Ty deflated. The anger evaporated from him as Kentavious turned his back on the game and returned to the bench. It was like a gentle closing of the door during an argument. Somehow so much more powerful than a vicious slam.
He hunched over, hands digging at the turf. He snarled at it. Then came JJ's hand on his back. Ty bristled like a dog about to snap.
'It's okay, Ty,' JJ said; Ty could hear the lie the moment it formed on JJ's tongue. It wasn't okay. He'd been defeated. Maybe he'd never been special.
This is how they felt after I beat them, isn't it?
There was a long list of broken souls Ty had left behind. Losers no-one cared for. Ty accepted JJ's help, and followed him to the bench.
With the Longhorns' successful extra point, the lead was pushed back out to sixteen, at 37–21.
Ty sat back, closing his eyes. He saw the ball in the darkness, and then there was Kentavious's light, shining so bright above him. He was so small under that light. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. The same eyes Kentavious had when he looked back. Full of pity and remorse.
'You poor, broken, worthless thing,' those eyes said. 'Who's going to think you're special now?'
Even as both teams set up for the kickoff, Coach Hoang looked at Ty, thinking about how much he'd let the boy down by leaving him out to dry as always.
Coach Long looked at him with a sad sort of pride, thinking there was no shame in falling now after how far they'd come, and how hard they'd pushed a team like the Longhorns.
Bella was almost tearing up. He'd looked so sad on the field, knowing he'd tried his hardest and it just wasn't enough. She wanted to hug him, but knew it would only make him feel worse; so much for her luck. What good had that done?
All around the stands, people were looking at him, thankful he'd put on such a great show, hopeful to the future with how strong both these number one's were, though knowing Kentavious was the stronger of the pair by far.
Above, the Dons' family box was quiet. Devon had stormed out. Precious was consoling a confused set of twins, whilst mother and father had their heads in their hands. Megan rested her head against the glass. Never before had she seen her brother at such a loss; even her near-boundless confidence was shaken.
During the lull in action, there were many broadcasts keeping their feed on Ty as he sunk deeper into despair. The Woods family watched one such broadcast. Jackson sat back in his seat. The touchdown had been spectacular, yet the aftermath was so devastating; had they all witnessed the end of the game despite the fourth quarter only just starting?
No. He hadn't seen the same Ty yet. There'd been a brief glimmer of the monster Jackson met last summer, but only a passing visage; nothing more than a tease. The Tyrese Samuels who had beaten him had yet to show up, but Jackson had faith he would.
Ty clenched his fists, shoulders heaving with a sigh. He was losing? So what. Had he lost? Of course not; that was impossible. He'd made a promise, and he wasn't going to forget it. He would win because of that promise; because he wasn't like anyone else. Tyrese Samuels was one of one. He was SPECIAL.
He'd prove it to the world once and for all, even if he had to be the only one who was special. He wouldn't stop until everyone recognised him as the greatest.
The cold seeped back in as Ty awaited his chance to take centre stage again. The Dons' drive started with a poor kickoff return, as Chris was tripped up at just the 21-yard line.
With Ty's setback—even if it was only temporary, his brothers had no way of knowing that yet—the wind had been taken out of the Dons' sails.
JJ tried to coax the embers of their spirits back into roaring fires, but too many were too focused on the scoreboard. They'd been close, just nine points away. The touchdown had pushed it back out to sixteen. A two-possession game at best, three if they couldn't convert for two-points after a touchdown. And they were in the final quarter. This was it. The last fifteen—now fourteen—minutes of their lives as Dons.
Again, the Dons tried to get things going on the ground, with Chris following JJ's block, who led the way fearlessly. Adam slammed into JJ, and the two were stalemated. Yet there were many more Longhorns. They swarmed past, as JJ was locked into a one-on-one, and Chris could only briefly fend off one more before a second hit him; he was dragged down after nothing more than a single yard.
JJ picked him up quickly, dragging him back to the huddle. 'I'll hold them off longer next time,' he said, trying to stay strong. Yet the cracks were beginning to show even in his resolve.
For second down, there was a bit of confusion over what the Dons should do. The runs weren't working anymore, even with the added threat of the passes. So why were they still in this formation? But Coach Long was adamant it could keep working. They just needed to establish the pass on a long drive like this one would need to be.
So when Jay took the next snap, he didn't even look to hand the ball off, keeping his gaze completely downfield.
Stephen went deep again, drawing the attention of Jimmy London once more, yet this time when Cole crossed under him—their Post routes scissoring through one another—the Longhorns passed off the two Receivers much more cleanly, and Jimmy broke away to follow Cole. Jay had to lower his eyes, and find one of his relievers underneath.
Cam was covered over the middle, which left only Chris out in the flat. Jay flipped the ball over, and Chris caught it, but the Longhorns were upon him soon enough, keeping his reception to just 3 yards.
Third down came, and the Dons didn't seem hopeful of passing it. A change needed to be made, and so JJ was brought out of the game, replaced by Benny.
JJ kept his head high as he jogged off the field, but Benny could see the strain of doing so in the stiffness of his shoulders.
They bumped fists, and JJ said: 'I'm sorry I couldn't keep up with the others.'
'Don't be stupid. Lock down on dee, and we'll get this dub.'
Benny was welcomed to the huddle with warm smiles and expectant faces. Maybe his fresh legs would provide the burst they'd need to get back into the flow of things. All they needed for another first down was 6 yards, but if they wanted to complete their comeback without running out of time, they'd need a whole lot more.
At the snap, Jay dropped back. Chris flared out to the flat once more as a last resort, while Cole dug In just beyond the marker. Cam stayed back as the last line of defence, keeping Pippen—who on third-and-long had free reign to go all out again—at bay for another second longer, which let Jay follow Stephen's route. Another deep post had him flash by under the nose of Jimmy, yet this time he was playing decoy for Benny instead of Cole.
Benny slanted out on a Corner, and Jay lobbed the ball over. Jimmy and Juan were still marking Stephen. If Benny could just stay inbounds during the catch, the Dons would have another set of downs and be back on their way to a touchdown.
But the ball never arrived to Benny's arms—Adam got in the way.
None had been happier to see JJ leave the field than Adam. Finally his rival was going back where he belonged. And if JJ's retreat wasn't enough to proclaim Adam's dominance, then showing off his defensive versatility would. Not enough MLB's cared about pass-coverage, but Adam knew patrolling the field, and being the defensive leader meant you had to be willing to block every form of progress. That's why when Benny emerged onto the field, Adam was chomping at the bit to take responsibility for the TE. And he proved his worth, leaping into the air and getting a hand to the ball just before it could drop into Benny's arms, knocking it aside for an incompletion instead.
The Longhorns rallied around their captain, pulling him into their waiting arms on the sideline, as a dejected Benny stood nearby.
A mixed reaction came from the crowd. A majority of them were happy to see their fellow Texans succeed, but others felt as if they were seeing the beginning of the end of what had been a great game.
For the first time in the second half, the Dons' offence had stalled out, and wouldn't put any points on the board as time continued to tick away.
The Dons' punting unit stepped onto the field. Even if their teammates were struggling for the moment, they still had a job to do. Unfortunately, momentum swung both ways, and Sebastian Farmer still had something to prove as well.
He caught the punt at the Longhorns' own 19, then burst past the first chasing Don, and shimmied past the second, before he ran into a crowd at the 34-yard line and was brought down. He could've done more, but it was fine. He'd set the tone for the Longhorns, and HE would be the one to hammer home the final nail in the Dons' coffin.
Ty strode onto the field, as confident as ever, like the touchdown he'd just given up had been wiped from his memory, and the game. JJ saw his rigid, unbending back, and felt his own spine strengthen. If he'd failed on the offensive side of the ball, he could make up for it here on defence.
'Don't lose faith, hermanos,' he said as the Dons followed Ty. 'We can still win this. One more turnover, two more, it doesn't matter! However many it takes, that's how many we'll get until the job's done.'
The dying embers had a bit of renewed life, and small flames flickered as the Dons formed up.
Kentavious was surprised—thought at this point he shouldn't have been—by the resiliency on display, most of all by Ty. Wasn't it clear Ty couldn't be the strongest anymore? And if he couldn't be the strongest, why was he still fighting? But by just watching how the two looked at one another, you'd have thought Ty was staring down at an annoying parasite clinging to his ankle, and not the other way around.
The ball was snapped. With renewed confidence, and a smile on his face, Morrison watched Kentavious burst forward. His first step propelled him past Ty, though Ty quickly recovered and was right on his heels as they slanted inward, then straightened. Kentavious shook inside, and Ty flowed a step too far, and Kentavious was by him on the outside once again. Icy cold claws of darkness raked his flesh, trying to pull him back—trying to clip his wings—but Kentavious leapt… and Ty was right there beside him.
The world darkened, and the ball faltered. Morrison hadn't throw it high enough? No; Kentavious realised he hadn't flown high enough. The ball was right on target, but the target was within Ty's reach, and he was looking to smother everything again.
Both boys got hands to the ball, wrenching as they fell. Crashing heavily, the ball was jarred loose, spilling over the sideline.
Ty cursed himself—the world; Kentavious—and pushed himself up. Three interceptions had been wiped away because of Kentavious's interference. No more.
Kentavious stared at him, dumbfounded. Ty's resiliency was beyond belief. It didn't matter how high the summit grew, nor how many times Ty fell—even if he was forcibly thrown from the peak—he just kept coming back, climbing higher and higher. He was like a fucking zombie or something.
Fine, if Ty wanted to keep climbing, Kentavious would just have to go so high Ty COULDN'T follow him. The stars were HIS domain, and no others. It was time Ty got the message through his thick skull.
Kentavious returned to the Longhorns' huddle, walking up to Morrison. 'That was my fault. Throw it up again, nice and high, and we'll end this game.'
'Yeah, you got it, KJ,' Morrison replied, smiling.
Sebastian scowled, watching Kentavious return to his position out wide, isolated with Ty. He turned to Morrison, pulling him aside as the rest of the huddle started dispersing, Sebastian said:
'Hey, if he fucks up again, throw it my way. I'm open, you just have to trust me as much as you trust him.'
Morrison smiled, patting Sebastian's hand before prying it from his shoulder pad. 'Maybe you should trust him a bit more. Don't worry, he's got this. But hey, if he doesn't score on this play, the next pass is for you.'
Sebastian was still scowling when Morrison strolled off with a dumb, wide smile on his face.
Soon, the ball was snapped. A wave of excitement spread through the crowd as Kentavious and Ty raced down the sideline. There were no spears thrown, no jukes or shifty footwork. It was a simple footrace, one Ty was winning as he easily kept on top of Kentavious. Yet their finish line wasn't planted on the ground, it was in the sky. Kentavious wanted as simple and straightforward a showdown as possible, so Ty had no excuses when he lost; so he'd finally understand the difference between them.
Sebastian could only sit back and watch with envy and hatred as Morrison unloaded another deep bomb. Donte had tried to prevent it, but Lachlan was getting backed up by Wyatt. Deeper downfield, Zayden was running over, though he knew he wouldn't be able to fly with Ty and Kentavious, who leapt into the sky once more.
A storm raged around them as an uplifting wind followed Kentavious, only to smash headlong into a vicious downforce that came with Ty. Kentavious rose, unabated, soaring past clouds and blue skies into the vast expanse of space. The ball was the solitary star in the cosmos, and he stretched out towards it… but it wobbled, struggling through that storm. Then it was partially eclipsed, fading rapidly as it was drawn down into a black hole.
Ty's hand pierced through the sky as he snatched the ball from it. A miracle. He'd pulled himself to the highest reaches once more, because he was ruthless, and perfectly willing to cast down whoever was above him just to get an extra leg up.
Kentavious reacted quickly, swiping at the ball… but then there was an obstacle in his way. Zayden smashed Kentavious and Ty apart as he crashed through.
Kentavious spun out, slamming into the turf, as Zayden tumbled over. Ty landed heavily, biting his mouthguard harder, suppressing a wince; he was still on his feet, and his free hand stabilised him as the other clutched the ball against his chest.
He looked up. Over half the field lay before him in complete disarray. There were no neat formations, not even a hint of them anymore, just a mess of bodies in his way. Beyond them all lay the holy land, just waiting for him.
Ty burst forward, and the crowd squealed with excitement. Stu Grady was the nearest Longhorn, but he thought the sideline was his friend, and leaned too far inside. Ty shifted that way before exploding outside, leaving Stu lunging at the air.
Everyone moved in sync with Ty, whether they were chasing, or protecting him. He was the centre of the universe for as long as he held the ball.
Cutting back inside—showing explosive lateral movement even with the narrow bracing step needed to keep himself inbounds—got him past the next Longhorn, and a spin past the third. Then his brothers were around him, picking off the next few attackers, making sure Morrison and Wyatt had no chance of touching him. He was almost home free. There was just Sebastian in the way.
He'd rushed across from the opposite side of the field. It had been a long chase, and one he'd needed to take an obtuse angle for, but he was there, and with how Ty had had to dance around others, Sebastian was running faster. He would've run Ty down if Ty tried to veer back to the outside corner. So Ty veered towards him inside.
Sebastian lunged, desperate to make up for Kentavious's mistake. It wasn't the confrontation he wanted against Ty, but it could be the inciting incident that got them to face off properly. Instead, Sebastian got a faceful of Ty's large hand.
The stiff arm spun Sebastian's helmet around, knocking him off his feet and sending him spinning as Ty stumbled on and charged across the end-zone. Such was the difference in levels between number one and two, that Ty had defeated the Longhorns' second-best Receiver without ever defending him.
The crowd roared as the touchdown signal was given, capping off Ty's incredible return with six hard-earned points.
Ty spiked the ball into the turf so hard it bounced over the elevated barricade and landed a few rows back in the stands. Rising back up, he howled, unleashing everything. All the fury, shame, excitement, adrenaline, and even the pain, leaving nothing behind but the moment, and his goal. There was still a championship to win, and Ty saw nothing other than the path he needed to take to get there.
The number one defender in the country was back, and that meant the Dons were, too.
Kentavious—who had picked himself up and given chase, no matter how futile it was, and it was futile seeing as he only reached the 20-yard line when Ty crossed into the end-zone—watched in amazement. Ty's roar was louder than the crowd's. Strangely enough, he shared a reaction with all the Dons who heard it as well. Delight swelled within his breast, then exploded out into every part of his body.
How foolish was he to think just because he'd knocked Ty off the peak once, that'd be the end of it. Had Ty not been telling him all game it wasn't over until the final whistle? Kentavious grinned, more thrilled than he had ever been for a touchdown of his own. Nothing had been more fulfilling, pleasing, and exciting to know he had a rival that would chase him forever, no matter how high he flew.
Walking off the field, Kentavious could finally see his real goal—the real trophy he was chasing. It wouldn't fit in any case, for it was not a material possession, nor was it even what he thought was the most heart-warming, happiest moment possible, with his mother's affection. No; he had to pick through a lifetime of biases and corrupt influences. It wasn't about making anyone else happy, nor was it about striving against legendary, historic figures the likes of which he'd never share a field with. He finally saw the truth, and all it took was a worthy rival. Someone his own age. Someone he didn't even know if he was better than. Someone he'd never grow tired of battling.
How insane. The game was a never-ending roller-coaster, with revelation after revelation, and each turn, twist, dive, and loop surprised him more than the last. Maybe he was stupid. Maybe it should've all been clear to him from the start. It was insane not to see it, wasn't it? Yet wasn't that the point? Insanity.
To refuse defeat, even when it means denying reality, could be nothing but. Maybe that was what it meant to be special. After all, who got anywhere by remaining sane? Was it not insane to stomp all over your fellow humans, throw them back into the grinder, so as you might rise higher and live a more prosperous life? Was it not insane to stand at the highest point of the world, declare yourself king, and kick down anyone who dared try to reach the same peak as you?
Which was saying nothing about the sheer amount of emotional whiplash Kentavious had experienced during the game. The highs and lows would've broken a sane mind. Maybe he was always crazy. But that was fine. That was special, wasn't it?
Either way, sane or insane, special or dull, it didn't matter. He and Ty would never stop chasing one another, and the stars were their playground. That was all that mattered.