WHO: Caitlin Holloway and Mason Sullivan (and other heroes if anybody wants to jump in, otherwise it'll just be a narrative) WHAT: Some mutant-style fighting. Some parties get hurt. Tracy's evil. WHERE: Westchester mall in NY WHEN: Saturday evening WARNINGS: Violence. Language probably. Mason's trying to start shit and didn't expect his enemies to be there--which, of course, just makes him happier.
It started off as a normal night of shopping. Caitlin didn't get much alone time these days with a small baby to look after (especially since Nik was still so unbelievably nervous around her), but sometimes it was necessary. She needed new clothes, and really? She needed a break. So without listening to any protests, she'd passed Kayleigh off to Nik and taken off for the mall. Peace and quiet and mindless shopping. That's all she'd wanted. Mom or not, she was still very much a girl, and if anybody knew her and Kitty even a little bit? They were definitely the pretty smells, make-up, and "girly" clothes kinds of people. Retail therapy was designed specifically for them.
It wasn't supposed to be an adventurous kind've day. Realistically speaking, Caitlin was a bit out of practice with that. Sure, she did Danger Room sessions whenever she could, but they were sporadic and only when mommy duties didn't come first. She hadn't been in a battle since she became pregnant--not physically, anyway. The stuff with Boston had been a toss-up between whether she or Nik would go, and it was decided that he would be more useful with his organic armor than she would. At the time the decision was made, it wasn't certain whether things were still exploding. Her power only helped if she activated it in time, whereas Nik could just keep his up. So she'd stayed home with Kayleigh and he went off with the other X-Men to be a hero.
It was probably why Mason Sullivan had managed to catch her off-guard. It was clear from the look in his eyes that he hadn't been expecting to see her there, but it didn't dissuade him from his plans. And with a grin that could send shivers down the spines of greater men than Caitlin Holloway, Mason took off in a blur around the food court in the mall. At first that was it, just Mason confusing shoppers as the wind picked up in the area from his speed. Caitlin's hair whipped around her face as she abandoned her bags to prepare for the inevitable battle that was coming, her jaw set in an angry grimace as she tried to train her eyes for any kind've of visual on Quicksilver.
That's when the fire started. Makeshift Molotov cocktails started raining down around them all, spreading flames and panic quickly through the shopping center. They hadn't been brought with Mason--he was making them as he ran, grabbing supplies from restaurants as he moved. But his speed allowed for a steady stream of them, and Caitlin barely had time to react as she grabbed the family nearest to her and made herself and them intangible just as a glass container passed through them and exploded on the floor. She didn't hesitate before dragging them through the floor into the safety of a changing room.
There were too many people for her to save on her own, that much was sure. And what a terrible day to forget her comm link. She moved in haste, body slamming through walls and doors like a ghost until she was back on the battlefield and meandering around to get as many people to safety as she could. The heat was quickly becoming unbearable, and it wouldn't be long before she would have to abandon the rescue effort in order to take Mason out; if he was able to continue on with his destruction--not limited to just fire now, but physical altercation with innocent bystanders as a taunting gesture towards her--then the entire place would collapse around them all.
But she wouldn't have to make the first move. Mason brought the fight to her, slamming into her side before she could even think of becoming intangible and crashing with such force into the counter of the nearby McDonald's that it knocked the wind out of her. With a malicious grin, he pressed his mouth right next to her ear.
"I told you you're all going to lose."
And with that, Mason was gone, leaving Caitlin to scramble as rubble started to crash around them all.