(A/N) Hey guys, time for another update for Grifball: Running Rampant, and this one is a Kiara Thomas chapter, written by the wonderful Minaethiel. As of our Phase Two: Betrayal update yesterday, we have surpassed the 1,000,000 word count for our entire array of fics combined! As a result, we will be opening applications for our next fic – an Avengers/Hunger Games fic – today, and will be looking for as many new writers as possible to join our little team, so if you're interested either PM me or keep an eye on our forum, The Freelancer Collaboration, over the next few days.
Oh, and guess what – not only is the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One trailer out, but as of last night, so is the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, so head on over to YouTube to check both out and get those creative juices flowing!
Hope you enjoy this chapter, and hope some of you will apply for our new fic!
Chapter Fifty-One – From the Ashes of the Old
Kiara Thomas
Written by Minaethiel
"Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right." – Sherrilyn Kenyon
"And that's another score for Castle! The score is currently two points for Castle, to one point, for Rampancy!"
Watching from the spectator booths reserved for coaches and substitute players, I frowned in concern. This was not Rampancy's day. In fact, it hadn't been Rampancy's day in a long time. The fallout from our truth or dare game was still being felt in every aspect of our routine – games, practices…anything and everything was overshadowed by those damned pictures. It didn't help that the three women involved had had a veritable screaming match during a previous practice. As it stood now, none of them were really friendly to each other. The tense atmosphere at practices now was even worse since Jackson had slipped back into his old habits. I hadn't thought it was possible for me to hate going to practice as I did now, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Morale among the whole team was low, and I could almost see the tempers waiting to break.
Fighting among teammates was nothing to be surprised at – we had been at each other's throats in one way or another ever since Arika, Ellen, and I had arrived – but this was extreme even for us. Ellen was beside me on the bench, her knuckles white as she clenched her hands together, her eyes fixed on the field. On the other side of me was Jamie, and next to Coach Anderson sat Sophie. None of them had even glanced at each other, though from the tension in their bodies, it was obvious that they were very aware of each other's presence. Nowadays, the most comfort I got was talking to Will. He was clearly happy with where he was at, but I couldn't help but wish he had stayed with Rampancy. Maybe then the environment wouldn't feel so hostile. Of course he was quick to sympathize with the mood after everything he had seen and heard about from either the press, or myself, but for once his reassurances of normalcy hadn't helped much.
Down on the field another round was starting. I could recognize each of them- Jackson, Alex, Jason, and Arika. From the way Jackson was bowing his head and shooting glances at the others, I could imagine he was giving frustrated orders to everyone else. Everyone in the box could hear the conversations going on between the team, but I had opted out of receiving a headset for myself. Listening to Jackson's barked orders would probably be beneficial for learning more strategies, but I couldn't bring myself to feed from Rampancy's discord.
The starting ring sounded and I watched as Arika and Jason set up with Alex and Jackson for an inside/outside launch. I flinched at how big of a risk it was. The last time I had been a part of it, the launch had gone wrong. If it wasn't perfect, both of the launched players would end up on either side of the court.
Unfortunately, it wasn't Rampancy's lucky day.
I watched, flinching as Jason's hammer came down a mere millisecond before Arika's did. Alex went flying left, while Jackson shot off towards the right. I didn't need a headset to imagine the irritation boiling through the team. Castle was quick to take advantage of the failure too. Their Runner didn't even need the spawn bonk they had set up to reach the bomb first. Plucking the bomb up, the Castle Runner fell back behind his teammates, whom were going forward to meet Arika in the middle. Jason whipped out his sword, his eyes clearly trained on the orange player weaving back and forth behind his line of defence. Jackson was moving quickly to regroup with Arika and keep the heat off of Jason's defence. Alex, meanwhile, was playing a game of chicken with Castle's Tank.
I felt myself grimace and lean forward as the Tank finally slammed his hammer down and sent Alex respawning. The Runner moved to regroup with the Tank, and both players began moving up the field. Arika got distracted for a split second to call them out, and was shoved to the ground by the handle of the Hybrid's hammer. Hissing in sympathy, I watched Alex and Jason group together to stop the Runner and his guardian. However, the Tank was having none of it. Using his hammer like a broom, he swept the handle under the feet of both of the men. Jason leapt over it easily; sword flashing forward, but Alex fell forward onto the floor. The Castle Runner took the opportunity of Jason being distracted to shoot past, and the crowd roared as Castle scored yet another point.
Looking at the scoreboard, which was flashing a three-one lead over Rampancy, made my stomach twist in nervous butterflies. Our loss to the Drop Pods had been a hard one to swallow, and losing to Castle now would do nothing to help the team get back on its feet.
"Come on guys… you can do it," I murmured.
During the next round I actually started to believe those words. This time Jackson and Alex teamed up for a spawn bonk that went off beautifully. Castle had an equally successful launch, and I bit my lip nervously. Getting tied up in the middle would cause the game to go on forever if neither team made a mistake. To my surprise, Alex brought out his hammer, while the Castle Runner retrieved their sword.
Alex, what are you doing?
The answer came seconds later. As Alex's momentum forward began to slow, he raised his hammer and slammed it down. The force sent him into the air, and the Castle Runner, thinking he had gone too high to be a threat, went for the bomb. Instead, Alex landed right behind him and drove the blade of his hammer into the Runner's back. Ellen leapt up and shouted in glee, and a smile crept up on me as well as Alex snatched up the fallen bomb. That was a clever move on Alex's part, and hopefully it wouldn't be a wasted manoeuvre.
From the way Arika and Jackson were coordinating, it seemed like the score was in the bag. Both players matched the other move for move, shoving Castle back and manoeuvring them into a place so Alex and Jason could make a break for it. When the pair of non-combatants finally had their chance, there was no hesitation. The roar of the crowd's approval was easily audible as Alex and Jason streaked away, followed only by a Hybrid that had managed to slip past Arika and Jackson's net of defence. Alex waved with one hand for Jason to fall back and deal with their pursuer, and the other man swapped out his sword in favour of the hammer. The Hybrid had no qualms about trying to kill Jason, but Jason himself had to be careful to give Alex enough time to score the bomb.
The Hybrid slammed his hammer down and Jason hopped back, his own gravity hammer held defensively. An echoing boom rang through the stadium, and we leapt up with the crowd as another point flicked on the scoreboard for Rampancy. Maybe we really could pull off this win, despite all of the tension.
Unfortunately, things took a sharp downhill turn from there. To give Arika and Jason a chance to rest up a bit, Coach sent Ellen and Jamie down to fill in their roles. While trying to keep Castle back, Jamie slipped up and accidentally killed the Castle tank, who respawned in time to slam Alex into the ground with his hammer. Castle took advantage of the lapse to push against the furious defence Jackson was trying to maintain, and the Runner managed to slip by for an easy score when Castle's Defender tripped Ellen up.
The next round began well enough, with Jackson and Jamie pulling off a flawless inside/outside launch to throw Alex and Ellen forward. Ellen was the first to reach the score plate and slammed her hammer down to fend off Castle's Runner, and Alex plucked the bomb up and melted behind Jackson and Jamie defensively. The clash in the middle grew into one giant brawl, neither team giving an edge, and the Castle Runner was also standing back, making sure Alex didn't make a break for it. Finally, Castle seemed to slip up. Their Hybrid stumbled as he jumped back from Jamie's swing, and fell to the ground. The Rampancy Hybrid pressed the advantage and shoved the handle of her hammer into the Tank that was dancing with Jackson, and Ellen managed to manoeuvre the other Defender into tripping over his fallen Hybrid. Had I been the Castle Runner, I would've been nervous, especially when Alex and Ellen came barrelling straight towards him.
The slam of a hammer caught my attention, and I drew in a sharp breath of worry. Upon seeing the tangled knot of his teammates, the Castle Tank team killed both the Hybrid and Defender, before turning his attention to Jackson. One swing sent the Rampancy Hybrid respawning, and the Tank whirled around to deal with Jamie in the same fashion. Then he turned and moved to box the remaining two Rampancy players up with his now respawned team.
Minutes later, Castle had scored their fourth point. A grim heaviness had set over all of us watching, and the frustration on the field was beginning to shoot up yet again. I bit my lip in nervousness, the intensity of the habit increasing when Coach Anderson dipped his head slightly and mumbled something under his breath. Come on, guys, get it together… However there was no way for them to hear the thought, and ten minutes later, the end of the game was signalled when Castle scored their final point. I sighed, and I didn't bother to hide my disappointment.
Another loss.
No team could really expect to have a perfect record all season, but with every other problem plaguing Rampancy these days, these losses were a mere symptom of the inner turmoil we were dealing with.
As expected, I could hear the bickering between the players before they even entered the room. Jamie and Jackson were the first to appear, and while Jackson was berating her performance, Jamie was sniping back with her usual inflammatory commentary. Jason and Alex were in back. I could never read anything on Alex's face nowadays, but Jason clearly looked irritated at the loss. It definitely didn't help when Sophie sighed in irritation. I could easily tell that it had been because of the bickering pair of Hybrids, but to Jamie, it seemed like a personal slight and she immediately snapped her glares to Sophie. Just when I thought yet another fight would break out, Coach Anderson stood and gestured to the bench.
"Sit down. All of you," he ordered, in a tone that left no room for argument.
The returning players quickly made it a point to sit away from people that they had friction with, and I ended up functioning as a blockade between Ellen and Alex, and Jackson. For a minute, Coach just paced in front of us, before stopping and sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose. For once he seemed at a loss of words, and I didn't take that as a good sign for what was to come.
"Rampancy. I don't care if you're a man or a woman; all of you make up this team. However lately, you all seem to be anything but a team. Arguing before, during, and after both games and practices; feeding into tensions that shouldn't be there in the first place, and acting like you're all forced to be here. Forced. Not a word I'd think to use in this level of play. I'm sure each of you has a reason for being here in this room right now as a player instead of a spectator, so would you care to enlighten me? Because, quite frankly, I'm beginning to wonder why any of you are here at this moment."
His eyes flicked to the end of the bench, to where Alex was.
"Cross? Your reason for being here."
I could practically feel the team shift their gazes from the walls or the floor to look at him. Suddenly nervous, he cast a wary look around before responding with, "personal reasons," in a tone that meant he wasn't going to go beyond that.
Surprise laced through me. Alex had never been one for secrets, even with his recluse behaviour. To hear him keeping one now – his reason for playing no less – was strange. At first my thoughts led to it being something he just kept from the newer members of the team, but then, Jackson looked puzzled as well, and he and Alex had been best friends for years. If not even Jackson knew then it must've been something really personal.
Nevertheless, Coach accepted the answer with a nod and motioned to Ellen, whom didn't break eye contact with our irate team coach.
"My parents have always been so supportive of me no matter what choices I made. I want to make them proud whenever I'm on that field. And also," she added with a small laugh, "I bet some of my old friends that I could become super successful."
I could tell she was trying to make everyone feel a little less of that doom and gloom mood, and I shot her a thankful look. Arika had a small smile on her face now, though everyone else seemed to be wearing poker faces. Turning to look at Coach again, I noticed him watching me expectantly. Unlike Ellen, I felt kind of silly for my reason for playing – almost like I was still a kid playing dress up.
"Well… my brother Brian and I, while growing up, would always talk about being part of our own pro team for Grifball. He moved on from that, but I still loved the sport enough to keep playing; I wanted to play with Maverick, or against them since they're my favourite team," I knew I was at the edge of a nervous ramble and cut myself off at that point.
I didn't bother looking around to see what the other reactions would be. I guess a small part of me was nervous for what I would see. Regardless, Coach deemed the answer acceptable and moved on to Jackson. The Rampancy captain was stone silent and returned Coach's look confidently. After a few seconds, during which there was a lack of an answer, Coach beckoned him.
"And you, Jackson? What made you first play Grifball?"
To his credit, Jackson's brow furrowed in thought. I felt myself grow surprised once more; I had always thought Jackson played for the perks, as shallow of a judgment that seemed to be.
"It was expected of me; the men in my family have always played Grifball."
Coach smirked slightly, and said knowingly, "That's not why you continue to play. So tell me Jackson, why do you play? I don't care why your family plays."
The captain once again fell silent, staring absently at the wall for a minute or so before coming back with an answer.
"I don't know. I guess it's just for a few minutes – perhaps hours if the game is good – there is nothing else that matters except your team, the opposition, and the bomb. The rest of the world may as well be invisible when I'm playing."
That… was definitely not an answer I was expecting from Jackson. It seemed extremely Zen, at least to my ears. In some ways I could understand it. The only thing that mattered was who came out on top, and who had the drive to accomplish the victory. It really explained a lot of his past behaviour.
Jason was sitting next to Jackson, and he seemed fairly unbothered as compared to the rest of the team. Unlike the lapses between some answers, he had one ready to go, and he delivered it with cool confidence.
"Well, I played Grifball in school. It seemed pretty fun, so I just continued to play. It's icing on the cake to be able to make a living off of it."
Sophie, Arika, and Jamie were the last three, and I had to admit, the motivations for everyone so far had been interesting to hear, and had definitely created some puzzles, at least in Alex's case. Sophie looked unconcerned as she sat with her legs crossed. Her nonchalant air gave nothing away, and her answer surprised me.
"I'm poor, and I play Grifball well." She shrugged and looked expectantly at Arika, whom was hesitating ever so slightly. Curiosity welled up in me at what answer Arika had that would make her stop for a minute before voicing her response.
"My older brother played Grifball, and he was pretty good at it. We both were pretty close, and I started playing to make him proud of me. I had always been interested in Grifball, but it didn't become something I actively sought to play until later on."
Jamie was the last one to answer. I didn't know what to expect from her, but I figured it would be a fairly heated answer judging from the look on her face. Her response, however, was not near as heated as I expected.
"I started playing Grifball in school after I got an offer from a local team. I kept playing – partially because I liked it, and partially because I wanted to prove my father wrong about women not being able to play." She shot a sharp look at Jackson from where she was seated. "I intend to continue proving that women can play."
Jackson snorted at her look, shaking his head. Coach's glance swapped between the two, irritation the ruling emotion on his face.
"It is this kind of behaviour," he said sternly, "that is ruining this game for me. Every little thing you all disagree on becomes some form of personal war, and each of your arguments just pushes this team further apart than it already is! At the beginning of this season, I had high hopes for all of you. Our pre-season was fantastic, despite the setbacks that we had, and you all seemed to really be pulling together as a team. I believed that we could go all the way to the top and take the championship by storm! Nowadays it's getting harder and harder for me to work with all of you because of all the fighting. All of you in some way have contributed to the environment we have now, and I want it fixed. If you aren't going to put in the effort to play your best and come together as a team, I don't know why I should try to help you be some of the best players the league has to offer. As it is right now… you're proving to be some of the worst Grifball has to offer when it comes to your behaviour towards each other."
Glancing down the bench line, some of the others had either gone slack – from fury, embarrassment, or shame I didn't know – while some were making it a point to find the floor very interesting. I myself looked at everything and everyone except for Coach. He was right. We hadn't been acting as teammates should towards one another. With the scandal, and our sudden streak of losses, emotions were snapping between everyone. How long would it be until we completely tore apart? Coach Anderson looked around at all of us, raising an eyebrow.
"Can you all do it? Can you work together to be the team I know you can be? Or would you rather the press continue to report on the downward spiral of Rampancy?"
Looking at everyone, I could see varying degrees of shame and anger. Whether they were angry with the press, at themselves, or even at Coach, I couldn't be sure. Embarrassment was clear from the burning of my own cheeks, but I was angry too at how quick everyone else was to shove us aside after a few defeats. Were they thinking along the same lines that Coach was? That we were nothing but a ragtag group of players forced to be in the game?
No.
And I could see the same line of thinking dawning on the faces of everyone else. We would not be cast away so easily. All of us may have been brought together by different motivations, but our will to win was what united us as a team. At least, that's how I saw it. It would be nice to be able to think of the entire team as somewhat of a family, but we weren't close enough for that, not yet at least.
"We can do it, Coach," Alex spoke up. He looked down the line and then back up at Anderson. "We all owe you that much, at least."
A murmur of agreement could be heard, and I nodded along with the rest of the team, unsure of what to say. Anderson seemed to sense the newfound unity and nodded.
"You can tell me what you can do, but I'll believe it when I see it. Prove to me you're worth believing in. Prove to everyone doubting you that you're a team to be proud of. We have a lot of work to do between now and the next game. Go rest up and meet me bright and early for practice."
The dismissal was clear. The aura in the locker room was calmer than it had been for days. For the first time in a while there was no hostility directed towards anyone, at least not in the women's locker room. More than anything it seemed thoughtful.
Leaving the stadium that day, I felt both driven and conflicted. I wanted to prove that I deserved to be in the pro leagues, and on Rampancy, but with the mixing pot the team was, it was a question of whether or not we could all get along well enough to win. With our next game against the New Mombasa Bossanova Bosses lingering, I felt the pressure hit me more than it had before.
Standing outside in the chilly late fall weather, I debated whether or not to walk or ask one of the others for a ride. After a minute of thought, I decided to walk, thinking it would be best to leave the others to their thoughts. Though I had plenty of money saved away for a car, I much preferred walking or taking the bus. It was all-around healthier for the environment and myself. Plus, walking gave me plenty of time to think. However at the sound of a car honk, I turned around with a jump, surprised to hear the horn break the soothing silence.
Alex looked mildly amused as he pulled up alongside of me, though it was clear from the subdued look in his eyes that the effects of Coach's speech still lingered.
"Kiara, it's been months; shouldn't you be done with walking by now?" he questioned with a lazy half-smile.
I shrugged, offering him a small smile. Alex had been making an effort to be more sociable as of late with the rest of us, which I was grateful for. It made things less awkward when everyone was conversing together.
"I don't really like driving. I mean, I can do it, but walking keeps me in better shape. And it's a nice workout before and after practice too."
"Well it's after a game, and I think you can afford one day of sitting down. Come on, I'll give you a ride."
I considered politely turning him down, but then, talking to someone else would be a nice change of pace. In addition to that, I didn't really feel like trying to answer any questions for reporters if I ran into any. Nodding to Alex in thanks, I went around and climbed into the passenger seat.
"So, that move you pulled off with the hammer in the fifth round was really clever. I hadn't thought to use the hammer as a springboard before," I began, trying to start a non-inflammatory conversation.
The remark earned me a satisfied smirk.
"I hadn't either until that moment really. It seemed like a good idea at the time; I'm glad I was proved correct. I wish I could've seen Mason's face. Oh, Mason Lopez is Castle's Runner," he clarified at my confused look.
I nodded, smiling a bit wider.
"I imagine it would be one of complete and utter shock, Alex. He didn't even have time to react. We may have lost, but that was a great play."
"Too bad it didn't matter in the end," he said with barely suppressed disappointment.
I bit my lip, curiosity eating me away. The game seemed a small matter compared to the impromptu team meeting we had had. Taking a bracing breath, I asked as carefully as possible, "Why didn't you want to share your reason for playing Grifball with everyone? Keeping secrets just seems weird for you."
Silence reigned in the car. Alex had gotten a noticeably darker look on his face. It wasn't anger, but I couldn't identify the emotion. Feeling like I'd taken a misstep in the conversation, I leaned back.
"Well… it's ok if you don't want to talk about… whatever it is. If you ever need someone to talk to though, you can just come on over and I'll listen," I promised earnestly. Alex and I weren't all that close, but it seemed like he needed someone to talk to. Judging by the only sound in the car being the music on the radio, however, I quickly understood that he had no inclination to talk about whatever was eating at him.
"So, how do you think we'll do against the Bossanova Bosses?" I inquired curiously.
"Had you asked me that earlier, my outlook wouldn't have been so great. Now after that whole talk I think we may just beat them down. Maybe. It depends on whether or not people get their acts together."
"I know we can do it," I said confidently.
He looked amused again, which I could hear, as he said, "Well hopefully you're right. Hopefully everything goes completely according to-"
"-plan. Ellen, you launch Sophie at the start of the round. Kiara and I will go and try to lock the middle of the court down. Ellen, make sure to keep an eye on the runner. If we lose possession of the bomb, Sophie can help Kiara and I get it back while you guard the goal. We'll try to herd him right to you if we can. No screw ups this time," Jackson warned, referring to our current tied game at four to four, and the plays that had led us to such a close match. This next point would make or break us. As the only man on the field for Rampancy, I could imagine he was feeling a lot more tense than usual. It sure showed in his snappy orders.
Nevertheless, we all gave breathless affirmatives. The game had been going on for over an hour and a half, and we'd been switching out numerous times in an effort to keep us all from dropping halfway through the game. Now we were back to our original line-up, and our two rounds had netted us a single score. I adjusted my grip on my hammer, breathing in a breath that sent adrenalin spinning through my veins.
The starting signal was given a mere second later, and I bolted forward, the roar of the crowd and the breathing of my teammates the only sounds I could hear. I saw Sophie shoot past me, and the Bossanova runner also flew ahead of his team. Sophie pulled out her sword, fully ready for a fight, and the loud crash of plasma signalled that she had one. I heard Jackson swear, and he motioned to me as the rest of the Bossanova team caught up to the runner.
"Kiara, go launch Ellen over here. Ellen, tell us when you're airborne."
I was confused as to why he'd order such a strange thing, but I was too keyed up to question him. I veered back towards Ellen as Jackson and Sophie fended off the four players in the middle, and figured Jackson wanted the launch done as soon as possible, so there was no hesitation as Ellen rushed to meet me. She was obviously thinking the same thing as she leapt out to my side, and I swung my hammer to the ground as hard as I could. The resounding cry of excitement told me I had been successful.
"I'm airborne!"
Ellen was practically flying towards the clustered group in the middle like a torpedo. Jackson quickly manoeuvred out of her path, and he ordered Sophie to do the same. Together, the two of them forced the four members of the Bosses together. Ellen guessed what she was supposed to do and pulled out her hammer. When she was in range, she slammed her hammer down, forcing her to stop. Jackson also slammed his hammer down, and between the two they demolished the whole of the opposing team with no effort. The roar of the crowd was substantial as the four respawned players got their bearings and rushed forward. By this time, Sophie had snatched the bomb and was coming back to join me.
"Good call Jackson," Sophie complimented. "That was almost too easy."
"Thanks," he said simply, mildly surprised at the praise. "Let's focus and get this done," he continued as our opponents rushed us. Without missing a beat he began giving us orders.
"Ellen, I want you to stick with Sophie. Kiara and I will clear the way. The second you see an opportunity to run go for it. If anyone breaks away, we'll warn you."
Jackson didn't bother waiting for an affirmative as he hefted his gravity hammer and rushed forward. I came up to his side and tried to concentrate on reading the other players. Ellen and Sophie were back just a bit, and when the crowd started cheering again, I watched them shoot by us. The Bossanova Hybrid moved to pursue, but I swept my hammer to trip him up while he was distracted, leaping back to avoid the frantic energy sword swing of the Runner.
Ellen and Sophie remained unopposed, and the explosion that rocked the stadium had me letting loose a breath I hadn't known I was holding. Whistles and cheers filled the stadium, and I raised my hammer happily, elation filling me. We'd won! It had been a hard fought victory, and far too close for comfort, but we'd done it! Jogging over to meet Ellen and Sophie, I swung my hammer on my back and practically crushed them in a hug.
"You guys were awesome! Can you believe we did it?"
Laughing, they unhinged themselves from the hug.
"Coach's speech was like an ultimatum. Besides, I couldn't be called out like that and not prove that I can play this sport with my eyes closed," Sophie said, removing her helmet to flash us all a victorious smirk.
"Did you actually have your eyes closed for the whole game?" Ellen questioned jokingly.
"Just for the last five yards," Sophie responded.
That sent all of us into a gleeful gale of laughter. Removing my own helmet, I hooked it on my back and jogged to catch up to Jackson.
"Hey," I called, tapping his arm. "That was a great play back there. I never would have thought of it."
He had tensed slightly, but was relaxing somewhat as we walked.
"You didn't do too badly either. Good work with that Hybrid near the end." He didn't sound too grudging about the compliment either, which sent a thrill of pride through me. Next game we'd do even better!
Coach and the rest of the team met us in the spectators' box, and he nodded, a small smile on his face.
"You might just prove everyone wrong yet, Rampancy. Good work out there today. We've got a lot of work to do between now and the next game, but if you continue like this we should be a force to be reckoned with. Get cleaned up and head on home. I expect you all to be at the stadium bright and early for training for our game against Sonar. They're visiting all the way from Mars to meet you," he added. "Show them how an Earth team does Grifball."
There were a few snickers among our little group, and a couple of the others smiled, amusement making itself known. It was a far cry from our previous experience.
Coach was not lying about having a lot of work to do.
Day after day we voluntarily worked ourselves into the ground. No one really complained about the routine, and even if we did no one was offering us any allowances. All of us shared the burning need not just to welcome Sonar accordingly, but also to prove to Coach that we could demolish the competition as a team. More often than not I stayed after practice to do a few more exercises before heading home, and occasionally I'd have company while I worked, which made for decent conversation on occasion.
One such day occurred when Jason stayed behind. For a few minutes it was just a comfortable silence, save for the whirring of the exercise machines. With how much I ran I was fairly unconcerned about increasing my endurance. Instead I was punishing myself with pull-ups, sweat dripping down my brow even after the brief respite after practice. Jason had taken to running on a treadmill, his feet pounding to keep up with the pace he had set. After a few moments of silence he turned and looked at me.
"So, have you looked into Sonar?" Jason questioned.
I pulled myself up, a curious look crossing my face.
"Nope, I haven't seen anything on them. Have you?"
He frowned slightly, looking mildly perturbed at having to explain his knowledge on the team.
"They're supposed to be a good team over on Mars. Their captain, Hunter Brady, is supposed to be one of the top ranked Runners over on the planet. His team isn't a bunch of pushovers either, though I heard their best hybrid is out with an injury. "
"Yet you don't seem worried," I observed. "In fact you seem pretty calm considering we're supposedly facing a top Runner on the field."
"Why wouldn't I be?" he scoffed. "We've got a couple top ranked players too, and the rest of us aren't pushovers either. If anything, they should be scared about facing us. We'll send them back to Mars recounting the Grifball beating of their lives."
I giggled, dropping from the bar in an effort to catch my breath. "Well I'll be sure to send them your warm greetings in the game, Jason."
"Good. I'd hate for them to feel unwelcome after all." He chuckled, smirking as he returned to running. I leapt up to take the bar yet again, and I strained to pull myself up again. For the next half hour it was fairly quiet, with one of us making the odd conversational comment. By the time I left, I was feeling much more confident in our upcoming game. We wouldn't just win: we'd blow them away.
I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised when Sonar scored the first point of the game. Jason had been right about Brady being a top ranked Runner; he had managed to evade Ellen with ease as he feinted expertly, outrunning her to our goal. Hefting my hammer, I returned to the starting position, glancing down the line at the team. Jackson and Alex had iron grips on their weapons, while Ellen was adjusting the grip on her sword. Jackson looked down the line and then back to the opposing team before letting out a breath.
"Ok, forget the launch. Remember what Will's team pulled on us during one of our early training matches? Hammers out; we're making a blockade. The second we get the bomb, I want Kiara and Ellen with me to move up the field. When we hold the middle, you'll break off to escort Alex, Ellen."
"Jackson?" I questioned hesitantly. "Shouldn't we just launch? Our strategy was for a three on three game, and we didn't have to deal with an entire team rushing us at one time."
He looked over at me, and I could imagine his heavy gaze through his visor.
"A blockade will be fine. We should be able to handle it. Get your hammers out and ready. Be sure to watch your splash zone and make sure you don't catch one of your teammates."
I hesitated a bit more, pondering whether or not to disagree again, but I ended up murmuring an assent instead. I wasn't team captain, nor was I as tactically gifted as Arika or Jackson. It wasn't really my place to question such plays. The starting horn sounded, and I had to fight the urge to rush forward and stay in line with the rest of the team. Sonar did exactly as expected – launching their Runner forward and gaining possession of the bomb.
From then on, or at least until we got possession, I was anticipating an intense standoff. To my surprise, however, they flat out rushed. Hunter made one motion to his Hybrid, and immediately the pair set up a launch that sent the opposing Runner flying into the air. The stadium lights were bright enough to hide him from view. Jackson swore.
"Watch the front! Alex, get your sword out and deal with him! Ellen and Kiara, keep the rest of Sonar back with me!"
Once again, hesitation seized me. I was right in front of the goal. Alex was next to me, but I didn't think he'd have a good enough angle to take the Sonar Runner down. Abruptly I swung my hammer on my back and brought my sword to life with a flash of plasma. If Alex couldn't get the angle, I had to pick up the slack.
"Kiara! What the hell are you doing?!"
Jackson sounded incredulous, but there was no time to explain what was going on as Hunter came into view. Gritting my teeth, I turned around so my back was to the rest of the field, and leapt up. Hunter came falling past, and I drove my sword forward into his back, sending us both to the ground. The bomb fell from his hands as he respawned, and I leapt up in time to see Alex haphazardly slam his hammer down as he ripped it off of his back hastily. I felt it slam down onto my legs and I cried out, but he had managed to also bring down two of Sonar's players.
Upon respawning, I noticed that Ellen had dealt with the last Sonar player, and Alex had scooped up the bomb.
"Kiara! They almost scored because of you! What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that Alex didn't have the proper angle and I did. I stopped him, didn't I?"
He grunted in reply, neither confirming nor denying my reasoning, and I almost sighed in annoyance. However there was no time for that – we had a match to win. Sprinting forward, I charged alongside Ellen in an effort to catch up to Jackson, whom was rushing Sonar with his hammer. Flicking my sword off, I swung my gravity hammer into my hands, adjusting the hold until I was confident I could get the most power out of it.
The battle because a fairly furious one, but before long, Jackson and I had gotten a rhythm that forced Sonar out of our way. Alex and Ellen broke away as planned, sprinting madly towards the goal. The Sonar Defender whipped his sword out to challenge Alex, but Ellen rushed forward, her own sword poised and ready. Blocking the opposing defender's attempt at spearing Alex, she shoved him back, and then I had to turn my attention back to the centre. Hunter was busy trying to get past Jackson, his Tank backing him up. I was dealing with the Hybrid. Thankfully, just as the Hybrid managed to catch me with his hammer, Alex slammed the bomb down on the score plate.
After that, the rest of the game flew by.
Round three, four, and five belonged solely to us. When we got possession of the bomb, we were an unstoppable force. Score after score was thrown in our favour; Sonar never got the chance to up their own score. Ellen was the one who delivered the final point that put the last nail in Sonar's coffin. The roaring of the crowd was the only thing I could hear as my adrenaline faded. I smiled as I replaced my helmet on my back. We'd won yet again, and we'd destroyed the competition.
"Well, I think our losing streak is over," Alex remarked with a smirk. "Now we have something to hit the clubs for!"
"We could have a team celebration!" I piped up excitedly, eyes bright with the potential for a fun night out with the team.
Coach and the rest of Rampancy met us on the field, smiling widely.
"Way to go you guys!" Jamie exclaimed. "You really stuck it to them."
I high-fived Arika excitedly, and she tilted her head.
"We're going out to celebrate this for sure! Rampancy is back on track!"
Coach allowed the celebration to continue for a couple of minutes before motioning us for quiet.
"Ok, great job today, Rampancy. Fantastic job. You see what happens when you pull together as a team? Our next game is against Majestic. You beat them, and we'll be back in the running to qualify."
He looked at all of us, the aftermath of our victory still clear on our faces. He cracked a smile.
"Don't relax yet, Rampancy. We've got alot of work to do."
