Opposites Attract

Mother and Father

Molly felt the world start to spin, and she managed to stay conscious through sheer will. That being said, her knees gave out, pulling her and her mother to the ground. She took her mother's sudden surprise to escape her grip, stumbling toward Jax, feeling her sobbing start all over again. Her mother caught her again and dragged her back.

Jax sobbed on the ground in front of her, and she snapped.

"I'm sorry, Mama."

She placed her palms on her mother's hands, lighting them both and screaming as she burned herself as well.

Her mother jerked back, trying desperately to get the fire out, and Molly bolted forward, throwing herself over Jax and taking the next strike herself. It hit her shoulder, uncovered by the tank top she had on, and she could feel it bleeding before she even felt the pain, practically blinding.

Jax went limp with relief beneath her, sobbing and shaking and all together panicking.

"Jax. Hey, I'm right here. I won't let him-"

His father gripped her shoulders, knocking her to the side, she scrambled back, right before another lash landed.

This one got her right across the face, leaving an open wound from her temple to her chin. She clamped her mouth around a scream, wondering how Jax managed to stay quiet.

"Get out of the way," the man above her snarled, "my business is with my son."

She didn't move, looking him dead in the eye.

"I'm not letting you touch him again."

Jax's father grabbed her by her hair, jerking her backward. She screamed, hands flying to her head. She dug her fingernails into the hand in her hair, but he didn't loosen his grip, lifting her higher, until she was hanging by her hair. He pulled her out of the way, forcing her to watch as he whipped Jax again. They both cried out at the same time, Jax in agony and Molly in despair.

"Stop! Stop, please! Hit me instead, I don't care, just leave him alone!"

If he heard her, he didn't respond, except to hit him again. Molly dug deep, searching for any magic, but her reserves felt strangely empty.

"Wh-what are you doing to me?"

She didn't know who she was asking, but Jynx responded. She'd nearly forgotten him, off to the side, watching them suffer.

"Ah? You don't know? That's your mother's magic. It'll come back in a few hours if you survive."

She flipped him off, trying to get up and lessen the pain in her head. She managed to get shakily up, sighing in relief, only to have her feet knocked out from under her, sending her back to the ground with a pained cry as her weight transferred back to her hair.

She heard Jax taking a shuddering breath, and she reached for him, trying to give him some reassurance, but she only managed to brush his shoulder.

"You're gonna kill him," Molly whimpered, "Stop it!"

"Then I'd only be returning the favor, isn't that right Jaxon?"

Jax couldn't respond except to sob, and his father kept talking.

"It was you. You're the one that spiked that drink, you're the one who left me drunk in the town square!"

Jax said something, muffled by the mud in his face, and his father jerked him upright, gripping him at the elbow. Molly reached desperately for him, finding his wrist.

"Say that again, brat."

Jax flinched at the word, managing to say, "I just wanted you to stop hurting us! And I didn't spike anything!"