When Kyle arrived at the Boys and Girls club of San Francisco he was swarmed by the under ten kids. The younger kids loved to try and climb him like a tree. He was six two and broad shouldered and as solid as a hard wood tree, all lean and sinewy muscle. His wasn't built like Trav but through constant training he'd built up enough strength to withstand the on slot of the rug rats. So every time he came in it was the same thing. They'd pile on and keep piling on as he struggled to walk with the added weight of the little munchkins, until finally he'd crashed to the gym floor.

It was a true challenge for them all. He would see how many he could carry and test his limits by pushing until he made it to the middle of the floor or beyond and they would challenge themselves to see how many of them could attach themselves to his body and drive him to the floor before he got there.

Today they'd laughed their evil little heads off as he continued to walk to the middle of the gym. His muscles were screaming at him though, so as a result he collapsed much sooner than he normally did.

The kids whooped and cheered over their victory and he let out a pretend roar to scatter them. They ran off screaming and laughing all the way back to their team leads.

He was working with the ten to fourteen year olds today. They had basketball practice and he was their coach. The Boys and Girls club competed against the other Boys and Girls clubs of San Fran for bragging rights and they had a good chance to win the whole kit and caboodle this year.

Thanks to their star player, a thirteen year old point guard, who's already six' two". Even though it's just considered a friendly competition, they often have to bring ID to prove he's under fourteen, because by the look of him you'd never know it.

Jonah Smith would have a bright future if he kept up with basketball he could probably earn a scholarship to his pick of any college. That is if Kyle can keep him out of jail. Jonah's a foster kid like him, but unlike him he hasn't let go of his resentment. He wears it like a second skin.

He hates the world and he isn't afraid to let everyone know he's a bad ass punk that shouldn't be messed with. But Kyle sees his actions for what they truly are a defense mechanism; however, that won't keep him out of jail, if he keeps pulling the shit he's been pulling.

Truancy, vandalism, arson, assault, harassment, theft the kid had a rap sheet a mile long all before he was even twelve. He'd been court ordered into their program two years after he set a car on fire just to watch it burn. It was a cry for help and Kyle knew it, but if he can't get through to him before he turns sixteen, it won't matter. He'll be tried as an adult and disappear into the criminal justice system, like the thousands of fucked up foster kids before him.

But try as he may this kid was proving to be a tough nut to crack.

The team was already on the court warming up when he stepped into the back room. It was a secondary gymnasium that was reserved as their official court.

He took note that everyone was there as he walked by. They only had practice three days a week and they had to get as much court time in as possible, so it was great to see the kids' commitment to the team. Kyle went for the back changing room, and grabbing his whistle out of his locker, he stripped down to his shorts and jersey, before stuffing his belongings in and relocking it.

He'd needed to dress down, because he wasn't like other coaches; he ran the court back and forth with the kids. It helped him watch them more closely so that he could give them pointers on dribbling and passing.

He used to play basketball with Zach on the Haven High Saints before he was enlightened, but as soon as he'd developed his powers he was no longer allowed to play. None of the enlightened are allowed to play on the human teams -- which royally sucks if you ask him. He'd really missed it, until he started coaching here. Now he could turn his love of the game into something meaningful.

He was leaving the changing room when he heard the ruckus, and thought ruefully well that didn't take long. He scanned the crowd of kids to see who was at the center of the argument and was not surprised to see it was Jonah and Maleek.

Maleek was their power forward and as such was built to block the point guard of any given team. They must have decided on a little one on one practice, because Kyle could hear them arguing about one of Maleek's blocks. Jonah was insisting it was a foul.

Kyle had to shake his head. If there was any drama at all at the club, nine times out of ten Jonah was in the middle of it. He booked it over to them when he saw that it was about to turn into an all out fight, but when he worried he wouldn't make it in time he blew the whistle sharply. If Jonah got in one more fight under this roof, he'd be kicked from the club. No questions asked.

Last time he'd nearly broken the nose of another kid and his parents had had a hairy conniption. He'd been able to save him then, but the administrator told him in no uncertain terms if it happened again: He's out. So yeah Kyle put some juice into his steps and motored over to dive between them.

"Hey, hey, hey, Cool it guys!" Kyle called out sharply as he dove between them.

He had his back to Maleek and he was facing Jonah. Maleek was much smaller than both Kyle and Jonah, but that wasn't going to stop him from standing up for himself he had a rep to protect too. Why oh why? Kyle whined in his own head do these kids have to be constantly fronting. It was so friggin' exhausting.

Kyle locked Jonah in a serious stare. He knew better than to try and steer him away physically. When he was worked up that would only result in him taking his anger out on him. So he used his eyes and his words to try and calm him.

"Jonah, listen to me," he pleaded as he tracked him with his stare Jonah was still trying to get past him to get to Maleek, but Kyle was having none of that.

"It's just a practice, there's no need to get your panties in a bunch, okay? Let's just play ball." Kyle tried to help the quick to anger teen put it in perspective, but shit it wasn't working.

He'd have to up the ante if he hoped to put a lid on this powder keg before it exploded, "If you both don't calm down and kiss and make up. I'll sit you both out."

Lord let his love of the game win out.

Maleek was quick to apologize, "Sorry dude," no hard feelings," he stuck his hand out to shake it.

Jonah just fixed him with a scornful look and bellowed, "You can shove that hand right up your ass. You fucking terrorist!"

Oh shit, Kyle watched as Maleek turned every shade of red, as he thought Dumbass had to go and play the race card.

God damn it all! This was serious. Maleek was an American born Arabic guy with Islamic beliefs, and to be called a terrorist just because of his religious beliefs and his appearance was going too far and Jonah knew it.

He was doing his usual burn the world shit and Kyle wasn't going to stand for it.

"JONAS," Kyle spoke softly in a tone that wouldn't invoke his rage, "You're benched until you can give a sincere apology to Maleek and every other Muslim in this building. Now take a seat." Kyle pointed to the guest bench nearby.

Jonas started to object; he actually had the audacity to look shocked, before his expression changed to a smug grin.

Kyle knew that look. He'd worn it many times when he was young. It meant Jonah was scheming. He just knew he wasn't going to like whatever the conniving malcontent had in store for him. He'd been called that once or twice in his youth and it had stuck in his head. When he went home to look it up he thought at the time that he'd never heard a cooler way to describe himself, and if that doesn't tell you how far gone he was -- nothing would.

Instead of taking a seat on the bench though he'd stormed off for the locker room and as he deliberately slammed the door loudly Kyle sighed sadly. How was he ever going to get through to this kid? If he kept pushing everyone away he'd end up with nobody. That was the life lesson he'd learned years ago.

Taking a deep breath he focused the remainder of his energy on the remaining kids on the floor, but not before taking a moment to turn to Maleek and apologize for what was said to him. If anyone knew what it was like to be discriminated against because you're different, it's the halfbloods. Not that Maleek would believe Kyle lived with discrimination every day. Not by looking at him anyway.

Kyle was the halfblood descendant of the Norse God Njord, and had the appearance of a Scandinavian demigod.

He was as a pale as white bread, has blonde hair was nearly white it was so light, and his eyes were the palest blue too. So yeah no way he couldn't check off the ethnic diversity box, but he and his classmates knew all about be misjudged and oppressed.

So he looked a hurt twelve year old kid in the eyes and said with complete sincerity, "Maleek dude you know he doesn't really think that about you, right? None of us do," Kyle looked around to see the other kids nodding their heads in agreement.

"I know," he said in his small kid's voice, "he's just being a douche bag, he doesn't need to apologize," Maleek offered, "I know we need him for the game." He looked down at the floor sadly fully expecting Kyle to care more about winning.

"Nah Brah, no one disrespects a member of this team and doesn't pay the price for it. You hear me?" Kyle finished firmly as he looked around at all the other kids.

Maleek and three other Muslim players beamed at him. The other members of the team came up to slap them on the back or wrap their arms over their shoulders to show them that Jonah's views weren't theirs. And it made him love these kids all the more for it.

It was a sin that in this day and age people were still being persecuted, because of religious beliefs. That was why Bruno and Bo were dead set against any religious denominations. They often said, "It not money that is the root of all evil, rather it is religious fervor that is more often the culprit."

Half bloods don't follow religious beliefs. Sure they recognized pagan holidays, but that wasn't because they worships the gods the pagan's worshiped, it was because they were descendants of the gods themselves. And if you didn't think that was more than a little f'ed up, well he felt sorry for you.

He blew the whistle to signal the start of practice and had them running drills all night. The kids and he were exhausted by the time 8:30 rolled around. The centre closed in a half an hour and Jonah still hadn't left the locker room. But if he wanted to sulk that was fine with him. It was far less destructive than burning the centre down for instance.

He blew the whistle to signal the end of practice and all the boys took off for the locker room to change.

When Maleek poked his head out after just going in and stammered nervously, "A-a-h . . . coach you better come and see this."

Kyle's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He could tell by the look on Maleek's face that he wasn't going to like what he saw on the other side of the door, but he followed him anyway.

When he got in the room, he saw the guys clustered around one locker . . . his. On the front of the locker in big black marker was written:

FUCK YOU!

The lock of the locker was pried off and the door hung at a crooked angle. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out what he'd find in the locker when he opened the door . . . nothing.

He swung it open anyway and it made a loud protesting screech when he did. He'd hoped he was wrong, but he wasn't. The only contents it contained now was air and the words:

Suck my dick!

Kyle groaned and face palmed his forehead.

How could I have been so stupid?

Why didn't I handle it better?

He knew firsthand what ultimatums led to, now all his shit was gone. His backpack with all his books, his scribblers, and his clothes, his coat, even his wallet, but more importantly his weapon had been in that bag and he had better get it back before the council found out that he'd let an invisible spelled weapon fall into human hands.

Or he'd be screwed! 

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Welp Kyle's screwed. How is he going to get his backpack back?

And can he do it before the council finds out?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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