Chapter 1: A fight you never lose

"Don´t start, Colt".

"I´m not starting anything, Rocky. I´m just finishing it".

Rocky grabbed his sibling´s shoulder as an attempt to contain his anger. Colt shook him off. He had never understood why someone would try to pick him on a fight. Certainly, none of the guys who were cornering him in that hall knew about his training or the victories he´d achieved in the past, yet, they could not possibly believe he would be an easy prey, not after stopping all those lame bullies since elementary school, or even before that, he couldn´t remember.

Rocky stepped between Colt and the three guys from the football team: Jordan, a tall and athletic blond and also the leader of the group, smirked at them.

"What´s up, Douglass? Little brother can´t stand for himself?

The other two laughed like they´d never heard something that hilarious. Colt didn´t know their names and didn´t have too. They looked like those trolls in the movies: big feet, huge arms, big noses and the stupid grin on their faces. He tried to get rid of Rocky but his older brother pushed him back. Damn, he was strong! And, for the strength he had used, he was nervous, too.

"Just let it be, Jordan": Rocky spoke with a calmed voice that didn´t match his gaze. Colt knew him very well. When he pierced you with those blue eyes, hardly blinking… you were in trouble.

"No".

Jordan slapped him with his open palm. Even when he didn´t hit him that hard, Rocky´s right cheek turned red. Colt´s heart raced, his blood boiled while he heard an "Ooooh!" from the crowd that surrounded them. It was always the same, no matter how many times it happened or who were the ones involved in the fight, people just loved to watch a nice beating. "Bet I will find this in Youtube", he thought.

Colt stepped forward and was received by his brother´s palm on the chest. Rocky breathed in and spoke again. "I´m serious, Jordan, let it go".

"Or what?"

Jordan pushed him back, throwing him against Colt, who catched his older brother. Someone laughed in the crowd and several voices yelled: "What are you waiting for? Hit them!" Whether they were cheering them or the bullies, Colt couldn´t tell but he also didn´t care. We was sick of those idiots. He clenched his fists and pushed Rocky aside. Or tried to. His brother wasn´t named Rocky for nothing. He didn´t move an inch. Instead, he grabbed Colt´s forearm and kept him captive.

"What the…? Get off me!" Colt struggled but wasn´t able to get free. His arm was growing numb. Rocky was angry but was obviously messing with the wrong guy!

"Colt! Control yourself!"

Great. Just what he needed. People laughed louder. They were clearly enjoying the show: Douglass brothers fighting each other in front of those three morons! But what probably made Colt feel angrier was the fact he couldn´t free himself from Rocky!

"I promise if you don´t leave me alone…"

But Colt´s words got lost after McKenzie´s whistle nearly broke their eardrums. Students split in a second, leaving the Douglass brothers and the trolls all by themselves. McKenzie was their football coach, an old football star who decided to train young men after been expelled from college, for bad behavior according to gossip. He was not exactly the type of professor who cared about weak students getting abused during his class, but the kind of adult who would argue "they need to grow like true men". However, a girl wearing a pink jacket and white jeans followed him with funny quick steps. A girl whose long, light brown hair Colt knew very well.

"Thank you, Emily, I´ll take it from here". Professor said. "Jordan, Steven… you all, to my office, right away!"

"Where they´ll surely get a hug and a bunch of candy with steroids", Colt thought.

Bullies walked away after giving Colt a mocking smile.

"Put some ice on that cheek, Douglass". Jordan blinked at him before leaving.

As usual, McKenzie pretended not to hear what he said.

"What happened here, boys?"

Colt opened his mouth but Rocky spoke first.

"They were trying to start a fight, sir".

Colt rolled his eyes, like it wasn´t obvious. McKenzie knew it quite well, they were his golden boys, he was just trying to earn some time or to search for an excuse not to punish them.

"Why were they trying to fight with you?"

"Because they´re…!"

"I don´t know, sir".

Colt clenched his teeth with frustration. He wasn´t a bloody five year old! And Rocky was definitely not an adult even if he tried to act like one! Jeez! He was seventeen, just one year older than him! Why did he always act like a younger version of Grandpa? He was not! Even Grandpa had kicked a few butts, for god´s sake! Rocky was acting more like a priest and treating him like some sort of mental patient or something. Anyway, he had to deal with the fact his older brother was better with words so he let him talk. He´d make him know what he thought about it later, when they were alone.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No, sir". Rocky answered quickly. At least he kept some dignity, and for the way he said it, he was still mad.

"They wished they could", Colt thought. He´d teach them not to fight unless you can win.

"Yeah, well then… don´t worry, I´ll deal with them. Call me if you need anything, right?"

McKenzie patted Rocky on the shoulder and showed Colt a fatherly smile that almost made him puke. Emily also patted him on the back, she had been the one who had alerted the professor as soon as she heard about the fight. She was out of breath, because of the run.

"Are you really ok?" She stared at Rocky, searching for bruises and cuts, and apparently relieved not to find any.

"Of course I am! It´s not like they are real opponents, you know?" Rocky smiled.

Colt rolled his eyes. His brother and Emily liked each other from as long he could remember and yet he had never been together as they obviously wanted to be. And somehow, his mellow, shy smile made him feel even angrier. Without any control of his body, he threw Rocky against the lockers, who landed with a metallic thud. Emily cried, startled.

"What´s wrong with you?" Rocky gasped.

"What´s wrong with me?" Colt pulled him by the collar of his shirt. "I´m tired of you getting in my business!"

"And what did you expect me to do? They´re not opponent for us, Colt! Beating the crap out of them would be not fair!"

Colt punched the nearest locker with his fist.

Instinctively, Emily stepped behind Rocky.

"It´s ok, Emily", Rocky sighed.

"Listen to your boyfriend, Emily" Colt replied.

Rocky sighed again. It was not the first time Colt tried to pick on him whenever he hadn´t released his anger.

"How dare you treat me like some sort of… we must have looked so ridiculous!" Colt paced back and forth, with his typical scowl.

Rocky watched him silently after nodding to Emily, who left them alone. He knew his brother needed some time out. He didn´t blame him at all, he would have loved to teach those bullies a lesson, but he was too aware of his responsibilities as a compromised ninja; using your power with someone weaker than yourself was not very honorable. Nevertheless, bullies always messed with Colt. He wasn´t sure why, not even Tum Tum had to deal with them. His younger sibling was not what you´d call a popular guy but he had close friends, like him. From the three of them, Colt was the one who received an invitation to a party almost every week although sometimes he decided to be by his own. He was not exactly a loner but he definitely needed some space every once in a while. Maybe considering he was the easiest to provoke…

"Rocky!"

"Yes?"

"Are you even listening?"

He wasn´t, lost in thought, but he nodded anyway. His brother seemed less angry, even there was some guilt in his gaze.

"They don´t worth it, do they?"

"No, they don´t".

Colt raised his backpack from the floor.

"I guess we missed our last class, big bro".

"Well, let´s not waste our chance to get an ice cream".

Colt looked at him, his mouth opened in disbelief.

"What are you, ten?"

"No, I´m seventeen and you´re sixteen, and i´m absolutely not taking you for a beer".

Colt laughed.

"I don´t even drink beer, man, i´m a sporty guy! I thought we could get some pizza. I´m starving!"

"Well, I could handle that".

Rocky kept his books in his locker.

"Hey, Rock…'"

"Yes?"

Rocky looked at Colt. He had gotten serious.

"Do you realize there´s no one around who can even match us in a fight? That means we´ll have to deal with bullies the rest of our high-school-life".

"Well, you have me. Although I wouldn´t beat my little brother, not very hard anyway".

"You wish", Colt tried to punch him in one arm but Rocky dodged quickly.

They left the school without noticing the man who watched them from the parking lot, an unpleasant smile on his face.

Blood thirsty.