Rainbow Connection, AFTG ✔️

1.4

PORTER
CHAPTER FOUR

The Foxhole Court was large, but nowhere near the size of Castle Evermore. Evermore had been constructed as the first Exy court in the United States and functioned as the national team's base -- the US Court. It lived up to its name; Castle.

It must fit at least sixty thousand people in its alternating white and orange seats. Porter had been slowly learning the path from Abby's to the court, which sat right outside the PSU campus. As Abby and he walked inside, his eyes caught on the barbed wire fence around the entire stadium, and he remembered the multiple vandalizing incidents after Kevin's transfer. There are food stalls and souvenir shops between the fence and the stadium, but Porter goes in the athlete's entrance and pays them no attention.

Wymack was waiting for them outside the entrance to the Foxes hall. His arms were crossed and he asked, "You clear him from a physical?"

"I've been stitching him up for two weeks, David, he's not doing drugs." Abby rolled her eyes and unlocked the door for them.

Though Porter had been to the Foxes lounge earlier during his stay, he never observed it the way he did now -- partially due to the black eye he'd been sporting the first time. His eyes traced over the sparsely filled couches and chairs, glanced towards the entertainment center, and squinted to see the corner of the room that was covered inch-to-inch in photos of the Foxes.

"Come on," Wymack gestured that Porter follows him. He heaved the heavy GENTLEMEN locker room door open, held it for Porter, and they walked in on a collection of half-dressed college athletes. Matt and Nicky both smiled over towards them.

"Past Neil," Wymack instructed, and Porter looked for the short brunet. Neil's top-half was already dressed in his exy armor and jersey, and he was sliding on his arm guards.

After nodding a small thanks towards Coach Wymack, Porter shrunk his shoulders in to avoid the Foxes and approached his new bright orange locker. In big, fresh letters; FAYE and 13. Inside the locker, he had a brand-new uniform waiting for him.

Changing clothes was a lot easier than it had been two weeks ago, but even on the third week of recovery, he ached slightly. Not a single flare of heat slowed his quick-changing; he hadn't been allowed the luxury of pain at the Nest, and he wouldn't make that mistake at the Foxhole Court.

When he took off his shirt, he felt a spike of insecurity from the discoloration and white scars moving across his abs and arms. He slid his armor on quicker than normal.

"No one take it easy on our transfer," Wymack said when they headed to court, and Porter tugged his helmet on a bit harder, anxious to start playing.

During the practice, Porter noticed how Wymack barely ordered the Foxes around. That duty was mostly laid on Dan, acting captain. The Raven's hierarchy was so different, it was a bit jarring for his first few steps onto the court; at the Nest, duties went from the Master to the assistant coaches, then to Riko, their captain. They let Riko get away with anything he wanted if it was cruel enough.

When Porter got his hands on his sleek, new orange racquet, he sunk his hands into the netting and grinned. It was heavy in his hands, and he was ready to slam it through the air. Exy was everything, and he'd finally returned to his home on the court.

Dan ordered them into a five v five play, putting Porter as the offensive dealer on a team with Kevin as their striker, Renee at goal, and Matt and Dan as backliners. Porter questioned why Dan was playing out of her assigned position, and she told him, "We're a small team, Porter. We manage."