Chapter 7

• As their class ended, Riley made his way towards the restroom. His footsteps echoed through the nearly empty hallway. Most students were still busy packing up in their classes. As he walked, he noticed three figures trailing him.
• He acted oblivious to his current situation, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.
• Upon entering the restroom, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. "What's cooking, Alexander," a voice mocked.
• "Here I was, thinking today would just pass by without trouble," Riley sighed.
• "Why are you giving your buddy Zack the cold shoulder today? You forgot you were supposed to buy me lunch today like you promised."
• Another boy with spiky hair stepped forward, extending his hand as he smirked, "So hopefully you'd cough up enough to make up for it, and we'll forgive you. After all, we're friends, right?"
• The third boy chuckled, patting the second boy's back. "Come on, saying it like that makes it look like we're milking him or something"
• "Besides Jake, that's an understatement. We're best friends, aren't we, Alexander?"
• Riley recognized the three bullies from Alexander's memories, their faces etched into his mind. The boy who placed his arm over his shoulders was Zack. He had a slightly big build with a rough hair.
• The other two boys were Jake and Tyler, although possessing smaller builds compared to Zack, they were all good fighters.
• A soft laugh escaped Riley's lips. "The rich bullying the rich," he muttered under his breath, "how lovely."
• Mustering a low tone, Riley questioned them, "Why do you kids do this?"
• "Huh?" Zack furrowed his brow, trying to grasp what Riley said.
• Riley's voice grew clearer, this time laced with disdain. "Are you doing this to satisfy some inferiority complex of yours?"
• "Having a form of dominance over the son of the great Richard Sinclair really strokes your egos till it climaxes, doesn't it?
• "It really is laughable." He let out a brief laughter.
• Zack's grip tightened on Riley's hair, pulling him closer. "Well, would you look at that? Our best friend is going through his rebellious phase."
• "As his dear friends, I think we should help him, shouldn't we?" Tyler added.
• Riley sighed, a strange storm of excitement brewing inside him. "This is honestly not a good day for you guys." His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned in, "Unfortunately for you all, I've always wanted to beat the crappy attitude out of people like you."
• Zack erupted in laughter. "What the hell are you going on about, you cocky bastard?"
• Riley's lips curled forming a twisted smile as Zack's laughter filled the restroom. Without warning, Riley's fist shot forward, slamming it into Zack's gut. Zack staggered back, clutching his stomach, a choking gasp now taking the place of his laughter.
• "He's slow," Riley thought, his sharp gaze tracking Zack's movements. "Big build, but he doesn't know how to use it effectively."
• As a detective in his previous life, self defense was one of the skills Riley had picked up. Never would he have thought for a moment that the knowledge of this skill would come around to be useful in such a manner.
• Jake and Tyler stunned by the unfolding event charged at Riley. Jake threw a wild punch at Riley's head, but Riley sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing Jake's wrist mid-swing. He twisted it sharply, slamming his elbow into Jake's ribs.
• "What a loose form," Riley thought as Jake collapsed. "He puts too much weight into his punches, leaving different openings to exploit."
• Tyler came at him next, aiming a kick at Riley's side. Catching Tyler's ankle with one hand, he flicked his wrist spinning him on mid-air before slamming him into the wall. Tyler groaned as he slid down, clutching his back.
• "He's actually quick, I'll give him that," Riley noted, straightening up and brushing off his sleeve. "But not fast enough. This body isn't just light-it's deceptively strong. How convenient."
• "Alexander, you fucktard!" Zack yelled, recovering from the initial hit, and charged at Riley like a bull. Riley stood still, a wide grin building up on his face. At the last second, he ducked under Zack's wild swing, planting a sharp uppercut into his jaw. Zack staggered back, spitting blood.
• Riley laughed, the sound echoing eerily in the restroom. He was enjoying the moment, like a child let loose in a playground. "Come on, Zack. You're supposed to be the leader here. At least show some leader-like strength?"
• Jake scrambled to his feet, desperation beginning to flash in his eyes. He leaped at Riley, throwing a wave punches at his face. Riley dodged each one with ease, his movements fluid and almost appearing playful.
• "Right now he's trying to overwhelm me," Riley thought, amused. "But he's too predictable. His punches telegraph his intent. His movements scream Amateur."
• He caught Jake's fist mid-swing, twisting his arm behind his back and shoving him toward Zack, who was attempting to charge again. The two collided and fell in a heap.
• "Teamwork, huh?" Riley mocked, stepping over them as they struggled to untangle themselves.
• "Not really your forte, is it?"
• Tyler, still leaning against the wall, pulled a switchblade from his pocket, his hand trembling. Riley's eyes gleamed with dark amusement.
• "A weapon? Are kids even allowed to have that in school?" he taunted, advancing slowly. "Pulling it out means you've gotten desperate, I suppose. Let's see if you're bold enough to finish what you started."
• Tyler slashed wildly, but Riley anticipated every move, dodging with an almost bored expression. His practical experience overshadowed every attempt they made.
• Finally, Riley grabbed Tyler's wrist, twisting it until the blade clattered to the floor.
• "You're scared," Riley observed, his voice calm but laced with a cloud menace. "You've never used a blade on someone have you?
• With a swift kick to Tyler's chest, Riley sent him crashing into a nearby mirror.
• A smirk formed on Riley's face as his eyes fell on the switchblade lying discarded on the floor.
• Slowly, he bent down and picked it up, twirling it between his fingers with a casual grace. His eyes were gleaming with a sinister light as he looked back at the three boys laying before him.
• "You wanted to spice things up a bit earlier, right?" Riley said, his voice low and taunting. He flicked the blade open with a snap, the sound making Zack and Jake flinch.
• Tyler, still slumped against the mirror, barely managed to raise his head, to be met with a sight that made his face turn pale.
• Jake, tried to scoot backward, his injured knee trembling. "C-Come on, man, it was just a joke. We... We didn't mean anything by it!"
• "A joke?" Riley queried, tilting his head as if considering the word. His smirk shifted from being filled with mere amusement to a more predatory nature. "So what you're saying is, all the times you humiliated Alexander were just... harmless fun?"
• At this moment, no one had taken note to Riley's reference to himself in third person, not even him. One side was overcome with fear, and the other side, a blood lusted amusement.
• Zack groaned, trying to stand despite the pain in his ribs. "Put the knife away, Alex. You're taking this too far! Don't do something stupid!"
• Riley's laughter erupted, dark and unhinged. "Too far? Something stupid?" Не took a step toward Zack, who instinctively staggered backwards. "Funny. I thought too far and stupid was what you lot specialized in."
• His gaze shifted to Jake, who was visibly shaking now. A dark stain spread across his pants as the smell of urine filled the air.
• "What a joke," Riley said mockingly, pointing the blade at Jake. "Looks like someone couldn't keep it together. What happened to all that confidence, Jake? Cat got your tongue? Or should I take it myself?"
• Zack leaped forward in a desperate attempt to grab the knife, but Riley was faster. He spun around, delivering a sharp kick to Zack's chest that sent him crashing into the sink, making it crack under the force. Zack slumped to the ground, gasping for air.
• "Bad move," Riley said coldly, turning his attention back to Jake. He pressed the blade lightly against Jake's trembling fingers, just enough to draw a thin line of blood.
• "P... please stop... please. I won't bother you again, I won't even look at you. Please!" Jake yelled, tears streaming down his face.
• Suddenly, Riley paused, his eyes widening as if waking up from a daze. He staggered backwards dropping the blade as he looked at his slightly bloodstained hand. "What the hell am I doing?"