Holiday Crisis

Participants: Sideways and anyone else, be it hero to thwart villainy or a villain to take hostages.
Open/Closed: Open
Location(s): Mall of Gotham
Time of Day: Night
Weather: Snowy
Summary: Derek encounters a criminal plot while out shopping with his mom. The task of simultaneously protecting civilians and his identity begins!

It was a Friday night, the weather was nice and cold meaning the evening was prime for a party around a big blazing bonfire. So why on Earth was teenage Derek James spending that time navigating the crowded innards of a busy mall in his mother's tow? Everyone was dressed in fluffy jackets and thick beanies, most carried bags in one hand and a piping hot beverage in the other. The huddled masses did the best they could to stave off the clinging winter freeze even though the mall was doing its best to keep the heat pumping at a reasonable temperature. There was just no way of keeping the place warm with so many people entering and exiting. All of this was floating through Derek's mind because he was trying his best to ignore anything his mother was saying, he was still completely and totally annoyed that she had dragged him along on this night of errands.

"I can hear you sulking back there." Helen called to her son slinking in her shadow, her lips just fresh from a sip of her hot cider. 
"It wasn't that long ago that you loved Christmas shopping. Besides, if we can get all of the major gifts out of the way soon enough then the sooner you can go back to your oh-so-busy teen schedule of sleeping in all day every day." 

Derek didn't bother with much of a respond outside of an indignant groan. But the joke was on his mom, Derek had no intentions of sleeping any of his winter break away. He was itching to get his suit on and really hit the streets of Gotham as Sideways. Gotham was so well known for its seedy criminals and the dark vigilantes that stalked the night, Derek just really wanted Sideways to be a little bright spot for the city. His suit was colorful, his disposition was sunnier than stoic Batman, and he tried to keep his antics squared in the hours of sunlight. All of that meant something to him, and he couldn't really get ready for a day of crime fighting tomorrow if he was stuck running in and out of shops with his mom tonight.

"Come on, let's see what's in electronics."

Her voice cracked his thoughts wide open and Derek groaned once again. At least looking at the latest technology would actually be cool, Derek thought to himself in an attempt to life his spirits.

Three floors down at the Gotham Mall ground floor, among the brightly decorated Christmas trees and oversized glitter-drenched rift boxes, moved a group of individuals in dark clothing. As if by cue of a caroling choir situated in front of a large toy train set bellowing the beginning notes of We Wish You A Merry Christmas these certain individuals in dark clothing all donned Santa masks. At first the synchronized act seemed innocuous, those in closest proximity to them smiled and even clapped, expecting some sort of impromptu show organized by mall workers. This happened on all three floors. Derek and his mom were just getting inside of the electronic store when they saw a handful of people donning their Santa masks. A dark brow arched upward on Derek's face. It was weird no doubt but Derek felt uneasy about it, it was a suspicious feeling that just wouldn't go away.

The teen started backing up, deeper into the store, as he reached for Helen. "Mom, I think..."

And then the guns came out. Derek could only see three Santas, two of them with large guns, but he assumed for the shouts farther down the hall of the mall that there were more. Thus, panic did not take long to strike at the citizens doing their Christmas shopping, they screamed and scattered in all directions. Though no one got very far as gunshots were fired into the air, bullets carving out chunks of the intricate designs of the mall ceiling. Citizens still screamed but they all halted in their tracks.

Helen turned to her son, her face completely drained of color, and grabbed him by his arms. Derek opened his mouth to say something, anything to calm or protect her, but his mom beat him to the punch.

"Hide."