X-men – Shadow Shifter
Chapter 3 – Incarceration
A couple of years have passed since Jack left the orphanage and into the world. For over a period of time he had been working as a bar man for a tavern called McGraff's. The boss who owned the tavern was called Sean Mcgraff. He was a generous strong willed old man, who had been a veteran of WW2 and a proud Irish-American.
The year is 1956 and Jack had been living a quiet life, and even though he was a boy when he witnessed the tragic death of his parents but since then he had tried to live as though things were normal. But recently he had noticed and felt as those people were following him. Naturally he shook it off as paranoia but soon it would be less paranoia and more reality.
One late and stormy night, Jack was working at McGraff's. It was a slow evening for business due to the heavy rain.
"All things quiet tonight, Jack" said Sean
"You still practice those tricks of yours?"
"Now and again" Jack replied. Sean knew about Jack and his strange power to manifest the shadows and he had no problem whether anyone was different. In secret, Sean really liked the black cat that that jack summons. Then he lowered his head. This was the very night his parents died 9 years ago.
"I'm sorry that it's that time of the year again. But if it helps, help yourself to a glass of Tennar's Whisky its what I prescribe when a man is down."
"Sean, can I ask you something?"
"Whatever seems to be the problem Jack?"
"Is what I have a gift or a curse? I mean, I could have saved my mother and father but I was far too late and that creature I summoned cut down those men like a knife to butter. What am I Sean?"
"Jack I may not be a religious type of man. But in my own opinion, you had never used that power to rob a bank or kill innocent people, and to be able to place such a power for the use of one man. If anything God had made one of the wisest decisions he could."
With that Sean pulled out two shot glasses and poured the whisky. They both chinked their glasses and drank. Then the bar door opened and in strode three men. They appeared damp but smartly dressed as they came in. two of the three stood beside the front door while one walked to the bar an in a fluent English accent spoke.
"Are you Jack Piren" he asked, Sean replied
"Who wants to know?"
"None of your concern, keep out." And repeated the question again at Jack
"Are you Jack Piren?"
"No." Jack replied
"Liar." The short blond haired man said.
"You are Jack Piren and you are property of the MTC." Furious, Sean stepped in.
"How dare you march into my bar and declare a man your property! I strongly suggest you take silver spoon out of your arse and you and your friends march back out they way you came. You are taking no one!"
The blond haired man gave an icy glare at Sean and grinded his teeth.
"This has nothing to do with you. So why don't you be a good Paddy and do what you are told by an Englishman."
Sean smiled and slowly reached for under the counter, keeping complete eye contact with the blond haired man.
"Now if I did that how can I call myself a man unlike thee?" Then without warning Sean pulled out a shotgun from under the bar counter and in the process whacked the man with the bud of the gun across his head sending him to the floor. Then with the gun in his hand's, Sean blasted at one of the men hitting him square on in the chest of buck shot.
"Go Jack! RUN!" Sean shouted. Immediately Jack leapt over the bar and ran to the back door.
"GET HIM!" Yelled one of the men. With a great Bang, Jack swung open the back door and ran down the dark alley in the pouring rain. But as soon as he reached the alleys front entrance, he was tackled by a man and thrown to the floor. It took two men to hold him down but not without receiving kicks and punches in the process. Then Jack felt a sharp needle stick into his back and slowly sedating and before closing his eyes the blond haired man spoke into his ear.
"I own you and you will obey."
To be continued