For some reason the formatting messed up on the last one and things as things that I wanted in bold type ended up not in normal type and a lot of the main text ended up that in italics (o.O) My apologies for any confusion that may have caused.

On to chapter ten!
(The theme song of this chapter would probably be "Toxic" by Britney Spears purely for the lyrics- think about them...it makes sense. XD)

"I'm almost happy for you, Sinedd."
His words rang in the dark striker's ears. What had that idiot D'jok meant?

The first match of the Blitz Tournament had been drawn up that morning and sure enough, the Shadows were going to be playing in it.
It would be the Shadows versus the Cyclops hosted on the Shadow's own planet.

Even against a fairly rag-tag team like the Cyclops, (who were more comical than stunning to watch and came with their own record of cheating), Artegor insisted his team train until their feet bled.
That was precisely why it was so strange that Coach Nexus had let them off for the day.

The other players figured that it had something to do with Fulmugus making the valid point that if anger and insecurity fuelled the smog- then using it with a severe hangover (attributed to nine tequilas, two shots of vodka and a lot of heavy metal) could be a little dangerous.
The coach himself was a too busy designing the plays for the upcoming tournament and getting ready to receive a foreign team to argue.
So the team got the day off.

Artegor could hear the distant echoes of shouts from outside his window- familiar voices too.
"Not at this hour," the severely over-stressed coach murmured, getting up from his desk. "I swear to Obscurantis, if those two are fighting again, I will take a hold of both of their heads and..."
He grabbed the clasp of the window, about to rip it open and scream down the culprits who were distracting him from his work, but then he stopped.
His two strikers were indeed bellowing abuse at each other...but only because they were playing one on one. Sinedd and Ebony were chasing each other across the grounds outside the stadium, viciously fighting for possession of the green ball that bounced between them.
He watched, smiling a little, as his newest player picked up the ball and sprinted across the pitch and his protégé followed, screaming that she "was cheating...cheating really badly!"
He pelted after her, grabbed her by the sides and tried the wrench the ball from her grip- the two of them laughing wildly in the process.
Artegor sighed and shook his head, leaning against the window, as their laughter melted and intensive, competitive rivalry resumed. "Kids," he thought. "At their age..."
"They had better not ever do that on the pitch though...," he added, thinking again.

Most of the other players had jetted off home or into the city for the day. Sinedd had turned down Fulmugus' offer to join the gang for a trek around the town and having no family on Shadow to return home to, decided to spend the day at the academy. It was the perfect time to relax...no training sessions...no one hogging the TV...

So if it was the perfect day of relaxation then what the hell was he doing out in the grounds playing one on one with Ebony?
It had started with a verbal assault on his tackling skills and ended with him grabbing the blonde striker by the wrist and dragging her outside to prove himself- something that Sinedd could never resist doing.

Sinedd took another deep breath of the hot, dry air and swerved around his newly found rival and made another sharp kick against her shin, trying to throw her off balance.
Thanks once again to the explosion that had taken place almost a year ago, the Shadows' atmosphere had cleared and the weather was steadily improving. It was a beautifully sunny day; the sheer golden beams shot through the swirling, shimmering obsidian craters that surrounded the grounds of the training complex, casting glittering silhouettes across the ground. It was as if dawn had finally come to the planet of eternal eclipse.

Ebony rolled the ball beneath her foot, skittering left and then right, Sinedd towering at her back.
"So," he breathed between advances. "Not off to see daddy today?"
She spun around, flicking the ball out of his reach. "To do what? Sit there and have him lecture me? Besides, he's working..."
Sinedd wrenched the ball out from her ankles and dribbled teasingly backwards, delighting in the frustrated expression that came across her face as she tried to follow his fierce, fluid movements.
"By the way," she added. "I didn't get the chance to ask him about this "Harris" of yours but according to my sister, he has a new Technoid representative visiting lately. Is that of any use to you?"

"Well, no...not exactly..."
"Would it kill you to say thanks anyway?"
"What the hell am I thanking you for? You got me nothing!"

She made a quick movement, set to cut into his intricate footwork, but he shrugged off her advances as effortlessly as if she was a tackling dummy.
Sinedd's thoughts were racing again.
"I don't know about that freak Harris," he thought to himself. "But Bleylock...he definitely did...Bleylock...used me...."
But he shook off those thoughts before the sunk in, as easily as he shook off Ebony's flicks against his shins.

He darted around her back, teasing her from behind and letting the ball slip in and out of her possession. She swung an arm backwards, trying to steady herself in his unnerving presence. Every time Ebony turned around to seize control of the ball, Sinedd turned too, so that he remained at her back. Smirking, Sinedd lowered his lips to the side of her face and blew a little air against her ear.
She jumped with a cry.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"You seemed to like getting close last night," the dark striker laughed.
She rolled her eyes. "I was half-drunk...all I can remember is asking for a double on the rocks...chasing Fulmugus for some reason and...well, dancing with you, I guess." She gave him a wry smile from over her shoulder.
Truthfully, swaying around with him to the music was probably her only vivid memory of the evening. His shining violet eyes...his arm around her waist...his body gracing hers...

"So Artegor caved about letting us off today," she stated, twirling around him and making another swipe at the ball.
"Yes. Way to go, Miss-State-The-Obvious," Sinedd retorted, dribbling away again. "I guess it's because Fulmugus asked him..."
"Don't worry, you're still the Coach's pet," she giggled. "Snow-balls..."
"I think you're just jealous, blondie."

She frowned, slicing towards him. "Jealous of the fact that you're Artegor's golden boy or of your wonderful nickname?"
He stuck his tongue out at her, letting her try to tackle him again.
"Ugh, childish," she said, haughtily, but she stuck her tongue back out at him, laughing.

Sweat began to glisten on both of their bodies, pale skin starting to gleam as brightly as the shimmering rocks that surrounded them. Sinedd leapt up against one, taking the ball up with him. He gave a swift glance over his shoulder to check that she was beneath him; satisfied that she was, Sinedd curved his spine and did an effortless back-flip straight over her head, landing on his feet with the ball between his ankles.
Sinedd straightened up, smiling triumphantly and holding his arms outstretched with flourish. "And all without the smog."

She sighed, throwing her eyes up to heaven and gave him a slow, sarcastic round of applause. "Wonderful...absolutely wonderful...you must have-"
"Impeccable skill?"
"A lot of time on your hands."

Sinedd paused, raising his eyebrows. "When you don't cling to someone else 24/7, you have all the time you need to perfect what you're already amazing at."
"You like being alone?" Ebony asked offhandedly, making a grab for the ball. "All the time?"
"Yes!" Sinedd replied, swinging the ball out of her reach again. "As a matter of fact I do!"

He tossed the ball to the ground and began their awkward little step-for-two again. She
"You like to hang around me though, don't you?" she asked coyly, batting her eyelids over her shoulder at him and twirling her necklace around her finger.
"Yeah...I guess I do..."

Ebony tripped over her own feet in surprise. Had Sinedd actually said something nice to her?
The black haired player snorted with laughter at the look on her face.
"Of course I love to hang around with you, Ebony. Playing around with someone as talentless as you reminds me of how good I am! Ha-ha-uh- hey!"

Ebony had stolen the ball, now dribbling away from him, cackling away to herself with mirth. Sinedd was at her back again, relentless in his attempts to wrangle the ball away from her.
She stole another breath, face flushed beneath her unruly hair. "Are you sure that you're really that good?"
"I know I am," he panted. "I know I'm the best there is. I just need the right chance to show it to the galaxy!"
In one swift, sharp motion, he drew the ball from her tenure, his legs slicing at hers like a knife. Ebony stumbled forwards with a squeal, then drawing herself back to full height (which wasn't much in comparison to Sinedd's) and composure, put her hands on her hips. "Now, where did you learn a move like that?"

"Netherball," smirked Sinedd, toying with her gaze in the sunlight as he shuffled from side to side with the ball. "That's a game where you can learn some real moves..."

"Ah yes," she said mockingly. "Your beloved Netherball. The real footballer's game of one on one."
"It's not as simple as that. Playing in the Sphere was like playing in a nightmare," he retorted, blocking her advances. "There were all sorts of traps in there. You'd need to learn a few moves like that just to get out without an injury."

There were some nights Sinedd woke up, eyes burning and mouth dry from screaming. He refused to go to any kind of help-group or rehab that Artegor had offered him, (after the coach had of course, royally kicked his ass for playing such a sport in the first place). The dark haired young man had dealt with enough pain in his life already. He would not let the career that brought him the fame and glory he deserved be tainted by that pain.
Sinedd's skin had hardened to flint over the years. Flinted stone that nothing could shatter, not D'Jok's taunting about his lack of friendship, not a poisonous flux, not a strange planet or an empty room and definitely not some game, vicious as it may have been...
"Rocket," he had once reflected, staring at the bare black ceiling of his room on a sleepless night. "You and I are alike in so many ways...but I don't need anyone to cry to when I'm in trouble. No mommy...no daddy...no girlfriend..."

Ebony's purring voice jerked him out of his trance. "Heh, it's kind of stupid if you ask me."
"What is?" Sinedd rolled the ball safely behind his ankle in case she was only trying to distract him again.
"The whole idea of Netherball...I mean, what's the point of killing yourself over some silly little scuffles that mean nothing and are probably going to screw up your real matches that actually do count! I mean look what happened with you in that Pirates match. Your ankle was pretty damn busted..."
For a brief moment, Sinedd badly wanted to throw a good hard punch into her stomach and wipe the smile off her freshly pink face. But for some reason that he couldn't quite place, futile embarrassment got the better of the rippling anger inside of him. "You saw that?"

She nodded. "Just because I've never played professionally, doesn't mean I was never a fan of the home team."
There was a tentative silence and then Sinedd burst out laughing, doubling over.

"W-what?" she stuttered. "What's so funny?"
"I knew it! Oh Ebony, if I had known all this time that you really were some kind of closet fan!" he choked between shouts of laughter. "I bet you secretly have a life-long subscription to my fan-club!"
Ebony blushed. "I said I was a fan of the TEAM, you vain idiot! Stop laughing! Your FAN CLUB!? You wish!"

What happened next was a little unclear.
Ebony had made a fierce assault on Sinedd, trying to rip the ball away from him. Sinedd had raised an iron defence and tackled her back with the same force.
And somehow, between all of that, the ball had managed to send itself flying out from between the two of them and direct itself on to a straight path for Artegor's window.
CRASH!

Glass splinters sprinkled to the ground as the furious coach's face appeared in the newly formed peep-hole.
Both players automatically sprang backwards, raising their hands with an air of "I didn't do it!"

"That was SO your fault!"
"My fault!? It was you who kicked the damn thing!"
"No I did not!"
"YES! You did!"

"BOTH OF YOU!" Artegor bellowed. "THAT IS ENOUGH! If you are both so eager to play football on your day off, then you can both get into the holo-trainer RIGHT NOW and spend the rest of the evening IN TRAINING!"

He removed his sunglasses. There was no arguing when Artegor removed his sunglasses.
Swearing and shoving at each other, the two of them trudged out of the grounds and into the building.
By chance, Fulmugus happened to be passing by, (or rather escaping from a hoard of photographers by hiding in the foyer) and he spotted them.
"Hey Sinedd, Ebony...where are you two off to?"

Sinedd grunted as he passed. "Thanks to her, we're going to work in the holo-trainer until our legs fall off...on our day off..."
Fulmugus stared after them for a moment.

"Oh...is that what your kind are calling it nowadays?"

"Finally," breathed Harris. "The new device is finished..."
He reached behind his desk and drew out a metal suitcase, clicking it open with a kind of rushed desperation.
His tired, lined face was lit up in the dim glow of the flux capsules encased inside. A beautiful glow that held the deadly power of all the best players in the galaxy. Rocket...Kernor...Stephens...Wuwambu...Warren...Luur...Sinedd...
Netherball had been a great disguise for the harvesting of these fluxes and all that power did not deserve to go to a madman like Bleylock.
Harris had other plans for it.

"Ah yes, my friend," he whispered, delicately lifting the capsules. "I promised that we would rule the galaxy side by side one day...and our reign begins on the first day of the Blitz Tournament..."

A siren blared and the score-board illuminated another goal.
Sinedd and Ebony danced around each other in the dim light of the pitch. Artegor had confined them to the holo-trainer for the whole evening.
There was an overbearing silence as the two strikers, now fully kitted out in their training gear, went to war. The smog blasted into the hot air around them, filling the room and cloaking it in a strange gleaming black gauze.
Every few moments their eyes would bear into each other, trying to pierce the other's indifferent façade behind a veil of smoky flux.
A magician's performance had begun in midfield, the two players disappearing and reappearing in the air and on the ground, shooting after the coveted neon green orb that ricocheted between them. First to six goals won that round.
Neither was prepared to give up.
It was just a training session, (one that Artegor wasn't even bothering to watch), but a kind of common adrenaline had set in. Pride, frustration and a desire to prove themselves filled the atmosphere, laced with the smog's toxic kiss.

Soon the score was tied. Five all.
The chase up and down the pitch, the flashing game of table-tennis, had given way to a relentless tango in mid-field. The ball shuffled between their feet with a kind of rhythm that had just set in.
Step. Kick. Step. Block. Kick. Parry. Change.
Sometimes he would dominate.
Then she would.
Neither seemed to hold the lead for too long...did either of them want to?
Sinedd lip curled beneath the cover of his flux. Having a partner of his own senseless drive and capacity to play ferociously was almost...amusing...
"But all games need a winner," he reminded himself.

"Ready to give up yet? Like you really have a chance at all."
"Not a chance," she hissed, blowing her smog into his face. "And could you please stop talking while we play? The only thing more annoying than your attitude is your voice."
"Oooh," he mocked sarcastically. "That hurt, princess, that really hurt..."

The tempo set back in, the air heavy around them, both intoxicated by the other's scent. Now and then, their bodies made brief contact and it was impossible to tell whose flux belonged to whom. They exchanged smirks beneath tousled hair, glances that burned with adrenaline.
Both players were acutely aware of their closeness...the warmth of the other's body...the chill of the other's smog...

Ebony was the first to break their rhythm, ramming herself into Sinedd's shoulder all of a sudden.
He let out a cruel laugh and shoved her back with virtually no effort.
"Getting aggressive, are we girlie? You know, I think you should play for the Rykers, Ebony. I mean, you've totally got the face for it and your singing voice could pass for the Metal Yell any day!"

She grimaced and laced her leg around his, trying to yank the ball back into her control.
"Oh yeah? Well I think you should play for the Xenons because...b-because..."

She stumbled. Her leg had become locked between Sinedd's, her curls falling back over her face as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
"Why, Ebony? Do you feel... the ...Heat?"
It was a cheesy pun of a comeback but the dark striker's words faltered as they came from his lips.

The smog had encased them both.
They were standing body to body, the ball trapped beneath Ebony's foot, her leg locked between his and their torsos pressed against one and other.
Their eyes caught each other in a snare again. Both could feel the breath of the other on their face, the racing thump of the other's heart in their chest, the soft contours of the other's body beneath the material of the training jerseys...
For a brief moment, they were frozen there, her face tilted upwards and his bent...inches away... slowly getting closer...both closed their eyes...

"No," Sinedd told himself. "I can't be distracted by anyone. I don't need anyone."

Sinedd's eyelids snapped apart and his body jerked into action. He sharply stole the ball from Ebony and with a single blast of the smog, sent a fast, power-loaded ball flying into the back of the net.

"That makes six," he smirked to the stunned blonde. "I win."

Yep, that's ten. I hope you enjoyed it! Review, comment and critique as you see fitting. I know it's a lot shorter than usual and probably (once again) not a greatly epic chapter in itself.
Once again, I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading and sorry for any format errors.
:D