Chapter 43

The scrimmage was everything Dan had wanted it to be. He’d missed this. He’d missed being on the field. Tennis, was very much an individual sport, from what he could tell. At most, there were four people on the court, and you only had a single teammate to work with. Granted, he knew there was a lot of strategy that could go into it, based on what Peter had told him, what he’d observed from watching Sophia and Ashley play, and from his own research. Soccer though, was all about the team.

A fact, that James realized as he played the scrimmage, he’d been forgetting. Or at least, neglecting to think about earlier as he’d been flaunting his skills. He was good. He was more than good. Especially with his new powers. But, he was still just a single player. There was only so much his overwhelming skill could do.

That, and the fact that Samantha had ensured she was on the team against him, when they played. And even with his short rest, Dan had been cautious of her. Especially because he’d spied her stats before they started, and knew he outclassed by her.

Samantha Jones

Age – 24

Relation – Coach

Occupation – Coach

Special Traits

Soccer

Stealing Great

Trapping Great

Dribbling Great

Shooting Great

Precision Great

Finesse Great

???

…

The coach, while not quite the physical giant that Peter was, was no stranger to the sport. Which Dan had already known: but she was more than just familiar with it. From looking at her skills he could see, all of which were in the Great Range, she had to have competed at a high level before becoming a coach. Of course, he’d realized that during his one-on-one drill with her. But looking at the stats, in a numerical sense, drove that fact home a little more. He was curious to see just what the range of her stats were though, considering Great could be as low as a 61, and as high as an 80. Dan had a feeling they were a bit higher than his three skills that were in the great range, but just barely.

Needless to say, she made it her point, on the other team, to not only keep him at bay, but also use her skills to set up her teammates for success. Samantha, alone, could probably have run over most of the freshman, especially given their exhausted states during the scrimmage. Instead, she set herself up as the Sweeper, the final position of defense on the team, and did what she could to guide them from the back.

A tactic that Dan was no stranger to. He’d played on a few teams where the Sweepers were made the captains. With their position, just before the goalie, the Sweeper could see the way the field was being played and could analyze the other team while they played. They could take note of weak spots and could ensure they placed the ball in positions to give their own teammates key modes of attack. Additionally, having a strong player like Samantha as your final line of defense, meant most shots on goal, would be from less than desirable angles and positions.

And as the scrimmage went on, he couldn’t help but feel his admiration for her grow, even as his frustration at himself intensified. He’d managed to convince the other freshman to let him play forward, figuring his increased speed and dexterity would give him the ability to gain them points. Plus…most of the players were so tired, they didn’t care to argue with him. But, as play began, he learned that wasn’t their only reason for doing so. They’d scrimmaged already multiple times with Samantha, so they knew what to expect.

Dan learned firsthand.

First and foremost, with two extra players on either side of the field, the large soccer field got that much more crowded. Meaning, there were more bodies to move around, and try to dribble past. Even as Dan would blow past one player, when he got ahold of the ball, another could move into his way, stopping him. He didn’t quite mind, having great confidence in his ability to dribble past them, but each person that stood in his way, caused his pace to slow, and forced him to execute some fancy footwork, to move past.

And then, even after he broke through, there was Samantha, waiting and watching, offering him her same, bemused smile, her eyes blazing with fire. Sure, she was just one person, but she was the only person on the damned field who could stop him, and she knew it. And with other players supporting her, boxing Dan in, he didn’t even have the chance he wanted to take her on one on one again. Meaning, very quickly into the scrimmage, Dan remembered something extremely key to the sport of soccer. It was a team sport.

After he’d failed to score the fourth or fifth time…who was counting? He’d reluctantly cooled his blood and frustration enough, to remember that very important fact. He wasn’t alone on the soccer field. He didn’t have to do everything by himself. And he shouldn’t try to. It was a soccer team. It was a sport won not by a single, crazy good player, but by the whole team. The very facts Samantha had been trying to reiterate to him all day. A team wasn’t based around its strongest players. It was structured around the core of the players.

Which meant, Dan had to change tactics. After the enemy team had scored a third goal…thanks to Dan losing the ball to Samantha, and the coach sending a perfectly aimed shot far up the field, to a forward that had been eagerly waiting for just that chance, he’d slowed his pace of play, just enough, to cool his mind, and change tactics.

Instead of trying to be a one-man force of nature, Dan looked around at his teammates, and decided to adjust his style of play. They were tired, and they’d been happy to let him be a ball hog, because it meant they didn’t have to work as hard. Yet, if they were going to score some points in the scrimmage, which Dan was determined to do, he knew they needed to work together.

Teamwork makes the dream work. Syn had said snidely, or maybe in mock approval, as Dan executed his new and improve plan for the scrimmage. After all, while Dan was the only person there with special powers…it didn’t mean he couldn’t use them for the benefit of the whole team.

In other words, Dan took charge, but not in a solo, single minded way. Instead, he took the ball slowly, he began calling out to his teammates, and he…to everyone’s surprise, and maybe Samantha’s approval, he started passing the ball around.

With his powers, Dan could see where the ball was going, within reason. Additionally, he could see everyone’s currently determined paths. It was like seeing just a few seconds into an uncertain future. Because of that, he could better predict where his teammates were going, as well as where the enemy defenders were planning to move. By combining that with his relatively high level of skill in soccer, he could make an even more accurate determination, and act on it. And by using all of these skills, he began executing lightning fast, perfect passes, that set his teammates up for breakaways, shot opportunities, and chances to get past Samantha.

And, while they still weren’t able to take the win in the scrimmage. By the end of it, the score sat at 4 to 6. Had he not cost them those points early on, they may have actually had a chance. Which was another sobering lesson to him. Yet, it was paled by what he’d learned about himself, and his own skills. That scrimmage, Samantha’s coaching, whether purposeful or not, had proven to give him a slight breakthrough in his own abilities, and powers. Plus, when he began taking the lead, he’d noticed his charisma had shot up to 55, and his ambition had neared 70. By playing the sport he’d loved, Dan had taken another step forward in mastering these magical powers of his, and he couldn’t help but grin to himself, as they left the field. He was moving forward, and he had a feeling, when he did level up his powers, it would make him unstoppable.

“Great playing Meadows.” Samantha said as he drained his water bottle. He was done, it was time- “But, I think you forgot a little something.” Her voice took on that sadistic tone, and his smile ran away from him, as he remembered what was coming after the scrimmage. He’d been so proud of his own introspective growth…that he’d forgot. He still had an hour of hell with Samantha. His day of learning wasn’t over yet.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said, as he sat his empty water bottle down. He was really going to regret that…especially since his stamina was once again nearing the 25 mark. Shit.

-2 Happiness (61) -5 Mental Health (95)