𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐆𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐑, Renee Walker

𝟭𝟮. 𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀

"𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣
𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙨' 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚,
𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙣"
-Bastille

THE BLACKWELL STADIUM WAS EERILY QUIET. Everyone who'd arrived already was on the court. Thick cushioned mats covered the polished floor to keep table legs and chairs from scraping up the wood. All of the lights were on, but the overhead scoreboard was dark. Speakers booming classical music could be seen overhead.

Fourteen teams meant there were two hundred and fifty athletes present, then another ninety or so bodies in dates and staff. Bastien had never seen so many people on an Exy court before. There was still plenty of room to walk around between the tables, but the court was still unfamiliar in its repurpose.

Wymack opened the court door and shooed his Foxes on. A small group of coaches were waiting right inside the door. One picked up a megaphone and announced the Foxes' arrival. Conversations faltered around the court and chairs creaked as athletes turned to look.

Wymack looked at Dan, jerked his chin in a silent command to keep moving, and peeled off to play nice with his colleagues. Bastien parted from the players to follow the coach. Abby reached them a few seconds later.

"How was your brother?" She asked him as they approached the table with the rest of the coaches.

"He was alright," Bastien politely replied. "Sorry for just jumping out of the bus, I hadn't seen him in a while." He had the decency to at least look sheepish as he apologized.

"It's okay," Abby said. "Just, tell David to stop the next time you want to pull off something like that, will you?"

Bastien lightly chuckled. "Sure,"

Soon enough, the three of them reached the group of coaches and Wymack introduced Bastien to them, receiving a few questions once they heard his last name. A few more minutes of dull, polite conversation went by before Bastien decided to take his leave.

And to think I used to be able to sit through equally boring meetings for hours on end, Bastien thought to himself.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go check on the Foxes," Wymack knew that was code for Neil and Kevin. Bastien left without any issues.

He was a few feet away from the Foxes and Ravens when he heard Riko's voice. "What a coward," He'd said with exaggerated disappointment. "Just like his mother."

"Shit," Bastien had a pretty good idea of who he was speaking to. He hurried his pace.

"You know, I get it," Neil spoke like he'd been holding it in for far too long. "Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you're worth a damn off the court—yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time."

Bastien stood behind Riko, frozen in shock at the audicity of the Fox.

"Neil," Kevin said, low and frantic.

Neil ignored Kevin's words and Bastien's clear warning glare. "I know it's not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you're physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don't think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit.

"Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone."

Jaws dropped up and down the line; Raven symmetry shattered as they stared at Neil in stupefied disbelief. Bastien could imagine Riko's expression and he stood rigidly behind the tyrant, ready to make a grab at him if he decided to get physical.