RAYAN

He prepared his school bag with everything he needed for the Starcross game, packing his full to the brim water capsule for the grueling challenge ahead while Ava ate her breakfast in silence nearby. He frowned at her, where her gaze settled on the I-Screen. "Ray?" she asked. "Where'd your mom go?"

"She had to leave a little early for some security stuff," he said as he shouldered his bag. "She didn't want to leave you until she knew you got something into you. It's all yours." He indicated back to the sweet-smelling kitchen. "There's some extra if you need it." Ava continued to wolf down her breakfast, and Rayan winced. "You don't want to choke."

"Sorry." Ava swallowed. "I... didn't get time to eat yesterday, so I'm starving." Rayan waited while she put the plate into the dishwasher and raced back up to the second floor landing. His wristpad ticked closer to the scheduled game, and he smiled when she raced back down to meet him. "Okay, let's go."

Rayan took the lead off the property, with Ava following right behind him. "Good luck," she said, and he stopped. "With the game."

Rayan forced a smile on his face. "Oh, the other team will need that luck," he joked, but turned away to hide his flailing confidence. But, James' head isn't going to be in the game. Jon might have to do a pep-talk... or I will. We got this. He clenched his fists and pumped them in front of him. Nope, all we've been doing is practicing, if we have to make sure there's not so much pressure on James on defense, we should be able to pull this out.

Ava kept close to them as they reached the school grounds, where the stadium filled with people. "Well, I've got to get to our locker rooms," he told her, then held his arms out. "I'll see you soon, when we've won." His heart swelled when she returned his embrace without hesitation. "I'll try talking to James too." He raced for the pitch where the other team's school gathered to watch the game between Eastpoint Collegiate and Roxton Collegiate. He spotted some of the teachers filling students into their side of the bleachers, though compared to the amount of Roxton students, their side lacked spectating cheerleaders.

Around the Starcross pitch, he slipped into the locker room.

His fellow frontliners, Tomas and Tharan eyed him as they slipped on their protective gear, then twisted to the corner. Jon loomed with a sense of desperation over James, who had his head tucked in his geared knees. The other two backliners sat on the bench with a sense of fading morale, what with their anchor unresponsive in the corner.

"Falae," Jon said and left James to head to him. "You need to get geared up, and then we need to have a bit of a talk."

Rayan glanced at James, who sank deeper into the corner. "I can assume what about." He opened his locker to slip on his wristguards, where they hissed and fell into a firm, but flexible fit around his forearms. Legs covered in the same formed padding, he nodded at Jon when he hovered around him. "How long was he like that?" He pointed at James, who gave no indication of hearing their conversation.

"He was like that when I entered," Jon said with a shrug. He pressed his fingers against his lips. "I've tried giving him my classic pep talks, but I think I just made it worse."

Rayan straightened himself out and readied his head protection on the bench while the rest of the team gathered around him and their goalie captain.

"We're playing against Roxton Collegiate," Tomas pointed out. "Every time we've tried anything against them they've just rolled over us." Morale dimmed in the air while Jon tapped his temple. "Our best bet was always our defensive strategy but..." Everyone of them turned to James, who ignored them in his cloudy misery. "If one of our head's isn't in the game..."

Jon shook his head. "No, we can do this... we'll just have to..." He winced. "Improvise a little." he snapped his hands together. "If they're the same team from the last Quad, we have a bit of knowledge going into this game. We'll just have to do what we can to win."

No one took their eyes off James.

Rayan sniffed. "Jon, I might have an idea." He came closer. "I know we banked a lot on this defensive strategy, but what if we come out of the gate swinging instead of them?" He jolted at the rapt attention. "I see it sometimes during pro games. A Vanguard Chase."

Tomas' eyes widened. "You want to try a Vanguard Chase? I've never been able to get it to work..."

Jon folded his arms. "I don't know, Ray — that could very quickly knee-cap us come late game. You'll burn yourself out with that play and we're going to need you when it comes to the wire," he commented.

"I understand, but..." He eyed James. "We need to give him some time to get his head back into the game. I can do it, you have to trust me. You want to win, don't you? Doing a Vanguard Chase earlier in the game might give us that push," Rayan insisted. "I'll do what I can for defense, but I think getting points early on will crawl us through this game." He eyed Tomas and Tharan. "You know how the play goes, don't you?"

"More or less..." Tharan muttered.

Jon raised a finger. "Essentially, when the ball gets launched, Rayan will pass it to... whatever wing he thinks he can get through — hopefully that'll be the weak wing on their side. Whoever gets the ball passes it back, the free frontliner will try to disrupt any fumbling attempts, allowing Rayan to go straight through their backline," he said with pinpoint accuracy. "As I said though, you're going to get burned out quickly, Ray. It's an aggressive strategy that you're going to need to put all your energy into — and you're still going to have to play some defense yourself."

"Let's give it a shot for the early game, at least," Rayan said. "If it doesn't work, we'll use the break to figure something else out, but... that's the only idea I have."

Everyone turned to James, then back.

"Okay," Jon said with a clap of his shoulder. "Keep yourself hydrated, Ray. You're going to need it. Everyone finishing gearing up, get some water into you, and then it's game time." He clapped his hands together, and the rest of the team followed with a sense of shaky solidarity. As the others readied themselves to walk onto the pitch, Jon motioned at James. "Try and talk to him. We have a couple minutes before the bell while they smooth out the pitch." Jon placed his head-guard, which purred to life and folded over his face, while a barrier protected his eyes. He returned to the rest of the team, but Rayan went to James.

"James?" James lifted his head. Shadows of exhaustion filled the hazel, spotted with red as he leaned against the wall and looked across the locker room. Rayan knelt in front of him. "Think you can do this?"

James shook his head with a pained scoff. "I think I have bigger things to worry about than a stupid Starcross game..." He bounced his head against the wall. "I should've told her sooner, but... I think I thought she wouldn't have even cared."

"Of course she'd have cared," Rayan said. "She's afraid of losing you, you know. I know how she feels."

James rested his brow against his knees once more while Jon waited at the door, filling out the rest of the team. "So what... you're going to try and convince me again?"

Rayan mulled over his options, then shook his head. "Nope." He held his hand out. "I want you to get up and help us win this stupid game... because I need you to be awake for what I'm about to do."

"A Vanguard Chase," James mumbled. "I was listening."

"Good, because that was the bait." Rayan grinned as James kept his head low, but grabbed his hand to haul him to his feet. "Well, half-bait, I intend to do exactly what I said. I'm going to run through their backline, James... I'm going to do the speed feint."

James lifted his head in concern. "Rayan, we've never been able to perfect that... and I don't think I can make that shot right now." He waved his hand to the side. "We might as well just go for a draw. It's the best we can do, and Jon won't complain nearly as much."

"Jon seemed more concerned about not putting pressure on you."

"Jon's got a one-track mind, but he's not an asshole," James said. "I know, Ray."

"Okay, so that's our little plan." Rayan held his hand out again. "I trust you, James. I just need you to trust me. Around the late point of the game, we'll do it then if we're lagging behind a bit. We might be able to pull it off twice, I just need you to be ready. I'll rush straight back to our side once I've released it to help defend you."

James held onto his forearm with a weary blink and a slow nod. Rayan came closer to bump his head. "For now, just breathe and focus on your little corner of the pitch. Jon will be right behind you. I'll try and keep the ball off our side."

"I can do my job," James mumbled and looked at his collar. "I don't need the entire team babying me."

"We won't be," Rayan said and settled his hands on his shoulders. "But forget them for that point in the game. You'll know when I'm about to do it, and the only person you need to concern yourself with is me." James nodded. Rayan pushed his head guard into his hands before picking up his own. Before James hid himself in the protection, Rayan hugged him. "I just want you to know that whatever happens, I'll be there for you, and so will Ava."

James patted him on the back in slow motion while the bell rang, and it was showtime. Rayan slipped his head guard on, where the barrier shimmered across his eyes but gave him a clear view of the world ahead. James followed suit, where the hazel hid behind the layer of protection. Rayan guided James out onto their side of the field, with Jon at the head of their line as captain of the Starcross team. Whistles and shouts spurred them on, but he allowed the silence to wash through his ears and listen to James' ragged breathing.

He's not in the headspace for this... but I know he'll come through. No matter what...

Rayan clenched his fists as Jon met the other team's captain, with their red and black colours clashing against Eastpoint's soft blues and purples. Rayan took his spot at the Vanguard and came face to face with his opposite, a bulkier frontliner, who set themselves into position.

Rayan eyed Tomas, who shared his glance.

I need to trick them into thinking that's our goal... I didn't even tell Jon what I'm really planning. He checked in with the back, where James took the field behind him with Jon, the two talking one last time before going to their positions. Everything fell quiet from the cheers as the referee lifted the whistle to their lips, with the ticking of the scoreboard ringing through the pitch.

Rayan counted his breaths as the ball shuddered in the center line.

Just need to give them a taste.

It exploded with the horn. Rayan rushed forward with his smaller statue as an advantage, swiping the ball out of the air with the tip of his netbat. It slid inside the casing as the heavyset frontliner rushed for him, but he swung it back to Tomas, who ran past his own wall with ease. Rayan ducked around, keeping his netbat against his opponent's as people jeered and gasped.

Tomas slammed to a stop as the opposing wing frontliner tried to force a fumble, and Rayan caught the edge when he threw it through the forced play. Rayan flicked on his speed dialler, with his netbat shuddering with the growing pressure while he rushed the goalie.

One step.

Two.

On the backline, with the anchor going for a check.

He switched the position of his bat to slide past the anchor backliner, and used his single bounce of the ball. It hissed across the grass, and bounced off it with high-powered pressure to crack past the goal.

The scoreboard rang out, and Rayan rested his netbat against his shoulders and returned to his side. He took his helmet off for a breath, but sent his best taunting smile at the other team.

Let them think I'm the threat... make them forget my team even exists.

From the way some of the other team squirmed with competitive spirit, it worked. He sent one of the frontliners a wink before returning his helmet around his head and continued to keep track of his own heartbeat, a countdown to their final push.

It was time for the real game to begin, with one step ahead, and all his focus trained on setting up the real play.