A/N Wow, thanks so much for the reviews guys they've really helped to keep me going. As promised here is the next chapter as promised.

Chapter 2

That night I stayed up with Angel and Gaz checking their homework. After I made a few corrections I sent them off to go brush their teeth for bed as I went to the bedroom. Pulling the chain off from around my neck I unlocked the chest and pulled out a wrapped package. I locked everything back up again and took the package downstairs to the kitchen table. I set it there as the nock at the door made me lift my head up.

I opened the door and nodded at Ari as he followed me to the kitchen.

"You 'kay?" He asked in a gruff voice getting himself a glass of water.

"When am I not?" I mumbled as I tore the brown package paper off to reveal a pair of fingerless black fighting gloves, my old leather bracelet and a piece of paper with a number on it.

I had already changed into my black jeans with holes at the knees and a black vest, my hair was tied up off my face and I pulled the black gloves with a resigned sigh. It seemed I would never be able to leave my past behind. I pulled on the leather bracelet and tightened the straps so that it sat snugly on my left wrist.

I looked up to see Ari watching me. "Is there no other way?"

"Not if I want money by tomorrow for rent, I'm not risking the landlord coming down and messing with my siblings."

He nodded, understanding my reasoning as he put the glass in the sink with the rest of the unwashed dishes. "What time will you be back?"

I frowned thinking. "Not till late, past midnight at the least, I'm sorry to ask you but-"

"It's okay, I came ready for a sleepover." He padded the bag on his back with a grin.

I smiled and gave him a brief hug. "Thanks, I owe you."

"Nah you don't. Us street kids have gotta help each other, no one else is gonna give a rats ass about us."

"You remember the drill?" I asked picking the phone up off the hook.

"Yeah, kids in bed by nine, I'll bolt the door and keep your Mom away from them and handle Mark if he shows up. And I only open the door if its you. I'm not a complete moron. I'm gonna go see the kids." He called heading upstairs as I punched the number from the card in.

I counted to ten and got ready to swallow my pride. Five rings and the phone picked up.

"What?"

"Lucas its Max."

He paused for a moment then a slow chuckle worked its way down the line. "Ahhh, Ride. Missed me have ya? What can I do for ya, considering you wouldn't phone for a nice lil' chat?"

Time to swallow my pride. "I need a fight, five hundred cash in hand, tonight."

I could practically hear the cogs in his brain working. "What makes you think I'd have a fight on tonight? And even if I did why would I let you in on it?"

"You have fights on every night, I remember them explicitly. And you'll let me fight cause even at fourteen I was the best scrapper you've ever seen. I take on any challenge and I leave no prisoners. Admit it, I rake in the money. And five hundred compared to how much you make in one night is nickels."

I could feel the smug smirk he wore on the other end of the phone. "You know me so well Max. Tell you what I got a Irish man, big fella, coming in for a fight around ten. You get here by then and you take him out the money yours. But I'll want you back doing the fights, no more pulling out cause you have a attack of morals."

I was silent thinking, if I agreed to it I'd be back in the fights, doing what Lucas wanted. I'd quit a year ago, deciding I'd work for the money no matter how hard it was or how little sleep I got, but Mum back on drugs meant she'd be scouring the house for money, and if she needed the hospital…I needed to afford it somehow.

"Tick tock Max, do you want the money?" Lucas asked bluntly.

"Fine, I'll do it, but I'm not fighting every night like I used to, my family need me at home, three fights a week as well as training. And each one at a fixed rate of five hundred unless I'm fighting more than one bloke. Deal?"

"Fine but I want four nights."

I gritted my teeth. "Fine, it's a deal."

"Pleasure doing business with you Max, I'll see you tonight."

The line went dead and I slammed the phone down, braced my arms against the wall and thought long and hard about what I had just gotten myself into. At sixteen I'd no longer be fighting just teenagers but full grown men who had spent their lives fighting for survival. I was in for life until I got leverage over Lucas, when he wanted me to fight I'd have to go running. But at least I'd have the money situation sorted for now.

Ari brought the kids down a minute later and I wrapped them in a hug. "I'm off out tonight guys, but I'll be back in the morning to get you ready for school. You behave for Ari okay?"

Angel nodded and kissed my cheek, Gazzy was less enthusiastic but agreed and stared at the bracelet on my wrist. I ruffled his hair. "Hey chin up kid. I'll be back in no time."

"Come on you devils, up stairs now!" Ari ordered giving a mock roar.

Angel squealed and darted up the stairs and Gaz poked his tongue out racing after her.

"So you're back in?" Ari asked folding his arms over his chest.

"Yep, I get to tangle with a Irish man tonight."

He shook his head and patted my shoulder. "Be careful Max, but give 'em hell."

I smirked as he went up following my brother and sister. I was doing the right thing, it was for them it was for my family. I'd get through this just like I did everything. Besides I knew I was a good fighter, one of the best, the size or age of the opponent didn't matter, when I got hit I tended to lose it. I'd been beaten ever since I was little, eventually I turned around and started lashing back, not caring how many bruises or cuts I received I wouldn't stop till the person was unconscious at my feet. I'd been wild when Lucas had seen me fighting in the streets at thirteen. He'd saw a profit in me, I didn't mind either, I was getting paid to fight so I was winning in my opinion. But when I came home one night after taking on three guys, even though I'd won and I saw Gazzy's face at the side of the blood I was covered in. It had shocked me, so much that I had stopped fighting entirely. That had been a year ago. Now I needed to go back, but I wouldn't become that mad animal again, that thrived on violence.

Two hours it took me to walk through the streets, through the centre of the city to the abandoned ruin district. I followed the line of derelict buildings and factories that were slowly crumbling away behind the chain link fences. As I came to one that warned people of toxic waste contamination on a sign I climbed under the chain and walked to the metal door. Slamming my fist against the door it slid open and a tall bald man stood there in jeans and a black shirt.

"What you want kid?" He asked gruffly.

I held up my wrist with the bracelet on and his eyes narrowed. "You're Lucas's fighter for the night? Huh, your funeral then."

He stood aside and I easily navigated myself through the cemented building, people were already gathering around a ring that had been set up, alcohol was being passed around like the nectar of life. I walked up some metal catwalk steps to the office that overlooked the scene and knocked and pushed the door open.

Lucas raised his head from his laptop and grinned. "Ahhhh Max, so nice to see you again. Hope you're ready for a fight."

"Why else would I be here?" I snapped

"So tense, ease up a little kid, it'll add years to your life." he eyes me and a glint came to his eyes. "It's a good thing you've been keeping in shape, I got a look at the Irish and he has a couple hundred pounds on you. But I doubt that would matter."

"Where's the money?"

He stood and arched his back peering out one of the windows at the crowd below, lit by fluorescent runway track light. "You'll get it after fight, consider it…..insurance, to make sure you win this fight. I haven't seen you play in a while so I want to make sure you win this."

I clenched my fists and accepted what he was saying, I'd just demand a little extra at the end of the night.

"I see your opponent has shown up."

I walked up beside him to peer down at the crowd that was parting to make way for a tall topless man, he was pale skinned and had a dash of brown hair on his head worn in a buzz cut. He wore boxing shorts and his chest was chiselled hard with muscles, he raised his arms above his head as if he was celebrating already winning. I grinned.

"He wont be too much of a fight, have my money ready." I called over my shoulder as I walked out of the room and down the stairs. I shoved people out of my way heading to the centre of the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you've come here tonight for a fight. And you are going to get one hell of a fight, may I introduce to you the contenders. First up straight from his Irish homelands, the man who beat the luck out of the leprechaun, I give you Bare Knuckles Finn!"

The crowd went wild, screaming, shouting, booing, cheering and even calling out bets as Finn paraded around in the ring. I turned and looked at Lucas who was doing the introductions and standing on the raised platform in front of the ring, he raised his hands again and the crowd silenced.

"And we have the one lady here tonight who has made grown men break down crying, or just break at the knees. Lads she'll give you the ride of your life," chuckles went up around the room, "but she's not afraid of a scrap. I give you our very own city gal here in the flesh. Maximum Ride!"

Cheers went up and as I glanced around the room I recognised some high class business men from the fights I'd been in over the years, some where just average people who enjoyed betting and seeing a good fight. I heard some speculate why I was back. It didn't matter I turned to Finn and cracked my knuckles.

"You ready for your ride?" I sassed, loosening my limbs.

He chuckled shaking his head. "Don't worry my sweet, I wont hurt you too much." He winked, and in the same instant through a fist at my face.

I dodged and stepped to the side, my fists flashed as I delivered my own quick jabs into his side, as I spun and leapt away he blinked at me and grunted. Nice red marks that would turn into bruises already peppering his chest and side.

The shock on his face wore off sooner than I thought. I blocked with my forearms as he came at me full on, holding nothing back. I blocked out the dim lit factory and the sounds of metal clanging, feet stamping, people shouting and focused on the flow of muscle it took to bring my fist up under his guard and whack it across his forehead. As his head snapped back around blood dripped from a cut on his temple. His next round was too fast for me to block entirely, my sides burned and I felt the air rush out of me as the hits landed like rocks. Then he brought up his leg to nail me in my side, sending me flying across the cement floor, scraping my arms and knees.

I pushed myself up quickly and swore under my breath I felt my control slip as the anger and rage that had started me fighting since I was little took over. I smiled, feeling his punches, they made me even angrier.

I started laughing and as he landed a punch to my ribs that I swear cracked something, I reached my hand out, grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him in half as I threw punches into his stomach over and over, to the point that when I let go he stumbled. I brought my knee up into his face, smashing his nose. He shouted and lunged at me, I lunged back and our bodies slammed together, I jerked my head forward and head butted him repeatedly, when I saw the whites of his eyes as the rolled to the back of his head, I brought my leg up in a round house kick against his temple. Sending him sprawling to the floor, he didn't move but I still knelt and kept punching his bloody face, before bashing his head into the floor using his hair as my handle.

Panting and finished I stood, Lucas walked up to me and grabbed my wrist and raised my clenched fist into the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen I give you our winner!"

Cheers went up and even a few boos as those who had lost bets forked over their money. Lucas escorted me up to his office and I received a few pats and handshakes. I said nothing, trying to curb the urge to hit those who touched me, my adrenaline was pumping high and the sounds grated against my ears as my hearing picked everything up around me again.

"That was brilliant Max, I daresay you've gotten more ruthless than before. It looked like you were trying to bury that guys head in the floor and you-"

"Just give me the money so I can go home." I snapped.

He chuckled not fazed in the least at my waspish tone. He walked to his desk, opened a draw and pulled out a envelope, he pulled notes out from inside and started counting up.

"I want a extra hundred, I gave you a show for your crowd. I could have easily taken the guy out in five minutes, I dragged it out for you."

He glanced up and I thought he was going to protest, he snickered and added the extra hundred. "You know how to deal kid, if I didn't know better I'd swear you were one of my kids. How is your father these days?"

I snatched the money he held out to me and stuffed the wad into my deep jean pockets. "Dead for all I care." I turned and walked to the door.

"I want you back in two days. I'll send my lads to pick you up at your place at eleven." He called.

I nodded and left. I didn't want to spend a minute more in that place. Outside the night air nipped at my skin and I regretted not bringing a jacket with me. I rubbed my arms and started the walk back home. I felt every muscle and bone ache in protest, each breath made my ribs burn alerting me that I had in fact broken or cracked at least one. The blood on my knuckles and face dried, but in the night I barely drew any glances. Sweat cooled in the breeze making me shiver even more as my breaths finally calmed and the adrenaline left my system.

Turning the key in the house lock and opening the door I waited, listening to the sounds of the house. It was silent apart for some mumbling in one of the upstairs bedrooms that told me Mum was home. I closed the door and locked it up, walked upstairs and turned the taps in the bathroom sink on. I peeled off my gloves and rinsed the blood off my knuckles under the taps, soaking a cloth I cleaned the rest of myself up. I dragged bandages and Neosporin out from under the sink and cleaned and bandaged my cuts before walking tiredly across the hall.

I knocked on the door. "Its me."

Seconds passed and Ari opened the door quietly and motioned for me to come in. I nodded at his unasked question if I was okay and settled into the armchair I used as a bed.

He locked the door behind me and laid back down on the sleeping bag he'd laid out next to the mattress Angel and Gazzy slept peacefully on.

"What time is it?" I asked exhausted, rubbing a tender mark on my lower side.

"It's half past one. Get some sleep Max, we have school in less than eight hours. You'll be okay for school?"

"Always am." I mumbled closing my eyes.

When sleep came I was restless, tossing, turning and shifting my position, unable to get comfy as everywhere on my body seemed to be a sore spot. When I did get to sleep, it seemed I woke up all too soon. But I'd done it, I could keep my family going for a while longer. We'd be fine…..I hoped.

A/N As promised the second chapter before the end of teh weekend. I will try to get the next one up but it may be a while as Im starting college tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed, this is where the action starts. In the next chapter we shall meet Mr. Tall Dark and Silent ;) Review if ya love it, hate it or just wana say hi! Reviews make me type quiker hint hint.