Day Two: Revelations

[Drake 53]

"No?" Sam looked around. "Well, I don't see him here." He released the gravity holding Neil, allowing the younger man to drop to the floor. "Now, are you going to leave like a good boy or am I going to have to send you to the corner again?"

Edited June 1, 2008 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

"Stop treating me like I'm a fecking kid!" He said picking himself up from the ground. "The hell is yer deal anyway? You sit there actin like yer the goodie goodie, but yer the one who caused all this grand spectacle. Fer what? So some granny isn't gettin pushed around?"

[Drake 53]

Sam raised his hands. "I was just trying to eat in peace. You were the one who decided to blow up my chair for no good reason. You were the one who decided to take a hostage. I may have helped out an old lady but your temper let it spiral out of control. I know you're not a kid but you still have a lot to learn. Take it from me or don't, I don't really care, but a reckless attitude like yours can lead to bad ends."

The SHIELD agent caught movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced over. It was the blonde girl Neil had grabbed earlier. "I thought I told you to get out."

[Rogue 4]

"No no no, stay, I might need a hostage again." Neil said to her, turning his attention back to Sam as if that small exchange didn't just happen.

"And don't sit there actin all innocent, like you hadn't come an sat down with me so you can preach morality and trash to me. I'll tell you where you can stick your morality. The same place every other fecking person on the planet stuck theirs. Because I'm sure if you turned the news on righ' now you'd get a nice hefty article about Senator Kelly and the Mutant Registration Act. How fecking ethical is that?"

Edited June 1, 2008 by Rogue

[Drake 53]

"The Act will never pass," said Sam dismissively. "There are a number of mutant and mutant sympathetic senators not to mention the political actions of one Dr. Hank McCoy. Besides, SHIELD wouldn't allow it. It would compromise their mutant database."

He glanced back at the girl. "And if letting an old woman get knocked aside or allowing an innocent bystander to be fried meant safeguarding the majority of the population, I would do so. That's not morality. It's acceptable losses."

[Rogue 4]

A smirk spread across Neil's lips. "Now your talking a language I understand. Acceptable losses...amazing, you almost sounded like Magneto there."

[Drake 53]

"Too bad his heart's in the wrong place," said Sam. "His idea of acceptable lose involves the death or enslavement of every non-mutant on this planet. Not a mindset that he and I have in common, I'm afraid."

[Mara 29]

August had been half-listening to her friends when she had gotten up to walk to the restroom. Halfway there, her heartrate had suddenly sped up and the back of her neck was cold. Reflexively she had ducked down behind an empty table, seconds before chaos broke through the mall's food court.

Her eyes closed, hands hugging her knees, she had crouched there, only listening to duo's conversation and being completely confused.

When she finally looked up, the men seemed to have calmed--nothing was flying around at that moment--so she had gotten up and tried to sneak away to her friends when the younger one had grabbed her. Everything afterwards had happened so fast. August was feeling like she was having a breakdown.

The food court cleared out and she walked a few paces but seemed to freeze. She didn't know why.

The other man had spoked to her. She didn't recognize him, nor the other.

"I--I--" she stammered, her heart beating super fast, hugging her purse to her chest.

[Rogue 4]

"I told you, you don't want to talk about Magneto like that." Neil said, forcing energry down into his hands. "I don't care what you're lil files say, you don't know 'nythin about him."

[Drake 53]

Sam shook his head. "Just like how I don't know about when he commanded you to burn down a school in Russia? Or when he had you capture Piotr Rasputin's family to blackmail him? Or when he created Asteroid M to enhance the powers of mutants in order to wage war against humankind?"

Officers from the Greendale Police Department and LA Bomb Squad started filing into the food court. The police took up positions around the perimetre of the court, ducking behind tables and aiming their firearms at the two men.

"It's alright, gentlemen," said Sam calmly. He took out his SHIELD badge and slid it across the floor to one of the bomb squad officers. "Agent Kashiro from SHIELD. I'm dealing with this situation. I need you all to leave the building and cordon off the area." He glanced over to the girl. "And you best be leaving."

He looked back to Neil. "Should I continue or is that temper I was talking about going to ruin our friendly chat?"

***

"I'm not sure," said Marcus. "Maybe it's for us? I don't know why, though. Unless it's for practicing our powers in private."

Edited June 2, 2008 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

"Would you just get to your fecking point so I can eat my mexican food, already." Neil was growing anxious as he looked around at the assembled police forces that had taken up position around them. He knew immediatly that if he had to, he'd blow up the whole damn food court to get out of here.

To them he turned and yelled, "I don't have a bomb for Christ's sake! This man's a fecking liar!"

[Drake 53]

As the police started to move out, Sam lowered his voice. "Your temper is your short fuse and your powers are the explosive. You could blow up this whole damn food court if you wanted to. So you do have a bomb...from a certain point of view."

He sighed and found another chair to finish eating. "And my point was to let you know that you won't be able to just walk into Greendale and do whatever you wanted. Magneto's not here to watch out for you this time. Slip up and you'll have to answer for it." He took a bite out of his enchilada. "Mmm, tasty."

Edited June 2, 2008 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

He looked at the man for a moment before laughing. "Right, uh huh. Of course."

"You just sit there you self-righteous feck and eat yer damn enchilada. I hope you choke on it."

With that he turned and walked from the food court.

[Drake 53]

Sam smiled as Neil walked away. He had ruffled the young man's feathers which was exactly what he had set out to do. He had expected Travis to overreact. The kid had serious issues with control over his emotions and used his powers accordingly.

He looked over and spotted a radio one of the officers had left for him. Sam walked over to it and clicked the talk button. "This is Agent Kashiro. The suspect is free to go. Give him a wide berth."

Returning to his food, Sam sat in the empty food court and finished his meal.

[Mara 29]

August gradually found her mobility and backed away from the two men towards the nearest escalator and took it down. Her heart still racing, she kept glancing around herself as she made her way through the parking lot towards her car.

[Andy 60]

"Maybe..." Danny picked up a Katana and swished it through the air. "Nice blade. I used to practice Kenjutsu in London. They never let you have real swords though..."

[Rogue 4]

Neil's bike was ironically parked beside hers, and as she walked to her car, he was straddling it. "Sorry if I scared you in there girlie."

[Mara 29]

She stopped in her tracks, her hand on the button of her keyless entry remote. Everything in the past few minutes was just a blur to her, and she just wanted to go home. But there was something about his manner and something about the whole incident that made August answer him.

"No.. no, it's okay. I, you know..." she shrugged. August chided herself for almost saying too much and making herself sound like an idiot. She quickly asked, because she was curious, after having some time to deal with what happened, "What were--who was that guy?"

[Rogue 4]

"Just a crazy government control freak." Neil answered her, his blue eyes now lacking the electric glow that they had seemed to have earlier. "Don't worry yer lil head though, he'll get what's comin to him."

He pulled his helmet onto his head, then reached a finger down to jump start the engine with a jolt of energy. The bike itself he had stolen back in New Jersey, on his way down from Westchester, New York. Unfortunatly for him, he now found himself lacking the energy necessary to start it. "Feck!"

[Ayingel 24]

Gertie shoved her uniform into her bag after changing at the other school. I hate it when we lose. No one will do anything with me afterwards. She stormed angrily out of the bathroom and headed straight to her car. She turned the key in the ignition and an idea hit her. Why not shopping? Daddy did put money on the card a couple of days ago...She smiled and pulled out of the parking lot, making a beeline for the mall.

As Gertie arrived at the mall, she pulled into one of the parking lots. Her usual up-front spot wasn't open, so she had to drive around, grumbling to herself. "Stupid little old ladies, shopping at the mall this late. They should all be in bed by now...or...something." She saw someone pulling out and she made her way over to the spot. Pulling in, she noticed the bike next to her. Ohmigod. Him! Wow...a bike... Gertie gushed in her mirror. Getting out, she walked over to the passenger side of the car and leaned against it. "Hey."

[Rogue 4]

Neil was still trying to get the damn bike to start up when he heard her voice and looked over to see her standing there. Just in case this day couldn't get worse...

Focussing his eyes on the pretty little blond he said, "Oh, it's you again. I would have though' you'd be off shakin yer pom poms about now." He made a show of looking around. "Amazing, going to a public place without your lil jock strap? Quite amazing really."

[Drake 53]

When Sam had finished eating, he got up and grabbed the radio and his badge then proceeded outside. He was directed to the police captain in charge.

"Agent Kashiro," the man said. "What does SHIELD have for me?"

"False alarm, captain," Sam told him. "You can run your checks then let everyone back in."

The captain nodded. "And what about the reports of a chair flying into the air, through a sunroof and exploding?"

With a sigh, Sam said, "Right. Well say a bird flew into it."

"A bird flew into and broke an inch of reinforced glass?"

"Say it was a big bird, then." Sam threw his hands up into the air. "Or a gas explosion? I was never good with coverups or public relations, captain. Have one of your guys think of something."

The police captain nodded. "Sure thing, sir."

Sam left the police cordon and went to his car. Once inside, CADIE sarcastically asked, "So, how did it go?"

"Very funny," he replied. Sam backed the Impala out of the parking spot and left the mall lot.

[Ayingel 24]

"For your information, I don't need him to make an appearance." Gertie flashed a smile and rolled her eyes. "He's a loser anyway. He lost us the game tonight." She put her hand on her hip and gave him a good look over. "You know, you still haven't told me your name...and that could be a problem."

[Rogue 4]

"Oh?" He asked, turning more fully towards her and crossing his arms. "And why would that be a problem?"

[Ayingel 24]

"Well, if you tell me your name, I might just let someone else find out for me." Gertie looked at her fingernails. "And I don't think you'd want a whole squad chasing after you, just to help out their captain." She raised an eyebrow. "Or would you?"