Scott turned his head slightly so his voice would project backwards and said, "Last week's game winner boys," and Scott and another mate split off right, while a third moved around to encircle Matt from behind. The remaining two approached in plain sight, and appeared non-threatening. The two called, "Hey….Matt wait up."

As they got closer, Matt looked around and not seeing anyone else loosened up a little as he couldn't see Scott anywhere. Dan said, "We wanted to talk to you about a tutoring gig for the multi-strand science units that we have to do this semester. We know you and Scott don't get on, anyone you can recommend? We'd pay you a finders fee of course."

The lie like all good ones had an element of truth in it. They did have to do some science units and it was totally within character that they would suck at them. Matt didn't need the money they were offering, but he couldn't say the same for a lot of his friends who relied on government assistance to get by.

If they were willing to pay to get some help, and he could hook up a needy buddy then that was a win for him, so he grudgingly accepted for the moment that this might actually be on the level.

They chatted for a few minutes as the rest of the group moved quietly into position, and as the two reached a compromise on a student that would help them, Matt heard a quiet scuff behind his car. Matt might have been a little on the trusting side, but he knew an ambush when he heard one and his training kicked in.

All Army Under-Grad Officer trainee's did portions of their military training during the holiday breaks, and luckily for his sake last semester's training was all about ambushes. When ambushed by a force of unknown number, the only option is to turn, punch through the first line of contact and flank the rest of the ambushing force. Leaving the rest scrambling after you, instead of them keeping you in their kill zone.

That's exactly what Matt did, and in this case his first point of contact was the two who had distracted him. He leaned forward like he was going to fall while allowing his knees to fold a little and then at the point of no return explosively leapt forward while putting his shoulder behind a power punch at the one on the left's solar plexus.

As he landed from the spring he just managed to get his legs back under him and dodged Alex's grasping hands as he took off to the left, crouch running behind cars as the man who had circled behind him ran just out in front of him he stood up and threw his right arm out at the guy's throat, coat hangering him before he took off running down the car park.

Matt was moderately fit, fit enough to pass the Army's entrance physical. But he wasn't an athlete ho trained five days a week, including sprinting drills and in short order the rest of the pack pulled him down, and dragged him by the shoulders back to his Car where Scott and Alex's brother Ben who as still down and lay gasping for air.

Scott was furious that Matt had nearly gotten away and laid two of his boys out. And as his two friends forced Matt to his knees in front of Scott, he stepped closer and said, "You're going to wish you hadn't done that." He grabbed Matt by the hair and pulled back his fist and with a downward punch drove his fist into Matt's jaw.

Matt looked up again, tasting blood as he said, "Is that all you've got you gutless bastards. Send your fudge-packing (AN: Slur meaning gay) friends to do your dirty work."

At this Scott hit Matt in the stomach winding him as his mates dropped him onto the pavement and those who could pounded on him with their fists and feet. After they'd satisfied themselves that they'd given him a good kicking Scott knelt down beside Matt and said, "She's my girl, it's about time you accept that."

How long Matt laid there for, he didn't know. His muscles refused to do anything but scream at him in pain, he was too bloodied and bruised to do anything about it though. He phased in and out of consciousness on the hot blue chip parking lot, almost willing himself to die to escape his battered body.

Until he heard a gasp and looked up, he wondered for a moment if he had died. Anna's blonde hair was highlighted with a corona that looked remarkably like a halo in the rays of the dying sun. That sight was the last image he had before he passed out again.

He was released from the hospital a week later, looking considerably the worse for wear. Angry, yet coping with it. The police had wanted to know who had beaten him so badly. Matt had refused to tell them, explaining simply.

"There's no video record, so it'll be my word against theirs. And frankly I won't allow them to see how close to death I came."

Frustrated at his reticence, they had left their card in case he changed his mind. After signing the discharge papers he arranged a lift home with a class mate and after he reached the sanctity of his home secluded down the backside of the range, he had shut and locked the front door.

As he looked in the full length mirror in his room the mask shattered, the sadness that had been masked by the rage spilling out physically as he sat and hugged himself while the tears cascaded down his face.

Anna blinked as one of her friends looked at her expectantly. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," she replied, who scowled at Anna's lack of attention and said, "I said, when are you and Scott going to get over your tiff?"

Anna nearly recoiled from the question and said, "After what he did to Matt, how could you ask that?"

Jenna scowled, "It wasn't him, he said so. He was with his mates in Grand Central, nowhere near Matt when he got jumped. And besides, how could you believe that pathetic loser over your own boyfriend."

Anna didn't have an answer for her, it wasn't something that could be put into words, but she knew it had been Scott. She'd thought about nothing else since she'd found Matt, lying in his own congealed blood out by his car. He'd been out there, baking in the sun on the car park that was covered with blue-chip rocks for the better part of the afternoon.

Until she'd found him after finishing classes at 7. She remembered how he'd looked at her when she found him, the joy and happiness in his eyes, contrasted with the stony almost hostile glare he'd had when he looked at her when she'd gone to see him in the hospital.