Let's just cut straight to the chase.

I work at a bar.

Most of the time, the people there are super nice and actually pretty funny, but every now and again I'll have to deal with the douchebags that are already drunk, who also probably got kicked out of the last bar they were in.
They're the cliché drunk guys, and it would take a miracle for you to never encounter these types of people. It probably doesn't help that the attire that the waitresses have to work in is basically screaming for the girls to be touched.

I mean seriously, who the hell wears skirts so short that I need to wear shorts underneath them?
Well, I already do that, but you get the point.

"Short black skirts, see-through leggings; preferably mesh, white blouse and black boots with at least 3-4 inch heals."

I literally just read off my dress code to you, I was not joking.

Who in their right mind would let girls wear this stuff in front of intoxicated men?! Sure, I'm probably being way too negative about this situation, assuming the worst and all, but that's me! Ms. Negative!
I've expressed my concerns to my boss - who is a girl, mind you - and she's told me multiple times that she'll do something about it.
You wanna know what she did about it?

.....

Absolutely nothing, that's what.
If I could quit, I would, but this job pays surprisingly good money that I desperately need to survive, to fuel my internet shopping addiction.

Don't worry, it's just action figures and posters, nothing too serious.

One day, though, I'm gonna get the job that I really want, one that doesn't make my feet suffer in agonizing heels and make me slightly afraid to approach the attendees in the bar.
Granted, the job I want isn't exactly the easiest to obtain, but it's one I've been wanting my entire life, and I sure as hell am not giving up now.

Crap, I rambled for too long, I should probably get on with the story.

~~~~~~~~

Tonight was probably the busiest night I've ever seen at this place. "Old Oaks Tavern" is a relatively small place, but damn you sure as hell can pack a lot of people in here. Just the sight of all these people was overwhelming, and I could feel my breathing start to pick up.

Cathy - one of my co-workers - walked up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"It's fine Alexis, you'll survive."
She found out about my panic attacks and social anxiety the hard way, having to spend an hour and a half with me in the back room trying to get me to calm down from my traumatized state on my first day.

I probably shouldn't have applied to a job that involves social interaction with my anxiety and shit, but it was the only job I could really apply for.
I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down, though it didn't do much.

"I know, I'm just being stupid," I said, standing a little straighter. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I was thinking it would be, but about three hours into my shift, I already knew that tonight was gonna be eventful.

The way the bar is laid out, you walk in through a small foyer and it opens up into this pretty big room with tables scattered around, the bar itself on the right wall with a bunch of T.V's hanging above the counter. Well, at one of the farther tables, one tucked away in the far left corner, there was trouble beginning to stir up.

One of the other waitresses, Abbey I believe her name was, was minding her own business, bringing the drinks over to the four boys, when the blonde one decided to try and pull Abbey into his lap. She fought back, of course, but the man still pursued her. That was, until she slapped him and stood up, speed walking back to the bar counter.

As soon as I saw the man stand up, I knew I had to do something.

I met him about half way across the room and held a hand up, stopping him in place.
"Sir, if you'd please go back and sit down with your friends, I'm sure we can work this out without things getting too hasty."
Oh boy, he wasn't having any of that tonight.

"That bitch jus slapped me!" He shouted, lazily raising a hand behind my shoulder, I'm guessing to point at Abbey.

"Yes, I saw. But if my memory serves me right, you were trying to pull her into your lap and she obviously refused. I would say it was self defence." I said, trying to keep my already bubbling anger under control. I really hate stupid people, especially if they're drunk, which this man obviously was.

"So what?! Ya don't jus' slap people! Lemme at 'er!"
Okay, now I was on my last nerve.
I pointed a finger at his chest and pushed him back, not enough to make him trip or anything, just to get him to move.

"Listen here pal, don't you fucking dare try to pull shit like that again, or so help me I will beat your ass so bad, you won't be able to sit down for five months. Kapeesh?"
And you know what? The guy had the audacity to laugh at me.

"Ya honestly think I'm gonna be intimidated by a 5'5 waitress? Ya must be more drunk than I am!" He laughed, and I just smiled. Oh boy, did he have it comin'.

"For your information, I'm 5'9. And if you'd like a demonstration of how badly I'd beat you, I can gladly give you one." I said calmly, but was I ever pissed off. My fists were clenched at my sides, and I was just about ready to punch the guy when someone pulled me back by my arm.
"Wh-hey!! Let me go!" I shouted, struggling to get out of the grip on my arm. I could hear the obnoxious guy's laughter as I was dragged away.

"Fucking wimp!" He yelled at me, and that was my frickin' turning point.

I ripped my arm out of whomevers grip I was in and marched right back over to the man and kneed him right in the crotch with no words spoken. Almost immediately, he crouched down and his hands went to protect himself from another hit, but I was finished here.

I walked back to the back room and clocked myself out, grabbing my coat off the coat rack and walking out the door.

What a way to end your shift, huh?

~~~~~~~~

While walking home, I was desperately trying to calm myself down, taking in deep, shaky breaths to try and aid the process.
The guy had it coming, one hundred and ten percent, but I honestly don't know what came over me. Sure, me sticking up for Abbey was completely expected, but I've never injured somebody because of it. Sure, I threaten a lot, but I never act on my words.

I let out a sigh and went to hold my dog tag - I guess it's a habit I have; grabbing it whenever I'm nervous or something - to find it wasn't in its usual hanging spot. I looked down to see that the little bead ring that kept it to my necklace chain had broken, and the tag was now caught in my shirt.
I let out a small groan and picked the tag up, holding it in my palm.
"That's the third chain this month," I muttered to myself, closing my fingers around the cool metal and letting my hand drop to my side.

I was only one block away from my apartment, and I had just passed an alley when I head the sounds of someone getting beaten up. Trust me, I know that sound all too well.
I stopped at the entrance of the alley and let my eyes adjust to the darkness, and what I saw made my subsiding anger rise right back up.

They were kids, probably in their second or third year of high school, kicking a smaller kid compared to them, while the kid on the ground just sat there and took the kicks and hits, crying out and continuously asking for their assailants to stop.

"Hey!" I shouted, causing the two kids to cease their actions and turn to me. One was a girl and one was a boy, that much I could tell. I took a couple steps into the alley, glaring at the teens.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, getting closer and closer.

"Beat it lady," said the girl, kicking the boy on the ground once more. "It's none of your business."
"Yeah!" Responded the boy beside her. "Beat it!"

"You leave him the hell alone before I have to get involved." I threatened, now standing in front of the two. What the hell was wrong with everybody today? First the bar, now this! Humanity seriously needs to re-evaluate itself.

"What are you gonna do about it? Huh?" The boy taunted, trying his best to intimidate me, although I was taller than him. By now, I had just had enough of everything. These kids, my job, everything! I let out an angry cry and shoved the both kids, and as soon as my hands touched their chests, a blinding yellow light flashed and defending boom echoed.

The next thing I knew, I was standing above the boy who was kicked, my hands smoking, and the boy and girl all the way across the alley, charred and unconscious.

"Did.... d-did I just...?" I looked from the boy on the ground, to my hands, to the two kids and then back to the boy in complete and utter shock and confusion. Apparently, the lights and sound had drawn some attention, and some of the cops who I guess were stationed in the area came rushing into the alley to see what had happened. The boy beside me scrambled to his feet and limped away, leaving me, guilty looking as ever, with my smouldering hands and two unconscious kids across the alley.

Next thing I knew, there was a cop beside me trying to cuff me. "H-hey! Stop!" I said, trying to shove him off. The same thing that happened to the two kids happened to him, but this time I saw what happened. The cop went flying through the air, screaming as he went, and crashed straight into the fire escape on the fifth level before crashing back down to the ground. I was utterly terrified and stared at my hands as tears began to blur my vision.

"Ma'am!" Shouted the other cop, slowly approaching me. "Put the device down and put your hands above your head!"
It was at this point I started full on crying, pulling at my hair trying to figure out what the hell was going on, what the hell was happening to me! Was I going crazy?! Because this isn't exactly how I pictured me going mentally insane going!
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a yellow glow and noticed it was coming from my hand. I brought my hand into view and opened it, not realizing that I had screamed immediately after I did so.

The dog tag was fucking glowing. It wasn't just a small little speck, oh no. It was full on doused in bright yellow light, giving off a huge bright glow. I just kept screaming and screaming and crying, traumatized and freaking the fuck out, thinking that I had finally gone off my fucking rocker. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, all of my senses were completely out of whack.

It felt like forever, but I was suddenly pulled up off of the ground by multiple people, and I lost it.
I thrashed around and screamed, flinging my arms in every which way, occasionally sending someone flying into the wall with a bright yellow blast. I whipped my head in all directions, hitting it off of batons and fists, which would no doubt leave their mark in an hour or so.

Thrashing and screaming and loud sounds were all I could comprehend, all I knew, until I was hit really fucking hard in the back of the head.