The ball snapped into Xander's hands like it was a yo yo attached with strings.
One dribble. Two. He cut through mid court with that lazy swagger, but his eyes? Sharp. Predator sharp.
"Clamp him up, Vic!" Dylan barked, sliding into position.
Victor smirked, arms wide. "Come on, Hale. Show me what you got, pretty boy."
Xander's lips twitched. "You sure? 'Cause you'll need crutches after this."
He crossed over hard…ball snapping left, then right…Victor's feet tangling for just a split second.
The crowd gasped.
In slow motion , Victor stumbled, sneakers squealing.
And then…boom! Xander exploded forward, splitting the defense. Straight to the rim.
He went up.
Hung in the air like gravity was optional.
Ball rolled off his palm…sweet, effortless…kissing glass, dropping clean.
Swish!!
The bleachers erupted.
"Ankle breaker!"
"Daaamn, he cooked you, Vic!"
Victor snarled, cheeks burning, already signaling for the inbound.
"Lock in, boys!" Coach barked. Arms folded, face tight. But there was a flicker…just the corner of his mouth.
Next play, Victor forced the drive. Shoulders down, bulldozing.
Xander didn't even flinch. Met him chest to chest, hands up.
WHAM!!!
The ball ricocheted off Xander's palm, bouncing loose. Matt scooped it, lobbed it back.
"Yo, Hale…take it!"
Xander caught, spinning clean. Took two steps across half court.
Pulled up.
Deep three. Stupid deep.
Silence fell like a curtain. Again in slow motion the ball arched…hanging high, rim glinting.
Swish!!!
The gym detonated.
"Bang, bang, bangggg!"
"From the logo, baby!"
Cheerleaders jumped, pom poms flying. Fanboys slapped the bleachers till the whole gym rattled.
Xander jogged backward, smirking sharp enough to cut glass and stab hearts. "Call that range, Vic. You wouldn't know about it."
Victor's nostrils flared. "Lucky shot."
"Yeah? Then guard me closer, big man. I dare you."
The next few minutes were chaos.
Fast break after fast break.
Xander threaded no-look dimes to Matt.
Behind the back dish to Liam.
Then with a spin move in the lane…finishing through contact.
"Xan's got handles like butter!" someone yelled.
"He's eating y'all alive!"
Every bucket cranked the crowd louder.
"Xander! Xander! Xander!"
In yet another slow motion, Xander stormed down the lane with Victor right on him.
They both launched, bodies colliding mid air.
Sweat spraying, muscles straining.
For a heartbeat, the world held its breath.
And then CLAP!!!
Xander twisted, dropped the ball off the glass with his left. It fell clean.
The gym exploded. Cheer girls screamed, fanboys whistled, sneakers stomped in rhythm.
Victor hit the ground hard, eyes wide, chest heaving.
Xander landed light. Straightened. Wiped his jaw with the back of his hand.
Then winked. Slow. May be a little cruelly edged.
"Welcome to my court."
Coach's whistle screeched, finally cutting through the noise. "Water break!" he barked, stone faced. But his eyes lingered on Xander for a second longer than they should have. Just a flicker of a smile. Just enough.
Because even Coach knew…
The trophy?
It was already on its way home.
The boys jogged off the court, shirts clinging, sweat dripping, sneakers squealing against the polished floor as they laughed, gossiping.
"Good shit, Cap!" Matt hollered, slapping Xander's back.
"Bro, you cooked his ass!" Liam laughed, bumping fists with him.
"Logo shot? Deadly. Straight sniper mode."
Xander grinned, chest still heaving, fist bumping each of them on the way towards the locker room. The heat of victory still burned in his veins after that inconvenient humiliation. It was nothing… but Xander wasn't used to it. His reputation and glory was like his second skin.
Then suddenly, thud.
A shoulder slammed into him. Hard. His towel slipped off his neck and fell on the dirty floor.
Victor of course.
Not even a glance. Just that smug strut, chin tilted high.
The air thickened for a second. The boys froze.
Matt muttered, "Yo, chill…
But Xander only smirked, slow, dangerous. Bent down, scooped up the towel, shook it off like nothing. He knew what this was…Victor pushing, prodding, begging for a swing.
Not yet.The game was tomorrow, he wasn't going to play with his whim.
He grabbed a fresh towel and strode into the showers, steam already fogging the air, the tiles echoing with splashes and low chatter. He kicked off his sneakers, hung the towel, and stepped under the spray.
The water blasted down, hot, pounding against his skin, washing away the sweat, the noise, the sting of restrained emotions.
Then a click.
Another showerhead hissed to life.
Right next to him.
Victor. Xander scoffed because he could literally smell him. Damn!
For a moment there was silence. Just water slapping tile. Steam curling thick.
Then Victor's low voice cut through.
Sharp…Venomous.
"Bet you are all hot after seeing your mother in action."
Everything paused. Xander froze!!! Petrified…
The words slid like acid into Xander's ear.
His senses went into overdrive… almost a seizure like frenzy.
Every muscle locked.
The water wasn't even water anymore…just noise pounding like drums in his skull.
One second he was under the spray.
The next he was gone.
Xander ripped through the partition like it wasn't even there, bare feet swinging over it. His hand clamped around Victor's throat, shoving him back into the wall so hard the tiles vibrated.
"What did you say, motherfucker!" Xander's voice roared, like a beast's, literally reverberating.
Victor's smirk barely had time to flicker before Xander's fist crashed into his face.
CRACK!!!
Blood sprayed, mixing with the shower water, dripping red rivers down the drain.
Victor gasped, choked, but Xander didn't stop.
THUD
Another punch.
THUD
And another.
THUD
Knuckles splitting. Nose fracturing into pieces.
Each hit harder. Wilder. Raw fury exploding out of him.
Victor's groan cut short as blood gushed, painting his mouth, his chest.
The showers kept hissing, spraying steam and mist, the sound drowned under the rhythm of fists smashing flesh.
Xander's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached…or perhaps they even elongated a little. "You knew? How the heck did you even know about it, you sick piece of shit!"
Another fist. Bone on bone.
Victor's nose was close to no more. He was just a couple of punches away from becoming Voldemort. His head snapped sideways, body sagging against the wall.
And still…Xander's grip never loosened on his throat. He was choking him. He knew. But he didn't care.
The locker room, the steam, the showers…it all spun around him like he wasn't even there anymore. Just rage and heat filling his essence, his body, his spirit, his soul… something barked in his ear. "Finish him off! Get rid of this moronic low life!!!"