Marvel's Cloak: Shroud of Darkness

Chapter 3 - The Bane of Tandy's Hopefulness

News Front

"Good morning folks... today I bring you news of a horrific crime against not only our Law Enforcement Personnel but also against the newly publicized 'mutant' kind... Late last night, after a short basketball practice, there was an incident that took the life of a promising young basketball star and left the other one injured at the hospital in critical condition...

Reports are two brothers, Tyrone and Billy Johnson, got into an altercation on the basketball court... Tyrone accusing Billy of using his mutant powers to cheat during the game... Billy denied the accusation and the brothers went home arguing...

However, it seems that young Tyrone could not let the animosity go. In a fit of rage, he robbed a nearby store, and when his brother tried to convince him to return the goods, it is said that Tyrone Johnson brutally murdered his brother in cold blood just because he was a 'mutant'...

Later police arrived on the scene, only to find Tyrone Johnson with a weapon, raping the store owner's wife after he killed the store owner. Tyrone Johnson later managed to kill one of the officers before he was ultimately restrained...

The entire situation has caused an uproar amongst the black and mutant communities alike... some wishing Tyrone Johnson to receive capital punishment, while others saying that the entire situation smells fishy and Tyrone Johnson is innocent...

However, what is the truth behind this strange incident? We will be finding out very soon since this case has been accelerated... it is the first case of its kind and people want to see if Mutant murders will be treated the same as every other criminal charges by our court system...

I am your favorite reporter, Christine Everhart... signing off!"

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Two Weeks Later

Papers could be seen strewn all over the Johnson's household as Adina and Otis worked tirelessly to get many things in order before Tyrone's arraignment the following week.

Adina and Otis were working without sleep or eating. It was only thanks to the people of the community supporting them that Adina and Otis were able to somewhat focus on what was important – freeing Tyrone from the legal system.

The charges against Tyrone were basically a publicity stunt that had to blow up to show the world that Mutants also had the same rights as everyone else.

However, the First Police Officer had a very strong background and somehow managed to twist the story until Tyrone was the only person anyone could think to blame.

The night neither of her sons returned home, Adina knew that something was wrong and started making all the calls she could to determine their whereabouts.

The startling information that her sons had been injured didn't come from any officer or hospital, it came from a News Reporter that kept criminalizing Tyrone's name for the world to see.

Otis and Adina didn't even have time to grieve the death of Billy because Tyrone was going to be put on trial for several charges that made no sense whatsoever.

Ever since then, Adina had been making all the calls to collect all the favors she gained throughout her successful career as a lawyer but all of them gave the same reply 'I cannot touch this case'!

Adina had to stop Otis from picking up the gun and running to the station to break their son out almost every day, but even she was getting tired of jumping through legal hoops.

"We're fighting a useless battle..." Adina whispered, tears leaking from her bloodshot eyes "What did our boys do to deserve this!?!"