Miraculous Ladybug: Vendetta Part 1

Chapter 15: A strange encounter and a wager

Isaac POV

It's been 3 days ever since the fight at school. I became distant towards my friends and tried my best to keep out of trouble. Jackie suggested I should go to the gym or try out yoga. Says it should help cool my anger. I tried to apply to some gyms but they were either too expensive, too far or just not for me. The same could be said for yoga.  As for Malik and his friends, he wouldn't stop taunting me.

Before I made my way home after an unsuccessful day of finding a gym or any hobby to keep me calm, other than listening to music or reading comics, I heard a painful grunt. I saw a man in his late 40s getting beaten up by a group of dropout students from a different school.

"Damn it, Old Man! Get the hell out off our base!" The leader said. He wore a black tracksuit and trainers. 

"It's my gym, punk! Get lost!" The man shouted. He was almost bald and had a muscular physique.

"Not anymore. Soon, this place will be ours." Said a stocky teenager who kicked the man in the stomach.

"HEY, BACK OFF!" I shouted and shoved the teenager off the man. He regained his footing and scowled at me.

"Who the fuck are you, punk!?" He shouted. I helped up the man, who nodded at me with thanks.

"Why don't you guys find a better hobby to do other than beating up people?" I asked.

"Listen, punk. You better walk away now if you know what's good for you." The leader said. He glared at me and flexed his pectorals.

"Only cowards beat up the defenceless. Which makes you and your friends cowards." I said. The group glared at me.

"Kill this buck." The leader growled. One swung his bat at me. I ducked under and punched him in the stomach. As he doubled over, I flash kicked him in the jaw. His bat spun out off his hands and landed on mine as he fell to the ground, clutching his jaw. 

His friend pulled out a chain and tried to strike me in the face. I rolled to the side and darted forward. Before he could react, I swung the bat into his face, knocking out a few of his teeth. He stumbled backwards and clutched his bleeding jaw. I threw the bat at him. He caught it and smirked.

"What are you, stupi-!"

I interrupted him by kicking him in between the legs. He howled in pain and clutched his jewels, dropping both the chain and the bat. I picked up the chain and lassoed it around his neck. I tugged him towards me and snapped a kick at his cheek, knocking him out. 

"Who's next?" I called out. The last remaining members of the group ran towards me. I wrapped the chain around the bat and swung it with all my might. The bat knocked out the first one while the second ducked under and tried to tackle me. I yanked the chain back, causing the bat to trip him and land on the ground.  He tried to get up, but I wrapped the chain around his legs and kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

As I panted for breath, I glared at the leader, who scowled at me.

"This is a warning to you. Leave the old man be. Or you're next." I growled. 

The dropout with the bloody jaw pulled out a knife and tried to stab me. I dodged, but the blade grazed my stomach, leaving behind a cut. He swiped his knife again. I stepped back and kicked him in between the legs. He grunted. I released the bat from the chain and used it to knock the knife out of his hand. Before he could recover, I wacked the bat at his face. The dropout fell to the ground unconscious. 

The leader pointed at me.

"Next time we met. You're dead." He said and helped up his friends before leaving. The man clapped his hands and smiled.

"You ain't half bad, kid. You must've done this before." He said. I looked down at the blood stained bat and tossed it aside.

"Thanks for saving me from those punks. I owe ya one." He said as he clapped my shoulder.

"No worries, Mister." I said. I looked at the entrance.

"Oh that? Yeah. I was gonna make some renovations to the gym. But those punks beat me to it. If you hadn't save me back then, I'd be dead." He said.

"A gym? Are you a fitness instructor?" I asked.

The man nodded.

"Name Tyler. Tyler Stone." He said and shook my hand.

"Isaac Jones." I replied.

"Jones, huh? You're the kid who's been fighting alongside Ladybug. As Crimson Web?" Tyler asked. 

I nodded.

"You're a good kid. I can tell." He said as he ruffled my hair. He went to his gym and closed the entrance, placing the "we are closed" sign on the door. He noticed the cut on my rib.

"Hold still." He said and cleaned the wound. He placed an antiseptic plaster on my rib, covering the cut.

"Thanks." I said. Tyler patted my shoulder and was about to make his way home until the drop out student came back, followed by a much more burly teenager. He wore a grey tracksuit and black sneakers

"So this is the guy who beat up our boys, eh?" He asked. 

"That's right, Victor." The dropout said, pointing at me.

Victor walked towards me and scowled.

"Alright, brat. Listen up. I'll let this slide if you apologise and swear you will never come here again. That clear?" He asked.

"How about no? Anyway, why don't you find another place to hangout? This is a gym, not some dung heap you can plant your shit here." I replied.

Victor laughed and grabbed me by the collar.

"You got balls, punk. I'll give you that. But compared to me, you don't stand a chance. But, for the benefit of the doubt, how about a wager?" 

"What wager?" I asked.

"A fight. You and me. Right here. I'll give you 2 weeks to get ready for your funeral. Winner keeps the gym. The loser gets lost." He said.

 "Back off, Victor. He's just a kid! Fight me instead!" Tyler shouted.

"Last time I checked, I decked you!" Victor replied. He turned to face me and smiled.

"Better get ready." He said and released me. With that, he and his right hand man left.

"Who was that guy?" I asked.

"Victor. The leader of his group known as the Dropouts. They left school and have a reputation of beating up people, drug dealing and vandalism. I think Ladybug dealt with them a while back." Tyler said.

Must've been a year back. I thought to myself.

"He may not look much. But he's one hell of a fighter. Never lost a fight." Tyler included.

"Then it's high time I break his winning streak." I said with a smirk. Tyler placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Come here every day. I'll help you get prepared." He said.

"I can fight." I said.

"True. But I can help you get better at fighting. Without the aid of that jewellery you use that grants you superpowers." He said.

Something tells me that he knows about the miraculous. Could he have been akumatized a while back?  I thought.

"Alright then. I'll take up on your offer." I said with a smirk.

"Good man! See you tomorrow, Kid!" Tyler said and left.

I picked up my bag and walked back home.