The Marx Brothers

Chapter Ten - 'Bullseye'

"Are you completely insane?" He launched as he stared at me with venomous eyes

"Trust me, I came here unwillingly, unintentionally, so don't bother giving me that whole speech" I shot back before he could begin the interrogation

"Unintentionally?" He repeated, his eyebrow cocked

"Penny and her boyfriend Brad said they were taking me somewhere tonight, they wouldn't tell me where" I shortly explained

"You couldn't have gone back home?" He ridiculed clearly not wanting me around as much as Penny assumed

"Walking alone didn't seem like such a smart move when I'm surrounded by savages"

"And there's no family, or other friends that could have come to get you?"

"What does it matter?" I near shouted, gaining fury just from the word family, something I had nothing of

"I guess it doesn't anymore, just make sure you get home safe without being followed, and if your friends pull a stunt like that again, I'll be telling them to stay the hell away from here myself" He told me with stern eyes as he stood his ground

"What is your problem Phoenix?" I demanded, uncontrolled by the curiosity and anger as to why he disliked me so much

"I don't have a problem" He murmured, his eyes suddenly averting above my head

"Uh, yeah, clearly you do, the mere presence of me obviously drives you mad, so I want to know, what did I do to make you hate me so much, what did I do to make you so territorial over a place that gets you mangled every week? You do remember I'm the one that has to patch you up after each of these things, right?" I ran, the defensive part in me taking complete control.

His eyes searched above my head, avoiding me.

He spoke softly, yet forceful as if he was begging to get his point across. "It's not you I have a problem with Eden, it's what'll happen to you if you get so involved with all of this, you already saw what my antagonists are like, what they are capable of, don't you see what I'm trying to do here? I'm trying to save your life, your future, save whatever innocence you have inside you. I know you're a good kid, you're smart, and you're going to throw that shit all away if you end up around every corner I'm around" He continued as he watched me

"Why do you care what happens to me?" I shrugged

"Because I watched it happen to my sister, I watched her get involved in my wrong doings and that only got her killed" He whispered, leaning towards me as he tried to coax me into staying clear away

He looked down at his feet, fighting his own emotions before looking back up at me, and I could see the difference in his gaze, the difference in his mood. He was hurt, arguing with the memories that darkly beckoned him to remember.

"You aren't the only one that's lost family because of your problems Phoenix. I'm not the innocent little princess that every sees me for" I angrily grumbled remembering my own mother and father and how they had left this world because of me, because of what I wanted, what I had done wrong.

"So don't bother giving me that speech" I added with rage before I attempted to storm off, only being stopped when I stepped in front of the sudden brooding face of Reid.

"Jaston's little mistress" He smirked looking me up and down as Penny and Brad now discerned.

"Reid, what's the problem?" Brad questioned with a baffled face

"Nothing at all Bradley, Jaston just wanted me to make sure Eden's boyfriend here won the fight, after all, Jaston is in the end fight next week, and well, it all makes sense now who will be versing who, who will be beating who" He teased as he narrowed his eyes on Phoenix's battered face