Chapter 7

Lol, I've read over the reviews and some of you must have missed the 'first half' segment of Chapter 6. They still have a whole other half! But not this Chapter, they're in the locker room the whole time. Ha! I do not own Ranger's Apprentice and I never will.

Will sat himself painfully down at his locker, retrieving his IPod from within. He massaged his knee gently whilst shoving the headphones into his ears, hoping to drown any thoughts that may cross his mind in the explosive, cruel, but motivating guitars. He chose the song Indestructible by Disturbed and leaned his head backwards to where the back of his head rested on the top of his locker. His eyes stared up at the ceiling, as if there were some large bug that he would like to squash taunting him. The lyrics replaced whatever thought of pain, whatever wrongdoing that had been done unto him thus far.

Another mission, the powers have called me away

Another time to carry the colors again

My motivation, an oath I've sworn to defend

To win the honor of coming back home again

Thoughts of Alyss began to creep into Will's mind; thoughts of her beauty, her intelligence, her kindness, began to overcome his sense of focus. He recalled her most recent smile; it was the most gorgeous as he had ever seen it. Rapturous, there was no other girl granted with her beauty. It was too unbelievable of a girl gifted with her sense of grace would have the heart to watch him get knocked off his feet repeatedly. Will began cursing himself in the back of his mind for allowing her to see how weak he had become. His knee continued to throb despite Will's efforts to mollify the pain. She must not love him anymore; he was showing her that he could not deal with a minor discomfort. He bent his knee backwards, nearly slicing his tongue in half in an attempt to quiet his agonized screams. The door of the locker room opened and Coach Duncan appeared from around the corner. He gestured for Will to follow. Will forced himself onto his feet; his leg began swaying terribly beneath him. Those around him noticed and flashed him concerned glances. Will pretended not to have paid any attention and limped with great effort after Coach Duncan. He pushed the door open and met him outside in the hallway. Coach Duncan's eyes dropped their gaze to Will's quivering knee; he returned back to Will's grimacing face.

"Will, are you hurt?" he asked calmly. Will's first instinct was to lie just as he was taught when it came to physical anguish. However, Coach Duncan knew Will and knew when he was lying; he could identify his tell-tale signs faster than anyone, except for Horace and George. Will took out a headphone, but said nothing. Instead, he shook his head. Coach Duncan raised an eyebrow inquiringly. Will had been taught to play through pain, serious pain; pain that most men would crumble in defeat from. He knew that Will would rather die than stop at his limits. Miller was the team that had hurt Will the previous year, nearly removing him from the season. Horace and George had worked twice as hard trying to keep the scores down and buy Halt and the wounded offense some time to score. Coach Duncan noticed the glint in Will's eye. It was a mixed glint, one filled with both adoration and shame. What Will was feeling shameful about was unknown, but certainly seemed undeserving of the expression on his face. The lyrics of the song continued to ring in Will's ears.

No explanation will matter after we begin

Unlock the dark destroyer that's buried within

My true vocation and now my unfortunate friend

You will discover a war you are unable to win

Will wished with all of his heart that the final words had said something other than 'a war you are unable to win'. His knee gave another agonizing spasm; Will staggered slightly and shifted to a position that seemed much easier to manage. Coach Duncan's eyes darted downwards once again and fixed themselves back onto Will's face.

"Will, I'm going to ask you again," he warned. "Are you hurt?" Will shook his head once again, grinding his teeth to keep from yelling out. Coach Duncan's lower lip curled; Will was displaying an admirable surplus of heart, but his wretched pride would befall the team and they would be faced with yet another loss against Miller.

"Honestly, Coach, I'm…f-fine!" he lied. Pain was interfering with his ability to speak, faltering his words and breaking his voice.

"Then why is your knee trembling?" he asked. His tone resembled that of a detective interrogating a suspect, just eager to hear what explanation Will reserved for this moment. Will sighed, defeated. Coach Duncan emitted a victorious smirk, but regarded Will's still quivering leg.

"They h-hit m-me in th-the leg r-r-repeatedly!" Will faltered, trying to speak and subdue the rising paroxysm simultaneously. Coach Duncan held out his hands, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "We could have gotten some ice for you earlier!" Will shrugged. Coach Duncan then evoked the glint of adoration in Will's eyes. Why else would a Football player refuse any medical attention and play injured?

"There's a girl in the stands isn't there?" Coach Duncan guessed. If this were Horace instead of his Head Coach, this would have been a perfect opportunity for Will to crack a joke. Instead Will nodded, wincing slightly. Coach Duncan nodded. "Will, don't let your mind wander to her. I'm not saying you can't have relationship, I'm just saying that this is the wrong time to think about her." Will wished it were that simple. He had been in love with Alyss for two long, continuous years, while fighting off preying girls. Evanlyn, who Will had claimed to love when he was in seventh grade, had not even invoked this much passion within his heart. Even with her, he felt that he had nothing to fight for. But with Alyss, he now felt he had something to prove; like his life depended on standing out. But Meadow Ridge was playing Miller! This was a vicious, merciless team who would not hesitate to mutilate those who dare stand across from them.

"Yes coach," Will sighed, defeated. The ability to talk was masked by the searing pain in his knee. He staggered slightly, hoping that it would remain undetected by Coach Duncan, whose gaze darted downwards, and then back to Will's eyes. His expression showed that he was debating, whether or not to sit Will on the bench for the remainder of the match. Even a coach's pride must be named second to the wellbeing of a player, especially one that they are close to.

"Will, are you sure you can continue?" he asked, hoping for an assuring response. Will's expression winced as the leg let out another painful throb. He bit his tongue and nodded. Coach Duncan studied him for a few seconds, as if he were a large textbook and then patted him on the shoulder. Will replaced his headphone in his ear and grasped the lyrics of the song once again.

Indestructible, determination that is incorruptible

From the other side, a terror to behold

Annihilation will be unavoidable

Every broken enemy will know

That their opponent had to be invincible

Take a last look while you're alive

I am indestructible,

Master of Mind!

Will's mind soaked them in, like an absorbent sponge. He clenched his teeth, using the words to suppress the agony in his knee. It was still wobbling with no intent of stopping. He tossed his head, teaching himself that he was in control and not the arising pain. Yet still, his knee made it onerous to walk. He resembled a baby taking its first steps as he made his way back to his locker. Whispers, probably of him, began to issue, and glances were projected from every known direction. He sat down next to Halt, massaging his knee lightly. Halt regarded him paused his song, and took out his headphones. He tapped Will lightly to draw his attention and requested he do the same. Will was disappointed; if there was any band that could relieve his knee's anguish like a prescription pain reliever, it was Disturbed. He stared at Halt, curious of what he might say. For a few seconds, Halt said nothing, as if his mouth had been glued shut. Awkwardness filled the small space between their legs; Will's mind was overtaken by the wounded screams of his leg. Of course, with Halt wanting to talk to him, but saying nothing, Will would not be able to sedate himself with music. Finally, Halt broke the untimely silence.

"So, what did Coach Duncan want to talk to you about?" he asked. His tone hinted more of interrogation than curiosity. Will felt his cheeks begin to burn; he had no desire to tell Halt that Coach Duncan had discussed his injury.

"He wanted to go over tactics," he lied. "You know, ways to capitalize when Miller slips up." He felt his eyes droop, his chest felt heavy and his smile had forced itself into a frown of guilt. There was no way to hide his penitence. As expected, Halt seized his emotion as if were money.

"Nice," he said plainly. "Tell me what you were really talking about." Will huffed. His knee gave another agonizing throb, one that had forced Will to scream out. Those around him casted their attentions onto him who began massaging his knee feverishly. Halt cocked his head sideways, reminiscent of a confused dog.

"Coach Duncan noticed me limping around," Will began. Halt raised his eyebrows; his suspicions were true. He still said nothing, awaiting Will to finish his tale. "He asked if I was hurt and I told him that they had struck my knee repeatedly. And uh…." He whipped his head around, as if he were worried that someone was eavesdropping.

"He knows she's in the stands." Halt raised his eyebrows, but out of surprise, not of suspicion. He had always suspected that Coach Duncan might be psychic, but he never believed he was.

"Alyss?" Will stared at him in disbelief. Halt raised his hands, coaxing Will to continue.

"He told me not to let my mind wander, to forget that she's even there," Will said, his speech becoming slower, as if the words pained him as they escaped his lips. Halt nodded comprehensively.

"Ah…isn't amazing the affects the presence of one's crush has on us?" Halt asked, staring up at the ceiling dreamily, as if he stargazing. Will stared at him, dumbstruck. He had no clue what Halt was hinting.

"What are you talking about?" Will asked him. Halt sighed; he wished that Will had left this alone. He definitely had no desire to comment on Will's recall.

"I hate to be against you Will," he began. It was Will's turn to raise his eyebrows. Halt waved this sight away. "You know what I mean!"

"I don't think you do!" Will began, his face drawing heat.

"Will, I hated to be the one to say this, but I kind of agree with Coach Duncan," Halt confessed. Will opened his mouth, but could not find words to form. His temper was boiling within his chest; there was no music to sedate his anger, only to fuel it.

"Do you?" he remarked coldly.

"Yes I do!" Halt shot back. "Will, you're an amazing running back! I would be shocked to see that scouts were not already looking at you. But you have to consider the condition of your knee!" Will rolled his eyes, annoyed with Halt's contradictions.

"I'm sure it's just a bruise," Will dismissed. Halt shook his head, exhausted of the many times before Will had dismissed injuries. "That's what it normally is!" Halt shot him a look of disbelief.

"'It's just a bruise', your knee is throbbing like the throat of a bullfrog!" Halt argued. "That's one hell of a bruise if it is one!" Will groaned; his tolerance levels were low from all the pressure piled onto his shoulders. Halt knows of this, yet he still continues to test his temper.

"So what?" Will excused. "I'm not going to lie down just because a few painful twinges!" Halt let out an agitated moan; every eye in the locker room was now fixed upon them.

"You're limping!" Halt fired back. "You can barely stand! I've watched your knee shake uncontrollably! Don't tell me it's just a few painful twinges!" Will pulled himself painfully to his feet, trying to show some sort of dominance. But in this image, the only appearance he would project was his lameness. Halt rose to his feet, frustration was burning in his eyes.

"I'm fine!" Will fought.

"Says the guy who is leaning on the lockers for support!" Halt shot back. "If you play the next half, you will be taking a risk that the entire school will not forgive!" Will waved his statement aside as if it were an object that Halt wanted Will to see.

"No other running back knows the plays like I do!" Will pointed out in a rather aggressive tone. "If I sit out, then I'll still be risking the game!"

"If you sit out, then people won't trash you for extending our losing streak another year!" Halt indicated. Will wanted to strike at him, to assuage the boiling anger.

"I would rather fight and lose than watch from the sidelines!" Will refused. Halt's lower lip curled; this was a sign that Halt was choleric, that his temper was rising.

"You're only doing this because Alyss is in the stands!" Halt growled. Will had no memory of how he felt at that particular moment, just the recollection of Will lunging at Halt, his fist inches from his face. The only thing that stopped him was Horace's electric reactions. Will's fist was locked in his iron grip, his body felt awkward against Horace's boulder like shoulder. He pushed Will away and eased his grip. Will detached his wrist and held it against his chest. Halt and Will were breathing angrily, brutal glints clearly visible in their eyes. The pain in his knee did not possess as much strength as it had before. The hunger to defeat Miller was overwhelming. The adoration, the love he had for Alyss had taken control of his mind. There was no other like her and if it meant mutilating his body to be with her, he would do it.