Dance With the Devil

Posted on Sat Sep 18th, 2021 @ 12:16pm by Shinobi Shaw

937 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: Seattle, WA (inner city streets
Timeline: Prior to current

It was still light but the day was closing fast. And Jace knew what that meant...it would be time to go to work. His mind was on the warehouse job he'd planned for himself. Usually, someone would pay him to break in and steal something or open doors or whatever. This time was different. This time was for himself. He didn't have any idea what exactly would be in there, but hopefully it'd be something he could fence for a decent amount of money.

He was on his way back to the place he called home this week for a quick bite of whatever he had left in the fridge and a nap. He cut down an alley that he'd used many times and heard a scream. It wasn't unusual to hear someone scream in an alley in this part of the city. Jace was about to do the normal thing and turn around when he heard the scream again followed by a derogatory remark.

He paused and listened carefully. Sometimes hearing a little bit of a conversation here and there proved to be valuable to the right person. This could be one of those or not. But he wasn't going to miss the chance to grab a bit of information. The talking got lower so that he couldn't hear what was being said. He found a wall that was cast in shadow from the setting sun and crept down the side. When he got within earshot, he heard the gang members.

“You'd think with big pointy ears like that he could hear us a little better. C'mon bat ears, let's hear it. Repeat after me...I'm a worthless mutie.”

“You might wanna be careful. He might go all mutie power on you,” said another. “You know how they can be.”

“Nah,” said the first voice, “if he were a powered one, he'd have already used them. Look at him, cowering in the trash bags. He's not powered. So what else you hidin' under there? I know pointy bat ears and that big nose aren't the only things. You got a pair of baby bat wings or something under that coat? Maybe an extra arm or two.”

Jace heard the sound of flesh slapping flesh. He'd already shuddered several times and sighed deeply. He didn't get involved in situations that were no business of his or that he wasn't getting paid for. This didn't fall into either of those categories. But he couldn't leave whoever that was alone with that gang.

“So, what do we have here,” said Jace as he left the ever growing shadows of the wall.

Several of the gang members turned around to face the newcomer. To their knowledge, none of their brothers were in this part of the city. “None of your business. That's what we have here, dude. Now get outta here before you end up on the receiving end, too.”

Jace saw a symbol emblazoned on their coats. It was large and impossible to miss...almost like they were proud of it and wanted people to see it. “Anti-mutant extremists. At least by the look of the symbol on your coats. Lemme guess, that's a mutant you've got cornered? Huh?”

“Like I said, none of your business,” came the reply. “Unless of you're willing to help with a beat-down. In that case, bring it on.”

Jace smiled at the ringleader. “Oh, I'm willing to help with a beat-down alright. Step aside.” He brushed his unkempt hair over his head and walked through the open space created by the rest of the extremists. Jace stood in front of the mutant boy and looked down at him. The boy looked up, tears in his eyes. Jace smiled and winked at him. He'd been altering his density as he walked through the gauntlet.

“Are you read for this?” he asked the ringleader standing off to his right.

“Do it!” he yelled.

Jace drew back his arm and brought it spinning around to make contact with the ringleader's chest. He flew into two of his comrades and they all three hit the wall behind them. The two others immediately ran towards Jace who in turn ran towards them. It was like hitting a Mack truck. The last two guys fell to the ground and rolled into the pile where the other three were getting up. “If you know what's good for you, you'll leave. Now.”

“You can't take us all on at once, filthy mutant!”

Jace decided in that instant to play on the fear that the rumors had created about him in the hopes that the mutant haters would run. All he wanted to do was to get that boy out of here. So he unzipped his jacket and let it fall open to reveal his tee-shirt...a picture of the grim reaper holding two smoking pistols with the name of a rock band over the top.

“If you wanna dance with the devil, I'll be happy to send you to hell,” said Jace. “Now run before I cash in your tickets.” Here's hoping he wouldn't have to fight them all. Or any of them for that matter.

The gang of mutant extremists didn't know who they'd found. But they knew that they didn't want to be found there the next morning. They ran away as fast as their cowardly feet would carry them.

Jace turned to the mutant boy. “They're gone. Go on, get outta here.”

The boy got up and ran away, but would never forget the face of the other boy who'd saved his life that night.

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