Revons Plus Grand Chapter 15: Shangri-La, a strike witches fanfic

Revons Plus Grand

Chapter 15:

Shangri-La

The apartment room in Saint-Germain-en-Laye for Alex Hunter and his mate Danny Williams, two young footballers on loan from Manchester United and Newcastle United, was a comfy, spacious apartment that had two bedrooms with baths, a kitchen, a laundromat and a living room that included an XBox One, sofas, a table and a high definition television with every major channel in France and the world minus the adult channels. The key for those two players was to ensure that their collective focus was on training and playing for the club so that they could eventually have some minutes in the UEFA Champions League tie against FC Barcelona.

After a busy day at training on Thursday, Alex's iPhone rang. "Hello?" he asked as Danny was busy simming a match between PSG and Bordeaux with Paris as the road team.

"Good afternoon, Alex," said Jose Mourinho's right hand man, Andy Butler.

"Andy, how are ya?"

"Good. So, how are you integrating into Unai's system?"

"Pace is slightly different, but they run a 4-3-3 with Edinson, Angel and Julian up front. They're bullish about control, possession and tempo. I make a nice fit, according to them."

"Good. So you need to study their system and when your name is called during a match, listen to his instructions and follow it to the smallest exact details. You and Danny, understoof?"

"Got it, Andy."

"Also, if you turn on the news..."

"What's going on?" He turned on the news. "Oh my..."

"It seems, as you can see, that there has been unrest in the impoverished northeast portions of the city, and the suburbs there, due to what happened to be a crime committed by the local police. Be mindful of where you travel. You're based near the Camp, within walking distance. Stay with your mates and if you need to travel on free time outside of training and matches, make sure your have a team staff member with you. The two young ladies who do the housekeeping can help you in that department. Have you already met them?"

"Yeah, I have met Jose and Sadako. They are very nice people who are my age and got my back in case anything goes down. They cook some really good food too, according to what I've been told."

"Good to hear. They are more resourceful than you think and might even save your life so be very nice and grateful to them. Other that that, make sure to always eat, train and sleep well and don't let any of the recent events on the news distract you or Danny."

"Yes, Andy."

"Right, so with that, I'll let you two be. Good luck on Friday against Bordeaux. This is an important tuneup match for Tuesday, and you know who they are facing."

"Barcelona and Messi, of course," Alex said.

"Good lad. See you then, talk to you later."

"Bye-bye." And Alex hung up.

"Was that your boss Andy?" asked Danny.

"Yep. He told us that some crazy stuff is happening in another part of Paris, on the other side. That's not our issue. We gotta get ready for training tomorrow, that's our focus. You know what to do, eh bruv?"

"Got it, bruv."

"Well done."

"Such a pity," said Georgette Lemare to Sadako Shimohara back at the Camp the next day. "If rioting is the only way the marginalized can think of to address the crimes committed by the police, the future of Paris may be bleak as a stiff peak."

"Peak. Stiff. You mention such mysterious rhetoric and that can only send chills down my spine as I watch our boys hold the line," she replied.

"Okay, we can stop with the rhyme and call time." Laughter followed a confused pause that refreshed. In the distance, some of the players taking a knock were jogging, trying to shake off the niggles and naggles. "Look at Alex. Look at him, look at him. He just likes to juggle that ball, this way and that, then freestyle with the dribbling before passing it to others."

"Really?"

"Watch this."

With a passionate volley of burning love, the ball caressed the net with ease. Swish. It eluded the stagnating, struggling, stumbling and bumbling netminder, the young Alphonse Areola, he who had it tough late against Lille in a howler worthy of a blooper reel, a shocker that made the young man bow towards Mecca in shame, although he was prostrating gratuitously in the other direction, perhaps towards Rome or Davy Jones' Locker. He would have had hell to play if the score remained 1-1. Fortunately, the officials had sympathy and allowed Lucas Moura to rectify matters to keep Alphonse's composure in line.

"Create, destroy, provide, produce. That's what an attacker needs to do, and Alex just knows those elements since his schoolboy days, it seems." Sadako remarked. "But what about us?"

"What about us?" Georgette mused.

"Jose! We are embracing the game more than ever. It's like we almost forget that we are still members of the military on the other side, you know?"

"Never forget the big picture, Sada." She was glancing over the training schedule for the women.

Monday, February 6th 2017