Unknown Being

It had been very different not seeing Vince in school. There was less chaos, fewer fights, less bullying. Vince's cronies didn't really know what to do without their leader and just fell apart, bickering with each other. Matt was becoming more accepted, partially for having the audacity to speak his mind against Vince, even fight him. Did some people still hate Matt? Yes. Did some people still think that his idea had been idiotic? Yes. But overall, they began to accept him more.

He had been walking home from school with Cat when some guys of whom Matt only vaguely knew decided to harass the two. They got out of their car and the guy that had been in the driver's seat pulled out a switchblade, advancing on them. His partners, though unarmed, advanced, looking hungrily at Cat. Matt had the two boys from the back seat out of commission very quickly and then focused on the leader.

"Impressive," the guy mused. "Too bad you can't defend yourself nearly as well against someone wielding a knife. You can't react quickly enough, can you?"

"Don't challenge him, Matt," Cat urged. "You're going to get yourself hurt again and Mom and Dad aren't going to be happy if you do."

"Gonna listen to your sister and run home to your mommy," the blade wielder taunted. "I'm so scared. I can't face him. He's too scary."

"I am running," Matt said, clamping his hand around some poppers in his pocket. He hurled them right at the guy's feet, the noise startling him enough to drop his knife. Matt grabbed his sister's hand and they ran from the scene, Cat having used her photographic memory to memorise the type of car and the licence plate. They didn't realise that the attacker had pulled an airsoft rifle from the back seat of his car until he began to fire. They felt several of the shots nearly hit them.

Luckily for them, the guy's weapon jammed just as they turned a corner. They even encountered a police officer and reported the guy before continuing to run home.

"Way too close," Cat gasped when they got into their home and shut the door.

Matt panted, "agreed. Way too close."

"You ran this time. Good choice."

"You better remember to do that too," he said.

"I'll do my best," she responded.

Notes