THE GAME: AN EMPERORS RULE
The benches, formerly used by the clique, now featured Birchwood and SOJAS flags, symbolising they now housed the emergency headquarters for the Birchwood football team.
Charlie Brown sat next to Linus as he listened to Peppermint Patty relay the bleak situation during halftime. Rochester were ahead 50-0 points. Many of the team's players were injured, and 5, the referee, was nowhere to be found.
"This is hopeless Linus" lamented Charlie Brown, "if this keeps up, I might as well put a "Kick Me" sign on myself".
"I personally don't think it'd make a difference" Linus explained, "but there's hope Charlie Brown. We can still turn this game around".
Charlie Brown looked away briefly, to hide sudden irritation at Linus's faith in a comeback. He found himself looking at the golden throne Lucy had talked about. Which, now had Edward Black seated on it, looking serious.
"What does the new King…"
"Sorry Charlie" Edward interrupted "I'm using the title Emperor".
Patty stopped her relay of the game, and looked up to them. "Chuck has a good point though, do you have an option, Emperor Kingmaker?"
Edward hesitated, unfortunately without Lucy, and with her the location of 5, they had limited options.
At that moment, Maddison, along with Henrietta and Samantha, walked into the benches. "Ah, Edward, I need to talk to you" she told him.
Edward turned to her "Is it urgent?"
"I think it is" Maddison insisted. And she revealed from behind her a black haired girl, and her friend, that she'd "escorted".
"Well" Edward smiled insincerely "Violet and Patty(Swanson), my old "allies".
Both girls were livid at their predicament.
"You betrayed us Black?" Violet ranted "I NEVER thought you were trustworthy".
"Well, on the contrary" Linus noted "Edward was never on your side to begin with".
Violet scowled back at him, "And of course you would deceive us like this?"
Linus's scowl matched hers, "Given you were plotting against my best friend, I don't exactly regret my decisions."
"Agreed" Edward frowned "I'd like you to explain what happened to 5, the actual referee".
"Why should I?" Violet scowled.
"Because you've done enough damage to our football" Peppermint Patty exclaimed, fed up.
Edward rose from the throne, "I sent your great "powerhouse", Lucy, scurrying, like a mouse from a wolf. If you are more sensible, the best option now is to listen to MY request. NOW, Where Is He?".
Edwards reply caught Violet off guard, but the girl quickly smiled. She bent down and whispered "Fine, but 5's back at the school, on the second floor, first corridor".
That was quite a distance away. Edward turned to the others, "Schroder, Sam, Henrietta, Neil, head to the school, second floor, first corridor to find 5".
"You'll get there before you know it" Patty Swanson sarcastically said as they left.
"Then you've already failed" Marcie declared, "Sir, why don't we keep an eye on these two".
"Sure" Patty replied.
The players began to stand up.
"I want the rest of the team in best shape" Edward declared, "Maddison and I will enter the fray ourselves, we'll provide some muscle".
Linus and Janice agreed they'd monitor game strategy from the benches.
"We can still do this team" Charlie Brown encouraged "let's keep the game going, we just gotta play a good and fair…"
"Fair?" one team member questioned "Brown, Rochester ain't playing fair, why are we".
Charlie Brown looked to Edward, who shook his head. "I told you that we must do what it takes to win. Any chance of a fair game is long gone".
The team sat silently.
"I call for a conscience vote" Patty declared "All in favour of…err…modified rules, raise your hand".
Patty and most of the team raised there hands briefly.
"And all in favour of continuing fairly, raise your hand"
Charlie Brown and Linus both raised their hands. But they were clearly outvoted, the team had chose to play rough.
Dejected, the former lowered his hand and sighed, "Well, looks like all my friends didn't want to stand with me. Figures".
"Yeah" Linus lowered his own hand, looking hurt, "Figures".
As the third quarter began, Charlie Brown stepped forward onto the field, facing the opposing team, who smirked with glee at their apparent victory.
But those smiles began to waver as Edward Black stepped up beside Charlie. His black sash was visible across his shirt, which now covered his clearly strong frame. Whispers spread among the opposing team, they knew exactly who it was.
"That's Black?"
"The S.O.J.A.S kid"
"Kingmaker"
The opposing captain simply contemplated. "New strategy" he bellowed "Target Black till he is off this field".
Edward smiled, that was just what he wanted. For them to come at him, and be defeated. A true demonstration of success.
As the game recommenced, one of the players ran off the field. "I'll sub off for anyone" he declared.
Maddison quickly put on a football shirt and ran on the field. However rather than join the rest of the team, she ran straight to Edward and tackled the guy fighting him. Quickly, they both stood back to back, ready to fight the next wave of players.
From the benches, Linus and Janice watched, and the former put his hand on the throne.
"Getting a feel of it are we Linus" Janice observed.
"Oh" Linus responded "I suppose so".
"Hey" his friend nudged him encouragingly "Edward wouldn't mind if you tried it out".
Linus agreed with her, and sat down on the golden painted throne. He leaned back, it wasn't a soft surface, with very little cushioning. But, it felt really good, sitting there, he felt secure, confident and, powerful.
Lucy's made so many bad choices, he thought, but wanting to feel like this, that part was okay.
The score of the game was steadily climbing, Birchwood was gaining point after point, slowly closing the gap.
A player rushed at Charlie Brown only to get knocked out of the way by Edward. The two boys ran towards the opposing side with the football.
"I'll kick it to you Edward" Charlie Brown said, and he got ready to kick the ball to him.
But with Edward distracted, Rochester's captain and two of his players surprised him, and tackled him to the ground. The four of them quickly started fighting, Rochesters players trying to stop Edward doing any further damage.
"Charlie" Edward called "Tackle the captain", he grabbed the said captain, "quickly".
Charlie Brown stood quietly, looking at the captain as he squirmed helplessly in Edwards grasp, now looking at him in panic.
And he knew, he couldn't attack him, he was defenceless. It wasn't in his nature.
"I c-can't".
"WHAT", Edward said in frustration, and turning back to the captain, he called in his mind for his other ally, the spirit Sincerus.
"Edward, don't".
The spirit of Sincerus was telling him in his head, not to force his hand, but Edward didn't care. His willpower overpowered that of the spirits, and he forced their combined strength, to wrench the three players off him.
Rising, he glared at their stunned bodies, all groaning in pain. A small trickle of concern crossed his face.
"You made me have…to do that" he seethed at Charlie Brown in silent anger, "your weakness, will not be my undoing".
He proceeded to go on a rampage, as Charlie Brown watched the Rochester players be defeated, one by one.
"Linus" he said to himself "you sure you're confident on this guy?".
Marcie was looking at the game from the front of the benches, and Peppermint Patty came up to her.
"SIR, weren't you watching Patty and Violet".
"Relax Marcie, Pig Pen took over, he's watching them" Patty explained. He had apparently just relieved her.
But she was mistaken.
"Whaddya mean, I'm watching them!" Pig Pen panicked, hearing the girls from a few seats up.
Both girls looked shocked, "Wait, then who else was covered in dirt and grime and…" Patty was interrupted by someone shoving her in the back, knocking her into Marcie, and them both to the ground.
Lucy, covered in mud from earlier, pulled back her hands after her attack, standing between Violet and Patty.
"That's a cheap move Lucille" Peppermint Patty scolded, once she saw her.
"I've got enough on my plate Patty. Sorry, I have to overlook your precious football" Lucy sneered "I'm desperate…"
"LUCY, WAIT".
Lucy looked angrily at Linus as he walked down off the benches, and stood between the two groups of girls.
The two siblings looked at each other, their blue eyes showing different emotions. Lucy's showed anger, with a hint of curiosity over whether Linus intended to fight her himself.
While Linus showed both confidence and reluctance. Lucy looked a mess from her confrontation earlier, and, he didn't want to escalate the situation.
"Please Lucy" he held out his right hand to her "Stop doing this".
"Stop doing this?"
"Stop the hurtful actions you're doing" Linus appealed, "you can be better. Don't you want to be on the real winning team Lucy" he breathed "Please…join me".
Lucy looked at her brother, and now, it was clear she was tempted.
"Lie-nus by name, Lie-nus by nature" a feminine voice whispered to her
"What"
"Think it over" Violet whispered again in her ear "he trains with Black, sabotages our plan and, turns Rerun to his side" she pointed to the throne. "He wants that for himself, you both know it".
Violet stepped back, as her friend suddenly turned to her.
"Oh zip it Violet" Lucy said loudly.
And to her shock, she walked to Linus, making a decision.
"Did-did you believe me?" he asked her.
His sister grabbed his hand…
"Oh Linus".
… and she quickly moved his arm, pinning it behind his back. "Still naive as ever".
Linus gasped in pain as Lucy continued pinning his arm.
"You snitch on me to Kingmaker" she spat "and think I'm going to be all nice about it".
"No, I didn't…aaahhh" Linus gritted his teeth as the pain increased.
Lucy sneered, "None of your club friends to help you now…".
"HEY!"
Lucy was suddenly slapped in the face, letting go of Linus in surprise. She then grimaced, as she saw the new opponent.
"I beg to differ", Janice exclaimed as she pulled her hand back, surprised herself by her reaction. "Now Back. Off, please".
Lucy now looked enraged at Janice, but before she, Violet or Patty could do anything, a horn rang out. The third quarter was over.
They quickly got out of there as they saw Maddison, Edward and Charlie Brown move towards them.
"You can't hide" Maddison ranted after them, "THERE'S NOWHERE TO RUN".
"It's a tactical retreat" they corrected her.
Edward went up to a saddened Linus.
"I warned you she wouldn't listen" he told him, "she is too arrogant"
"You were right" Linus moaned, "Lucy wasn't going to care for me".
The older boy sympathetically patted him on the shoulder. For the first time that day, he was calm.
"If she wont, then make sure that you do".