2019.12.27 - Bad Santa Takedown

Iceman and Robin team up to stop a team of very bad Santa impersonators.

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It had not been the day after Christmas that Bobby had wanted, nor deserved, but it was the one he got. Waiting in line at the mall to return several items that he'd received from his teammates. Some just didn't fit Why would Hank think he wore a small? and some he just didn't need Why Jean thought I could use a pair of deer slippers.... But he was finally done and had some spending money to buy himself something he DID want...

That's when all North Pole broke loose. He was jostled as a trio of Santas busted through the double doors and into the mall. That might not have been crazy if they weren't wielding strange high tech weapons that starting spewing snow all around. One of them shouted "Down on the ground or the snow explodes!"

Great! thought Bobby....then he realized there were hundreds of people in the mall, and now there was a panic setting in. Quickly moving to an area off to the side, he began to change into his ice form, not sure what he would do against snow making guns though...

Robin wasn't here for the after Christmas sales, nor even to return gifts. He'd been touching base with one of the Teen Titans' lesser known ally teams at Twink Towers, and he was on his way back to the mini stealth jet he'd borrowed for the trip when he spotted the "Santas" bursting into the mall. Frowning, the Teen Wonder dropped down from the roof and made his way in through an upper window, stealthing along a balcony to try to get a good angle to fling a stun pellet--or, at least, a batarang!

Iceman is quick to appear when the first screams of alarm sound. Rushing out into the crowded food court where the Santas are passing through, the X-man extends an arm quickly to erect a wall of ice that seems to attract a myriad of floating snowflakes. They don't seem to dissolve as they should and in a few moments, it's clear why. They each begin to sizzle and together melt through the wall of ice. At least the snow didn't get on any of the innocents...That delay did cost him though as he sees one of the Santa's, a particularly tall one, head towards the anchor store, Stacy's....its big budget returns a likely target.

Robin pauses to send out a silent alarm signal to the local police, sticking close to the Santas as best he can. When the tall one heads for Stacy's, Robin waits for him to go in, ideally turning his back, then makes his move. He fires off a batline, then comes swooping down at high speed to try and deliver a swinging kick right, square (ideally) between the faux-Santa's shoulders, hoping to knock him flat before he can fire off any other dangerous toys.

Just as he's about to try and free the Santa where he stands, the tall red-suited man goes flying forward as a colorful young man connects with his back. Recognizing a fellow hero, if not the identity right now, Iceman calls out "I'll leave tall, red, and angry with you! Watch out for those snowflakes!" That's the only warning he gives as a blast of snow had erupted from the Santa's gun as he tumbled down.

Knowing two more of these Santa's were on the loose, Bobby takes to the air, gliding on a slide of ice to the second floor. There he spots a larger, overweight Santa threatening several sales people at the Jareth's Jewelry. The handsome security guard is busy trying to put out the sizzling snowflakes that threaten to ignite his uniform. "Sorry, Santa, this just isn't your season!" Iceman calls out before freezing over the counter where the jewelry is stored.

Robin glances to Iceman, taking him in, and gives a nod, even as he aims a calculated, stunning punch at the base of the base of the Santa's neck. His free hand produces a pair of bat-cuffs, which he'll aim to slap onto the crook's wrist if he can. He'll try to keep it quick, not wanting to stay exposed for long, especially with those snowflakes drifting around. Calling out after Iceman, he says, "Thanks! You stay frosty, too, huh?"

"Yep, never heard that one!" he quips as a blunted ice lance slams into the Santa at the jewelry store and sends him tumbling over the railing of the second floor balcony. Not wanting this to go sideways, Iceman quickly creates an ice slide that the Santa spirals down, landing in a splayed out fashion at the bottom of the slide. The high tech gun goes spinning off to the side, but not before Bobby manages to encase it in a block of ice just as two high school kids move towards it. "Sorry, no toy guns for you bad boys!" Now...the third Santa is still out there, the one who spoke earlier as the trio entered...

With the tall Santa dazed and cuffed, Robin hits the snow-gun with a pellet of powerful instant adhesive, effectively gluing it into a useless lump for the police to find later. He then darts back out of the store, shooting a grin at Bobby. "Hey, just because it's unoriginal doesn't mean it's not true!" He clucks his tongue at the high schoolers, calling out, "Stay in school, guys! Crime won't end well!" Grappling back up to higher ground, he tries to catch sight of where the last one has gone.

"What? No 'Crime doesn't pay?' speech?" Bobby laughs. The ice covered man's body is tight and lean, muscular but not bulky. He looks around from his vantage point on the slide of ice. Then he sees a commotion near the central fountain "There's the last one...careful, he looks more intelligent than the others." Without waiting, Iceman starts gliding in that direction slowly, seeing that the third Santa has a group of school kids hostage in a large circle. There's a wall of snow falling around them but not touching.

"Bring me fifty thousand dollars now!" he's shouting "Or this White Christmas turns red!" Cries from the children bring a lot of innocent bystanders to watch as shop workers scurry around wondering what to do.

Robin lets Iceman draw the attention. Now up high and clear of the immediate area, Robin ghosts along the upper level of the mall and tries to find an angle so he can try to, perhaps, stun the guy with an electrified batarang. He can't see any other way to keep the kids safe but to take the guy out. Maybe Iceman could shield them, but Robin's options are limited.

Iceman slides up and lands on the ground inside the snowflake circle. He can't get real close to the Santa without risking him reacting. "Hey, how about you show some Christmas Spirit and let the kids go?" he asks. He appears to be trying to distract the guy with the big exploding snowflake gun. Bobby's eyes scan the upper reaches and ceiling and that's when he appears to notice Robin. While he talks to the man, who's really in no position to want to agree with him, his head nods at certain angles. Perhaps Robin will pick up on the large sprinklers in the ceiling on either side of where the Santa is standing. There's also a large Christmas themed mobile hanging right over the guy.

Robin was looking for just that kind of thing. A batarang snaps out through the air to cut the wire hanging the mobile, intending to drop it right on to of the fake Santa. Meanwhile, he preps another pellet, this one a smoke pellet, and prepares to fling it at the sensors for the building's sprinklers--just in case. Meanwhile, he allows himself a grim smile. A talkative partner, especially one with colorful powers who can draw a lot of attention, can really help give a more stealthy hero the room they need to work.

When Iceman sees Robin in position, he nods his head as if talking to the Santa. However, he's just been buying time. With a quick out stretching of both arms, Iceman quickly creates a wall of ice that separates the snowflakes from the kids on the outside of it, leaving just Iceman and the Santa on the inside ring. He hopes Robin's as good of a shot with those throwing weapons as he appears to be, since he'll need the added moisture of the sprinklers to help quell the explosions of the incendiary snowflakes. Sensing he's in a last ditch effort, Leader Santa starts firing more of the snowflakes from his gun upwards hoping to launch them over the ice wall...

The batarang flies, followed only a second later by the smoke pellet. The batarang should sever the cable, the smoke pellet set off the sprinklers to give Iceman the cover he needs. Robin, then, flips off the edge of the balcony and lets his cape flare out so he can glide down to land in a crouch on the main floor. He keeps clear and out of the way, but he stays ready to charge in and support Iceman up close should he need it.

As the sprinklers go off, Iceman starts to extend his hands, causing the air temperature to drop almost instantly. The water from the sprinklers gushes out and as the drops spray across the snowflakes, it solidifies. What would have been massive damage from a thousand intense fire bursts are now lighted fireworks as each winks out. However, Iceman's attention is so focused on diffusing the explosions, his attention isn't on the Santa that has pulled out a new weapon, one fate traditional "kill you with bullets" kind.

Robin, having touched down nearby, dashes toward the gunman. He flings a pair of flashbangs at the guy to, ideally, blind or disorient him, then dives forward to slide-tackle the guy to the ground and try to work him into a pin. His motions are deft, trained, and swift, as he's practiced -- and done -- this kind of thing many, many times. The costumes and weapons may change, but the psychopaths always seem to stay largely the same, right down to pulling a gun at the last second. Robin's there, like always, to take him down.

The rest of the takedown is routine, with Robin able to overpower and outsmart the Santa Leader. Iceman has the last of the snowflakes contained as children rush to their parents' safety. Soon, mall security as well as other law enforcement are coming in and it's time to bail. Never one to stay longer than needed, iceman nods to Robin as he glides up towards one of the upper exits to the roof. Not sure, but rather hoping that the masked crusader who joined him in the takedown will soon appear as well.

Robin touches down on the roof beside Iceman a moment later, having grappled up and flipped through the skylight, before giving a visible shiver. "Nice moves, Frosty, but jeeze, it was freakin' cold in there!" After all, he's wearing short sleeves and leg-baring trunks. He grins, though, and holds up one gloved hand. "Nice work in there! Seems like we made a pretty good team, huh?"

Bobby is already de-icing to appear as Bobby Drake as Robin approaches. "Yeah, I can see that," he teases with a wink at the slightly shorter guy. When he's fully back into normal clothes, he approaches with a smile and his eyes betray a bit of where his attention is as he extends a hand. "Iceman...or Bobby if you Ike." he says to the young man. "You had some pretty good moves of your own and I'm glad you're a good shot with those things.

Grinning wider, Robin shakes hands and says, "Robin. Nice to meet you, Iceman--or, Bobby. You here for work or holiday stuff?" He shivers a little again, pulling his cape closer around him, and then tilts his head a little. "I don't suppose you know anywhere we could grab a hot drink or something, where it's cool to show up in short pants and a mask?"