next Rangers game in the city,"
Jean looked down at Bobby. Did he actually think he could beat HER? "Well, what happens when we win and we don't want to go see a hockey game? What if we want to do something else instead?"
"IF you win," Bobby said. "I suppose you could pick out something to go to by yourself, even if it is some dumb fashion show,"
"Deal!" Jean said. They shook hands, and went to inform their respective teammates about the newly raised stakes.
Jean joined her team's huddle as they were talking strategy. "Ok," she said. "We HAVE to win this game," she said as she explained the bet she had just made.
"We have to do WHAT?" asked Kitty when she heard what Jean had done.
"Relax, it'll be ok," said Jean. "Just don't blow them off. After all, I have my winning streak to worry about," she said, referring to her soccer team's record. Jean had never lost a soccer game in her life, and she expected that streak to continue despite the different playing surface.
"Honestly, Ms. Perfect. You and your big head got us into this," Rogue sighed, rolling her eyes.
"What'd you say?" Jean asked angrily.
"You heard me. Wanna do something about it?" Rogue challenged.
Scott quickly stepped in between them. "Hey, break it up! We've got a game to win. Besides, if the little X-men win this, it won't look good for any of us,"
He proceeded to set up the team. He and Rogue would be on defense while Jean, Kitty, and Kurt would play the wings and Evan would defend the goal. Growing up in Germany, Kurt had been a natural skater, and he would be their go-to mutant on the attack along with Jean and Kitty, who had been chosen mainly for her speed. Scott was counting on Evan's powers to help keep the younger mutants from scoring on them.
On the other bench, Bobby was setting up his team. Since they had three extra players, they'd have to rotate shifts. He chose Jubilee, Ray and Amara for offense, and Sam and Ray for defense, while taking it upon himself to mind the net on his side of the ice. His announcement of the bet had met with a much more positive reaction than Jean's had, and his team stepped out onto the ice fired up and ready to play.
Amara and Kitty lined up at center ice for the face-off. Beast skated out and dropped the puck, and the action was on. Kitty won the face-off and passed the puck ahead to Jean. Jean and Kurt skated up ice, and Ray and Sam came up to challenge them. Before Ray could put a hit on Jean, she fired the puck towards the goal. Bobby saw it coming and moved to block it, but Kurt teleported in front of him, caught the puck with his stick, and shot it into the other corner for a quick goal. The older mutants celebrated around the net while Bobby sighed as he realized that he might be in for more than he bargained for.
There was another face-off, this one won by Roberto. He took the puck and skated into the older mutants' zone. The younger mutants moved the puck around, keeping it away from Scott and Rogue who were trying to trap them against the walls of the rink. Roberto got the puck and passed it to Jubilee, who launched a shot on goal. At the last second, Evan extended a wall of spikes from his body that blocked the entire net. The puck bounced harmlessly off the spikes and landed on the ice. Beast blew his whistle as the younger mutants protested.
"He can't do that!" said Amara.
"I'll allow it," said Beast. "You have the means at your disposal to counteract Evan's powers, you know,"
"Right," said Ray. "Hey Bobby, let me play offense, I've got an idea,"
Bobby agreed and had Roberto and Ray switch places. On their next possession, Ray got the puck and skated hard up the ice. As he headed for the goal, he suddenly passed the puck off to Amara, who was skating behind him. She shot, and Evan created another wall of spikes. However, Ray shot a bolt of energy at Evan. It hit the spike wall and shattered it, sending small fragments of bone flying all over the place and leaving Evan so shocked that he didn't even realize that the puck had gone past his head until the goal siren went off behind him. Now it was the younger mutants' turn to celebrate as Jean glowered. So much for plan A.
Now Bobby called for his reserves to come in. Rahne eagerly stepped out onto the ice, but she fell down after just two strides, unable to keep her balance. She tried unsuccessfully to get up and had to be helped up by Roberto. "What are we going to do?" asked Roberto as Rahne began to cry. "She can't skate!"
"Don't cry, Rahne," Bobby said encouragingly. "Do this," He whispered a plan in her ear, and her tears quickly gave way to peals of laughter.
As play resumed, Amara passed the puck over to Rahne, who was holding onto the rink wall. As the puck came towards her, she morphed into a dog and picked it up in her mouth. Her paws gave her excellent traction as she scampered down the ice. Rogue saw her coming and tried to cut her off, but Rahne simply ran between her legs, knocking Rogue off her feet. She dropped the puck in front of the goal and used her tail to swat it past Evan's glove to give the younger mutants a 2-1 lead. She morphed back into her human form and joined her teammates in celebrating, barely able to keep on her feet. Beast blew the whistle signaling the end of the first period, and both teams headed to their respective benches to discuss their strategy for the next 20 minutes of play.
"This should force some of you to come up with new plans of actions, as your powers won't be of much use to you. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Now, everybody suit up!"
As the mutants got dressed and divided into their teams of older vs. younger mutants, Bobby came up to Jean. She snorted at him as he approached. "You and your stupid hockey!" she said. "I'm missing the fashion show because of you!"
"Not my fault," said Bobby. "Hey, how about we make this more than an exercise?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've got a little proposition for you," said Bobby. Whichever team loses buys the winners tickets to the next Rangers game in the city,"
Jean looked down at Bobby. Did he actually think he could beat HER? "Well, what happens when we win and we don't want to go see a hockey game? What if we want to do something else instead?"
"IF you win," Bobby said. "I suppose you could pick out something to go to by yourself, even if it is some dumb fashion show,"
"Deal!" Jean said. They shook hands, and went to inform their respective teammates about the newly raised stakes.
Jean joined her team's huddle as they were talking strategy. "Ok," she said. "We HAVE to win this game," she said as she explained the bet she had just made.
"We have to do WHAT?" asked Kitty when she heard what Jean had done.
"Relax, it'll be ok," said Jean. "Just don't blow them off. After all, I have my winning streak to worry about," she said, referring to her soccer team's record. Jean had never lost a soccer game in her life, and she expected that streak to continue despite the different playing surface.
"Honestly, Ms. Perfect. You and your big head got us into this," Rogue sighed, rolling her eyes.
"What'd you say?" Jean asked angrily.
"You heard me. Wanna do something about it?" Rogue challenged.
Scott quickly stepped in between them. "Hey, break it up! We've got a game to win. Besides, if the little X-men win this, it won't look good for any of us,"
He proceeded to set up the team. He and Rogue would be on defense while Jean, Kitty, and Kurt would play the wings and Evan would defend the goal. Growing up in Germany, Kurt had been a natural skater, and he would be their go-to mutant on the attack along with Jean and Kitty, who had been chosen mainly for her speed. Scott was counting on Evan's powers to help keep the younger mutants from scoring on them.
On the other bench, Bobby was setting up his team. Since they had three extra players, they'd have to rotate shifts. He chose Jubilee, Ray and Amara for offense, and Sam and Ray for defense, while taking it upon himself to mind the net on his side of the ice. His announcement of the bet had met with a much more positive reaction than Jean's had, and his team stepped out onto the ice fired up and ready to play.
Amara and Kitty lined up at center ice for the face-off. Beast skated out and dropped the puck, and the action was on. Kitty won the face-off and passed the puck ahead to Jean. Jean and Kurt skated up ice, and Ray and Sam came up to challenge them. Before Ray could put a hit on Jean, she fired the puck towards the goal. Bobby saw it coming and moved to block it, but Kurt teleported in front of him, caught the puck with his stick, and shot it into the other corner for a quick goal. The older mutants celebrated around the net while Bobby sighed as he realized that he might be in for more than he bargained for.
There was another face-off, this one won by Roberto. He took the puck and skated into the older mutants' zone. The younger mutants moved the puck around, keeping it away from Scott and Rogue who were trying to trap them against the walls of the rink. Roberto got the puck and passed it to Jubilee, who launched a shot on goal. At the last second, Evan extended a wall of spikes from his body that blocked the entire net. The puck bounced harmlessly off the spikes and landed on the ice. Beast blew his whistle as the younger mutants protested.
"He can't do that!" said Amara.
"I'll allow it," said Beast. "You have the means at your disposal to counteract Evan's powers, you know,"
"Right," said Ray. "Hey Bobby, let me play offense, I've got an idea,"
Bobby agreed and had Roberto and Ray switch places. On their next possession, Ray got the puck and skated hard up the ice. As he headed for the goal, he suddenly passed the puck off to Amara, who was skating behind him. She shot, and Evan created another wall of spikes. However, Ray shot a bolt of energy at Evan. It hit the spike wall and shattered it, sending small fragments of bone flying all over the place and leaving Evan so shocked that he didn't even realize that the puck had gone past his head until the goal siren went off behind him. Now it was the younger mutants' turn to celebrate as Jean glowered. So much for plan A.
Now Bobby called for his reserves to come in. Rahne eagerly stepped out onto the ice, but she fell down after just two strides, unable to keep her balance. She tried unsuccessfully to get up and had to be helped up by Roberto. "What are we going to do?" asked Roberto as Rahne began to cry. "She can't skate!"
"Don't cry, Rahne," Bobby said encouragingly. "Do this," He whispered a plan in her ear, and her tears quickly gave way to peals of laughter.
As play resumed, Amara passed the puck over to Rahne, who was holding onto the rink wall. As the puck came towards her, she morphed into a dog and picked it up in her mouth. Her paws gave her excellent traction as she scampered down the ice. Rogue saw her coming and tried to cut her off, but Rahne simply ran between her legs, knocking Rogue off her feet. She dropped the puck in front of the goal and used her tail to swat it past Evan's glove to give the younger mutants a 2-1 lead. She morphed back into her human form and joined her teammates in celebrating, barely able to keep on her feet. Beast blew the whistle signaling the end of the first period, and both teams headed to their respective benches to discuss their strategy for the next 20 minutes of play.