Batey Ascending

5-4, Absolutes win. After Gorri scored the winning point, we were back on a bone-to-bone defense. Five on five, no ball control, full hold down until the match ended. Any play they made, Chilly took over the goal in an instant and deflected. Any push Fred tried to make, he had me, Black and IND23 stopping him.

They say the final third is the longest because it’s where anything can happen. For us, it went by at supersonic speeds. Especially for me. That moment outside the Sphere, flying around the arena, right over the heads of the thousands of spectators all seeing me, cheering me, knowing my name.

I feel like I’ve made it.

Once the match ended the teams stood across from the center while the Sphere depowered and lowered us to the floor. It’s easier to get fan-mobbed that way, and easier for the press to come in for quotes and Cred chasing.

Fred was still infuriated; more than I think I’ve ever seen someone be angry. He’d make my own dad back down. But I’m happy. Can’t help but smile. Not even for the win, but that speed, it’s stuck in my mind.

I reach my hand out, like a good sport. He looks at it, looks at me, and I can see why he’d be insulted from my own rejection. It hurts to see that change turn away. He’s already walking off before the gravity is fully back and hits the ground without breaking his stride at all. A smooth rejection. At least his team tries to comfort him, but he shakes them off. He won’t let this go easily either.

I get grabbed around the shoulders from behind by Black and Gorri. “That was insane!” they both screech, Black being excited and Gorri sounding like my head’s about to come off in his arm.

“Dude you were out there flying like a jet plane or something!” Black screamed.

“You have any idea how dangerous that could have been!?” Gorri shouted.

“Hey, hey,” I plead, trying to bring them back to basic, “Relax, guys. That was an accident, promise. They’ll probably write it out of the rulebook by the start of the league.”

“Oh, no they won’t,” Gorri said. He turned me around and gave me a proud, livid look. “You’d better get to practicing. That kind of move is a game changer no matter how many times you do it. Going from zero-G to full-G that rapidly could cause some heavy damage in the long run, but if you think you can handle it, by the Blue, we could take this all the way to the championship!”

“Okay,” I remark. He slaps my shoulders hard. Without the anti-G and the pads, man, I forget how strong Gorri really is for his age.

“Come on!” he shouts. “Tell me you’re gonna do it!”

“I am speed itself!” I shout, caught up in his excitement. “I’m Nico Pengin the Absolute Fastest Striker!” And I forgot, we’re standing in a crowded arena. I hear my voice on reverb through the stadium. That’s a couple thousand people hearing me make a fool of myself and they love it. They believe me.

I guess I believe me, too. Came up from nothing, just a kid scared at home, nowhere to go but the streets on earth and the sky, and now I’m here. Thousands of people, and thousands more - millions of the ratings are breakthroughs and they all saw Nico Pengin make history, right at the beginning of humanity’s new age. I changed the game of New Batey before its first decade of existence.

We walk out through a crowd of people, all looking for the fastest PCred they can get by being the first to report on our words. Some have cybernetic implants, and I know what that means, direct thought-to-text uploads as soon as we talk. Thankfully, we all let Black take the lead on that.

“It was an Absolute victory,” he declares proudly. “That’s our name, we are the Absolutes. It’s here on my pads, see this? That’s our logo.” Perfectly simple.

“That was chaotic,” Chilly grumbles. “We just got together; I don’t want my first big memory with my brother to be his funeral.”

“I thought it was this game,” I say. She shrugs and smirks. It’s been too long since I could see that stoic expression and it feels good to have a family again. Not just her, but everyone. Gorri looking out like a dad, IND23 and Black like big brothers, Yuiza on the sidelines with the rest of the cheer squad being my girl, maybe soon, with the way she winked at me after that performance, maybe already.

And Arden. This is all because of him. Because we all accepted each other as we were, proved ourselves and found our places. I’m not the strongest or prettiest guy, nor am I the most maneuverable. But now, I’m the fastest in the Absolutes. And Arden’s the one who made that happen.

“That was astounding!” he professed, breaking his way through to the rest of the team. Security tried pulling him away, but I reached out and scooped him in with my arm over his shoulders.

“Doc, those shoes are too damn fast,” I say. He nods and I pull him closer. “I need you to make them faster and I have some ideas about tweaking the efficiency and some other features I’d like to discuss later on if it’s not too much to ask.”

“Oh, my. Well, if you’re okay with the supplements and training regime I’ll create for you to keep your organs from shooting out of your body when you achieve insane speeds, then sure, I can make new boots for you.”

“Not just me, man,” I vocalize. “The Absolutes need tech fitting our name. No one can make that but you, bro.”

“Oh,” he stuttered. That’s the best PCred he may have ever gotten, but really, I mean it. I’d say it alone with no one to vouch for it, but the papers and the blogs will pick it up anyway. “Well then, I Absolutely will. B-brother.”

“Just stick to bro, man, it’s good.”

We’re not just a team. Teams win games. Families - full of different people with their own backgrounds and victories against their personal struggles - win championships. And this journey has just begun.