The Pollyannaish Jabez

Issue 231#

In a playground, it was quiet and lonely, softly passing by were brown and crunchy leaves. It was dusk, yet, there was a single person sitting on a swing, not pacing back and forth on it. Their head lowered, the monkey bars, tetherball, castle playhouse, they were untouched. "...this life isn't what aah've asked for,  first, aah lose meta teleportation then it goes for the rest? Aah know my powers will reactivate, but... just thinking about the people that are in danger? Am aah even doing anything to help THEM?!" He clenches on the snake-like chains, gnawing on his lips, this was his objective and continuously loses the battle. He wanted to blame himself, if he hadn't left in the first place, NONE of this would've happened. 

"You're an unforgivable idiot! JABEZ!" Jabez arose and hurtled a fist towards the countenance of the swings, his anger took over him and it bends the metal. 'Ow! That kinda hurt!' Jabez retracted his hand from it, he just felt... human for a while. "Mister, are you all right?" A child asked the albino, turning to face the ginger-haired child, he knelt on a knee. 

"Yeah! Aah'm all right!" Jabez says positively. "Your hand, you look hurt!" She observes closely at his hand. "No! It's just theatrics, aah gotta go, sorry kid, life makes everyone busy!" Jabez responded to the other, tucking his hand away as he walked to the opposite direction. "AIEEEEEEE!!!" He heard a scream, discerning it, it belonged to the girl and a group of men was bringing the child straight to a van, he ran towards the direction. 

A huge guy attempted to stop Jabez by coming at him with a broad bear hug, he hurled the other over via classic judo hip throw. One drew out a knife as he came charging towards Jabez to try and stop him, the weapon wielder was stopped by Jabez reacting to his speed by grabbing his bicep and wrist to halt his attack. With cobra-like reflexes, he grabbed the other's knife and quickly sunk the blade into his hip, a painful spot to hit. 

He front kicks the other, dropping him to the floor as he came charging for the kidnapper. "You won't be getting away!" Jabez drop kicked the other, the fingers of the kidnapper faltered, letting go of the child briefly. "You won't--" Jabez was about to get on with it, a bullet hits him in the abdomen. He fell on the ground, while the child ran away in desperation, while the man continued to chase after the girl. Like a hungry animal... 

The man caught the girl, but he was standing in front of policemen. "Help me! This man's a pedophile!" The girl says to them as they drew out their tasers, hitting the kidnapper as he dropped the girl without conscious thought, experiencing a short yet sharp, burning, and painful trip. "Was there anybody else with you?" Police officer no 2. asked, while his partner cuffed the man and brought him into the vehicle. 

She nodded as she pointed over at the distance, the man crippling towards them. "Sir! You need to see an ambulance!" The police ran towards the other, pausing before him. "...yeah, aah do." The policeman called the ambulance... while, our hero waited. . . Jabez really missed having his superpowers, the ambulance arrived briefly. 

Ten minutes later... 

He had a bandage on his abdomen. "Thanks kid, you're a real life saver!" Jabez says to the other, waving to her as he lifted a smile. . 'That's the price aah get as a hero, aah sacrifice alot for others and risk my neck! Luckily that guy didn't think about his shot!' Jabez thought as he held his bandaged spot, he really needs to clear his mind. 'Aah just caint let someone get hurt, not even if aah'm at this powerless state!' Jabez added. 

He walked away as the ambulance drove away, the policemen waved to the albino kindly. 'He's a brave fellow, wish there were more men like him!' A policeman thought. The reason why he didn't want to add Jabez in 'cause it wasn't his power to judge how one should live their life. 

Reaching the apartment, Jabez closed the door into his back as he walked towards the bed, plopping on it. "You all right?" Neuro looked over a shoulder, he was just thinking about things. Neuro was on the bed too. "Yeah... aah am, Neuro, thanks for respecting my request of 'privacy'," Jabez added. "No problem," He responded. 

'Aah'll just keep my mouth shut about the thing that happened to me earlier,' Jabez thought. 'Day two.. aah'm still alive. Gotta bear and grin 'til aah've gotten my superpowers again!' Jabez was making it hard on himself, he could just give it a rest, but he doesn't! Must he strain himself at even an undesirable situation like this? 

"Pathetic... I've always wanted to steal PM from you... you disappoint me, brother," A voice echoed in Jabez's mind. "Truly..." Josiah's final words dissipated away.