Hey, guys.
Note#1:
So... I realized I can't really keep up with the 'one chapter per week' thing anymore AND keep my sanity. :) So I'll just keep updating as I can but I assure you that this won't be one of those stories that gets forgotten and abandoned. I still have lots up my sleeve. Just have to go around and actually write it. :D
Note#2:
Check out my one-shot "Matters of the heart" posted on Team Dragon Star's profile, and while you're there check some of the other stories as well. You won't be disappointed. I recommend 'Plus One' and 'Tortured Soul', but there are plenty others.
Note #3:
This is a football chapter (please ignore the severe unlikeliness of the events actually happening in real life as I describe them. It's just a story. xD) and it's only part of the original chapter I was preparing. That being said, as you can see it's massive as it is so I cut it in two. If you find that the ending is a little bit 'lacking' or 'incomplete', that's the reason, ok? I'll update the rest ASAP.
You may also notice a slight change in the actual writing style. Every scene (separated by a line 'break') is in one character's point of view and in that character's only. Apparently, there's this rule of writing (xD) that I'm actually trying abide by to help improve my overall skills. Let me know if it gets confusing in any part.
Enjoy!
It had become a ritual, apparently.
Every real match since he'd joined the Tigers started in the exact same manner: standing on the side line, taking in the green of the gridiron and hearing the pre-game buzz. His helmet was in his hand and his cheeks perfectly traced with eye-black, since he came to realize that the dark polish did more than just make up for an awesome warpaint. It actually helped avoid those nasty headaches that came with trying to focus on a variety of moving targets under the intense spot lights.
Meh, who was he kidding... it was mainly for the awesome war paint.
Gohan didn't really see the differences between this and the other team's fields when they played away, but there was something about going at it on your home turf that brought along the increased sense of protection; the need to defend your home, your castle. It made him feel empowered, but at the same time weighted, even if minimally. It was now his castle, after all. His team.
He'd had a decent amount of time to adjust to his new quarterback position, but unfortunately it didn't come smoothly. Everyone accepted the leadership change pretty happily - which spoke to Rick's overall reputation, he guessed - but the problem was, as coach Leon had put it, they needed two of him on the team. His keen sense of perception, intelligence, and ability to act under pressure were clearly quarterback material but his speed, jumps, and height made him an asset in the wide receiver's role as well. Simply putting it: his arm could throw the ball far enough, but only he could ever hope to reach it in time for a catch. They'd had to adapt as a team and even come up with different plays to add to the already extensive list, which he carefully memorized to the smallest detail - a no-brainer for him, of course - but helping encourage that damn feeling in his stomach that he just couldn't get rid of. Coach called it 'jitters', whatever those were.
"Hey, Son," Coach Leon's voice snapped him out of it and he looked over to his left.
"Hum... sir?"
"You ok?"
The question confused him in its simplicity, but he eventually succeeded in formulating an adequate response. "I... think so. Yes."
"You're gonna do fine. Don't worry about it."
"Thank you, sir."
Pausing for a moment and glancing over the young man's shoulder, coach added. "Your girlfriend's coming over."
Why did the man decided that this would be a good day to talk in riddles? "W-What?" With a simple tilt of his head, the older man signaled to something further to their right and Gohan's eyes complied to the unspoken command. His cheeks felt warm when the pieces of the puzzle connected. His three friends were arriving.
Instinctively, his gaze shot back towards his coach but died on contact and decided on the green grass near his feet. "S-She's not..." He didn't really want to say it, for some reason - one he told himself he didn't have - and so he didn't finish, hanging on to coach Leon's quiet chuckles and smirk as an excuse, since he was clearly trying for humor with his statement. Videl's voice increased the blush he just knew was visible by now, but he took it as an opportunity to turn his back on the man and so he did.
"Hey, Mr. Quarterback?!" She yelled.
A shy smile greeted them as they came closer. "Hey, guys."
"Look at you, so adorable with your cute little painted cheeks!" Erasa commented girlishly. Oh, right! Maybe the black polish was helping to hide his reddened skin. The thought made him a little less self-conscious and his smile deepened in appreciation.
Videl, as always, was the first one on the scene and went for her hug which was promptly reciprocated. "Are you nervous?" She asked, releasing herself from him.
Embarrassed as he was, hating to admit to such a feeling, the time spent together and moments shared made it less of an option to lie to his friends. Not that he couldn't, he just didn't want to. There was already so much he kept hidden... "Yeah," he admitted. "A little bit."
"Don't even think about it, bro! You have this thing nailed" Sharpner exclaimed with the kind of energy that characterized him. "Besides, if the last guy managed to do such a good job, then you can only do amazingly!"
"Did you really have to bring that bastard up, Sharp?" Videl shot back with a frown and Gohan supported the resentment. Their last encounter with the asshole had been just a couple of weeks ago but it was still a very fresh, open wound in his heart. Taking Videl to the hospital that night, watching her clench her teeth through the pain as the doctor did his best to clean her bloodshot eyes as thoroughly as he could to prevent any infections... An hour was more than enough for the young saiyan to regret his earlier decision of only scaring the guy shitless. That fucking bastard should've died on that goddamn beach.
At least there was a silver lining to the whole thing. Rick switched schools - even if not to one far enough away - and was ridiculed by everyone he'd snitched to about that night. How could someone be so scared that they actually saw a person 'transform' into a 'ghost' - his words - right in front of them?! It's true! His eyes turned green! Nobody believed him and it served him right so... suck on that.
Sharpner chuckled sheepishly, realizing his mistake. "Sorry about that."
"But he's right," Erasa added. "You're a million times better than Rick was, Gohan! The guys love you and you've studied all the plays and everything... You're ready!"
"Thanks, guys," he responded with a smile. "You always know what to say."
"Where's your family?" Videl cut in, excited. "I'm dying to meet the little ones."
"They should be here any minute now. Maybe you guys could save some seats for them? It's getting crowded," Gohan noticed, taking a moment to absorb the massive gathering at the bleachers.
"Sure, sweetie," Erasa answered. "We'll go do just that. Go Tigers!" She cheered with a giggle, turning around to leave.
"Yeah! Kick their asses, G!" Sharpner shouted while fist-bumping his roommate before slowly walking away with his girlfriend.
Videl gave a step towards the young man and without request or permission she grabbed his left wrist and brought it up, resulting in a confused frown from its owner. She looked sure of her actions though, and the next thing he knew she was tying something around it, something red. As if reading his mind, Videl explained. "Your favorite color, right?"
He nodded with a shy smile, admiring the braided band when she was done with it. It was plain enough, cotton threads interwoven around themselves. "For luck and for guidance," she added.
Gohan's smile was easily turned into a grin at her words and he shook his head. How could she be so incredibly adorable with such simple gestures. "Did you make it yourself?" He asked and she nodded with a grin of her own, beautiful and perfect, forcing himself to anchor his eyes on the thin bracelet lest it go putting ideas into his head. He could just taste that kiss...
Kiss. That's it! "Don't think you can get away just like that," he teased with a smirk more than a smile, thanking his genius brain for the brilliant second best approach. His index finger tapped against his left cheek. "I need my good luck kiss, too."
Her giggle was so sweet and girly that it melted his heart and mushed his insides. Slowly she eliminated the short distance separating them. "This one's too important for that," she said and the sentence puzzled him but just for a second, since the space between their faces was still decreasing. That tightening around his gut returned with her warm breath against his lips. The peck was so light and short that he couldn't help but feel disappointed, even if his brain reminded him of what was supposed to be his official position on the matter. "Good luck," he faintly heard her say while walking away. She had that smirk she wore proudly after such occasions, and it was but another thing he had grown to love about her; another one that he had to find a way to beat out of his system...eventually, that is.
At that very moment the world wasn't there and he took a deep breath, only to later realize that for the first time, their kiss actually had an audience. He rationalized that there was no way that all those people had been watching them, most didn't even knew who they were, but it felt overwhelming. Like somehow it became more real because people saw them do it. Quickly, he turned around to face the field, trying to calm himself down and braving a peek towards coach Leon who he just knew would be trying not to laugh, given their previous words.
Surprisingly, he was frowning deeply, focusing on something on the other side of the field that apparently wasn't to his pleasing. It caught the young man's curiosity and he followed coach's line of sight, searching amongst the visiting Red Mountain Eagles for the culprit, since there was nothing else in their vicinities. It didn't take him too long and his eyes widened incredulously. "Is that...?"
"Yes. Yes, it is," Coach Leon deadpanned.
Gazing back at the older man, arms crossed and wearing an exasperating sneer, the last person he was expecting to see on the other side of the field: Rick. Gohan tried not to burst out laughing when he saw the other young man wince and look away when Gohan met his stare. He had to bite his lip in order to do so but managed, luckily, and forced his grin down so as not to attract the attention. As solemnly as he could, he asked, "What do you think he's doing over there?"
"Whatever it is... it can't be good."
"How many times do I have to tell you guys?! Outside power when you're closing the doors!" Bulma scolded, glancing at the back left door of her silver sedan. Damn little kiddies. They're gonna bend those things shut sometime, she just knew it.
"Sorry, auntie Bu," Mia pleaded, genuinely so. She was the only one though, since the boys were too enthusiastic to acknowledge her words as more than just background noise. Nevertheless, a warm smile came over her lips instead of a frown because the endearing nickname she just loved and melted for took precedence over oblivious children.
She threw her arm around the little girl's shoulders as they walked, delighting in every minute of the thing closest to a daughter she'd ever have. Mia was so freaking precious, why would she ever need a biological one anyway? Looking ahead to the two devils running around erratically, she felt the need to yell yet again. "Watch out for oncoming cars! I didn't bring my checkbook to pay for dented bumpers if you get hit!" A lie of course, since the young saiyans were a liability just by existing out in the real world, but it served the purpose.
The OSPU football field wasn't that far off and since she knew a pretty sweet shortcut they were there in a couple of minutes. Walking over and nearer to the grass, Bulma spotted him immediately and those prideful tears came rushing over to her eyes, scorching hot as if they came straight from the heart. He looked so amazing! All dressed up in his Tigers' uniform, so adult and handsome... A grin came next. "Look who's there," she said and pointed, giggling when she saw their three little faces light up and run his way.
"Gohan!" They shouted, arms spread as if flying over to meet their big brother.
The mash up of little voices instantly spun him around and brought an effortless grin as he greeted them back. "Hey, guys!"
The three munchkins stopped in their tracks and she could hear them gasp in awe even from behind. Trunks was the one to speak, quietly and slowly. "You look so cool..."
The older saiyan chuckled as did she. "I do?!" He asked and he definitely did, with all the black and gold - a combination she loved, by the way - marked cheeks and wide shoulder pads, he looked at least bigger. And broader. He crouched down to meet their eye level and opened his arms in invitation to an embrace.
"Yeah!" they answered in unison, quickly obliging his request and making him stumble back a little as Bulma arrived beside them.
Their eyes were big and shiny when they released themselves from Gohan's hold, clearly entranced by the new surroundings and experience. "Wanna put on the helmet?" He asked, both of them knowing the answer all too well. Mia wouldn't want to mess up her ponytail - a girly girl after her own heart - but Goten's and Trunk's faces were quick to light up even brighter than before, and they wrestled for the first place in line to try on the cool contraption. The alien genes in their blood made sure that helmets were as odd as two-headed monkeys, and their eagerness to try his on made him chuckle wholeheartedly. "Go on, then. Battle it out," Gohan instructed.
No one would be appalled by the suggestion since most thought of the two boys as 'normal', and their little circle knew that 'real' battles to sort out random disputes were reserved for home grounds; the forest near the Son's or the gravity room back at her place. Or better yet somewhere inhospitable, far away from either of those. No, these were their 'out-in-public' battle stances: a fist resting on a palm.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" They chanted three times in a row, ending with a pout from Goten and a triumphant cheer from his best friend. Gohan let the winner take his spoils and stood up, looking them over for a moment as Mia joined in their childish wonder and curiosity. They were so happy... "I'm so glad you guys came," he whispered, as if a confession, resting his chin on Bulma's shoulder in a comforting hug, a soothing one.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world," the older woman whispered back, calmly and truthfully before pulling away. Almost a year had passed since the last time they'd stood on this field together and the changes were astounding. A shy little boy turned into a confident young man, a forced hermit into a somewhat social guy and most important of all, one that managed to surround himself with good, true friends. She couldn't really ask for more, now could she? Well,... there was that other thing she wished for him and that brought her to the one new factor in his life she just knew was the main cause of such evident improvement. "So... where's Videl?"
"She's up there with Sharp and Erasa," Gohan responded, oblivious to her musings, signaling with a quick look his friend's general location on the bleachers. "I asked them to save you guys some seats."
"Oh, cool," she beamed with a grin which softened almost immediately after. "How are things going?" Her quiet, uncharacteristic tone was fast to fill in for the words she didn't say. 'Between you two', she meant, recalling back to his state of mind - and overall helplessness - a few months back on the Christmas Gala.
Now that was a conversation he wasn't ready to have and that microscopical twitch just between his eyebrows gave it away pretty fast. Not right now and probably not ever, if she knew him as well as she thought she did. His mind was probably racing - as usual - going through the options, scrutinizing the answers he could give back. As it turned out he opted for the 'evade' alternative. "I can't even think of that right now. I have much more pressing problems on my plate."
"Like what?"
A small tilt of his head pointed towards the other side of the field. "That guy over there. He was the former quarterback for our team. The one I replaced," he explained.
Bulma frowned not in confusion - since a genius like her would never admit to such impairment - but suspicion. "Then... why is he over there?"
"Exactly," was Gohan's response, sharing in her stare, frown and mistrust. "Why, indeed?"
The older woman didn't force the matter further, seeing as how it was undeniably bothering the young man beside her. Really bothering him, she noticed. In a way she wasn't used to seeing when it came to his otherwise always-in-control self. There was something else about the ex-Tiger that was stirring his insides in a way she hardly recognized; it had been nearly seven whole years since she had seen such a look of consternation and battle-readiness take over his mellow eyes. Bulma Briefs was many things but one of which she was most proud of was being perceptive. This was not the time for this line of inquiry and so she changed the subject, filing the whole issue with the 'to pursue later' label.
"Maybe we should take our seats, then," she suggested. "Let you get your head in the game."
"Yeah, that's probably best," he agreed. "I wanted to introduce the little guys to my friends personally, but..."
"Don't even worry about it," Bulma interrupted with a dismissive wave. "I'll do the honors." Turning around, she canvassed the massive bleachers. "Where are they exactly?"
Gohan spotted them immediately, pointing towards where they sat and she looked over to see them wave back. With a few good-lucks and goodbyes, Bulma rescued a kidnapped helmet from its abductors and led the kids over to the youngsters and their seats, up the metal stairs.
There were some people there who definitely recognized her climbing up but luckily decided to keep it to themselves or to share it in secret with those around them. Her status and notoriety definitely came in handy sometimes and she truly loved being able to make random people smile just by acknowledging their presence, but tonight she wasn't here for herself but for her kids - all four of them - and so she hoped they would manage to get by under the radar.
Videl stood up as they arrived and her two blonde friends followed soon after. "Hey, Ms. Briefs!" She greeted.
"Oh, honey! I told you before. It's Bulma, ok?"
The young woman chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still not used to it."
Bulma shrugged it off with a chuckle of her own. It was a common offense, she guessed, but Ms. Briefs just made her seem so old...
Videl crouched down and took the initiative to address the little guys behind her legs, pointing at each one of them as she spoke. "And you must be Mia, Goten and Trunks, right?"
The older woman silently followed the interaction with a sweet smile, thinking of how adorable Goten's lips were, gaped in awe. "How do you know our names?" He asked and she just saw it in his twinkling eyes how his imagination was running wild inside his crazy little head, picturing Videl as a magical fairy or something because only that would bring logic to a complete stranger knowing their names.
"Well, I had to know your names if I wanted to get you these," Videl responded as she reached over to grab something from her small back pack. Black shirts? It was Bulma's turn to gape her lips apart when she realized what it was and when the little ones gasped in surprise she just wanted to cry. What perfect gifts... Videl straightened one of the jerseys in her hands and it read 'Goten 21' in big golden letters.
"It's just like big brother's!" Goten yelled and brought his little hands to cup his cheeks. Oh, my God she could just eat him up! So damn cute... "Is it... for me?"
"It sure is," Videl confirmed, handing it and the other two shirts to the three ecstatic little kiddies. How they managed to squeeze themselves into the narrow space between the lines of seats, she would never know, but for the second time since they arrived they were ramming a person down with eager little arms in a group hug. Videl wasn't Gohan, though and so she didn't manage to balance herself and fell back with a puff into a seating position on the metal. It ended with laughs all around and three over-the-moon 'fake' Tigers - junior division - so she reckoned the introductions went well.
Now, if they could just win this thing... that'd be icing on the cake.
The whistle signaled for the halftime break and both teams started heading for their respective benches and coaches.
Gohan took a moment as he stood in place on the grass, eying nothing in particular and trying to calm his boiling insides. It wasn't because they were losing, since he knew his team was doing the best they could. It was because of how they were losing.
He took his helmet off and ran a hand through his damp, sweaty hair. Something was not right and his gut told him that he knew exactly who was responsible for it. He spotted Rick immediately, probably going over his mischievous plans with the other team's coach. He had to have something to do with this.
The young saiyan started walking over to his teammates and coach, taking a deep breath to rid his thoughts of negative influence and pre-conceived ideas. The Tigers were bringing their A-game but somehow the Eagles were always one step ahead of them, anticipating their every move. It was as though they knew the playbook just as well as he did... Rick...
Arriving next to the guys, Gohan spotted Videl standing closer down in the bleachers, leaning expectantly over the railings. He couldn't really hear her but he didn't think she produced any sound anyway, only mouthing what he made out to be "what's going on". She must have seen it in his concerned expression - the one he was doing nothing to conceal - that something wasn't right. Gohan asked for her to wait with an open palm since he had to take care of this first. The Tigers were all talking on top of each other, frantic and loud, and coach Leon's frown was speaking for his own worries.
"What do we do, coach?" One of his teammates asked. "They're slaughtering our every attack out there!"
Another jumble of heated voices was heard until one spoke louder. "It's Rick! He has to have something to do with this!"
"Yeah! We're kicking their asses on the defense, but our attacks... He must have done something!" Someone in the group agreed.
Gohan considered the options, arms crossed and looking down to coach's boots across from him. Even if that were to be true, how could he have done it? It had been months since Rick was kicked off the team... would he have been plotting this since then? The Eagles were so aware of their attack strategies, their secret methods and the way they operate...
"We don't have any proof that he actually did anything," coach rationalized, and his teammates' voices rose again to protest, accusing Rick without proof since it was too much of a coincidence. Gohan had to agree.
Coach Leon settled them down with a well placed order, hoping to project calm on those who surrounded him. "That being said, I don't believe in coincidences. Something's not right and I have a hard time not considering Rick to be involved." He paused, his eyes were extremely tense... hurt, betrayed. "Whatever he did... it's working. They anticipate our every move like they know our plays. Like they practiced specifically to defend against them."
"There must be something that we can do. We can report them!" Shin suggested.
"And say what?! We don't have proof even if we know for sure!" Another Tiger retorted in frustration.
A mournful silence surrounded them all like they were just waiting for their dream to die, stabbed in the back by one of their own. How foolish they were to consider Rick one, Gohan thought, knowing all too well that no honor blessed that traitor.
"We should just forfeit," someone whispered half-heartedly.
"No!" Gohan shot back instantly as per instinct, earning the looks of everyone around him. Their eyes contemplated him eagerly like he'd have the solution to all of their problems and it reminded him of the special place he had within the team. The guys looked up to him and it was his job to lead and keep morale, even if he found it hard to keep his own. He stared his teammates directly in the eyes, switching from one to another and another as he spoke to make sure they all got the message. "We can't give up just because things get tough or we don't understand them. They can bend us all they want but they won't break us. We are not quiters, we are fighters!"
"I'm with Gohan," Shin said the second the young saiyan stopped talking, as if he was just waiting for someone to say it out loud and the rest followed suit, nodding furiously. He knew these guys and they wouldn't go down without a fight. Not ever and definitely not on his watch. And a fight they would have.
Coach Leon smiled proudly, previous hurt giving way to re-energized drive and conviction. "Ok, then. What's the plan?" He asked, addressing his quarterback with a deep gaze. The young man heard it differently though, registering the words as a dare. I know what I think... show me what you've got, he made out instead.
Gohan took the challenge and put his game face on, looking over his shoulder to the field. He didn't respond, trying to formulate a plan in his head, twitching his eyebrows from time to time and nibbling the inside of his lower lip, a gesture he'd been told to be his thinking habit. Faintly he heard someone say his name and someone else saying something like "wait, he's thinking". A few seconds sufficed and he looked back over to his team.
"Can I have that?" He requested, pointing at the clipboard in coach's hand - the one with the play list - and the man promptly abode. He removed the chewed up pen from its top and made a quick once over the list, checking specific lines with little black arrows. When he finished he spoke. "We don't know what's going on or if Rick had anything to do with it... but we'll assume that he did. The only way I can see the other team having this kind of advantage over us is if they had access to our play list."
"But how?" Someone asked.
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is what we'll do to overcome that." He pointed down at his markings in the clipboard. "These are the new plays that we came up with when I switched to quarterback. They're in the play list but Rick doesn't know what they are and so we have to assume that they don't either." He paused letting it sink in and scanning around the players and coach. He scribbled the list again, writing in front of each mark. "Blue, red, green, orange and black. A color for each play. We won't use any other tactic other than these so memorize the color. I'll call out one of our older plays to throw them off but only the color that I yell out will be the actual play code." They nodded. "I know that this means you have to use your common sense a bit because I can't yell out specifics for that play... but we can do it. We can do this."
"That's only 5 plays, Gohan. We can't go 2 whole quarters with only 5 plays," one of his teammate's pointed out.
"We'll try but if we can't... then we'll wing it," the young saiyan was quick to respond.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll come up with something right there on the field. A surprise attack. Right before the snap."
This time a big chunk of them gasped in horror. "That's madness! We can't do that!"
"We can," Gohan continued, remembering himself that his accelerated heartbeats couldn't show through his own skepticism. "You know why? Because we have one thing that they can't learn or be told about. We know each other. We know what each one of us can bring to the game and we know how each one of us reacts and plays. They can't take that away from us."
For a moment he thought he'd lost them, the silence thickening as the gears worked in each and everyone's brains. He wasn't really sure he believed in his words himself, so why should they? The pressure was clouding his mind, he realized, because Piccolo would smack him right across the face for being so despondent and doubtful of himself. And so would his dad...
"I trust you, Gohan," someone said after a while and although he didn't see who it was - given his internal struggle - it was successful at lifting his spirit and confidence back up. "Yeah, me too," the rest agreed and nodded in support.
He allowed a grateful smile but decided to turn his 'leader switch' on again, suppressing it more into a smirk of 'in control' determination. "Study this," he urged, handing over the clipboard to one of the closest teammates and rushing over to meet Videl.
She crouched down on the raised platform, supporting herself with a hand on the railing above her head, a frown full of curious concern. "It's Rick, isn't it?" She asked point-blank and Gohan's expression must have shown his surprise because she continued accordingly. "Bulma told us how you were worried about him earlier. I hadn't even noticed him there before."
"Yeah," the young man responded, stretching out the word and glancing over his shoulder to that asshole's general location. Maybe someday he'd just show him what his eyes turning teal really meant...
Videl grabbed his chin and brought him back to her, eyes narrowed and piercing. "Kick his ass," she ordered quietly and her tone shook his insides into a jumbled mess. God, that was sexy... Time was running out, though, and so he concentrated, smirking back. "Do you have your eye-black on you?" He asked.
She looked up for a moment, as one would when trying to access a memory and reached over to her tiny backpack for it. "Thanks," Gohan said as he grabbed it and her hand with his own large one. "And don't worry. It's not over yet." He winked - he apparently did that now - before stepping away and back to the Tigers.
"Shin," Gohan shouted and threw the small jar when he got the other's attention.
"What's this?" His teammate asked, looking down and studying the black polish in his hands.
"Preparation. We're going to war."
A minute or so after, the whistle played their song and in a couple of seconds the determined Tigers took their places on the field, preparing for the second and most important half of the game. They were ready. The looks in their faces told Gohan so and he immediately strategized the best way to open up the quarter. The Eagles had their fastest guy benched, probably expecting them to try and take the yards slowly instead of attempting something riskier. He looked back at Rick for just a second, not intending but welcoming the smirk that took over his face when he saw the guy squirm in place. He thought he knew him and in any other day he'd be right. But this was a special day. The day the Tigers would crush the Eagles.
He made up his mind and ran his audible through his head once or twice, making sure it was accurate and comprehensible. A running play decoy for their new long pass play. 'Here goes nothing...', he thought before yelling, "Six, eighty-six! Six, eighty-six! Blue on three!" The pause was nerve-wrecking and he just hoped all his guys heard the color since repeating it was only another opportunity for the Eagles to hear it too. The last thing they needed was to give away anything about their new plan. He took a deep breath to calm himself. 'You've got this.' A once-over across the line and he yelled again.
"Hut, hut!"
The ball snapped flawlessly at his first word, just like practiced to further put off their opponents and everyone did their thing on the line and across the field. Quickly he turned around and stepped back towards the running back, pretending to give him the ball and trying his best to hide the fact that he still had it with him. The running back did the same in an attempt to make believe that he was the the man to catch, creating a perfect cradle of nothing but air between his forearms. Beautiful. It was effective in drawing the majority of the defense towards him and the left side, as Gohan ran in the opposite direction.
He saw his receiver immediately, the one farther away who was nearing to the practiced location of a whopping 35 yards away, but he saw him too. The massive Eagle linebacker that came running almost alongside himself, not fooled by the venture... or so he thought. As the young saiyan had hoped, Rick had no way of knowing anything about his abilities as a quarterback other than the fact that he was right handed, and so, the fact that that linebacker came running to him caught the attention of the rest of the defense, tightening their efforts around the receivers closest to Gohan. They couldn't know he had a slingshot for an arm.
Holding on to the ball for as long as he could to allow for his receiver to cover as many inches as possible, Gohan jumped up and threw the ball diagonally across the field just before being tackled violently by the overgrown defender. He worked through the pain as he fell to the ground, forcing his eyes to open so he wouldn't miss the action and praying that that extra second he'd waited had not ruined their opportunity to score. 'Please catch it...'
The wide receiver grabbed it effortlessly and ran to their first touchdown, causing the entire venue to burst out in celebration, and a massive grin to plaster itself across Gohan's face. He got up with a jump, shoving the Eagles' defense away and threw his fists into the air. The stunt didn't win them the game, but it was more than they'd managed for the entire first half, so it was definitely a victory as far as he was concerned.
They might just be able to do it.
OoOoOoOoO
"Now, what?" Shin asked right across from Gohan in their huddle. "They've picked up on the 'orange' play. It's only a matter of time until they catch on to the rest!"
Gohan stared at the ground for a while, considering their options. He was absolutely right, it was only a matter of time. Choosing to go on with only five plays of an extensive repertoire was predictably bound to result in them being read by the other team, so... time for plan B - or was it C? They had to improvise.
For a moment he looked back at his team's bench, mostly bare apart from a few defense-only players and their coach. Gohan met the man's gaze, not sure of what to do next but then the coach nodded. He took it as an act of trust, another one to add to his teammate's eager eyes looking up to him and for the umpteenth time that evening he made himself believe in those three little words, repeating them in his head. 'You've got this. You've got this.'
"I guess it's time to wing it, then," Gohan finally spoke trying to sound upbeat and sure about it.
"I really want to trust you, man, but... that's not possible," another Tiger confessed.
"Of course, it is," he refuted. "Just imagine yourselves playing back home, with your friends and your family... You don't call 'plays' when you're having fun in your backyard, you just go for it."
The guys nodded, recollecting past experiences and smiling warmly when they did. Gohan ignored that voice in his head that told him of his hypocrisy, considering he never did play football in his backyard with his friends and family. It would've been great, though...
"You just go and do what you do best," he continued. "Linemen, wrestle with their defense. Receivers, you run your favorite route. And be prepared to go with anything I throw at you. Get it?"
"Yeah" and "got it," they responded.
"Let's have fun, ok?" Gohan stretched a hand to the middle of the bunch. "On three." The others' hands rested above his. "One, two, three."
"Tigers!"
As the group walked towards the line, Gohan stopped the last of his teammates with a hand on the abs and looked him in the eyes. Ever since he became a quarterback, Luke's position as a running back made him one of the players he had to rely on the most, and they had established a sort of connection that just gained a precious status given the dire situation. Their normal interactions during a match were rarely spoken out loud, each of them only needing a hint or a tell to know what the other one was thinking or trying to accomplish. Gohan wasn't really sure of what he was going to do exactly, but he knew that Luke was the one person who would come in handy if he needed him to. "Be ready," were his words and as expected Luke needed nothing more. "You too," he said with a smirk, nodding once and assuming his position on the grass.
Gohan took his stance, studying the defense and deciding to call out the color 'orange' - the one the Eagles had already made out - as yet another attempt to throw the defense off their real plan. Not that there was exactly one to begin with... He took a deep breath and prayed for the best, yelling out a random audible and leaning over to receive the ball.
"Hut, hut!"
In the matter of a second, his eyes scouted the field, first to his primary receiver on his left, and then through the others. There were no clear areas around any of them. The pocket was tightly woven around him but he couldn't afford to waste any more time, so he turned around and gave the ball away to Luke who started dashing through the field.
He saw him go and immediately made up his mind that there was no way he was just going to stand there and watch the action roll out without doing anything. It was all hands on deck for this one and so he sped after his teammate. Luke ran like crazy, once again earning his rank as the fastest guy on the team. Well, second fastest in reality, but since Gohan made it to quarterback he kind of had to relinquish the title to someone who actually ran during the matches. The young saiyan was quick to make his way to his teammate's side just in time to shoulder tackle one of the Eagles defenders who came running to them, clearly not expecting the quarterback to pack such a wallop.
Gohan was slowed slightly by the maneuver, but after the defender hit the ground he was able to continue his path right behind Luke just to have his eyes widen and his gut clench when he saw two other guys running to his teammate. He wouldn't be able to make it there in time to stop them both - even if he could do it in one single blow - but that wasn't what made it seem... odd. Luke was running right to them with no intention of evading or shifting his course.
In the next moment he understood why and thank God he was ready for it because Luke jumped right towards the two guys, tackling them both to the ground but not before letting go of the ball, causing it to fall behind his body and into the ground.
'Sly son of a bitch,' Gohan thought and smirked, rushing to catch it as it bounced and continuing his path over to the endzone. It was so close and yet it seemed so far given the number of Eagles who were making their way towards him. From the corner of his eye he saw a dark blur running behind him but didn't register anything other than the direct path to his front.
His gut clenched again. Four guys running towards him. 10 yard line. How could he dodge them all? With a jump he hopped over the first one who lunged at his legs but then the other three were right in front of him. There was nothing he could do. The three guys jumped to him at the same time.
But then it hit him just as the Eagles defenders were grabbing his jersey and his brain brought to memory the 'blur' he prayed was a black uniform that'd been tailing him before. In a last ditch effort he threw the ball away over his shoulder to someone he just hoped, but wasn't sure was there making sure to at least carry it out as a legal lateral.
The three guys brought him down and forced his head onto the grass, piling on top of each other like they feared he was capable of bursting out of there and send them flying somewhere across the field. Well... he could if he wanted to, but they didn't know that so it was completely uncalled for. The world went dark for a moment as someone's chest or stomach or (please God, not) crotch covered the intense lights over them.
He tried to wrestle away from the bottom of the pile only to freeze when he heard the cheers. Maybe they did it... did they? The whistle concluded the quarter just as the guys started to move from above him and he finally managed to sit up. He saw Luke run over and skid on his knees to meet him. "We fucking did it!" He yelled.
"We did?" Gohan whispered, incredulous.
"Yeah! That was genius!"
"Trust me. It truly wasn't," Gohan shrugged, getting up, although he couldn't refuse the smile that surfaced on his face.
Dumb luck definitely had copious amounts to do with it but at that time he couldn't really care. It was just one step closer to accomplishing that win he now, more than ever, desired. Gohan knew himself and one thing he truly wasn't was a sore loser, but this game had undeniably become much more than that to him. This was now a matter of pride, of rising above, and for a saiyan that meant only one thing. This was personal.
He slowly backed off the field, making his way towards his bench and watching his teammates attempt and accomplish the one-point conversion. Arguably the easiest play in football but it brought him that sense of satisfaction anyway. Any little point was a god-send, now.
Arriving next to his coach he saw the man smile and grimace at same time and the next second told him why. A couple of his teammates came running and jumped on his back, cheering and completely energized by the last play and what they had achieved. His mind reminded him that it wasn't over yet but he felt just as elated. They gathered around coach Leon.
"That was quite a play, Son," the man offered, a controlled yet pleased smirk contorting his impeccable moustache.
"It wasn't me, sir," Gohan added politely, patting Luke's back beside him.
The running back was quick to give his opinion. "Don't even think about it. If you hadn't come after me the whole thing would be over at the 40 yard line." He said. "You're the mastermind behind it."
"Oh, yeah. Like it was planned or something," Gohan mocked and joined in the collective laughter.
"Whoever it was," coach Leon continued, "it worked. I hoped for the best but damn it if I was expecting a winged play to work."
"I don't think any of us were," they cackled again.
"We should totally make up a name for it!" Someone else suggested and all the others concurred, like little kids excited about Christmas.
"Yeah," Luke joined in. "Something about 'having someone's back' or something."
"Well, Mr. Mastermind," coach Leon addressed Gohan. "I think you should do the honors. Do you have any ideas?"
"Hum..." he started, going for a polite dodge away from that responsibility but then something popped into his head and it was so perfect and powerful that he couldn't and wouldn't ignore it. Something about having someone's back. "Actually, I do but... it's a strange one."
"The stranger the better," coach reminded.
"What is it?" A random teammate asked.
"My... my father. He always had my back," he said, shyly. "His... hum... nickname was... Kakarot."
"'The Kakarot', then. More than appropriate," coach Leon concluded and patted the young saiyan's back.
Gohan smiled. 'The Kakarot'. A play with impossible odds, used as a last resort in a fight they couldn't win... yeah, more than appropriate.
OoOoOoOoO
This was it.
Their last attack, 2 seconds on the clock. Time was up.
A touchdown. Just one more. That was all they needed. With the conversion, they would win this thing. The Eagles were 6 points ahead so there was no other way around it. No other choice.
He nibbled at his lip again. He spotted his coach again, but this time he didn't lower his eyes to meet his teammate's, lest they were looking back at his.
They had tried everything. All of their old plays were out of the question and their new ones had become for the most part unveiled and expected. They couldn't risk them.
Another 'just wing it'? Which? How? No, it was just as risky if not more than their playbook. The last 'time out' was just about over and he didn't have any idea of what to do. His breathing was rushed and his frown unrelenting.
"Gohan?" Someone said but he didn't look down. He couldn't. Everyone was looking at him, he just knew it. His teammates, coach, the spectators and even that motherfucker that caused this whole difficulty in the first place. He asked Dende for another chance at beating Rick's face in and right then and there he promised himself that he'd do it, too, even if he probably wouldn't when the time actually came. Damn principles...
He sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing them with the tips of his fingers. He wished Videl was there with him, for some reason. Not that she'd be of any help when it came to the logistics that eluded him, but her presence would definitely calm him down. He longed for the damn green apples in her hair.
Knowing it couldn't happen he dared a look her way but he couldn't find her through the crowd. Where was she? Why did everybody had to look the damn same from this far? He remembered Bulma was with her and searched for blue hair instead of black one, ignoring his teammate's pleads and worries. He had to find her, now. He had to see her.
Luckily, he spotted Bulma quickly enough and looked over to Videl. She was sitting down, calmly, looking directly at him like she was just waiting for him to find her. She lifted up her left arm and her right finger tapped her wrist.
Was she trying to say something? His frown shifted even if it remained locked and his eyelids twitched in confusion, like he wasn't seeing correctly. Or like he was missing something.
She continued pointing at it and then moved her index finger to point back at him. Oh, his wrist. He looked down and saw it... the red band. For luck and for guidance.
He smiled dearly. It was all he needed.
Gohan took a deep, cleansing breath, not really caring if it came out loudly or like he was actually losing his mind. He wasn't. Not anymore.
They needed a new play but an old one at the same time. Something they never practiced before but not improvised either. The plan formed itself in his mind.
He looked over his shoulder to the Eagles, idling around before taking their own stances. His team had a lot of ground to cover and the Eagles knew it too. The logical thing was to try a running play since they wouldn't anticipate that but it was too risky with only seconds to spare. They would be expecting a pass.. and that was exactly what he had to give them. Deciding, he took a gamble. "A fake reverse."
Gohan's words were received and responded to with gapped mouths and widened eyes, but he reassured them. "All we could try now we've already tried before. They'd be expecting it. This is not risk free and it's a one-in-a-million shot, but..." he tried to explain, shrugging his shoulder and shaking his head like he was having a hard time coming to terms with it himself. He looked around into their eyes, sure enough that he was failing miserably at this 'team leader' thing, concluding almost in a whisper. "It's our best shot."
After a while, someone gave their input. "But... none of us has an arm like yours. You're the only one who can throw the ball accurately enough."
"We don't need accurate, we need unexpected," Gohan explained. "They'll be expecting me to throw the ball and not a receiver. It's 30 yards only... and I think that Randel can do it."
"Me?" the player in question asked and his trembling body and scared features brought a bad feeling down Gohan's spine. 'Maybe he's not ready...' he thought, but there was really no way around it given the time constraints to come up with another plan. Hence, he nodded and tried to lift the guy's and his other teammate's spirits with a few choice words and pick-me-ups he didn't quite believe in at that moment.
The plan was forged and their places taken. Gohan cleared his head and yelled another fake audible, color 'blue' this time. Out of habit he did a once over across the line but this time his eyes stopped at his left wrist. Instinctively, he brought it up and kissed the red amulet, in a way kissing its maker and in another 'just in case' - accounting for any possible mythical creature, god or fairy that just might have made its home out of it. Videl had ordered an ass to be kicked and even if there was no power in the bracelet itself, he could see her beautiful eyes giving the command once more through the thin band as he looked down. He couldn't disappoint her. He wouldn't.
A final deep breath and a yell. "Hut, hut!"
Everyone tried their best at a dance none of them knew how to partake in, and the ball made its way to the wide-receiver. Gohan ran over to the side line, attempting to evade the defenders that stood in his way and looking up to where the ball would be tracing a path over his head and to another receiver. But he didn't find it.
His defenders didn't find it either and they all came to realize the reason at the same time apparently, because they ditched him and started racing towards Randel. He still had it in his hands.
The look on his face clenched the young saiyan's gut and for a moment he saw the victory slipping through his fingers. The guy was never a quarterback before and by the looks of it, he wouldn't be one in the future either. The scattered receivers ran closer in hopes that he'd make his move but that only added to the disaster because they were now covered and tightly so.
He shook his head. There was nothing else to be done and Randel knew it too because he shouted a frustrated cry and threw the ball away into the end zone, more in a childish act of exasperation than anything else. A beautiful throw, a tall arch more than a flat curve, and an amazing pass if there would only be someone there to catch it. But then...
Time froze.
The world blurred around him in such a way that he couldn't tell that the Eagles had already began celebrating. He couldn't tell that his team mates were dejectedly falling to their knees and bringing their hands to their heads. He saw nothing but Videl's blue eyes as they appeared in front of his, singing it to him one final time - kick his ass. They faded away immediately after as if on purpose; as if she was not needed anymore. And she wasn't... because Gohan saw it now. The trajectory, the speed, the height and the angle. Some invisible hand drew them in front of him as white chalk on the dark canvas of the night's sky, just like in one of his physics books, and in a fraction of a second his mathematical brain figured it out.
He... he could do it.
Electricity shot through his worn out muscles, forcing one last arrow-like sprint towards the end zone. His heart pumped faster and faster, and his eyes started to sting from the wind he was creating but he refused to close them. He wouldn't lose it from his sight. It was his. He could feel it.
"What the hell is he doing?" Erasa asked.
Sharpner responded in a faint whisper, like he didn't really believe his eyes. "A... Hail Mary..."
Videl's gut clenched and her heart filled up with something warm. She got up in a jump, ignoring the Eagles' cheers and the Tigers' groans on the crowded bleachers and surrounded her mouth with her hands, shouting as loudly as her tired throat could manage. "GO! GO! YOU CAN DO IT! GO GOHAN!"
Bulma got up as well. "RUN!" Neither of them could believe it. He was going to make it.
They're little group cheered their guts out but nobody else assisted, dismissing the action altogether. There was no way... He couldn't. He wouldn't. He... Dear God, he would.
The crowd slowly came back to life and began chanting random incentives towards number 21, but he didn't hear them. It was all quiet. It was all still. Just him and it. Him and the ball. 15 yards... 10... 5... It was in front of him, now, but he was still a couple of steps away. He didn't think or calculate or study the best way to get to it. His mind blanked and his body jumped for him, turning in mid-air and the next thing he knew he was crashing down on his back with a puff and instinctively rolling to his feet, as Piccolo had taught him long ago. The movement was so fast that he lost his balance and took a couple of steps back. His mind was numb, not entirely sure of what actually happened. Did he do it? He looked down to his cradled arms...
And there it was.
It all came rushing in on him and he slowly looked up and around. The lights, the sounds and the people. The cold breeze and the smell of the grass. The crowded bleachers vibrated with excited cheers and metallic clanks. Guys in black and gold were jumping up and down and running towards him as the silver and red ones knelt on the floor and kicked their helmets to wherever. He was trembling and panting really hard, half from the run and half from the magnitude of what he had just done. It was... indescribable.
An unexpected calmness filled him up from head to toe as he took an incredibly deep, incredibly cooling breath, the ball pressed tightly against his chest, subconsciously fearing that it would somehow be taken away from him and make it all untrue.
This was it.
It wasn't his first touchdown and it wasn't his first victory, but if there was ever a time for a 'subtle yet meaningful gesture', this one was it. The one touchdown he scored as a quarterback rather than as a receiver, in a match set up against him with a last ditch effort and only a speck of possibility for success.
He felt him having his back again and closed his eyes, tilting his head down.
Two fingers touched his forehead.
Please review!
Update (06/06/2013): Some minor grammatical mishaps were corrected and some words changed. Nothing all that important apart from a couple of paragraphs that I re-wrote and added to. These paragraphs are on the final play of the football match: the one that starts with "The plan was forged (...)" and the one that starts with "The world blurred around him (...)". Maybe not worth re-reading but... just so you know. :D (*v*)