Killing Time [IC]

[Ozob]

GM

Alex looked over at the store and scowled realizing that the girl was long since gone. How had everything gone so terribly wrong. He had a badge... and a pad of citations just itching to be used. Well, okay, the badge wasn't really official, but it added to his demeanor.

Rape? He hadn't said anything about rape had he?

He glared at the boy in front of him, weighing his options carefully. He didn't really precisely recall what he had said, and some of the crowd behind him didn't look all together happy with anything he had done. Not that he would admit it to this degenerate in front of him, but he did have an issue with anger management and sometimes he said things he couldn't quite recall later.

It was possible...

He pulled out his pad of citations, scribbled something on the top line and flashed it to the boy. "See! I have you right here. Make any more trouble and this is going right to the department of youth corrections. Now, disperse while I go patrol another area of the mall!"

With that, Alex turned and promptly marched away in the opposite direction.

[quotemyname]

As Zach's gaze followed Alex away, his eyes came to rest on two individuals that were standing outside another store. It was quite obvious that their presence wasn't on the level. His mind was boggled how Alex walked past them but didn't say or see anything. The pseudo security guard must not have thought them capable of causing trouble because they weren't teenagers.

Looks like trouble brewing out here again, sis. And not just squabbling. I mean real trouble this time. I see at least two people carrying concealed weaponry.

Zach's first reaction was to go get a closer look. But as his first foot fall hit the ground, he stopped himself. What was he doing? Is it really my place to get involved? Our purpose on this planet is to lay low until we can find a way off of it.

Then his brain changed it's tack again. No. He thought, These guys with guns are bullies. They are no better than those that subjugated my people. They think a few weapons gives them the right to lord over others? He watched as they turned yet another customer away, I'll show them. Zach's fists clenched at his side.

Jee, stay in that store. I'm going to go give these guys a smack upside the head. Hope you don't mind. Besides, Summers even told us to help people while we were here if we could. Call it a learning experience.

Zach took a second step forward, and then another after that.

For all he was worth, he was still dressed like a punk. A hot topic punk. It made his story all the more easy to sell, when he bumped into one of the suspicious looking men at half a run, stumbled, and came up yelling, "Hey, watch it! I'm walking here!"

[Ozob]

GM

"Hey!" the guy in the overcoat growled incoherently as Zach rammed into him. "I think you need to get scarce if you know what's good for yous."

Knocked a little off balance, he clumsily reached to grab Zach's shoulder, doing nothing more than pawing at the youth. Yet Zach found out several things in quick succession. The guy did have some kind of stick like thing, probably a gun, in his jacket. Also, there was another in the store arguing with a clerk. The goon in the store was sticking a finger into the chest of an older man and saying something while the older man looked like he wanted to sink into his shoes. There was a decent amount of cash on the counter and a small till bag where it had come from looked to be ripped open.

[quotemyname]

Zach casually brushed the man's hand away, "Scarce? Yea, man, whatever. I'm about as scarce as they get, so screw you." Zach's keen eyes picked up the argument going on in the store, and he was now more than sure these guys were armed. Time for a tactical retreat... Zach stood his ground for only a moment longer. Just enough to look like a defiant moody earth teenager. "Pff. Whatever." Zach turned, threw up the hood on his light zip-up, and stalked off away from the store.

Okay, Jee, now I'm sure. We've got guns, and probably a robbery going down. Stay inside, I'll take care of these clowns. I don't want you getting hurt. Earth weapons might not be as powerful as Shard Lasers, but there could still be a risk.

As soon as Zach rounded a corner, he ducked behind a potted ficus, and poured his gaseous form through a crack in the wall. While he hid within the spaces between the walls, he ditched his hot topic garb, to be left with the full body stealth suit he'd hidden underneath. Looking like a cross between Splinter Cell, and Ninja Gaiden, Covalent prepared to surprise the hoodlum in the store. He'd get the jump on him by coming out of the wall, that's for sure...

[Ozob]

GM

The guy at the door stared after Zach, but didn't give him any more notice than he would any of the other thousands of teenagers who swarmed the mall like locusts. His gaze, hidden behind sunglasses, shifted back to the crowd, patiently waiting on the outcome of the people inside the store.

What caught their attention more was the young hot head whom they had watched with passing interest break up a wonderful distraction from an over exuberant mall cop. As he approached them, they game him little apparent notice until he began trying to convince them that they really should let him know what was going on. While he was very persuasive, it was not really in their nature to pontificate on their scheme and with a curt wave they tried to dismiss him like the last teen.

[Ari]

MINUTES AGO!

Hm? What's with those guys? Better make sure they're on the up-and-up thought Subito glumly. They didn't precisely seem like any of the usual kinds of troublemakers he and Galanta were used to shutting down, and they way they had challenged that blond kid made him uneasy. Turning to Johnny he said brightly "Well, I really wish I could stick around Johnny, but I've gotta go. I was sent here to find some DVDs for my big sis', and I'll be sorry if I don't get back to it. A pleasure to meet you, I hope we see each other soon" shaking his hand eagerly he turned and walked back to the store, apologized to clerk, finished his transaction and approached the men standing 'guard' before the shop door.

In a very quiet and firm voice he said flatly "Just to let you guys know, you are doing very badly at keeping yourselves hidden. If you're here for a legal reason you shouldn't act like you don't want people to approach you. How about letting me know what's up so I can tell mall security if you're challenged? Looking like that will just get you in trouble"