Scenes From a Mall
"Geeze Stormy how many shoes do you need?" Shipwreck grumbled as he carried several bags. "This was not the type of fun I had in mind!"
"You can never have too many shoes," Ororo sniffed. "Cool! An arcade! It's one of those dancing games where you dance on the game. Let's do it!"
"Oh goody," Shipwreck grumbled.
"Oh come on, it'll be…HEY!" Ororo yelped as she was roughly shoved aside by someone. "Watch where you're going!"
"You watch where you're going," Duncan Matthews snapped. He was with three other of his football buddies. "Hey! You look like one of those mutant freaks over at the Xavier Institute."
"Yeah so?" Ororo put her hands on her hips.
"We don't like muties around our hangouts," One of the football players snarled. "Hit the road freak!"
"And if I say no?" Ororo raised her eyebrow dangerously. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I say we'd teach your mutie hide a lesson," Duncan snarled.
"Pretty brave words coming from a guy who's just challenged a girl who can zap him with lightning," Shipwreck snickered.
"L-lightning?" Another football player blanched.
"Hey we're not scared of her!" Duncan snapped. "Or you. You a mutant too? Huh are you a freak? You want me to pound you shrimp?" He advanced on Shipwreck.
"How about this Lughead," Shipwreck stood up to him even though Duncan was a lot taller now. "She may be a mutant, but I'm not. I'm just as human as you are. Let's see if you can take me on first, then we'll see if you're ready for the big leagues!"
"Oh really? You some kind of mutie lover?" Duncan grabbed his shirt.
"Got a problem with that?" Shipwreck growled.
"Yeah and now, it's your problem," Duncan swung his fist but Shipwreck blocked it and managed to kick him in the stomach.
"OW!" Duncan snarled.
"Let's dance pretty boy," Shipwreck grinned.
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"Let's split up and spread out," Scott said. "They have got to be here somewhere!"
"I think we just found them," Althea pointed as a football player sailed along the ground.
"Mommy that hurts…." He whined.
They ran over and saw a fifteen year old Shipwreck easily beating the stuffing out of Duncan Matthews and his buddies. Ororo was filing her nails and watching the action.
"Hi guys!" She waved. "Welcome to the show!"
"Wow," Rogue blinked. "Even as a kid Shipwreck's a kick butt fighter."
"So that's where you get it," Remy looked at Althea.
"Hey my uncle Al taught him how to fight when he was only six," Althea shrugged. "The whole family's filled with brawlers. Besides he still has his Joe training even if he is a kid now."
"You have a point," Scott smirked as Duncan sailed headfirst into a potted plant.
"I'm amazed mall security hasn't shown up," Jean winced as she saw the damage.
"Well that's because Mr. Matthews insulted them just minutes before he decided to pick a fight with Shipwreck," Ororo grinned. "In fact he's been annoying them for a long time. Take a look for yourself." She pointed out the mall security guards calmly eating donuts and enjoying the fight."
"Yeah well playtime's over," Jean sighed. "As much as I'd love for Shipwreck to continue beating the stuffing out of Duncan and his cronies it's time to go."
"Yeah I don't think they want to play anymore anyway," Todd snickered at the unconscious bodies.
"I got a great idea," Shipwreck snickered. "Help me take 'em to their car."
"Why?" Remy asked.
"Just do it!" Ororo ordered. "I have a feeling this is gonna be good."
They made their way to Duncan's car and put it in. Shipwreck turned on the car, rolled down the windows and turned on the radio. Then he took out a bottle from his back pocket and started to pour the contents down Duncan's throat. "What are you doing?" Jean yelled.
"Getting him arrested for drunk driving. What does it look like?" Shipwreck asked.
"Where did you get that alcohol?" Althea snapped.
"From Charley's cabinet," Shipwreck grinned as he poured the liquid into another mouth. "I knew this would come in handy!"
"You can't do that!" Kurt protested.
"Oh yeah like Duncan's never been driving while he was drunk before," Scott looked at him.
"But will that do any good?" Amanda asked.
"Don't even have to drive in this state to get written up for drunk driving," Shipwreck snickered. "Trust me I know from experience."
"This is wrong…" Kurt moaned.
"No Shipwreck is merely making Duncan's drunk driving a little more obvious,"
Scott grinned.
"Cyke you've been developing a real mean streak lately," Todd looked at him. "I like it."
"Okay it's time to go now," Jean remarked.
"First the lady owes me a dance," Shipwreck grinned as they went back inside.
"You're on!" Ororo laughed.
"Oh great!" Scott moaned.
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"What took you guys so long?" Forge asked as they drove up the driveway hours later in the two cars.
"Well for starters Shipwreck got into a fight with Duncan and his goons," Scott sighed as he shut off the engine to his car.
"Cleaned the floor with 'em," Todd nodded.
"Then they dragged us around the arcade," Kurt moaned.
"Couldn't you bring them back?" Xi asked.
"Every time we tried to drag them away Storm threatened to fry us," Tabitha grumbled. "She even did a lightning display right in front of the hot dog stand. How reckless is that?"
"Said the pot to the kettle," Todd muttered under his breath.
"I tried to drag her away from the shoe store and she created a gust of wind that blew me up unto the next floor," Bobby grumbled.
"Of course if certain people hadn't insisted on buying shoes there as well we would have been back a lot sooner," Sam glared at Tabitha and Amanda.
"There was a sale okay?" Tabitha told him. "Sue me."
"Hey look," Todd pointed to the two in the back seat. "They're out cold."
"They should be," Althea produced a small dart. "I decided to speed up the process a little. One of my sister's knock out darts! Very handy for any occasion."
"Good," Forge said. "While they sleep they should return to normal."
"I just hope for your sake this works Forge," Althea said. "I got an idea. I think these two are in for a rude awakening. Xi you still have that footage we shot this morning?"
"Yup," Xi nodded.
"Good," Althea grinned.