SKYLA'S P.O.V
I sat on the chair beside Axel looking out the window on the train as Mark made a speech.
"We're going to the district finals and we're going to play Royal again...Let's show 'em guys, show them how we learn" Mark said.
"Yeah" They cheered.
"Don't you all seem in high hopes?" I chuckled as Mark grinned at me.
"Well yeah...We do get to play Royal now" Mark said as I flinched at the thought of being in my old school again...
'What's Ray Dark stirring up in his dark mind now?' I glared at the window
"Everyone's so pumped up by why shouldn't they be...It is the finals after all" Silvia smiled.
"Hey old noodle guy....oops I mean coach say something" Mark said as our coach stood up.
"I just have one thing to say, work your full potential and you won't have any regrets" Coach said as we cheered.
"Yeah" We said...I pulled Mark down to sit opposite Axel and resumed staring out the window....After a while I caught sight of Royal academy's all too familiar complex.
I sighed now getting off the train and looking at the school.
"That's an awesome building to play in" Mark said gaping at it...I scoffed.
'No point going to a school that follows that wretched maniac' I thought shoving my hands into my pockets.
"I'm totally pumped up" Mark said
We entered the school as I glanced around....the school seemed duller than I'd last been here.
"This school gives creepy vibes" Jim said as I scoffed.
"That's rich coming from you" I said as Nelly smirked.
"You all adore this school, huh?" Nelly asked.
"Maybe I should take a look at the blue prints and suggest it to the chairman" Nelly continued.
"You wouldn't want to do that" I clenched my fists.... "The school's only a complex thanks to all the things the commander has done over the years"
"I agree with Skyla....other than that Raimon has a smashing environment...really colorful" Bobby said.
I got stopped by a really big back and looked up to see Jack.
"Move...we haven't got all day for this game y'know" I snapped as he pointed to where Coach Hillman was blocking them from entering the locker room...I passed and slipped under his arms standing in front of him.
"Coach Hillman...I admire your strong sense of....security but with all due respect, Ray dark isn't exactly one to spring arrows out of the wall...he's not a kid seeking revenge, he's a grown up man with a messed up mind" I said raising a brow as Sam, Timmy and Tod started looking for traps...I sweat dropped face palming.
I stood in front of the locker room where our schools name was written.
"This is it....This is our locker room guys...Here I go" Mark said walking towards the door and stumbling back when the doors opened revealing a tensed Jude.
"J-Jude!" Mark said slightly relieved.
"Looks like you got here safely" Jude noted.
"What does that mean?" Kevin asked. "Were you hoping we'd gotten off a trail in the rail or something? Or did you lay landmines in the locker room"
"You have nothing to fear...there's nothing in there" Jude said walking to where I stood
"Hold it...the heck were you doing in there?" Kevin asked.
"Calm down Kevin, he's not that kind of guy alright?" Mark said.
"Don't try to censor me" Kevin said.
"I apologize for distracting you" Jude said walking away pulling me along with him as Mark yelled something in the hall way.
"Jude" I acknowledged him rubbing my arm where he tightly held it
"Sorry but I'm sorry, you shouldn't be involved in this" Jude said
"So why drag me down here?" I questioned.
"It...it's a reflex action and I thought something else...Never mind" Jude walked away still tensed more than ever.
"Whatever's bothering you don't let it get to you" I said walking back to the locker room.
I entered the locker room pulling off the top of my sweat suit revealing m white crop top.
"Seriously?" I asked seeing almost every member looking for traps.
"He said there was nothing here, didn't he...If he said the place is clean then it's clean" Mark said.
"Well...He's one of royal stooges....we can't trust anything he says" Kevin said
"Sorry Kevin I disagree...I think we can trust him" Mark said.
"Are you sure Mark?" Silvia asked.
"Well....you can trust that he never does his dirty work himself...Only his clean work so you're safe for now" I said pulling my hair into a ponytail.
"That's it the conversation ends here...It's the finals guys, we have to stay focused" Silvia clapped her hands.
"She's got a point...No matter what they got planned for us we still have to beat them" Kevin said as I nodded.
"I'll be going now" I said opening the door to the female locker room inside the general
"I'll send one of the boys to check on you later for practice" Mark said as I froze.
"Please don't" I said as pink hue shone brightly on my face.
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I heard a knock on the door...I turned to it sighing.
"Yes?" I opened it to reveal Axel at the door.
"Let's go...we're late" Axel said.
"Don't you mean almost late?" I asked.
"No....I don't" Axel said walking away.
I sighed closing the door behind me and walking behind him to the pitch's entrance where the others were practicing...I frowned seeing everyone so far away at a different thought all together....Even Mark.
I looked to see Joseph looking at me giving me a small nod...I sent back a small wave....So far I haven't seen Ray Dark...the later the better.
I walked to the bench to see neither Celia or Silvia there but Nelly.
"Where did Celia and Silvia go? Ew...does that mean I have to touch their shoes" Nelly asked.
"Pretty much...you can start with Jack's" I smirked at her as she glared at me.
I saw Sam tickling Jack as Jack accidentally kicked the ball to the roof it hit something and the ball fell on Sam's head.
Sam screamed as we all diverted our attention to him.
"What?" My eyes widened at the nuts and bolts on the floor next to Sam.
"Where did this come from?"I asked sharply.
"The roof" Jack replied.
"When you kicked the soccer ball but that's impossible...according to statistics and blue print info...the roof is way too high to be affected by a kick you made and to have nuts and bolts too....strange" I said looking up at the roof.
"Bolts?" Mark asked.
"It came from up there talk about dangerous man" Kevin said
"What if these things had fallen on me....What kind of Maintenance do this clowns use?" Kevin said.
I looked up at the roof again sighing.
**********************************************************************
It was time for the match and the crowd was cheering like crazy....we were at the entrance two teams lined up beside each other...I was standing next to Joseph...
We slowly walked up stairs my heart beating really fast...I was scared that we wouldn't have a chance to win...Ray Dark isn't one for petty accidents...He plays with death and make deals with it.
We lined up facing each other for the ceremonial hand shake...Jude was really tense throughout the whole thing.
I shook hands with Jude as he leaned in to tell me to stay put after the game started.
I nodded before walking to my position.
The referee blew the whistle but we didn't even have time to react with our kick-off because metal blocks came down on us.
Everyone stood shocked at what happened...I clenched my fists.
"That crazy maniac" I gritted my teeth.
Thankfully, not one of us has a scratch on our bodies...I looked at the rod aimed exactly at my position...I managed to escape due to fast reflexes...If that was Sam...Royal would've been disqualified for not proper maintenance of stadium and death of Sam.
I followed Jude to Ray Dark's office.
"Gutless....That's how gutless cowards play the game....If you spit on the gods, they'll rain on you later...thanks for giving me the hint, unusually careless of you commander" Jude said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Ray Dark said.
"You wanted my team gone! So you could stay in power and destroy soccer even more" I said as he looked at me.
"I should've known you'd escape it...You always escape death at your door, Skyla Winters" Ray Dark chuckled darkly.
"You" I clenched my fists tightly.
"You have no evidence whatsoever that I tampered with anything" Ray Dark smiled smugly.
"Yes we do" Detective's smiths voice came as I saw a bag of nuts and bolts now on his table.
"What's that?" Mark asked.
"The evidence" Detective smith said as I looked at Ray Dark smirking at me...I received a message on my phone just then.
You know all about my precious project Z and will know more as time proceeds...I expect you to keep your mouth shut...I don't use siblings as leverage only for Jude.
I gasped looking at the guilty man already hand cuffed.
I watched him leave before facing my old teammates.
"How could we have followed him for so long?" Joseph asked.
"I tried to tell you all" I said as my eyes moved to it's ice cold blue form.
"Coach Hillman and Mark...please accept our sincere apologies, what that man did to you is unforgivable, we're not worthy to play against you, we'll forfeit the game" Jude said.
"And Skyla...I'm sorry for how we all treated you then." Jude said.
"I know...Jude, you might always be a step ahead but I'm two streets ahead of you trying to catch up to Ray Dark's long, evil, hidden strides across" I said as he smirked.
"Good to know someone's known his evil ways for long" Jude said.
"And it's not just me" I grinned.
"What are you talking about?" Mark asked.
"We have to take responsibility for this" Jude said.
"Well Mark, I think this is the captain's call" Coach Hillman said. "Accept their offer or play the game, it's up to you entirely"
"I know which he'd take even if I was opting out eventually" I groaned.
"Really coach?" Mark asked before looking towards Jude and Joe who had small smiles on their faces.
Mark gave a huge grin.
"Well...In that case...we're playing this is about soccer nothing else, c'mon we've got a game to play" Mark said as we walked out of the office back to the pitch.
I stopped Mark before going to the pitch.
"I need to know...What exactly did Ray Dark tell you?" I asked.
"How did you" Mark said.
"It's happened before...He destabilizes his opponents emotionally and physically...I should know" I said raising a brow at him.
"He told me about Jude and Celia" Mark sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose looking at him.
"Of course...He doesn't use siblings as leverage to only Jude" I groaned.
"The game is starting let's go" Mark said running before I could stop him.
"Mark...." I sighed.
"I'm ready" I said turning to Sky who was hiding there the entire time.
"Well....be glad I know how to detail and write to die for notes" Sky said as I rolled my eyes.
"Get home safely" I said running to the pitch.
They all smiled at me as I nodded...Finally, real soccer will be played now.
I walked to the pitch with the rest of the field like we did before.
The referee blew the whistle and we ran for the ball.
TO BE CONTINUED.......
