Training Daze
"All right Alex," Sheriff Lobo sighed. "Now we've done some simple warm up exercises, we'll go on to practicing with your powers." Alex, Sheriff Lobo and Deputy Yokel were in behind the police station practicing. Alex was wearing gray sweats and sneakers. "Now you've done target practice before right?"
"Yeah a few times in my back yard," Alex said. "And once or twice while I was visiting my brother Scott he gave me some tips in the Danger Room."
"What's a Danger Room?" Deputy Yokel asked.
"It's this big training room at the Institute that has holograms and robots so you feel like you're training in any environment you want," Alex explained. "They also have lasers and flame throwers and puzzles. All kinds of wild stuff."
"Well we're kind of on a budget," Sheriff Lobo told him as he eyed the tin cans on stumps. "So we're gonna have to make do with this. Now in case you can't figure it out, what I want you to do is…"
"Shouldn't he have a costume?" Deputy Yokel interrupted.
"What?" Sheriff Lobo asked.
"A costume! All super heroes have costumes!" Deputy Yokel said.
"Again we have the budget to consider," Sheriff Lobo sighed. "Now…"
"Well I could use my X-Man training uniform," Alex volunteered. "I mean Scott did give it to me."
"Well that's…" Sheriff Lobo began.
"Nah I think that would be breaking some kind of copyright law," Deputy Yokel interrupted again.
"That only counts if you use it to make money, I think," Alex scratched his head.
"Well you can never tell with those lawyers," Deputy Yokel said.
"What about a sheriff's uniform?" Alex asked.
"Nah you don't want that, you want a real costume like those big time superheroes have!" Deputy Yokel said. "Something in black I think."
"Well as long as I don't have a bulls eye on my chest or weird headgear I guess…" Alex began.
"If you two are finished discussing the latest fashions for superheroes, can we get on with this?" Sheriff Lobo snapped. "Or would you like to discuss shoes for the next half hour?"
"Well I always thought boots were nice…" Deputy Yokel began.
"I WAS BEING SARCASIC YOU IDIOT!" Sheriff Lobo hit him with his hat.
"Hey! Your sister said you're not allowed to hit me anymore!" Deputy Yokel shouted.
"My sister isn't here!" Sheriff Lobo snapped. "Alex blow up the cans!"
Alex gave it a go. He hit five out of the six cans perfectly. The sixth one he missed and he blasted a tree. "Oops…" Alex winced as it fell on top of a parked police car. "Sorry…I'm used to bigger targets. I usually just blast rocks…and one time those Sentinels…"
"Yeah…" Sheriff Lobo winced and tried to massage his headache away with his hand. "I think I see the problem here."
"Yeah there's a tree on your car," Deputy Yokel said.
"Okay two problems…" Sheriff Lobo grunted. "Yokel, set 'em up again and Alex you keep practicing. Yokel as soon as Alex knocks 'em off you set 'em up again. And please try not to destroy anything else!"
"Okay…" Alex did as he was told.
"Watch it! Alex if you're not careful you'll hit Deputy Yokel!" Sheriff Lobo snapped. "Wait a minute…Hold on. I just got a better idea for target practice."
Twenty minutes later.
"Is this really necessary boss?" Deputy Yokel gulped. He was wearing a football helmet and was heavily padded.
"Well we need to teach the boy control," Sheriff Lobo said matter of factly. "And the object of this exercise is for him not to hit you." He whispered in Alex's ear, "Although if you do get him a couple of times I won't take any points off."
"You know I think you're still mad at me Sheriff for marrying your sister," Deputy Yokel gulped.
"Now why would you say that?" Sheriff Lobo asked. "I promised her I'd treat you like family, didn't I? Now shut up and make with the shooting gallery!"
"Can I at least make duck sounds?" Deputy Yokel asked. "You know like they have in those booths with the ducks as targets?"
"Yeah fine, whatever floats your boat," Sheriff Lobo rolled his eyes. "Okay Havok, start shooting."
"Quack! Quack! Quack! Ping!" Deputy Yokel made noises as he shuffled back and forth quickly. Alex managed to shoot his beams right before him, causing him to turn around and go faster. "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Ping! Quack! Quack! Quack! Yeow!"
"Sorry!" Alex winced as Yokel flew backwards.
"Oh he's not even singed!" Sheriff Lobo waved. "Get up Yokel! We still got half an hour of this! Keep going!"
"Quack…Quack…Quack…Ow! Quack! Quack! Quack! Yikes!"
"He only winged you!" Sheriff Lobo shouted. "Come on, pick up the pace!"
"Sheriff…" Alex began.
"Oh go ahead and shoot him, he's fine!" Sheriff Lobo snapped. "I know for a fact he's been hit harder than that!"
"Quack…Quack…OW!" Deputy Yokel was then hit and thrown headfirst into a tree. "I'm okay…"
"Sorry…" Alex gulped.
"It's okay…" Deputy Yokel moaned. "I think I'm gonna take a nap now…"
"And to think," Sheriff Lobo grinned. "At first I didn't think I was gonna like having to train you. There are advantages of having a mutant helping out around here."
Next: Alex goes on lifeguard duty. But it turns out he's got more to worry about than sharks and Deputy Yokel in a thong bikini…Don't ask. Just read….