*It's interesting that some of the comments I've gotten so far match up
perfectly with the events of this chapter, even though I wrote it before
any of them were posted. I guess great minds really DO think alike (
At the young mutants' bench, Bobby offered encouragement to his teammates. "We're doing great so far, we just need to keep it up!" On the older side of the ice, spirits were not quite as high. Scott had decided to change goalies and get Evan in a position where his own skating talents could be used.
Scott turned to Kurt. "Kurt, can you play goal for us?" he asked.
"You bet!" Kurt replied eagerly. "I'll be a fuzzy brick wall!"
Jean tried to encourage her teammates as well, but her efforts met with little success. Rogue in particular was unimpressed; she hadn't wanted to get dragged into defending Jean's precious honor. Despite her animosity toward Jean, however, she was starting to enjoy the game a bit. The mutants laced up their skates and headed back out onto the ice.
Play began in the second period, and the older mutants showed an aggression that they had been lacking earlier. They were skating faster and hitting harder as well. Scott in particular began playing very stingy defense, forcing turnovers and throwing the occasional check as well. Ray and Sam had a hard time stopping Evan from skating past them, and the speedy mutant was able to take several shots on goal. Bobby made save after save in net, at times having to dive for the puck or sprawl flat out to keep it from getting past. Meanwhile, Kurt was a blue lightning bolt, stopping every puck that came his way, and showed no signs that he was weighed down by the heavy goalie's pads.
Both teams went back and forth without scoring for several minutes, although the older mutants clearly had the momentum. Evan got a pass from Jean and took off down the ice, out-skating both defenders and making a beeline for the goal. Desperate to keep Evan from scoring on the breakaway, Sam used his powers, launching himself across the rink and crashing into Evan. Beast blew his whistle as both mutants went flying across the ice, and sent Sam to the penalty for improperly using his powers. The older mutants had a power play, and after a few shots, Jean put the puck past Bobby to tie the game. She pumped her fist as her teammates celebrated beside her.
Jamie now came in off the bench for the younger mutants. Roberto shot him a pass, but as he skated into the older mutants' zone, Scott accidentally tripped him. Jamie fell to the ice, the impact creating several copies of him. Beast blew his whistle and called Scott for the penalty. Scott tried to protest, claiming that the younger mutants had too many players on the ice with the addition of the new Jamies, but Beast was hearing none of it and directed Scott towards the penalty box. This gave Bobby an idea. He quickly gathered his teammates and revealed his newest strategy. "Jamie, we're counting on you," he said. Jamie gulped nervously. "I hope this works," he said, and skated over to his position.
The younger mutants won the ensuing face-off, and Ray cleared the puck ahead. Amara passed the puck ahead to Jamie, and then all of the younger mutants quickly skated over to their bench and got off the ice as Jamie skated into enemy territory alone. As soon as they were off the ice, Jamie created several copies of himself. Now the younger mutants' team consisted of Bobby in goal and a line of Jamies. The Jamies passed the puck back and forth among each other, playing keep away from their opponents. Then, they formed up in a wedge and pushed down the ice, the lead Jamies protecting the one in the rear with the puck. The flying V cleared the way for Jamie to shoot, and the puck flew past Kurt, who narrowly missed it. The Jamies celebrated before merging back together, and his teammates rejoined him on the ice.
Jean was angry at being behind again, although she was impressed at how Bobby was managing his team. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was in the unfamiliar position of losing.
Upstairs in the mansion, meanwhile, Logan was watching the game from the Institute's balcony. Logan was fully engrossed in the game. As a Canadian, he loved hockey and was pleased to see the kids excelling at "his" sport. Xavier joined him as he wheeled out onto the balcony.
"Logan, why are the students skating around on a patch of ice in the front yard?" Xavier asked.
"They're just having a little hockey match, Chuck," Logan said. "Stick around and watch, you'll like it,"
Xavier settled in and watched all of the young mutants skating around. "Is Beast letting them use their powers?" he asked.
"Yep," said Logan.
Xavier glanced at him nervously. "Perhaps we should relocate to a safer viewing location," he said, recalling how the damage caused by Beast's previous efforts to combine sports and mutant powers. "Preferably someplace sunny and hot,"
Logan laughed and continued to watch the game.
Down on the ice, Rahne was beginning to get more comfortable skating around in her human form. She caught a pass from Jubilee and took a shot, but Kurt stopped the puck by reaching out with his tail and using the spaded appendage as a second stick. "Looks like you're not the only one who can put their tail to good use," Kurt grinned tauntingly, and play continued.
The older mutants' aggression carried through the rest of the period, and by the time it was over they had scored two more goals to take a 4-3 lead. Jean grinned at Bobby as they skated past each other towards their benches. "You know Bobby, I can't WAIT to head down to the mall after this game. I've got a BIG shopping spree all planned out," she taunted. Bobby groaned and headed to his bench. If he and the rest of the younger X-men didn't want to spend the rest of their lives in perpetual debt, they'd have to turn things around, and fast.
At the young mutants' bench, Bobby offered encouragement to his teammates. "We're doing great so far, we just need to keep it up!" On the older side of the ice, spirits were not quite as high. Scott had decided to change goalies and get Evan in a position where his own skating talents could be used.
Scott turned to Kurt. "Kurt, can you play goal for us?" he asked.
"You bet!" Kurt replied eagerly. "I'll be a fuzzy brick wall!"
Jean tried to encourage her teammates as well, but her efforts met with little success. Rogue in particular was unimpressed; she hadn't wanted to get dragged into defending Jean's precious honor. Despite her animosity toward Jean, however, she was starting to enjoy the game a bit. The mutants laced up their skates and headed back out onto the ice.
Play began in the second period, and the older mutants showed an aggression that they had been lacking earlier. They were skating faster and hitting harder as well. Scott in particular began playing very stingy defense, forcing turnovers and throwing the occasional check as well. Ray and Sam had a hard time stopping Evan from skating past them, and the speedy mutant was able to take several shots on goal. Bobby made save after save in net, at times having to dive for the puck or sprawl flat out to keep it from getting past. Meanwhile, Kurt was a blue lightning bolt, stopping every puck that came his way, and showed no signs that he was weighed down by the heavy goalie's pads.
Both teams went back and forth without scoring for several minutes, although the older mutants clearly had the momentum. Evan got a pass from Jean and took off down the ice, out-skating both defenders and making a beeline for the goal. Desperate to keep Evan from scoring on the breakaway, Sam used his powers, launching himself across the rink and crashing into Evan. Beast blew his whistle as both mutants went flying across the ice, and sent Sam to the penalty for improperly using his powers. The older mutants had a power play, and after a few shots, Jean put the puck past Bobby to tie the game. She pumped her fist as her teammates celebrated beside her.
Jamie now came in off the bench for the younger mutants. Roberto shot him a pass, but as he skated into the older mutants' zone, Scott accidentally tripped him. Jamie fell to the ice, the impact creating several copies of him. Beast blew his whistle and called Scott for the penalty. Scott tried to protest, claiming that the younger mutants had too many players on the ice with the addition of the new Jamies, but Beast was hearing none of it and directed Scott towards the penalty box. This gave Bobby an idea. He quickly gathered his teammates and revealed his newest strategy. "Jamie, we're counting on you," he said. Jamie gulped nervously. "I hope this works," he said, and skated over to his position.
The younger mutants won the ensuing face-off, and Ray cleared the puck ahead. Amara passed the puck ahead to Jamie, and then all of the younger mutants quickly skated over to their bench and got off the ice as Jamie skated into enemy territory alone. As soon as they were off the ice, Jamie created several copies of himself. Now the younger mutants' team consisted of Bobby in goal and a line of Jamies. The Jamies passed the puck back and forth among each other, playing keep away from their opponents. Then, they formed up in a wedge and pushed down the ice, the lead Jamies protecting the one in the rear with the puck. The flying V cleared the way for Jamie to shoot, and the puck flew past Kurt, who narrowly missed it. The Jamies celebrated before merging back together, and his teammates rejoined him on the ice.
Jean was angry at being behind again, although she was impressed at how Bobby was managing his team. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was in the unfamiliar position of losing.
Upstairs in the mansion, meanwhile, Logan was watching the game from the Institute's balcony. Logan was fully engrossed in the game. As a Canadian, he loved hockey and was pleased to see the kids excelling at "his" sport. Xavier joined him as he wheeled out onto the balcony.
"Logan, why are the students skating around on a patch of ice in the front yard?" Xavier asked.
"They're just having a little hockey match, Chuck," Logan said. "Stick around and watch, you'll like it,"
Xavier settled in and watched all of the young mutants skating around. "Is Beast letting them use their powers?" he asked.
"Yep," said Logan.
Xavier glanced at him nervously. "Perhaps we should relocate to a safer viewing location," he said, recalling how the damage caused by Beast's previous efforts to combine sports and mutant powers. "Preferably someplace sunny and hot,"
Logan laughed and continued to watch the game.
Down on the ice, Rahne was beginning to get more comfortable skating around in her human form. She caught a pass from Jubilee and took a shot, but Kurt stopped the puck by reaching out with his tail and using the spaded appendage as a second stick. "Looks like you're not the only one who can put their tail to good use," Kurt grinned tauntingly, and play continued.
The older mutants' aggression carried through the rest of the period, and by the time it was over they had scored two more goals to take a 4-3 lead. Jean grinned at Bobby as they skated past each other towards their benches. "You know Bobby, I can't WAIT to head down to the mall after this game. I've got a BIG shopping spree all planned out," she taunted. Bobby groaned and headed to his bench. If he and the rest of the younger X-men didn't want to spend the rest of their lives in perpetual debt, they'd have to turn things around, and fast.