Phoenix Ryder

Chapter Two - Underdog

A/N: This chapter is written by cacigrace

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There were seven boys in the wolf pack. Jax was in front, blonde hair swept to the side, his good looking face contorted with rage. The twins, Ash and Ari, were on either side of him, their fists clenched, stupid faces red with anger, giving the impression of angry body guards accompanying their young charge. Jax was at least a head shorter then them but somehow he looked much scarier, blue eyes wild, his face hard and hungry for blood. Zack, Nashton, Xander and Wolf were behind the twins. Zack, Nashton and Xander looked furiously loyal as they dutifully followed Jax, like hounds on a fox hunt. Looking for prey. However Wolf's olive face showed a look of comfortable indifference. He came last, barely running, pushing his black, messed-up-on-purpose hair out of his face in a bored manner.
Jax turned, muttering something angrily and Wolf quickened his pace, shrugging in his carelessly handsome way. These boys were all big. They were all strong. They were all angry. And they were all chasing the underdog.
Phoenix Ryder.
As he reached the end of Grady's Lane and turned into Greenway Alley, Nix could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, louder and louder. He willed his legs to run faster, harder, he had to get away from them. His school shoes were horribly heavy, his school bag swung off his shoulder and dangled onto the ground. The zip, halfway open, let out a stream of paper, pencils and notebooks.
Nix did not care. He kept running.
Faster and faster, his lungs dragging in great shuddering gasps. There was not enough air! He had to slow down. An awful stitch was beginning in his side but he had to keep going. Behind him, he could almost feel Jax's hot breath on his neck. He could hear his murderous cry of, 'I've got you now, freak.' And then he skidded to a halt.
The alleyway had reached and end. There was no way out. He was trapped. Jax smirked. It made him look scarier somehow. Handsome in an evil way. Somewhere along the way three of the boys had gone missing, but that wouldn't change anything. Nix swallowed nervously. Jax cocked his head to one side. "Well, what are you gonna do, freak? You're trapped."
Nix met the blue eyes with his own green. "Look Jax, I didn't mean to-" "You didn't mean to what!" Jax screamed in his face. "You didn't mean to humiliate me in front of the whole class!" He snarled at Nix. "I don't know how you did it, but you're a freak!"
He leaned closer. So close his hot breath was breathing onto Nix's face. He spoke the words slowly, huskily. Just like a wolf playing with his dinner. "And. I. Don't. Tolerate. Freaks." Then his fist collided with Nix's eye.
Nix was on the ground before Jax's hand was pulled back. Tears of pain pricked at his eyelids but he refused to let them fall. Don't cry now, he told himself. Just don't cry now. Still he could not help groaning aloud.
Jax sneered. "Give to him boys." The others, who had been impatiently waiting their turn, leapt on Nix. He was kicked and pummelled by the neverending rain of blows. "Stop!" He cried. "You don't understand! I'm-" But his words ended in a dull moan of agony.
Blows struck his arms and legs and head. His eye was throbbing and he could almost feel the bruises forming on his limbs. He bit his lip but it did nothing to stop the gasps of pain erupting from his mouth. He could feel himself drifting into semiconsciousness and something else, anger, welling up inside him. The boys were still (on Jax's orders) kicking and punching him but now they grew less vigorous.
Wolf stepped back. "Alright Jax, he's had enough."
Jax glowered at him. "He hasn't had enough till I've said he's had enough!" He yelled. Wolf shrugged as if he couldn't care less and put on a bored expression, plainly refusing to beat Nix up further. The other boys gaped in awe but didn't dared interfere. No one defied Jaxon Evans.
No one, that is, except Wolfgang Finnigan.
Right now, Nix had bigger problems. The anger was welling up inside him. He tried to smother it but it was about as good as smothering a bonfire. Rage was seeping through the cracks, threatening to explode. His heart was pounding kouder and louder. And then the blows stopped. Nix opened his good eye (the other one was already swollen shut). Jax and Wolf seemed to be engaged in some sort of arguement. The other boys were watching eagerly, obviously hoping to see another fight.
Nix whimpered from the ground. His whole body was aching. His head was spinning and when he touched it he found it was bleeding. Wincing, he hauled himself up and faced his enemies. Jax turned and, noticing Nix was on his feet, jerked his head at his cronies. "Hey, he's up. Knock him down again boys."
"No." Nix tried to say it bravely but it came out as a sort of plea. "You don't understand." His voice sounded strange and his mouth was full of blood. It spilled from his lip, where Jax had punched him.
"Oh really?" Jax smiled at the pathetic thing before him. His friends giggled appreciatively. "And what don't I understand?"
Nix tried once again to hold in his rage. His hands were burning hot now. That was always a bad sign. "I..." He began, "I...um..."
The pain was clouding his mind. He drew a shuddering breath but his eyes narrowed. I hate him. A voice said in his head. It serves him right! His hands burned hotter. Don't do it! Another voice screamed. Don't do it! Not again! Think of Dad, think of how he'll feel!
"Well?" Jax demanded. "What don't I understand? Freak!" He pushed Nix's chest. That did it.
Before he even realised it, the countdown began. Five, four, three, two, one. "Uh oh." Nix muttered. Boom! He exploded. Not literally of course. But right at the momen a huge, invisible force lifted the four boys into the air and threw them onto the ground.
Nix stood, horrified. He clamped his hands over his mouth; they were still burning hot and red sparks seem to be coming from them. It was too late. He'd done it. The golden rule, the one rule his father had, he'd broken. Again.
Something cold and heavy seemed to be lying on Nix's heart. The rage was all gone now and all he felt was the aftermath. Horrified. Ashamed. Sickened. At himself.
Jax groaned, jolting Nix out of his thoughts. Slowly, the bully stood up. And saw Nix. "You!" He cried, taking a step towards him. Then he was instantly knocked over by the invisible force.
Nix recoiled in shock. He'd done it again! Almost instinctively. This was just what his father had told him! Jax and the other boys staggered to their feet and Nix could not help feeling a stab of pleasure at the sight of their bruises. It eased the guilt a little.
Guilt. That was what he felt. And Phoenix Ryder did not often feel guilty. There was never really a chance.
Jax looked at Nix, saw his reluctant smile and seethed with anger. "You little-" he cried making as if to attack him but Ari and Wolf pulled him back. "Don't you get it!" Wolf yelled in his ear. He glanced fearfully at Nix as if he was some sort of monster. "Something strange is going on here." And by 'something strange' they all knew he meant Nix. The other boys agreed loudly. All of them began to back away.
Nix saw his opportunity. "That's right!" He said threateningly. "Keep away from me or you'll regret it!" He held up his hands and the boys flinched.
"C'mon." Wolf said and they all turned and ran.
"Freak!" Jax called out as they disappeared down the alley. His eyes were blazing with hatred and he glared at Nix as though he would rather like to kill him. "Freak!" He cried again. "You're a freak Phoenix Ryder! A freak! You don't belong here and you never will!" And with that the wolf pack was gone.
Nix lowered his head, staring at the shattered remains of his anger. Broken bottles littered the dusty alley, loose bricks from his accidental force and fragments of glass covered the ground. A pool of blood lay to one side. His own. He sighed sadly. It was no use. He couldn't help it after all.
Slowly, Nix picked up his school bag and gave the alley one last look. "Sorry Dad." He whispered. Then he turned on his heel and headed home.