Jack finds new ways to use his power

Adrenaline pumped through his veins in that moment. There was a deep primal part of him that responded instinctively to any threats to his children. He was out of his chair and heading towards the elevator in less than a heartbeat.

“Ok, I’m coming right now. Can you find some place public to wait?”

“Everything’s going to be closing soon, but we’ll try and hang out at the food court until you get here,” she swallowed, “daddy, please get here quick.”

He practically ran to his car and violated about a dozen traffic laws. Unlike Eve, who was fiery and fiercely independent, Becca was still very much his little girl. She was shy, avoided confrontation and had an innocence about her. She didn’t seem to realise she had grown into a beautiful young woman and the thought of someone trying to take advantage of that made Jack’s blood boil.

He parked badly at the mall and hurriedly rushed through the crowds of people shuffling out. Stores were closed for the day, lights were dimming and the mall grew desolate. Eventually he made his way to the food court and his eyes grew wide as he spotted his daughter and her friend surrounded by a group of scruffy young men.

The two girls were shrank back near and table while the men crowded in close, casually touching and leaning off the girls despite their best efforts to keep their personal space. A snicker of laughter echoed through the group when one of the men reached out to cop a feel from Amber, who swatted his hands away desperately.

He drew close and Becca spotted him and her relief was palpable. “Dad!”

There was a two second pause before among the group before one of the guys stepped towards him with a slick smile and an outstretched hand. “Oh this is your dad? Cool, how are you sir?” His toothy grin stretched a little. “We go to school with your daughter, she’s a real peach!”

Instinct was a hard thing to fight and years of social etiquette demanded he accept the hand. But his boiling rage won out and he simply stared at the younger man.

There might have been a flash of annoyance in the young guy’s face, but it was gone as quick as it came. He tried again. “So you’re Becca’s dad? It’s really nice to meet you, she talks about you all the time.” He giggled, “has she mentioned me? We’re super close…”

Jack glanced at his daughter, saw the fear in her eyes. “Girls,” he said, ignoring the guy in front of him, “c’mon let’s go.”

The girls quickly gathered their things and hurried along.

“See ya later Becca!” The guy called out in a sing song voice, his buddies snickering along. “I’ll see ya after class tomorrow!”

Jack watched his daughter flinch for a moment before hastening her stride. White hot fury filled his entire being, his temples pulsing as he struggled to suppress his rage. Spinning on his heel he marched back to the gaggle of leering boys, who only seemed to delight in his obvious anger.

He got up close to them, ignoring his daughter’s desperate pleas to leave it alone and projected every dark and horrible feeling he could muster.

“If you ever come near my daughter again,” he spat through clenched teeth, “if you so much as look her way…”

There was amusement on their faces, but it quickly drained away. Jack felt his entire body physically straining itself to project as much negative emotion as possible.

Regret. Shame. Sadness.

Fear. As much fear as a person could experience.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” he hissed, “you and all your dickhead friends.”

They all opened their mouths wordlessly, like ventriloquist dummies, their eyes beginning to fill with tears, snot dribbling down their noses. The leader trembled as gooseflesh began to erupt across his arms and neck. A dark stain began to form around his crotch and ran down his leg. Eventually his legs gave out and he collapsed into a sobbing heap.

Jack came back to himself, stunned by what he had reduced these young men into. He was breathless and sore in a vague way, and perhaps sickened by the sight of young men crying incoherently like they were. But strangely he felt no guilt for what he had done.

Was it a kind of emotional violation he had just committed? Perhaps. But when he turned to regard his daughter and her friend he felt vindicated. These bastards deserved it. Becca and Amber pressed themselves against him, and a strange sense of pride flooded through his body. He felt accomplished by protecting the girls, his girls. More than that...

...he felt powerful.