Torn Between Two Seductive Star Strikers

Field Losers

“Fight Field Heroes! Go for the goal! Touch, touch the field! Raise our guild! Fight Field Heroes! Go for the goal! Touch, touch the field! Raise our guild!”

The loud pants and series of sighs echoed all over the yards of the hockey pitch. The thwack of the puck hitting the stick, and the vibrant, violent, and thrumming sound of the sport of hockey reverberated all over the field. The cheers and jeers of people watching, rooting for their own teams were getting louder and louder as the time was getting shorter and shorter, and the score was definitely nerve-wracking with a tie of five and five goals.

Athena remained seated in her seat with the old man beside her. They were both watching the field. Usually, she was only watching the huge screen, but since it was already right in front of her and so close to her, she could just squint her eyes to see clearly.

“Are they talking?” She asked when she saw how the players of the Airblades Fighters seemed to be gathering around the captain of the other team.

“They are. I think they know Guiller’s weakness,” the old man replied seriously.

“Which is?”

“Quick-tempered.”

“You think you can get it?” one player mocked, grinning as he moved the puck from one side to another. He even performed an exhibition, all while grinning mockingly at the player in front of him. “Take this from me, Guiller, ain’t you the best player here?”

They were near them, and they were talking not so quietly so she could hear at least a gist of what they were talking about. Athena eyed the player. Evander Guiller, number twenty-one with the letter C on the side of his uniform—a red with stripes of white, and the design of their team was named Field Heroes at the center. F of the Field was designed with a cape, enough to tell that they were in a heroic theme—just focused on the puck moving from left and right in front of him.

“What? Is this what they were saying, that you are deaf?” the other player once again asked. “How boring? Probably the reason why Desiree left you is because you’re-”

The loud and surprised cheers of the audience echoed all over the field and people started standing up when the captain, obviously the person who had the most cheerers on the field, took the puck and started rushing to the opponent's goalie.

“He’s slow!” Athena couldn't help but exclaim. The other players were quickly catching up with him. Her eyes looked at the other players, but they were just standing there.

“Pass it to me, Guiller! I’m faster than you!” Though one player who was quick was also catching up and asking for the puck. Interesting.

For some reason, Athena couldn’t take her eyes away from him. “What is he? He's unbelievably fast!”

“Lennox Austin. The enforcer, or also a striker. He basically plays all the positions. He even excels at being a goalie. If he’s less arrogant, he’ll be more liked by people.”

Athena could nod. She could tell just by her actions, but she couldn't deny the fact that he was a talented player. But as he expected, they were both not enough to make things work for their team. The captain was still surrounded by his opponents.

“It seems like the mighty Guiller is being ganged up on by the Airblades Fighters!” The commentator on the mic exclaimed, describing what was happening on the field. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as they watched the whole match. “But what’s amusing to see is how the other players of Field Heroes seem to be slacking and only Austin has been pursuing to get the puck. What an odd sight for a team it is!”

The other Field Heroes players were just standing behind and watching them. It was as if they had already given up when they still had time to fight. Athena looked around when the booing started. Instead of being called by their team name, she heard another name, Field Losers.

“Field Losers! Boo!”

“Why do they keep joining? They always lose anyway!”

“This game is boring. It’s already predicted. I want a refund.”

“Some of the audience are already walking out. Their frustration over what is happening is immense, and it seems like they already know what will be the outcome of this game,” the commentator said with a chuckle.

Athena frowned. This game was really the worst to watch. It was frustrating for someone like her who could see the potential that was wasted, see holes that could be easily filled. It also somehow hurt her that they were called like this because everyone was so disappointed in them, and it might be hard for the players to have fans like this.

“Austin, where the hell are you!?” Guiller shouted, looking left and right as he did his best to keep the puck to himself no matter how much they were trying to steal from him. He was still able to keep it, but not for long. He already needed to pass it now.

“In front of you,” Athena muttered to herself, seeing Austin running past the players.

“Shoot it behind!” She heard Austin shout, but she was confused. He was in front, so why did he shout to pass it at the back?

But she saw Guiller seemed to hear his voice in front or maybe he knew his teammate well that he didn’t even look behind to check and just shoot it in front. Because of what Austin said, the others looked behind and that gave them the chance for Guiller to move. That’s a good partnership, though Guiller looked irritated by that.

“Everyone knows how cunning and tricky Lennox is. It’s not shocking that he will say that to trick the opponents,” the old man beside her said. “He loves to play with the opponent’s mind, and that’s one thing about him that irritated Evander because, in the first of their practices, he was also fooled by it.”

Guiller pushed the puck between the legs of those who were in front of him. They tried to take it, but their sticks hit each other, which caused a mess and the small puck got through their wide stance. And right on the spot, Austin immediately took the puck on himself and started running toward the goal. They only had three minutes to pull it off and they would be able to move through the elimination round.

Athena could certainly see that he wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Their opponent was not a joke.

“Austin is now the one being ganged up. It’s like Airblades Fighters have come up with a risky strategy that is able to be effective against Field Heroes. But still, there was nothing changed with the stagnant and uncompetitive Field Heroes as they stood there watching and seemingly did not know what to do. How disappointing this game could be!”

Guiller ran toward the front, trying to peek through the huge men of the opposing team. He looked through their fast-moving sticks, but he couldn't tell which was Austin’s. Athena couldn’t see either. It was just a mess of group people stealing a small ratio of food there.

Athena also saw the difference in physicality in their bodies. These players in Airblades Fighters were basically so huge and Field Heroes were nothing against them, or just them. Evander Guiller was a good fit that could be compared to them. However, Austin was a little smaller, rather sexy, and thinner in a healthy and still fit way than beefy and muscular.

The group of men moved and followed as Austin moved. He was struggling, but he was also quick-witted, plus agile, and strong as he practically moved and ran toward the goal. He was screaming as well. As someone who was doing all the things, Athena could see that he wouldn’t last long, he needed someone to pass the puck to someone who would drive it to the goal. He couldn't last any longer at holding possession.

Athena looked for everyone, but no one was running near him anymore. She clicked her tongue. They were easily tired. They couldn’t even last a few laps, which was what required the most in the game. Even Evander Guiller was already panting. She saw the old man shaking his head as well, looking as disappointed as the others.

“Guiller! Where the hell are you? Come up here!” Austin shouted, pushing the opponents using his shoulders to keep them away, but they were like ants, immediately getting back and piling up as they made a mountain and eventually pinned those below them. In this case, it was Austin.

Guiller couldn't keep up. Being almost an hour in the game was enough for him to be exhausted. Probably this was his con. As much as he was a good player, this part of him was not the one being greatly focused on in training. He looked around, looking for a possible player that could drive the puck, but they were all panting already. Or perhaps, it was all of them who shared that very same weakness.

He still looked hot, though. Wait, where did that come from?

“Yuan! Get the puck!” Guiller yelled at one player who seemed hesitant to close in on them, but with one push by the captain, he immediately followed and ran to where the fuss was. “Left! Pass it!”

Austin saw a hole through the men’s feet on the left and he immediately took the chance to swipe the puck in between, and that pair of shoes similar to his got the puck and immediately ran to the goal. Soon enough, he was left by these men who moved fast like a pack of wolves and immediately ran after the one who got the puck. Their teammates were quick, but these men were quicker, and probably because of too much fear and pressure from having the puck with him, he lost focus.

Pressure. They were not good with pressure.

“Focus, i***t! Run to the goal and don’t look back!” Austin shouted, urging his teammates to run as fast as he could and stop looking back at their opponents.

But of course, what was his shout in a million voices around his head? He was basically wrapped up in the anxiety of having the puck. It was obvious by how he was worked up while he ran that he was starting to have anxiety with huge people coming behind him.

His teammates and those who were watching couldn’t do anything but root for him from afar as he watched this player run fast. Guiller was too slow to catch up with them. Austin was the same and was already tired from running to and fro, and scoring and doing everything. They were just panting at the side, letting their sweat trickle down their faces, and watching them try to strike another goal to break a tie. There were only two minutes left.

However, as everyone expected, the opposing team had caught up real fast. They’re so fast, goodness! They immediately closed in on the poor player, and harshly enough, they managed to steal the puck away from him. A loud offensive curse was heard from Austin, and Yuan could only fall to the ground, disheveled and helpless as he watched the group of men rush to the other side of the field to score.

Austin and Guiller tried to steal away the puck, but they just played the two, passing the puck from one to another, laughing and chuckling to themselves at the failed attempt of those two to steal the puck. In the eyes of the audience, they looked desperate, even a target of teasing. They were the team that should be made fun of for continuously joining the team only to end up making fun of themselves and embarrassing the name of the team that was once a legendary group.

The Airblades Fighters scored. Athena breathed out a frustrated sigh. Even their goalie couldn’t even do his job well. The puck went through his open legs and it was too late to close it. The tie was broken, and the Airblades Fighters won. The audience and fans of the team cheered as they were announced as the winner, while the Field Heroes were defeated, almost too familiar and just the usual happening as they immediately went straight to their dugout.

“Well, that’s a wrap of the first game of our National Hockey Cup! Congratulations to our first winner, Airblades Fighter, and good luck with more floors to mop to Field Heroes. Maybe it’s time to change your name to Field Losers–”

“Let’s go, missy. I’d like you to meet your future team.” The old man pulled her up and dragged her down the field. She didn’t even know if it was allowed.

“My future team? I haven’t accepted your offer yet.” So bold of him to assume she would coach this awful team.

“I’m sure you’ll think about it. Here’s my card. But for now, be quiet, and let’s spy on these kids.”

They stopped in front of the Field Heores’ room. Their voices were loud and they were not so quiet in voicing their frustrations. As they should. They were awful at playing the game. “Shouldn’t we enter the room or something? Are we really just going to listen to them through this small gap?”

“Yeah.”

“Suck your bald head!”

A man shouted and turned off the television hanging high on the wall where their game was broadcast as the team of Field Heroes crowded the dugout and changed their clothes with a gloomy, frustrated, and nearly angry atmosphere. Athena couldn’t see them but, based on their voices, they seemed to have a somewhat flimsy relationship with each other.

Again, another problem.

“You could have scored that goal, you stupid meathead!”

“I want you to know them very well, Missy. They are not perfect. They are just normal men who have pride and ill-tempered people. This is going to be handy, but I see you best fit in here.”

Lennox Austin, the Enforcer who had always had problems with his anger, charged toward the poor midfielder, Chance Yuan, and hit him on the head. Yuan, who had already had a lot of self- beating, didn’t back down and also charged him as well. He didn’t need to hit him to make him realize everything was his fault. He already had enough.

The whole team was parted into two. They were trying their best to stop the two from fighting. A normal occurrence. The team just never had peace and cooperation with each other. The captain, Guiller, just stood at the side with his arms crossed, watching them with an indifferent face, not even trying to stop them either. He was upset about the game himself.

That was the sight that welcomed Athena as the old man suddenly moved and pushed the door completely open, revealing them and letting her see the situation… and a whole bunch of six-pack abs. Was she in heaven?

“Grandpa.”