The Shrink Program

Chapter 70

The vicious punch would have had any normal person running for the hills.

But, instead of screaming like a pansy and fleeing from the room like I had hoped he would, Jack did what Jack does best.

Creep out Everybody.

Slowly, Jack began to chuckle, building until he was clutching himself with hysterical laughter.

It was unnerving to hear, and soon the rest of the room was silent, with a mixture of fear and pure awkwardness.

Because none of us had any idea what the psycho was even laughing at.

"Don't believe in magic, eh?" He chuckled, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "You know, a love for Magic was something given to me at a very early age."

"Oh, no," I muttered, feeling myself go pale. "This is bad. This is very, very bad."

"Please tell me this isn't the Mother Made Me monologue again," Vain said with a pained expression.

"What do you think? He gives this damn speech every single time."

"I'll never forget." Jack began, and Vain and I both groaned.

Here we go again.

"Even now, I can remember reading the books, studying the tricks, all the while desperately hiding my passion...There was only one person I could show... Until Mother made them stay away."

Jack's purple eyes grew sharp, a madness glinting beneath their depths.

"She would get so angry when she caught her son reading those books, and she made sure I would remember the consequences of disobeying."

He shrugged, suddenly nonchalant.

"Because my mother already had a plan for me, even before I was born. She didn't like Magic. She much prefers I play the Violin."

He chuckled.

"Play until I could hit every note perfectly. Play until my fingers bleed. Over and over and over!"

He screamed the last word, his usually gentle voice exploding with so much rage and hatred that everyone in the room metaphorically wet themselves.

"But that's in the past... Right?" Jack smiled, his gentle composure returning in an instant. "So I'll put on a magic show for you Apollo."

Apollo crossed his arms, unimpressed.
He's handling Jack's crazy talk better than I ever did...

Jack was gone.

I startled, realising too late...

"I promise." Jack's voice came from behind us, and everyone in the room spun to see him standing behind Rachel, pressed gently in against her back, his hands wrapped around her waist.

He met my eyes, actually making me shiver.

He had gotten so close, choosing the person nearest to Vain just to show how easy it was for him.

"I'll show you a magic trick that won't ever be forgotten."

The room was silent as we all looked at Apollo, who hadn't even bothered to turn and face Jack.

"I told you, Jack." Apollo slowly tilted his head look over his shoulder at Jack, his expression utterly bored.

"Your misdirection won't work on me."

Jack chuckled, caressing the frozen Rachel's cheek.

From where I stood in the jar, I could see the giant girl tremble.

"Uh yes, even I can't hide from the observant eyes of a copycat." His smile brightened. "Luckily for me though, for tonight's show, I have an assistant."

Everyone stiffened... Because everyone had forgotten.

Jack hadn't come here alone.

He had been using misdirection all along.

Just not necessarily on himself.

But the realisation had come too late.

The first one was down before we even finished turning around.

Jack's hooded companion crossed the room in a blur, taking out anyone in their path with crippling blows.

We had all been so busy watching Jack, that no one had noticed his "assistant" creeping up behind.

Finally, one of Apollo's gang members managed to block the hooded student's assault, striking back with notable skill.

The kid ducked, continuing the downward motion into a crouch. They spun, taking out the taller boy legs in the next instant.

Jack's little helper didn't stop, leaping over the fallen boy, and rapidly crossing the distance.

To Apollo.

In a blur of speed, the hooded kid attacked Apollo, swinging their fist at the boy's head.

I tensed, ready for Apollo to avoid the attack, knowing that he had more than enough speed and skill to do so.

So when the punch landed solidly against Apollo's cheek, snapping his head to the side, my jaw dropped so fast it nearly unhinged.

The entire room was frozen in shock.

The mystery student stood panting, their fist still hanging mid-air.

The hit had turned Apollo's face towards us, and I finally noticed his expression.

He was crying.

A single tear fell down his cheek as I stared in disbelief. After all, I would have thought such a thing was physically impossible.

Yet Apollo's face was frozen in a mask of shock as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Slowly, almost fragilely, Apollo turned to his attacker, saying one word.

"Robin?"

Jack appeared behind the hooded student, and I swore I saw a cruel smirk cross his face before it was replaced with a knowing smile.

"Abracadabra Apollo." His yanked back the hood.

Revealing the Ace up his sleeve.